cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Slowing down ALS--is this good or bad?

The availability of a drug that provides modest relief in ALS without altering its inevitable progression and end, has posed new ethical and economic problems for patients, caregivers and physicians. Early evidence suggests that riluzole does provide a short additional quality of life and economic benefit for patient and society. However, there is a clear need for additional therapies, even if the benefit is minor. (ALS 2001; 2 (suppl 1): S19–S22)
Social Work in the Department of Defense Hospital: Impact of the Work

Social workers in the Department of Defense Hospital are faced with numerous challenges to best address the needs of the nation’s wounded. Social workers serve diverse roles on the multidisciplinary team and are integral to the hospital work environment. Sometimes, however, the work extracts a toll on the social worker that may be expressed in terms of burnout and compassion fatigue. The converse is also true, that social workers may have a strong sense of compassion satisfaction about what they do. This article details the experience of social workers in Department of Defense hospitals. It describes the impact of the work on the social workers noting levels of compassion satisfaction, compassion fatigue, and burnout. Findings suggest that generally the social workers find satisfaction in their work and degrees of compassion fatigue and burnout.
Frailty and Risk of Venous Thromboembolism in Older Adults

Background. Frailty is a common risk factor for morbidity and mortality in elderly persons. Recent evidence links frailty to activation of coagulation and inflammatory pathways. We aimed to determine whether frailty in communitydwelling older adults is a risk factor for venous thromboembolism (VTE). Methods. We conducted a prospective cohort study in four U.S. communities involving 4859 participants 65 years old and older. At baseline, in 1989‐1993, we assessed frailty based on weight loss, grip strength, feelings of exhaustion, walk time, and physical activity. Incident VTE (deep vein thrombosis or pulmonary embolus) through 2002 was identified by review of hospital records. Results. Fifty-two percent of the sample was classified as having intermediate or definite frailty. After adjustment for age, race, sex, body mass index, and diabetes, the relative risk of total VTE (n ¼150) for people who were frail compared with no frailty was 1.31 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.93‐1.84). The comparably adjusted relative risk for idiopathic VTE (n ¼ 58) was 1.79 (95% CI, 1.02‐3.13). Conclusions. The incidence rates of idiopathic VTE was higher in community-dwelling older adults with baseline frailty compared with no frailty. Further studies of the clotting process in frailty may allow the development of an improved strategy to determine VTE risk in this vulnerable subset of older adults.
Connectionist Models of Word Reading

Connectionist models of word reading attempt to explain the computational mechanisms underlying this important skill. The goal of this research is an integrated theory of reading and its brain bases, with the computational model as the interface between the two. The models are governed by computational principles that differ considerably from naive intuitions but nonetheless account for many aspects of normal and impaired (dyslexic) reading.
Siblings of Children With Disabilities: Research Themes

Until the early 1980s, most researchers paid little attention to sibling relationships. Studies of mothers dominated the research agenda, to the almost total exclusion of fathers, extended families, and siblings. Although in early classic studies of families of children with disabilities, investigators embraced a family systems approach that included siblings (i.e., Farber & Jenne, 1963), this emphasis did not take root until recently. There has been an impressive growth in the number of published studies focusing on siblings of children with disabilities. In this paper, my goal is to examine themes in this research and reflect on our state of knowledge.
Challenges of nickel silicidation in CMOS technologies

Display Omitted The evolution of CMOS technologies and of the silicidations techniques are described.A peculiar nickel monosilicide defect termed NiSi-Fang is detected and characterized.The NiSiGe formation is investigated on Si, SiGe materials and (100), (111) surfaces.A mechanism for the NiSi-Fang defect formation is proposed.This mechanism involves silicide formation, metal enrichment and metal diffusion. In this paper, we review some of the key challenges associated with the Ni silicidation process in the most recent CMOS technologies. The introduction of new materials (e.g. SiGe), and of non-planar architectures bring some important changes that require fundamental investigation from a material engineering perspective. Following a discussion of the device architecture and silicide evolution through the last CMOS generations, we focus our study on a very peculiar defect, termed NiSi-Fangs. We describe a mechanism for the defect formation, and present a detailed material analysis that supports this mechanism. We highlight some of the possible metal enrichment processes of the nickel monosilicide such as oxidation or various RIE (Reactive Ion Etching) plasma process, leading to a metal source available for defect formation. We also investigate the NiSi formation and re-formation silicidation differences between Si and SiGe materials, and between (100) and (111) orientations. Finally, we show that the thermal budgets post silicidation can lead to the formation of NiSi-Fangs if the structure and the processes are not optimized. Beyond the understanding of the defect and the discussion on the engineering solutions used to prevent its formation, the interest of this investigation also lies in the fundamental learning within the Ni-Pt-Si-Ge system and some additional perspective on Ni-based contacts to advanced microelectronic devices.
Large solitary luteinized follicle cyst of pregnancy and puerperium: report of two cases

We describe two cases of large solitary luteinized follicle cyst of pregnancy and puerperium (LSLFCPP) with new clinicopathologic findings. The first case occurred in a 40-year old woman who was found to have a left ovarian mass during the third trimester of pregnancy. The patient delivered a full term healthy female infant via caesarean section. The ovarian mass was removed by oophorectomy. The specimen showed a unilocular, thin-walled, clear fluid filled cyst measuring 15 × 12 × 5 cm. Microscopically, the cyst was lined by single to multiple layers of luteinized cells with mainly small, round and regular nuclei and focally enlarged, bizarre, and hyperchromatic nuclei. Occasional mitotic figures were seen. The cyst wall showed marked edema and nests of luteinized cells that were morphologically similar to the cyst lining cells. Groups of lesional cells were surrounded by reticulin fibers. The patient has been healthy without disease after 7 years. The second patient was a 29-year old pregnant woman who was found to have a right ovarian cyst by ultrasound at 14-week gestation. She then presented with preterm labor at 33-week gestation and delivered a healthy female infant via caesarean section. A right salpingo-oophorectomy was performed. Gross inspection of the specimen revealed a unilocular, brown mucoid fluid filled cyst measuring 14 × 11 × 9 cm. The cyst surfaces were smooth, and the cyst wall exhibited marked edema. Microscopic examination showed features similar to the first case: cyst lined by luteinized cells with focal large nuclei, scattered nests of luteinized cells in the edematous fibrous wall, and reticulin fibers surrounding large nests of lesional cells. No mitoses, however, were identified in the second case. The patient has been well without disease 1 year after surgery. These two cases contribute to a better understanding of LSLFCPP. Our case in the 40-year old patient is the first to show mitotic figures in LSLFCPP and suggests that the presence of occasional mitoses should not exclude a diagnosis of LSLFCPP. The lesion in the second patient caused preterm labor. Nevertheless, absence of disease recurrence in our patients demonstrates a benign nature of LSLFCPP.
Matrix: Achieving Predictable Virtual Machine Performance in the Clouds

The success of cloud computing builds largely upon on-demand supply of virtual machines (VMs) that provide the abstraction of a physical machine on shared resources. Unfortunately, despite recent advances in virtualization technology, there still exists an unpredictable performance gap between the real and desired performance. The main contributing factors include contention to the shared physical resources among co-located VMs, limited control of VM allocation, as well as lack of knowledge on the performance of a specific VM out of tens of VM types offered by public cloud providers. In this work, we propose Matrix, a novel performance and resource management system that ensures the desired performance of an application achieved on a VM. To this end, Matrix utilizes machine learning methods clustering models with probability estimates to predict the performance of new workloads in a virtualized environment, choose a suitable VM type, and dynamically adjust the resource configuration of a virtual machine on the fly. The evaluations on a private cloud, and two public clouds (Rackspace and Amazon EC2) show that for an extensive set of cloud applications, Matrix is able to estimate application performance with average 90% accuracy. In addition, Matrix can deliver the target performance within 3% variance, and do so with the best cost-efficiency in most cases.
Age sensitivity of osmoregulation and of its neural correlates in Aplysia.

Osmoregulation was studied in the marine mollusc Aplysia californica in young, mature, and old adults. To monitor volume and osmoregulation, we measured body weight, hemolymph osmolality, and chloride concentration. These parameters were measured at regular intervals with animals in 90% artificial seawater (90% ASW) for up to 36 h. They showed that the rates at which Aplysia osmo- and volume regulate were significantly slowed with increased age. However, no age effect was found in osmoregulation when the hemolymph was diluted to 90% of control in animals without an external stress, i.e., by injection of distilled H2O and keeping animals in 100% ASW. Because the dilution bypassed the sensory receptors that detect external changes of osmolality, this finding suggested that the slowed osmoregulation involved age-impaired functioning of the neural pathway mediating osmoregulation. Other evidence was from mature adults whose osmoreceptive organ, the osphradium, was lesioned; they mimicked osmoregulation measured in old adults. In preparations containing a portion of the osmoregulatory pathway, the osphradium was stimulated by 90% ASW, and the responsiveness of neuron R15, which putatively regulates antidiuresis, was tested. The stimulus inhibited spiking in R15 from mature adults but not in R15 from old adults or from osphradiallesioned mature ones. In old Aplysia the refractoriness of R15 to osphradial stimulation demonstrated that the effecacy of the pathway was impaired with increased age; it helped explain the slower rate of osmoregulation. Possible changes of osmoregulatory mechanisms and behavior compensating for the age sensitivity of osmoregulation are discussed.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Treatment strategies for sleep disturbance in patients with depression.

Insomnia, excessive sleepiness, and fatigue are common symptoms in depressed patients. Excessive sleepiness is associated with impairments in cognitive and motor tasks and has a negative impact on social and occupational functioning. Further, sleepiness and fatigue strongly predict accidents. Conversely, problems with sleeplessness (e.g., difficulty falling asleep, frequent awakenings during the night, and early morning wakefulness) are also common symptoms in patients with depression. Recognition and treatment of sleep disturbance are important aspects of managing depression. Pharmacologic intervention and behavior modification are viable treatment strategies.
A 20-Year Perspective on Listeria monocytogenes Pathogenesis

Listeria monocytogenes has attracted the attention of a diverse group of investigators, including clinicians, food microbiologists, immunologists, and medical microbiologists. The reason for this broad degree of interest is due, in large part, to the fact that this facultative intracellular pathogen is highly amenable to experimental analysis and has a broad range of relevant biologic activities ranging from its growth in the environment, infection of many different animal species, and as an important human pathogen. Consistent with its broad host range, L. monocytogenes infects rodents and is perhaps the most well-characterized bacterial pathogen in a murine model of infection; indeed, L. monocytogenes is a darling of the immunologists due to its ease of handling and rapidity of growth, dating back 45 years to the classic work of Mackaness (1962). It took another 25 years for the bacterial pathogenesis community to become enamored with this important pathogen spurred by the realization in the 1980s that L. monocytogenes represents a serious public health threat especially to pregnant women (Chap. 2).
Where Does It Hurt? The Impact of Prescription Drug Monitoring Programs on Pain Management in Home Health Care

As states pass regulations to curb opioid abuse, what are the consequences for legitimate pain management? Forty-nine states have adopted prescription drug monitoring programs (PDMP) to detect potentially inappropriate opioid prescribing and use. Several studies have estimated the impact of PDMPs in reducing abuse and deaths. However, no study addresses an equally important question — do PDMPs generate negative or positive spillover effects for pain management in the millions of Americans suffering from pain? We use 2003-2013 home health agency-level panel data to assess the effect of PDMPs on pain improvements in home health patients. We hypothesize that implementation of a PDMP in the context of home health care may induce agencies to substitute away from opioids to other (potentially more effective) treatments, such as physical therapy. Using a fixed effects, two-stage least squares model, we estimate pain improvements as a result of whether a state has implemented a PDMP and control for endogeneity between state policies and pain management practices. We find that home health agencies in states with PDMPs are on average more successful at improving pain in their patients. However, the effect varies according to how the agencies are reimbursed for services. Our results suggest that home health agencies are adapting their models of care to state opioid policies, and the incentives embedded in reimbursement systems can either promote better or worse pain management.
X-ray–driven reaction front dynamics at calcite-water interfaces

The interface between minerals and aqueous solutions hosts globally important biogeochemical processes such as the growth and dissolution of carbonate minerals. Understanding such processes requires spatially and temporally resolved observations and experimental controls that precisely manipulate the interfacial thermodynamic state. Using the intense radiation fields of a focused synchrotron x-ray beam, we drove dissolution at the calcite/water interface and simultaneously probed the dynamics of the propagating reaction fronts using surface x-ray microscopy. Evolving surface structures were controlled by the time-dependent solution composition, as characterized by a kinetic reaction model. At extreme disequilibria, we observed the onset of reaction front instabilities with velocities of > 30 nanometers per second. These instabilities serve as a signature of transport-limited dissolution of calcite under extreme disequilibrium.
Metal-Loaded Polymers as Materials for Photoinduced Charge Separation

Electrochemical features of model complexes for a new class of nickel:tetrakis (dialkylphosphino) benzene coordination polymers are described. The potential for using such materials as polymeric organic semiconductors or as surface-bound electrocatalysts is considered. Factors influencing charge separation at a semiconductor:electrolyte interface and on metal coordination polymers are delineated.
Thermal and Loading Effects on Mechanical Properties of a Hot Isostatically Pressed Si3N4

The effect of thermal soaking on the mechanical properties of a candidate material for advanced heat engine applications namely, hot isostatically pressed (HIPed) silicon nitride (GTEPY6) are reported here. Pure uniaxial tensile tests conducted at room and at elevated temperatures indicated that the tensile strength of this material dropped significantly after 1000°C. The residual tensile strength of PY6 material after thermal soaking at 1200° and 1300°C was also investigated. Test results showed that thermal soaking at 1200° and 1300°C increased the residual tensile strength. The thermal soaking time had a greater effect on the residual tensile strength at 1300°C. Tensile creep tests performed at 1200° and 1300°C showed that the steady state creep rate was influenced by both the temperature and the applied stress. The higher stress exponent in HIPed as compared to a sintered silicon nitride shows higher creep resistance in the case of HIPed materials.© 1994 ASME
Preparation of Hair Samples for Drug Analysis.

Toxicological hair analysis has attracted substantial attention because of its promising diagnostic power. Analysis of drugs in hair, even though widely studied since 1970, is still not standardized; many different sample preparation and analytical procedures are practiced. To obtain reliable results, hair analysis requires preparation steps that are not necessary for conventional biological samples such as blood or urine. Pretreatment procedures are mainly conducted to decontaminate hair samples and to isolate drugs from the solid hair structure before instrumental analysis. Many types of sample preparation procedures have been reported in the literature. Selecting an appropriate one can be difficult because the choice depends on different factors, including decontamination efficiency, analytical recovery, and chemical stability of the target drug and its metabolites. This review discusses the main aspects of hair sample preparation procedures through a critical evaluation of literature data, focusing on the procedures, reliability, advantages, and result interpretation.
Hemoglobin A1c Testing and Amputation Rates in Black, Hispanic, and White Medicare Patients.

Background Major (above-knee or below-knee) amputation is a complication of diabetes and is seen more common among black and Hispanic patients. While amputation rates have declined for patients with diabetes in the last decade, it remains unknown if these improvements have equitably extended across racial groups and if measures of diabetic care, such as hemoglobin A1c testing, are associated with these improvements. We set out to characterize secular changes in amputation rates among black, Hispanic, and white patients, and to determine associations between hemoglobin A1c testing and amputation risk. Methods We identified 11,942,840 Medicare patients (55% female) with diabetes over the age of 65 years between 2002 and 2012 and followed them for a mean of 6.6 years. Of these, 86% were white, 11.5% were black, and 2.5% were Hispanic. We recorded the occurrence of major amputation and hemoglobin A1c testing during this time period and studied secular changes in amputation rate by race (black, Hispanic, and white). Finally, we examined associations between amputation risk and hemoglobin A1c testing. We measured both the presence of any testing and testing consistency using 3 categories: poor consistency (hemoglobin A1c testing in 0–50% of years), medium consistency (testing in 50–90% of years), and high consistency (testing in >90% of the years in the cohort). Results Between 2002 and 2012, the average major lower-extremity amputation rate in diabetic Medicare patients was 1.78 per 1,000 per year for black patients, 1.15 per 1,000 per year for Hispanic patients, and 0.56 per 1,000 per year for white patients (P Conclusions Although more frequent among racial minorities, major lower-extremity amputation rates have declined similarly across black, Hispanic, and white patients over the last decade. Hemoglobin A1c testing, particularly the consistency of testing over time, may be an effective component metric of longitudinal quality measures toward limiting amputation in all races.
Economic Warfare Between the Superpowers

This chapter is a revision — with the benefit of hindsight — of a paper written in 1985, just as Gorbachev was taking office in the Soviet Union. It was presented to a joint symposium of the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) and the International Economic Association [Wolfson and Farrell, 1987]. At that time, we argued that the course of economic warfare made it impossible for the Soviet Union to continue the arms race as it had without risking social collapse. Like most observers, we were surprised to see the changes in the Soviet Union instigated by Gorbachev “from above.” But we were not astonished to see the break occur.
Sensitivity and Specificity of Quantitative Cerebral Blood Flow vs. Time from Symptom Onset as a Predictor of Cerebral Infarction

P50 Background and Purpose: To compare the sensitivity and specificity of quantitative cerebral blood flow (qCBF) vs. time from symptom onset to the measurement of qCBF (Time) as a predictor of cerebral infarction in patients (pts.) with acute ischemic stroke. Methods: 51 pts. with acute ischemic stroke who were assessed with XeCT, CTA and CT within 24 hours of symptom onset were studied. The MCA territory was divided into anterior and posterior divisions (two divisions/pt. for a total of 102 divisions). The average qCBF for each of these divisions was calculated and initial and follow-up CT scans were read for new infarction in both divisions. 24 divisions with evidence of prior infarction on the initial CT were excluded from the analysis. This left a total of 78 divisions available for analysis. Logistic regression was used to generate receiver operating curves (ROC) for both qCBF and Time. The area under each ROC curve is reported. Results: Twenty-one of the 78 (26.9%) divisions without initial infarction on CT had evidence of new infarction on the follow-up CT. The area under the qCBF curve was 0.81 compared with an area of 0.49 under the Time curve (p=0.00025). Excluding patients receiving thrombolytic therapy, (n=11), the area under the qCBF curve was 0.799 and the area under the Time curve was 0.590 (p=0.00004). The area under the ROC curve for qCBF was significantly greater than Time in those patients studied 180 min. (qCBF=0.76, Time=0.50; p=0.01) Conclusion: Quantitative cerebral blood flow measured by XeCT is a better predictor of new infarction on follow-up CT than Time in pts. with acute ischemic stroke. This holds true for time 180 minutes.
Investigating Saltwater Desalination by Electrodialysis and Curriculum Extensions To Introduce Students to the Chemical Physics of Polymeric Ion-Exchange Membranes

Even though our planet contains large reservoirs of water as oceans, access to drinking water is a global concern because large amounts of salt are fatal to humans. While electrochemical desalination, that is, electrodialysis, is a process that is capable of generating potable water from salt water, most chemistry curricula do not teach this process. Therefore, we developed a curriculum and accompanying low-cost activity to expose students from middle school to undergraduate studies to the concept of electrodialysis and the importance of polymeric ion-exchange membranes in the electrodialysis process. The curriculum provides background by introducing the students to issues of water access, current state-of-the-art solutions and the scenarios where they are optimal, and the urgent need for alternative and innovative processes for clean, potable water generation. The concepts and techniques presented in this curriculum cover those relevant to desalination, which encompass several physical phenomena that spa...
Field Expansion and Contraction: How Communities Shape Social and Symbolic Boundaries:

To investigate how participants shape a field’s social and symbolic boundaries over time, I conducted an in-depth longitudinal study of five core and peripheral communities in the emerging nanotech...
How seismic waves lose energy.

Ocean basins record the life history of a tectonic plate—its creation at a mid-ocean ridge, its thickening over time, and its consumption at a subduction zone. The movement of tectonic plates is possible because the lithosphere, Earth's stiff outermost shell, slides on top of a weak asthenosphere. Despite its fundamental role in facilitating plate tectonics, the nature of the lithosphere-asthenosphere boundary is poorly understood. The asthenosphere is on average warmer than the lithosphere, but the temperature contrast alone may not provide the necessary viscosity reduction. Previous work has also proposed a dehydrated lithosphere and damp asthenosphere ( 1 ), and a solid lithosphere and partially molten asthenosphere ( 2 ). On page 1593 of this issue, Takeuchi et al. ( 3 ) present an analysis of aftershocks of the 2011 Tohoku earthquake and show how the attenuation of seismic waves has a different frequency response in the lithosphere versus the asthenosphere.
A Dissection Proof of Euler′s Series for 1 – γ

We demonstrate a visualization of Euler′s series for 1 – γ, where γ is the Euler–Mascheroni constant.
Nanoparticles functionalized long-period fiber grating for sensing applications (Conference Presentation)

Manganese is an important heavy metal element that influences nervous system. Detection of manganese in various mediums has thus attracted lots of attentions. Here we report a study on silver nanoparticles functionalized long-period fiber grating (LPFG) for manganese sensing. Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) with a size in the range of 70nm10nm were synthesized with polyvinyl pyrrolidone (PVP)-glycol. The interplay between arginine, an agent that can cause aggregation of AgNPs, and Mn2+ leads to refractive index change in the AgNPs colloidal solution, thus a shift in the resonance wavelength of LPFG that is surrounded by the colloidal solution. A sensitivity of 0.2nm shift/10-6M was achieved using such strategy. We believe the integration of nanoparticles with LPFG represents a promising sensing strategy for more advanced applications important for not only environmental but also health science.
Fitting in : Exploring the emotional dimension of adolescent peer pressure

The general public and academic researchers alike have long recognized the importance of peer relations in the lives of young people. However, three issues are notably absent from the dominant models of peer influence. First, these models neglect the affective dimension of a youth's experiences. Second, the models tend to ascribe a passive role to the youth, a stance also reflected methodologically by the absence of the youth's voice. Third, the motivational component remains unspecified; that is, why does a youth conform to peer influence? Using a framework drawn from recent social psychological work on shame and related feelings, the present study collected qualitative data from twelve college students. The findings indicate that negative emotions play a role in peer influence, particularly feelings of inadequacy and isolation, as well as feeling ridiculed, all of which may be indicative of shame. Thus, shame-related feelings may be instrumental in motivating individuals to conform. A variety of directions for future research are suggested.
An image database for diatom identification and nomenclature

A relational database linking diatom images, taxonomic nomenclature, sample collection information, and corresponding environmental data can be created easily using existing software packages. Structured properly, such a database becomes a dynamic tool for cataloguing specimens and recording associated site data. This, in turn, can greatly assist in the rapid communication of taxonomic and ecological information, the education of beginning analysts, and the assurance of taxonomic consistency.
Advances in InSb and InAs Nanowire Based Nanoelectronic Field Effect Transistors

Abstract III–V semiconducting materials have been long recognized as potential candidates for future nanoelectronics and nanophotonic devices. Recent developments in precision growth techniques of defect-free electronic materials at micro/nanoscale, state-of-the art device fabrication, and advances in the characterization techniques/tools have opened new opportunities and possibilities for probing related materials and devices. Indium antimonide (InSb) and Indium arsenide (InAs) are two III–V candidates possessing a number of special properties such as low bandgap, direct electronic energy gap, high electronic mobilities at room temperature, and high spin–orbit coupling. Additionally, one-dimensional form of InSb and InAs [i.e., the nanowires (NWs)] with suitable metal electrodes/current collectors have shown numerous physical insights in recent years and have provided signatures of number of unique possibility for future device applications. This chapter overviews some of the key material properties and advances in future nanoelectronics devices based on InSb and InAs NWs.
Abstract TP248: Distribution and Number of Cerebral Microhemorrhages Differ According to Ischemic Stroke Subtype

Introduction: Cerebral microhemorrhages/microbleeds (CMBs) are foci of hemosiderin deposition that appear as well-circumscribed hypointensities on T2*-weighted gradient echo magnetic resonance imag...
Glutamate receptor subtypes differentially contribute to optogenetically-activated swimming in spinally-transected zebrafish larvae.

Spinal locomotor networks have the intrinsic capacity to transform unpatterned excitatory input into patterned output. Conventionally, spinally mediated fictive locomotor activity is experimentally...
Recreating the Third World Project: possibilities through the Fourth World

In this paper, we make a theoretical argument that the Third World be returned to its political origins to inspire an updated Third World Project (TWP), revived as a global movement for progressive...
Chapter 8 – Antisocial Behavior

Publisher Summary This chapter examines the social context of public opinion and other media, the evidence of effects on aggressive and antisocial behavior, the user criteria and schema for interpreting the evidence, and the broad implications of the data. The theories and dimensions that figure in the effects of television violence on aggressive and antisocial behavior apply to all categories of behavior and all media. This has become a commonplace in the social and behavioral sciences—the conformity of broad ranges of behavior to the same few general principles. The result is a general psychology of the behavioral influence of media. The chapter presents three bodies of evidence. The first is the symmetry in the meta-analytic data on the effects of antisocial and prosocial television portrayals. The second is the success of the health belief model, which is derived from social learning theory, the precursor of social cognition. It is accurate conceptual genealogy to recognize that the large-scale federally sponsored programs employing media to change the health behavior of the public have their theoretical roots in the responses of children to the thumping of Bobo dolls and thereby testify to the wide applicability of the underlying theory. The third source is the extensive literature on the modification of behavior—phobias, fears, and anxieties—by the calculated use of media portrayals to make the stimuli involved less arousing and the viewer more confident in reacting to them. Such outcomes are limited in their applicability to ordinary viewing, but they further document that television can influence a wide variety of behavior.
The GSFC 20 and 30 GHz millimeter wave propagation experiment

The preliminary results of the Goddard Space Flight Center Millimeter Wave Experiment, flown aboard ATS-6 to investigate the propagation characteristics of earth-space communications links at 20 and 30 GHz, are discussed. The spacecraft transmitters operate through spot beam (2 deg) or continental coverage (6 by 9 deg) antenna systems. The transmitted signals consist of a set of nine tones spaced out to 1440 MHz to allow measurement of wideband attenuation and coherence through precipitation. Initial data on precipitation depolarization and attenuation effects indicate that attenuation effects will exert the stronger influence on the design of frequency re-use communications systems in the 20 GHz region. The use of four ground terminals separated by 30 to 78 km to reduce the effects of rain attenuation has been successful, with improvement approaching the theoretical maximum demonstrated for five events. Preliminary results on the use of on-beam radar measurements for predicting rain attenuation are encouraging.
Circulating lipids in men with type 2 diabetes following 3 days on a carbohydrate-free diet versus 3 days of fasting

Objective We have been interested in determining the effects of dietary changes on fuel metabolism and regulation in men with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). In this study, the changes in 24-hr circulating lipid profiles were determined when the major fuel source was endogenous versus exogenous fat. Methods Seven males with T2DM were randomized in a crossover design with a 4-week washout period. A standard mixed (control) diet (30%fat:15%protein:55%carbohydrate) was provided initially. Subsequently, a 72-hr (3-day) fast, or a high fat (85%), 15% protein, essentially carbohydrate-free (CHO-free) diet was provided for 72 hr. Triacylglycerol (TAG), non-esterified fatty acids (NEFA), β-hydroxybutyrate (bHB), and insulin-like growth factor-binding protein-1 (IGFBP-1) profiles were determined during the last 24 hr of intervention, as well as during the control diet. Results Regardless of the amount of dietary fat (30% vs 85%) and differences in 24-hr profiles, TAG, NEFA, and bHB all returned to the previous basal concentrations within 24 hr. TAGs and NEFAs changed only modestly with fasting; bHB was elevated and increasing. The IGFBP-1 profile was essentially unchanged with either diet but increased with fasting. Conclusion A CHO-free diet resulted in a large increase in TAG and NEFA versus the control diet; however, both were cleared by the following morning. A negative NEFA profile occurred with the control diet. Thus, mechanisms are present to restore lipid concentrations to their original AM concentrations daily. Fasting resulted in stable concentrations, except for a continuing increase in bHB. Glucose and insulin, common fuel regulators, could not explain the results.
Preliminary evidence for a race-based stress reduction intervention for Black women at risk for cardiovascular disease.

Abstract Objective Despite evidence that chronic stress, racism, and discrimination impact the well-being and the risk for cardiovascular disease (CVD) in Black women, there are few evidence-based interventions that improve well-being and reduce the risk for CVD in women of minority groups. The purpose of this pilot study was to evaluate the psychobehavioral and anti-inflammatory benefit of a race-based stress reduction program “Resilience, Stress, and Ethnicity (RiSE) for Black women at risk for CVD. Methods: Black women were recruited from the Chicagoland community and randomized to either the 8-week RiSE intervention (n = 40) or control group (n = 34). Participants were assessed for coping strategies, psychological distress, and blood levels of TNF-alpha and high sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP) at baseline and at 4 and 8 weeks after baseline. Results: Participation in RiSE was associated with a more rapid decline in the use of avoidance coping (b = -0.3585, SE = 0.1705, p
Pedagogical Recommendations for Applied Statistics Courses

The practice of policymaking and governance increasingly relies on analytics, which means both undergraduate and graduate political science methods courses are well-positioned to provide students with career-ready and highly marketable skills. The COVID-19 pandemic, in addition to many other significant policy challenges, highlight the need for leaders who can analyze, interpret and communicate quantitative information. This chapter first reflects on my journey as a quantitative methods instructor and then offers suggestions for how instructors in this field can ensure our courses have long-term value for our students. Specifically, the chapter suggests that political science statistics courses should employ real-world applications, incorporate both secondary technical skills and soft skills into the course content and provide more direct instruction in effective scientific writing.
Contextualism and the Meaning-Intention Problem

The relevant alternatives approach in epistemology1 arose some years ago partly out of the hope to be able to reconcile our ordinary claims of knowledge with our inability to answer the skeptic. It was supposed to give rise to an account of knowledge according to which our ordinary claims of knowledge are true, even though the claims about our lack ofknowledge that the skeptics make in one of their more persuasive moments are also true. To know, according to such an account, is to have evidence sufficient to rule out all the relevant alternatives. In ordinary life few alternatives are relevant. For example, whether or not we are brains in a vat is not a relevant alternative that we have to be able to rule out. In the debate with the skeptic it may become relevant, and accordingly we might not know something any more then, even though we have the same evidence as in ordinary life. The skeptics cleverly make more and more alternatives relevant, and that is how they succeed. But their success in the philosophy seminar is no threat to our ordinary claims of knowledge, or so the theory goes.
Circle location by moments

We present a method for locating circles in images based on the moment values of specially-constructed functions. Our approach differs from Hough-transform-type approaches in requiring no large accumulator array, searching operation, nor preliminary edge-detection step. It differs from previous work on curve location by moments by the existence of an explicit formula for the circle parameters and a theoretically proven guarantee of success. The moment approach is inherently robust with respect to blurriness, pixelization, or small-scale noise.
A Parallel Algorithm for Multiple Objective Linear Programs

This paper presents an ADBASE-based parallel algorithm for solving multiple objective linear programs (MOLPs). Job balance, speedup and scalability are of primary interest in evaluating efficiency of the new algorithm. The scalability of a parallel algorithm is a measure of its capacity to increase performance with respect to the number of processors used. Implementation results on Intel iPSC/2 and Paragon multiprocessors show that the algorithm significantly speeds up the process of solving MOLPs, which is understood as generating all or some efficient extreme points and unbounded efficient edges. The algorithm is shown to be scalable and gives better results for large problems. Motivation and justification for solving large MOLPs are also included.
Disorders of coagulation of blood

Dr. Schulman: The case we would like to discuss is one chosen for its own intrinsic interest and also because it provides a good opportunity to illustrate some of our newer knowledge of coagulation in general, and hemophilia in particular. The patient is a 4-year-old boy who was referred to this hospital for investigation of a hemorrhagic diathesis. His birth was normal and at the age of 7 days he was circumcised without difficulty. At 1 year of age he developed bleeding from a traumatic laceration of the left upper eyelid, which persisted for 5 days. At the age of 3 years he apparently fell and bit his tongue. This led to persistent bleeding for a period of 14 days, despite the administration of three transfusions. At 3 6/12 years of age, an upper central incisor became loose, resulting in bleeding for 3 days. At 4 years he suddenly developed a painful swelling of the right knee, which increased in severity for 5 days. Joint aspiration yielded 20 ml of blood. At no time did this boy have any other manifestations of bleeding. There had been no nose bleeds. The members of the family are indicated in Figure 1. This patient has two brothers who are unaffected and three sisters who are also unaffected. The mother and father are unaffected. However, the mother9s paternal uncle had a severe hemorrhagic disease and, in addition the mother9s sister has two sons who also have bleeding manifestations. The disease, then, apparently occurs only in males. It skips a generation and is apparently transmitted by females. This is the classic sex-linked, recessive inheritance which we have come to associate with hemophilia.
Chapter 6 - The Recursively Enumerable Degrees

Decision problems are the motivating force in the search for a formal definition of algorithm that constituted the beginnings of recursion (computability) theory. In most settings, the notion of a recursively enumerable (r.e.) set is found: the theorems of a axiomatized theory, the solvable Diophantine equations, and the true equations among words in a finitely presented group. Typically, such decision problems amount to deciding if a particular r.e. set is computable. All these sets are simply non-computable. Another view sees them as more complicated or harder to compute than the recursive sets. This is the view that leads to the notion of relative computability (reducibility) introduced by Turing. The equivalence classes under this notion of relative computability are first called the “degrees of recursive unsolvability.” The starting point for the investigation of this fundamental notion of relative computability is the r.e. degrees. The classic results of logic, such as Godel's incompleteness theorem, Church's proof of the undecidability of predicate logic, and Turing's unsolvability of the Halting problem, each proved that there is a nonrecursive r.e. degree. All the natural examples, however, of nonrecursive r.e. sets supplied by standard theories that could be proven undecidable or from other natural definitions of noncomputable r.e. sets, turned out to have the same complexity.
The Tight Dialectic: The Anthropocene and the Capitalist Production of Nature

In this essay we examine the case of Kivalina, Alaska, twice threatened with destruction, in order to understand the importance of the specifically geological concept of the Anthropocene. We argue that the Anthropocene is best understood as part of what Neil Smith called a “tight dialectic” between the history of geography (the production of environmental knowledge) and historical geography (the production of nature and space) as this dialectic is played out within capitalist modes of production. We focus on the relationship between contemporary geo-engineering and both intentional and unintentional geographical engineering, to make the basic argument that humans have no choice but to produce nature—to engineer environments. The only question is how we shall do so.
Cognitive differences among depressed and non-depressed MCI participants: a project FRONTIER study.

Objective Depression is the most commonly reported psychiatric symptom in patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI). However, more research is needed examining the impact of depression on cognitive functioning in MCI patients. The purpose of this study was to examine differences in cognitive functioning in a sample of community- based, depressed, and non-depressed MCI patients. Methods One hundred and five participants with MCI were included in this study. Participants were recruited from Project FRONTIER, a study of rural health. Depression was assessed via the Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS-30), and cognition was measured using the Repeatable Battery for the Assessment of Neuropsychological Status. Results The results indicated that depressed MCI participants performed significantly worse than their non-depressed counterparts on several cognitive measures. MCI participants with depression scored significantly lower on immediate memory (t = 3.4, p < 0.01) and delayed memory (t = 2.8, p < 0.01) indices than their non-depressed counterparts. Conclusions The results of this study indicated that MCI participants with depression experienced greater deficits in cognitive functioning than their non-depressed counterparts. Depressed MCI participants exhibited greater deficits in both immediate and delayed memory. Thus, identifying and treating depression in individuals with MCI may improve memory and cognitive functioning. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Epitope-specific regulation: the elephant in the bathtub

Modern cellular and molecular studies have made great progress in characterizing the mechanisms that control immune responses. Now it is time to broaden the present views to accommodate evidence from epitope-specific and other immunoregulatory systems, which were well studied some years ago and are still highly relevant to contemporary work.
Feature-subset selection for statistical classification problems involving unequal covariance matrices

In discriminant analysis it is often desirable to find a subset of the original measurements that will adequately classify individuals into one of m distinct populations. This paper addresses the most general case of selecting a subset of variables that will maximize or almost maximize the probability of correct classification for the case of two or more multivariate normal populations with possibly unequal covariance matrices
Surgical Infection Prophylaxis for Left Ventricular Assist Device Implantation

Abstract Background: Antimicrobial prophylaxis is commonly administered to patients undergoing left ventricular assist device (LVAD) surgeries to prevent infectious complications. However, optimal surgical infection prophylaxis (SIP) for LVAD surgeries is not well defined. Methods: We conducted an electronic survey to characterize LVAD SIP used at different centers performing LVAD implantation. Results: Responses were received from 23 of 85 centers (27%). Of 21 centers that provided usable data about their LVAD SIP regimens for nonpenicillin allergic patients, 42.9% reported using a four-drug regimen (three antibiotics plus fluconazole), 23.8% reported using a three-drug regimen (three antibiotics or two antibiotics plus fluconazole), 23.8% reported using a regimen of two antibiotics, and 9.5% reported using vancomycin alone. A similar pattern was observed among SIP regimens for penicillin-allergic patients. Criteria for discontinuation of SIP and use of decolonization strategies also varied widely across centers. Conclusions: Our results demonstrate wide variability in LVAD SIP regimens and underscore the lack of consensus regarding best practice. (J Card Surg 2011;26:440-443)