cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Evaluating the Stability of Non-Adaptive Trading in Continuous Double Auctions

The continuous double auction (CDA) is the predominant mechanism in modern securities markets. Many agent-based analyses of CDA environments rely on simple non-adaptive trading strategies like Zero Intelligence (ZI), which (as their name suggests) are quite limited. We examine the viability of this reliance through empirical game-theoretic analysis in a plausible market environment. Specifically, we evaluate the strategic stability of equilibria defined over a small set of ZI traders with respect to strategies found by reinforcement learning (RL) applied over a much larger policy space. RL can indeed find beneficial deviations from equilibria of ZI traders, by conditioning on signals of the likelihood a trade will execute or the favorability of the current bid and ask. Nevertheless, the surplus earned by well-calibrated ZI policies is empirically observed to be nearly as great as what the adaptive strategies can earn, despite their much more expressive policy space. Our findings generally support the use of equilibrated ZI traders in CDA studies.
Comparative Effectiveness Research in Heart Failure Therapies: Women, Elderly Patients, and Patients with Kidney Disease

The incidence and prevalence of heart failure (HF) has increased during recent decades as a result of an aging population and improvements in treatment and survival of cardiovascular disease. Morbidity and mortality for HF are substantial, with more than 1.1 million hospital discharges in 2006 and almost 3.5 million outpatient visits in 2007. Estimated direct and indirect costs in 2010 amount to almost $40 billion.2 Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) have identified effective HF treatments, but the patients included in these trials often represent a select subgroup of all patients with HF. RCT participants are often male, young, and with fewer and less severe comorbid conditions. Conversely, HF patients in daily practice are often old, female, and with extensive comorbid conditions.3,4 Thus, one is left with the dilemma described in the quote above: How can one determine effective treatments for HF populations that are underrepresented in RCTs? The recently coined term “comparative effectiveness research” (CER) describes a field that aims to fill in the gaps in the evidence base. CER is defined, in part, as research that provides “direct comparison of effective interventions and their study in patients who are typical of day-to-day clinical care.5” This article discusses methodological considerations in CER followed by a review of existing CER for pharmacologic management in HF, focusing on 3 special patient populations with HF: women, older patients, and patients with kidney disease.
Use of Finite Difference Method for Predicting Propagation of Ultrasonic Waves in Solids

Successful interpretation and analysis of ultrasonic wave records depend on understanding the expected waveforms in the presence of material and structural defects. Measured signals can be compared to the predicted ones, and signal processing operations can use the predicted waveforms in various ways such as targets of filters, as teaching base for neural nets and expert systems and such. While exact elastic solution can usually be obtained only for simple geometries, finite difference method offers a flexible method that can accomodate defects and other discontinuities. In this paper, finite difference method is used to solve the elastic wave equation and obtain the wave propagation pattern. Particular attention is given to long distance wave propagation. Standard non-staggered methods produce spurious signals caused by numerical dispersion and require small grid size, resulting in a significant increase in computer memory requirements and in calculation time. Staggered grid, on the other hand, along with high-order method, reduce these requirements and improve the accuracy, thus, enabling practical solutions to these problems.
Capsule Endoscopy and Endoscopic Modalities for Deep Enteroscopy

Long considered the final frontier of endoscopy, over the past decade the small intestine has witnessed the introduction of more technologies than any other portion of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract. Due to extensive loop formation, the length of the small bowel is not compatible with deep penetration by conventional flexible endoscopes. Indeed, until the turn of the 20th century, sonde endoscopy and intraoperative enteroscopy were the only means by which direct mucosal examination of the entire small intestine was possible. Fortunately for both patients and endoscopists, this is no longer the case. Obscure GI bleeding is the most common indication for small bowel enteroscopy. Defined as GI blood loss or persistent iron deficiency anemia with a negative upper endoscopy and colonoscopy, obscure bleeding accounts for approximately 10% of all cases of GI blood loss. The source in most cases between the ligament of Treitz and the ileocecal valve. Until the introduction of capsule endoscopy in 2000, patients underwent an average of 7 negative diagnostic studies in the course of the work-up of obscure GI bleeding. Prior to the year 2000, available modalities for detecting sources of obscure GI bleeding included small bowel series, contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CT) scanning, angiography, tagged red blood cell scanning as well as both push and intraoperative enteroscopy. Contrast-enhanced radiography, angiography, and nuclear medicine testing have a diagnostic yield between 0 and 5% for obscure GI bleeding whereas push enteroscopy has a diagnostic yield of 30%; the latter is the smallbowel equivalent of performing a flexible sigmoidoscopy to search for a colonic bleeding source. The current gold standard for the diagnosis of obscure GI bleeding is intraoperative enteroscopy, which yields a diagnosis in up to 90% of the cases. Unfortunately, it is also the most invasive with a significant rate of post-operative ileus and need for prolonged hospitalization.
An "Invaluable Skill": Reflections on Abortion Training and Postresidency Practice.

Background and objectives The goal of this study was to explore family medicine residents' experiences with abortion training and identify positive and negative influences, and facilitators and barriers to providing abortion care. Methods We conducted a qualitative study of recent graduates of an urban family medicine residency in the Northeast United States with an opt-out abortion curriculum. Individual recorded interviews were conducted with two classes of graduated residents until data saturation was reached. Data were coded and interpreted by both authors using the template analysis method. Results Twenty residents completed interviews. Most trainees had limited or no abortion exposure prior to residency but were open to learning abortion care. By graduation, residents reported confidence in providing options counseling for unintended pregnancy. Overall, residents felt more comfortable providing medication abortion than aspiration abortion. Many reported feeling less emotional reaction to medication abortion and noted more technical and logistical barriers to learning aspiration abortion. Logistical barriers impede integration of medication abortion into practice for many, but were perceived to be less difficult to overcome than barriers to aspiration abortion integration. All participants agreed abortion care fits into the scope of primary care. Due to a variety of barriers, few of those who had not previously planned to become abortion providers after graduation incorporated it in their practice. Conclusions Abortion training prepared residents to counsel women with unintended pregnancy, but numerous barriers inhibit integration of abortion care into practice. Given limited abortion training resources and fewer perceived barriers to medication abortion provision, family medicine residencies may consider focusing training on medication abortion.
A Time-Driven Activity-Based Costing Analysis of Emergency Department Scribes.

Abstract Objective To apply time-driven activity-based costing (TDABC) methodology to determine emergency medicine physician documentation costs with and without scribes. Methods This was a prospective observation cohort study in a large academic emergency department. Two research assistants with experience in physician–scribe interactions and ED workflow shadowed attending physicians for a total of 64 hours in the adult emergency department. A tablet-based time recorded was used to obtain estimates for physician documentation time on both control (no scribe) and intervention (scribe) shifts. Results Control shifts yielded approximately 3 hours of documentation time per 8 hours of clinical time (2 hours during the shift, 1 hour following the shift). When paired with a scribe, attending physician documentation decreased to 1 hour and 45 minutes during a shift and 15 minutes of postshift documentation. The physician cost estimate for documentation without and with a scribe is 644 and 488 dollars, respectively. Conclusions When one looks at the time saved by the provider, scribes appear to be a financially sound decision. TDABC methodology demonstrated that scribes afford a cost-effective solution to ED clinical documentation and serves as a tool to develop an accurate costing system, based on actual resources and processes, and allowed for understanding of resource use at a more granular level.
Equatorial Dynamics of the Thermocline: The Equatorial Undercurrent

The Coriolis parameter vanishes at the equator, and this distinguishes the dynamics of the equatorial zone from the oceanic dynamics at higher latitudes. Although the Coriolis acceleration due to the tangential component of the earth’s rotation vector remains different from 0 at the equator, for the large scales of motion under consideration in this chapter its effect is negligible. Whereas the horizontal pressure gradient outside the tropical zone is balanced by the Coriolis acceleration, its absence at the equator leaves the pressure gradient free to produce large relative accelerations.
Estimating radiation protection factor (RPF) values for a simple surrogate vehicle using the MCNP6.1 code.

Abstract Computational and experimental estimates of radiation protection factor (RPF) values are of significant interest to various defense-related organizations. Values of the operational quantity of ambient dose equivalent were computed, using version 6.1 of the Monte Carlo N-Particle® code (MCNP6.1), for 25 photon energies and 53 neutrons energies. Energy-dependent values for absorbed dose at a 10-mm depth in the 30-cm-diameter ICRU tissue-equivalent sphere, D * ( 10 ) , were estimated using the kerma approximation for photon (MCNP F6:p tally) and neutron (MCNP F6:n tally) radiation fields, and then transformed to fluence-to-ambient dose equivalent conversion coefficients, H * ( 10 ) / ϕ , using appropriate quality factors, Q, and radiation fluences. MCNP6.1-computed values of H * ( 10 ) / ϕ were compared with tabulated values from ICRP Publication 74. The published conversion coefficients for photon radiation fields were within the error bounds of all MCNP6.1-calculated values. For neutron fields, the computed and published conversion coefficients agreed within calculated error bounds for neutron energies of 100 keV and above, while responses to neutron fields below 100 keV exhibited the same shape and were consistent with the kerma approximation applied in the computational model. The MCNP6.1 models were then modified to simulate the same radiation fields, but H * ( 10 ) / ϕ conversion coefficients were calculated in the shielded environment of a surrogate vehicle (steel cube)—in keeping with historical and recent studies—and the ratios of shielded and unshielded vehicle response functions were expressed as energy-dependent RPF values. The MCNP6.1-computed neutron RPF values were compared with two prior experimental studies involving a mono-energetic neutron source and a high-yield, short-duration fission neutron spectrum and found to agree within the uncertainty of the experimentally-measured values. Limitations of the computed RPF values are discussed.
High Production Rate of High Purity, High Fidelity Nafion Nanofibers via Needleless Electrospinning

This study demonstrates the needleless electrospinning of Nafion nanofibers via foam electrospinning. Compared to needle electrospinning, a 2 orders of magnitude higher production rate (9729 vs 14 mg h–1 m–2) was obtained at similar fidelity (233 ± 62 vs 216 ± 69 nm fiber diameters). Additionally, needleless electrospinning produced defect-free high purity Nafion nanofibers (98 wt % Nafion) compared to no fibers (beads) using needle electrospinning at a similar polymer solution concentration. Furthermore, the Young’s modulus and proton conductivity of the fiber mats produced by needleless electrospinning (42.6 MPa and 43.8 mS cm–1, respectively) were higher than those produced by needle electrospinning (20.9 MPa and 18.0 mS cm–1, respectively). Therefore, high fidelity, high purity Nafion nanofibers at higher production rates with improved mechanical properties and proton conductivity were produced with this needleless electrospinning technique.
Electrokinetic Methods in the Study of Biological Surfaces

In general biological surfaces or interphases are negatively charged. In physiological media this means the presence of an electrical double layer proximal to the interface. Four processes may be distinguished in the formation of such a double layer i) Charge transfer across the interphase. ii) Unequal adsorption or desorption of ions of opposite charge. iii) Adsorption and orientation of dipolar molecules. iv) Deformation of polarizable atoms or molecules in any unsymmetrical fields which occur at the interphase (1).
Robotic first rib resection for thoracic outlet syndrome

Robotic resection of the "offending portion" of the first rib in patients with thoracic outlet syndrome (TOS) has been associated with excellent results. The results have been due to (I) a better understanding of the pathogenesis of TOS, and (II) the technical advantages of the robotic platform. This article outlines the recent understanding of the pathogenesis of TOS, and reports the experience with robotic resection of the "offending portion" of the first rib in patients with neurogenic and venous TOS. Patients diagnosed with TOS underwent robotic first rib resection. Diagnosis of TOS was made by magnetic resonance angiography (MRA). On a thoracoscopic platform, the robot was used to dissect the "offending portion" of the first rib. A total of 162 patients underwent robotic first rib resection. Eighty-three patients underwent robotic first rib resection for Paget-Schroetter syndrome (PSS) (venous TOS). There were 49 men and 34 women. Mean age was 24±8.5 years. Operative time was 127.6±20.8 minutes. Median hospitalization was 4 days. There were no surgical complications, neurovascular injuries, or mortality. At a median follow-up of 24 months, all patients had an open subclavian vein (SV) for a patency rate of 100%. Seventy-nine patients underwent robotic first rib resection for neurologic symptoms of the upper extremity (neurogenic TOS). There were 29 men and 50 women. Mean age was 34±9.5 years. Operative time was 87.6±10.8 minutes. There were no intraoperative complications. Hospital stay ranged from 2-4 days with a median hospitalization of 3 days. There were no neurovascular complications. There was no mortality. In patients with neurogenic symptoms, Quick DASH Scores (mean ± SEM) decreased from 60.3±2.1 preoperatively to 5±2.3 in the immediate postoperative period, and 3.5±1.1 at 6 months (P<0.0001). Immediate relief of symptoms was seen in 71/79 (91%) patients. Persistent paresthesia was seen in 9/79 (9%) immediately postop and 3/79 (3.8%) patients at 6 months. Following the appropriate identification of the "offending portion" of the first rib which results in compression of the SV at its junction with the innominate vein by MRA, robotic resection of the "offending portion" of the first rib allows is associated with excellent results.
Enhanced recovery pathway in adult patients undergoing thoracolumbar deformity surgery

Abstract BACKGROUND CONTEXT Enhanced recovery (ERAS) pathways can help hospitals maximize the incentives of bundled payment models while maintaining high-quality patient care. A key component of an enhanced recovery pathway is the ability to predictably reduce inpatient length of stay, as this is a critical component of the cost equation. PURPOSE To determine the efficacy of an enhanced recovery pathway on reducing length of stay after thoracolumbar adult deformity surgery. STUDY DESIGN Single surgeon retrospective review of prospectively-collected data. PATIENT SAMPLE Forty adult deformity patients who underwent ≥5 levels of fusion to the pelvis (two to L5) with a single surgeon before and after implementation of an ERAS pathway. METHODS The pathway involved participation by anesthesiology, hospital medicine, and physical therapy, and was designed to achieve goals previously associated with decreased LOS (eg, EBL RESULTS After matching, gender, BMI, ASA class, preoperative opioid dependence, day of surgery, sagittal alignment parameters, rate of revision surgery, three-column osteotomies, and interbody fusions were comparable between the cohorts (p>.05). In the ER cohort, there was reduced EBL (920±640 vs. 1437±555, p=.004) and no ER patient went to the ICU immediately following surgery, compared with 30% of H patients (p=.022). The ER cohort also had a greater number of patients ambulating by POD1 compared to the H cohort (100% vs. 55%, p=.010). ER patients had a shorter LOS (4.5±1.3 vs. 7.3±4.4 days, p=.010). A 90-day readmission and complications were comparable between the cohorts (p>.05). CONCLUSIONS The creation of an ERAS pathway for patients undergoing thoracolumbar adult deformity surgery reduced length of stay without negatively affecting short-term morbidity and complications. Given the specificity of this pathway to a single surgeon and hospital, the resources and staffing changes that were instrumental in creating the pathway may not be generalizable to other centers.
Lymphoid malignancy in common variable immunodeficiency in a single-center cohort.

One of the complications of common variable immunodeficiency (CVID) is the development of lymphoid malignancy. In this retrospective, single-center study of 647 CVID subjects followed over 4 decades, we present immunologic and clinical phenotypes, pathology, treatment, and outcomes of 45 patients (15 males and 30 females, 7%) who developed 49 lymphoid malignancies. The mean age at CVID diagnosis was 42.6 years) and at lymphoma diagnosis was 48.8 years. Of the 41 with known follow up, 29 (70%) have died, 27 of these due to this diagnosis. Twelve are alive, in remission or have achieved cure; four others were alive at last encounter. Some patients had a history of only recurrent infections (36.3%); others had autoimmunity (33%), enteropathy (20%), and/or granulomatous disease (11%). Six had previously been treated for another cancer. This report also includes 6 additional living CVID patients who had been diagnosed with NHL; 4 were given treatment for this. However, on pathology review, the initial diagnosis was reversed, as the findings were more consistent with a benign lymphoproliferative process. This study outlines the high incidence of lymphoma in this single CVID cohort, and some of the diagnostic challenges presented due to immune dysregulation characteristic of this immune defect.
Distinct inflammatory and transcriptomic profiles in dominant versus subordinate males in mouse social hierarchies

Social status is a critical factor determining health outcomes in human and nonhuman social species. In social hierarchies with reproductive skew, individuals compete to monopolize resources and increase mating opportunities. This can come at a significant energetic cost leading to trade-offs between different physiological systems. Particularly, changes in energetic investment in the immune system can have significant short and long-term effects on fitness and health. We have previously found that dominant alpha male mice living in social hierarchies have increased metabolic demands related to territorial defense. In this study, we tested the hypothesis that high-ranking male mice favor energetically inexpensive adaptive immunity, while subordinate mice show higher investment in innate immunity. We housed 12 groups of 10 outbred CD-1 male mice in a social housing system. All formed linear social hierarchies and subordinate mice had higher concentrations of plasma corticosterone (CORT) than alpha males. This difference was heightened in highly despotic hierarchies. Using flow cytometry, we found that dominant status was associated with a significant shift in immunophenotypes towards favoring adaptive versus innate immunity. Using Tag-Seq to profile hepatic and splenic transcriptomes of alpha and subordinate males, we identified genes that regulate metabolic and immune defense pathways that are associated with status and/or CORT concentration. In the liver, dominant animals showed an up-regulation of specific genes involved in major urinary production and catabolic processes, whereas subordinate animals showed an up-regulation of genes promoting biosynthetic processes, wound healing, and proinflammatory responses. In spleen, subordinate mice showed up-regulation of genes facilitating oxidative phosphorylation and DNA repair and CORT was negatively associated with genes involved in lymphocyte proliferation and activation. Together, our findings suggest that dominant and subordinate animals adaptively shift energy investment in immune functioning and gene expression to match their contextual energetic demands. HighlightsO_LIImmunity is shaped by stress and energetic pressures associated with social status C_LIO_LIDominant and subordinate mice favor adaptive and innate immunity, respectively C_LIO_LIDominants increase expression of genes involved in energy production C_LIO_LIWound healing and DNA repair genes are upregulated in subordinates C_LIO_LIGenes related to maintaining and signaling social status are upregulated in dominants C_LI
Cuir Sudak Transpossessions and Other Magical Mutations (or, About the Practice of Healing the-Selves Otherwise)

This creative piece consists of three fragments: A written retablo that comes together and falls apart. The first fragment is a pre-text that purposely fools traditional academic practices of reading/writing. The second fragment gives context to the theoretical experiment that is this written retablo. It focuses on explaining the mission of “The Queer Futures Collective”—a radically vulnerable and trans centered multimedia knowledge hub/activist laboratory created to produce knowledge about what is yet to come while centering disabled queer/trans folks. Thirdly, the piece addresses “Cuir Sudak Transpossessions and Other Magical Mutations”—a performance piece that Puig created while experiencing a severe mixed episode of manic-depression. By tracing the spiritual value of performance art in healing matters, Puig explores the potentialities of experimental academic performative writing to re-member the-selves/the world(s).
Myocardial involvement in polymyositis

Polymyositis (PM) is a myopathic syndrome that results in pathology believed to be primarily confined to skeletal muscle. Several recent reports, based on quantitative determinations of total serum creatine kinase (CK) and MB isoenzyme activity, accepted serologic correlates of active myocardial injury, suggest that cardiac involvement in PM may occur more frequently than has been clinically appreciated. We retrospectively studied 12 patients with PM; 83% (10) were found to have substantial elevations in CK-MB activity, often to levels exceeding those seen with myocardial infarctions, thus confirming a high probability of myocardial involvement in PM. Failure to detect this clinically may be indicative of the insensitivity of current technology. A review of the literature substantiates the importance of appreciating the spectrum, frequency and functional consequences (i.e., conduction disturbances, cardiomyopathy) of myocardial involvement in PM.
Prolonged Rewarding Brain Stimulation

Publisher Summary This chapter presents few experiments to test adaptation theory on the rats undergoing prolonged brain reward. In the first experiment, rats run in a T-maze, with a choice between an offset of stimulation and an increase in stimulation after prolonged stimulation. Four rats are run in six conditions each and in the first three conditions, there are no prolonged brain stimulus at the outset. The rats are rewarded with a train of pulses in the goal box. The purpose of the first three conditions is to ascertain whether the intracranial stimulus is rewarding and whether the more intense stimulus is actually more rewarding. In the first condition, the rats are given a choice of 200 pps in one goal without any stimulation in the other goal box. In the second three conditions, the rats are detained in the start box while they are stimulated with 100 pps continuously, at the voltage used previously, for varying periods of time. The objective of the fourth condition is to show that the rats would choose to turn off the stimulation under the conditions of the experiment. If the rat ran to the end of one goal box, the 100 pps stimulus continued until he turned around and ran to the end of the other goal box.
Kernel-based embeddings for large graphs with centrality constraints

Complex phenomena involving pairwise interactions in natural and man-made settings can be well-represented by networks. Besides statistical and computational analyses on such networks, visualization plays a crucial role towards effectively conveying “at-a-glance” structural properties such as node hierarchy. However, most graph embedding algorithms developed for network visualization are ill-equipped to cope with the sheer volume of data generated by modern networks that encompass online social interactions, the Internet, or the world-wide web. Motivated by the emergence of nonlinear manifold learning approaches for dimensionality reduction, this paper puts forth a novel scheme for embedding graphs using kernel matrices defined on graphs. In particular, a kernelized version of local linear embedding is devised for computation of reconstruction weights. Unlike contemporary approaches, the developed embedding algorithm entails low-cost, parallelizable, and closed-form updates that can easily scale to big network data. Furthermore, it turns out that inclusion of embedding constraints to emphasize centrality structure can be accomplished at minimal extra computational cost. Experimental results on Watts-Strogatz small-world networks demonstrate the efficacy of the novel approach.
Characteristics of Polycrystalline Si Thin Film—Solid Solubility and Mobility Study

Carrier solid solubility (SS) and mobility of polycrystalline silicon (poly-Si) thin film as the functions of the doping ion species and annealing conditions (temperature and time) are characterized. The study of SS and mobility shows that the poly-Si thin film has lower chemical SS and electrically active SS and much lower mobility ( $\mu$ ) than a single-crystalline Si substrate, because polygrain boundaries dominate carrier scattering mechanism. For the poly-Si thin film, doping ion species show relatively less impact on SS and mobility data, but annealing thermal budgets (temperature and time) show more impact on SS and mobility data.
Africa, the Arabian Gulf and Asia: changing dynamics in contemporary West Africa's political economy

The last two to three decades have witnessed significant transformation in West Africa's relations to the Arabian Gulf and Asia. While ties to countries such as Saudi Arabia are historic, economic liberalization since the 1980s has introduced new trading partners and some unexpected developments. The outcome of these recent developments can be startling: so in Ghana, for example, India and China have overtaken the United Kingdom, the former colonial power, in investments and the number of operating companies. The United Arab Emirates (UAE) ranks third in the cumulative value of foreign direct investments in Ghana since 1994. This paper is an historian's attempt to provide context, some perspective and to probe the implications of these emerging patterns for the political economy of West Africa. It uses Ghana under the Kufuor regime (2000-2008) as a case study of how one West African government engaged the new economic opportunities and the growing importance of Arab and Asian trading partners and investors in the climate of South-South cooperation.
Electromagnetic Modeling of Oil Shale Retorts for Remote Sensing Purposes

We report here some work on the modeling of oil shale retort for remote sensing purposes. The aim is to obtain useful information about the contents of the retort (e.g., rubble size, void ratio, etc.) by means of electromagnetic probes. In this paper, the retort is modeled by a spheroid with an average dielectric constant which depends on the void ratio. The near field due to a radiating dipole source in the vicinity of a spheroidal retort is computed using the Extended Boundary Condition Method. Numerical results are given at 4 MHz for a retort with major axis 45.7 m (150 ft), minor axis 25.1 m (82.5 ft), bulk dielectric constant 8.8 + 3.7j, and various void ratios. The results indicate that estimates of the void ratio by remote electromagnetic measurements may be feasible under favorable conditions, but many technical problems remain to be overcome before quantitative determinations are possible.
Enalapril treatment restores the decreased proximal tubule reabsorption in response to acute volume expansion in diabetic rats.

Abstract The renin–angiotensin system (RAS) plays an important role in the regulation of blood pressure, fluid and electrolyte homeostasis. The RAS is activated and renal interstitial hydrostatic pressure (RIHP) is decreased in diabetic rats. The objective of this study was to evaluate the roles of proximal tubule reabsorption and RAS in the decreased RIHP and blunted natriuretic and diuretic responses to acute saline volume expansion (VE) in diabetic rats. Enalapril was utilized to inhibit angiotensin II (AII) formation. Diabetes mellitus (DM) was induced by a single intraperitoneal (i.p.) injection of streptozotocin (STZ, 65 mg/kg). RIHP was measured by a polyethylene (PE) matrix that was chronically implanted in the left kidney. Fractional excretion of phosphate (FE Pi ) and fractional excretion of lithium (FE Li ) were used as indexes for proximal tubule reabsorption. VE significantly increased both FE Li and FE Pi in all groups of rats studied. However, the increase in FE Li (ΔFE Li = 17.26 ± 3.83%) and FE Pi (ΔFE Pi = 7.38 ± 2.37%) in diabetic rats (DC, n = 12) were significantly lower as compared with those in nondiabetic control rats (NC, n = 8; ΔFE Li = 32.15 ± 4.71% and ΔFE Pi = 20.62 ± 3.27%). The blunted increases in FE Li and FE Pi were associated with an attenuated increase in RIHP (ΔRIHP) in DC (1.8 ± 0.4 mm Hg) compared with NC rats (4.3 ± 0.3 mm Hg). Enalapril treatment (25 mg/kg/day in drinking water) had no effect on nondiabetic rats (NE, n = 8) as compared with untreated NC rats, but significantly improved RIHP response (ΔRIHP) to VE in diabetic rats (DE, n = 9; 2.8 ± 0.5 mm Hg). Both ΔFE Li and ΔFE Pi were restored by enalapril treatment in diabetic rats and no significant differences were found in ΔFE Li and ΔFE Pi between DE (ΔFE Li = 26.81 ± 4.94% and ΔFE Pi = 10.45 ± 4.67%) and NC groups of rats in response to VE. These data suggest that the activated RAS and the decrease in RIHP may play an important role in the increased proximal tubule reabsorption, and the attenuated natriuretic and diuretic responses to acute volume expansion in diabetic rats.
Polynomial based scheme (PBS) for establishing Authentic Associations in Wireless Mesh Networks

The varying degree of mobility of Mesh Clients has provided much more flexibility in Wireless Mesh Networks, and establishing an Authentic Association among entities is a non-trivial problem. In this paper, we introduce a Polynomial Based scheme which provides pair-wise connectivity, low communication, marginal storage overhead and high scalability while making on the fly Authentic Association feasible. The proposed scheme is also observed to be resilient against both traffic analysis and node capture attacks.
Modesty, Snobbery, and Pride

What is modesty and why is it a virtue? Modesty is related to pride, in that both are attitudes that we adopt toward our own positive qualities. A useful prelude to understanding modesty, which seems to require that we downplay our talents and achievements, is to consider how we can reconcile it with pride, which requires that we take full credit for them. This apparent conflict is curious, in that we tend to regard pride as at least permissible and modesty as positively virtuous.
The AAA3 domain of cytoplasmic dynein acts as a switch to facilitate microtubule release

Cytoplasmic dynein has multiple ATPase subunits, with AAA1 as the primary ATPase. Single-molecule and biochemical approaches reveal that AAA3 ATPase has a role in switching dynein between cargo-transport and microtubule-anchoring modes.
Comparative effects of epinephrine, norepinephrine, and a gentle handling stress on plasma lactate, glucose, and hematocrit levels in the American bullfrog (Rana catesbeiana).

Abstract The effects of a single infusion of epinephrine or norepinephrine and of a 2-min handling stress on plasma lactate, glucose, and hematocrit levels were compared in the American bullfrog ( Rana catesbeiana ). The catecholamines were administered, and serial blood samples were collected, via a cannula placed in the truncus arteriosus. Plasma lactate was estimated by the lactate dehydrogenase method and glucose by the glucose oxidase method. Dose-dependent increases occurred in plasma lactate, glucose, and hematocrit levels after the infusion of 50 and 500 μg/kg body weight of epinephrine. Norepinephrine infusion resulted in dose-dependent increases in hematocrit levels, but plasma lactate and glucose levels were not increased significantly by 50 μg/kg body weight of norepinephrine. The infusion of 500 μg/kg body weight of norepinephrine caused a lactacidemia that was similar to that which occurred with the same dose of epinephrine, but the hyperglycemia was less. The plasma lactate increases after handling were similar to those that occurred after treatment with 500 μg/kg body weight of the catecholamines; however, the hematocrit elevations were less and the glucose levels were not increased significantly. In addition, the plasma lactate and hematocrit responses to handling were more rapid than those that occurred after the catecholamines. The results suggest that immediate physiological adjustments to a sudden threat are mediated in the bullfrog by direct nervous stimulation of the relevant organs. Catecholamines and corticoids secreted by the adrenal glands probably function synergistically and sequentially when a stress is more severe and/or more prolonged than the brief, gentle handling employed in this study.
Alternating Pushdown and Stack Automata

The classes of languages accepted by alternating pushdown automata, alternating stack automata, and alternating nonerasing stack automata, both with and without an auxiliary space bounded worktape, are characterized in terms of complexity classes defined by time bounded deterministic Turing machines. It is also shown that alternating 2-way finite state machines accept only regular languages.
Feinberg on the Criterion of Moral Personhood

In a very influential paper, Abortion, Joel Feinberg offers a series of arguments against four popular proposals for the criterion of moral personhood and defends a fifth proposal. In this paper, I demonstrate that two widely-accepted arguments employed by Feinberg against the modified species criterion and the strict potentiality criterion, respectively, are unsound. Moreover, I argue that there is a general feature of his inquiry into the criteria for moral personhood which undermines his efforts to argue convincingly either in favour of his own candidate or against other candidates.
Predicting the performance of cost-effective rollover protective structure designs

Agricultural tractor overturns kill more than 100 workers each year in the United States. Rollover protective structures (ROPS) can prevent most of these deaths but can be expensive in retrofit applications. Cost-effective ROPS (CROPS) have been designed and built at the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health but performance must be evaluated. This study: (1) evaluated CROPS performance, (2) developed a simulation model for probabilistic CROPS evaluation, and (3) evaluated exemplar prototype CROPS performance via simulation of testing requirements. The CROPS prototype evaluated in this study was a Ford-3000 CROPS prototype design. Simulations based on ROPS performance standard SAE J2194 (Society of Automotive Engineers) identified scenarios where the Ford-3000 CROPS might fail. No failure scenarios were identified during simulation of ROPS performance testing to Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) test procedures and performance requirements. Despite passing experimental SAE J2194 testing, computer simulations found scenarios where the Ford-3000 CROPS prototype design might fail. Re-design of the Ford-3000 concept is necessary before field implementation.
Ultrasound-guided injection of lumbar zygapophyseal joints: an anatomic study with fluoroscopy validation.

Background Diagnostic and therapeutic injections of the zygapophyseal joint (z-joint) are routinely performed under radiologic guidance (eg, fluoroscopy, computed tomography). Technically, these procedures could also be completed using ultrasound guidance, but existing evidence insufficiently supports this alternative imaging method, and it cannot therefore be recommended as a standard practice. There has also been no published proof-of-concept study using a routine fluoroscopy control for ultrasound-guided z-joint injections. Methods A cadaver study was performed to validate ultrasound as an imaging modality for z-joint injections. Fifty z-joint injections were performed on 5 nonembalmed specimens. In-plane ultrasound approach was implemented. Zygapophyseal joints were accessed through a needle placement under the joint capsule into the posterior synovial recess. Iohexol was thereby injected, and fluoroscopy was subsequently performed. Results In 44 (88%) of 50 performed injections, the intra-articular spread of the contrast agent was clearly observed on the fluoroscopy image. In 6 (12%) of 50 cases, the contrast flow appeared in the soft tissues. In 4 of the 6 failed injections, the z-joint gap was not evident on an ultrasound image. No intravascular, nerve root, or epidural injections were observed. Conclusions Ultrasound may be a viable alternative to fluoroscopy or computed tomography as a guidance method for lumbar z-joint injections.
Comparative efficacy of vertebroplasty, kyphoplasty, and medical therapy for vertebral fractures on survival and prevention of recurrent fractures.

OBJECTIVE To evaluate the efficacy of surgical and medical therapies on recurrent vertebral fracture and mortality rates. METHODS A retrospective review of medical records was performed of patients seen at Emory University Spine Center and Hospital (Atlanta, Georgia) for vertebral fracture between 1998 and 2007. Patients with vertebral fracture or who underwent vertebroplasty or kyphoplasty were identified by use of the International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision and Current Procedural Terminology codes, respectively. Outcome measures included site and date of recurrent vertebral fractures and mortality. RESULTS We identified 250 patients with vertebral fractures and classified them into 4 groups: surgical therapy only, surgical plus medical treatment, medical therapy only, and no treatment. There was no significant difference in the cumulative survival rates among the 4 study groups nor between the treatment groups. There was, however, a significant difference in the cumulative refracture-free rates among the 4 study groups (P<.0001). Recurrent fracture-free rates were highest in the group that received no treatment. The 2-year cumulative refracture-free rates were 95.9%, 84.8%, 81.7%, and 68.5%, respectively, for the no treatment, medical therapy only, surgical treatment only, and medical plus surgical therapy groups. Recurrent fracture-free rates were significantly different for patients who received surgical or medical or surgical plus medical therapy (P=.0007), with patients in the medical plus surgical group having the shortest time to refracture, although these patients may have been sicker and more frail than the other groups. CONCLUSION We found that surgical treatment with vertebroplasty or kyphoplasty did not decrease recurrent vertebral fractures in patients presenting with an initial vertebral fracture. Medical and surgical therapies together may shorten the time to refracture, but the observed elevated risk may be due to other confounding factors. We found no difference in survival in patients undergoing kyphoplasty or vertebroplasty in comparison with medical or no treatment groups. The relationship between surgical and medical therapy and vertebral refracture rates should be further evaluated with use of a prospective cohort design.
Understanding Environmental Advocacy: Interdisciplinary Research and the Role of Cognition

Abstract This essay provides a selective review of interdisciplinary research of the bases for and obstacles to effective environmental advocacy. Analyses of the social backdrop of contemporary environmental advocacy are synthesized and research associated with environmental communication is considered in the context of how people process information and appeals associated with the environment. Theory and research involving social cognition is used to indicate ways in which advocates might better promote environmentalism. The analysis concludes with a call for research examining how the perceptions of the self and the environment influence people's understanding of environmental advocacy.
Basement membrane polarizes lectin binding sites of Drosophila larval fat body cells

Vertebrate epithelial cells in monolayers are asymmetrical in that their apical and basal membranes differ in morphology and function. That this cell polarity depends on the presence of tight junctions can be demonstrated by labelling one surface of a cell monolayer in culture with fluorescent lectins and lipid probes, and subsequently observing whether the labels disperse to the opposite cell surfaces. Here we report on a differential distribution of binding sites for the lectin wheat germ agglutinin (WGA) on the cells of Drosophila melanogaster larval fat body, and show that the pattern is correlated with the structural association between the cell surfaces and their overlying basement membrane.
Female choice of sites versus mates in a coral reef fish, Thalassoma bifasciatum

To understand the dynamics of sexual selection, one needs to identify the basis of female choice in mating. Daily censuses showed that most spawns of individual female bluehead wrasses, Thalassoma bifasciatum, occurred at one of several available mating sites, either in a group-spawning aggregation of small males or with a large territorial male. Most females were not located near their principal mating site during the non-spawning period of the day. Females were thus exposed to other males and sites and should have had the opportunity for choice. When a resident territorial male disappeared or was removed experimentally from a mating site, females did not alter their fidelity to that site. Furthermore, manipulations showed that when a territorial male changed the location of his mating activity to an adjacent site, females did not follow him but continued to mate at their customary site. Thus mating sites, rather than the males occupying them, appeared to be the objects of female choice. The bright coloration and courtship behaviour of larger males may demonstrate the safety of a particular site rather than indicating some aspect of male quality.
Frequency interpretation of ambiguous statistical information facilitates Bayesian reasoning

The idea that naturally sampled frequencies facilitate performance in statistical reasoning tasks because they are a cognitively privileged representational format has been challenged by findings that similarly structured numbers presented as chances similarly facilitate performance, on the basis of the claim that these are technically single-event probabilities. A crucial opinion, however, is that of the research participants, who possibly interpret chances as de facto frequencies. A series of experiments here indicate that not only is performance improved by clearly presented natural frequencies, rather than chances phrasing, but also that participants who interpreted chances as frequencies, rather than as probabilities, were consistently better at statistical reasoning. This result was found across different variations of information presentation and across different populations.
L-thyroxine inhibits intestinal phosphate absorption in developing rabbits

Abstract Little is known about effects of l-thyroxine on phosphate absorption. To characterize effects of l-thyroxine on intestinal phosphate transport, four week old suckling rabbits were injected with l-thyroxine. 24 hours following injection, phosphate transport was studied in brush border membrane vesicles. Vesicles from l-thyroxine-treated and control animals demonstrated sodium-phosphate cotransport however uptake was significantly greater in controls than in treated animals. Controls demonstrated an "overshoot" in that peak phosphate uptake was nearly three-fold the equilibrium value whereas minimal overshoot was observed in treated animals. V max and K m for sodium-dependent phosphate transport were 230.4±6.4 pmol·mg protein −1 ·10s −1 and 0.034±0.05 mmol/L respectively for controls, and 97.7±4.4 pmol·mg protein −1 ·10s −1 and 0.023±0.006 mmol/L for treated animals. While phosphate uptake was greater in controls than in treated animals, maximal stimulation of phosphate uptake occurred between 75 and 100 mmol/L sodium in both groups. Uptake was half-maximally stimulated by 36.3±13.0 mmol/L sodium in controls, and 41.4±10.0 mmol/L sodium in treated animals. These results indicate that within 24 hours, l-thyroxine suppresses intestinal sodium-coupled phosphate transport in four week old suckling rabbits. This is due to decreased maximal transport capacity without changes in transporter affinity for phosphate or sodium.
Amylase levels in the tissues and body fluids of the domestic cat (Felis catus)

Abstract 1. 1. The amylase activities of serum, liver, pancreas, submaxillary and parotid glands, saliva, duodenum, colon, lung, heart, spleen, kidney and skeletal muscle of the domestic cat, were determined. 2. 2. As in most mammals, the highest amylase content was found in the pancreas. Levels in saliva and salivary glands were very low. 3. 3. Amylase activities of the serum, liver and pancreas have an optimum pH 7.0–7.5. 4. 4. Amylases of serum, liver and pancreas were inactivated by removal of chloride and these activities mainly restored by addition of chloride.
Optical spectroscopy of erbium-doped lutetium orthophosphate

Abstract Experimental spectroscopic investigations of the absorption and luminescence properties of Er3+ ions doped into single crystals of the tetragonal-symmetry host LuPO4 are reported. The LuPO4 host permits the incorporation of relatively high concentrations of lanthanide dopants such as Er3+. The fluorescence decay of the 4 I 13/2 – 4 I 15/2 emission was found to be governed by a single exponential decay process when excited with a low-intensity pump source. However, experiments performed on samples of different concentrations show that Er3+ ions in LuPO4 experience concentration quenching as well as self-trapping. Using high-Er-concentration samples, emissions were also observed at visible wavelengths due to up-conversion processes.