cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Monte Carlo studies of the one-dimensional Ising spin glass with power-law interactions

We present results from Monte Carlo simulations of the one-dimensional Ising spin glass with power-law interactions at low temperature, using the parallel tempering Monte Carlo method. For a set of parameters where the long-range part of the interaction is relevant, we find evidence for large-scale dropletlike excitations with an energy that is independent of system size, consistent with replica symmetry breaking. We also perform zero-temperature defect energy calculations for a range of parameters and find a stiffness exponent for domain walls in reasonable but by no means perfect agreement with analytic predictions.
Ethanol administration exacerbates the abnormalities in hepatic lipid oxidation in genetically obese mice

Alcohol consumption synergistically increases the risk and severity of liver damage in obese patients. To gain insight into cellular or molecular mechanisms underlying the development of fatty liver caused by ethanol-obesity synergism, we have carried out animal experiments that examine the effects of ethanol administration in genetically obese mice. Lean wild-type (WT) and obese (ob/ob) mice were subjected to ethanol feeding for 4 wk using a modified Lieber-DeCarli diet. After ethanol feeding, the ob/ob mice displayed much more pronounced changes in terms of liver steatosis and elevated plasma levels of alanine aminotransferase and aspartate aminotransferase, indicators of liver injury, compared with control mice. Mechanistic studies showed that ethanol feeding augmented the impairment of hepatic sirtuin 1 (SIRT1)-AMP-activated kinase (AMPK) signaling in the ob/ob mice. Moreover, the impairment of SIRT1-AMPK signaling was closely associated with altered hepatic functional activity of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ coactivator-α and lipin-1, two vital downstream lipid regulators, which ultimately contributed to aggravated fatty liver observed in ethanol-fed ob/ob mice. Taken together, our novel findings suggest that ethanol administration to obese mice exacerbates fatty liver via impairment of the hepatic lipid metabolism pathways mediated largely by a central signaling system, the SIRT1-AMPK axis.
Hormonal Control and Evolution of Alternative Male Phenotypes: Generalizations of Models for Sexual Differentiation'

SYNOPSIS. An organism's phenotype results from an interaction of environment and genotype. Sex steroids play a role in translating sexual genotype into phenotype. The focus of this research has been to extend the model of sex steroid hormone action in sexual differentiation to individual variation in reproductive phenotype. The hypothesis generated, called the relative plasticity hypothesis, has been tested in a species with alternative phenotypes, tree lizards ( Urosaurus ornatus ). Such species are useful models for tests of these ideas because variation is extreme and easily studied. These tests have shown that permanent differentiation of the territorial and nonterritorial phenotypes is accomplished by hormonal mechanisms operating during early development. These are similar to organizational actions of hormones classically described for sexual differentiation. A unique finding of this work is that the adrenal hormone progesterone regulates differentiation of the two male types. Furthermore, the nonterritorial male tree lizard appears to conditionally switch tactics between sedentary satellite and nomadic behavior. Nomadic behavior is triggered under stressful environmental conditions. Nonterritorial tree lizards show greater inhibition of reproductive hormones following stress than do territorial tree lizards, suggesting that a differential sensitivity of reproductive hormones to stress is the endocrine basis of conditional tactic switching in this morph. This mechanism is similar to the classical activational effects of hormones. Together, these findings indicate that individual variation in sexual phenotype is produced by mechanisms similar to sexual differentiation. Further refinement of the models and integration with some evolutionary ideas is explored.
When long-distance dating partners become geographically close

This study explored long-distance dating relationships’ (LDDRs) transition to geographic proximity. About half of LDDR partners experience this transition, whereas the other half end their relationships during separation. Among reunited relationships, one-third terminate within 3 months of reunion. Participants’ open-ended responses highlight changes associated with reunion, including the loss of autonomy; increased positive and negative knowledge; time management difficulties; and heightened conflict and jealousy. Desirable features of LDDRs (e.g., autonomy and novelty) appear to be lost, and missed, upon reunion. Individuals whose relationships terminated upon reunion were more likely to report missing aspects of LDDRs. Overall, we propose reunions facilitate relational and partner knowledge acquisition, the dissipation of quixotic ideals, and increased partner interdependence.
Constrained Ramsey numbers of graphs

Given two graphs G and H, let f(G,H) denote the minimum integer n such that in every coloring of the edges of Kn, there is either a copy of G with all edges having the same color or a copy of H with all edges having different colors. We show that f(G,H) is finite iff G is a star or H is acyclic. If S and T are trees with s and t edges, respectively, we show that 1+s(t-2)-2≤f(S,T)≤(s-1)(t2+3t). Using constructions from design theory, we establish the exact values, lying near (s-1)(t-1), for f(S,T) when S and T are certain paths or star-like trees. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Graph Theory 42: 1–16, 2003
Potential Inaccuracy of Point-of-Care INR in Dabigatran-Treated Patients

Objective:To report 2 cases in which point-of-care international normalized ratios (INRs) in dabigatran-treated patients were inaccurate.Case Summary:A 59-year-old woman with paroxysmal atrial fibr...
The buzz: supporting user tailorability in awareness applications

Information awareness applications offer the exciting potential to help people to better manage the data they encounter on a routine basis, but customizing these applications is a difficult task. Most applications allow users to perform basic customizations or programmers to create advanced ones. We present an intermediate customization space and Cocoa Buzz, an application that demonstrates one way to bridge these two extremes. Cocoa Buzz runs on an extra display on the user's desktop or on a large shared display and cycles through different information sources customized by the user. We further demonstrate some of the customizations that have been made using this approach. We show some preliminary evidence to suggest that this approach may be useful at providing users with the ability to perform customizations across this spectrum.
Joint Modeling of a Matrix with Associated Text via Latent Binary Features

A new methodology is developed for joint analysis of a matrix and accompanying documents, with the documents associated with the matrix rows/columns. The documents are modeled with a focused topic model, inferring interpretable latent binary features for each document. A new matrix decomposition is developed, with latent binary features associated with the rows/columns, and with imposition of a low-rank constraint. The matrix decomposition and topic model are coupled by sharing the latent binary feature vectors associated with each. The model is applied to roll-call data, with the associated documents defined by the legislation. Advantages of the proposed model are demonstrated for prediction of votes on a new piece of legislation, based only on the observed text of legislation. The coupling of the text and legislation is also shown to yield insight into the properties of the matrix decomposition for roll-call data.
Pricing stock options in mergers and acquisitions with jump-diffusion model

We develop a jump-diffusion model to price options on the stocks involved in mergers and acquisitions. The test results indicate that our model performs well in explaining observed option prices. The model can be used by risk arbitrageurs to control risks associated with merger deals using options.
An improvement of Compton scatter imaging with wide aperture detectors a Monte Carlo study

A novel NDT (nondestructive testing) imaging technique which is based on the measurement of Compton-scattered photons and uses wide-aperture detectors has been developed. With this technique, the inspection speed can be improved because the scanning activities can be reduced by one degree of freedom. Using wide-aperture detectors serves to simplify the design of measurement systems, and the data collection time at each step in the scanning process can be reduced due to the removal of the usual efficiency-reducing focusing collimator. To study the imaging process of the novel NDT system, a number of Monte Carlo calculations have been performed. The Monte Carlo code has been validated by comparison to the widely accepted general-purpose MCNP (Monte Carlo neutron-photon) code and has been found to run over ten times faster than the MCNP code for this particular research. As a result, the NDT system has been designed to deal, in particular, with the pipe wall thinning problems widely observed in nuclear power plants and some fossil power plants. In this application, the contour of a pipe inner surface can be reconstructed in a very straightforward manner, and the scanning activities can be reduced from three dimensions to two dimensions. >
Berry phase, hyperorbits, and the Hofstadter spectrum

We develop a semiclassical theory for the dynamics of electrons in a magnetic Bloch band, where the Berry phase plays an important role. This theory, together with the Boltzmann equation, provides a framework for studying transport problems in high magnetic fields. We also derive an Onsager-like formula for the quantization of cyclotron orbits, and we find a connection between the number of orbits and Hall conductivity. This connection is employed to explain the clustering structure of the Hofstadter spectrum. The advantage of this theory is its generality and conceptual simplicity.
Loneliness, Stress, and Social Support in Young Adulthood: Does the Source of Support Matter?

Social support protects individuals against adversity throughout the lifespan, and is especially salient during times of intense social change, such as during the transition to adulthood. Focusing on three relationship-specific sources of social support (family, friends, and romantic partners), the current study examined the stress-buffering function of social support against loneliness and whether the association between social support and loneliness with stress held constant would vary by its source. The role of gender in these associations was also considered. The sample consisted of 636 ethnically diverse college youth (age range 18–25; 80 % female). The results suggest that the stress-buffering role of social support against loneliness varies by its source. Only support from friends buffered the association between stress and loneliness. Further, when stress was held constant, the association between social support and loneliness differed by the sources, in that support from friends or romantic partners (but not from family) was negatively associated with loneliness. Regarding gender differences, the adverse impact of lower levels of familial or friends’ support on loneliness was greater in females than in males. This research advances our understanding of social support among college-aged youth; implications of the findings and directions for future research are discussed.
Morison Equation Coefficients and Data Condition

Identification of the Morison equation force coefficients Cm & C<j depends on the condition of the wave force/ kinematic data. For simple harmonic kinematics, the data are equally conditioned for identifyinq Cm & C<j at the critical value of the period parameter (K = UmT/D) defined by Keuleqan and Carpenter (1958). Critical values for K are = 11.4 from geometric interpretations and = 13.16 from numerical interpretations. Stable transverse lift forces may also be shown to correlate with the critical values of K from the physical interpretation of the period parameter qiven by Keulegan and Carpenter (1958). Data from three different types of physical experiments are used to demonstrate the importance of the condition of the data.
Reverse-Current Decay in Hydroxide Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells

In proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs), the cathode carbon support corrodes during startup and shutdown by reverse-current decay (RCD). We show for the first time that hydroxide exchange membrane fuel cells (HEMFCs) also undergo RCD. We find that decreasing the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) activity of the anode catalyst mitigates RCD: a Ru anode causes less corrosion than Pt, Ir, and Pd anodes, as expected from their ORR activities. After an intensive 6 h RCD test, an HEMFC based on Ru shows six times lower internal resistance compared to Pt (1.02 vs. 6.01 Ω cm2). Due to its enhanced ORR activity in base, carbon alone can sustain RCD. To minimize RCD the carbon support should be eliminated from the anode catalyst.
RhoA/Rho kinase in spinal cord injury

A spinal cord injury refers to an injury to the spinal cord that is caused by a trauma instead of diseases. Spinal cord injury includes a primary mechanical injury and a much more complex secondary injury process involving inflammation, oxidation, excitotoxicity, and cell death. During the secondary injury, many signal pathways are activated and play important roles in mediating the pathogenesis of spinal cord injury. Among them, the RhoA/Rho kinase pathway plays a particular role in mediating spinal degeneration and regeneration. In this review, we will discuss the role and mechanism of RhoA/Rho kinase-mediated spinal cord pathogenesis, as well as the potential of targeting RhoA/Rho kinase as a strategy for promoting both neuroprotection and axonal regeneration.
The Mechanism of Faradic Stimulation of Osteogenesis

Accounts by Hartshorne (1841), Lente (1850), and Garratt (1860) described the early use of faradic* stimulation to enhance bone repair and healing. However, research into the effects of electricity on bone tissue only began in earnest a century later after the discovery of bone tissue’s capacity to generate electrical signals. Reports from Yasuda (1953), Yasuda et al. (1954, 1955), Fukada and Yasuda (1957), and Basse, and Becker (1962) focused on the electrical signal produced by bone tissue in response to mechanical strain. The existence of this “strain-related potential” led these researchers to examine the converse effect and initial, detailed evidence of the effects of faradic stimulation on bone was presented by Yasuda, Fukada, and their colleagues (op. cit.) as well as by Bassett et al. (1964). Later, studies by Friedenberg and Brighton (1966) and Friedenberg et al. (1971a, 1973) centered on the steady-state potentials exhibited by viable bone under physiological conditions in the absence of mechanical strain. Friedenberg and Kohanim (1968) used the magnitude of this “biopotential” and a measurement of bone resistivity to predict a direct current stimulus of physiological origin. Thus, the logic behind the use of faradic as well as non-faradic signals to stimulate osteogenesis is based essentially on the existence of strain-related potentials and biopotentials in bone tissue.
Comparison of Fatigue Cracking Performance of Asphalt Pavements Predicted by Pavement ME and LVECD Programs

Mechanistic–empirical pavement design has received significant attention from the pavement community as the method for designing asphalt pavements in the future. Currently available software for mechanistic–empirical pavement design includes the AASHTOWare Pavement ME Design (Pavement ME) program. The Pavement ME program allows users to predict pavement distresses by applying layered elastic theory for the mechanical responses and using empirical models for the distress predictions. The layered viscoelastic pavement design for critical distresses (LVECD) program, which employs three-dimensional viscoelastic finite element analysis with moving loads, can also be used to predict the fatigue and rutting performance of pavements. The LVECD program employs the simplified viscoelastic continuum damage (S-VECD) model as the material model for the fatigue performance predictions of asphalt mixtures under complex loading and environmental conditions. This paper examines and compares the performance of 33 pavement ...
The new mobilities paradigm for a live sociology

This article offers an overview of the field of mobilities research, tracing the theoretical antecedents to the study of mobilities both within the classical sociological tradition and at its borders with other disciplines or theoretical schools. It examines how ‘the new mobilities paradigm’ differs from earlier approaches to globalization, nomadism, and flow, and outlines some of the key themes and research areas within the field, in particular the concepts of mobility systems, mobility capital, mobility justice, and movement-space. In addressing new developments in mobile methodologies and realist ontologies, this review of the field concludes with a call for an emergent vital sociology that is attentive to its own autopoiesis.
Comparison of the pollutant loads in dry and wet weather runoff in a southern California urban watershed.

This research compares the relative contributions of potential contaminants discharged in dry weather flow (DWF) and wet weather flow (WWF) from the highly urbanized Ballona Creek watershed (BCW) in southern California using empirical and deterministic models. These models were used to compare the loading of the following pollutants: total suspended solids, biochemical oxygen demand, total nitrogen, total inorganic nitrogen, total Kjeldahl nitrogen, total phosphorus, copper, lead, arsenic, nickel, cadmium, and chromium. The results indicate DWF contributes approximately 10–30% of the total annual flow discharged from Ballona Creek. The annual DWF volume was fairly consistent; the variation in DWF percentage contribution was dependent on the highly variable volume of WWF. The relative contribution to the annual pollutant load varied considerably between each pollutant. In general, the DWF load was found to be significant, especially in years with lower precipitation totals. The results from this investigation have identified the relative relationship between DWF and WWF loads in the BCW and will aid in the decision-making process during the development of an integrated DWF-WWF management plan and allocation of water pollution control funds between DWF and WWF management.
Reconfigurable 2-D WDM optical tapped-delay-line to correlate 20Gbaud QPSK data

We demonstrate a 2-D optical tapped-delay-line that exploits nonlinearities and chromatic dispersion to perform 2-D correlation on 20Gbaud QPSK data with correlator results with an average EVM of ~7.8%. We successfully recognize different 2×2 target patterns in an image with 961 pixels.
Positive Friedman Tests in Non-Pregnant States

Of 2,134 cases, in which neither pregnancy nor any evidence of chorionic tissue was present, positive Friedman tests have been found in our laboratory in 241. In 1774 tests in women, 172 yielded positive reactions and of 360 tests in men 69 yielded positive reactions. For present purposes each patient is considered once only. Those presented as having a positive Friedman test may have had only one positive among several tests or may have had repeatedly positive tests. So-called false positive tests have been mentioned in various conditions by numerous authors'''', many of the cases mentioned being similar to these presented here. The purpose of this report is to emphasize the fact that a variety of conditions other than pregnancy may be associated with the excretion of sufficient gonadotropic substance to produce a positive Friedman reaction. This fact is frequently overlooked and is of importance considering the widespread use of the test for the diagnosis of pregnancy. In addition, where quantitative assays are not readily available or too expensive to be of practical value, this test may be used for the sole purpose of detecting whether there is an excessive excretion of gonadotropic hormone. In the absence of chorionic tissue this test may usually be considered a qualitative measure of excessive activity of the anterior lobe of the pituitary gland. The possible adrenal origin of gonadotropins in certain cases is discussed below. Such an assay may be of assistance in deciding whether ovarian or testicular failure is due to primary deficiency of the pituitary gland or to
The Functional Response of Toxorhynchites Rutilus Rutilus (Diptera: Culicidae), a Predator on Container-Breeding Mosquitoes

This study approaches mosquito predation by Toxorhynchites r. rutilus in terms of the functional response of the predator. Toxorhynchites r. rutilus displays a Type II functional response, similar to that of most insect predators. Estimates of attack rates within and across its larval instars were not significantly different. The estimates for prey handling time showed no trend within the 4th instar, but decreased with each molt as the predator matured from 1st to 4th instar. At densities of 2 and 4 predators per container, attack rates decreased with increasing predator density, although they were not significantly different. Handling times significantly decreased as predator density increased. The study is summarized in the functional response surfaces for individual and total predator populations.
Some Observations on the Male Ejaculate

Vasectomy may be reversed in dogs by using intermedic tubing P.E. 50 7 cm in length with both ends tapered by heat. It is inserted into the lumen of the exposed ductus deferens. Both tapered ends penetrate the wall and are secured with silver clips providing easy identification both radiologically and for removal surgically. Vasectomy has been reversed in 10 humans by securing 2 fresh ends of the duct and placing a splint of 000 nylon suture. Apposition was done with 4 fine silk sutures passing through the approximated walls. The splint was removed 10 days later. A follow-up of 9 of these patients revealed that 6 pregnancies had been established.
Spatial Heat Maps from Fast Information Matching of Fast and Slow Degrees of Freedom: Application to Molecular Dynamics Simulations

We introduce a fast information matching (FIM) method for transforming time domain data into spatial images through handshaking between fast and slow degrees of freedom. The analytics takes advantage of the detailed time series available from biomolecular computer simulations, and it yields spatial heat maps that can be visualized on 3D molecular structures or in the form of interaction networks. The speed of our efficient mutual information solver is on the order of a basic Pearson cross-correlation calculation. We demonstrate that the FIM method is superior to linear cross-correlation for the detection of nonlinear dependence in challenging situations where measures for the global dynamics (the “activity”) diverge. The analytics is applied to the detection of hinge-bending hot spots and to the prediction of pairwise contacts between residues that are relevant for the global activity exhibited by the molecular dynamics (MD) trajectories. Application examples from various MD laboratories include the milli...
P-Glycoprotein Expression in Human Plasma Cell Myeloma: Correlation With Prior Chemotherapy

Multidrug-resistant (MDR) myeloma patients failing chemotherapy may express P-glycoprotein (PGP), which serves as an efflux pump protecting the neoplastic cells. Unknown is whether PGP expression might relate to prior cytotoxic drug exposure. To address this question, we studied 106 consecutive bone marrow samples from 104 myeloma patients with samples studied either before or after therapy and at the time of relapse. We performed an established immunocytochemical assay of PGP using an MDR-1-specific monoclonal antibody and correlated PGP status with prior chemotherapy dosage. Myeloma patients with no prior therapy had a low incidence of PGP expression (6%, 3/47), whereas those receiving chemotherapy had a significantly higher incidence (43%, 21/49) (P 20 mg, > 340 mg total dose) there was 100% incidence of PGP expression in the tumor cells. These data provided the basis for a predictive mathematical model from which dose-related PGP expression normograms were generated. Time with myeloma for PGP-negative patients (mean 33 months) had overlapping confidence limits with PGP-positive patients (mean 42 months), suggesting that disease duration was not a significant variable. PGP expression did not correlate with other clinical factors or immunophenotypic factors. Our findings indicate a strong correlation between PGP expression in myeloma and past chemotherapy in myeloma, in particular, related to prior exposure to the natural product agents vincristine and doxorubicin. Additionally, the proportion of PGP-positive plasma cells was significantly higher in the doxorubicin-treated patients than the nondoxorubicin-treated patients (87.7% v 65.17%; P = .013). Combined high vincristine and doxorubicin total dosage appear highly predictive of PGP expression.
Density, Viscosity, Speed of Sound, Bulk Modulus, Surface Tension, and Flash Point of Binary Mixtures of 1,2,3,4-Tetrahydronaphthalene and Trans-decahydronaphthalene

In this work, the properties of mixtures of 1,2,3,4-tetrahydronaphthalene and trans-decahydronaphthalene were measured. Density and viscosity were measured at temperatures ranging from (293.15 to 373.15) K, and speed of sound was measured at temperatures ranging from (293.15 to 333.15) K. For the mixtures, increasing the mole fraction of 1,2,3,4-tetrahydronaphthalene and decreasing the temperature caused increases in density, speed of sound, bulk modulus, flash point, and surface tension. Mixture viscosities were lower than those of either component. Bulk moduli ranged from (1323 to 2092) MPa over (293.15 to 333.15) K. At room temperature, surface tensions ranged from (30.5 to 35.0) mN·m–1, and flash points ranged from (328.7 to 343.1) K. The density, speed of sound, and bulk modulus of hydrodepolymerized cellulosic diesel (HDCD) can be matched by mixtures of 1,2,3,4-tetrahydronaphthalene and trans-decahydronaphthalene. The flash point and viscosity of HDCD are higher than those of the mixtures, while its...
Validation metrics for turbulent plasma transport

Developing accurate models of plasma dynamics is essential for confident predictive modeling of current and future fusion devices. In modern computer science and engineering, formal verification and validation processes are used to assess model accuracy and establish confidence in the predictive capabilities of a given model. This paper provides an overview of the key guiding principles and best practices for the development of validation metrics, illustrated using examples from investigations of turbulent transport in magnetically confined plasmas. Particular emphasis is given to the importance of uncertainty quantification and its inclusion within the metrics, and the need for utilizing synthetic diagnostics to enable quantitatively meaningful comparisons between simulation and experiment. As a starting point, the structure of commonly used global transport model metrics and their limitations is reviewed. An alternate approach is then presented, which focuses upon comparisons of predicted local fluxes, ...
A decade of e-cigarettes: Limited research & unresolved safety concerns

It is well known that tobacco consumption is a leading cause of preventable deaths worldwide and has been linked to major diseases ranging from cancer to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, atherosclerosis, stroke and a host of neurological/neurodegenerative disorders. In the past decade a number of alternative vaping products have hit the market, rapidly gaining consumers especially among the younger population. Electronic nicotine delivery systems or e-cigarettes have become the sought-after product due to the belief that they are much safer than traditional cigarettes. However, inadequate research and lack of regulatory guidelines for both the manufacturing process and the content of the vaping solution of the e-cigarette has become a major concern. Highly debated and unresolved questions such as whether e-cigarettes may help smokers quit and whether e-cigarettes will promote the use of nicotine among non-smokers add to the confusion of the safety of e-cigarettes. In this review article, we summarize the current understanding (and lack thereof) of the potential health impacts of e-cigarettes. We will also highlight the most recent studies (in vivo/in vitro) which seem to conflict with the broad safety claims put forward by the manufacturers. Finally, we provide potential solutions to overcome the research gap of the short and long-term health impact of e-cigarettes.
Method to study relaxation of metastable phases: Macroscopic mean-field dynamics.

We propose two different macroscopic dynamics to describe the decay of metastable phases in many-particle systems with local interactions. These dynamics depend on the macroscopic order parameter m through the restricted free energy F(m) and are designed to give the correct equilibrium distribution for m. The connection between macroscopic dynamics and the underlying microscopic dynamic is considered in the context of a projection-operator formalism. Application to the square-lattice nearest-neighbor Ising ferromagnet gives good agreement with droplet theory and Monte Carlo simulations of the underlying microscopic dynamic. This includes quantitative agreement for the exponential dependence of the lifetime 〈\ensuremath{\tau}〉 on the inverse of the applied field H, and the observation of distinct field regions in which \ensuremath{\Lambda}\ensuremath{\equiv}d ln〈\ensuremath{\tau}〉/d\ensuremath{\Vert}H${\mathrm{\ensuremath{\Vert}}}^{1\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}\mathit{d}}$ depends differently on \ensuremath{\Vert}H\ensuremath{\Vert}. In addition, at very low temperatures we observe oscillatory behavior of \ensuremath{\Lambda} with respect to \ensuremath{\Vert}H\ensuremath{\Vert}, which is due to the discreteness of the lattice and in agreement with rigorous results. Similarities and differences between this work and earlier works on finite Ising models in the fixed-magnetization ensemble are discussed.
Principles of Vascular Access

Vascular access procedures are commonly performed by acute care physicians within a wide myriad of clinically settings such as the operating room (OR), emergency department (ED), or intensive care unit (ICU) for a wide variety of indications. Regardless of location or indication, vascular access procedures are not innocuous and procedural success traditionally has relied on knowledge of anatomy and familiarity of the procedure. In a prospective study by Schummer et al. (Intensive Care Med 33(6):1055–1059, 2007) that included 1794 cases using landmark techniques, there was a 3.3 % complication rate with vascular catheterization. Also, as the number of passes with the entry needle increases so does the rate of mechanical complication whereby three or more needle passes incurs a six-fold increase in complication rate (Hall and Russell, Anaesthesia 60(1):1–4, 2005). Furthermore, certain subgroups such as children and obese patients have been further identified as having increased risk with vascular access. Although the reported complication rates are relatively low, considering the number of vascular access procedures performed annually as the denominator, the absolute number of complication occurrences becomes significant. Improved assessment of vascular anatomy and visualization during the procedure in an effort to mitigate complications and improve procedural success form the argument supporting ultrasound (US) guided vascular access.
Conference Report: Biosignature Preservation and Detection in Mars Analog Environments

Abstract The Conference on Biosignature Preservation and Detection in Mars Analog Environments held in May 2016 brought together scientists to discuss microbial biosignatures in Mars analog habitable environments. Five analog environments were discussed: (1) hydrothermal spring systems, (2) subaqueous environments, (3) subaerial environments, (4) subsurface environments, and (5) iron-rich systems. This paper details the major messages that resulted from the discussions and will be followed by a review paper that adds significant detail from the published literature and interpretations from the writing committee of the workshop for future research and application to astrobiological exploration missions. Key Words: Biosignature preservation—Biosignature detection—Mars analog environments—Conference report—Astrobiological exploration. Astrobiology 17, 1–2.
Predicting Cholesterol Interaction Sites on GPCRs by Molecular Simulation

G-protein coupled receptor function depends on the lipid environment, in particular on cholesterol. Given that brute force mutagenesis of the entire membrane-facing surface is not practical, an approach is presented to identify putative cholesterol interaction sites on the surface of GPCRs. In unbiased simulations in the presence of cholesterol, specific residues are identified as loci of cholesterol interaction, identified on the basis of long-lived, reproducible cholesterol binding. Results will be presented for several GPCRs, with a special focus on the A2A adenosine receptor.
Isometries of Riemannian Manifolds

The earliest and very general result on the group of isometries is perhaps the following theorem of van Danzig and van der Waerden [1] (see also Kobayashi-Nomizu [1, vol. 1; pp. 46–50] for a proof).
A scalable time-based integrate-and-fire neuromorphic core with brain-inspired leak and local lateral inhibition capabilities

A fully scalable light-weight integrate-and-fire neuromorphic core with brain-inspired leak and local lateral inhibition features is implemented in 65nm. The core computes the neural net algorithm entirely in the time domain using standard digital circuits. A parallel two-layer architecture realized using the proposed core achieves a 91% handwritten digit recognition accuracy. The 0.24mm2 neuromorphic core including 64 digitally controlled oscillator (DCO) circuits consumes 320.4μW per DCO at a maximum throughput of 746M pixels/s.
Adaptation in the visual cortex: a case for probing neuronal populations with natural stimuli.

The perception of, and neural responses to, sensory stimuli in the present are influenced by what has been observed in the past—a phenomenon known as adaptation. We focus on adaptation in visual cortical neurons as a paradigmatic example. We review recent work that represents two shifts in the way we study adaptation, namely (i) going beyond single neurons to study adaptation in populations of neurons and (ii) going beyond simple stimuli to study adaptation to natural stimuli. We suggest that efforts in these two directions, through a closer integration of experimental and modeling approaches, will enable a more complete understanding of cortical processing in natural environments.
OASIS is here to stay. Where do you go from here

Some version of OASIS will be required for the foreseeable future. Regardless of approach, there are several factors that can influence the accuracy or inter-rater reliability during collection of OASIS data. The authors focus on factors affecting OASIS accuracy within the agency and strategies to evaluate and improve OASIS accuracy.
Editorial: E-Health: Accessing Knowledge for Global Health

Globalization and information and communication technology (ICT) continues to change us and the world we live in, particularly when one considers the influence of ICT on health (e-health). The barriers that have contributed in the past to the inaccessibility of vital health information (and the experience needed to transform such data into actionable knowledge) are beginning to dissipate. Worldwide growth of telecommunications, a groundswell of technology savvy populations, and the dawning awareness of the power of digital health information are fundamentally altering the face of global health. As Thomas Friedman writes, ICT has made everyone a virtual next-door-neighbor, has “flattened” the world, leveled the playing field, and has enabled the exchange data and services from even the most remote locales around the globe. ICT in health is a global game-changer. https://doi.org/10.34105/j.kmel.2010.02.007
ECHOCARDIOGRAPHIC FEATURES OF LONGEVITY: A CASE SERIES OF CENTENARIANS

Cardiovascular disease remains the most common cause of mortality in centenarians however, the data concerning these patients’ cardiovascular health remains scarce. A retrospective echocardiographic analysis was conducted in a series of 107 centenarians with echocardiogram available in our
Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement Incidentalomas: A Multimodality Imaging Case of Giant Right Coronary Aneurysm

Giant coronary artery aneurysms (CAAs) are defined as having a diameter of greater than 2 cm. We report a case of an 82-year-old male with severe aortic stenosis incidentally diagnosed with giant right coronary artery aneurysm (gRCAA) while undergoing evaluation for transcather aortic valve replacement (TAVR). It was causing a mass effect on the right cardiac chambers but was otherwise asymptomatic. Our patient was successfully treated with surgical excision of aneurysm with concomitant coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) and surgical aortic valve replacement (SAVR). The patient remained stable at discharge and on serial follow-ups for two years. In conclusion, due to the associated complication and increased risk of mortality with giant coronary aneurysms, we recommend surgical approach instead of medical management alone. We also call for evidence-based recommendations and guidelines for management of TAVR incidentalomas.
Plasticine: A Reconfigurable Accelerator for Parallel Patterns

Plasticine is a new spatially reconfigurable architecture designed to efficiently execute applications composed of high-level parallel patterns. With an area footprint of 113 mm2 in a 28-nm process and a 1-GHz clock, Plasticine has a peak floating-point performance of 12.3 single-precision Tflops and a total on-chip memory capacity of 16 MB, consuming a maximum power of 49 W. Plasticine provides an improvement of up to 76.9X in performance-per-watt over a conventional FPGA over a wide range of dense and sparse applications.
Culture in transition: Awareness and appropriate response to domestic violence among Hmong American college students

This explanatory study examined Hmong college students’ experience, awareness, and appropriate response to domestic violence in the Hmong community, using a survey (n = 231) at one of the largest H...
Methods for a Large Number of Attributes

In the previous chapters we discussed various conjoint analysis methods for ratings-based ad choice-based studies. One problem that nags applied researchers is how to deal with the issue of large numbers of attributes (and levels) to be included that arise in any practical problem. This problem may arise particularly for technologically complex products which usually have a large number of attributes. Over the years, researchers have come up with different methods to deal with this problem. While we have mentioned tangentially some of the applicable methods, this chapter will pull together various methods developed. In the next section (Sect. 5.2), we will describe the main problem when a conjoint study has to deal with a large number of attributes and then present an overview of the methods available in the literature. In Sect. 5.3, we will describe each method in some detail (data collection approach and analysis method) along with an application. Section 5.4 compares the methods on a set of relevant criteria. Finally, we will offer several directions for future research on the issue of a large number of attributes in any conjoint study and conjecture possible newer developments. Some newer data collection methods that use auctions also deal with the large number of attributes problem.
Biosocial Risk Factors for Domestic Violence

Domestic violence occupies an unusual position in psychological research. While being one of the most widespread and devastating of societal problems, domestic violence is also one of the areas with the least amount of quality empirical work. We need to look no further than the historical and cultural context of wife assault to recognize that violence against women has not only been largely ignored and minimized across time, but has also been sanctioned by our patriarchal culture (Bograd, 1988; Dobash & Dobash, 1979). Part of this apparent lack of research enthusiasm may be explained by the delicate ethical issues that are raised when science attempts to intervene in such a politically perilous area (Jacobson, 1994). The accurate dissemination of results from this type of research is particularly difficult given the propensity of the mass media to confuse and misinterpret issues of correlation, causality, and responsibility. Another possible deterrent to would-be researchers is that domestic violence is not part of any mainstream, but rather overlaps with many different disciplines, including psychology, public health, law, and social work domains.
Globalisation, Trade and the Environment: Broadening the Agenda after Seattle?

The role and the activities of international organisations used to be discussed mainly between academics, NGOs, diplomats and, more generally, among those interested in international affairs. Notwithstanding the important role played by such organisations in our daily lives, their activities escaped the attention of the general public and their work rarely made the headlines. Greater attention was paid to the work of a few international organisations, particularly the UN, but such focus was often limited only to the duration of a specific crisis or emergency.Such situation has somehow changed, particularly in the past few months, when certain international institutions have found themselves increasingly on the centre stage and their activities have become the focus of intense scrutiny and criticism. For example, the third Ministerial Conference of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) held in Seattle in December 1999 was sabotaged by demonstrators. Protesters highlighted the growing concerns raised by globalisation and particularly by the promotion of free trade, perceived as a threat, inter alia, to the environment. Demonstrations in Washington on 16 and 17 April 2000 raised similar fears about the activities of two other major international economic institutions, the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund. Several environmental NGOs were among the groups demonstrating in Seattle and Washington to express their preoccupation for the environmental costs of the activities of these international economic institutions, perceived as being at the forefront of the process of globalisation. The events of Seattle and Washington could mark a turning point and represent an opportunity to reform international economic institutions to increase public participation and accountability.This article will focus on one specific issue highlighted by the demonstrations in Seattle: the tension between trade rules and environmental protection. This issue will be analysed mainly by concentrating on the experience and practice of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) and the WTO.
Simulating the mobility of micro-plastics and other fiber-like objects in saturated porous media using constrained random walks

Abstract This article details an approach for modeling the motion of large, flexible, fiber-like colloids, including micro-plastic fibers, through porous media. Fibers and other fiber-like colloids, such as bacteria, have unique shapes and properties that make modeling them more difficult than dissolved solutes, and necessitate unique tools. The approach uses the concept of a bead-rod chain to discretize the fibers as discrete objects that move through the flow field. Each node of the chain is moved independently via a classical random walk but we enforce the constraint that the length of the fiber cannot change over time, which effectively adds a force balance to the random walk problem. After a brief illustrative example, our main question evaluates some of the tradeoffs between pore-water velocity, fiber length, and the size of the pore spaces in a 4 cm by 12 cm synthetic model of pore-scale flow in granular material. We find that fiber length is generally correlated to retardation, relative to a passive tracer, and the magnitude of retardation tends to increase with increasing average pore-water velocity. However, the simulations also show that, in some cases, fibers shorter than the average pore-opening can pass through the experiment faster than a solute. This alludes to the complexities and sometimes counter-intuitive nature of the transport behavior of discrete, non-dissolved objects through porous media, which merit experimental study in the future to validate our results against experimental data and to refine the proposed hypothesis testing platform.
Neurobiological Considerations for Tobacco Use Disorder

Neurobiological studies of tobacco/nicotine use examining genetic, molecular, functional, and behavioral correlates have improved our understanding of tobacco/nicotine dependence and have informed treatment. Recent work extending previously established findings and reporting novel methodologies and discoveries in preclinical and human studies are reviewed. Recent work in preclinical models has focused on the differential roles of nicotinic receptor subtypes and nicotine’s effects on neural systems beyond cortico-striatal dopaminergic pathways, and utilizing advanced methodologies such as pharmacogenetics, optogenetics, and rodent fMRI to identify targets for treatment. Likewise, human neuroimaging studies have identified molecular and functional dynamic shifts associated with tobacco/nicotine use that further inform treatment. Tobacco/nicotine use is associated with widespread neural adaptations that are persistent and function to maintain addiction. The continued identification of genetic, molecular, neural, and behavioral endophenotypes related to tobacco/nicotine use, dependence, and addiction will facilitate the development and delivery of personalized treatment.
Firm Size, Ownership Structure and Extent of Technological Exploitation and Exploration

Using data on Korean firms we investigate size and ownership structure as determinants of technological exploitation and exploration. Building upon prior research on size and innovation we study how ownership structure and size jointly effect innovation. We utilize a measure for innovation using IPC (International Patent classification) codes to specifically study changes in strategy of technological exploration versus exploitation by firms. Our empirical findings show that size positively and significantly impacts both technological exploration and exploitation separately. Additionally, increasing firm size leads to higher technological exploration than exploitation. Foreign institutional ownership positively moderates the relationship between firm size and technological exploration while domestic institutional ownership positively moderates the effect of firm size on technological exploitation.