cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Accomplices: A Theory of Joint Intention

An accomplice is held criminally liable for the acts of another. Yet, the circumstances under which this liability should apply remain unclear owing to an inconsistent and under-articulated set of doctrines, some departing dramatically from foundational commitments of criminal law. We propose a framework that grounds this area of law in a considered account of joint intention, which preserves the central roles of both mens rea and individual intention in the assignment of criminal liability. A key novel concept in our approach is standing in reserve, which extends the coverage of a joint intention beyond the immediate participants in the primary criminal act and anchors a systematic way of assessing complicity in complex environments.
Human immunodeficiency virus I: History, epidemiology, transmission, and pathogenesis

While research has shown that human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) may have been present in humans as early as the start of the twentieth century in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (formerly Zaire), the diagnosis remained out of the public eye for over half a century. In the 1980s, that all changed. When acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) was first described in 1981, acquisition of the disease was considered a death sentence. HIV had not yet been discovered and antiretroviral (ARV) medications were not available. Initial treatments were limited to treating concomitant opportunistic infections and their complications. Moreover, the medical and public hysteria over how the disease could be spread lead to stigma among those affected. More than 30 million people worldwide are infected, with the largest number of infected individuals living in resource-poor areas of sub-Saharan Africa and South and Southeast Asia. Additionally, it is estimated that only half to two-thirds of people with HIV currently have access to treatment. In the United States, an estimated 1,122,900 people were living with HIV in 2015, which includes an estimate of the number of people with HIV who do not yet know of their diagnosis. In 2016, the last full year for which statistics are available, 39,782 new cases of HIV were diagnosed in the United States. HIV is a retrovirus that is transmitted generally through direct blood exposure or through contact with contaminated body fluids, such as with sexual exposure. Infection with HIV leads to significant immunosuppression as the virus infects CD4+ T cells and causes their progressive depletion.
Exploring Social Competence as a Mediator of Head Start's Impact on Children's Early Math Skills: Evidence from the Head Start Impact Study.

Children from low-income families often enter kindergarten academically behind their higher income peers. Recent findings also indicate gaps in social-emotional aspects of school readiness, raising...
Connectness Indicators and the Prediction of Problem Solving Success

AbstractIn this study, it was hypothesized that problem solving success is dependent upon two related but district types of mathematical knowledge, content indicators and connectedness indicators. Results did indeed display that the problem solving success of 188 undergraduate students was related to these two indicators. The correlations of content indicators and connectedness indicators to problem solving were 0.62 and 0.73 respectively. These two independent variables were also highly correlated to each other, and also were shown to be two distinct factors. The squared multiple correlations for structural equations for problem solving is 0.58. The study also found that the direct effect of connectedness indicators were 0.56, which is more important than content indicators as of 0.27. Therefore, the connectedness indicators are unique predictors of problem solving success.
Analysis of 90-Day Readmissions After Total Shoulder Arthroplasty.

Background:The number of total shoulder arthroplasty (TSA) procedures performed annually is increasing as a result of an aging population and an increased access to subspecialty-trained upper extre...
Frequency of burn-out among palliative care physicians participating in continuing medical education.

77Background: There is a growing concern about high frequency of burn out (BO) among physicians, and higher among palliative care providers, reported to be in the range of 62%. There are very limit...
Impact of Septal Myectomy Volume on Mitral-Valve Replacement Rate in Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy Patients.

Objective Mitral regurgitation (MR) induced by systolic anterior motion in patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) can frequently be abolished with a proficient septal myectomy (SM) without the need for mitral-valve replacement (MVR). ACC guidelines stress the importance of volume in improving outcomes after SM, but there is a lack of data measuring the impact of volume on the need for MVR during SM. This study was designed to assess the impact of institutional volume on MVR rates using national outcomes data. Methods The Nationwide Inpatient Sample was queried from 1998 to 2011 and a total of 6,207 patients had a diagnosis of HCM and a procedure code for SM. Outcomes were compared between patients who underwent SM (group I) and SM and MVR (group II). Furthermore, patients were stratified into 3 groups based on the number of SMs at the performing institution: low experience (1-24 cumulative SMs), medium experience (25-49 SMs), and high experience (>50 SMs). These patients underwent multivariable analysis to determine the impact of institutional volume on MVR rate. Results The total MVR rate was 26%. Perioperative outcomes were worse, i.e., there were higher rates of mortality, kidney injury, and urinary complications, in group II than in group I. Only 37.6% of patients were operated on at institutions meeting the guideline criteria of >50 cumulative SMs. When compared to patients in the high-experience group, patients in the low- (OR 2.7, 95% CI 2.3-3.2, p Conclusion Compared to reports from SM reference centers, national data suggest that MVR rates are quite high at SM. Patients undergoing SM at centers that do not meet the guideline standard have >2.5× the odds of undergoing MVR compared to those operated on at guideline-endorsed centers.
Chapter 3 – Diet

Publisher Summary This chapter reviews what is known about fish nutrition as it applies to the development of formulated diets for the culture of fish specifically for laboratory research. As with all animals, the nutritional component of fish husbandry requires meeting at least two fundamental needs. Foremost is the requirement for a constant supply of energy. Energy liberated from the metabolism of organic compounds is essential to fuel the suite of biochemical processes maintaining biological organization and function. Additionally, arrays of specific organic compounds as well as some inorganic elements are needed in the synthesis of the complex organic compounds. Sophisticated methods for accurately delivering nutrients to individual fish have yet to be developed; quantification of nutrient needs is quite coarse. The optimal dietary level of a nutrient is typically defined by the average growth of a group of fish on an “as fed” basis. Under these conditions, nutrient losses during processing, storage, feeding and utilization are obscured. Another quandary is how to prevent intake of nutrients through routes other than the proffered ration. Feeding on available organisms from the aquatic environment or even direct uptake of nutrients in the case of minerals can also obscure actual requirements.
CHAPTER XXIII – Longitudinal Dynamics

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the longitudinal dynamic motions of the helicopter. The linearized, small-perturbation equations of motion are taken into consideration. There are three equations in three unknowns. Two equations are for forces resolved along body axes, and one is for pitching moments. It is assumed that the flight is at approximately constant altitude. The X axis is approximately horizontal, while the Z is approximately vertical. Within these restrictions, the equations are meaningful and directly usable over a complete range of speed from hovering to high-speed forward flight. The use of velocity components Δu and Δw as variables in place of V and α avoids difficulty over definition of α at low speeds, and associated indeterminate forms. The equations in this form are appropriate for tracing the small perturbation dynamics over the whole speed range, without a gap between hovering and forward flight. They are even useful for some simple kinds of simulation, in which the derivatives are programmed as functions of velocity.
Dendroecological Investigation Of Red-Cockaded Woodpecker Cavity Tree Selection In Endangered Longleaf Pine Forests

Abstract Old-growth longleaf pine (Pinus palustris) is a keystone/foundation species for 29 threatened or endangered species in the Coastal Plain of the southeastern United States. The endangered red-cockaded woodpecker (Dryobates borealis; RCW) and endangered longleaf pine have an established ecological association. Here, we explore differences in climate/growth response and radial growth disturbance events in trees with RCW cavities compared to non-cavity trees in the Sandhills Gameland Reserve in North Carolina, USA. Using standard dendrochronological techniques, we collected and analyzed core samples from trees selected by RCW for their cavities (RCWC) and adjacent control trees (RCWCo) that had no visible cavity. We developed RCWC and RCWCo tree-ring chronologies that allowed us to examine if climate vulnerability is a component of the RCW selection process for their nests. Specifically, we investigated climate/growth responses, radial growth suppressions, and physical characteristics of both tree types through a comparison of tree age, latewood radial growth measurements, and number of resin ducts. For long-term climate response (1910–2018), we found no significant differences between RCWC and RCWCo trees. However, we identified temporal differences in climate/growth relationships between RCWC and RCWCo as well as significant differences in the number of suppression events and spatially-grouped suppression events. For tree physiology, we found more resin ducts during 1950–2018 in RCWC trees. Our dendroecological-based investigation examines multiple factors in addressing the question of why RCWs select specific longleaf pine trees for cavities, which may help improve conservation efforts for RCW and longleaf pine.
Perceptions of Victim Advocates and Predictors of Service Referral Among Law Enforcement Personnel

Limited research exists on police officers’ service provision for sexual and domestic violence survivors after they formally report. This study used surveys from 452 commissioned officers at an urb...
Dynamic stability of a jet near a transition in static stability

The vertical profile of the Earth's atmosphere in middle latitudes contains a sharp transition region between two roughly constant stability layers, termed the tropopause and also exhibits jet stre...
Comparison of the effects of real-time propulsive force versus limb angle gait biofeedback on gait biomechanics

Abstract Background Reduced forward propulsion during gait, measured as the anterior component of the ground reaction force (AGRF), may contribute to slower walking speeds in older adults and gait dysfunction in individuals with neurological impairments. Trailing limb angle (TLA) is a clinically important gait parameter that is associated with AGRF generation. Real-time gait biofeedback can induce modifications in targeted gait parameters, with potential to modulate AGRF and TLA. However, the effects of real-time TLA biofeedback on gait biomechanics have not been studied thus far. Research question What are the effects of unilateral, real-time, audiovisual trailing limb angle biofeedback on gait biomechanics in able-bodied individuals? Methods Ten able-bodied adults participated in one session of treadmill-based gait analyses comprising 60-second walking trials under three conditions: no biofeedback, AGRF biofeedback, and TLA biofeedback. Biofeedback was provided unilaterally to the right leg. Dependent variables included AGRF, TLA, ankle moment, and ankle power. One-way repeated measures ANOVA with post-hoc tests were conducted to determine the effect of the biofeedback conditions on gait parameters. Results Compared to no biofeedback, both AGRF and TLA biofeedback induced significant increases in targeted leg AGRF without concomitant changes to the non-targeted leg AGRF. Targeted leg TLA was significantly larger during TLA biofeedback compared to AGRF biofeedback. Only AGRF biofeedback induced significant increases in ankle power; and only the TLA biofeedback condition induced increases in the non-targeted leg TLA. Significance Our novel findings provide support for the feasibility and promise of TLA as a gait biofeedback target. Our study demonstrates that comparable magnitudes of feedback-induced increases in AGRF in response to AGRF and TLA biofeedback may be achieved through divergent biomechanical strategies. Further investigation is needed to uncover the effects of TLA biofeedback on gait parameters in individuals with neuro-pathologies such as spinal cord injury or stroke.
Measure Theory-based Approach for Remaining Useful Lifetime Prediction in Power Converters

It is well known that the reliability of each component in a power converter affects the reliability of the overall system. Due to the advancements in computing infrastructure and sensor technologies, data-driven approaches for the prediction of the health of power converters in real-time are slowly becoming popular. This paper proposes a new statistical approach using probability density functions (PDFs) and associated concepts in measure theory to predict the probability of system failure using individual components’ degradation data. For this purpose, remaining-useful-life (RUL) is estimated for each power component (or sub-system) using qualification data, followed by an evaluation of a cumulative probability of survival for the converter. An artificial neural network (ANN) is then trained to quickly estimate in real-time, the probability of survival of the power converter in the future. While the algorithm involves multiple computation steps, the RUL prediction accuracy using the proposed method will be high due to the data-driven approach. Moreover, the machine learning-based model resulting from this approach to predict the probability of survival is light on memory utilization. It is envisioned that this approach can be used to create digital twins of power converters in practical circuits, optimize performance, and predict RUL. This paper explains the theory followed by an example analysis of an isolated DC-DC converter. An experimental qualification setup for device degradation test and system-level RUL measurement methods are provided.
A Test of Owen Genre Séances: Examining Anomalous Events, Psychosomatic Symptoms, and Electromagnetic Fields

The current study replicated an Owen & Sparrow (1976) genre seance study to examine the relationships between transliminality, psychokinesis (PK), subjective experiences, contagion effects, and variations in electro-magnetic field activity. Eleven participants in two series of mock seance sessions were observed and recorded for anomalous, subjective and somatic experiences. No verifiable PK occurred, but relationships were found between geo-magnetic and electro-magnetic field activity as well as subjective anomalous experiences. Electro-magnetic fields were found to significantly vary across sessions. Transliminality and related measures were not related to subjective reports of external anomalous phenomena. Implications of electro-magnetic and geomagnetic fields associated with subjective anomalous somatic reports and future research are discussed.
Understanding hazardous drinking and suicidal ideation and suicide risk among college students: anxiety sensitivity as an explanatory factor.

Suicide is a leading cause of death among college students. Although previous work indicates that the (hazardous) use of alcohol contributes to suicidal ideation/risk, little work has examined pote...
Breeding Habitat Associations of Eastern Whip-Poor-Wills in Managed Forests

Populations of the eastern whip‐poor‐will (Antrostomus vociferus; whip‐poor‐will) have declined throughout most of its range, making it a species of high conservation concern in nearly every state and province where it occurs. Researchers have reported whip‐poor‐wills are associated with forest stands with open canopies, and thus silviculture may be a promising means for promoting their populations, yet the ecological literature does not quantify fine‐scale habitat relationships capable of assisting with silviculture prescriptions. Our objective was to quantify the associations between whip‐poor‐wills, canopy openness, and other vegetation characteristics to provide managers with guidance for whip‐poor‐will management. Based on prior research, we hypothesized that whippoor‐ wills may be associated with intermediate levels of canopy retention and that their numbers would also be affected by understory characteristics. We surveyed whip‐poor‐wills with point counts in managed forest at the Fort Drum Army installation in New York, USA, during 2015 and 2016 and collected vegetation measurements at each point count location to relate whip‐poor‐will occupancy with vegetation structure and composition. Whip‐poor‐will occupancy was strongly related to intermediate levels of basal area, with peak occupancy at 13.8 m2/ha, a value that corresponds to forest denser than most shrublands but more open than closed‐canopy forest. Whip‐poor‐will presence was negatively related to understory height, which is consistent with prior studies. These findings provide managers with quantitative targets that can be used to increase or maintain whip‐poor‐will numbers and abundance of other disturbance‐associated species similarly unable to persist in unmanaged forests stands.
Trends in the Annual Frequency of Atlantic Basin Intense Hurricanes: Implications for the Near-Term

During the interval of 1944-1997, 120 intense hurricanes (category 3, 4, or 5 on the Saffir-Simpson hurricane scale) have been observed in the Atlantic basin. These intense hurricanes have had an observed annual frequency of 0-7 events per year (having a mean, mode, and median equal to about 2 events per year), being preferentially lower during El Ninio years and higher during non-El Ninio years. Also, it has recently been established that a long-term downward trend in the annual frequency of intense hurricanes, spanning about five decades, has taken place, although this trend can, alternatively, be explained as a shift from a more active state prior to the mid 1960's to a less active state thereafter (rather than as a simple linear decline). In this paper, on the basis of 10-yr moving averages, the long4erm trend of the frequency of intense hurricanes is compared against one for the annual mean temperature at Armagh Observatory, Northern Ireland (which serves as a proxy for climatic change). Interestingly, the two sets of 10-yr moving averages correlate extremely well, especially, when incorporating a slight 6-yr lag between them (with temperature leading; r = 0.90). This suggests that the current leading trend of temperature, which had been downward, but now is upward, may portend a return to the more active state for intense hurricanes. Thus, the 1998 season (presuming the abatement of El Ninio prior to the start of the hurricane season), and for several years thereafter (at least, into the early years of the next millennium), may have an annual frequency of intense hurricanes that is commensurate with the previously observed active state that was seen prior to the mid 1960's. If true, then, the shift to the more active state, probably, occurred in the mid-to-late 1980's, apparently, having gone undetected because of the masking, or modulating, effect of El Ninio, which has been rampant since the mid-to-late 1980's.
Searching for Dependencies in Bayesian Classifiers

Naive Bayesian classifiers which make independence assumptions perform remarkably well on some data sets but poorly on others. We explore ways to improve the Bayesian classifier by searching for dependencies among attributes. We propose and evaluate two algorithms for detecting dependencies among attributes and show that the backward sequential elimination and joining algorithm provides the most improvement over the naive Bayesian classifier. The domains on which the most improvement occurs are those domains on which the naive Bayesian classifier is significantly less accurate than a decision tree learner. This suggests that the attributes used in some common databases are not independent conditioned on the class and that the violations of the independence assumption that affect the accuracy of the classifier can be detected from training data.
Cranking It Up a Notch

Neurons in the cerebral cortex grow by extending neurites (axons and dendrites) and making connections with their neighbors. It now transpires, as Chenn and Walsh discuss in their Perspective, that the Notch receptor and its ligands control the process of neurite extension ( estan et al.). When neurons are bunched close together and their neurites are touching each other, the Notch receptor is activated and neurites retract. But if neurons are spaced too widely apart, the Notch receptor is not activated and neurites continue to grow and extend until they connect with the neurites of their neighbors.
Abstract 19748: CD39-associated SNP and Secondary Cardiovascular Events

Introduction: CD39 (ectonucleoside triphosphate diphosphohydrolase) is a nucleotidase expressed on endothelial cells, vascular smooth muscles cells, leukocytes, and platelets. CD39 plays a key role in vascular homeostasis, hydrolyzing extracellular ATP or ADP to AMP. Prior work has demonstrated that the genotype at the single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) rs10748643 correlates with CD39 expression on HapMap lymphocytes (GG: high, GA: intermediate, AA: baseline). Hypothesis: The aim of this study was to determine if an association exists between the rs10748643 genotype and secondary cardiovascular events. Methods: Subjects treated with placement of an intracoronary stent and on clopidogrel therapy for coronary artery disease were identified in the BioVU DNA repository that links DNA to Synthetic Derivative, a de-identified electronic health record. Selection of the study population was based on a combination of ICD 9th edition, Current Procedural Terminology codes, laboratory values, and natural language processing in physician notes. “Case” or “control” status was assigned depending on recurrence of a secondary cardiovascular event (myocardial infarction, revascularization and/or death) within two years. Genotyping for rs10748643 was performed using TaqMan. Results: The study population included 189 cases and 379 controls, with comparable demographics. There were 47 MIs, 14 deaths, and 166 revascularizations. We compared the composite outcomes of MI and/or death or MI, death and/or revascularization. We found no difference in the composite end-point of MI, death and revascularization, however the GG-genotype at rs10748443 was associated with an increase in the composite end-point of MI and/or death (HR GG:AA: 3.82 95% CI 1.10 - 13.29; P=0.039). Conclusions: The GG genotype, was associated with an increased incidence of the composite end-point of myocardial infarction and death in patients who received intracoronary stents for coronary artery disease and were treated with clopidogrel. This is the first study to demonstrate an association of a CD39-associated SNP with human cardiac pathology. Confirmatory studies are underway in a larger cohort.
Gap junction mutations in human disease

Publisher Summary This chapter provides an overview of gap junction mutations in human diseases. Gap junctions are unique amongst membrane channels in that they are formed when adjacent cells each donate a half channel across a gap between the two cells to form a full junctional channel, thereby providing an isolated aqueous pathway between the cellular interiors of the two cells. The hemichannels are themselves the oligomers of six subunit membrane proteins called “connexins.” Topology is conserved among connexins, consisting of four transmembrane domains (TM1–TM4) joined together by a single cytoplasmic loop (CL) and two extracellular loops (EL1, EL2); the amino and carboxyl termini (NT and CT) are both located in the cytoplasm. There are at least 20 members of the gap junction family of proteins and most cells and tissues express more than one connexin subtype. The reasons for diversity in connexin subtype and expression are largely unknown, but individual subtypes clearly have unique distributions and distinct voltage and pH sensitivities. Gap junctions also provide a path for ionic current flow among excitable cells, leading to synchronized electrical activity among coupled neurons and rhythmic activation of the heart.
Flexible SERS-based substrates: challenges and opportunities toward an Army relevant universal sensing platform

Generally the fabrication, assembly and evaluation of plasmonic nanostructures for surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) substrates has focused on static rigid substrates such as glass and silicon. However, these static substrates severely limit the application of plasmonic nanostructures as (i) they provide no means to alter the state of assembly of the nanostructures once they are formed or anchored on the surface i.e., not reconfigurable; and (ii) preclude applications which demand non-planar, flexible or conformal surfaces. The above considerations has led to the development of a novel class of SERS substrates based on flexible substrates such paper, polymer membranes and electrospun fibers. These flexible SERS media based on unconventional substrates such as paper offer distinct advantages compared to the conventional SERS substrates in that (i) flexible nature of the substrate enables conformal contact with the surfaces under investigation leading to efficient sample collection; (ii) porous nature of the SERS substrate (interstices between the fibers) provides efficient access to the analytes; (iii) high surface area of the 3D paper substrate results in large dynamic range of the chemical sensors; (iv) intricate network of fibers decorated with metal nanoparticles can provide potentially high density of electromagnetic hotspots; (v) intense light scattering caused by the fibrous structure of the substrate (e.g., paper) enables efficient light-metal interaction; and (vi) facile fabrication leads to efficient, robust, reliable, reusable and cost-effective SERS substrates. In this presentation, we will focus on the Army need for a more flexible (substrate surface and application) SERS substrate for universal sensing. This presentation will leverage from material presented at a flexible SERS (May 2014) workshop hosted by Dr. Srikanth Singamaneni at Washington University.
Collaboration in Federal Hydropower Licensing: Impacts on Process, Outputs, and Outcomes

ABSTRACT:This study explores the outcomes of collaboration in the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission’s hydropower licensing process. A survey gauged 270 participants’ opinions of process and outcomes. Process variables included principled engagement, shared motivation, and capacity for joint action. Dependent variables measured perceived impacts on decision-making and participants (process outcomes), the license’s perceived quality, and predicted environmental and economic changes. Linear mixed-effects models tested the influence of process variables on each outcome. Collaboration was associated with all four outcomes, but influenced process outcomes the most and predicted economic outcomes the least. Principled engagement influenced every outcome variable, shared motivation influenced process outcomes, and capacity for joint action influenced license and predicted environmental outcomes. Respondent affiliation and project size also affected perceived outcomes. Results suggest that collaboration influen...
Feeding the Right Stuff: Would You Clerk for Learned Hand?

Being a feeder judge (that is, a judge whose clerks routinely go on to clerk for a Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court) must be difficult. Hard at the start of the process and, alas, sometimes even harder at the end. While a number of forthright scholars and judges have described the challenges at the start, information about difficult endings is in shorter supply. But not nonexistent.
Tracheal Gases, Respiratory Gas Exchange, Body Temperature and Flight in Some Tropical Cicadas

Fidicina mannifera Fab. (mass 3 g) can fly at a body temperature of 22°C but take-off is usually preceded by an endothermic warm-up that elevates Tth to 28 °C or higher. Warm-up is accompanied by slow, almost imperceptible, wing movements, gentle abdominal pumping and an increase in VOO2 to about 16 times the resting level. During wing-flapping in fixed flight, VOO2 increases explosively to about 70 times the resting level, and thoracic temperature rises to about 33°C. Wing-beat frequency increases with Tth. Between 25 and 34°C the mean wing-beat frequency is about 37 Hz. F. mannifera does not maintain free flight, or wing flapping in fixed flight, for more than about 100 s. Flight is supported aerobically, and we infer that exhaustion is related to depletion of substrate in the flight muscles. The volume of the tracheal system of F. mannifera is about 45% of total body volume. At rest, FCC2 in the thoracic air sacs remains near 17% and FCOCO2, near 3%. During non-flapping warm-up, FOO2 falls to as low as 1 and FCOCO2 rises to as high as 21%. Thus, gas exchange may limit the rate warm-up. When wing-flapping commences, FOO2 and FCOCO2 quickly return near resting levels, presumably as a result of auto ventilation. The interspecific regression of VOO2 on mass for three species of cicadas 23–24°C has a slope of 0.89 and a 1-g intercept of 0.63 mlh−1.
Docosahexaenoic acid biostatus is associated with event-related functional connectivity in cortical attention networks of typically developing children

Objective: Although extant preclinical evidence suggests that the long-chain omega-3 fatty acid docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) is important for neurodevelopment, little is known about its role in human cortical structural and functional maturation. In the present cross-sectional study, we investigated the relationship between DHA biostatus and functional connectivity in cortical attention networks of typically developing children.Methods: Male children (aged 8–10 years, n = 36) were divided into ‘low-DHA’ (n = 18) and ‘high-DHA’ (n = 18) biostatus groups by a median split of erythrocyte DHA levels. Event-related functional connectivity during the performance of a sustained attention task (identical pairs continuous performance task (CPT-IP)) was conducted using functional magnetic resonance imaging. A voxelwise approach used the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) as the seed-region.Results: Erythrocyte DHA composition in the low-DHA group (2.6 ± 0.9%) was significantly lower than the high-DHA group (4.1 ± 1.1%, ...
The Effect of Appeals on Assessment Ratio Distributions: Some Nonparametric Approaches

A variety of nonparametric methods—locally weighted regression, nonparametric quantile regression and conditional density functions—are used to evaluate the effect of appeals on assessment uniformity. Unlike previous studies, the focus is on the full distribution of assessment ratios rather than on central moments. Data for single-family homes in Chicago for 2006 suggest that appeals lead to a modest reduction in assessment variability, but the density of extremely high assessment ratios is higher among homes without appeals. Whereas traditional methods simply indicate that assessment ratios decline with sale price, nonparametric approaches reveal that higher prices have a more pronounced effect on the variance than on the conditional expectation of the assessment ratio distribution and that the most pronounced degree of regressivity occurs at very low sales prices.
Gap Junction Systems in the Rat Vestibular Labyrinth: Immunohistochemical and Ultrastructural Analysis

The distribution of gap junctions within the vestibular labyrinth was investigated using immunohistochemistry and transmission electron microscopy. Connexin 26-like immunoreactivity was observed among supporting cells in each vestibular sensory epithelium. Reaction product was also present in the transitional epithelium of each vestibular endorgdn and in the planum semilunatum of crista ampullaris. No connexin 26-like immunoreactivity was observed among thin wall epithelial cells or among vestibular dark cells. In addition, fibrocytes within vestibular connective tissue were positively immunostained. Reaction product was also detected in the melanocyte area just beneath dark cells. Ultrastructurd observations indicated that a gap junction network of vestibular supporting cells extends to the transitional epithelium and planum semilunatum and forms an isolated epithelial cell gap junction system in each vestibular endorgan. In contrast. no gap junctions were found among wall epithelial cells or among dark ...
Managed care organizational complexity and access to high-quality mental health services: perspective of U.S. primary care physicians.

Abstract This analysis addresses the relationship between perceived access to high-quality specialty mental health and medical services and 2 aspects of managed care organizational complexity at the practice level: 1) gatekeeper requirements for specialty services, and 2) managing multiple contracts. Cross-sectional analysis of a national telephone survey of 7,197 primary care physicians (PCPs) was performed. Access was defined as high-quality specialty services being always or almost always available to the PCP’s patients when medically necessary. PCPs rated access to high-quality outpatient specialty mental health services as much lower than that of specialty medical services (28%; 95% confidence interval [CI], 27–29 versus 81%; 95% CI, 80–82). After adjustment for physician, practice, and managed care factors (multiple logistic regression analysis), perceived access to high-quality outpatient mental health services was lowest for practices with the largest number of managed care contracts and when a physician’s practice was a “mixed model” with regard to the gatekeeper function. Perceived access to high-quality specialty medical services was not as strongly associated with these practice characteristics. PCPs who interact with a large number of managed care plans and different administrative models may have the most difficulty in obtaining high-quality mental health services for their patients.
Heterogeneous Relay Selection

Relay selection, a simple and efficient method of operating multi-relay networks, has in the past been considered only when all relays follow the same protocol. This work studies relay selection in heterogeneous relay networks where relays with different protocols can co-exist. The new techniques for the analysis of such networks are demonstrated on a mixture of decode-forward relays and amplify-forward relays, as well as a mixture of non-orthogonal amplify-forward (NAF) and dynamic decode-forward (DDF) relays, and also a mixture of NAF and compress-forward relays. In each case the diversity-multiplexing tradeoff is calculated. In the process, a noteworthy limitation of previous relay selection schemes is also relaxed and removed: In the past in multi-relay networks the direct source-destination link has been ignored whenever it introduces dependencies among selection decision variables, as it often does. This has been motivated chiefly by the lack of suitable analytical techniques for order statistics of dependent random variables. In this work, relay selection analysis is extended to allow the presence of a direct source-destination link. As a side benefit, the relay selection results in homogeneous networks (where relays are all of the same type) are also extended to include the presence of a source-destination link.
Rapsyn Clusters and Activates the Synapse-Specific Receptor Tyrosine Kinase MuSK

Nerve-induced clustering of the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (AChR) requires rapsyn, a synaptic peripheral membrane protein, as well as protein-tyrosine kinase activity. Here, we show that rapsyn induces the clustering of the synapse-specific receptor-tyrosine kinase MuSK in transfected QT-6 fibroblasts. Furthermore, rapsyn stimulates the autophosphorylation of MuSK, leading to a subsequent MuSK-dependent increase in cellular tyrosine phosphorylation. Moreover, rapsyn-activated MuSK specifically phosphorylated the AChR beta subunit, the same subunit that is tyrosine phosphorylated during innervation or agrin treatment of muscle. These results suggest rapsyn may mediate the synaptic localization of MuSK in muscle and that MuSK may play an important role in the agrin-induced clustering of the AChR.
Ergot, a blessing and a scourge.

Ergot, the black mass of a particular fungus on cereal grains, especially rye, was the cause of frightful epidemics in Europe more than a thousand years ago, and the ingested contaminated grain has occasioned disease in Russia as late as 1927 and in the United States a generation earlier. Medicinally administered, however, it provides a very important drug in the science of obstetrics.
Some new domains with complete Kähler metrics of negative curvature

We add to the known examples of complete Kahler manifolds with negative sectional curvature by showing that the following three classes of domains in euclidean spaces also belong: perturbations of ellipsoidal domains in ℂn, intersections of complex-ellipsoidal domains in ℂ2, and intersections of fractional linear transforms of the unit ball in ℂ2. In the process, we prove the following theorem in differential geometry: in the intersection of two complex-ellipsoidal domains in ℂ2, the sum of the Bergman metrics is a Kahler metric with negative curvature operator.
Corporate returns and cash conversion cycles

This study examines the relationship between profitability measures and management of ongoing liquidity needs for a large cross-section of firms over a twenty-year period. Long-run equilibrium relationships between the cash conversion cycle, a measure of ongoing liquidity management, and alternative measures of profitability are tested using both nonparametric and multiple regression analysis. Industry and size differences are controlled. While there are exceptions to the general finding for specific firms and for specific industries, the paper offers strong evidence that aggressive working-capital policies enhance profitability.
On multi-media calculations in the theory of neutron diffusion

Abstract The F N method is used to solve the critical problem for a three-region reactor and to compute the disadvantage factor required for thermal utilization calculations. Anisotropic scattering is allowed and numerical results are given.
Effect of Maternal Labor and Mode of Delivery on Polymorphonuclear Leukocyte Function in Healthy Neonates

ABSTRACT: In this study, effect of maternal labor and mode of delivery on polymorphonuclear leukocyte (PMN) chemiluminescence and random and chemotactic motility was evaluated in healthy full-term neonates. PMN were obtained from cord blood of three groups of neonates: group I, 24 vaginally delivered neonates; group II, 22 neonates delivered by elective cesarean section without labor; and group III, 18 neonates delivered by cesarean section after labor. In group III, six neonates were delivered by cesarean section for fetal distress with acidemia and 12 for failure of progression of labor. Peak chemiluminescence of PMN in group III was depressed compared with groups I and II (p < 0.01). There was no difference in the peak chemiluminescence of PMN from neonates in group I versus group II. Random motility of PMN in group III was increased compared with the random motility in groups I and II (p < 0.05). Chemotactic motility of PMN was comparable in all three groups. In group III, a negative correlation was noted between peak chemiluminescence of PMN and the duration of labor (p < 0.001), whereas no such correlation was observed in group I despite a similar duration of labor. There was no correlation between duration of labor and random and chemotactic motility of PMN in groups I and III. The results of this study indicate that labor and mode of delivery per se have no effect on PMN function and that factors other than labor such as fetal acidemia, fetal distress, arrested labor, or maternal administration of drugs may play a role in alteration of PMN function.
In-plane theory of nonsequential triple ionization

We describe first-principles in-plane calculations of nonsequential triple ionization of atoms in a linearly polarized intense laser pulse. In a fully classically correlated description, all three electrons respond dynamically to the nuclear attraction, the pairwise e-e repulsions, and the laser force throughout the duration of a 780 nm laser pulse. Nonsequential ejection is shown to occur in a multielectron, possibly multicycle and multidimensional, rescattering sequence that is coordinated by a number of sharp transverse recollimation impacts.
Understanding consumer information needs: the impact of polychronic time use

Abstract Consumers in the Telecommunications Age want information now: they want it fast; they want it simple; they want it cheaply; and, more importantly, they often want it while doing something else. How they will obtain that information, however, is a matter of intense debate. Design questions must take into account how people use their time, how they process and combine information gathering methods, and how they arrange their living space. A simple fact remains: people want information available through the appliances they use every day in the mainstream of their daily lives. In the present paper, we examine the results of three studies on polychrnic, or simultaneous, time use to offer suggestions to the consumer electronics industry.
Pacemaker Malfunction After Nitrous Oxide Anesthesia

Abstract Entrapment of gas in the pacemaker pocket has been reported. 1,2 Pacemaker malfunction in those studies was a result of loss of anodal contact, and presented with small amplitude, variable amplitude or absent pacing spikes with loss of ventricular capture. We report a patient in whom pacemaker malfunction was caused by the presence of an anesthetic gas within the pacemaker pocket itself.
Biphasic models of soft tissues for ultrasound applications

A theoretical model for describing ultrasound propagation in soft tissue modeled as a solid-fluid aggregate is described. The biphasic theory developed by Mow and coworkers can explain correctly the flow and deformation of soft hydrated tissues under a variety of conditions. It is shown here that the biphasic theory can be derived from Biot's theory of porous elastic materials saturated with fluid when both phases the solid phase and fluid phase are considered intrinsically incompressible. The biphasic theory is then extended to include ultrasound propagation. This extension follows very closely Biot's work. The proposed model, if confirmed experimentally, could be a powerful phenomenological tool to plan and interpret data of ultrasound propagation in soft tissues.
A history of literary aesthetics in America

as a matter or quality or dimension potentially part of all experience, it must fare even worse under the impact of educational technophilia. For the efficient pursuit of clean and simple objectives precludes any sort of multilayered response to living, since such response would have to stand as patently counter-productive and directly inimical to efficiency. Hence, under PBTE, etc., the interests of aesthetic education would have to suffer dramatically. As primary content, the aesthetic (like other content) would be subject to considerable distortion; as "collatoral" content or dimension, the aesthetic concern would simply disappear altogether in the interests of reducing instructional activity to its simplest, most manageable units. As a solution for education's ills, such atomism-with-a-vengence simply will not do. Rather, as the authors in this volume on "Regaining Educational Leadership" have successfully shown, it represents an approach to educational reform that is bankrupt from the start. Even before the evidence starts to come in (and, as they point out, precious little of it has), the very shape of the proposals makes it clear that they are far more likely to bring harm than good. This volume contributes a great deal to the understanding of exactly how and why that is the case. Mary Anne Raywid Hofstra University
Utility of BNP in differentiating constrictive pericarditis from restrictive cardiomyopathy in patients with renal insufficiency.

Abstract Background Differentiating between constrictive pericarditis (CP) and restrictive cardiomyopathy (RCMP) is difficult because of similar clinical and hemodynamic presentation. Brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) has been reported a useful noninvasive biomarker to differentiate CP from RCMP; however, its utility in patients with renal insufficiency has not been evaluated. Methods and Results Consecutive patients with suspected CP or RCMP were enrolled. All but 7 patients underwent transseptal catheterization. BNP, renal function, and comorbid conditions were recorded at the time of the procedure. Renal function was estimated using the Cockcroft-Gault formula. Descriptive statistics, Student t -test, and Mann-Whitney U test were performed; P 90 mL/min, mean 118). BNP was higher in patients with CP and renal insufficiency versus those with CP and normal renal function (433 versus 116 pg/mL; P = .016). BNP in patients with CP and normal renal function was lower than in patients with RC (116 versus 728 pg/mL; P = .005). Conclusion BNP has reduced clinical utility in renal insufficiency to differentiate CP from RCMP.
Socioeconomic disparity in inpatient mortality after traumatic injury in adults.

Background Prior studies have demonstrated that race and insurance status predict inpatient trauma mortality, but have been limited by their inability to adjust for direct measures of socioeconomic status (SES) and comorbidities. Our study aimed to identify whether a relationship exists between SES and inpatient trauma mortality after adjusting for known confounders. Methods Trauma patients aged 18–65 years with an Injury Severity Scores (ISS) of ≥9 were identified using the 2003–2009 Nationwide Inpatient Sample. Median household income (MHI) by zip code, available by quartiles, was used to measure SES. Multiple logistic regression analyses were performed to determine odds of inpatient mortality by MHI quartile, adjusting for ISS, type of injury, comorbidities, and patient demographics. Results In all, 267,621 patients met inclusion criteria. Patients in lower wealth quartiles had significantly greater unadjusted inpatient mortality compared with the wealthiest quartile. Adjusted odds of death were also higher compared with the wealthiest quartile for Q1 (odds ratio [OR], 1.13; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.06–1.20), Q2 (OR, 1.09; 95% CI, 1.02–1.17), and Q3 (OR, 1.11; 95% CI, 1.04–1.19). Conclusion MHI predicts inpatient mortality after adult trauma, even after adjusting for race, insurance status, and comorbidities. Efforts to mitigate trauma disparities should address SES as an independent predictor of outcomes.
Tunnelling-induced Injection in p-n Junctions

RECENTLY a new electron energy distribution in p-n junctions has been proposed1. The distribution is based on the concepts of electrostatic and diffusion2 forces and potentials. The purpose of this communication is to show that the proposed electron energy distribution, when interpreted for thin-junction p-n diodes, predicts the possibility of minority-carrier injection entirely through quantum-mechanical tunnelling. The pertinent mechanism involves the direct tunnelling of valence electrons in the n-region to the conduction band of the p-region. This injection would afterwards lead to carrier recombination and possible infra-red emission. The phenomenon of tunnelling emission has been experimentally observed in gallium arsenide by a number of authors, including Pankove3 and Archer et al.4.