cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Kupferkatalysierte aerobe oxidative C‐H‐Funktionalisierungen: Trends und Erkenntnisse zum Mechanismus

Die selektive Oxidation von C-H-Bindungen und der Einsatz von O2 als stochiometrisches Oxidationsmittel stellen zwei wesentliche Herausforderungen in der organischen Chemie dar. Kupfer(II) ist ein vielseitiges Oxidationsmittel fur verschiedene oxidative Kupplungen, die durch Einelektronen-Transfer (SET) von elektronenreichen organischen Molekulen ausgelost werden. Viele dieser Reaktionen konnen mit Kupfer katalytisch durchgefuhrt werden, wenn molekularer Sauerstoff als Oxidationsmittel eingesetzt wird, um den aktiven Kupfer(II)-Katalysator zu regenerieren. Daneben wurden auch zahlreiche neue Cu-katalysierte C-H-Oxidationen mit elektronenarmen Substraten beschrieben, von denen ein SET zum Kupfer(II) unwahrscheinlich scheint. In einigen dieser Falle konnte die Beteiligung von Organokupfer(III)-Intermediaten im Reaktionsmechanismus nachgewiesen werden. Metallorganische C-H-Oxidationen dieser Art eroffnen neue bedeutende Moglichkeiten fur das Gebiet der Cu-katalysierten aeroben Oxidationen.
Escaping the Confines of Normative Thought: a Reevaluation of Puebloan Prehistory

Our recent efforts in preparing syntheses of Puebloan prehistory suggest that most of the standard, normative generalizations are empirically false and that the conceptual framework traditionally employed to organize the archaeological data is inadequate and inappropriate. We show that the patterned variability manifest in the archaeological record is obscured by normative treatment. An approach to southwestern prehistory that is at once more faithful to the data and to processual, evolutionary anthropology is provided by describing the variable strategies that prehistoric groups used to cope with the continually changing natural and social environments in which they lived. We argue that some aspects of demographic, productive, and social organizational strategies are appropriate for treatment in syntheses of broad scope. We trace these strategies as they seem to have occurred in the northern Southwest from about A.D. 1 to the protohistoric period. In so doing, we find that successful strategies were those that facilitated the articulation of diversity. At some times productive specialization, organized redistributive exchange, and status differentiation were among the more important strategies.
Online Measurement of the Capacity of Multi-Tier Websites Using Hardware Performance Counters

Understanding server capacity is crucial for system capacity planning, configuration, and QoS-aware resource management. Conventional stress testing approaches measure the server capacity in terms of application-level performance metrics like response time and throughput. They are limited in measurement accuracy and timeliness. In a multitier website, resource bottleneck often shifts between tiers as client access pattern changes. This makes the capacity measurement even more challenging. This paper presents a measurement approach based on hardware performance counter metrics. The approach uses machine learning techniques to infer application-level performance at each tier. A coordinated predictor is induced over individual tier models to estimate system-wide performance and identify the bottleneck when the system becomes overloaded. Experimental results demonstrate that this approach is able to achieve an overload prediction accuracy of higher than 90% for a priori known input traffic patterns and over 85% accuracy even for traffic causing frequent bottleneck shifting. It costs less than 0.5% runtime overhead for data collection and no more than 50 ms for each on-line decision.
Effect of bupivacaine on chondrocyte viability.

COMMENTARY ON: Lee H, Sowa G, Vo N, et al. Effect of bupivacaine on intervertebral disc cell viability. Spine J 2010;10:159–166 (in this issue).
Poster abstract: Making sensor data available using Web feeds

The setup of and processing within sensor networks often requires sophisticated and specialized system designs and implementations, but the service provided by them should be as accessible and repurposable as possible. If the increasing number of available sensor-based data sources can be accessed in a simple and universal way, the network effect of aggregating, filtering, and republishing data from these sources will significantly increase their value. We propose an architecture where sensor-based data sources publish their data based on feeds, but extended with query capabilities. Using the well-known and widely supported Atom feed format and extending it with query capabilities allows us to lower the barrier-of-entry to sensor-based data sources, opening this data to a wider audience of clients.
A Differential Game in Economics

The problem of profit maximization for two firms manufacturing the same commodity is cast as a differential game. The qualitative aspects of the equilibrium point solution of the game are then discussed with the aid of some results on ordinary differential equations.
Disease control priorities in developing countries: health policy responses to epidemiological change.

Health systems in developing countries are facing major challenges in the 1990s and beyond because of a growing epidemiological diversity as a consequence of rapid economic development and declining fertility. The infectious and parasitic diseases of childhood must remain a priority at the same time the chronic diseases among adults are emerging as a serious problem. Health policymakers must engage in undertaking an epidemiological and economic analysis of the major disease problems, evaluating the cost-effectiveness of alternative intervention strategies; designing health care delivery systems; and, choosing what governments can do through persuasion, taxation, regulation, and provision of services. The World Bank has commissioned studies of over two dozen diseases in developing countries which have confirmed the priority of child survival interventions and revealed that interventions for many neglected and emerging adult health problems have comparable cost-effectiveness. Most developing countries lack ...
Development of Nano-Composite Microstructures in ZrO2-Al2O3 via the Solution Precursor Method

Aqueous mixtures of zirconium acetate and aluminum nitrate were pyrolyzed and crystallized to form a metastable solid solution, Zr{sub 1{minus}x}Al{sub x}O{sub 2{minus}x/2} (x {le} 0.57). The initial, metastable phase partitions at higher temperatures to form two metastable phases, viz., t-ZrO{sub 2} + {gamma}-Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} with a nano-scale microstructure. The microstructural observations associated with the {gamma}- {yields} {alpha}-Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} phase transformation in the t-ZrO{sub 2} matrix are reported for compositions containing 10, 20, and 40 mol% Al{sub 2}O{sub 3}. During this phase transformation, the {alpha}-Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} grains take the form of a colony of irregular, platelike grains, all with a common crystallographic orientation. The plates contain ZrO{sub 2} inclusions and are separated by ZrO{sub 2} grains. The volume fraction of Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} and the heat treatment conditions influence the final microstructure. At lower volume fractions of Al{sub 2}O{sub 3}, the colonies coarsen to single, irregular plates, surrounded by polycrystalline ZrO{sub 2}. Interpenetrating microstructures produced at high volume fractions of Al{sub 2}O{sub 3}, exhibit very little grain growth for periods up to 24 h at 1,400 C.
Reduced 5-HT2A receptor signaling following selective bilateral amygdala damage

Neurobiological evidence implicates the amygdala as well as serotonergic (serotonin, 5-HT) signaling via postsynaptic 5-HT2A receptors as essential substrates of anxiety behaviors. Assuming a functional interdependence of these substrates, we hypothesized that a low-fear behavioral phenotype due to bilateral lesion of the amygdala would be associated with significant 5-HT2A receptor changes. Thus, we used [ 18 F]altanserin positron emission tomography (PET) referenced to radioligand plasma levels and corrected for partial volume effects to quantify the spatial distribution of 5-HT2A receptor binding potential (BPP) in a rare patient with Urbach–Wiethe disease and selective bilateral amygdala calcification damage relative to 10 healthy control subjects. Consistent with our a priori hypothesis, we observed a 70% global decrease in 5-HT2A receptor BPP in the Urbach–Wiethe patient relative to controls. Thus, brain abnormalities in this patient are not restricted to the amygdala, but extend to overall 5-HT neurotransmission via 5-HT2A receptors. Our findings provide important insights into the molecular architecture of human anxiety behaviors and suggest the 5-HT2A receptor as a promising pharmacological target to control pathological anxiety.
The Hair-Diet 13C and 15N Fractionation in Chlorocebus aethiops sabaeus Based on a Control Diet Study

Understanding the 13C and 15N enrichments between primate diet and hair is necessary for reconstructing primate diets and ecology. However, dietary lipids need to be controlled for in order to accurately estimate the hair 13C and 15N enrichment factors (e*). We report diet-hair 13C and 15N enrichment factors for vervet monkeys (Chlorocebus aethiops sabaeus) based on a controlled diet study in captivity. The vervet monkeys were fed a standard monkey chow exclusively. The 13Ce*hair-diet and 15Ne*hair-diet values for male adults were 2.8‰ and 2.9‰, respectively; those for lactating females were 2.4‰ and 2.2‰, respectively. The isotope enrichment between hair from infant (ca. 3 months of age) and hair from its mother were 13Ce*hair(infant-mother) and 15Ne* and 15Ne* hair(infant-mother) were 0.7‰ and 1.8‰, respectively.
TOSO, the Fcμ Receptor, Is Highly Expressed on Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia B Cells, Internalizes upon IgM Binding, Shuttles to the Lysosome, and Is Downregulated in Response to TLR Activation

TOSO/FAIM3 recently has been identified as the long-sought-after FcR for IgM (FcμR). FcμR is expressed on human CD19+ B cells, CD4+/CD8+ T cells, and CD56+/CD3- NK cells and has been shown to be overexpressed in chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) cells. CLL is a malignancy of mature IgM+ B lymphocytes that display features of polyreactive, partially anergized B cells related to memory B cells. In this article, we report that FcμR is O-glycosylated in its extracellular domain and identify the major sites of O-glycosylation. By using immunofluorescence confocal microscopy, we found that FcμR localized to the cell membrane but also found that large pools of FcμR accumulate in the trans-Golgi network. Aggregation of FcμR on CLL cells by IgM prompted rapid internalization of both IgM and FcμR, reaching half-maximal internalization of cell-bound IgM within 1 min. Upon internalization, FcμR transported IgM through the endocytic pathway to the lysosome, where it was degraded. Using a series of FcμR deletion mutants, we identified a proline-rich domain essential for cell surface expression of FcμR and a second domain, containing a YXXΦ motif, that controls internalization. Although it has been reported that BCR activation increases FcμR expression, we found that activation of TLRs strongly downregulated FcμR at both the mRNA and protein levels. Through internalization of IgM bound immune complexes, FcμR may play a role in immune surveillance and contribute to B cell activation. In addition, FcμR deserves study as a potential pathway for the delivery of therapeutic Ab–drug conjugates into CLL cells.
Carbon dynamics in the future forest: the importance of long-term successional legacy and climate-fire interactions.

Understanding how climate change may influence forest carbon (C) budgets requires knowledge of forest growth relationships with regional climate, long-term forest succession, and past and future disturbances, such as wildfires and timber harvesting events. We used a landscape-scale model of forest succession, wildfire, and C dynamics (LANDIS-II) to evaluate the effects of a changing climate (A2 and B1 IPCC emissions; Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory General Circulation Models) on total forest C, tree species composition, and wildfire dynamics in the Lake Tahoe Basin, California, and Nevada. The independent effects of temperature and precipitation were assessed within and among climate models. Results highlight the importance of modeling forest succession and stand development processes at the landscape scale for understanding the C cycle. Due primarily to landscape legacy effects of historic logging of the Comstock Era in the late 1880s, C sequestration may continue throughout the current century, and the forest will remain a C sink (Net Ecosystem Carbon Balance > 0), regardless of climate regime. Climate change caused increases in temperatures limited simulated C sequestration potential because of augmented fire activity and reduced establishment ability of subalpine and upper montane trees. Higher temperatures influenced forest response more than reduced precipitation. As the forest reached its potential steady state, the forest could become C neutral or a C source, and climate change could accelerate this transition. The future of forest ecosystem C cycling in many forested systems worldwide may depend more on major disturbances and landscape legacies related to land use than on projected climate change alone.
Evaluating the Use of Requirement Error Abstraction and Classification Method for Preventing Errors during Artifact Creation: A Feasibility Study

Defect prevention techniques can be used during the creation of software artifacts to help developers create high-quality artifacts. These artifacts should have fewer faults that must be removed during inspection and testing. The Requirement Error Taxonomy that we have developed helps focus developers’ attention on common errors that can occur during requirements engineering. Our claim is that, by focusing on those errors, the developers will be less likely to commit them. This paper investigates the usefulness of the Requirement Error Taxonomy as a defect prevention technique. The goal was to determine if making requirements engineers’ familiar with the Requirement Error Taxonomy would reduce the likelihood that they commit errors while developing a requirements document. We conducted an empirical study in which the participants were given the opportunity to learn how to use the Requirement Error Taxonomy by employing it during the inspection of a requirements document. Then, in teams of four, they developed their own requirements document. This requirements document was then evaluated by other students to identify any errors made. The hypothesis was that participants who find more errors during the inspection of a requirements document would make fewer errors when creating their own requirements document. The overall result supports this hypothesis
VISUAL AIDS TO COMMUNICATION

As with other symbolic images, visual aids can complement or supplement words in both written and spoken texts. Their basic function is to clarify points beyond what the spoken or written words alone can do. In scientific communication if they attract attention only to themselves and do not increase clarity, they serve as distractions. This chapter discusses different kinds of exhibits that help to clarify a point to the audience, and accompanies an oral presentation. Each of these kinds of exhibits requires its own equipment, whether it is a chalk and a chalkboard, a projector, or a poster board. Flipcharts and posters accommodate small audiences and require well-lighted conditions. Slides require subdued lighting but can serve a rather large audience. Speakers often fail to note how handy a chalkboard can be. Visual aids can add information, they can illustrate or provide examples or evidence, or they may repeat what is being said or written.
Communication Skills For Women In The World Of Corporate Business: Getting It Right And Moving Up!

This article explores, in general, three areas for leadership communication that women in business need to master. Indeed, there are more than three, but the focus here is on : the need to master the art of successfully confronting the problem when it appears, the process of leading a team, the special requirements of communicating with men. An exploration of these three areas shows that the vital and often missing link is opportunity for females to practice and feedback from male mentors and counterparts. The report also lists the top 10 strategies that women need in order to be perceived as successful leaders and communicators.
Editorial: Discourse on Technology in Social Education

Research and scholarship in social studies and technology has taken two basic forms over the past decade and a half. Early scholarship on social studies and technology focused on theoretical arguments about how to integrate technology into social studies practice. This first wave of scholarship tended to tout the potential of technology to transform social studies teaching and learning. Accompanying these uplifting and theoretical works were descriptive accounts of how technology could be or was being used in the social studies. Seminal works in this wave of scholarship by researchers such as Diem (1983), Ehman and Glen (1991), Berson (1996), and Martorella (1997) laid a theoretical base of research on technology and social studies.
The Microelectronic Wire Bond: Past, Present, and Future

Since its very inception, the microelectronic wire bond has been the dominate form of first-level interconnection (chip to package or substrate). Wire bonds account for over 80% of first-level chip interconnections made by the microelectronic industry each year. Wire bonding is reliable, flexible, and low cost when compared to other forms of first-level interconnections. In this article a brief discussion of wire bonding is presented along with bond formation fundamentals. Aspects of wire bond reliability will be explored in conjunction with methods of wire bond testing. Particular attention is given to fine pitch bonding, bonding to stacked die, higher frequency bonding, ball bonding with copper wire, and advanced bond testing methods.
An Analysis of Imagined Interactions With Pro-Ana (Anorexia): Implications for Mental and Physical Health

For individuals suffering from an eating disorder, the Internet is a place of encouragement and support. To date, however, no comprehensive research has been done to examine particular entries on b...
Characterization of a Dominant Electron Trap in GaNAs Using Deep-Level Transient Spectroscopy

Dilute-nitrogen GaNAs epitaxial layers grown by metal-organic chemical vapor deposition were characterized by deep-level transient spectroscopy (DLTS). For all samples, the dominant DLTS signal corresponds to an electron trap having an activation energy of about 0.25 to 0.35 eV. The minority-carrier trap density in the p-type material is quantified based on computer simulation of the devices. The simulations show that only about 2% of the traps in the depleted layer are filled during the transient. The fraction of the traps that are filled depends strongly on the depth of the trap, but only weakly on the doping of the layers and on the conduction-band offset. The simulations provide a pathway to obtain semi-quantitative data for analysis of minority-carrier traps by DLTS.
Ovipositional Preference of Heliothis virescens for Nicotiana Species

Preference of the tobacco budworm moth, Heliothis virescens (F.), for Nicotiana species indicated a low level of resistance to oviposition. Three species, N. sylvestris Speg. & Comes, N. occidentalis Wheeler, and N. repanda willd. were preferred for oviposition over 46 other species. When fewer than 49 species were offered for oviposition the difference between preference and non preference was more distinct. Tobacco, N. tabacum L., was intermediate in oviposition preference. but when only 6 species were tested, tobacco was similar to N. repanda , a preferred species.
Activation Testing and Lessons Learned During the Aerodynamic and Propulsion Test Unit Upgrade

The Aerodynamic and Propulsion Test Unit (APTU) at the Arnold Engineering Development Center (AEDC) has recently completed a facility upgrade to prepare for the testing of high-speed and hypersonic air-breathing propulsion systems for tactical missiles. The facility upgrade, started in 2002, increased the maximum facility test capability to 2800 psia and 4700o R. New or upgraded utility supply systems were installed to provide air, liquid oxygen, isobutane, water, and gaseous hydrogen at the required pressures and flow rates to the test cell. At the completion of the construction effort, each of the individual utility systems was activated in order to validate the individual system performance against the contractual requirements for flow rate, pressure, temperature, and control stability. A discussion of the processes by which these systems were activated and the lessons learned during the activation effort form the basis for this paper.
Susceptibility of mice to phenytoin-induced cleft palate correlated with inhibition of fetal palatal RNA and protein synthesis (41255).

AbstractPhenytoin administered to pregnant mice during the critical embryonic period of palatal differentiation produced 50% cleft palates in the Ajax (A/J) strain compared to 1.6% clefts in the C57BL/6 (B6) strain of mice. Furthermore, a single maternal injection of phenytoin produced a significantly greater and more persistent decrease in fetal palatal RNA and protein synthesis in the sensitive A/J strain compared to that in the insensitive B6 strain of mice. Thus, these differential effects of phenytoin on RNA and protein synthesis are associated with the differential susceptibility to the teratogenic action of phenytoin in the two strains.
Nausea and Vomiting of Pregnancy

Nausea and vomiting of pregnancy affects nearly 75% of pregnant women. The exact cause is unknown. In most cases, it is a mild, self-limited condition that can be controlled with conservative measures and has no adverse fetal sequelae. About 1% of women develop hyperemesis gravidarum, which may result in adverse outcomes for the mother and fetus. Patients with nausea and vomiting of pregnancy should be evaluated for other causes, particularly if symptoms are unremitting or presentation is atypical. Initial treatment is conservative and includes dietary changes, emotional support, and vitamin B6 supplementation. Several safe and effective pharmacologic therapies are available for women who do not improve with initial treatment. Women with hyperemesis gravidarum may require more aggressive interventions, including hospitalization, rehydration therapy, and parenteral nutrition.
The Survey of Health Education Effectiveness and Needs for People in Health Promotion Model Village in Tongzhou District,Beijing

Objective Methods Results Conclusion To evaluate the effectiveness of health education in the health promotion model village in Tongzhou District,Beijing during 2007-2010;and provide the evidence for further specifical health education services.Methods Stratified random sampling method was applied in the study.1068 permanent rural residents from three towns,who were over 15 years old and have resided continuously in the local administrative area more than six months,were chosen and surveyed.Results The total correct knowledge rate of rural residents for hypertension and diabetes was significantly increased(P0.05).TV,Health lecture,and Docter referring were not only the main channels for the rural residents to obtain health information,but also the needed mode of transmissions for health education.Reasonable diet knowledge is the rural residents' primary demand.Conclusion The multi-channel and multi-form health education activities were the effective ways to improve the health knowledge level of rural residents.
Is she mad at me?: tone and conversation in text messaging

The average American college student text messages constantly throughout the day. According to a Boston area Verizon retailer, it is not uncommon for young adults (an age range he did not define) to send 8,000 text messages a month. Texting has become an increasingly more important form of communication in our culture, and our country’s colleges are the hotbeds of linguistic activity and change within this particular medium. Its emergence and popularity have not gone unnoticed in the sociolinguistic community, where text messaging and online conversation have become rich new areas of linguistic data yet unexplored. Most famous in this discussion is British linguist David Crystal, whose recent research, culminating in his 2008 book Txting: The Gr8 Deb8 , has incited discussion and suggested fascinating conclusions about the sophistication of this means of communication and its influence on the English language. Crystal writes a great deal about the acronyms and abbreviations within the grammar of the Short Messaging Service (SMS), but in this paper I focused on the relationship of tone and punctuation, a topic that emerged out of a conversation with a fellow student. She was struggling to compose a message to a recent acquaintance (and potential romantic interest), and could not decide on the proper end punctuation for the attitude she wanted to project. The message content, something mundane about her hometown in Maryland, wasn’t the problem; it was deciding the appropriate way to finish the message off, to apply a tone. We ran through the list of options and discussed all of their implications, trying to identify which one would best convey her overall attitude: interested and engaged, but definitely light and casual. After trying a few different combinations of haha’s and exclamation points we landed on something satisfactory and she sent it off. Reflecting on it later, I realized that we had just achieved a pretty complex linguistic act. With limited resources we managed to make sure her recipient knew how she felt; her message served as a vehicle for an emotional transfer. Text messages that are pure content are all business, just an instant communication of needs to another person who could be in any place and engaged in any activity. Without explicit markers of tone, such a message is bold and possibly disconcerting, and not at all analogous to face-to-face conversation, in which politeness is paramount. American college students therefore employ punctuation and add certain particles in order to avoid ambiguity of tone and preserve standards of politeness in text messaging.
Assessing progression from mild to severe preeclampsia in expectantly managed preterm parturients.

Abstract Objective To identify factors associated with shortened latency in expectantly managed women diagnosed with preeclampsia without severe features between 23 0/7 and 35 6/7 weeks’ gestation. Methods This was a retrospective cohort study performed at a large community-based hospital between 2009 and 2014, evaluating all mothers between 23 0/7 and 35 6/7 weeks’ gestation with a diagnosis of preeclampsia without severe features. We collected maternal demographics, symptoms, vital signs and laboratory values within six hours of admission. Maternal and neonatal outcomes were stratified by latency period of less than or greater than/equal to seven days ( Results Overall mean latency was 7.6 ± 12.1 days. When stratifying subjects to Conclusion Within our cohort of preterm women admitted with preeclampsia without severe features, elevated systolic blood pressure on admission conveyed significant risk for delivery within seven days.
Lacrimal gland enlargement as an early clinical or radiological sign in thyroid orbitopathy

Abstract Purpose Characteristic ophthalmic signs of Thyroid Orbitopathy (TO) include exophthalmos, eyelid retraction, eyelid edema, restrictive extraocular myopathy, and optic neuropathy. In addition lacrimal gland (LG) enlargement can be observed in these patients. However TO has not usually been considered in the differential diagnosis of cases of isolated LG enlargement. Observations A female patient at our institution (Texas Tech) was seen over a period from 2006 to 2012. This patient presented initially with LG enlargement as the primary clinical or radiologic sign of what later was diagnosed as TO. Computerized tomography and/or magnetic resonance imaging of the orbits were obtained and demonstrated isolated LG enlargement. Conclusions and importance This case represents, to our knowledge, the first report of LG enlargement as an initial presenting sign of TO. Further clinical and radiological studies looking at the natural history of TO would be useful to better understand the timing of LG involvement. In patients presenting with lacrimal gland enlargement, thyroid orbitopathy should be strongly considered in the differential diagnosis together with other causes of dacryoadenitis and LG tumors. This may save unnecessary and extensive diagnostic testing or even LG biopsies.
Tumor suppressor ING4 inhibits estrogen receptor activity in breast cancer cells

Resistance to antiestrogen therapy remains a significant problem in breast cancer. Low expression of inhibitor of growth 4 (ING4) in primary tumors has been correlated with increased rates of recurrence in estrogen receptor-positive (ER+) breast cancer patients, suggesting a role for ING4 in ER signaling. This study provides evidence that ING4 inhibits ER activity. ING4 overexpression increased the sensitivity of T47D and MCF7 ER+ breast cancer cells to hormone deprivation. ING4 attenuated maximal estrogen-dependent cell growth without affecting the dose-response of estrogen. These results indicated that ING4 functions as a noncompetitive inhibitor of estrogen signaling and may inhibit estrogen-independent ER activity. Supportive of this, treatment with fulvestrant but not tamoxifen rendered T47D cells sensitive to hormone deprivation as did ING4 overexpression. ING4 did not affect nuclear ERα protein expression, but repressed selective ER-target gene transcription. Taken together, these results demonstrated that ING4 inhibited estrogen-independent ER activity, suggesting that ING4-low breast tumors recur faster due to estrogen-independent ER activity that renders tamoxifen less effective. This study puts forth fulvestrant as a proposed therapy choice for patients with ING4-low ER+ breast tumors.
Cardiometabolic Mortality by Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Participation and Eligibility in the United States

Objectives. To investigate total and cause-specific cardiometabolic mortality among Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) participants, SNAP-eligible nonparticipants, and SNAP-ineligible individuals overall and by age, gender, race/ethnicity, and other characteristics.Methods. We performed a prospective study with nationally representative survey data from the National Health Interview Survey (2000–2009), merged with subsequent Public-Use Linked Mortality Files (2000–2011). We used survey-weighted Cox proportional hazards models adjusted for age and gender to estimate hazard ratios of total and cause-specific cardiometabolic mortality for 499 741 US adults aged 25 years or older.Results. Over a mean of 6.8 years of follow-up (maximum 11.9 years), 39 293 deaths occurred, including 7408 heart disease, 2185 stroke, and 1376 diabetes deaths. Individuals participating in SNAP exhibited higher total and cardiovascular disease mortality, largely limited to non-Hispanic Whites and non-Hispanic Blacks, ...
Louis Sullivan and the Physiognomic Translation of American Character

Louis Sullivan and the Physiognomic Translation of American Character examines the racial politics of Louis Sullivan9s democratic vision for American architecture, as manifest in his interpretations of physiognomic character in people and the built environment and in his reflections on U.S. nationalism. Charles L. Davis II argues that while Sullivan believed that ordinary Americans would produce an indigenous culture reflective of democratic ideals, his assimilationist conception of American citizenship excluded recent white immigrants and resident nonwhite peoples and limited his democratic architecture, as in the case of Kehilath Anshe Ma9ariv Synagogue in Chicago. While Sullivan9s ornament for the synagogue expressed Jewish identity in Chicago, its Richardsonian exterior referred to his secular-assimilationist model of national culture. The synagogue9s subsequent use as Pilgrim Baptist Church by an African American congregation complicates our understanding of Sullivan9s assimilationist political theory and its expression in his architecture.
An asymptotic characterization of hidden tail credit risk with actuarial applications

In this paper we study the tail risk of a properly diversified credit portfolio under a latent risk factor model. The usual perception is that if the diversification leads to asymptotic independence among the risk factors, then, because of the relatively low probability of simultaneous defaults, the tail risk of the entire portfolio is negligible. However, we point out that in fact there may be substantial tail risk hidden in this situation. We use a conditional tail probability of the portfolio loss to quantify the hidden tail risk, and then provide an asymptotic characterization for the risk under a hidden regular variation structure assumed for the risk factors. We also propose applications of the characterization to the determination and allocation of related insurance risk capital, based on the Conditional Tail Expectation risk measure. To understand the impact of dependence on the quantities of interest, we study two special cases where the risk factors have a Gaussian copula or an Archimedean copula. Numerical examples are provided to illustrate the results.
Two-Part Predictors in Regression Models

Researchers often build regression models to relate a response to a set of predictor variables. In some cases, there are predictors that apply to some participants, or to some measurement occasions, but not others. For example, a romantic partner's substance use may be a key predictor of one's own substance use. However, not all participants have a partner, and in a longitudinal study, participants may have a partner during only some occasions. This could be viewed as missing data, but of a very distinctive type: the values are not just unknown but also undefined. In this paper, we present a simple method to accommodate this situation, along with a motivating example, the algebraic justification, a simulation study, and examples on how to carry out the technique.
Experimental Optimization of Fused Deposition Modelling Processing Parameters: A Design-for-Manufacturing Approach

Abstract The Additive Manufacturing (AM) technology initially was developed as a rapid prototyping tool for visualization and validation of designs. The recent development of AM technologies, such as Fused Deposition Modelling (FDM), is driving it from rapid prototyping to rapid manufacturing. However, building end-user functional parts using FDM proved to be a challenging task. The difficulty arises from the large number of processing parameters that affect the final part design such as: building direction, extrusion temperature, layer height, infill pattern and more. The processing parameters of FDM influence the quality of the parts and their functionality. In addition, a more systemic understanding is required to elaborate on the impact of the FDM processing parameters on the final part's mechanical properties, dimensional accuracy and building time. The presented paper provides an experimental study to investigate the independent effect of each processing parameter on the mechanical properties and dimensional accuracy repeatability of FDM parts. A total of 18 test specimen samples were printed using varying processing parameters. In order to investigate the repeatability and resulted tolerances, the dimensions of these specimens were measured and compared with a 3D CAD model. The presented work utilizes a tensile test per ASTM D638 standards to obtain the mechanical properties of each fabricated sample. In addition, the work provides a Finite Element Analysis (FEA) model for AM parts. The work suggested to simulate their behavior under mechanical loads for future investigation on the coupled effects of processing parameters.
The Information Content of Negative Earnings and its Relation With Initial-Loss Persistence

This study examines the information content of negative earnings and the relation between that information content and the persistence of negative earnings. Recent studies have found evidence that negative earnings convey significantly less information than positive earnings. One reason for this result may be the difference between the expected persistence of gains and losses. This study extends prior literature by studying the relation between negative earnings and persistence. I first provide evidence of the information content of initial-loss-year earnings. I then develop evidence that the information content of losses is related to the persistence of the loss. Specifically, I find that initial losses from single-year loss periods have less information content than initial losses from multi-year loss periods. Second, I find evidence that initial losses have significantly more information content than subsequent losses. Third, I find a significant difference in the information content of losses across groups of firms with different levels of initial-loss persistence. The study concludes with an examination of the potential usefulness of financial statement information for predicting initial-loss persistence.
LEFT VENTRICULAR CHAMBER DILATION PREDICTS THERAPEUTIC RESPONSE TO MITRACLIP: IMPACT OF ADVERSE LV REMODELING ON MITRAL REGURGITATION RECURRENCE FOLLOWING PERCUTANEOUS REPAIR

MitraClip (MClp) is a novel percutaneous approach to treat mitral regurgitation (MR) but response is variable. Cardiac chamber geometry impacts MR; effect on MClp response is unknown. The population comprised advanced (>moderate) MR pts undergoing MClp who had clinical transthoracic echo done pre-
Association of plexiform neurofibroma volume changes and development of clinical morbidities in neurofibromatosis 1

Background Plexiform neurofibromas (PN) in neurofibromatosis 1 (NF1) can cause substantial morbidities. Clinical trials targeting PN have recently described decreases in PN volumes. However, no previous study has assessed the association between changes in PN volumes and PN-related morbidities. Our objective was to assess if increasing PN volume in NF1 is associated with increasing PN-related morbidity. Methods This is a retrospective review of patients enrolled on the NCI NF1 natural history study with ≥7 years of data available. Morbidities including pain, motor dysfunction, vision loss, and PN-related surgery were assessed at time of baseline PN MRI with volumetric analysis and time of MRI with maximum PN volume. Results Forty-one patients (median age at baseline 8 y) with 57 PN were included. At baseline, 40 PN had at least 1 PN-associated morbidity. During the observation period, 27 PN required increasing pain medication, and these PN grew faster per year (median difference 8.3%; 95% CI: 2.4, 13.8%) than those PN which did not. PN resulting in motor impairment at baseline (n = 11) had larger volumes compared with those that did not (median difference 461 mL; 95% CI: 66.9, 820). Conclusions Many NF1 PN were associated with clinically significant morbidity at baseline, highlighting the need for longitudinal morbidity evaluations starting at an early age to capture changes in PN-associated morbidities. Prospective evaluation of standardized patient reported and functional outcomes in clinical trials are ongoing and may allow further characterization of the association of PN volume increase or decrease and clinical changes.
Normal Saline Slush Preparation for Renal Surgery

AbstractWe describe a simple, rapid method to prepare normal saline slush with commercially available slush mugs that are gas-sterilized in routine fashion and stored in a freezer. Slush can be prepared intraoperatively in 10 minutes with this method.
Situating Cognition through Conceptual Integration

Traditional cognitive science treats cognition as internal computation: formal syntactic operations on internal symbols who acquire meaning only through reference to the external world or possible worlds. Proponents of situated cognition argue that cognition is more appropriately viewed as a coupling of internal and external in an interactive process. Such couplings can be mediated by many elements simultaneously: by internal plans or programs, by the functioning of bodies and the fit between body and environment, by artifacts and physical structure in the setting of activity, by the dynamics of events and of interactions with other embodied agents, etc. The situated view focuses interest on how cognitive activities are accomplished in the real world, on the dynamics of how they unfold, and -- of special interest to cognitive linguists -- on the meanings that participants construct in the course of activity.Among the situated approaches, one in particular, the framework of Distributed Cognition advanced by Hutchins (1995), manages to preserve the notion of cognition as computation by viewing the computational process as distributed across the individual and the material environment, across multiple individuals in interaction, and across multiple scales of historical and local time. In Hutchins' view, drawing a line on a navigation chart executes a computation that depends on the cultural history of people and tools whose activity went into the making of the chart as well as on the activities of the navigation team that measured the bearing reproduced in the line. In his analysis, Hutchins dispenses with internal symbol processing as the fundamental architecture of cognition but maintains the view that cognitive processes are those that "act on representations to produce computational outcomes." He sees cognition as "computation carried out through the propagation of representational states across representational media (which may be internal or external to the actor)." The representational states are propagated by "bringing the media into coordination with one another," and it is human actors who coordinate these media in "cognitive functional systems" that generate computational outcomes.In this paper I explore the relationship between coordination and conceptual integration (Fauconnier & Turner, 1998; 2002). I argue that computation may be accomplished through the coordination of media in cognitive functional systems, but the coordinated elements take on meaning only through virtue of their links to mental spaces in conceptual integration networks. Using examples drawn from studies of time-telling (2004) and counting (2007), I contrast cognitive functional systems with their situated instantiations, highlighting the role that conceptual integration plays in generating meaning in real-world cognitive activities.
Pain; Basic Mechanisms

The basic mechanisms of pain are covered in this article and include the components of the nociceptor, and the process of transduction that nociceptors are required to perform to convey noxious information from the body to the central nervous system. The organization of spinal cord laminae in the dorsal horn is described, along with a brief description of various ascending pathways to the brainstem and brain that convey and process pain information. The most widely characterized descending pain modulating pathways, as well as peripheral and central mechanisms underlying the enhancement of pain signals, are described.
Integrating Information, Management and Control in Process Industries

Integration of information flows throughout the extensive network of humans and computational resources is the “key” to the next generation of practices in process operations planning, monitoring and control. Such practices will require, (a) change in the goals and structure of management and (b) new paradigms in the design of the requisite computer-aided environments. In this paper we discuss both of these issues. We present a structured approach to the conception and deployment of a computeraided environment that supports the hierarchy of engineering tasks, such as (i) planning, scheduling, and controlling process operations, and (ii) monitoring, analysis, diagnosis, and evaluation of operational experience. In addition, we argue that the real benefits from the deployment of an integrated information processing system, as the above, depend on a fundamental change in management philosophy. The Plan-DoCheck-Act (PDCA) paradigm emulates the corrective benefits of feedback control and leads to far more streamlined and efficient operations.
Structure and Dynamics of Polymer Nanocomposites Involving Chain-Grafted Spherical Nanoparticles

Polymer nanocomposites (PNCs), created through the incorporation of nanoparticles into polymer hosts, exhibit a diverse range of properties that are often significantly different from the polymer host. The properties, generally emergent, are derived from complex cooperative entropic and enthalpic interactions between the chains and the nanoparticles and are strongly dependent on microstructural features. A primary challenge is controlling the microstructure; one effective strategy is through grafting chains of varying grafting densities, onto the nanoparticles. This chapter discusses the morphological structure, glass transition, and the short- and long-range dynamics of mixtures of homopolymers with grafted nanoparticles. It is shown how the grafting density, particle radius, and degree of polymerization of both the grafted chains and the host profoundly influence the microstructural features of the PNC. Two fundamentally different types of morphologies are encountered in the limits of low and high grafting densities. The role of neutron scattering techniques, in combination with other characterization techniques, is shown to play an important role toward understanding the molecular mechanisms that control the structure, dynamics, and glass transition of these confined systems.
Nuclear Imaging of Gliomas

This chapter reviews nuclear imaging of gliomas, both high- and low-grade, with emphasis on results from positron emission tomography (PET) with [F-18]-2-fluoro-2-deoxyglucose (FDG) for assessing energy metabolism. There are many additional advances beyond FDG-PET that are very exciting and potentially applicable in the management of gliomas. Biosynthesis in tumors occurs along several important broad fronts for DNA, proteins, and membrane lipids. Molecular imaging of these pathways is coming to the foreground. Hypoxia, a significant resistance mechanism that compromises the efficacy of radiotherapy and chemotherapy, can now be regionally quantified in vivo with PET. In the near future it is likely that the presence of mutant receptors, apoptosis, and angiogenesis will also be measurable with PET and new tracers.
Milk or wine: does software security improve with age?

We examine the code base of the OpenBSD operating system to determine whether its security is increasing over time. We measure the rate at which new code has been introduced and the rate at which vulnerabilities have been reported over the last 7.5 years and fifteen versions. We learn that 61% of the lines of code in today's OpenBSD are foundational: they were introduced prior to the release of the initial version we studied and have not been altered since. We also learn that 62% of reported vulnerabilities were present when the study began and can also be considered to be foundational. We find strong statistical evidence of a decrease in the rate at which foundational vulnerabilities are being reported. However, this decrease is anything but brisk: foundational vulnerabilities have a median lifetime of at least 2.6 years. Finally, we examined the density of vulnerabilities in the code that was altered/introduced in each version. The densities ranged from 0 to 0.033 vulnerabilities reported per thousand lines of code. These densities will increase as more vulnerabilities are reported.