cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Blue Ribbon Abstract Award: Applying Six Sigma Methodology for Process Improvement of Antibiotic Timing and Antibiotic Choice in the Preoperative Patient

Abstract ISSUE: The National Surgical Infection Prevention (NSIP) Project provides quality improvement tools and measures to improve surgical patient safety. Measures include antibiotic administration within 1 hour of incision and appropriate antibiotic choice. MBHS historical data revealed 37% compliance with surgical prophylactic antibiotic timing and 67% compliance with correct antibiotic selection. PROJECT: We formed an Antibiotic Timing and Antibiotic Choice in Surgery (ATACS) team utilizing Six Sigma methodology: Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve, and Control. The team's objectives were to improve antibiotic delivery from 37% to 90%, targeting administration time of 30 minutes prior to incision, and to improve prophylactic antibiotic selection compliance from 67% to 95% by June 1, 2003. The multidisciplinary team completed a cause-and-effect diagram and a Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (FMEA), and developed concise data-collection tools generating histograms, dot plots, and box plots. The team implemented a HANG & HOLD intervention and combined pre-operative order forms into one staff/physician/patient friendly Preoperative Information and Order Form. RESULTS: Antibiotic timing compliance improved 162%, from 37% (Mean=71, SD=34, N=64) to 97% (Mean=27, SD=11, n=87) (p=0.000). Compliance with correct antibiotic improved 45% from 67% (36/52) to 97% (82/84) (p=0.000). Preventing process failure was demonstrated by decreased FMEA risk scores. LESSONS LEARNED: Six Sigma methodology provided a quick study for rapid improvement. A carefully planned data-collection tool and accurate data analysis provided a basis for the team's change intervention and long-term controls. A legible pre-printed pre-operative order form guiding surgeon antibiotic choice (utilizing TALL MAN lettering) supported patient safety.
Excursions of adaptive algorithms via the Poisson clumping heuristic

The authors detail the application of the Poisson clumping heuristic (PCH) to the least mean square (LMS) adaptive algorithm and its signed variants. Under certain conditions on the input and disturbance statistics, the parameter estimate errors form a Markov process. The PCH asserts that large excursions of the parameter estimates occur in clumps, and that these clumps are distributed in a Poisson manner with parameter lambda /sub b/, where b is the maximum parameter error. Expressions are derived for each of the four algorithms in the scalar case, which allows calculation of lambda /sub b/ in a relatively straightforward manner. These values are compared to simulations of the algorithms. Given that the results are asymptotic in b, the close agreement between simulated and theoretical values is striking, even for very modest b. The four algorithms are then compared in terms of lambda /sub b/. Some observations are made regarding the relative performance of the four variants. No single LMS variant always outperforms the others. Suggestions are made as to how this technique might be applied in the vector case, and a crucial monotonicity property is verified. >
Phospholipid fatty acid composition of the deep-sea hydrothermal vent polychaete Paralvinella palmiformis (Polychaeta-ampharetidae): effects of thermal regime and comparison with two shallow-water confamilial species

1. 1. The fatty acid composition of the total phospholipid fraction was determined for specimens of Paralvinella palmiformis from hydrothermal vents on the Juan de Fuca Ridge. 2. 2. Animals collected from 17°C water had a significantly greater degree of fatty acid unsaturation than animals living at ca 30–40°C. 3. 3. Compared with two shallow-water, non-vent polychaetes from the same family (Hobsonia florida and Amphicteis scaphobranchiata), Paralvinella has a greater proportion of 18:1, 18:2, and total polyunsaturated fatty acids and a smaller proportion of 20:1, 22:1 and total monounsaturated fatty acids.
The American Grand Jury — Due Process or Rights Regress?:

The grand jury system and due process rights generally are recognized as two of the great "checks" in protecting private citizens from the inherent dangers that may exist should the executive branch of the government be tempted to use the criminal justice system as a vehicle for its own political purposes. These historical checks, however, seem to have dissolved in present practices and procedures implemented by federal prosecutors in their investigations of public officials. A paradigm example of this is the grand jury investigation of Walter L. Nixon, Jr., United States District Judge for the Southern District of Mississippi. Nixon was convicted of two counts of perjury for lying to a grand jury. This author was present throughout the entire Nixon trial. Copious notes were taken and verified by cross-checking them with the trial transcript. What Nixon's case dramatizes is the fundamental problems inherent within the grand jury system: specifically, that prosecutors have the power to use the federal gran...
A study of the 54Fe(p, d)53Fe reaction at 40 MeV

Abstract The 54 Fe(p, d) 53 Fe reaction was studied using 40 MeV protons with a split-pole magnetic spectrograph. A total of 53 states were observed up to an excitation energy of 7.364 MeV in 53 Fe. At least 29 of these states have not been previously reported. Angular distributions were measured from 6° to 90° for transitions to 35 of these states, and were analysedwith distorted-wave Born approximation calculations. Excitation energies, transferred l -values, spectroscopic factors and the implied J π values are given. Difficulties encountered in obtaining a reliable set of spectroscopic factors are discussed in relation to various prescriptions in the DWBA calculations, and to the one-nucleon transfer sum rule.
IT and SLT characterizations of secured biometric authentication systems

This paper provides an information theoretical description of biometric systems at the system level. A number of basic models to characterize performance of biometric systems are presented. All models compare performance of an automatic biometric recognition system against performance of an ideal biometric system that knows correct decisions. The correct decision can be visualized as an input to a new decision system, and the decision by an automatic recognition system is the output of this decision system. The problem of performance evaluation for a biometric recognition system is formulated as (1) the problem of finding the maximum information that the output of the system has about the input, and (2) the problem of finding the maximum distortion that the output can experience with respect to the input of the system to guarantee a bounded average probability of recognition error. The first formulation brings us to evaluation of capacity of a binary asymmetric and M-ary channels. The second formulation falls under the scope of rate-distortion theory. We further describe the problem of physical signature authentication used to authenticate a biometric acquisition device and state the problem of secured biometric authentication as the problem of joint biometric and physical signature authentication. One novelty of this work is in restating the problem of secured biometric authentication as the problem of finding capacity and rate-distortion curve for a secured biometric authentication system. Another novelty is in application of transductive methods from statistical learning theory to estimate the conditional error probabilities of the system. This set of parameters is used to optimize the system performance.
Infrared absorption and ultraviolet-circular dichroism spectral studies of thermally induced unfolding of apomyoglobin

The static infrared absorption (IR) and circular dichroism (CD) spectra of the temperature-dependent conformational states of apomyoglobin in potassium phosphate and sodium acetate buffer solution at pH* 5.3 in D2O are reported. The circular dichroism ellipticity at 222 nm reveals a loss of helical structure for both heat- and cold-denatured states. Cold denaturation leads to a molten globule state with an associated partial loss of helical structure identified at 1646 cm-1. Heat denaturation also exhibits an absorption loss at 1646 cm-1 but leads to the appearance of aggregation at 1680 and 1619 cm-1. There is semi-quantitative agreement of the ultra-violet circular dichroism and infrared estimates of protein helicity. The denaturation spectra give evidence that there are specific associations between acetate ions and the protein, but not between phosphate ions and the protein.
Histamine content of the nematode, Caenorhabditis elegans.

Abstract 1. The histamine content in axenically grown nematodes was found to be 350 ng. per g. wet weight. 2. Histamine content was determined in extracts from the free-living nematode, Caenorhabditis elegans var. Bristol (strain B 1 -Pl) by an isotope dilution procedure which obviated error encountered in a conventional fluorescence assay. 3. This is the first report of histamine in the Nematoda.
Radiation-induced changes in magnetic properties of Nd-Fe-B permanent magnets

Small magnets were irradiated in a fast neutron flux of 4*10/sup 12/ n/cm/sup 2/-s at 350 K (77 degrees C). At various time intervals during the irradiation, samples were removed from the reactor and the open-circuit remanence was measured. It is shown that the rate of remanence decay decreases monotonically with increasing length-to-diameter (L/D) ratio for samples of the same material. Samples of different materials having an L/D ratio of 4.4. were irradiated to study the decay of the remanence. It is shown that resistance to radiation-induced decay is improved by the substitution of Dy or Tb for Nd. The results also show that the sensitivity to radiation varies widely among magnets from different vendors. Possible reasons for this variation are discussed. >
Hydrogen peroxide induces contraction and raises [Ca2+]i in canine cerebral arterial smooth muscle: participation of cellular signaling pathways

The effects of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) on isolated canine basilar arteries, and single smooth muscle cells isolated from these arteries, were investigated in the present study. Exposure of isolated endothelium-intact and denuded arterial rings to H2O2, at concentrations of 2.2×10–5 M to 4.4×10–3 M, produced concentration-dependent contractile responses. Removal of the endothelium attenuated, but did not eliminate the contractions. H2O2-induced contractions were inhibited, to different degrees, by preincubation of the vessels with low concentrations of staurosporine or bisindolylmaleimide I HCl [antagonists of protein kinase C (PKC)], Go6976 (a PKCα and PKCβ1 selective antagonist), genistein (an antagonist of protein tyrosine kinase), PD-98059 (an antagonist of mitogen-activated protein kinase), wortmannin [an antagonist of phosphatidylinositol 3 (PI3)-kinases], and LY-294002 (an antagonist of PI3-kinases). These agents were also found to relax arteries precontracted by H2O2. Removal of extracellular Ca2+ or pretreatment of the vessels with 5.0 µM verapamil markedly attenuated the contractions. Complete inhibition of the contractile response was obtained after buffering intracellular Ca2+ with BAPTA-AM. A variety of specific pharmacological antagonists of several known vasoconstrictors neither inhibited nor attenuated the H2O2-induced contractions. Exposure of smooth muscle cells to H2O2 (4.4×10–6 M to 4.4×10–4 M) significantly raised intracellular Ca2+ ([Ca2+]i) within 20 s. This was abolished in the absence of extracellular Ca2+ or after application of 5.0 µM verapamil. Pretreatment of the cells with low concentrations of staurosporine, bisindolylmaleimide I, Go6976, genistein, PD-98059, wortmannin, and LY-294002 markedly suppressed the H2O2-mediated [Ca2+]i elevation. The present findings suggest that hydrogen peroxide, in vitro, produces endothelium-dependent and independent contractions of canine basilar arteries, which are clearly Ca2+-dependent and are not associated with release of endogenous vasoconstrictors. Several intracellular signal transduction systems, such as PKC (both Ca2+-dependent and Ca2+-independent), protein tyrosine phosphorylation, IP3, mitogen-activated protein kinase and PI3 kinase appear to play a role in the H2O2-induced contractions in cerebral arterial muscle.
Percutaneous electrode guidance of the block needle for peripheral or plexus neural blockade

Abstract Percutaneous electrode guidance (PEG) of a block needle is a new technique which has the potential to facilitate peripheral nerve or plexus neural blockade. PEG involves indentation of the skin and transcutaneous stimulation with a cylindrical, smooth-tipped electrode probe to prelocate the desired nerve or nerves and subsequently, to guide a block needle to the nerve. This article focuses on the scientific principles underlying the PEG technique, as well as the initial clinical experience with PEG. The PEG electrode probe is used to indent the skin and subcutaneous tissues over the nerve in such a way as to optimize several variables for transcutaneous nerve stimulation. These variables include electrical current amperage, pulse duration, skin to nerve distance, and electrical impedance. PEG can be used to aid multiple injection, small volume peripheral nerve and plexus blockade. The technique has a potential to decrease the time for peripheral or plexus nerve block performance. PEG may theoretically decrease the number of invasive needle passes used to search for nerves with present techniques, thus increasing the safety of peripheral nerve blocks. Copyright 2002, Elsevier Science (USA). All rights reserved.
Ray Tracing Of Recent VUV Monochromator Designs

A new optical ray-tracing program is presented and some applications discussed. A Monte-Carlo modelling of several types of sources is implemented, and in particular the Synchrotron Radiation source is modelled exactly. The program is written specifically for grazing optics, although gaussian optics can be treated as well. Diffraction from gratings, both ruled and holographic, is included as well as Bragg diffraction from crystals. The reflectivity of mirror surfaces and transmission of filters is treated exactly and locally, solving the Fresnel equations for each ray. The interactive nature of the program and its fast execution time allow the simulation of real-life situations quickly and efficiently. Applications to the Toroidal Grating Monochromator (TMG), Grating Crystal Monochromator (GCM), and Extended Range Grasshopper (ERG) are presented.
Cancer death and antihypertensive drug treatment-response.

We wish to thank Drs. Goldstein and Mascitelli ([1][1]) for their careful reading of our article ([2][2]). In our introduction, we identified prior reports of the association of antihypertensive treatment with cancer and found the results from previous work to be equivocal. We are aware of the
Microwave Plasma Reactions of Imidazole on Polyurethane Elastomer Surfaces: A Spectroscopic Study

Recently initiated studies concerning surface modifications of poly(dimethylsiloxanes) using microwave plasmons were extended to polyurethane (PU) surfaces. However, when the same experimental conditions used in the closed and open flow microwave plasma reactors were applied, no chemical bonding of imidazole molecules to PU surfaces was detected. In order to facilitate the imidazole−urethane surface reactions, PU specimens were immersed in an imidazole-containing methylene chloride solution and exposed to Ar microwave plasmons. This approach appears to be successful in creating chemically stable imidazole species attached to PU surfaces. Imidazole molecules are bonded to PU surfaces through the CN bond opening of imidazole, to create C−O−C surface bonds. Analysis of the imidazole−urethane linkages was accomplished using attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and revealed that the same surface structures on PU surfaces, but different concentration levels of imidazole at variou...
On programming an adaptable network of molecular processing elements

To utilize the computational style and massive parallelism provided by molecular computing devices, conventional techniques which individually program molecules need to be augmented by techniques which collectively program a network of molecules. The author describes such an evolutionary programming technique. It consists of a training phase, in which the network is trained to recognize known patterns, and a performing phase, in which the network is presented with unknown patterns. A description is given of the results obtained when the technique is applied to a simulated network of computing devices. The computational tasks performed are those which have been traditionally difficult for conventional programming techniques. >
Protein degradation: Prime time for PROTACs.

PROTACs are heterobifunctional small molecules that simultaneously bind a target protein and a ubiquitin ligase, enabling ubiquitination and degradation of the target. Major progress in developing potent and specific PROTACs has recently been reported, invigorating prospects for novel PROTAC-based therapies.
Eccrine porocarcinoma of the lower extremity: A case report and review of literature

Eccrine porocarcinoma is a rare malignancy of the eccrine sweat gland. It is usually found frequently on the lower extremities, and it affects both sexes equally usually in the sixth to seventh decade. In our case, we present a 42-year-old male patient with a recurring exophytic tumor on the right lower extremity without local extension. The initial tumor was biopsied, excised and diagnosed as an eccrine poroma. The tumor then recurred 6 years later, was re-excised, reconstructed with a soleus muscle flap and diagnosed as an eccrine porocarcinoma.
“Coming to Grips” with Chemotherapy-Induced Premature Menopause

Chemotherapy for early stage breast cancer has significantly improved survival outcomes but is associated with ovarian toxicity, resulting in early menopause for many premenopausal women. A qualitative study was conducted that generated a grounded theory explaining how women carried on with life in response to breast cancer and menopause. My purpose in this article is to describe three distinct types of responses from women in that study: making the best of it, struggling and barely noticing. The degree of menopausal symptom distress and perceived level of preparation for the menopause experience had the greatest influence on the type of response.
The influence of land cover composition and groundwater on thermal habitat availability for brook charr (Salvelinus fontinalis) populations in the United States of America

Brook charr (Salvelinus fontinalis) is a sentinel fish species that requires clean, cold water habitats generally resulting from landscapes that allow for surface water flows devoid of sediment and contaminants and high groundwater discharge of cold water. As such, brook charr are impacted by land cover changes that alter stream temperature regimes. We evaluated brook charr populations across their eastern and midwestern range in the United States with reference to thermal habitat availability in relationship to land cover and per cent baseflow. We found that while forest cover does protect brook charr thermal habitat, high levels of groundwater discharge can allow for increased levels of agriculture within a watershed by keeping the water cold in spite of warm ambient summer temperatures. Our study concludes that with enhanced communication among land, water and fisheries managers, society can provide for sustainable stream salmonid populations despite increased threats on cold water resources.
Mediating variable framework in physical activity interventions. How are we doing? How might we do better?

Abstract Introduction: Behavioral science provides the foundation for physical activity interventions. The mediating variable framework is used to assess the status of physical activity interventions and the roles that are, or could be played, by behavioral theory. Methods: Twenty-five physical activity intervention studies and 45 physical activity correlational studies were found in the literature, tabulated, and included in the analysis. Results: Behavioral interventions for promoting physical activity have worked primarily when participants were motivated enough to volunteer or when a school-based physical education program changed. In most cases, behavioral or psychosocial theory accounted for 30% or less of the variability in physical activity behaviors. Most intervention studies do not measure mediating variables, and when they do, they do not systematically effect changes in all the mediating variables on which they are predicated. Discussion: To increase the effectiveness of physical activity interventions, more physical activity research should focus on a better understanding of the predictors of physical activity and toward interventions demonstrated to effect change in these predictors of physical activity. Conclusion: Changing the focus to basic behavioral and social science and mediator change research should provide a more systematic and cost-effective approach to increasing the effectiveness of physical activity interventions.
Fast Frequency Sweep of FEM Models via the Balanced Truncation Proper Orthogonal Decomposition

A fast frequency sweep method for wideband antennas and infinite arrays based on a singular value decomposition (SVD)-Krylov model reduction method for frequency-domain tangential vector finite elements (TVFEMs) is presented. Reduced models are constructed using balanced congruence transformations constructed from the dominant invariant subspace of the system's Hankel matrix. Traditionally, forming such matrix requires the intensive computation of Gramians; the proposed method only forms their low-rank Cholesky factors via a novel adaptive proper orthogonal decomposition (POD) sampling strategy, leading to significant savings. Unlike some other model reduction methods, balanced truncation POD (BT-POD) is directly applicable to lossy and dispersive electromagnetic models. Numerical studies on large-scale wideband antennas and infinite arrays show that the method is stable, error controllable and, without memory overheads capable of up to two orders-of-magnitude speed-ups.
From Art to Science in Manufacturing: The Evolution of Technological Knowledge

Making goods evolved over several centuries from craft production to complex and highly automated manufacturing processes. A companion paper by R. Jaikumar documents the transformation of firearms manufacture through six distinct epochs, each accompanied by radical changes in the nature of work. These shifts were enabled by corresponding changes in technological knowledge. This paper models knowledge about manufacturing methods as a directed graph of cause–effect relationships. Increasing knowledge corresponds to more numerous variables (nodes) and relationships (arcs). The more dense the graph, the more variables can be monitored and controlled, with greater precision. This enables higher production speeds, tighter tolerances, and higher quality. Changes in knowledge from epoch to epoch tend to follow consistent patterns. More is learned about key classes of phenomena, including measurement methods, feedback control methods, and disturbances. As knowledge increases, control becomes more formal, and operator discretion is reduced or shifted to other types of activity. Increasing knowledge and control are two dimensions of a shift from art towards science. Evolution from art to science is not monotonic. The knowledge graphs of new processes are riddled with holes; dozens of new variables must be identified, understood, and controlled. Frederick Taylor pioneered three key methods of developing causal knowledge in such situations: reductionism, using systems of quantitative equations to express knowledge, and learning by systematic experimentation. Using causal networks to formally model knowledge appears to also fit other kinds of technology. But even as vital aspects of manufacturing verge on “full science,” other technological activities will remain nearer to art, as for them complete knowledge is unapproachable.
Familial occurrence of the Wiedemann-Beckwith syndrome and persistent fontanel.

We describe a family in which 3 sisters gave birth to 8 infants with the Wiedemann- Beckwith syndrome. The clinical manifestations in all the affected individuals included macroglossia, macrosomia and omphalocele, while their mothers all were entirely normal. Pedigree analysis suggests that familial occurrence of the Wiedemann-Beckwith syndrome may be due to delayed mutation.
Serving in College, Flourishing in Adulthood: Does Community Engagement During the College Years Predict Adult Well‐Being?

Colleges and universities are placing a renewed emphasis on the importance of service and community engagement. Although the short-term effects of these college experiences are fairly well understood, little is known about the long-term impact of college volunteering and participating in engaged forms of learning (e.g. service-learning). This longitudinal study examines 416 participants during their freshman year of college, their senior year, and 13 years after graduation. Results show that both college volunteering and service-learning have positive, indirect effects on several forms of well-being during adulthood, including personal growth, purpose in life, environmental mastery, and life satisfaction. Specifically, these college experiences are associated with subsequent behaviors (adult volunteering) and attitudes and values (prosocial orientation), which in turn are positively associated with well-being. Implications for research and practice are discussed.
A New Metric for Permutation Polynomial Interleavers

The spread factor of an interleaver is a common measure for turbo coding applications. Maximum-spread inter-leavers are interleavers whose spread factors achieve the upper bound. An infinite sequence of quadratic permutation polynomials over integer rings that generate maximum-spread interleavers is presented. New properties of permutation polynomial inter-leavers are investigated from an algebraic-geometric perspective resulting in a new non-linearity metric for interleavers. A new interleaver metric that is a function of both the non-linearity metric and the spread factor is proposed. A table of good interleavers for a variety of interleaver lengths according to the new metric is listed. Extensive computer simulation results with impressive frame error rates confirm the efficacy of the new metric. Further, when tail-biting constituent codes are used, the resulting turbo codes are quasi-cyclic.
Identification of Drought Tolerance Determinants by Genetic Analysis of Root Response to Drought Stress and Abscisic Acid

Drought stress is a common adverse environmental condition that seriously affects crop productivity worldwide. Due to the complexity of drought as a stress signal, deciphering drought tolerance mechanisms has remained a major challenge to plant biologists. To develop new approaches to study plant drought tolerance, we searched for phenotypes conferred by drought stress and identified the inhibition of lateral root development by drought stress as an adaptive response to the stress. This drought response is partly mediated by the phytohormone abscisic acid. Genetic screens using Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) were devised, and drought inhibition of lateral root growth (dig) mutants with altered responses to drought or abscisic acid in lateral root development were isolated. Characterization of these dig mutants revealed that they also exhibit altered drought stress tolerance, indicating that this root response to drought stress is intimately linked to drought adaptation of the entire plant and can be used as a trait to access the elusive drought tolerance machinery. Our study also revealed that multiple mechanisms coexist and together contribute to whole-plant drought tolerance.
A Heteroditopic Fluoroionophoric Platform for Constructing Fluorescent Probes with Large Dynamic Ranges for Zinc Ions

A heteroditopic fluoroionophoric platform has been designed for constructing fluorescent probes for zinc ions over large concentration ranges. The responses of the prototype probes 3a and 3b to zinc ions were shown to be consistent with our hypothesis, according to which the modulation of photoinduced electron transfer followed by conformation rigidification or enhanced internal charge transfer of a ditopic ligand upon successive zinc coordination affords a sensitive fluorescence enhancement in one wavelength channel followed by an emission band shift to another wavelength channel. The heteroditopic arylvinyl-bipy platform established in this study provides a lead structure for constructing fluorescent probes for real-time live cell imaging of zinc ions over broad dynamic ranges.
Epinephrine QT stress testing in congenital long QT syndrome.

Abstract Epinephrine QT stress testing is an effective diagnostic tool to unmask concealed Long QT Syndrome (LQTS), particularly type 1 LQTS (LQT1). Unique responses have also been observed in patients with LQT2 and LQT3, making this test invaluable in the diagnostic work-up of LQTS. This article reviews the epinephrine QT stress test, explains the pathological basis of differential responses among patients and healthy individuals, and describes the methodology for conducting the test and the interpretation of the responses. We have also attempted to highlight the differences between the two major LQTS epinephrine QT stress test protocols, the Mayo protocol and the Shimizu protocol.
Modeling and analysis of real-time Ada tasking programs

Proposes a model for real-time Ada tasking programs that naturally represents such features as processor sharing, priority preemption, and process suspension. We describe a semi-decision procedure for proving properties of the model that uses linear programming to determine the feasibility of paths explored during a state-space search of the program. We demonstrate the feasibility of this procedure by applying a prototype analyzer to several examples. >
A solar-hydrogen economy for U.S.A.

Abstract For the post-fossil fuel era, there are two main options. One is well known: a fusion hydrogen combination, in which fusion is the primary energy source and hydrogen is the energy carrier. The other option, the solar-hydrogen alternative, is less widely discussed, though it is far more likely to succeed in a reasonable time-scale. It is envisioned that the solar energy will be collected in the highly insolated regions, where it will be used to produce hydrogen from water. Hydrogen would then be transported to consumption centres to meet the energy requirements. There are many ways through which hydrogen can be used in homes and buildings, in cars, in airplanes, in industry, in chemistry and metallurgy, in synthetic food production and in military, more efficiently than any other known fuel. Economically it would not be feasible to replace the fossil-based energy structure all at once, but it would be prudent to start phasing in the solar-hydrogen system by limiting the change to new energy conversion plants. Such a change would be most cost-effective and could be completed in ca 40–60 years—the average life span for energy conversion and distribution systems. To achieve this conversion, a National Energy Resources Executive is recommended.
Finding the Common Thread in Rare Diseases

Soft-tissue sarcomas are extremely rare, with an estimated 11 930newcases in theUnitedStates in2015, representing less than 1% of all new cancer cases.1 They are a heterogeneous group of diseases with more than 80 different histologic types and subtypes that have widely different clinical behaviors andoutcomes.2 Leiomyosarcomas involving the inferiorvenacava (IVC)are the rarest of the rare; even at tertiary referral centers, no more than approximately 1 case per year is seen.3 In this issue of JAMA Surgery, Roland et al4 describe one of the largest singleinstitution reviews of leiomyosarcomas arising from the IVC and other vessels, adding to our very limited understanding of these rare diseases. For all surgeonswho resect retroperitoneal neoplasms, an important take-home point is preoperative recognition and preparation.5 Consider the possibility of a leiomyosarcoma in the IVCwhen imagingshowsaright-sidedretroperitonealmass abutting the IVC (especially if no lumen is present at the site of contact) or an intraluminal IVC mass,6 and anticipate the complex surgical issuespotentially necessary for removal (eg, ligation, patch, or graft of IVC;managementof renal veins; hepatectomy; or cardiopulmonary bypass). A complete resection, performed safely, is the only chance for long-term survival.3 However, local and distant recurrences are common, so better adjuvant therapies are needed. Site is an important prognostic factor for soft-tissue sarcomas.2 The series of patients in Roland et al4 includes patientswith leiomyosarcomas arising fromthe IVC (n = 42) and patientswith leiomyosarcomas arising fromother vessels, includingsaphenous, femoral, renal,andupper-extremityveins.4 Certainly, the surgical complexity of resecting a leiomyosarcoma in the IVC is much greater than the surgical complexity of resecting one arising from an upper-extremity vein. Other factors, suchasunique tumorbiology,mayalso affect theoutcomes of patients with leiomyosarcomas arising from different vessels, so it may not be appropriate to lump all these heterogeneous sites together. Nevertheless, Roland et al4 should be applauded for their immunohistochemical studies seeking to identify the specificmolecular alterations thatmaybedriving tumorprogression and thatmay serve aspotential targets for therapy.4 Leiomyosarcomas arising from various vessels may share key signaling pathways that drive other forms of cancer. As new therapies targeting these signaling pathways are developed, there is the hope of improving the outcome of patients with cancer, including those patients with extremely rare types of cancer that share these molecular alterations.
Implicature and non-local pragmatic encroachment

This paper offers a novel conversational implicature account of the pragmatic sensitivity of knowledge attributions. Developing an account I first suggested elsewhere (Locke, Inquiry 57:28–54, 2014b) and independently proposed by Lutz (in Synthese 191:1717–1740, 2014), this paper explores the idea that the relevant implicatures are generated by a constitutive relationship between believing a proposition and a disposition to treat that proposition as true in practical deliberation. I argue that while this view has a certain advantage over standard implicature accounts of pragmatic sensitivity, it comes with a significant concession to proponents of pragmatic encroachment. On the account offered here, knowledge attributions have locally-pragmatically-sensitive implicatures because they have non-locally-pragmatically-sensitive entailments. The view thus represents a unique and powerful hybrid of these two approaches to the pragmatic sensitivity of knowledge attributions.
Always “Outsiders”: Asians, Naturalization, and the Supreme Court

(1985). Always “Outsiders”: Asians, Naturalization, and the Supreme Court. Amerasia Journal: Vol. 12, No. 1, pp. 83-100.
Structural Content in Paintings II: Artists Commissioned to Reproduce a Specific Image Over-Regularize Orientation Biases in Their Paintings.

Measurements of psychophysical performance show that the visual system is biased in ways that counteract statistical regularities of natural scenes thereby allowing efficient coding. Here we consider the perceptual effects of these encoding biases in a “holistic” way by measuring characteristics of the paintings produced by artists making perceptual matches to a natural scene image; 10 artists were asked to produce an exact copy of a single outdoor landscape scene. The structural content of the paintings produced and the “ground truth” image were compared in the frequency domain. The artists were found to over-regularize the orientation content in the paintings: The anisotropy existing only at the lowest spatial scales in the natural scene image was produced across all spatial scales in these commissioned paintings. These results were compared to those from two other methods of comparing paintings and natural scenes reported previously in a companion paper and all three methodologies indicate very similar...
A New Arctic Hadrosaurid from the Prince Creek Formation (Lower Maastrichtian) of Northern Alaska

The Liscomb bonebed in the Price Creek Formation of northern Alaska has produced thousands of individual bones of a saurolophine hadrosaurid similar to Edmontosaurus; however, the specific identity of this taxon has been unclear, in part because the vast majority of the remains represent immature individuals. In this study, we address the taxonomic status of the Alaskan material through a comparative and quantitative morphological analysis of juvenile as well several near adult-sized specimens with particular reference to the two known species of Edmontosaurus, as well as a cladistic analysis using two different matrices for Hadrosauroidea. In the comparative morphological analysis, we introduce a quantitative method using bivariate plots to address ontogenetic variation. Our comparative anatomical analysis reveals that the Alaskan saurolophine possesses a unique suite of characters that distinguishes it from Edmontosaurus, including a premaxillary circumnarial ridge that projects posterolaterally without...
Reassessing and Revising Commuting Zones for 2010: History, Assessment, and Updates for U.S. ‘Labor-Sheds’ 1990–2010

This paper employs commuter flow data from the 1990 and 2000 Decennial Censuses, and the 2006–2010 American Community Survey to replicate, evaluate, and extend the delineation of commuting zones first proposed by Tolbert and Killian (Labor Market Areas for the United States, 1987). Commuting zones offer a valuable tool for research on regional economies and have long served rural sociologists, economists, and geographers interested in a representation of the economy that acknowledges a connection between urban and rural areas and the capacity of economic systems to cross state lines. Our delineations provide both an update in the form of new delineations for 2010 and a revised set of 1990 and 2000 delineations that benefit from a consistent methodology across decades. We also provide a set of tools for comparing delineations across methods and over time. In presenting our revised delineations, we shed light on the role of expert opinion in the original delineations, the strengths and weaknesses of the original method, and offer suggestions for further revision of this tool that may better reflect the theoretical conception of commuting zones.
Rib Fracture Stabilization Reduces Chest Wall Pain following BluntThoracic Trauma

Blunt Thoracic Trauma (BTT) encompasses a wide spectrum of varying pathologic conditions of the skeletal chest wall, pulmonary parenchyma and mediastinum [1-5]. Rib fractures are one of the most common injuries sustained following BTT and result in significant disability, largely due to pain [1]. Among chest trauma patients, up to 10% of all admissions have evidence of rib fracture, with mortality rates that can exceed 20% in some series [1-4]. Older patients and those with associated pulmonary injury experience the highest rates of death [1,3-5]. A consensus management strategy of patients sustaining skeletal chest wall injury remains undefined, largely due to the lack of randomized comparative data [3-5]. Rib fractures are often one component of a larger spectrum of thoracic trauma where the focus of care is toward organ function. To date, most of the available literature focuses upon those patients with severe chest wall injury where the treatment strategy is sustaining organ function and is directed by trauma society guidelines [4]. Patients with lesser degrees of injury to the thorax are treated with optimization of chest wall mechanics through chest physiotherapy and effective analgesia. Contemporary recommendations for pain management validate intravenous and epidural analgesia as the optimal modalities for control of thoracic pain [3,4]. The use of open reduction and internal fixation of broken ribs is debatable as these techniques are morbid and traditionally reserved to severely injured patients where the goal is to improve respiratory dynamics [4,5]. However, among BTT patients with isolated rib fracture and lesser concomitant injury, the treatment goal is alleviation of pain as noted previously [3]. A cohort of such patients, particularly those with displaced rib fractures, will continue to suffer severe pain, despite maximal medical therapy. In such patients, there may be a benefit to the application of rib fracture plating as a complimentary strategy for better pain control and decreased narcotic requirement [68]. The objective of this paper is to determine if rib fracture plating can be beneficial in the pain management algorithm of patients sustaining BTT who have predominantly displaced rib fracture injury.
Chinese Elderly: Food Habits and Beliefs

This paper investigated food habits of two Chinese populations, one in Chine, the other in the United States. Investigated were: difficulty in obtaining food items, beverages consumed at meals, the number of main meals, people eating them, number of dishes served and use of special foods for the elderly. Responses received from 337 or 90% indicated that foods were not difficult to obtain. Ninety percent drank soup at meals, 27% tea and 20% water. Other beverages were 10% or less. Main meals eaten, their number and people eating with the respondents varied but few differences exceeded 10%. Special foods were bought for the elderly by 58% and about half were foods high in protein. Overall, similarities were more striking than differences.
Work, Welfare, and Poverty among Black Female-Headed Families

Callaway and Vedder's I)overty-wNelfare curve suggests that Nwelfare paynients tend to pro(luce an income enhancement effect which removes families from p)overty until 0so1e threshold, beyond which increased payments engen(ler a work disincentive effect resulting in increased rates of poverty. State level poverty rates among black, female-headed families are employed to evaluate the regional operation of the p)overty-welfare curve. Some supl)port for this position is detected. I however, an application of the Expansion NMJethod indicates that the p)arameters of the curve are sensitive to characteristics of regional lahor inarkets. The work disincentive/incomne enhancement effects are f found to he dleI)endent upon uinemployment and the presence of gender-segregated occupational categories. Estimates of the welfare threshold for states are used to recommnen(d adjustments in state AF1D) payments.
Characteristic Polynomials of Magic Squares

Square matrices which are also magic squares have many fascinating properties and provide interesting problems for the linear algebra student. Several articles which discuss properties of matrix algebra and subspaces of magic squares are listed in our references; here we make some observations about characteristic polynomials of magic squares. The main result is a consequence of a beautiful but little-known theorem of Frobenius. A magic square of order n is an n X n matrix in which the entries in each row, column and diagonal sum to the same number, called the magic sum of the matrix. An n X n matrix whose row and column sums are the same is called a semi-magic square, and the common sum the semi-magic sum. In the theory of characteristic polynomials it is convenient to work with matrices whose entries belong to an algebraically closed field, and hence we consider the vector space A( n) of semi-magic squares of order n with complex entries. The set M(n) of magic squares of order n is a subspace of A(n). Since C is algebraically closed, the characteristic polynomial PA(z) of an n X n matrix A is a product of linear factors
Should everyone over age 75 take a multivitamin

Many—perhaps most—seniors are at risk of malnutrition, but age should not be the sole criterion.
Epitaxial Growth of Organic Nonlinear Optical Materials

As an orientation control technique for organic materials, epitaxial growth on crystal substrates was studied for DBNA, a derivative of p-nitroani1 ine, and polydiacetylene(PDA)-3BCMU using Vacuum Deposition and Molecular Beam Epitaxy(MBE). The thin film of DBNA was epitaxially grown on a KCl(001) surface by Vacuum Deposition. Molecular orientation to the substrate (parallel or normal) was controlled by MBE. PDA-3BCMTJ thin films were prepared by UV light irradiation of DA-3BCMU(monomer) thin films which were epitaxially grown on a KCl(001) surface, x (3) values of this oriented thin film were larger than those of unoriented spin-casted thin film.
Stigma Resistance and Well-being among People in Treatment for Psychosis:

We examine whether individuals’ coping strategies help to explain the negative relationships of stigma-related stressors (perceived public devaluation, discrimination experiences, and internalized ...
Trace analysis on the foodborne disease caused by invasive EIEC

Objective To determine the source of infection by investigating the pathogens causing the foodborne disease with main symptoms of fever, abdominal pain and diarrhea. Methods We carried out case study and field investigation, and we also conducted lab detections with the stool samples from patients and chefs. Results The invasive EIEC(O136: K78) were isolated from the stool samples of patients and chefs, which had the same PFGE pattern, and strains were highly homologous. Conclusion It is an outbreak of foodborne disease infected by invasive EIEC. We suggest that in order to prevent foodborne disease, the supervision to the food hygiene in schools should be administrated and implemented, and separating raw food from the cooked food in case of cross-contamination should be paid attention to. Physical examination should be taken by the employees involved in canteens and food-processing industries. The threat caused by bacteria-carriers with no symptoms must be taken seriously.
Beyond barbarity and concealment: animal sacrifice and religious slaughter in Islamic responses to postdomesticity

AbstractIn a society where animals to be consumed as food are produced using modern industrial animal farming system (described as postdomestic in Bulliet [2005]), most people who consume animals are very much removed from the production process. Most consumers do not participate actively or have intimate knowledge of the rearing and slaughtering of animals for food. In this article, I critically analyse existing Islamic responses to problems arising from the postdomestic condition with regard to consuming animal as food. In this article, my analysis focuses on making explicit the connection between the assumption of barbarity in the civilising discourse surrounding religious requirement for animal slaughter and the problem of postdomestic concealment of animals we consume. Furthermore, I analyse the role that the Islamic requirement for animal slaughter (zabiha) and the tradition of Festival of Sacrifice (eid al-adha) can have potential solutions that religion can offer to the problems of postdomesticity.