cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Technology-Intensified Diabetes Education Study (TIDES) in African Americans with type 2 diabetes: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial

Compared to American Whites, African Americans have a higher prevalence of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), experiencing poorer metabolic control and greater risks for complications and death. Patient-level factors, such as diabetes knowledge, self-management skills, empowerment, and perceived control, account for >90% of the variance observed in outcomes between these racial groups. There is strong evidence that self-management interventions that include telephone-delivered diabetes education and skills training are effective at improving metabolic control in diabetes. Web-based home telemonitoring systems in conjunction with active care management are also effective ways to lower glycosylated hemoglobin A1c values when compared to standard care, and provide feedback to patients; however, there are no studies in African Americans with poorly controlled T2DM that examine the use of technology-based feedback to tailor or augment diabetes education and skills training. This study provides a unique opportunity to address this gap in the literature. We describe an ongoing 4-year randomized clinical trial, which will test the efficacy of a technology-intensified diabetes education and skills training (TIDES) intervention in African Americans with poorly controlled T2DM. Two hundred male and female AfricanAmerican participants, 21 years of age or older and with a glycosylated hemoglobin A1c level ≥8%, will be randomized into one of two groups for 12 weeks of telephone interventions: (1) TIDES intervention group or (2) a usual-care group. Participants will be followed for 12 months to ascertain the effect of the interventions on glycemic control. Our primary hypothesis is that, among African Americans with poorly controlled T2DM, patients randomized to the TIDES intervention will have significantly greater reduction in glycosylated hemoglobin A1c at 12 months of follow-up compared to the usual-care group. Results from this study will add to the current literature examining how best to deliver diabetes education and skills training and provide important insight into effective strategies to improve metabolic control and hence reduce diabetes complications and mortality rates in African Americans with poorly controlled T2DM. This study was registered with the National Institutes of Health Clinical Trials Registry on 13 March 2014 (ClinicalTrials.gov identifier# NCT02088658 ).
Spokes in Saturn's rings - Dynamical and reflectance properties

The results and implications of dynamical and reflectance studies of spokes in the Voyager 2 low-resolution ring movie are presented. The spoke of greater interest (Spoke 1) can be traced from its first appearance on the morning and to its terminal dispersion on the evening side. Orbital velocities, reflectances, and reflectance profiles are reported. The behavior of Spoke 1 conforms to the plasma cloud model of spoke formation and evolution proposed by Goertz and Morfill (1983). A second spoke observed in the ring movie provides corroborating support for the observed behavior of Spoke 1.
The anterior vaginal suspension operation: a report of 110 cases.

Abstract A modified operative procedure based upon the principles and original technique of the Marshall-Marchetti-Krantz procedure has been discussed in view of enlarging the use of the anterior type of suspension operation as a primary procedure in the correction of stress incontinence. The use of the operation in various clinical situations and with various abdominal and pelvic operative methods is presented. The utilization of a modified lithotomy position of the patient during operation is emphasized, especially in combined abdominal hysterectomy and anterior vaginal suspension. The use of permanent suture is suggested, and placing of these sutures in the form of a T to suspend the dome of the vagina (giving rise to the name of the procedure) is discussed in a series of 110 cases. Both catgut and permanent sutures have been used. The permanent sutures used have for the most part been silk. The drawback of postoperative wound complications is observed. Increased care in carrying out the procedure has lowered this incidence by more than 50 per cent. The use of a drain for the first 24 hours after operation completely obviates this problem. Improved results over vaginal operations from below are reported and these are notably in the preservation of vaginal length, preservation of mobility of the urethra and bladder neck, and prevention of the usual postoperative complaints referrable to a heavy, painful, fixed anterior vaginal wall. Restoration of a functional vagina in cases in which its function has been impaired, such as postoperative shortening and scarring, or in instances of excessive anterior vaginal wall relaxation is noted in many of these cases. The adaptation of the anterior vaginal suspension operation to most cases of anterior vaginal wall relaxation is demonstrated. There have been some failures (but none have been recorded so far in this series) in cases in which permanent sutures have been used. A possible permanent obliteration of cystocele is discussed and the possibility of its recurrence is considered, although none have as yet been seen. The follow-up time is from 6 weeks to 2 1/2years. A very few individuals are not completely continent but have been improved, and these are all in the group in which catgut suture was used for the repair. It is hoped that further follow-up and further adaptation of the anterior suspension principle to the correction of anterior vaginal wall relaxation problems, including stress incontinence, will prove to be as effective as a recent series has apparently shown. 15 Increased interest in the problems of vaginal relaxation will stimulate even more experience with the anterior suspension type of surgical procedure as a possible solution to this unfortunate, debilitating, embarrassing, and nerve-racking complaint.
Analysis of Teaching Physical Education to Second-Grade Students Using Sport Education.

The purpose of this article was to provide an account of second-grade students and teachers, as well as a non-participant observer, after they participated in a season of Sport Education. For a total of 12 lessons, students participated in a season of developing throwing and catching and kicking skills. Interviews were conducted at the conclusion of the season to collect data from students and teachers regarding their experience. Field notes from the non-participant observer were also recorded. Although Sport Education is commonly introduced to students no earlier than the fourth grade, results revealed that there is the potential for introducing Sport Education to students as early as the second grade, a year in which the children typically turn eight years old. It is suggested that future studies of Sport Education with second-grade students could potentially enhance the learning experience of physical education students at the beginning of their school career.
Evolutionary preservation of redundant duplicated genes

Gene duplication events produce both perfect and imperfect copies of genes. Perfect copies are said to be functionally redundant when knockout of one gene produces no 'scoreable', phenotypic effects. Preserving identical, duplicate copies of genes is problematic as all copies are prone to accumulate neutral mutations as pseudogenes, or more rarely, evolve into new genes with novel functions. We summarise theoretical treatments for the invasion and subsequent evolutionary modification of functionally redundant genes. We then consider the preservation of functionally identical copies of a gene over evolutionary time. We present several models for conserving redundancy: asymmetric mutation, asymmetric efficacy, pleiotropy, developmental buffering, allelic competition and regulatory asymmetries. In all cases, some form of symmetry breaking is required to maintain functional redundancy indefinitely.
Overt Expectancies in a Classroom Setting: Implications for the Validity of Responses Obtained from an Attitudinal Scale.

Subjects were given either positive, negative, or neutral information concerning an attitudinal questionnaire that they were asked to complete. The positive information group obtained the lowest scores, followed by the negative information group, with the neutral information group obtaining the highest mean score. An analysis of variance revealed that the differences among the mean scores of the three groups were significant. This outcome was contrary to what most of the literature predicts. The subjects acted in opposition to what they had been told.It was concluded that the validity of affective measures could be affected by instructions given to examinees who may develop different interpersonal expectancies of the outcome.
Women's Movements, Identity Politics, and Policy Impacts: A Study of Policies on Violence against Women in the 50 United States

Scholars of social movements and democratic political theorists have argued that “identity politics” weakens social movements and undermines their influence on public policy. I offer a theoretical argument that at least some forms of “identity politics” likely have the reverse effects. In particular, when marginalized groups organize around ascriptive characteristics or “social location,” they generate knowledge about the social group, strengthen participants’ feelings of affiliation with the movement, produce more representative movement agendas, and create the building blocks for broader coalitions. In a study of the U.S., I find that separate organization by women of color strengthens women’s movements, and indirectly improves government responsiveness both to violence against women of color in particular and to violence against women in general.
Hardness assurance methods for radiation degradation of optocouplers

Hardness assurance methods are examined for several types of optocouplers. A new diagnostic method using reverse-recovery time has a strong correlation with damage in the internal light emitting diode (LED). It depends only on electrical measurements, and can be used as a first-order parameter to determine LED properties when the LED technology of the optocoupler is unknown, as well as for evaluating unit and lot variability. For devices with internal LEDs that are highly sensitive to displacement damage, the dependence of phototransistor gain on operating conditions can impact post-radiation performance. For devices with radiation-tolerant LEDs, phototransistor characteristics and gain degradation are both important in determining the net effect of displacement damage.
Understanding the neuropsychological consequences of deployment stress: a public health framework.

Complaints of neuropsychological dysfunction have emerged among subsets of military personnel after almost every major deployment involving western nations in recent history. Although deployments have been characterized by a range of neural risk factors, psychological stress is common to most prolonged deployments. This review uses a public health framework to address associations between deployment-related stress and neuropsychological performance. Specifically, the review covers mechanisms by which deployment-related psychological stress may affect neuropsychological functioning, considers the advantages and disadvantages of approaching the question from a public health perspective, and discusses how epidemiological research may sort out questions regarding course, cause, and effect. (JINS, 2011, 17, 000–000)
The Logic of the History of Ideas: On analytic philosophy

INTRODUCTION Patterns of family life, debates in politics, religious observances, technological inventions, scientific beliefs, literature, and the arts – all of these things are aspects of human culture. Typically we define a broad concept of human culture in contrast to physical and biological processes. One key feature differentiates the cultural, even if the precise boundaries between it, the physical, and the biological sometimes remain blurred. Cultural phenomena convey meanings, and they do so because cultures are composed at least in part of beliefs. Some components of a culture, such as political tracts and literary works, usually stand as self-conscious attempts to convey meanings through language. Other components of a culture, such as sculpture and painting, usually stand as self-conscious attempts to convey meanings through nonlinguistic forms. Yet other components of a culture, such as habits of association and sporting activities, do not usually represent any sort of self-conscious attempt to convey meanings. In each of these cases, however, the objects and activities in question constitute cultural phenomena precisely because they do convey meanings. Students of culture concentrate on the meanings conveyed by patterns of behaviour, forms of social organisation, economic systems, technical inventions, and the like, not on these things in themselves. To study the history of ideas is to study meaning, and so culture, from a historical perspective. But then the study of culture must always be parasitic on history.
The Importance of Teaching and Learning Nature of Science in the Early Childhood Years

Though research has shown that students do not have adequate understandings of nature of science (NOS) by the time they exit high school, there is also evidence that they have not received NOS instruction that would enable them to develop such understandings. How early is “too early” to teach and learn NOS? Are students, particularly young students, not capable of learning NOS due to developmental unreadiness? Or would young children be capable of learning about NOS through appropriate instruction? Young children (Kindergarten through third grade) were interviewed and taught about NOS in a variety of contexts (informal, suburban, and urban) using similar teaching strategies that have been found effective at teaching about NOS with older students. These teaching strategies included explicit decontextualized and contextualized NOS instruction, through the use of children’s literature, debriefings of science lessons, embedded written NOS assessments, and guided inquiries. In each context the researchers interviewed students prior to and after instruction, videotaped science instruction and maintained researcher logs and field notes, collected lesson plans, and copies of student work. The researchers found that in each setting young children did improve their understandings of NOS. Across contexts there were similar understandings of NOS aspects prior to instruction, as well as after instruction. There were also several differences evident across contexts, and across grade levels. However, it is clear that students as young as kindergarten are developmentally capable of conceptualizing NOS when it is taught to them. The authors make recommendations for teaching NOS to young children, and for future studies that explore learning progressions of NOS aspects as students proceed through school.
Spontaneously developed tail swellings (SDTS) influence the accuracy of the hypo-osmotic swelling test (HOS-test) in determining membrane integrity and viability of human spermatozoa

Purpose To investigate the prevalence of spontaneously developed tail swellings (SDTS) in human sperm samples that are commonly encountered in the laboratory, and their influence on the hypo-osmotic swelling test (HOS-test).
Universal Resonant and Pull-in Characteristics of Tunable-Gap Electromechanical Actuators

Performance characteristics of tunable-gap electromechanical actuators depend on the complex interaction of forcing function (voltage versus charge actuation), restoring force (linear versus nonlinear spring), and electrode geometry (planar versus nanostructured electrodes); and have been studied on a case-by-case basis. In this paper, we unify the performance characteristics of electromechanical actuators through scaling relationships for pull-in (PI) instability, PI voltage/charge, and resonance frequency. These scaling relationships depend only on two scaling parameters, n and p, related to the electrostatic force and the nature of spring, respectively. This scaling theory not only explains a broad range of experimental data within a single theoretical framework, but can also be used to characterize electrode geometry and nature of spring for any new actuator. The scaling relationships should enable the design of electrode geometry, actuation mechanism, and/or spring for desired performance.
Virtual View Reconstruction Using Temporal Information

The most significant problem in generating virtual views from a limited number of video camera views is handling areas that have become dis-occluded by shifting the virtual view away from the camera view. We propose using temporal information to address this problem, based on the notion that dis-occluded areas may have been seen by some camera in some previous frames. We formulate the problem as one of estimating the underlying state of the object in a stochastic dynamical system, given a sequence of observations. We apply the formulation to improving the visual quality of virtual views generated from a single &#x00E2;color plus depth&#x00E2; camera, and show that our algorithm achieves better results than depth image based rendering using standard in painting.
Emphasis on diversity of religious views in social studies: A national survey of social studies teachers

Based on a national social studies survey that included over 10,000 respondents from 44 states, this study examined the emphasis on diversity of religious view (EDRV) in public school P-12 social studies classrooms. This article addresses the following research questions: (1) how do teachers of different subjects (economics, history, and civics) or courses (e.g., U.S. history and world history) compare in their relative EDRV; and (2) what is the association—if any—between the relative importance of cultivating critical thinking/decision-making skills as a primary purpose for teaching social studies and EDRV? Teachers of different social studies subject areas differed (F [6, 499]=13.83, p<0.001, η2=0.13), on their relative EDRV. There was also a positive relationship (F [4, 10,072]=115.83, p<0.001) between teachers who believe that the primary purpose for teaching social studies is the cultivation of critical thinking/decision-making skills and the frequency with which they emphasize diversity of religious views (EDRV). The article discusses these findings and their implications on teacher education.
Field enhancement factor dependence on electric field and implications on microscale gas breakdown: Theory and experimental interpretation

In this letter, we obtain a better understanding of effective field enhancement factors (β eff) in the context of microscale gas breakdown with specific emphasis on its dependence on applied electric field. The theoretical dependence of β eff on electric field for various hemi-ellipsoidal asperities indicates that the value of β eff decreases with increasing electric field. The interpretation of experimental data using a typical one-dimensional modified Paschen law indicates a qualitatively similar electric field dependence even though the data could not be completely explained using a single effective asperity size. The values of β eff extracted from seven independent experimental datasets for microscale breakdown of argon and air are shown to be consistent and an empirical dependence on electric field is determined.
Health Econometrics: Respiration-Oxygenation Correlation through Spectral Models

Medical embedded systems are capable of recording vast data sets for physiological and medical research. Linear modeling techniques are proposed as a means to explore relationships between two or more medical or physiological signal measurements where a causal relationship is believed to be present. Multiple regression is explored for use in medical monitoring, telehealth, and clinical applications. Spectral regression methods for high-bandwidth medical and physiological signals are demonstrated. The twostage method consists of performing an FFT over a timelagged window of the predictor signal, and constructing a model based on the FFT coefficients. The output of the regression is used in a clustering to explore structure in the array of spectral predictors. It has been applied to medical and physiological time series data, specifically the link between respiration and blood oxygen saturation percentage in sleep apnea patients. Spectral predictors achieved a dramatically better goodness of fit than time-lagged predictors according to standard analysis of variance measures. In the dataset examined, the spectral model achieved a multiple R of 0.90, indicating that 90% of the variation in the dependent signal was captured by the model, while an ordinary distributed lag model had a R of only 0.016.
Detection of terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase in acute leukemias using monoclonal antibodies directed against native and denatured sites.

Monoclonal antibodies (MoAb) directed against human terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase (TdT) have been developed recently. The authors evaluated the reactivity of two TdT MoAb, one directed against a native site and the other against a denatured site, in bone marrow samples from patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) and acute myelogenous leukemia (AML). Results were correlated with the immunophenotype and com-pared with those obtained with an anti-TdT polyclonal antibody (PoAb). The authors found that 39 of the 45 children (87%) with ALL were positive with the anti-TdT PoAb, while only 25 of 45 (56%) were positive using MoAb. In the 41 of 45 cases of ALL for which marker studies were available, there was no relation-ship between immunophenotype and reactivity with the PoAb or either MoAb. Five cases of AML were studied and two were positive using the PoAb, but none showed staining with the MoAb. The authors’ findings demonstrate that, although MoAb may be used to detect TdT in acute leukemia, the two MoAb used do not correlate with immunophenotype and are less sensitive than the PoAb. However, the MoAb appears to demonstrate more specificity for ALL than the PoAb, since it was not reactive in PoAb+ AML.
Separation of Absorption and Dispersion Effects in Q-Compensated Viscoelastic RTM

Without considering intrinsic attenuation, reverse time migration (RTM) in lossy media may produce unfocused migration images, because of the amplitude loss and velocity dispersion in the recorded data caused by Q. We use a constant Q viscoelastic equation for source and receiver extrapolations. Two fractional Laplacian operators introduce velocity dispersion and amplitude loss effects, respectively, for each wave mode. Velocity dispersion and amplitude loss can be separated. To compensate the Q effect, we reverse the sign of the amplitude loss operator, and keep the sign of velocity dispersion operator unchanged, during receiver extrapolations. Boundary-valuebased viscoelastic source wavefield reconstruction shows that this Q-compensation strategy can compensate the amplitude loss and avoid phase distortion. The source-normalized crosscorrelation imaging condition is applied. Two numerical examples show that, with Q compensation, structures are better focused at the correct positions, and with more energy.
Potential anti-obesity effects of a long-acting cocaine hydrolase.

A long-acting cocaine hydrolase, known as CocH3-Fc(M3), engineered from human butyrylcholinesterase (BChE) was tested, in this study, for its potential anti-obesity effects. Mice on a high-fat diet gained significantly less body weight when treated weekly with 1 mg/kg CocH3-Fc(M3) compared to control mice, though their food intake was similar. There is no correlation between the average body weight and the average food intake, which is consistent with the previously reported observation in BChE knockout mice. In addition, molecular modeling was carried out to understand how ghrelin binds with CocH3, showing that ghrelin binds with CocH3 in a similar mode as ghrelin binding with wild-type human BChE. The similar binding structures explains why CocH3 and BChE have similar catalytic activity against ghrelin.
Health Status of 696 Radiation Workers in Nantong City

[Objective]To study the health status of 696 workers occupationally exposed to radiation in Nantong city,and provide basis for the management of radiation protection. [Methods]In accordance with" The Regulation on Radiation Workers Health Management",physical examination and laboratory examination were conducted on 696 workers. [Results]The abnormal lens rate was 14.01%;the leucopenia rate was 2.59%;the erythropenia rate was 0.29%;the decreased hemoglobin rate was 1.30%;the thrombocytopenia rate was 0.14%;The analysis results of peripheral lymphocyte chromosome aberrations and micronucleus were lymphocyte micronucleus rate≤5‰ and Dic spontaneous aberration frequency0.05% of 1 case,translocation t spontaneous aberration frequency0.05% of 2 cases,all were within the normal range by review.Ultrasound diagnosis positive rate was 53.0%,the rate of abnormal ECG was 13.78%. [Conclusion]The overall level of protection in Nantong city is good,long-term radiation exposure causes a little occupational damage on radiation workers' blood,micronucleus and chromosome.While the overall health status of radiation workers is somewhat poor,therefore,the awareness of self-protection should be strengthened among workers.
Open Architecture:Trend of Torpedo and Unmanned Underwater Vehicle Design

An open architecture method for digital advanced signal-processing homing head (DasHH) in the torpedo project is described. The relevant delivery rapid sonar COTS insertion (DeRSCI) and acoustic rapid COTS insertion (A-RCI) in the open sonar system project are introduced briefly. And the issues of open architecture applied in torpedo and UUV design, including independency of platform, functional modularity, common software tools, independency of data set, application of component technology, the relation between modularity and integration, are discussed. It is pointed out that independent software and data are necessary, common software tools should be adopted within underwater weapon domain, functional modularity level should be designed properly to make balance between openness and management efficiency, focus of integration is information synthesis, and integration design shouldn′t affect the relative independency of key subsystem and functional components.
Epidemiological characteristics of mumps in Daxing,Beijing during 2005～2009

Objective To understand epidemiological characteristics of mumps in Daxing during 2005 to 2009 in order to provide evidence for formulating strategy of control and prevention of mumps. Methods Data of mumps cases in 2005 ～ 2009 in Daxing were collected from disease surveillance system and regular disease notification system for communicable diseases,and their epidemiological characteristics were described and analyzed. Results Totally,1511 cases of mumps were reported in Daxing district during 2005 ～ 2009,with a gradually decreasing trend of its incidence year by year. Mumps occurred in every month there,and 581 cases occurred in April to July,which accounted for 38. 45 percent of the total. Cases in children aged 3 ～ 15 years accounted for 80. 15 percent of the total,mainly occurred in townships and towns where migrants aggregated,and incidence of mumps was higher in males than that in females. Conclusion School children and children at day - care centers and kindergartens are key population for control and prevention of mumps. It is necessary to strengthen mumps surveillance in day - care institutions for children,standardize immunization of mumps vaccine,and monitor serum level of mumps antibody in healthy population after immunization,with effective comprehensive prevention and control measures.
LABORATORY STUDY OF A SALT RESISTANCE VISCOSITY REDUCER USED IN SUPER-EXTRA VISCOUS CRUDE OIL PRODUCTION IN WELLBORE

In this paper a new type of water-soluble viscosity reducer in high salinity water, which can be used in super-extra viscous crude oil production in wellbore, has been demonstrated in the lab. For the lack of clean water in an oil field in Xinjiang, the technology makes it possible to make use of formation water after a simple treatment. The formulation is 0.05%HSF+(0.05)%XY-1+0.05%W. The viscosity reducer has a strong salt resistance. In the experiment, if the viscosity reducer is formulated by the formation water after the simple treatment, it also can obviously reduce the viscosity of the super-extra viscous crude oils. This paper also demonstrates that an oil-soluble viscosity reducer can be used to reduce the viscosity of crude oil containing high asphalt and gum.
Fluorescence photobleaching recovery techniques for translational and slow rotational diffusion in solution and on cell surfaces.

Fluorescence photobleaching recovery techniques allow the accurate quantification of lateral and rotational motions of small numbers of specific molecules in complex systems. The technique was first applied to the study of translational diffusion in cell plasma membranes (Peters et al., 1974). This continues to be the principal area of application. More recently, it has been extended to the study of macromolecular diffusion, binding and polymerization in solution (e.g Barisas & Leuther, 1979; Lanni et al., 1981; Icenogle & Elson, 1983), and in situ, in the cytoplasm of living cells (e.g. Wojcieszyn et al., 1981; Wang et af . , 1982; Salmon et al., 1984). Fluorescence photobleaching analysis of slow rotational motion has generated considerable theoretical interest (e.g. Koppel, 1983; Wegener & Rigler, 1984; Wegener, 1984) but few experimental results to date (Johnson & Garland, 1981; Smith et af . , 1981; Jovin, 1986). Features and capabilities of the technique, emphasizing the analysis of translational diffusion, will be illustrated in this report with recent data from mammalian sperm cells and erythrocyte membranes.
NSAIDS: mechanisms and pathways of action.

The therapeutic effects of NSAIDs have been considered merely palliative rather than disease modifying, especially in conditions having an immunologic component. This view may be too limited. Recent research indicates that these agents may alter the immune response directly, acting on immunocompetent cells, and indirectly, through inhibition of prostaglandin biosynthesis.
Local Tumor Control and Survival: Clinical Evidence and Tumor Biologic Basis

Clinical and tumor biologic evidence indicates that local tumor recurrence is associated with a higher rate of distant metastases and adverse effects on patient survival. The findings discussed in this article are based on results from breast, prostate, and lung carcinoma, all tumors with high metastatic potential for which local tumor control was thought to be relatively unimportant. The fact that local tumor recurrence is associated with tumor progression and significant increases in distant metastases has important consequences in the relative emphasis on and the sequencing of lo-coregional and systemic therapies in the future.
Earlier snowmelt reduces atmospheric carbon uptake in midlatitude subalpine forests

U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) Graduate Research Fellowship (NSF) [DGE 1144083]; NSF-U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) joint program for Water Sustainability and Climate (USDA) [2012-67003-19802]; NSF Hydrological Sciences Program (NSF) [EAR1141764]; U.S. Department of Energy (DOE); USDA; NSF Niwot Ridge Long-Term Ecological Research program; DOE Office of Science through the AmeriFlux Management Project (AMP) at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory [7094866]
Corporate Moral Accountability

This chapter’s topic may be dazedly unrealistic. It is possible that there are decisive reasons for believing that corporations cannot be expected to shoulder more than minimal moral responsibility. The arguments undergirding this view take several different forms and have varying implications. One is that corporations are not the sort of entities that can be moral agents.1 Another is the claim that the perpetual struggle for survival and the pressures of competition preclude any moral scruple other than the grim commitment to prevail.2 A related argument is that corporate officers have a solemn duty to seek profits above all else and are irresponsible and presumptuous if they fail to do so.3 A final, more modest, argument is that corporations are not capable of unilaterally adopting moral scruples and that persons within them cannot accept moral responsiblity beyond that delineated by their corporate role.4 These claims will be considered in turn. While each encapsulates important truth, none, as will be seen, is sufficient to preclude moral scruple altogether.
- Parallel Building Blocks for Finite Element Simulations: Application to Solid-Liquid Mixture Flows

Use of several state-of-the-art building blocks reduces transition cost from sequential to parallel code. The simulations of liquid–solid mixtures with hundred of particles already demonstrate a significant speedup compared to the sequential code. However, it is clear that the multiblock preconditioner is not efficient and should not be used in sequential mode. The direct finite element simulation of solid–liquid mixture flows is computationally expensive and parallelism often appears as the only route towards large scale simulations. It is not of primary interest on the parallel issues but the focus is rather on the numerical challenges. In the chapter, several state-of-the-art parallel packages that provide efficient parallel behavior while requiring a low development phase have been combined. It has been a necessity to adopt the MIMD paradigm where the data is distributed through a mesh partitioning technique. The linear systems are solved by means of global parallel iterative solvers. Simulation of the flow of 100 particles in a Newtonian fluid on a SGI Origin 2000 computer with 16 processors has also taken place. Typical efficiencies hover around 75% and further improvements could be achieved by using additional parallel packages.
Can a Six-Minute Walk Distance Predict Right Ventricular Dysfunction in Patients with Diffuse Parenchymal Lung Disease and Pulmonary Hypertension?

OBJECTIVES Pulmonary hypertension (PH) is commonly observed in patients with diffuse parenchymal lung disease (DPLD). The purpose of this study was to explore the influence of the 6-minute walk test (6MWT) as a simple, non-invasive tool to assess right ventricular (RV) function in patients with DPLD and to identify the need for an echocardiogram (ECHO) to screen for PH. METHODS We retrospectively reviewed 48 patients with PH secondary to DPLD, who were evaluated in the PH clinic at the Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, Florida, from January 1999 to December 2014. RESULTS Fifty-two percent of patients had RV dysfunction. They had a significantly greater right heart pressure by ECHO and mean pulmonary arterial pressure (MPAP) from right heart catheterization (RHC) than those with normal RV function. A reduced 6-minute walk distance (6MWD) did not predict RV dysfunction (OR 0.995; 95% CI 0.980-1.001, p = 0.138). In addition, worsening restrictive physiology, heart rate at one-minute recovery and desaturation were not different between patients with and without RV dysfunction. However, there were inverse correlations between 6MWD and MPAP from RHC (r = -0.41, p = 0.010), 6MWD and RV systolic pressure (r = -0.51, p < 0.001), and 6MWD and MPAP measured by ECHO (r = -0.46, p =0.013). We also found no significant correlation between 6MWD and pulmonary function test parameters. CONCLUSIONS Our single-center cohort of patients with PH secondary to DPLD, PH was found to have an impact on 6MWD. In contrast to our expectations, 6MWD was not useful to predict RV dysfunction. Interestingly, a severe reduction in the 6MWD was related to PH and not to pulmonary function; therefore, it may be used to justify an ECHO to identify patients with a worse prognosis.
The Effects of Anti-A and Anti-B On Platelet Function: An in Vitro Model of ABO Non-Identical Transfusion.

Abstract 2120 Poster Board II-97 Background: Transfusion of ABO non-identical red blood cells (RBCs) can cause immune mediated hemolytic transfusion reactions. Therefore, only ABO identical RBCs are transfused, except in emergencies, when group O RBCs are transfused. Use of exclusively ABO identical plasma and platelet (PLT) transfusions is not uniformly practiced nor always feasible despite reports of hemolytic reactions. Since PLTs and soluble plasma proteins possess A and B antigens, ABO non-identical PLTs could, theoretically, be activated and/or rendered hypofunctional by anti-A and anti-B antibodies (Abs) in transfused or recipient plasma. Recent findings demonstrate that transfusion of ABO non-identical PLTs is associated with increased bleeding in surgical patients and patients with leukemia. Blunt trauma patients who received at least one ABO non-identical blood product transfusion demonstrated a significantly higher RBC usage (12.3 ± 6.9 SD versus 8.4 ± 9.9 SD, p-value 0.0011) compared to those patients who received only ABO identical transfusions (Transfusion. 2007;47:192A). ABO identical PLT transfusions in leukemia patients were a significant predictor of survival (Leukemia. 2008;22:631-5). In a multi center retrospective analysis of more than one million cancer patients over a period of 9 years, Khorana et al. demonstrated an overall venous thromboembolism (VTE) rate of 4.1%. In multivariate risk factor analysis, the association between blood transfusions and VTE had an odds ratio of 1.35 (1.31-1.39, 95% CI) with a p value of Disclosures: No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.
Clinical Significance of Spontaneous Pneumomediastinum.

Background Spontaneous pneumomediastinum (SPM) is classified as free air in the mediastinum in the absence of any precipitating cause. It is relatively uncommon, and the clinical significance and risk associated with SPM is not well understood and has not been widely documented in the literature. Our goals were to determine the outcomes of patients who presented with SPM and to determine predictors of severe pathology associated with SPM. Methods From 2004 through 2013, a retrospective review was conducted of patients who presented with SPM to our institution. Patient demographics, comorbidities, laboratory tests, and esophageal perforation were recorded. Results In all, 249 patients were discovered to have SPM on chest radiograph or computed tomography scan. Mean age was 38.7 years (range, 17 to 81). Sixty-one percent of patients (151 of 249) were male. Ten percent of all patients (24 of 249) were ultimately discovered to have esophageal perforation, determined by upper endoscopy, upper gastrointestinal series, or intraoperatively during emergent surgery. Age ( p p p Conclusions Spontaneous pneumomediastinum is usually associated with a benign clinical course. Risk factors for esophageal perforation in these patients include age, elevated white blood cell count, and a pleural effusion. In the absence of abnormal laboratory values or associated radiologic findings, the majority of patients with SPM may be safely observed without the need for further diagnostic testing.
Long memory or structural breaks: Some evidence for African stock markets

Abstract This study explores two main issues. One: How do the exchange rate and inflation rate impact long term dependency structure of weekly returns of seven African stock markets? Two: What is the long term dependency structure of stock returns and variance in the absence and in the presence of structural breaks? The sample period is 06-2002 through 02-2014. The returns are de-thinned to account for illiquidity of stock returns. The study implements sequential multiple structural breaks test to identify structural breaks. Three semi-parametric tests and three parametric methods are then implemented to test for the long memory behavior of raw returns and break-adjusted returns. The long memory estimates decline monotonically in magnitude or in statistical significance as returns are adjusted for exchange rate and then inflation rate. There is evidence of multiple structural shifts whose break dates correspond to major domestic or global events. Without structural breaks, the results indicate the existence of long memory components in returns and variance. Using the break-adjusted returns, the long memory evidence in returns and variance weakens in magnitude and/or statistical significance or just dissipates in some ASMs. The absence of long memory using break-adjusted returns suggests that long memory may be an artifact of short memory encountering breaks in some ASMs. Caution is therefore warranted when interpreting long memory inferences in the presence of structural breaks and making policy recommendations. Our evidence is useful to investors, fund managers and policy makers.
Empirische Überprüfung des Einflusses der identifizierten Familienunternehmenstypen auf die Unternehmensperformance

Nachdem im vorangegangenen Kapitel Cluster identifiziert wurden, welche die Heterogenitat von Familienunternehmen berucksichtigen, soll nun uberpruft werden, ob und inwiefern diese verschiedenen Typen von Familienunternehmen die finanzielle Performance des Unternehmens beeinflussen. Auf einen detaillierten Literaturuberblick zu Performancestudien uber Familienunternehmen soll an dieser Stelle verzichtet werden, da diese Literaturstromung im Rahmen der Meta-Analyse bereits umfassend beleuchtet wurde.
Radiation dose reduction in digital breast tomosynthesis (DBT) by means of deep-learning-based supervised image processing

To reduce cumulative radiation exposure and lifetime risks for radiation-induced cancer from breast cancer screening, we developed a deep-learning-based supervised image-processing technique called neural network convolution (NNC) for radiation dose reduction in DBT. NNC employed patched-based neural network regression in a convolutional manner to convert lower-dose (LD) to higher-dose (HD) tomosynthesis images. We trained our NNC with quarter-dose (25% of the standard dose: 12 mAs at 32 kVp) raw projection images and corresponding “teaching” higher-dose (HD) images (200% of the standard dose: 99 mAs at 32 kVp) of a breast cadaver phantom acquired with a DBT system (Selenia Dimensions, Hologic, CA). Once trained, NNC no longer requires HD images. It converts new LD images to images that look like HD images; thus the term “virtual” HD (VHD) images. We reconstructed tomosynthesis slices on a research DBT system. To determine a dose reduction rate, we acquired 4 studies of another test phantom at 4 different radiation doses (1.35, 2.7, 4.04, and 5.39 mGy entrance dose). Structural SIMilarity (SSIM) index was used to evaluate the image quality. For testing, we collected half-dose (50% of the standard dose: 32±14 mAs at 33±5 kVp) and full-dose (standard dose: 68±23 mAs at 33±5 kvp) images of 10 clinical cases with the DBT system at University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics. NNC converted half-dose DBT images of 10 clinical cases to VHD DBT images that were equivalent to full dose DBT images. Our cadaver phantom experiment demonstrated 79% dose reduction.
Investigating Anthropogenic and Geogenic Sources of Groundwater Contamination in a Semi-Arid Alluvial Basin, Goshen Valley, UT, USA

Groundwater resources can be impacted by contamination from geogenic and anthropogenic inputs but it can be difficult to disentangle contaminant sources. In this study, we investigated the sources and distribution of NO3 and As in Goshen Valley, UT, a semi-arid alluvial basin in the western USA that contains geothermal waters, playa soils, agriculture, and legacy mining. Surface water, springs, and wells were analyzed for As and NO3 concentrations in relation to major ions, trace elements, and stable isotopes in water (δ18O and δD), and other isotopic tracers. Major ion concentrations showed high spatial variability ranging from freshwater to brackish water, with the highest salinity found in geothermal springs and springs discharging from playa sediments (Playa Springs). Radiogenic 87Sr/86Sr ratios in the Playa Springs suggest that Sr is sourced from crystalline basement rocks. The highest NO3 concentrations were found in groundwater beneath agricultural areas, particularly dairy farms, with isotopic values indicating manure, not fertilizers, as the major source. Many of the NO3-contaminated wells contained old groundwater (based on 14C and 3H), suggesting that reinfiltration of pumped groundwater may be a source of NO3 pollution. The Playa Springs also had the highest As concentrations, with moderate As concentrations found in other geothermal springs. Wells containing moderate As concentrations were found in areas where the groundwater interacts with alluvial sediments or carbonate rocks. Surprisingly, nearby mining and mineral processing seems to have minimal effect on As contamination in the alluvial aquifer. This study has implications for understanding water quality in regions that are impacted by multiple potential contaminant sources.
Physiological Roles of Multiple Metabotropic Glutamate Receptor Subtypes in the Rat Basal Ganglia

Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a common neurodegenerative disorder afflicting over 1% of adults over age 65. The clinical syndrome that occurs in Parkinson’s patients is characterized by a disabling motor impairment that includes tremor, rigidity, and bradykinesia. A large number of basic and clinical studies reveal that the primary pathophysiological change giving rise to the symptoms of PD is a loss of substantia nigra dopaminergic neurons that are involved in modulating function of the striatum and other basal ganglia structures. Based on this, the treatment of PD has traditionally utilized strategies for replacing the lost dopamine and thereby restoring the critical dopaminergic modulation of basal ganglia function. Levodopa (L-DOPA), the immediate precursor of dopamine, was the first highly effective treatment for PD and remains the most effective drug for treating the motor manifestations of PD (see Poewe and Granata, 1997, for extensive review). However, while effective early in treatment for a majority of patients, L-DOPA and other dopamine replacement therapies have a number of serious shortcomings. Within 5 years of beginning treatment, most patients begin to experience motor fluctuations, and the efficacy of L-DOPA becomes unpredictable. In addition, patients begin to develop serious side effects that often limit therapy. Unfortunately, the therapeutic window of L-DOPA narrows as the disease progresses, making it difficult to treat patients in whom the disease is advanced. Because of these problems with current strategies for the treatment of PD, a great deal of effort has been focused on developing a detailed understanding of the circuitry and function of the basal ganglia in hopes of developing novel therapeutic approaches for restoring normal basal ganglia function in patients suffering from this disorder.