cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The general anti-avoidance rule

The general anti-avoidance rule, or GAAR, is an enforcement mechanism that gives a country's taxing authority broad power to deny a taxpayer tax benefits associated with any transaction. Although a GAAR being enacted within a country is becoming increasingly more common, the presence of a GAAR is generally overlooked and thus its effect left unstudied. In this paper, we provide an initial investigation by studying the effect that a GAAR within a country has on corporate tax avoidance behaviors. Using an indicator for the enactment or strengthening of a GAAR, we find a statistically and economically significant increase in aggregate tax collections and a statistically and economically significant decrease in firm-level tax avoidance. Additional analyses show that the firm-level results are strongest for firms with higher levels of tax avoidance, for countries with lower levels of tax enforcement prior to the implementation of a GAAR, and for countries where the burden of proof lies, at least partially, with the taxpayer.
Use of sleeve gastrectomy in adolescents and young adults with severe obesity.

Purpose of review The prevalence of pediatric obesity and its associated complications is increasing around the world. Treatment of obesity is challenging and metabolic and bariatric surgery (MBS) is currently the most effective treatment for this condition. At this time, vertical sleeve gastrectomy (VSG) is the most commonly performed bariatric procedure in adolescents. However, knowledge regarding the efficacy, safety, and durability of VSG in adolescents is still evolving. This review summarizes the most recent updates in the field of MBS particularly VSG in adolescents. Recent findings MBS is recommended to treat moderate to severe obesity, especially when complicated by comorbidities. The use of VSG for weight loss is increasing among adolescents and produces similar weight loss at five years in both adolescents and adults. The physiologic mechanisms causing weight loss after VSG are multifactorial and still being investigated. The complication rate after VSG ranges between 0 and 17.5%. Summary VSG appears to be a well-tolerated and effective procedure in adolescents. However, it continues to be underutilized despite the increasing prevalence of moderate to severe obesity in adolescents. It is thus important to educate providers regarding its benefits and safety profile.
Economics of the Management of Craniospinal Chordoma and Chondrosarcoma and the feasibility of the bundled payment model

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) created a new reimbursement model “Bundled Payment for Care Improvement (BPCI)” which reimburses providers a predetermined payment in advance to cover all possible services rendered within a certain time window. Chordoma and Chondrosarcoma are locally aggressive malignant primary bony tumors. Treatment includes surgical resection and radiotherapy with substantial risk for recurrence which necessitates monitoring and further treatment. We assessed the feasibility of the BPCI model in these neurosurgical diseases. We selected patients with chordoma/chondrosarcoma from inpatient admission table using the International Classification of Disease, 9th (ICD-9), and 10th (ICD-10) revision codes. We collected the patients’ demographics and insurance type at the index hospitalization. We recorded the following outcomes length of stay, total payment, discharge disposition, and complications for the index hospitalization. For post-discharge, we collected the 30 days and 3/6/12 months inpatient admission, outpatient service, and medication refills. Continuous variables were summarized by means with standard deviations, median with interquartile and full ranges (minimum-maximum); Continuous outcomes were compared by nonparametric Wilcoxson rank-sum test. All tests were 2-sided with a significance level of 0.05. Statistical data analysis was performed in SAS 9.4 (SAS Institute, Inc, Cary, NC). The population size was 2041 patients which included 1412 patients with cranial (group1), 343 patients with a mobile spine (group 2), and 286 patients with sacrococcygeal (group 3) chordoma and chondrosarcoma. For index hospitalization, the median length of stay (days) was 4, 6, and 7 for groups 1, 2, and 3 respectively (P<.001). The mean payments were ($58,130), ($84,854), and ($82,440), for groups 1, 2, and 3 respectively (P=.02). The complication rates were 30%, 35%, and 43% for groups 1, 2, and 3 respectively (P<.001). Twelve months post-discharge, the hospital readmission rates were 44%, 53%, and 65% for groups 1, 2, and 3, respectively (P<.001). The median payments for this period were ($72,294), ($76,827), and ($101,474), for groups 1, 2, and 3, respectively (P <.001). The management of craniospinal chordoma and chondrosarcoma is costly and may extend over a prolonged period. The success of BPCI requires a joint effort between insurers and hospitals. Also, it should consider patients’ comorbidities, the complexity of the disease. Finally, the adoptionof quality improvement programs by hospitals can help with cost reduction.
Experimentally induced alterations in affinity of hemoglobin for oxygen. II. In vivo effect of inosine, pyruvate, and phosphate on oxygen-hemoglobin affinity in rhesus monkey.

In an attempt to produce in vivo alterations in the affinity of hemoglobin for oxygen by pharmacologic means, rhesus monkeys were infused with 20 ml/kg of a 0.1 M solution of inosine, pyruvate, and bisodium phosphate. Control monkeys received equal volumes of isotonic saline. The monkeys given the inosine-pyruvate-phosphate mixture demonstrated a mean rise in P50 from 33.5 to 36.1 mm Hg and an increase in mean red cell 2, 3-diphosphoglycerate levels from 5.1 to 7.6 µmoles/ml RBC. The changes were maximal 6 hr postinfusion, remained elevated for 24 hr, and then gradually returned to normal over a 4-day period. Inosine alone, or pyruvate and phosphate together failed to produce the same results. This finding indicates that intravenous administration of inosine, pyruvate and phosphate can alter oxygen affinity in vivo and may be of value in diseases associated with poor oxygen delivery to tissues.
On Diffusion Monte Carlo in spaces with multi-valued maps, boundaries and gradient torsion

Abstract Importance sampling in Diffusion Monte Carlo has a long history. However, only recently, simulations of ground state properties have been extended to spaces mapped with non-Cartesian coordinates. We demonstrate that in spaces with nonzero advection the Smoluchowski operator for any nontrivial trial wavefunction does not converge to the exact result. Rather, every drift term is equivalent to some advection in a manifold that contains the physical space of the system. Since these manifolds may be formulated with gradient torsion we demonstrate with several numerical experiments that Diffusion Monte Carlo is possible in these as well.
Making Sense of Misdemeanors: Fine Only Offenses in Convivial Court Rooms:

This paper investigates how the complexity of and everyday interactions within the criminal legal system sow confusion about the causes and consequences of low-level misdemeanor, or fine only, lega...
Value of Emergent Neurovascular Imaging for "Seat Belt Injury": A Multi-institutional Study.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Screening for blunt cerebrovascular injury in patients after motor vehicle collision (MVC) solely based on the presence of cervical seat belt sign has been debated in the literature without consensus. Our aim was to assess the value of emergent neurovascular imaging in patients after an MVC who present with a seat belt sign through a large-scale multi-institutional study. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The electronic medical records of patients admitted to the emergency department with CTA/MRAs performed with an indication of seat belt injury of the neck were retrospectively reviewed at 5 participating institutions. Logistic regression analysis was used to determine the association among age, sex, and additional trauma-related findings with blunt cerebrovascular injury. RESULTS: Five hundred thirty-five adult and 32 pediatric patients from June 2003 until March 2020 were identified. CTA findings were positive in 12/567 (2.1%) patients for the presence of blunt cerebrovascular injury of the vertebral (n = 8) or internal carotid artery (n = 4) in the setting of acute trauma with the seat belt sign. Nine of 12 patients had symptoms, signs, or risk factors for cervical blunt cerebrovascular injury other than the seat belt sign. The remaining 3 patients (3/567, 0.5%) had Biffl grades I–II vascular injury with no neurologic sequelae. The presence of at least 1 additional traumatic finding or the development of a new neurologic deficit was significantly associated with the presence of blunt cerebrovascular injury among adult patients, with a risk ratio of 11.7 (P = .001). No children had blunt cerebrovascular injury. CONCLUSIONS: The risk of vascular injury in the presence of the cervical seat belt sign is small, and most patients diagnosed with blunt cerebrovascular injury have other associated findings. Therefore, CTA based solely on this sign has limited value (3/567 = a 0.5% positivity rate). We suggest that in the absence of other clinical findings, the seat belt sign does not independently justify neck CTA in patients after trauma.
Deep learning-based computational cytometer using magnetically-modulated coherent imaging

We present a deep learning-based high-throughput cytometer to detect rare cells in whole blood using a cost-effective and light-weight design. This system uses magnetic-particles to label and enrich the target cells. Then, a periodically-alternating magnetic-field creates time-modulated diffraction patterns of the target cells that are recorded using a lensless microscope. Finally, a custom-designed convolutional network is used to detect and classify the target cells based on their modulated spatio-temporal patterns. This cytometer was tested with cancer cells spiked in whole blood to achieve a limit-of-detection of 10 cells/mL. This compact, cost-effective and high-throughput cytometer might serve diagnostics needs in resource-limited-settings.
Assessing the Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Postpartum Contraception Uptake

Background: Due to COVID-19, telemedicine was incorporated into postpartum care to reduce transmission risk. Research Question: Our objective was to compare postpartum contraception uptake between March 1, 2019–May 31, 2019 and March 1, 2020–May 31, 2020. Study Design/Methods: This is a retrospective cohort study of postpartum patients who delivered at the Mount Sinai Hospital System between March 1, 2019–May 31, 2019 and March 1, 2020–May 31, 2020. We recorded postpartum contraception uptake at hospital discharge and at outpatient postpartum visits. We compared four categories: short-acting reversible contraception (SARC), long-acting reversible contraception (LARC), “barrier methods/other” (condoms, diaphragms, spermicides), and sterilization. The 2019 and 2020 patient cohorts did not differ significantly in terms of maternal age, gravidity, ethnicity, or insurance type. This study was approved by the Mount Sinai IRB. Results: 1,106 patients were included in our analysis, 443 and 663 who delivered in 2019 and 2020 respectively. There were no significant differences in the number of patients offered and accepting contraception at hospital discharge and postpartum visit between the 2019 and 2020 groups. Type of contraception given at postpartum visit differed significantly between 2019 and 2020 (p = 0.006), with the 2020 group more likely to use SARC (55 vs. 42%) and less likely to use LARC (15 vs. 24%). Notably, 26% of the 2020 group had telehealth postpartum visits (vs. 0% in 2019). Within the 2020 group, type of contraception differed significantly between in-person and telehealth visits (p = 0.001). Patients who had telehealth visits were less likely to use “barrier/other” methods (14 vs. 32%) and more likely to use SARC (67 vs. 51%). Conclusions: Despite COVID-19, overall uptake of postpartum contraception did not change significantly; however, the type of contraception differed significantly, particularly at telehealth visits. Additional research is needed to understand why telehealth postpartum visits may increase the uptake of short acting contraception and decrease barrier methods.
Focused X-ray Luminescence Computed Tomography using a Continuous Scanning Scheme

X-ray luminescence computed tomography (XLCT) imaging is a hybrid molecular imaging modality combining the merits of both conventional x-ray imaging (high spatial resolution) and optical imaging (high measurement sensitivity). The narrow x-ray beam based XLCT imaging has been shown to be promising. However due to the selective excitation scheme, the imaging speed is slow thus limiting its practical applications for in vivo imaging. In this work, we have introduced a continuous scanning scheme to acquire data for each angular projection in one motion, eliminating the previous stepping scheme and reducing the data acquisition time, which makes it feasible for multiple transverse scans for three-dimensional (3D) imaging. We have introduced a high accuracy vertical stage to our focused x-ray beam based XLCT imaging system to perform high-resolution and 3D XLCT imaging. We have also included a scintillator crystal coupled to a PMT to act as a single-pixel detector for boundary detection purposes to replace our previous flat panel x-ray detector. We have verified the feasibility of our proposed scanning scheme and imaging system by performing phantom experimental studies. A phantom was embedded with a set of cylindrical targets with 200 {micro}m edge-to-edge distance and was scanned in our imaging system with the proposed method. To test the feasibility for 3D scanning, we took measurements from 4 transverse slices with a vertical step size of 1 mm. The results of the experiments verified the feasibility of our proposed method to perform 3D XLCT imaging using a narrow x-ray beam in a reasonable time.
Evidential externalism

Consider the Evidence Question: When and under what conditions is proposition P evidence for some agent S? Silins (Philos Perspect 19:375–404, 2005) has recently offered a partial answer to the Evidence Question. In particular, Silins argues for Evidential Internalism (EI), which holds that necessarily, if A and B are internal twins, then A and B have the same evidence. In this paper I consider Silins’s argument, and offer two response on behalf of Evidential Externalism (EE), which is the denial of Evidential Internalism. The first response claims that the allegedly unattractive consequence for EE is not so unattractive. The second response takes the form of a tu quoque, demonstrating that a structurally similar argument can be constructed against EI. The two responses play off one another: objecting to the first puts pressure on one to accept the other. Taken together, the two responses have important ramifications for how we answer the Evidence Question, and how we think about evidence in general.
Impact of Donors Who Are Extremely Obese on Early Graft Loss and 30-Day Mortality After Liver Transplantation

We read with interest the article by Valvi et al, where the authors categorized donors whose body mass index (BMI) > 40 kg/m2 as extremely obese (EO) using national registry database from 2005 to 2019.[1] EO donors had a 38% higher 30-day mortality risk and 53% increased risk of early graft loss (EGL) after liver transplantation (LT).
Technological entrepreneurial intent in a geographically isolated environment: The case of the Canary Islands

The level of technology entrepreneurship in a geographic region is an indicator and input to the creation of wealth and prosperity, via the creation of new jobs, business opportunities, and technological value add. Underlying cultural factors, personality traits, and economic incentives and barriers can all have an impact on entrepreneurial intent and thus influence the growth of the technology-based economy and prosperity of a region. A follow-on study to prior work in this area in the U.S. is focused on the Canary Islands, a Spanish archipelago off the Northwest coast of mainland Africa comprised of seven islands and approximately two million inhabitants. Due to their geographical characteristics, they are considered a geographically isolated region by definition given by the European Commission. This isolation causes a territorial, social and cultural exclusion phenomena. Despite having two large Universities with a high population of graduates in business, science and technology disciplines, the rate of technology-based business start-ups continues to remain very low. This study provides an initial assessment of the technological entrepreneurial intent of Canarian university students using the ACE (Accelerating Collegiate Entrepreneurship) model as a baseline tool to understand the potential relationship between cultural factors and this low intent.
Arab World, Health Issues amid Turmoil

The Arab world is host to some 300 million people in 22 member states of the Arab League. It is in this region that humanity first learned the basics of civilized association, witnessed the birth of the three major religions, and ignited the spark of the European renaissance. Notwithstanding the complexity of generalizing to such a vast and diverse region, there is a striking sense of unity and destiny among Arabs, and an ironic commonality of problems facing them nowadays. At present, no Arab country, rich or poor, is free from internal strife, regional conflicts, or the threat of terrorism. Most Arab regimes until very recently have been based on some form of authoritarian governance, with no real participation by or accountability to the people. All this started to change, in a profound way, in 2011, as a wave of popular uprisings swept through the Arab world, toppling very strong regimes, threatening others, and pushing the rest towards serious democratic reforms. As population health is influenced much by the system of governance and level of engagement of the public in solving their own problems, the Arab Spring is expected to have a huge impact on people's health in the Arab world. Keywords: community; conflict; inequality; public health; urbanization
Seeing more: visualizing audio cues

Using audio visualization, we seek to demonstrate how natural interaction is augmented with the addition of interaction history. Our Conversation Clock visualization captures and represents audio in a persistent and meaningful representation to provide social cues not available in an otherwise ephemeral conversation. In this paper we present user study evaluation of the Conversation Clock as utilized by familiar groups and demonstrate how individuals use the salient cues to evaluate their own interaction.
Small substrates and cytochrome c are oxidized at different sites of cytochrome c peroxidase.

Modeling studies suggest that electrons are transferred from cytochrome c to cytochrome c peroxidase (CcP) with cytochrome c predominantly bound at a site facing the gamma-meso edge of the CcP prosthetic heme group (Poulos, T.L., and Kraut, J. (1980) J. Biol. Chem. 255, 10322-10330). As shown here, guaiacol and ferrocyanide are oxidized at a different site of CcP. Thus, the oxidations of cytochrome c and guaiacol are differentially inactivated by phenylhydrazine and sodium azide. The loss of guaiacol oxidation activity correlates with covalent binding of 1 equivalent of [14C]phenylhydrazine to the protein, whereas the slower loss of cytochrome c activity correlates with the appearance of a 428-nm absorbance maximum attributed to the formation of a sigma-phenyl-iron heme complex. The delta-meso-phenyl and 8-hydroxymethyl derivatives of heme are formed as minor products. Catalytic oxidation of azide to the azidyl radical results in inactivation of CcP and formation of delta-meso-azidoheme. Reconstitution of apo-CcP with delta-meso-azido-, -ethyl-, and -(2-phenylethyl)heme yields holoproteins that give compound I species with H2O2 and exhibit 80, 59, and 31%, respectively, of the control kcat value for cytochrome c oxidation but little or no guaiacol or ferrocyanide oxidizing activity. Conversely, CcP reconstituted with gamma-meso-ethylheme is fully active in the oxidation of guaiacol and ferrocyanide but only retains 27% of the cytochrome c oxidizing activity. These results indicate that guaiacol and ferrocyanide are primarily oxidized near the delta-meso-heme edge rather than, like cytochrome c, at a surface site facing the gamma-meso edge.
Use of a functional programming model in fault tolerant parallel processing

In a fault-tolerant parallel computer, a functional programming model can facilitate distributed checkpointing, error recovery, load balancing, and graceful degradation. Such a model has been implemented on the Draper fault-tolerant parallel processor (FTPP). When used in conjunction with the FTPP's fault-detection and masking capabilities, this implementation results in a graceful degradation of system performance after faults. Three graceful degradation algorithms are presented. A user interface has been implemented which requires minimal cognitive overhead by the application programmer, masking such complexities as the system's redundancy, distributed nature, variable complement of processing resources, load balancing, fault occurrence, and recovery. This user interface is described and its use demonstrated. >
Assignment of disulfide bonds in corticotropin-releasing factor-binding protein

We have previously isolated, cloned, and characterized a protein that specifically binds and inactivates the peptide corticotropin-releasing factor. The integrity of the disulfide bonds in the binding protein is essential for this activity as reduction abolishes the protein's ability to bind corticotropin-releasing factor. The disulfide arrangement of the 10 cysteines present in the mature protein was established by analysis of proteolytically cleaved protein and sequence analysis of cystine containing fragments. A pattern is observed where each cysteine is connected to the next one in a sequential manner. Inspection of the genomic DNA encoding for this protein reveals that four of the domains defined by disulfide linkage coincide with four different exons.
Efficacy and acceptability of 15(S)-15-methyl-prostaglandin E2-methyl ester for midtrimester pregnancy termination

Abstract In 30 women requesting midtrimester abortion, a methyl prostaglandin E 2 derivative administered intramuscularly in divided doses (3 mcg. per 100 pounds per hour) produced a potent oxytocic effect almost without signs of intolerance. There were no failures and only two incomplete abortions (7 per cent). The mean induction-abortion time (13 hours) and the mean dose required for complete abortion could be reduced significantly by laminaria insertion.
Effect on Physical Activity of a Randomized Afterschool Intervention for Inner City Children in 3rd to 5th Grade

Background Less than 45% of U.S. children meet the 60 min.d-1 physical activity (PA) guideline. Structured after-school PA programing is one approach to help increase activity levels. This study aimed to evaluate the feasibility and short-term impact of a supervised after-school PA and nutrition education program on activity levels. Methods Forty-two 3rd-5th graders from an inner-city school in Boston, MA were randomly assigned to a 10-wk after-school program of either: 1) weekly nutrition education, or 2) weekly nutrition education plus supervised PA 3 d.wk-1 at a community-based center. At baseline and follow-up, PA was measured using accelerometry and fitness (VO2max) was estimated using the PACER 15-m shuttle run. Additional measures obtained were non-fasting finger stick total cholesterol (TC) and glucose levels, waist circumference (WC), body mass index (BMI), percent body fat (%BF), and blood pressure (BP). Values are presented as mean±SE, unless noted otherwise. Results Thirty-six participants completed the study (mean±SD; age 9.7±0.9 years). Participants attended >80% of the sessions. After adjusting for accelerometer wear time and other design factors, light and moderate-to-vigorous PA (MVPA) increased in the nutrition+PA group (+21.5±14.5 and +8.6±8.0 min.d-1, respectively) and decreased in the nutrition only group (-35.2±16.3 and -16.0±9.0 min.d-1, respectively); mean difference between groups of 56.8±21.7 min.d-1 (light PA, p = 0.01) and 24.5±12.0 min.d-1 (MVPA, p = 0.04). Time spent in sedentary behaviors declined in the nutrition+PA group (-14.8±20.7 min.d-1) and increased in the nutrition only group (+55.4±23.2 min.d-1); mean difference between groups of -70.2±30.9 min.d-1 (p = 0.02). Neither group showed changes in TC, BP, WC, %BF, BMI percentile, or fitness (p>0.05). Conclusions The supervised afterschool community-based nutrition and PA program was well accepted and had high attendance. The changes in light PA and MVPA has potential to promote weight maintenance in inner-city elementary school children, however longer term studies with larger samples are needed. Trial Registration ClinicalTrials.gov NCT01104038
Increases in lung tissue expression of intercellular adhesion molecule-1 are associated with hyperoxic lung injury and inflammation in mice

Lung injury caused by breathing enriched oxygen continues to be a major problem in clinical medicine. Experimentally, hyperoxic lung injury is characterized by pulmonary edema and associated neutrophil accumulation. Although extensively investigated, the mechanisms for neutrophil accumulation and the role of this accumulation in hyperoxic lung injury remain controversial. Intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) is an adhesion molecule that when increased on endothelium by inflammatory cytokines leads to increased adhesion of neutrophils to the inflamed endothelium and transendothelial migration. The purpose of this study was to examine the role of inflammation in hyperoxia-induced lung injury by investigating ICAM-1 expression in the lungs of mice exposed to > 95% oxygen continuously. Lung tissue from mice exposed to > 95% oxygen was analyzed for ICAM-1 mRNA by slot blot analysis and for ICAM-1 protein expression. We also examined lungs from mice exposed to hyperoxia for up to 96 h by light microscopy to correlate pulmonary inflammation with ICAM-1 expression. We found that mRNA for ICAM-1 increased 56% over baseline after 48 h of exposure to hyperoxia, that ICAM-1 protein increased by more than 5-fold over baseline after 96 h of exposure to hyperoxia, and that lung inflammation and injury were not evident until 96 h of exposure. Our data demonstrate that exposure to hyperoxia causes an increase in ICAM-1 gene transcription and/or mRNA stability in mouse lungs, and that this increase is followed by an increase in ICAM-1 protein.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
A case study on applying formal methods to medical devices: computer-aided resuscitation algorithm

The design and functional complexity of medical devices have increased during the past 50 years, evolving from the use of a metronome circuit for the initial cardiac pacemaker to functions that include electrocardiogram analysis, laser surgery, and intravenous delivery systems that adjust dosage based on patient feedback. As device functionality becomes more intricate, concerns arise regarding efficacy, safety, and reliability. It thus becomes imperative to adopt a standard or methodology to ensure that the possibility of any defect or malfunction in these devices is minimized. It is with these facts in view that regulatory bodies are interested in investigating mechanisms to certify safety-crictical medical devices. These organizations advocate the use of formal methods techniques to evaluate safety-critical medical systems. However, the use of formal methods is keenly debated, with most manufacturers claiming that they are arduous and time consuming.In this paper we describe our experience in analyzing the requirements documents for the computer-aided resuscitation algorithm (CARA) designed by the Resuscitative Unit of the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research (WRAIR). We present our observations from two different angles – that of a nonbeliever in formal methods and that of a practitioner of formal methods. For the former we catalog the effort required by a novice user of formal methods tools to carry out an analysis of the requirements documents. For the latter we address issues related to choice of designs, errors in discovered requirements, and the tool support available for analyzing requirements .
A rhodopsin mutant linked to autosomal dominant retinitis pigmentosa is prone to aggregate and interacts with the ubiquitin proteasome system.

The inherited retinal degenerations are typified by retinitis pigmentosa (RP), a heterogeneous group of inherited disorders that causes the destruction of photoreceptor cells, the retinal pigmented epithelium, and choroid. This group of blinding conditions affects over 1.5 million persons worldwide. Approximately 30–40% of human autosomal dominant (AD) RP is caused by dominantly inherited missense mutations in the rhodopsin gene. Here we show that P23H, the most frequent RP mutation in American patients, renders rhodopsin extremely prone to form high molecular weight oligomeric species in the cytoplasm of transfected cells. Aggregated P23H accumulates in aggresomes, which are pericentriolar inclusion bodies that require an intact microtubule cytoskeleton to form. Using fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET), we observe that P23H aggregates in the cytoplasm even at extremely low expression levels. Our data show that the P23H mutation destabilizes the protein and targets it for degradation by the ubiquitin proteasome system. P23H is stabilized by proteasome inhibitors and by co-expression of a dominant negative form of ubiquitin. We show that expression of P23H, but not wild-type rhodopsin, results in a generalized impairment of the ubiquitin proteasome system, suggesting a mechanism for photoreceptor degeneration that links RP to a broad class of neurodegenerative diseases.
Synthesis and Characterization of a Bipolar Light-Emitting Copolymer Consisting of Tetraphenyldiaminobiphenyl and Bis-Quinoline Units

A new luminescent copolymer containing both an efficient hole-transporting moiety, tetraphenyldiaminobiphenyl, and an electron-affinitive light-emitting moiety, bis-quinoline, was prepared. It possesses high thermal stability (decomposes at temperatures above 461 °C), excellent electrochemical reversibility, good thin-film-forming ability, and bright light-emitting property. Electrical characterization of a two-layer diode device based on the structure of ITO/CuPc/TPD−PQ/Al showed excellent electroluminescence performance (bright yellow emission, a rectification ratio greater than 105, and a low turn-on voltage of 3.8 V).
Modeling particle number concentrations along Interstate 10 in El Paso, Texas

Annual average daily particle number concentrations around a highway were estimated with an atmospheric dispersion model and a land use regression model. The dispersion model was used to estimate particle concentrations along Interstate 10 at 98 locations within El Paso, Texas. This model employed annual averaged wind speed and annual average daily traffic counts as inputs. A land use regression model with vehicle kilometers traveled as the predictor variable was used to estimate local background concentrations away from the highway to adjust the near-highway concentration estimates. Estimated particle number concentrations ranged between 9.8 × 103 particles/cc and 1.3 × 105 particles/cc, and averaged 2.5 × 104 particles/cc (SE 421.0). Estimates were compared against values measured at seven sites located along I10 throughout the region. The average fractional error was 6% and ranged between −1% and −13% across sites. The largest bias of −13% was observed at a semi-rural site where traffic was lowest. The average bias amongst urban sites was 5%. The accuracy of the estimates depended primarily on the emission factor and the adjustment to local background conditions. An emission factor of 1.63 × 1014 particles/veh-km was based on a value proposed in the literature and adjusted with local measurements. The integration of the two modeling techniques ensured that the particle number concentrations estimates captured the impact of traffic along both the highway and arterial roadways. The performance and economical aspects of the two modeling techniques used in this study shows that producing particle concentration surfaces along major roadways would be feasible in urban regions where traffic and meteorological data are readily available.
Development and Validation of an Instrument for Rapidly Assessing Symptoms: The General Symptom Distress Scale

Abstract Context Symptom assessment has increasingly focused on the evaluation of total symptom distress or burden rather than assessing only individual symptoms. The challenge for clinicians and researchers alike is to assess symptoms, and to determine the symptom distress associated with the symptoms and the patient's ability for symptom management without a lengthy and burdensome assessment process. Objectives The objective of this article was to discuss the psychometric evaluation of a brief general symptom distress scale (GSDS) developed to assess specific symptoms and how they rank in relation to each other, the overall symptom distress associated with the symptom schema, and provide an assessment of how well or poorly that symptom schema is managed. Methods Results from a pilot study about the initial development of the GSDS with 76 hospitalized patients are presented, followed by a more complete psychometric evaluation of the GSDS using three samples of cancer patients (n=190) and their social network members, called partners in these studies (n=94). Descriptive statistics were used to describe the GSDS symptoms, symptom distress, and symptom management. Point biserial correlations indexed the associations between dichotomous symptoms and continuous measures, and conditional probabilities were used to illustrate the substantial comorbidities of this sample. Internal consistency was examined using the KR-20 coefficient, and test-retest reliability was examined. Construct validity and predictive validity also were examined. Results The GSDS demonstrated satisfactory internal consistency and test-retest reliability, and good construct validity and predictive validity. The total score on the GSDS, symptom distress, and symptom management correlated significantly with related constructs of depression, positive and negative affect, and general health. The GSDS was able to demonstrate its ability to distinguish between those with or without chronic illness, and was able to significantly predict scores on criterion measures such as depression. Conclusion Collectively, these results suggest that the GSDS is a straightforward and useful instrument for rapidly assessing symptoms that can disrupt health-related quality of life.
Excess body weight, clinical profile, management practices, and hospital prognosis in men and women after acute myocardial infarction.

Background Excess body weight is increasingly being recognized as a major health problem in American men and women. It is unclear, however, whether body weight is associated with the demographic and clinical profile, treatment of, and hospital prognosis after acute myocardial infarction (AMI). Methods Nonconcurrent prospective epidemiologic investigation of Worcester (Massachusetts) metropolitan residents hospitalized at all 11 greater Worcester medical centers with validated AMI in 1997, 1999, 2001, and 2003. Results A total of 2008 men and 1505 women were hospitalized with confirmed AMI during the 4 study periods. Approximately 41% of men and 29% of women were classified as being overweight (body mass index [BMI] of 25-29.9), whereas 27% of men and 26% of women hospitalized with AMI were considered to be obese (BMI ≥30). Obese men and women were significantly younger than individuals of normal weight. Effective cardiac treatment regimens were less often used in men and women of normal body weight, compared with patients who were overweight or obese. After controlling for several potentially confounding prognostic factors, there were no significant differences in the risk of dying during hospitalization for either overweight or obese men and women, compared with patients of normal body weight. Obese men and women were, however, at greater risk for developing heart failure during the acute hospitalization than men and women of normal weight. Conclusions The results of this community study suggest an association between BMI and use of different treatment approaches in patients with AMI. Further examination of the impact of excess body weight on hospital outcomes associated with AMI remains warranted.
The Effects of Organizational Factors on Healthcare IT Adoption Costs: Evidence from New York Nursing Homes

We investigate how organizational factors influence healthcare IT adoption costs, using new data collected from an EMR adoption experiment conducted in a sample of New York State nursing homes. We find that workplaces characterized by higher levels of employee satisfaction and employee discretion incur lower EMR implementation costs. Our estimates suggest that nursing homes that are one standard deviation above the mean in terms of employee satisfaction and employee discretion measures incur about 10% lower EMR adoption costs than average facilities. Implications for policy makers and managers are discussed.
Scalable city 0.7a

The Scalable City is a set of projects that explore the externalization of algorithmic approaches to urbanization that intersect with geographic, political, economic and aesthetic zones of conflict. Version 0.7a of the Scalable City is a multi-media exhibition consisting of various manifestations of landscape demarcation, personal embodiment and domicile transformations. Procedures governing the arrangement and operations of these discrete areas, are interchanged across domains - moving them from a more familiar basis to distorted and exaggerated extremes of patterns and juxtapositions. Through these processes, which reveal the procedural basis of the development of cultural forms, the mechanistic processes of social formation are highlighted. The forum for this version of the work is the US/Mexican border where collisions of cultural forms, political structures, economies and landscape are distinctly overt.
Operating room utilization alone is not an accurate metric for the allocation of operating room block time to individual surgeons with low caseloads.

Introduction Many surgical suites allocate operating room (OR) block time to individual surgeons. If block time is allocated to services/groups and yet the same surgeon invariably operates on the same weekday, for all practical purposes block time is being allocated to individual surgeons. Organizational conflict occurs when a surgeon with a relatively low OR utilization has his or her allocated block time reduced. The authors studied potential limitations affecting whether a facility can accurately estimate the average block time utilizations of individual surgeons performing low volumes of cases. Methods Discrete-event computer simulation. Results Neither 3 months nor 1 yr of historical data were enough to be able to identify surgeons who had persistently low average OR utilizations. For example, with 3 months of data, the widths of the 95% CIs for average OR utilization exceeded 10% for surgeons who had average raw utilizations of 83% or less. If during a 3-month period a surgeon's measured adjusted utilization is 65%, there is a 95% chance that the surgeon's average adjusted utilization is as low as 38% or as high as 83%. If two surgeons have measured adjusted utilizations of 65% and 80%, respectively, there is a 16% chance that they have the same average adjusted utilization. Average OR utilization can be estimated more precisely for surgeons performing more cases each week. Conclusions Average OR utilization probably cannot be estimated precisely for low-volume surgeons based on 3 months or 1 yr of historical OR utilization data. The authors recommend that at surgical suites trying to allocate OR time to individual low-volume surgeons, OR allocations be based on criteria other than only OR utilization (e.g., based on OR efficiency).
An evaluation of the Coomassie brillant blue G-250 dye-binding method for quantitative protein determination

Abstract A recent report of Bradford (1) suggests that the binding of Coomassie brilliant blue G-250 to protein in an acid-denaturing solvent provides a rapid, reproducible, and sensitive method for quantitative determination of protein. Application of the method in our laboratory shows that it is a rapid and reproducible method, but that it is of limited analytical value since it shows a wide variability in its sensitivity to various proteins.
On-line modelling and predictive control of an industrial terpolymerization reactor

Abstract Large-scale industrial polymer reactors are typically multivariate, nonlinear, and often have significant time delays. Furthermore, key process measurements are sometimes not available at all, or they become available only after long laboratory analysis has rendered them obsolete. This paper reports on the development of a control system for such a reactor. The specific process in question is used to manufacture the polymer 'P' from three monomers 'A', 'B', and 'C, in a continuous stirred-tank reactor. Product quality measurements are available only by laboratory analysis from samples taken every two hours; however, the mole fraction of the monomers, catalyst, etc in the reactor are available every 5 minutes via chromatographic analysis. The control scheme involves a two-tier system in which the monomer, catalyst, etc, flow rates are used to regulate reactant composition in the reactor at the first tier level, every 5 minutes. At the second tier level, reactant composition target values are used ...
New developments in the theory of the hopping conductivity of spatially random systems

At present the relevance of percolative transport to traditional glasses is being established. The electronic glasses represent (relatively) well defined systems in which the effects of e.g. 'interactions' and 'disorder' may be isolated, and for which the percolative aspects of transport are relatively well understood. Thus these systems (spatially random, SR, and variable-range hopping, VRH) can be useful as models for glassy conduction processes. However, some inconsistencies in the published theoretical descriptions of such systems exist, namely regarding the placement of the critical (scaling, or peak) frequency and the relationship of the frequency dependence of the AC conductivity to critical exponents from percolation theory. These questions are clarified here. Further conclusions about the nature of the scaling relationships between the AC and DC conductivities are drawn. The role of stochasticity, or randomness in the definition of the scaling frequency, is emphasized.
Progesterone Metabolism by the Hypothalamus, Pituitary, and Uterus of the Aged Rat

Progesterone metabolism was examined in tissues of rats in three stages of reproductive senescence (constant estrus, repeated pseudopregnancies, and anestrus) and in young rats. Metabolites were quantitated by reverse isotopic dilution analysis after incubation of the hypothalamus, pituitary, and uterus with [3H]progesterone. The metabolism of progesterone to 5α-dihydroprogesterone and to 20α-hydroxy-5α-pregnan-3- one and the formation of total 5α-reduced products was significantly reduced (by half) in pituitaries of constant estrous rats compared to rats in all other stages. The formation of 3α-hydroxy- 5α-pregnan-20-one and total 3α-reduced products was about 2-fold higher in pituitaries and hypothalami of pseudopregnant and anestrous rats than in constant estrous and young rats, but these differences were statistically significant only in the pituitary samples. In the uterus, progesterone metabolism to 20α-dihydroprogesterone was significantly increased in anestrous rats compared to that in constant es...
Effect of free fatty acids on the permeability of 1,2-dimyristoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine bilayer at the main phase transition.

Abstract We measured the influence of saturated and unsaturated free fatty acids on the permeability and partition of ions into 1,2-dimyristoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (DMPC) bilayers. The bilayer permeability was measured using the depletion of N-(7-nitrobenz-2-oxa-1,3-diazol-4-yl)-1,2-dihexadecanoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphatidylethanolamine (N-NBD-PE) fluorescence as a result of its reduction by dithionite. We observed a distinct increase of dithionite permeability at the main gel–fluid phase transition of DMPC. When vesicles were formed from a mixture of DMPC and oleic acid, the membrane permeability at the phase transition was reduced drastically. Stearic acid and methyl ester of oleic acid have little effect. Similar results in the quenching of pyrene-PC in DMPC vesicles by iodide were obtained. Again, the increase of iodide partition into the lipid phase at the main phase transition of DMPC was abolished by the addition of unsaturated free fatty acids. Free fatty acids, in concentrations up to 5 mol%, do not abolish DMPC phase transition when measured by differential scanning calorimetry. It seems that unsaturated, but not saturated, free fatty acids reduce the lipid bilayer permeability to dithionite and iodide ions at the main phase transition of DMPC, without altering the thermodynamic properties of the bilayer.
America's First Commercial Oil Well Shepherd

The first commercial oil well in North America was drilled with a spring pole rig in 1818 by Marcus Huling on the South Fork of the Cumberland River in McCreary County, Kentucky. The well was 200 feet deep and flowed at the surface. The discovery was reported in the fall of 1818 in the newspaper Argus of Western America, and in a letter written by Huling in 1820. Oil from the well was sold locally and also in Tennessee, North Carolina, and Georgia. Two thousand gallons were exported to Europe. Comparison of early geologic and structure sections and maps with recent publications and field data indicates that, in contrast to previous interpretations, the accumulation, in the Big Lime, is stratigraphically controlled. Today oil can be sampled from a well at the site, now in a National River Recreation Area. Employing formal definitions, the Beatty well may become generally recognized as the first-documented comercial oil well in North America, even though it was originally drilled for salt.
Habitual Body and Memory in Merleau-Ponty

It was Bergson who first attempted to distinguish “habit memory” from “image memory.” By the latter he meant any form of representation of past experience, typically via visualization; it is what we normally term “recollection.” Before Bergson made the pointed suggestion that there are at least two fundamental forms of memory, it had been widely assumed by philosophers and psychologists alike that there is only one basic kind of remembering, namely, recollecting. This was the case whether recollection is conceived in a transpersonal setting (as by Plato, who made it essential to all eidetic knowledge) or in a strictly personal context (which is how we tend to think of it today). Either way, recollection is considered to be reproductive in operation, proceeding by isomorphism — whether this be an isomorphism between dianoetic diagrams in the soul and the Forms, or between “ideas” that resemble “impressions,” or between mind and its own past being. The premise at work throughout this redoubtable tradition is that remembering, if it is to work at all, must replicate past events in an explicitly representational format. These events in turn make up the life history of the Individual rememberer (this holds true even for Plato insofar as the history of a given soul includes episodes of viewing the Forms in a previous life).