cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Chronic opioid use is associated with altered gut microbiota and predicts readmissions in patients with cirrhosis.

SummaryBackground Opioid use is epidemic in cirrhosis, which could precipitate hepatic encephalopathy (HE) potentially through gut dysbiosis and inflammation. Aim To define the effect of opioids on readmissions and on gut microbiota composition and functionality. Methods Cohort 1 had 200 cirrhotic in-patients (with/without opioid use) followed prospectively through the index hospitalisation and 6 months post discharge. Readmissions (HE-related/unrelated) were compared between patients discharged on opioids compared to the rest, including using a multi-variable analysis. Cohort 2 consisted of 72 cirrhotics on chronic opioids who were age/model for end-stage liver disease (MELD) and prior HE-balanced with 72 cirrhotics not on opioids. Stool microbiota composition (multi-tagged sequencing), predicted functionality (PiCRUST), endotoxemia and systemic inflammation (IL-6, IL-17) were compared. Results Cohort 1: Chronic opioid use was statistically similar between those admitted with/without HE, and was judged to be an HE precipitant in <5% of cases during the index hospitalisation. Of the 144 patients alive at 6 months, 82 were readmitted. The opioid users had a significantly higher all cause (69% vs. 48%, P = 0.008), but not HE-related readmissions (30% vs. 41%, P = 0.30). On regression, opioid therapy and female gender were predictive of readmission independent of MELD score and previous HE. Cohort 2: Significant dysbiosis was noted in the opioid cohort, especially in HE+opioid patients with lower autochthonous taxa and Bacteroidaceae relative abundance. PiCRUST showed highest aromatic amino acid and endotoxin production in opioid users. Opioid users also had higher endotoxemia and IL-6 but not IL-17. Conclusion Chronic opioid use in cirrhosis is associated with increased endotoxemia, dysbiosis and all-cause readmissions.
Financial Reform: Making the System Safer and Fairer

In the fall of 2008, the financial crisis crushed the U.S. economy and plunged the country into the Great Recession. The crisis shuttered American businesses, cost millions of Americans their jobs, and wiped out home values and household savings. The macro effects hit hardest and were the longest
Trends in Long-Term Urban Bird Research

The vast majority of urban bird research is conducted over relatively short time frames (1–2 years), thereby limiting our ability to understand how temporal processes influence urban bird populations and communities. To further evaluate the importance of and contributions provided by long-term (≥5 years) ecological studies of urban avifauna, we reviewed the published literature for such studies to (1) explore and characterize the focus of long-term urban bird research, (2) identify gaps in our knowledge base, and (3) make suggestions for future research. We identified 85 papers published between 1952 and 2014 for this review. While long-term studies ranged from 5 to 175 years, most were ≤30 years in length. Community-level studies predominately quantified how urbanization affects species richness and composition through time, while population-level studies were primarily on single species of larger body size (≥80 g). Almost every study we reviewed was conducted in North America and Europe, a result that is generally unsurprising as temperate zones and wealthier countries are overrepresented in the literature. Overall, long-term studies provide unique insights into how slow and subtle processes, land-use legacies, time-lagged responses, and complex phenomena influence urban birds. To better encourage the inclusion of long-term studies in urban avian ecology, we suggest that ecologists should (1) keep long-term phenomena in mind when constructing short-term studies, (2) make published datasets accessible, and (3) provide adequate metadata regarding how data was collected.
Maximizing establishment and survivorship of field-collected and greenhouse-cultivated biocrusts in a semi-cold desert

Biological soil crusts (biocrusts) are soil-surface communities in drylands, dominated by cyanobacteria, mosses, and lichens. They provide key ecosystem functions by increasing soil stability and influencing soil hydrologic, nutrient, and carbon cycles. Because of this, methods to reestablish biocrusts in damaged drylands are needed. Here we test the reintroduction of field-collected vs. greenhouse-cultured biocrusts for rehabilitation. We collected biocrusts for 1) direct reapplication, and 2) artificial cultivation under varying hydration regimes. We added field-collected and cultivated biocrusts (with and without hardening treatments) to bare field plots and monitored establishment. Both field-collected and cultivated cyanobacteria increased cover dramatically during the experimental period. Cultivated biocrusts established more rapidly than field-collected biocrusts, attaining ~82% cover in only one year, but addition of field-collected biocrusts led to higher species richness, biomass (as assessed by chlorophyll a) and level of development. Mosses and lichens did not establish well in either case, but late successional cover was affected by hardening and culture conditions. This study provides further evidence that it is possible to culture biocrust components from later successional materials and reestablish cultured organisms in the field. However, more research is needed into effective reclamation techniques.
No evidence that bonding is needed for amalgam restorations

Data sourcesRelevant databases were searched for the review such as the Cochrane Oral Health Group Trials Register, Medline, EMBASE, clinical trials.gov, WHO International Clinical Trials Registry Platform.Study selectionRandomised controlled trials comparing adhesively bonded versus non-bonded class I and II amalgam restorations in permanent molars and premolars.Data extraction and synthesisTwo reviewers independently screened papers and extracted data.ResultsOne trial with 31 patients who received 113 restorations was included. At two years, 50 out of 53 restorations in the non-bonded group survived and 55 of 60 restorations survived with five unaccounted for at follow-up. Post insertion sensitivity was not statistically significant at baseline and for the two-year follow-up. No fractures or differences in the marginal adaptation were reported.ConclusionsThere is no evidence either to claim or to refute a difference in survival between bonded and non-bonded amalgam restorations. In view of the lack of evidence on the additional benefit of adhesively bonding amalgam in comparison with non-bonded amalgam, it is important that clinicians be mindful of the additional costs that may be incurred.
An Oblique Response

In their 1975 deck of cards, ‘Oblique Strategies,’ the musician Brian Eno and the painter Peter Schmidt included one card especially useful for authors of scholarly books. It reads ‘Honor Thy Error...
All Liberty is Basic

Recent arguments for the basic status of economic liberty can be deployed to show that all liberty is basic. The argument for the basic status of all liberty is as follows. First, John Tomasi’s defense of basic economic liberties is successful. Economic freedom can be further defended against powerful high liberal objections, which libertarians including Tomasi have so far overlooked. Yet arguments for basic economic freedom raise a puzzle about the distinction between basic and non-basic liberties. The same reasons that economic liberties and the traditionally defined list of basic liberties are basic can also be given for all other liberties. Therefore, high liberals and Rawlsian libertarians ought to accept almost all other liberties as basic, even liberties that may strike us as trivial, silly, or unimportant. This claim has revisionary implications for high liberalism. Namely, liberals should endorse strong institutional protections for almost all liberties, even at the expense of other social values.
A Phase I Clinical Trial of Targeted Intraoperative Molecular Imaging for Pulmonary Adenocarcinomas.

Background Intraoperative identification of pulmonary nodules, particularly small lesions, can be challenging. We hypothesize that folate receptor-targeted intraoperative molecular imagining can be safe and improve localization of pulmonary nodules during resection. Methods Twenty subjects with biopsy-proven pulmonary adenocarcinomas were enrolled in a phase I clinical trial to test the safety and feasibility of OTL38, a novel folate receptor-α (FRα) targeted optical contrast agent. During resection, tumors were imaged in situ and ex vivo and fluorescence was quantified. Resected specimens were analyzed to confirm diagnosis, and immunohistochemistry was utilized to quantify FRα expression. A multivariate analysis using clinical and tumor data was performed to determine variables impacting tumor fluorescence. Results Of the 20 subjects, three grade I adverse events were observed: all transient nausea/abdominal pain. All symptoms resolved after completing the infusion. Sixteen of 20 subjects (80%) had tumors with in situ fluorescence with a mean tumor-to-background fluorescence level of 2.9 (interquartile range, 2.1 to 4.2). The remaining 4 subjects' tumors fluoresced ex vivo. In situ fluorescence was dependent on depth from the pleural surface. Four subcentimeter nodules not identified on preoperative imaging were detected with intraoperative imaging. Conclusions This phase I trial provides preliminary evidence suggesting that folate receptor-targeted molecular imaging with OTL38 is safe, with tolerable grade I toxicity. These data also suggest that OTL38 accumulates in known lung cancers and may improve identification of synchronous malignancies. Our group is initiating a five-center, phase II study to better understand the clinical implications of intraoperative molecular imaging using OTL38.
Evaluation of Proctophyllodes huitzilopochtlii on feathers from Anna's (Calypte anna) and Black-chinned (Archilochus alexandri) Hummingbirds: Prevalence assessment and imaging analysis using light and tabletop scanning electron microscopy

Proctophyllodes huitzilopochtlii Atyeo & Braasch 1966 (Acariformes: Astigmata: Proctophyllodidae), a feather mite, was found on feathers collected from five hummingbird species in California. This mite has not been previously documented on feathers from Anna's (Calypte anna [Lesson 1829]) or Black-chinned (Archilochus alexandri [Bourcier & Mulsant 1846]) Hummingbirds. A total of 753 hummingbirds were evaluated for the presence of mites by species (Allen's n = 112; Anna's n = 500; Black-chinned n = 122; Rufous n = 18; Calliope n = 1), sex (males n = 421; females n = 329; 3 unidentified), and age (juvenile n = 199; after-hatch-year n = 549; 5 unidentified). Of these 753 hummingbirds evaluated, mites were present on the rectrices of 40.9% of the birds. Significantly more Anna's Hummingbirds were positive for rectricial mites (59.2%) compared with 8.2% of Black-chinned, 0.9% of Allen's, 5.6% of Rufous Hummingbirds, and 0% for Calliope (p-value < 0.0001). Across all hummingbird species, male hummingbirds (44.9%) had a higher prevalence of rectricial mites compared to female hummingbirds (36.2%; p-value = 0.004), while juvenile hummingbirds (46.2%) had a non-significantly higher prevalence compared to after-hatch-year hummingbirds (39.0%; p-value = 0.089). On average, the percentage of the long axis of the rachis occupied by mites for the outer rectrices (R4 and R5) was 19%, compared to 11% for inner rectrices (R1 and R2), a significant difference (p-value = <0.0001). There was a marginal lack of significance for symmetrical distribution of tail mites with the mean left side percentage of long axis of the rachis occupied by mites being 16% and very close to the mean right side score of 18% (p-value = 0.003). The identification of the feather mite species was based on light microscopic morphometry, and mite distribution on feathers was further evaluated using tabletop scanning electron microscopy (TSEM). The hummingbird-feather mite relationship is not well understood, but the specialized TSEM technique may be especially useful in examining natural positioning and developmental aspects of the mites since it allows in situ feather examination of live mites.
A Real-Time Battery Thermal Management Strategy for Connected and Automated Hybrid Electric Vehicles (CAHEVs) Based on Iterative Dynamic Programming

Connected and automated hybrid electric vehicles (CAHEVs) are a potential solution to the future transportation due to their improved fuel economy, reduced emissions, and capability to mitigate congestion and improve safety. The battery thermal management (BTM) in CAHEVs is one of the crucial problems, because the lithium-ion batteries are highly temperature sensitive. Therefore, a practical and energy-efficient BTM strategy is required for both improving the operating temperature of batteries and saving energy. In this study, the dynamic programming (DP) is implemented for a BTM system in CAHEVs for achieving the optimal cooling/heating energy savings for batteries. To enhance the real-time capability, an iterative approach is proposed to approximate the optimum control strategy iteratively in a multidimensional search space. The proposed iterative DP strategy can improve the system performance and energy-efficiency by fully exploiting the future road information in CAHEVs combined with a model predictive control method. The hardware-in-the-loop validation of the proposed strategy is conducted on the UDDS and the WLTC drive cycles based on a Toyota Prius PHEV model. The results demonstrate the feasibility and effectiveness of the proposed BTM strategy that leads to a considerable BTM energy reduction.
Questionably Queer: Understanding Straight Presence in the Post-Gay Bar

Gay bars have long been understood as havens from heteronormativity. However, a shift towards greater LGBTQ tolerance has led to more heterosexual involvement in these once marginal places. Such sh...
The effects of alcohol intoxication and sexual interest on men's sexual persistence and hostility in a dating simulation

Perpetrators of sexual assault are often intoxicated; however, few experimental studies evaluate alcohol's "in the moment" effects on sexual aggression. This study extends past theory and research by examining the acute effects of alcohol on men's decisions about how to respond to sexual refusals in a dating simulation. Men (N = 62) ages 21-29 were randomly assigned to consume alcohol (target breath alcohol level 0.080%) or no alcohol. Participants were encouraged to talk to a simulated woman and act as they would on an actual date. They made choices from a list which included nonsexual and sexual options. The female agent was programmed to engage in some sexual activities but refuse others. Refusals became more intense if participants persisted. Negative binomial regression analysis was used to test a path analytic model. As predicted, participants' self-reported desire to have sex was positively associated with choosing more consensual sexual activities during the simulation (i.e., activities in which the woman willingly engaged). Consensual sexual activities were positively associated with the number of times participants persisted after the woman refused. Alcohol moderated this relationship such that it was stronger for intoxicated men than sober men. The more sexual refusals participants received, the more hostile verbal comments they made to the woman. Contrary to our predictions, this relationship was not moderated by alcohol condition. Because participants had multiple opportunities to escalate their aggression or desist, this paradigm provides new insights into the mechanisms through which intoxication enhances the likelihood of sexual aggression in dating situations.
Fostering Readiness For Rehabilitation and Employment

Engaging in rehabilitation and work can present individuals with a formidable prospect. From the consumer’s perspective, past failures, the daunting challenge of overcoming symptoms, stigma, inertia, and lack of support can contribute to keeping many people from beginning the rehabilitation process. Perhaps even more devastatingly, these barriers keep people believing that real change, such as a move to work, is impossible (Kramer & Gagne, 1997).
Chance favours the prepared mind.

Jeffrey Bluestone describes a 1987 study of anergic T cells by Marc Jenkins and Ron Schwartz that altered his thoughts about T cell tolerance and eventually gave birth to the field of checkpoint inhibition.
The LambdaLoss Framework for Ranking Metric Optimization

How to optimize ranking metrics such as Normalized Discounted Cumulative Gain (NDCG) is an important but challenging problem, because ranking metrics are either flat or discontinuous everywhere, which makes them hard to be optimized directly. Among existing approaches, LambdaRank is a novel algorithm that incorporates ranking metrics into its learning procedure. Though empirically effective, it still lacks theoretical justification. For example, the underlying loss that LambdaRank optimizes for remains unknown until now. Due to this, there is no principled way to advance the LambdaRank algorithm further. In this paper, we present LambdaLoss, a probabilistic framework for ranking metric optimization. We show that LambdaRank is a special configuration with a well-defined loss in the LambdaLoss framework, and thus provide theoretical justification for it. More importantly, the LambdaLoss framework allows us to define metric-driven loss functions that have clear connection to different ranking metrics. We show a few cases in this paper and evaluate them on three publicly available data sets. Experimental results show that our metric-driven loss functions can significantly improve the state-of-the-art learning-to-rank algorithms.
Implementing parallel and concurrent tree structures

As one of the most important data structures used in algorithm design and programming, balanced search trees are widely used in real-world applications for organizing data. Answering the challenges thrown up by modern large-volume and ever-changing data, it is important to consider parallelism, concurrency, and persistence. This tutorial will introduce techniques for supporting functionalities on trees, including various parallel algorithms, concurrency, multiversioning, etc. In particular, this tutorial will focus on an algorithmic framework for parallel balanced binary trees, which works for multiple balancing schemes, including AVL trees, red-black trees, weight-based trees, and treaps. This framework allows for theoretically-efficient algorithms. The corresponding implementation is available as a library, which demonstrates good performance both sequentially and in parallel in various use scenarios. This tutorial will focus on the following topics: 1) the algorithms and techniques used in the PAM library; 2) the interface of the library and a hands-on introduction to the download/installation of the library; 3) examples of applying the library to various applications and 4) introduction about other useful techniques for parallel tree structures and performance comparisons with PAM.
Integrating Breathing Techniques Into Psychotherapy to Improve HRV: Which Approach Is Best?

Introduction Approaches to improve heart rate variability and reduce stress such as breathing retraining are more frequently being integrated into psychotherapy but little research on their effectiveness has been done to date. Specifically, no studies to date have directly compared using a breathing pacer at 6 breaths per minute with compassion focused soothing rhythm breathing. Current study In this randomized controlled experiment, 6 breaths per minute breathing using a pacer was compared with compassion focused soothing rhythm breathing, with a nature video being used as a control group condition. Methods Heart rate variability (HRV) measures were assessed via electrocardiogram (ECG) and respiration belt, and an automated blood pressure machine was used to measure systolic diastolic blood pressure, and heart rate (HR). A total of 96 participants were randomized into the three conditions. Following a 5-min baseline, participants engaged in either 6 breath per minute breathing, soothing rhythm breathing, or watched a nature video for 10 min. To induce a stressful state, participants then wrote for 5 min about a time they felt intensely self-critical. Participants then wrote for 5 min about a time they felt self-compassionate, and the experiment ended with a 10-min recovery period. Results Conditions did not significantly differ at baseline. Overall, HRV, as measured by standard deviation of NN intervals (SDNN), low frequency HRV (LF HRV), and LF/HF ratio, increased during the intervention period, decreased during self-critical writing, and then returned to baseline levels during the recovery period. High frequency HRV (HF HRV) was not impacted by any of the interventions. The participants in the 6 breath per minute pacer condition were unable to consistently breathe at that rate and averaged about 12 breaths per minute. Time by Condition analyses revealed that both the 6 breaths per minute pacer and soothing breathing rhythm conditions lead to significantly higher SDNN than the nature video condition during breathing practice but there were no significant differences between conditions in response to the self-critical and self-compassionate writing or recovery periods. The 6 breath per minute pacer condition demonstrated a higher LF HRV and LF/HF ratio than the soothing rhythm breathing condition, and both intervention conditions had a higher LF HRV and LF/HF ratio than the nature video. Conclusions Although the 6 breath per minute pacer condition participants were not able to breath consistently at the low pace, both the participants attempting to breathe at 6 breaths per minute as well as those in the soothing rhythm breathing condition effectively increased HR variability as measured by SDNN, and attempting to breathe at 6 breaths per minute led to the highest LF HRV and LF/HF ratio. Both breathing approaches impacted HRV more than watching a relaxing nature video and can potentially be used as key adjuncts in psychotherapy to aid in regulating physiological functioning, although it appears that consistent breathing practice would be needed.
Semi-Supervising Learning, Transfer Learning, and Knowledge Distillation with SimCLR.

Recent breakthroughs in the field of semi-supervised learning have achieved results that match state-of-the-art traditional supervised learning methods. Most successful semi-supervised learning approaches in computer vision focus on leveraging huge amount of unlabeled data, learning the general representation via data augmentation and transformation, creating pseudo labels, implementing different loss functions, and eventually transferring this knowledge to more task-specific smaller models. In this paper, we aim to conduct our analyses on three different aspects of SimCLR, the current state-of-the-art semi-supervised learning framework for computer vision. First, we analyze properties of contrast learning on fine-tuning, as we understand that contrast learning is what makes this method so successful. Second, we research knowledge distillation through teacher-forcing paradigm. We observe that when the teacher and the student share the same base model, knowledge distillation will achieve better result. Finally, we study how transfer learning works and its relationship with the number of classes on different data sets. Our results indicate that transfer learning performs better when number of classes are smaller.
Laterality Hotspots in the Striatum.

Striatal loci are connected to both the ipsilateral and contralateral frontal cortex. Normative quantitation of the dissimilarity between striatal loci's hemispheric connection profiles and its spatial variance across the striatum, and assessment of how interindividual differences relate to function, stands to further the understanding of the role of corticostriatal circuits in lateralized functions and the role of abnormal corticostriatal laterality in neurodevelopmental and other neuropsychiatric disorders. A resting-state functional connectivity fingerprinting approach (n = 261) identified "laterality hotspots"-loci whose profiles of connectivity with ipsilateral and contralateral frontal cortex were disproportionately dissimilar-in the right rostral ventral putamen, left rostral central caudate, and bilateral caudal ventral caudate. Findings were replicated in an independent sample and were robust to both preprocessing choices and the choice of cortical atlas used for parcellation definitions. Across subjects, greater rightward connectional laterality at the right ventral putamen hotspot and greater leftward connectional laterality at the left rostral caudate hotspot were associated with higher performance on tasks engaging lateralized functions (i.e., response inhibition and language, respectively). In sum, we find robust and reproducible evidence for striatal loci with disproportionately lateralized connectivity profiles where interindividual differences in laterality magnitude are associated with behavioral capacities on lateralized functions.
Global Competitive Strategy: Global strategic analysis

Global business is where strategy meets geography. Five major geographic factors drive the international business. First, the features of the home-country influence its competitive performance. Second, the features of the countries where it engages in production and transactions with suppliers shape the company's competitive potential. Third, the features of the countries where it serves customers determine demand for the company's products. Fourth, the features of the countries where the company has partners that provide complementary goods and services affect the company's productive efficiency and appeal to customers. Finally, competitors' home countries, supplier countries, customer countries, and partner countries impact the competitive advantage of the international business. Managers face significant challenges in designing global competitive strategy. To obtain the necessary information, the global business manager performs a “Star Analysis.” The manager examines five major international geographic factors: the features of the company's home country, supplier countries, customer countries, partner countries, and the features of competitor countries. These five drivers are represented in figure 2.1. These five major factors provide the country context of global business strategy. The manager should understand when the features of its home country enhance and constrain its strategic choices and when the company transcends its home country. The manager must determine how the features of supplier countries affect where the firm procures goods and services and carries out manufacturing. The manager should also be fully aware of how the features of target countries affect the firm's relationships with its customers.
Semi-leptonic weak and electromagnetic interactions in nuclei: Parity violations in electron scattering and weak neutral currents

Abstract A general result for the difference in differential cross sections for electron scattering between any two nuclear levels with incident longitudinally polarized right- and left-handed electrons is derived. This difference must involve the parity-violating weak interaction at least linearly and can be used to study weak neutral currents as pointed out by Feinberg. A V — A structure for the weak neutral currents is assumed with a semi-leptonic current-current interaction, and the electromagnetic interaction is treated in the one-photon-exchange approximation. The result is expressed in terms of the same set of reduced matrix elements of the multipoles of the nuclear currents which govern all electromagnetic and weak transitions between these levels. A previously developed unified analysis of semi-leptonic weak and electromagnetic interactions in nuclei which determines one-body transition densities, including their spin and spatial dependences, through electron scattering provides nuclear transitions to serve as known analyzers in testing the structure of this part of the weak interaction. Examples are given using Weinberg's model of the weak neutral currents. Feinberg's result for elastic scattering from spin-0 nuclei is rederived and two new examples using previously determined one-body densities are discussed : the 1 + 0 → 0 + 1 (3.56 MeV) transition in 6 Li and the 0 + 0 → 1 + 1(15.1 MeV) transition in 12 C.
Utilization of Neuraminic Acid Receptors by Mycoplasmas

Erythrocytes and H-HeLa cells were treated with neuraminidase and then compared with untreated cells for their ability to adsorb to mycoplasma colonies or be agglutinated by suspensions of the mycoplasmas. Of the 17 mycoplasma serotypes examined, only 4 were found to use neuraminic acid receptors; these were Mycoplasma pneumoniae, M. gallisepticum, M. synoviae, and mycoplasma WR1. Not all strains of a serotype behaved alike. Thus, removal of receptors on erythrocytes for one strain of M. gallisepticum required at least 100 times the concentration of neuraminidase needed to remove them for another strain. The mechanism of attachment of erythrocytes to mycoplasma colonies does not appear to be the same as that for attachment to mycoplasmas in suspension.
High frequency acoustic channel estimation error analysis during the unet06 demonstrations

The development of a computationally efficient high frequency acoustic channel estimator of the channel response function and error analysis during the UNET06 demonstrations was investigated. High frequency broadband channel probe experiments were conducted to characterize the underwater acoustic channel's problems with communications. The doubly spread acoustic channel was estimated from the recorded data sets by an augmented Kalman recursion. The Kalman recursion was augmented by an empirical Bayes approach with a point estimate of the innovation variance to improve estimation of the acoustic response function. The results show that the magnitude of the channel response function and a histogram measure difficulty of response estimation uncertainty relative to ambient noise variance. The results also show that the channel uncertainty is two times adverse to communications than the noise variance.
Massive intra-abdominal hemorrhage from utero-ovarian vein rupture following delivery.

Abstract 1. 1. A case of massive intra-abdominal hemorrhage resulting from rupture of the utero-ovarian vein in the immediate postpartum period is reported. 2. 2. The survival of the patient was attributed to early surgical intervention. 3. 3. A review of the literature revealed the rarity of this complication and its high mortality. 4. 4. It is felt that the diagnosis of utero-ovarian vein rupture might be made more often if only the possibility of its occurrence were kept in mind.
Integration of Accounting and Strategy: A Field Study

This report describes and critically evaluates the contributions of accounting staff and accounting information to strategy formulation and implementation in a young, high-technology firm. Interview and archival data provide evidence to describe and enrich an emerging model of accounting and strategy. The nature of competition in the high-technology industry studied here minimized the value of the traditional scorekeeping function of accounting, yet this was the service the accounting staff provided. The firm most needed input to strategy formulation and implementation forecasting, and planning. The status and contribution of management accountants dropped as other personnel realized that scorekeeping information was irrelevant for their most important tasks.
Evaluating agreement between solid tumor measurements used to assess response

Objective: To propose and demonstrate using Bland-Altman plots and Limits of Agreement based on the relative difference(RD) in solid tumor measurements to assess agreement. Methods: A modification to the Bland-Altman plot which involves replacing the difference plotted on the vertical axis withthe relative percent difference between two measurements of tumor burden is discussed. Quantifying tumor burden requiressumming skewed individual tumor measurements. This quantity is the same one used in assessing tumor response to therapeuticagents and is familiar to radiologists and clinicians working with cancer patients. The distribution of the relative difference isexplored and revised equations for the limits of agreement are presented. The methods are then applied to positron emissiontomography data studying two radiotracers. Results: The distribution of the relative difference is highly skewed and can be approximated by a negative shifted lognormaldistribution. The limits of agreement for the RD need to appropriately reflect this distribution. The standard equations for the95% limits of agreement assume the differences are approximately normally distributed and may not be appropriate for therelative difference. Conclusions: The modified Bland-Altman plot is based on a clinically meaningful quantity and provides a method for handlingdata with multiple lesions per patient.
Proposed method for determining the thickness of glass in solar collector panels

An analytical method was developed for determining the minimum thickness for simply supported, rectangular glass plates subjected to uniform normal pressure environmental loads such as wind, earthquake, snow, and deadweight. The method consists of comparing an analytical prediction of the stress in the glass panel to a glass breakage stress determined from fracture mechanics considerations. Based on extensive analysis using the nonlinear finite element structural analysis program ARGUS, design curves for the structural analysis of simply supported rectangular plates were developed. These curves yield the center deflection, center stress and corner stress as a function of a dimensionless parameter describing the load intensity. A method of estimating the glass breakage stress as a function of a specified failure rate, degree of glass temper, design life, load duration time, and panel size is also presented.
Evaluating paedomorphic heterochrony in trilobites: the case of the diminutive trilobite Flexicalymene retrorsa minuens from the Cincinnatian Series (Upper Ordovician), Cincinnati region

Flexicalymene retrorsa minuens from the uppermost 3 m of the Waynesville Formation of the Cincinnatian Series (Upper Ordovician) of North America lived approximately 445 Ma and exhibited marked reduction in maximum size relative to its stratigraphically subjacent sister subspecies, Flexicalymene retrorsa retrorsa. Phylogenetic analysis is consistent with the notion that F. retrorsa retrorsa was the ancestor of F. retrorsa minuens. F. retrorsa minuens has been claimed to differ from F. retrorsa retrorsa"in size alone," and thus presents a plausible example of global paedomorphic evolution in trilobites. Despite strong similarity in the overall form of the two subspecies, F. retrorsa minuens is neither a dwarf nor a simple progenetic descendant of F. retrorsa retrorsa. More complex patterns of global heterochronic paedomorphosis, such as a neotonic decrease in the rate of progress along a common ontogenetic trajectory with respect to size, coupled with growth cessation at a small size, "sequential" progenesis, or non-uniform changes in the rate of progress along a shared ontogenetic trajectory with respect to size, can also be rejected. Rather, differences between these subspecies are more consistent with localized changes in rates of character development than with a global heterochronic modification of the ancestral ontogeny. The evolution of F. retrorsa minuens from F. retrorsa retrorsa was largely dominated by modifications of the development of characters already evident in the ancestral ontogeny, not by the origin of novel structures. Factors promoting size reduction in F. retrorsa minuens appear to have been specific to this subspecies, because other co-occurring taxa, including other trilobite species, do not show marked differences in mean size.
Computation of matrix nth roots and the matrix sector function

Several linear and higher order methods to compute nth roots of a given real or complex matrix are presented. These include Newton-like, subspace, and Krylov type methods. As a special case, the matrix sector function and other roots of an identity matrix are computed and shown to be an efficient numerical tool for computing a block eigen-decompsition of a given matrix.
Putting presenilins centre stage: Introduction to the Talking Point on the role of presenilin mutations in Alzheimer disease

Genetic analysis of autosomal dominant Alzheimer disease has identified the amyloid precursor protein (APP) and the presenilins as its pathogenic loci (Rogaeva, 2002). APP is normally cleaved by γ‐secretase into the APP intracellular domain (AICD) and the 40‐residue amyloid β peptide (Aβ40) or, less frequently, the 42‐residue Aβ42. Analyses of blood plasma from mutation carriers shows that all of the pathogenic mutations cause an increase in the Aβ42/Aβ40 ratio, suggesting that they alter the position of the γ‐secretase cleavage of APP (Scheuner et al , 1996; Haass & Selkoe, 1993). Gene‐ablation studies and focused mutagenesis experiments by De Strooper, Wolfe and their colleagues (De Strooper et al , 1998; Wolfe et al , 1999) shows that the presenilins—along with other accessory proteins (Edbauer et al , 2003)—form the γ‐secretase complex. This work is a good example of how genetic analysis can give direct mechanistic insight into the pathogenesis of …
DNA methylation changes in ovarian cancer are cumulative with disease progression and identify tumor stage

Background Hypermethylation of promoter CpG islands with associated loss of gene expression, and hypomethylation of CpG-rich repetitive elements that may destabilize the genome are common events in most, if not all, epithelial cancers.
Test-Retest Reliability of the Test of Language Development-2: Primary and Test of Language Development-2: Intermediate.

Test-retest reliability was examined for the Test of Language Development-2: Primary (TOLD-2 P) and the Test of Language Development-2: Intermediate (TOLD-2 I). With few exceptions, both tests were found to have satisfactory reliability over a 2-week interval for all ages tested. The exceptions appeared on the TOLD-2 P. Less than satisfactory reliability was found for the Semantics Composite at ages 4, 6, and 8; the Phonology Composite at ages 6 and 8; and the Listening Composite at age 8.
Genetic improvement potential for biomass quality and quantity

Abstract A biomass yield strategy will have a strong emphasis on genetic improvement of biomass quality and quantity. Plant characteristics to be favored in biomass species differ from those stressed in traditional agriculture. Species selection, assuming that minimum quality criteria are met, is the initial phase of an improvement program and will largely be determined by quantity factors. Genetic bases within chose species should then be developed and manipulated according to appropriate established breeding methods. Long-term gain potential through conventional practices is high and is enhanced by new technology for propagation and creating genetic diversity. Genetic improvement efforts with biomass species in the Southern United States, with emphasis on Florida, are summarized as examples.
The Interaction of a Two-Layer Isolated Mesoscale Eddy With Bottom Topography

Abstract The propagation of an isolated mesoscale eddy onto a western bounding topographic slope is examined through the use of a two-layer, primitive equation, numerical model. Variable parameters in the study are sense of rotation (cyclonic/anticyclonic), vertical structure (baroclinic, barotropic), and layer thickness ratio (H1/H2). Eddy size and strength (rotational velocity) and frictional parameterization are fixed. Dispersion in the isolated eddy is induced by planetary and topographic beta-effects, giving the eddy an asymmetric distribution. This asymmetric distribution allows for nonlinear self-advective propagation tendencies. These nonlinear tendencies play a key role in the direction of propagation of the eddy. Specifically, in a quiescient background, an anticyclone can have eastward propagation tendencies which can overcome planetary and topographic beta-effects. Conversely, cyclones can have westward propagation velocities which are augmented (greater than maximum Rossby wave phase speed) b...
Scaffolding versus routine support for latina/o youth in an urban school: Tensions in building toward disciplinary literacy

Scaffolding is widely referenced in educational literature and practice, in literacy education in particular, but often in reductive ways. Scaffolding is key for diverse youth in high-need settings...
HEMPAS disease: genetic defect of glycosylation

Congenital dyserythropoietic anaemia Type II or HEMPAS (hereditary erythroblastic multinuclearity with positive acidified serum lysis test) is a rare genetic anaemia in humans, inherited in an autosomally recessive mode. Biochemical analyses of HEMPAS erythrocyte membranes suggested strongly that HEMPAS is caused by defective glycosylation of erythrocyte membrane glycoproteins. Most recently a HEMPAS case has been identified as being defective in the gene encoding Golgi alpha-mannosidase II by using cDNA probe of alpha-mannosidase II. At present, it is not clear whether HEMPAS is a genetically heterogenous collection of glycosylation deficiencies, as some HEMPAS cases showed a low level of N-acetylglucosaminyltransferase II. Abnormal glycosylation of serum glycoproteins and association of liver cirrhosis in HEMPAS patients indicate that HEMPAS disease is not restricted to erythroid cells. On the other hand, normal development of HEMPAS patients during embryonic stage strongly suggests the possibilities of fetal type isozyme in place of defective glycosylation enzyme.
SOME PROPERTIES OF SODA‐SILICA GLASSES AT HIGH TEMPERATURES*

A study is made of density, expansion, surface tension, parachor, and viscosity data for glasses in the system Na2O-SiO2 within the temperature range 900° to 1400°C. The best values have been selected and correlated with composition.
Cranial functional morphology of fossil dogs and adaptation for durophagy in Borophagus and Epicyon (Carnivora, Mammalia).

Morphological specialization is a complex interplay of adaptation and constraint, as similarly specialized features often evolve convergently in unrelated species, indicating that there are universally adaptive aspects to these morphologies. The evolutionary history of carnivores offers outstanding examples of convergent specialization. Among larger predators, borophagine canids were highly abundant during the tertiary of North America and are regarded as the ecological vicars of Afro-Eurasian hyenas. Borophaginae is an extinct group of 60+ species, the largest forms evolving robust skulls with prominently domed foreheads, short snouts, and hypertrophied fourth premolars. These specializations have been speculated to enhance bone cracking. To test the extent that the skulls of derived borophagines were adapted for producing large bite forces and withstanding the mechanical stresses associated with bone cracking relative to their nonrobust sister clades, we manipulated muscle forces in models of six canid skulls and analyzed their mechanical response using 3D finite element analysis. Performance measures of bite force production efficiency and deformation minimization showed that skulls of derived borophagines Borophagus secundus and Epicyon haydeni are particularly strong in the frontal region; maximum stresses are lower and more evenly distributed over the skull than in other canids. Frontal strength is potentially coupled with a temporalis-driven bite to minimize cranial stress during biting in the two derived genera, as tensile stress incurred by contracting temporalis muscles is dissipated rostro-ventrally across the forehead and face. Comparison of estimated masticatory muscle cross section areas suggests that the temporalis-masseter ratio is not strongly associated with morphological adaptations for bone cracking in Borophagus and Epicyon; larger body size may explain relatively larger temporalis muscles in the latter. When compared with previous studies, the overall cranial mechanics of the derived borophagines is more similar to bone-cracking hyaenids and percrocutids than to their canid relatives, indicating convergence in both morphological form and functional capability. J. Morphol., 2010. © 2010 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Estimating Approach Path Coverage of Aircraft-Derived Meteorological Data in Advanced Air Traffic Management Applications

If appropriately equipped, aircraft traveling throughout the global air space have the unique capability to measure and report high-resolution meteorological data, under all weather conditions. These data can have high economic value for both aviation and nonaviation uses by communicating a dense picture of weather conditions from thousands of ad hoc sensors operating daily in the global air space over areas of an aviation operational interest. However, ensuring that the technology provides adequate levels of service and safety requires a clear understanding of system performance characteristics in conjunction with sensor and data link capabilities, broadcast frequencies, equipage rates, and operational service environment requirements. This paper explores the density of coverage as a measure of performance by presenting the problem as a stochastic area coverage model of a homogeneous dynamic wireless ad hoc sensor network. A model was developed to relate the density needs of various advanced air traffic ...
Disjoint Paths in Graphs II, A Special Case

Let G be a graph,\( \{a,b,c\}\subseteq V(G) \), and \( \{a',b',c'\}\subseteq V(G) \) such that \( \{a,b,c\}\neq \{a',b',c'\} \). We say that \( (G,\{a,c\}, \{a',c'\}, (b, b')) \) is an obstruction if, for any three vertex disjoint paths from {a, b, c} to {a', b', c'} in G, one path is from b to b'. In this paper, we characterize a special class of obstructions. This will be used to characterize all obstructions.
Adenosine triphosphate in the North Atlantic ocean and its relationship to the oxygen minimum

Measurements were made of the vertical distribution of microbial biomass in the water column and sediments for two mid-Atlantic stations. Biomass estimates were based on measurements of total adenosine triphosphate (ATP) concentration. Both profiles indicate a large viable microbial population in near-surface waters (> 50 μmg C l−1), followed by a characteristic decrease with depth. A second maximum (> 20 μgCl−1) occurred in both locations between 700 and 1000 m and corresponded to the depth of the oxygen minimum. Below 2200 m, the biomass remained relatively constant with depth (0·125 μg C l−1). Both profiles exhibited a six-fold increase in biomass 10 m above the sediment-water interface(4165,6339 m), with an additional increase in the uppermost sediment layer (2·24 to 2·58 μg C g−1). The biomass rapidly decreased in the sediments to less than 0·5 gmg C g−1 at a depth of 4 to 5 cm. Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) values ranged from 0·2 to 0·6 mg C l −1 for the water samples. At the sediment-water interface values increased two-fold. Pore water DOC values ranged from 0·8 to 2·3 mg C l−1, decreasing with core depth.
Recognizing 3D articulated-line-drawing objects

This paper deals with recognition of three-dimensional (3D) polyhedral objects from two- dimensional (2D) line-drawing images. A new scheme is presented, which is aimed at learning, representing, and recognizing complicated 3D polyhedral objects such as concave, self-occluded and articulated objects, yet with only very few learning samples and can distinguish objects with very similar patterns. Several examples are illustrated.