cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The impact of obesity on the effectiveness of spinal cord stimulation in chronic spine-related pain patients.

Abstract BACKGROUND CONTEXT Chronic pain and obesity are both on the rise. Spinal cord stimulation has gained increasing popularity in the pain management field for the treatment of spine-related chronic pain, however to-date, the correlation between the spinal cord stimulator effectiveness and increasing body mass index (BMI) has not been fully established. PURPOSE We aimed to investigate the correlation between patients’ BMI and the percentage of pain relief as well as opioid utilization in chronic spine-related pain patients treated with spinal cord stimulation. STUDY DESIGN Retrospective cohort study. PATIENT SAMPLE Patients with chronic spine-related pain who were treated with a spinal cord stimulator. OUTCOME MEASURES Eleven-point numeric rating scale for pain and opioid utilization. METHODS Following Institutional Review Board approval, data from all eligible subjects who had undergone successful spinal cord stimulation (SCS)-trial defined as ≥50% decrease in pain followed by SCS implant were collected and statistically analyzed. Patients were divided into four groups according to BMI. Self-reported pain scores on the 11-point numerical rating scale were collected at baseline, 6 months and 12 months post SCS-implant visits. Opioid utilization, if any, was collected at baseline and 12 months post-SCS implant. RESULTS In all, 181 patients were included. Thirty-three were under and/or normal weight (≤24.9 kg/m2), 72 overweight (25.0–29.9 kg/m2), 63 obese (30.0–39.9 kg/m2), and 13 morbidly obese (≥40.0 kg/m2). The estimated coefficients from multivariable linear regression analysis were −1.91% (95% CI: −2.82% to −0.991%) and −1.48% (95% CI: −2.30% to −0.660%) reduction in pain improvement per unit increase of BMI for 6 months and 12 months scores, respectively. The estimated coefficient of disability status was −15.3% (95% CI: −22.1% to −8.48%). The estimated coefficient for 12 month opioid equivalence was −0.08% (95% CI: −0.14 to −0.021), per` 1 mg unit increase of morphine opioid equivalency. The data showed a statistically significant negative association between increasing BMI and SCS effectiveness at 6 and 12 months post-SCS therapy with a 2% reduction in efficacy for every unit increase of BMI after adjusting for confounding factors and a 20% better response in underweight and/or normal patients over the morbidly obese individuals which was not related to baseline pain score level. The significant difference in pain scores at 6 months (p = .0003) and 12 months (p = .04) post-SCS implant between obese and nonobese patients was not attributable to differences in baseline pain scores. There was no significant change in opioid utilization between baseline and 12 months post-SCS therapy. CONCLUSION A negative association between SCS effectiveness and increasing BMI was found, whereas, no significant difference was noted amongst the various BMI cohorts and the daily opioid consumption.
Characterization and Simulation of Permittivity Enhancements of Si O2 /Si 3 N 4 Nanolaminate Layers

Previous studies have demonstrated that at low frequencies nanopowders of SiO 2 and Si3N4 can have an order of magnitude increase in the permittivity over bulk values due to anomalous interfacial dipole formation on the nanoparticles. In this paper, the authors have begun to study this phenomenon at the nanometer scale but in a more controlled geometry. They have fabricated a stack of thin, alternating layers $(\sim5-12 \mathbf{nm})$ of Si3N4 and SiO 2 deposited using plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) underneath a comb capacitor structure to measure the effective permittivity of the nanocomposite. The preliminary measured capacitances and conductances of these devices show good conformity and repeatability. Using quasi-static electromagnetic assumptions with finite element method (FEM) simulations of these capacitor devices illustrate that ignoring the impact of dipole formation at the oxide/nitride interface consistently underestimates the actual capacitance of the devices. If a thin $(\sim 1$ nm) interfacial dielectric layer is included in the model to account for interfacial dipoles, then the effective permittivity of the interface between the layers can be extracted to fit the measured data. In fact, a high-k interfacial relative permittivity value is extracted to be $\mathbf{k}_{int}\sim 100$ for the 200 nm devices, and this empirically calibrated model is then used to predict the capacitance for both smaller (150 nm) and larger (1000 nm) devices. This extracted relative permittivity at the interface is more than an order of magnitude greater than the measured bulk permittivity of PECVD oxide and nitride materials, which are ks i o 2 =4.4 and k Si3N4 =6.4, respectively.
Anchoring vignettes in the Health and Retirement Study: how do medical professionals and disability recipients characterize the severity of work limitations?

Purpose Recent studies report systematic differences in how individuals categorize the severity of identical health and work limitation vignettes. We investigate how health professionals and disability recipients characterize the severity of work limitations and whether their reporting patterns are robust to demographic, education, and health characteristics. We use the results to illustrate the potential impact of reporting heterogeneity on the distribution of work disability estimated from self-reported categorical health and disability data. Method Nationally representative data on anchoring disability vignettes from the 2004 Health and Retirement Study (HRS) are used to investigate how respondents with an occupation background in health and Social Security disability beneficiaries categorize work limitation vignettes. Using pain, cardiovascular health, and depression vignettes, we estimate generalized ordered probit models (N = 2,660 individuals or 39,681 person-vignette observations) that allow the severity thresholds to vary by respondent characteristics. Results We find that health professionals (excluding nurses) and disability recipients tend to classify identical work limitations as more severe compared to non-health professional non-disabled respondents. For disability recipients, the differences are most pronounced and particularly visible in the tails of the work limitations distribution. For health professionals, we observe smaller differences, affecting primarily the classification of mildly and moderately severe work limitations. The patterns for health professionals (excluding nurses) are robust to demographics, education, and health conditions. The greater likelihood of viewing the vignette person as more severely work limited observed among disability recipients is mostly explained by the fact that these respondents also tend to be in poorer health which itself predicts a more inclusive scale. Conclusions Knowledge of reporting scales from health professionals and disabled individuals can benefit researchers in a broad range of applications in health and disability research. They may be useful as reference scales to evaluate disability survey data. Such knowledge may be beneficial when studying disability programs. Given the increasing availability of anchoring vignette data in surveys, this is a promising area for future evaluation research.
Growing Up in a Steel Town: Early-Life Pollution Exposure and Later-Life Mortality

An important hypothesis about the disease burden of air pollution is that high levels of exposure in childhood can result in a lifetime of health problems, leading to increased mortality rates at older ages. I evaluate this hypothesis using a proprietary data set—Medicare records matched to Social Security records that identify birthplace. I analyze old-age mortality among 390,000 individuals born in small cities and towns in Pennsylvania during the years 1916 through 1927. Some of these individuals were born in places with steel production, and thus likely had exposure to high levels of air pollution in childhood. These individuals have significantly higher rates of mortality post–age 65 than those born in comparable towns that did not have steel production facilities. There are three notable features of the excess mortality among those born in steel towns: (1) the relationship holds for comparisons within counties, (2) the excess mortality is higher in towns that had relatively higher levels of steel production, and (3) old-age mortality is especially high for individuals born in locations with relatively high levels of steel production and relatively low elevation—a finding consistent with the possibility that low-elevation locations were subject to atmospheric inversions that trapped air pollution. By matching the SSA/Medicare data with death certificate data, I am able to establish that the excess mortality associated with childhood exposure to air pollution is due primarily to elevated levels of cancer.
Small-scale mechanical behavior of a eutectic high entropy alloy.

Eutectic high entropy alloys, with lamellar arrangement of solid solution phases, represent a new paradigm for simultaneously achieving high strength and ductility, thereby circumventing this well-known trade-off in conventional alloys. However, dynamic strengthening mechanisms and phase-boundary interactions during external loading remain unclear for these eutectic systems. In this study, small-scale mechanical behavior was evaluated for AlCoCrFeNi2.1 eutectic high entropy alloy, consisting of a lamellar arrangement of L12 and B2 solid-solution phases. The ultimate tensile strength was 1165 MPa with ductility of ~18% and ultimate compressive strength was 1863 MPa with a total compressive fracture strain of ~34%. Dual mode fracture was observed with ductile failure for L12 phase and brittle mode for B2 phase. Phase-specific mechanical tests using nano-indentation and micro-pillar compression showed higher hardness and strength and larger strain rate sensitivity for B2 compared with L12. Micro-pillars on B2 phase deformed by plastic barreling while L12 micro-pillars showed high density of slip steps due to activation of more slip systems and homogenous plastic flow. Mixed micro-pillars containing both the phases exhibited dual yielding behavior while the interface between L12 and B2 was well preserved without any sign of separation or cracking. Phase-specific friction analysis revealed higher coefficient of friction for B2 compared to L12. These results will pave the way for fundamental understanding of phase-specific contribution to bulk mechanical response of concentrated alloys and help in designing structural materials with high fracture toughness.
The Dynamic Processing Model of Working Memory

Recent shifts in the understanding of how the mind and brain retain information in working memory (WM) call for revision to traditional theories. Evidence of dynamic, “activity-silent,” short-term ...
U.S. Tax Systems Need Anti-Racist Restructuring

#BlackTaxpayersMatter The world has witnessed the brutal suffocation of George Floyd on a concrete sidewalk in Minneapolis. While this is but one more example of centuries of relentless violence against Black people, many are hoping that this tragic death might be a catalyst for meaningful change. Around the world, rallies, marches, and vigils have filled public spaces to call out institutional racism and demand systemic change. The rage, despair, exhaustion, and frustration with targeted discrimination has not only permeated cities and streets, but racism is being condemned at kitchen tables, by businesses, in social media, and from groups as sweeping as Sesame Street, KPop fans, and NASCAR. People across the globe are raising their voices and insisting that something be done to stop the routine ruin of Black lives. Many are looking to Black leaders in every discipline, including finance, economics, and tax, and asking what they can do to help. And Black leaders — once again, after centuries of explaining, exposing, discussing, writing, speaking, preaching, demanding, and demonstrating that American institutions are implicitly and explicitly discriminatory and must fundamentally change — are providing thoughtful, cogent answers. They rise to the challenge again and again, hoping that this horrific racist episode will be different from countless previous episodes. They call for a transcendent time of tangible change. However, they are rightfully saying that this is not their burden to bear, and that those with the privileged status of race, income, wealth, and platforms must step up, move forward, and finally do something. We have heard from many of our Black and brown colleagues that they are “sick and tired of being sick and tired.” As writers, we understand the power of words. But it is also true that actions speak louder than words. As Maya Angelou said so poetically, “When someone shows you who they are, believe them the first time.” (Emphasis added.) What can we as tax professionals, scholars, and advocates do to show our commitment to racial justice? First, we must recognize that tax injustice is economic injustice, which leads directly to income and wealth inequality; pervasive poverty; and the compromised health, welfare, and safety of communities of color. The immorally high and persistent 32 percent rate of poverty for Black children and the 380 percent higher death rate of Black individuals from COVID-19 as compared with their white counterparts are real-world problems that can be remedied. However, real remedies will require all hands on deck, because these issues are long-standing systemic harms created and perpetuated by federal, state, and local institutions over the last 400 years. This article will help you think more critically about these issues. It discusses the racist history of U.S. tax systems, prescribes anti-racist action items, and provides a wealth of referenced readable resources.
Holding the arm still through integration of cortical commands

Abstract Every movement ends in a period of stillness. In current models of reaching, the commands that hold the arm still at a target, depend on the spatial location of the target, but not on the reach commands that moved the arm to the target. Contrary to this assumption, in a series of tasks in humans and non-human primates, we find that the commands that hold the arm still have a consistent mathematical relationship to the reach commands that moved the arm. With damage to the corticospinal tract, reach commands become impaired as expected, but remarkably, the mathematical dependence of hold commands upon the now imperfect reach commands remains intact. Therefore, we find that the brain uses a design principle in which its holding controller is not driven by the spatial location of the target. Rather, holding is obtained via mathematical integration of moving, potentially through a subcortical structure.
Abstract IA-16: Metabolic adaptations in pancreatic cancer

Effective targeting of metabolism for cancer therapy is challenging in part because of extensive flexibility within metabolic pathways. For example, the enzyme ATP-citrate lyase (ACLY) has been of interest as a cancer therapeutic target because of its central role in generating nucleo-cytosolic acetyl-CoA for lipid synthesis and acetylation reactions. However, ACLY deficiency or inhibition triggers upregulation of the cytosolic acetyl-CoA synthetase ACSS2, enabling production of acetyl-CoA from acetate for the synthesis of fatty acids. In pancreatic cancer, tumor formation is suppressed in the absence of ACLY, but once tumors are established, ACSS2 is highly expressed and ACLY deficiency is tolerated. Despite this flexibility in acetyl-CoA generation, targeting of downstream processes that rely on acetyl-CoA, via combined BET inhibition and mevalonate pathway inhibition, suppresses tumor growth in mice. Analogously, it is possible that other metabolites whose abundance is tightly defended in cancer cells may point to targetable compensatory mechanisms or downstream processes on which tumor cells are reliant. Recent evidence suggests that the hexosamine biosynthesis pathway, which generates the glycosyl donor UDP-GlcNAc, holds promise for therapeutic targeting in pancreatic cancer, although its regulation in cancer cells remains poorly understood. In this presentation, I will discuss new data uncovering a key role for metabolic adaptation to nutrient deprivation in sustaining UDP-GlcNAc production and tumor growth. Citation Format: Kathryn E. Wellen. Metabolic adaptations in pancreatic cancer [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Virtual Special Conference on Pancreatic Cancer; 2020 Sep 29-30. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2020;80(22 Suppl):Abstract nr IA-16.
Identifying Formal and Informal Influence in Technology Adoption with Network Externalities

Firms introducing network technologies (whose benefits depend on who installs the technology) need to understand which user characteristics confer the greatest network benefits on other potential adopters. To examine which adopter characteristics matter, I use the introduction of a video-messaging technology in an investment bank. I use data on its 2,118 employees, their adoption decisions, and their 2.4 million subsequent calls. The video-messaging technology can also be used to watch TV. Exogenous shocks to the benefits of watching TV are used to identify the causal (network) externality of one individual user's adoption on others' adoption decisions. I allow this network externality to vary in size with a variety of measures of informal and formal influence. I find that adoption by either managers or workers in “boundary spanner” positions has a large impact on the adoption decisions of employees who wish to communicate with them. Adoption by ordinary workers has a negligible impact. This suggests that...
Sexual objectification as a predictor of sexual risk tolerance

HIV rates among men who have sex with men (MSM) in the US remain high. While risk is being redefined in the age of treatment as prevention, research is needed to better understand sexual behavior a...
Oncology Clinician Attitudes Regarding Sexual Minorities: A National Study of Anti-Gay Bias

Background: Sexual and gender minorities experience health care access barriers, discrimination, and denial of care that result in poorer health outcomes. This is the first study to examine oncology provider anti-gay bias in a national sample in any country. Methods: U.S. cancer care professionals (n=404) were surveyed to determine whether level of cultural training had an impact on degree of anti-gay bias as measured through the Index of Attitudes on Homosexuality (IAH). Based on statistically significant independent variables, a 2x3 factorial between-groups ANOVA was conducted to examine mean differences between sex assigned at birth (male v. female) and level of cultural training (low v. medium v. high) on IAH composite and component (Avoidance, Approach, Acceptance) scores. Post-hoc tests examined all pairwise comparisons. Interaction effects were examined prior to main effects. Findings: Females reported less anti-gay bias than males as measured by IAH composite scores (F(1, 398)=25·256, p<0·001) as well as specifically on the Avoidance (F(1, 398)=39·780, p<0·001) and Approach (F(1, 398)=5·734, p=0·017) factors. High cultural training compared to low cultural training resulted in less reported bias for IAH composite (F(2, 398)=7·389, p=0·001), Avoidance (F(2, 398)=3·090, p=0·047), Approach (F(2, 398)=4·334, p=0·014), and Acceptance (F(2, 398)=8·164, p<0·001) scores. Cultural training appeared to moderate sex-based differences in the IAH overall (F(2,398)=.579, p=.561) driven by moderating the Approach factor (F(2,398)=.433, p=.649). Interpretation: Results indicate that cultural training is one strategy to potentially decrease anti-gay bias and may moderate differences by sex for Approach of oncology providers toward gay individuals; however, the small effect size (ɳp2=.021) suggests careful interpretation of findings. These data support investment in research to examine content and dosage of cultural training among diverse health care professionals. A limitation of this study is the small sample size for female physicians, male nurses, and sexual and gender minorities, and use of convenience sampling. Funding Statement: This study was made possible by the Pfizer Foundation. Opinions are those of the authors and not necessarily of Pfizer Foundation. Declaration of Interests: The authors declare no competing interests. Ethics Approval Statement: This study was approved by the Institutional Research Board at the George Washington University (#101646).
Three cases of acute venous thromboembolism in females following vaccination for COVID-19.

Since December 2020, four vaccines for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) have been developed and three have been approved for immediate use in the United States. Two are mRNA vaccines, while one uses a viral vector mechanism. There are reports of thrombotic complications following vaccine administration, which are primarily cerebral sinus thromboses following administration of the viral vector vaccines. Here, we are the first to report venous thrombotic complications within days of administration of the mRNA-1273 (Moderna) vaccine. We present a series of three women who developed venous thromboembolism (VTE) following mRNA-1273 vaccination at a single healthcare system.
American Gavel Across Borders: An Empirical Study of U.S. District Court Cases on Extraterritorial Exercise of Civil Jurisdiction

U.S. districts courts have been increasingly faced with international cases that involve foreign litigants and foreign conduct. Despite an abundance of doctrinal analyses on the U.S. Supreme Court’s decisions involving extraterritorial civil jurisdiction, there are abysmally few empirical studies that look at the patterns of decision-making in lower federal courts. This research attempts to fill the gap and examines 228 decisions dealing with extraterritoriality rendered from 2000 to 2015. At the outset, our findings reject the common narrative in legal scholarship that U.S. courts over-extend their jurisdiction abroad and engage in legal imperialism. Despite the overall increase in the number of extraterritorial cases, courts assert jurisdiction in only 43% of them. We examine several factors that might explain the outcomes in these cases and find strong evidence that claims involving conduct that took place in developed countries have a higher likelihood of being dismissed on jurisdictional grounds than those in developing countries. We also find that, similar to the overall domestic litigation trends, individual plaintiffs face lower likelihood of having their claims survive the jurisdictional challenge than corporate plaintiffs. We find weak or no evidence of difference in the outcomes between economic claims, such as for example securities or antitrust claims, and non-economic claims that include extraterritorial tort, environmental and employment discrimination claims. Similarly, we do not find statistically significant effect of comity and foreign policy arguments on the outcomes.
Microcontroller based talking thermometer

The paper presents the design of a talking thermometer based on microcontroller MC68HC11. It announces the temperature in both Fahrenheit and Celsius using a SPO 256-AL2 speech synthesis integrated circuit from General Instruments. The E port of MC68HC11 is used as an input port, which converts the voltage received from the transducer into an 8-bit number. The thermometer was built and tested, it exhibits an accuracy of /spl plusmn/1/spl deg/F. >
Unlocking Potentials of Microwaves for Food Safety and Quality

Microwave is an effective means to deliver energy to food through polymeric package materials, offering potential for developing short-time in-package sterilization and pasteurization processes. The complex physics related to microwave propagation and microwave heating require special attention to the design of process systems and development of thermal processes in compliance with regulatory requirements for food safety. This article describes the basic microwave properties relevant to heating uniformity and system design, and provides a historical overview on the development of microwave-assisted thermal sterilization (MATS) and pasteurization systems in research laboratories and used in food plants. It presents recent activities on the development of 915 MHz single-mode MATS technology, the procedures leading to regulatory acceptance, and sensory results of the processed products. The article discusses needs for further efforts to bridge remaining knowledge gaps and facilitate transfer of academic research to industrial implementation.
Sympathy for the Devil? Child Homicide, Victim Characteristics, and the Sentencing Preferences of the American Conscience

The act of killing a child attracts a deluge of media attention but a relative drip of sociological literature. This thesis deconstructs American views of child homicide and uses multivariate logistic regression analysis to conduct the first experimental test of the effects of victim characteristics (such as age) on sentencing recommendations in four different homicide scenarios: accidental, drunken, impulsive, and premeditated. The findings illuminate the link between social norms and sentencing severity. Three conclusions may be drawn: first, child sympathy does not appear to vary by the respondent's demographic traits; second, child killers are sentenced more harshly than the killers of adults, but only when criminal intent is evident; and third, while there is a positive relationship between youth of the victim and the severity of punishment assigned to the offender, the effects for child and teen homicide are not so dissimilar as to contradict existing legal statutes in the United States.
Canine Osteosarcoma: Amputation and Chemoimmunotherapy

Canine osteosarcoma is a highly metastatic cancer commonly seen in large breed dogs. At the time of diagnosis, approximately 90% to 95% of the dogs have established micrometastases. Dogs undergoing amputation alone have a median survival time of 3 to 4 months. Amputation followed by cisplatin chemotherapy increases median survival times to 9 to 11 months. When dogs are treated with amputation and cisplatin, followed by immunotherapy (with liposome-encapsulated muramyl tripeptide phosphatidylethanolamine), median survival times increase to 14.4 months, the longest reported median survival time for dogs with osteosarcoma treated by amputation and any form of adjuvant therapy.
Potentially inappropriate antiepileptic drugs for elderly patients with epilepsy

Objectives: To describe prescribing patterns for older veterans with epilepsy, determine whether disparity exists between these patterns and clinical recommendations, and describe those at greatest risk of receiving potentially inappropriate antiepileptic drugs (AEDs). Design: Retrospective administrative database analysis. Setting: All outpatient facilities within the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). Participants: All veterans aged 65 and older who had epilepsy diagnosed before the end of fiscal year 1999 (FY99) and who received AEDs from the VA in FY99 (N=21,435). Measurements: National VA pharmacy data were used to determine the AED regimen based on the AEDs patients received during the year. Administrative data were used to describe demographic variables and to gauge disease severity and epilepsy onset. Results: Approximately 17% of patients received phenobarbital and 54% phenytoin. Patients classified as having newly diagnosed disease were less likely to receive phenobarbital monotherapy and combination therapy and more likely to receive gabapentin or lamotrigine monotherapy (χ2=288.90, P<.001). Logistic regression analyses indicated that, for all patients, those with more severe disease were less likely to receive phenobarbital monotherapy than other monotherapy and phenobarbital combinations than other combinations. Those who received specialty consultation were less likely to receive phenytoin monotherapy than AED monotherapy, which is consistent with clinical recommendations. Conclusion: Most older veterans received potentially inappropriate AED therapy. Hence, the standard of care for older patients with epilepsy should be reevaluated, although the vast use of phenytoin in this population suggests that change in practice patterns may be difficult.
Advancing the science of environmental exposures during pregnancy and the gene-environment through the National Children's Study.

In this article we provide nurses with information on the importance of studying environmental exposures during fetal, infant, and childhood development in the National Children's Study. Nurses should be aware of this study to aid in mitigating the complex health problems that arise from environment–health interactions. Nurses may help to educate the public, patients, and caregivers and are in an ideal position to be strong advocates for policy change and regulatory monitoring and enforcement.
Freedom in the 50 States: An Index of Personal and Economic Freedom

This paper presents the first-ever comprehensive ranking of the American states on their public policies affecting individual freedoms in the economic, social, and personal spheres. We develop and justify our ratings and aggregation procedure on explicitly normative criteria, defining individual freedom as the ability to dispose of one's own life, liberty, and justly acquired property however one sees fit, so long as one does not coercively infringe on another individual's ability to do the same.This study improves on prior attempts to score economic freedom for American states in three primary ways: (1) it includes measures of social and personal freedoms such as peaceable citizens' rights to educate their own children, own and carry firearms, and be free from unreasonable search and seizure; (2) it includes far more variables, even on economic policies alone, than prior studies, and there are no missing data on any variable; and (3) it uses new, more accurate measurements of key variables, particularly state fiscal policies.We find that the freest states in the country are New Hampshire, Colorado, and South Dakota, which together achieve a virtual tie for first place. All three states feature low taxes and government spending and middling levels of regulation and paternalism. New York is the least free by a considerable margin, followed by New Jersey, Rhode Island, California, and Maryland. On personal freedom alone, Alaska is the clear winner, while Maryland brings up the rear. As for freedom in the different regions of the country, the Mountain and West North Central regions are the freest overall while the Middle Atlantic lags far behind on both economic and personal freedom.Regression analysis demonstrates that states enjoying more economic and personal freedom tend to attract substantially higher rates of internal net migration. The data used to create the rankings are publicly available online and we invite others to adopt their own weights to see how the overall state freedom rankings change.
Transaction cost economics and the Carnegie connection

Abstract This paper tracks my remarks at the September 1993 conference honoring Richard M. Cyert. It begins with some recollections of my years as a graduate student at GSIA in the early 1960s. I then shift to transaction cost economics and how this project relates to what I learned from Dick Cyert and others at Carnegie.
Finally Making Good on the Promise of Qualitative Research in Special Education? A Response to the Special Issue

In this response to the special issue, we would like to offer two additional considerations to the discourse on qualitative research and special education this issue is meant to catalyze. First, we would like to further problematize the question of why qualitative research continues to be so sparsely represented in most prominent publications of special education. Next, we look a little more deeply into the question of what constitutes methodological rigor, especially in a field that seems so resistant, at least from the perspective of its institutional structures, to embracing qualitative research as a worthy, serious enterprise.
Physical properties of pellets made from sorghum stalk, corn stover, wheat straw, and big bluestem

Abstract Densification of biomass feedstocks, such as pelleting, can increase bulk density, improve storability, reduce transportation costs, and make these materials easier to handle using existing handling and storage equipment for grains. The objectives of this research were to study (1) the physical properties of pellets made from corn stover, sorghum stalk, wheat straw, and big bluestem, (2) the effect of moisture content on bulk density, true density, and durability of the biomass pellets, and (3) the effect of hammer mill screen size and die thickness on bulk density, true density, and durability of the pellets. Biomass pelleting can significantly improve the bulk density from 47 to 60 kg/m 3 for biomass grinds to 360 to 500 kg/m 3 for biomass pellets. Of the four types of biomass pellets, wheat straw pellets had the highest bulk density value of 495.8 kg/m 3 , and sorghum stalk pellets had the lowest bulk density value of 365.2 kg/m 3 . An increase in moisture level resulted in a decrease in bulk density and true density of the pellets. The effect of moisture content on durability of the pellets made from corn stover, wheat straw, and big bluestem showed a similar trend; the maximum durability value was 96.8% at the equilibrium moisture content (EMC) range of 9% (d.b.) to 14% (d.b.) for corn stover and wheat straw, and 9% (d.b.) to 11% (d.b.) for big bluestem. A further increase in EMC value resulted in a decrease in pellet durability. For sorghum stalk pellets, the durability value increased initially with increased EMC and reached a maximum of 89.5% at EMC values between 14% (d.b.) and 16% (d.b.). Use of a larger hammer mill screen size (from 3.2 mm to 6.5 mm screen openings) resulted in increases of bulk density, true density, and durability of biomass pellets, but not in significant levels. Use of a thicker die size (from 31.8 mm to 44.5 mm in thickness) resulted in significant increase of bulk density, true density, and durability of biomass pellets.
Surprising Pleiotropy of Nerve Growth Factor in the Treatment of Experimental Autoimmune Encephalomyelitis

The use of neurotrophic factors to treat multiple sclerosis (MS), a spontaneous inflammatory demyelinating disease of young adults, seems intuitively appealing: the process entails death of cellular constituents of the central nervous system (CNS), including oligodendroglia and neurons as well as
Mild Cognitive Impairment as a Clinical Entity and Treatment Target

M ILD COGNITIVE i m p a i r m e n t (MCI) has been actively investigated for the past decade. , 2 The term was coined in the late 1980s by the New York University group to identify individuals who were not cognitively normal for age and yet did not have overt dementia, and their outcomes were described in an article examining predictors of dementia by Flicker et al in the early 1990s. Flicker et al characterized MCI as equivalent to a Global Deterioration Scale rating of 3 and found that a diagnostic approach combining a careful, structured interview and the appropriate neuropsychological tests can discriminate those individuals with MCI likely to experience cognitive deterioration from those with a benign prognosis. Recently MCI has been given more specific criteria involving the features outlined in Figure 1 of the comments by Gauthier and Touchon abstracted from Petersen et al. In conjunction with increased attention to the early stages of development of Alzheimer disease (AD), these criteria served to catalyze intense interest in MCI as a possible prodromal stage of AD. Several studies on longitudinal populations were conducted, some retrofitting criteria to longitudinal studies of aging, and several others are either underway or completed and have demonstrated a progression from MCI to AD at an elevated rate over the base rate in the population. Most of these studies examined the amnestic subtype of MCI, in which memory impairment is a key feature. However, other studies, often encompassing a broader definition of MCI, have demonstrated a reversion to normal in some subjects, implying a lack of stability for the construct over time. This has led to a closer inspection of the underlying premises of MCI and a refinement of criteria to recognize that MCI is a heterogeneous condition. Several factors have emerged as contributing to the variability in the outcomes of several of these studies. Among these are the following factors: (1) criteria for MCI, (2) implementation of the criteria, (3) source of subjects, and (4) reference standards for normal performance. Each of these points deserves discussion as it pertains to the comments raised by Gauthier and Touchon.
Price thresholds, price volatility, and the private costs of investment in a developing country grain market

Abstract This paper reports empirical evidence regarding the presence of price thresholds and price volatility in an African maize market. Data from Ghana were used to test for the presence of threshold effects in the price process. A comparison of results from linear and threshold-ARCH models supported a hypothesis of threshold effects. The observed price levels and price volatility depended on past prices in a non-linear pattern. Critical thresholds were shown to have important implications for economic inference in the model. Econometric results were used to measure the implied risk-adjusted cost of market participation.
Large earthquake doublets and fault plane heterogeneity in the northern Solomon Islands subduction zone

In the Solomon Islands and New Britain subduction zones, the largest earthquakes commonly occur as pairs with small separation in time, space and magnitude. This doublet behavior has been attributed to a pattern of fault plane heterogeneity consisting of closely spaced asperities such that the failure of one asperity triggers slip in adjacent asperities. We analyzed body waves of the January 31, 1974, M w = 7.3, February 1, 1974, M w = 7.4, July 20, 1975 (14:37), M w = 7.6 and July 20, 1975 (19:45), M w = 7.3 doublet events using an iterative, multiple station inversion technique to determine the spatio-temporal distribution of seismic moment release associated with these events. Although the 1974 doublet has smaller body wave moments than the 1975 events, their source histories are more complicated, lasting over 40 seconds and consisting of several subevents located near the epicentral regions. The second 1975 event is well modeled by a simple point source initiating at a depth of 15 km and rupturing an approximate 20 km region about the epicenter. The source history of the first 1975 event reveals a westerly propagating rupture, extending about 50 km from its hypocenter at a depth of 25 km. The asperities of the 1975 events are of comparable size and do not overlap one another, consistent with the asperity triggering hypothesis. The relatively large source areas and small seismic moments of the 1974 doublet events indicate failure of weaker portions of the fault plane in their epicentral regions. Variations in the “roughness” of the bathymetry of the subducting plate, accompanying subduction of the Woodlark Rise, may be responsible for changes in the mechanical properties of the plate interface.
Against the PCA‐analysis

Jonardon Ganeri, Paul Noordhof, and Murali Ramachandran (1996) have proposed a new counterfactual analysis of causation. We argue that this the PCA-analysis is incorrect. In section 1, we explain David Lewis's first counterfactual analysis of causation, and a problem that led him to propose a second. In section 2 we explain the PCA-analysis, advertised as an improvement on Lewis's later account. We then give counterexamples to the necessity (section 3) and sufficiency (section 4) of the PCA-analysis.
Hobbes, Rousseau, and The “Gift” in Interpersonal Relationships

This paper compares and contrasts the philosophical positions of Hobbes and Rousseau from the standpoint of interpersonal communication theory. Although both men argued from the state of nature, they differed fundamentally on the nature of humankind and the purpose of relationships. These differences should be of concern for interpersonal scholars insofar as they reflect differing sets of axioms from which to begin theorizing. The second part of the paper establishes a link between Hobbes' philosophy and the social exchange tradition: The Hobbes-social exchange tradition begins with the assumption that individuals form relationships to maximize rewards and minimize costs; a Rousseauist position must begin with the assumption that individuals form relationships in pursuit of some common goal. Thus, relational continuity and quality are not a function of cost-benefit ratios, but of how well partners work together toward their common good.
Connected Learning and the Foundations of Psychometrics: A Rejoinder

This paper continues an exchange between its author and Andrew Davis. Part I addresses the attribution and ontological status of mental constructs and argues that philosophical work on these topics does not undermine high stakes testing. Part II examines the significance for testing of the connectedness of meaningful learning. Part III addresses the high stakes in high stakes testing in connection with the risk entailed by limited scoring reliability. It concludes that there is no straightforward relationship between the magnitude of what is at stake for students and teachers and the threshold of acceptable reliability in scoring.
The post correspondence problem

The correspondence decision problem was first formulated and shown to be recursively unsolvable in Post (1946). The method of proof was to reduce the known unsolvable decision problem for the class of normal systems on a, b to the correspondence decision problem. In the present paper the concept of a standard Post normal system is used so as to obtain some equivalence reductions of combinatorial systems. In particular the following main result is obtained.
Microstructures and mechanical properties of a directionally solidified NiAl–Mo eutectic alloy

A NiAl–Mo ternary eutectic alloy, having the nominal composition Ni–45.5Al–9Mo (at.%), was directionally solidified in a high-temperature optical floating zone furnace. Well-aligned rod-like microstructures were obtained, consisting of NiAl matrix and 14% (by volume) continuous Mo fibers having a square cross-section. With increasing growth rate (from 20 to 80 mm/h), the spacing and size of the Mo fibers decreased, from ≈2 to 1 μm (fiber spacing) and 800 to 400 nm (fiber size). X-ray microprobe analyses revealed that the NiAl matrix contained essentially no Mo (<0.1 at.%) and had the composition Ni–45.2Al (at.%), while the composition of the Mo fibers was Mo–10.1Al–3.9Ni (at.%). From electron backscatter diffraction patterns, the following orientation relationships were obtained: 〈1 0 0〉NiAl//〈1 0 0〉Mo, and {0 1 1}NiAl//{0 1 1}Mo. The growth directions and Mo/NiAl interface boundaries were found to be parallel to 〈1 0 0〉 and {0 1 1}, respectively, in both Mo and NiAl. Nanoindentation was used to probe the mechanical properties of the individual phases in the eutectic microstructure and the modulus and hardness of the NiAl matrix were determined to be 180 and 2.9 GPa, respectively, and those of the Mo fibers 270 and 4.8 GPa. Tensile tests were used to investigate the temperature dependence of the strength and ductility of the composite. Its ductile-to-brittle transition temperature was found to be ∼675 °C, and its yield strength about 25–30% higher than that of 〈1 0 0〉 NiAl single crystals over the temperature range 600–1000 °C.
A social-psychological analysis of residential electricity consumption: the impact of minimal justification techniques

Abstract To explore the impact of the foot-in-the-door technique on residential energy conservation 66 homeowners were asked to curtail their consumption of electricity by 10%. In the Foot-in-the-Door condition this target request was preceded by a more moderate one to answer a short energy conservation questionnaire. Homeowners in the Second Request Only condition simply received the conservation request while those in the First Request Only condition received the questionnaire alone. These groups were compared to a Control group of homeowners who were never asked to comply to either request. The groups did not differ in electricity consumption during the 2 week baseline period or in their percentage change from baseline during the 4 week request period. However, throughout the 12 week follow-up period homeowners in all three request groups consumed significantly less electricity than Controls. In addition, the Foot-in-the-Door group contained significantly more Conservers than any other group. These findings were contrasted with the results of behavioral energy studies emphasizing strong external justifications. The implications of minimal justification techniques for producing long-term maintenance of energy conserving behaviors and for promoting their occurrence across a large population of individuals were also discussed.
Declassified high-resolution visible imagery for Arctic sea ice investigations: An overview

Abstract Since 2009, subsets of declassified satellite images of Arctic sea ice have been released as literal image derived products (LIDPs) with one-meter resolution for scientific use. The collections include imagery acquired over six fixed locations in the Arctic Basin since 1999. Targeted acquisitions over drifting ice parcels, from 2009 on, provide an added dimension to the LIDP archive. This mode of acquisition is especially useful for capturing time-varying processes during the melt season. In this paper, we describe the characteristics of LIDPs, the extent of the current archive, and highlight their uses for Arctic sea ice science. At this writing, the archive of LIDPs is still quite limited, and thus this paper illustrates the potential utility of the imagery. We provide an overview of the retrieval of five sea ice parameters that would benefit significantly from the surface details afforded by the higher resolution LIDPs. They include: melt pond coverage, open water fraction, ridge height, floe size, and, openings and closings. Two other uses are suggested: measurement of lateral melt and the interpretation of radar backscatter. The intent is to motivate geophysical uses of the LIDP and future acquisitions. Results here suggest that the effective observations of sea ice parameters and especially their changes require more focused sampling strategies to address specific spatial and temporal sampling needs. Presently, acquisitions of this type of imagery at fixed locations and drifting sites are being continued, and LIDPs are added to the archive as they are released.
The accuracy of computed tomography for determining femoral and tibial total knee arthroplasty component rotation.

Patellofemoral complications, instability, and tibial polyethylene wear after total knee arthroplasty (TKA) resulting from malrotation of the tibial or femoral components (or both) may be difficult to diagnose based on physical examination and standard knee radiographs. The preoperative assessment of implant rotational alignment is critical in planning treatment because the femoral or tibial component (or both) may need to be revised if malpositioned. The purpose of this study was to ascertain the accuracy of computed tomography (CT) scan for determining rotational alignment of femoral and tibial components in TKA. TKA components were inserted in human cadaver specimens at neutral and 5 degrees of external or internal rotation. For each position, the amount of rotation, determined from digital photographs, was compared with CT scan. The correlation coefficient between these two values averaged 0.87, which was significant at P < .05. The CT scan protocol described in this study can be applied clinically to patients with patellofemoral complaints to confirm or rule out the presence of component malrotation.