cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Constitutive equations for a class of nonlinear elastic solids

Abstract Constitutive equations are developed for elastic solids sustaining deformation for which displacement gradients are small but where complete physical nonlinearity is permitted. The constitutive equation includes as special cases forms considered by recent authors; at the same time, more general effects are incorporated, in particular, coupling between volumetric and deviatoric components of strain. Some simple states of deformation are examined and the plane elastostatic problem is formulated, together with the solution of an example problem by perturbation techniques.
Adult Respiratory Distress Syndrome and Gonococcemia

A case of adult respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) is described that was secondary to conococcal septicemia. The patient had severe hypoxemia and diffuse pulmonary infiltrates. The diagnosis of disseminated gonorrhea was confirmed by the isolation of Neisseria gonorrhoeae from one of several typical appearing skin lesions. The patient did not require mechanical ventilation and made a prompt recovery after a regimen of antibiotics was started. The association between ARDS and gonococcemia is extremely rare. It occurrence may be related to unusual properties of the gonococcal endotoxin or to the host response.
Stepwise stereoisomerization of prolycopene, a polycis carotenoid, to all-trans-lycopene.

Abstract When solutions of prolycopene, C 48 H 56 , are illuminated under certain conditions, a subsequent chromatogram shows the presence of 1.3 “intermediate” steric forms, located between the unchanged prolycopene and the all- trans -lycopene zones. The ultraviolet spectral characteristics of these stereoisomers are given. The seven crystalline cis compounds were also characterized in the infrared region. One of the isomers has been identified with the natural product “polycis-lycopene III.” The high number of observed cis forms and their manifold spectral features can only be explained if prolycopene is a poly cis compound which probably contains four cis double bonds. During the stepwise isomerization, prolycopene → all- trans -lycopene, the infrared bands related to the methylated and unmethylated cis double bonds gradually decrease in intensity and disappear when the all- trans stage is reached.
Four-gimbal systems for simulation display:

The utility of a four-gimbal system for positioning two reference frames with respect to each other without gim bal lock has long been recognized. As early as 1954 such a system to isolate an inertial platform was proposed by Arnold and Schlesinger1 . However, the exact law for driving the fourth angle has been a question. The situa tion had not improved through 1962 where, in Reference 2, "gimbal flip" (an instantaneous rotation of 180 de grees in two axes, similar to the three-axis gimbal be havior at gimbal lock) appears as an inherent part of the fourth angle's driving law. Clearly this behavior is not desirable for platform isolation or visual display systems used for vehicle motion cues in simulation.This paper describes developments made at Langley (NASA) in the last several years. A driving law for the fourth angle is developed for two different four-gimbal systems. The first is similar to the gimbal systems de scribed in References 1 and 2 and has advantages in design and implementation for platf...
A systematic coupled-cluster investigation of structure and vibrational frequencies of the lowest electronic states of ketenyl radical

Abstract Structure and harmonic frequencies of ketenyl radical from UHF, MBPT(2), CCSD and CCSD(T) calculations using DZP and TZ2P basis sets are presented. The equilibrium structure of the ground state is bent, while the linear structure represents a saddle point on the potential energy surface. The results are in good agreement with the available experimental information. In addition, we also present those geometrical parameters and harmonic frequencies which are not available from experiment.
Computational studies on isomerization of imine from penicillin and electron transfer by carboxyiminium derived from β-lactams

Abstract Fused-ring β-lactams readily form imine carboxylic acids upon binding to cell-wall enzymes. It has been proposed that part of the antibiotic action of β-lactams may involve electron transfer by the corresponding iminium form of these derivatives. In the case of penicillin, ring opening leads to a compound which might be expected to isomerize to two stable conjugated species. One conversion yields a conjugated carboxyimine, while the other results in loss of the imine functionality. Semiempirical calculations were carried out to determine which isomerization is favored. The heats of formation for the initial compound, the final isomers, their protonated forms, as well as the intermediates involved were calculated using MNDO. Whereas one conjugated isomer (the imine) is thermodynamically more stable, the other (an enamine) is favored kinetically. Molecular orbital energies (LUMO's) for these structures show that the thermodynamically favored isomer has greater potential to participate in electron transfer than the kinetically favored product. In addition, calculations on simple molecules bearing structural similarity to the thermodynamically preferred isomer reveal that electron transfer is facilitated if the acid portion of the carboxyiminium remains protonated and is enhanced by the presence of sulfur in the structure.
Water Governance in Bolivia: Policy Options for Pro-Poor Infrastructure Reform

English Abstract: As the case with most countries across Latin America, unprecedented migration to urban areas has strained city infrastructure systems. More particularly, the region faces a pressing crisis of water security, where rapid urbanization has outpaced water sector development. This thesis addresses the water infrastructure reform in El Alto and La Paz, Bolivia, focusing on strategies to better promote water access for the peri-urban poor. The research investigates the level of progressivity of water service expansion and pricing regimes: in other words, does the present model of water distribution positively improve the lives of the poorest groups? By investigating these social dimensions of water management, this study brings perspectives on the broader dialogue on Bolivia’s economic development, along with issues of participatory governance.Spanish Abstract: Como es el caso en muchos paises latinoamericanos, la migracion a areas urbanas a niveles sin precedentes ha superado la capacidad de infraestructura. Concretamente, la region se enfrenta a una urgente crisis en la seguridad de agua potable dado que la rapida urbanizacion ha sobrepasado el desarrollo de este sector. Esta tesis aborda la reforma de la infraestructura de agua potable en El Alto y La Paz, Bolivia, enfocando en las estrategias para mejorar el acceso a agua por parte de los residentes periurbanos pobres. La investigacion averigua el nivel de progresividad de los regimenes de precios y expansion de servicios de agua potable. En otras palabras, ?contribuye el actual modelo de distribucion de agua al mejoramiento de la vida de los grupos mas desfavorecidos? Al investigar estas dimensiones sociales en el manejo de agua potable, este estudio ofrece perspectivas en cuanto al dialogo amplio del desarrollo economico de Bolivia, asi como asuntos de gobernanza participativa.
Frequency dependence of the optical kerr effect and third-order electronic nonlinear-optical processes of organic liquids

An experimental study and a theoretical analysis of frequency-dependent optical Kerr effects in material media are presented. Through optimized pump–probe measurement techniques for the frequency dependence of the optical Kerr effect, individual resonant and nonresonant contributions to the third-order nonlinear-optical susceptibility χijkl(3)(−ω2; ω1, −ω1, ω2) can be obtained from the optical Kerr data. Third-order depolarization processes are reviewed to provide the optimum experimental conditions for measuring χijkl(3)(−ω2; ω1, −ω1, ω2) together with the corresponding formalism required for analyzing the frequency-dependent data. The experimental methods are demonstrated by dispersion measurements carried out for nonresonant and resonant optical Kerr effects in the organic Kerr liquids benzene and nitrobenzene. The results for benzene and nitrobenzene are discussed in terms of resonant π-electron excitations of each system.
A consistent estimation criterion for multisensor bearings-only tracking

The problem of multitarget tracking using bearings-only measurements is addressed, when the number of targets is unknown a priori. The minimum description length (MDL) criterion of Rissanen is first chosen as a natural way to determine the number of targets when a prior distribution is unavailable. However, it is shown that MDL results in inconsistent estimates of the number of targets, and hence a modified estimation criterion, which is shown to yield unbiased target estimates, is proposed. The resulting asymptotically unbiased target identification (AUTI) algorithm corresponds to the computation of joint maximum likelihood (ML) estimates of target states and associations, with an additional penalty term to prevent overparameterization. The problem of data association is solved using a set of parallel simulated annealing algorithms over the sensors and scans. As the associations are formed by annealing, a conventional nonlinear programming algorithm simultaneously estimates the target states (position and velocity). This partitioning is justified by examining the structure of the bearings-only tracking problem under clairvoyant associations; It is shown that the norm squared of the target state error vector is a Lyapunov function for a gradient descent differential equation. As a consequence, an idealized nonlinear programming algorithm (steepest descent with infinitesimal step size) is globally convergent. A practical algorithm is then developed for identification of the number of targets, which combines simulated annealing for associations, and the Gauss-Newton algorithm for target state estimation. Simulation results are presented which compare the tracking performance of the MDL and AUTI algorithms.
Sensitive and Broadly Reactive Reverse Transcription-PCR Assays To Detect Novel Paramyxoviruses

We have developed a set of reverse transcription-PCR assays for the detection and identification of known and novel paramyxoviruses in clinical specimens. Primers were designed from the conserved motifs of the polymerase pol gene sequences to detect members of the Paramyxovirinae or Pneumovirinae subfamily or groups of genera within the Paramyxovirinae subfamily. The consensus-degenerate hybrid oligonucleotide primer design and seminested or nested PCR assay design were used to enhance the breadth of reactivity and sensitivity of the respective assays. Using expressed RNA and 10-fold dilution series of virus-infected tissue culture isolates from different members of the family or genera, these assays were able to detect on average between 100 and 500 copies of template RNA. The assays were specific to the respective group of genera or subfamily viruses. This set of primers enhances our ability to look for novel viruses in outbreaks and diseases of unknown etiology.
Organic Tendencies in Medieval Political Thought

The purpose of this paper is a re-examination of the thesis set forth by Otto von Gierke: that in medieval political theory there were certain organic tendencies which, because the jurists failed to develop the concept of the real personality of the group, ultimately gave way to an atomistic construction of the state. The paper is not concerned with the actual structure of medieval society, nor with the legal concepts of jurists, but with the theoretical doctrines of the publicists which Gierke interprets in that section of Das deutsche Genossenschaftsrecht which, in Maitland's translation,' has become a classic for students of political theory. It is my contention that, while his treatment of subordinate issues of medieval political theory is often masterly, Gierke's main theses in regard to the medieval concepts of the nature of the group, the relation of officers to the group, and the relation of groups to one another are fundamentally inaccurate. To Gierke, the most interesting aspect of medieval political theory was "an internal contest, which in the history of ideas was of more importance than all the external differences between partisans: namely, the contest between properly medieval and 'antique-modern' thought."2 "Properly medieval" thought, in Gierke's analysis, "starts from the whole, but ascribes an intrinsic value to every partial whole down to and including the individual."3 Thus it sees the world as an hierarchic structure of entities, each of which, whether a single individual or a group, is an organic unity, with
Potential applications of magnetic rare earth compunds

Chemistry and physics of the rare earth elements and their compounds are in a rapidly expanding state of development. Many new materials with interesting magnetic properties have recently become available. The potential of lanthanon compounds as magnetic materials in electrical engineering is evaluated by comparing the basic properties of lanthanons and transition metals. The lanthanides show certain unique properties resulting from the localization of their magnetic 4f levels. Unfortunately, their Curie temperatures are relatively low. The probability of finding ferromagnetic lanthanide compounds with high Curie temperatures is explored. A survey of magnetic properties of metallic and nonmetallic lanthanide materials indicates possible applications for which they can compete favorably with other materials.
Joint statistics of photon pathlength and cloud optical depth

A mean pressure- and temperature-weighted photon pathlength in the atmosphere can be inferred from moderate resolution measurements in the O2 A-band. We show a pathlength retrieval method and calibration results for measurements from a Rotating Shadowband Spectroradiometer (RSS), and present the joint statistics of pathlength and cloud optical depth for cloudy skies observed at the Southern Great Plains (SGP) site from September 30 to December 22, 1997. Two different population branches are apparent in the scattergram of the pathlength versus cloud optical depth; we attribute these to 1) singlelayer cases exhibiting small variations of pathlength enhancement over large optical depth ranges; and 2) multiple layer cases with large variances of enhanced photon pathlengths.
Triangulation of Modeling Methodologies for Strategic Decisions in an Inland Waterway Transportation System

We show how optimizing models, computer simulation, and expert opinion were integrated to investigate the potential performance of a waterway navigation system under different scheduling regimes and infrastructure changes. Analytical models are used to derive scheduling rules that balance efficiency against equity. Discrete-event simulation is used to assess system performance under various infrastructural changes (helper boats, expanded locks) and traffic management schemes (such as load leveling, priority scheduling, or self-regulation by the barge industry). Expert opinion is sought to address concerns of stakeholders and shed light on industry reactions to different policy alternatives. We show the importance of triangulation involving different modeling and philosophical approaches in generating relevant information for development of solution strategies.
A way forward in protecting health services in conflict: moving beyond the humanitarian paradigm

Attacks on health workers, clinics, hospitals, ambulances and patients during periods of armed conflict or civil disturbance pose enormous challenges to humanitarian response and constitute affronts to the imperatives of human rights and civilian protection. Violence inflicted on humanitarian aid workers is gaining the global attention it warrants. While the number of attacks on aid workers has decreased in recent years, in a handful of places, notably Sudan, Afghanistan, and Somalia, they have become more spectacular and frightening, with aid agencies targeted for kidnapping and subjected to use of explosives because of their perceived affiliation with Western governments. The assaults have galvanised the humanitarian aid community to track attacks and to engage in intensive and sophisticated discussion of means to increase operational security. After worldwide consultation, in 2011 the United Nations (UN) Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) issued a report that summarised the fruits of experience and stimulated consideration of security strategies for aid providers. By contrast, however, until very recently the far larger number of incidents of violence inflicted on and interference with indigenous health services and on international and local development agencies by state and armed groups has received comparatively little attention.
Complementary two-transistor circuits and negative differential resistance

The DC behavior of nonlinear one-ports using two complementary Ebers-Moll-modeled transistors and lacking internal independent sources is discussed. It is proven that, in the absence of internal resistors, all such one-ports-irrespective of their internal topology and transistor parameter values-cannot exhibit negative differential resistance (NDR) for any value of an external biasing current source. One circuit using two complementary transistors and no resistors is of particular interest, since it is often cited as a two-transistor simplified model for silicon-controlled rectifier devices. The results demonstrate that either the transistor behavior unaccounted for in an Ebers-Moll-type model must be involved in this one-port's NDR behavior, or the presence of internal resistors is essential to such a circuit's behavior having even a generally correct qualitative character. >
A method for increasing cellulase production by Trichoderma viride

A doubling of cellulase production by Trichoderma viride (QM9414) is possible by increasing the cellulose concentration in the medium from 0.75 to 2%, increasing the nitrogen concentration, and controlling pH during growth. A four-to fivefold increase in β -glucosidase is found with the higher cellulose concentration. Culture filtrates from 2% cellulose cultures can reduce the hydrolysis time in a practical saccharification to one-half that required by culture filtrates from 0.75% cellulose cultures.
Carotid Endarterectomy Under Local Anesthesia: The Safer Alternative?

Carotid endarterectomy can be successfully accomplished using either local or general anesthesia. The purpose of this study was to attempt to discern any differences in perioperative morbidity associated with the two anesthetic tech niques. A retrospective review was undertaken of 324 consecutive carotid en darterectomies performed by fifteen surgeons between 1979 and 1985. There were no significant differences in preoperative cardiac, pulmonary, or renal risk factors between the two anesthetic groups. Postoperative fever (p < 0.005), pulmonary complications (p < 0.05), and neurologic morbidity (p < 0.05) oc curred significantly more frequently in the general anesthesia group. The dura tion of postoperative hospitalization was shorter (p < 0.0005) in the local anes thetic cohort (3.1 ± 2.3 days) than in the general anesthetic group (5.1 ± 8.07 days). Local anesthesia for carotid endarterectomy appeared to result in less morbidity and shorter hospitalization when compared with general anesthesia. There did...
Earliest Triassic Claystone Breccias and Soil-Erosion Crisis

Abstract Chemostratigraphic methods (δ13Corg) for pinpointing the Permian–Triassic boundary in nonmarine rocks of Antarctica, Australia, and South Africa have drawn attention to unusual claystone breccias at this horizon of the greatest extinction in the history of life on Earth. These rocks differ from other breccias in having a high proportion of clasts with birefringence microfabrics (sepic plasmic fabrics) characteristic of soils, and can be called sepic pedoliths in the terminology of soil science. At many localities, earliest Triassic sepic pedoliths are thin (5–15 cm) beds, but some fill shallow paleochannels, and pinch out laterally. Other non-marine breccias at the Permian–Triassic boundary are dominated by fragments of coal, pedogenic carbonate nodules, and deeply weathered volcanic rock fragments. Earliest Triassic sepic pedoliths record an unusually severe and widespread episode of soil erosion associated with forest dieback at the Permian–Triassic boundary. Comparable sepic pedoliths are found in debris flows after clear-cutting of forests in western Oregon today. Studies of these modern deposits show that sepic soil peds do not withstand weathering for more than a few months. Such clayey clasts are held together mainly by roots and fungi, which decay rapidly in soils and streams. These modern analogs demonstrate that terminal Permian soil erosion was rapid and profound. Sepic pedoliths are also known at other times of mass extinction, such as the Triassic–Jurassic boundary, but are not yet known before the Devonian advent of trees and forested clayey soils.
Price of Structured Routing and Its Mitigation in P2P Systems under Churn

We study the resilience of structured peer-to-peer (P2P) networks in the presence of churn. Using the lifetime-based failure assumptions, we first show that a realistic churn model has an equivalent uniform failure model in the steady state. We then determine via percolation analysis and simulation the gap between the size of the connected component and the reachable component of a randomly picked node for symphony and chord. This gap represents the price of structured routing: the size of the set of nodes that are reachable by any unstructured routing method (e.g. broadcast on the unstructured overlay) from a randomly picked surviving node, but are not reachable using structured routing on the structured overlay. As an illustration, for 24- minute average node lifetime with 1-minute average node-search delay, the gap is around 12 thousand nodes or 1.2% in a chord network of around 1 million nodes. We finish by discussing potential techniques to mitigate the price of structured routing.
Perceptions of vulnerability to HIV/AIDS: a comparison of two college cohorts, 1990 and 2005

Theories of preventive health behavior posit that perceived vulnerability to health threats motivates self-protective behavior. Fifteen years after an initial study of college students' perceptions of their vulnerability to HIV, a replication was conducted on the same campus in 2005. Comparisons between cohorts on vulnerability judgements were conducted to examine whether, and to what extent, student perceptions had changed across time. Respondents in the 1990 study had judged themselves as less vulnerable to HIV/AIDS than others about whom they also made risk estimates; this pattern was replicated among 2005 respondents, even though many in both cohorts were involved in objectively risky practices. Comparisons between the cohorts on risk behaviors revealed that fewer of the 2005 students reported being sexually active, and those who were active used condoms more frequently. However, 2005 respondents also reported more recreational drug use, and oral and anal sexual activity than the 1990 students.
Popular Politics and the Clinton/Lewinsky Affair: The Implications for Leadership

Perhaps more than any other episode of this scandal-ridden decade, the events surrounding the impeachment of President Bill Clinton epitomize the conflation of political and popular culture that characterizes American society. The Clinton/ Lewinsky scandal clarified, and in some ways redefined, how political and entertainment culture pertain to presidential leadership. Like Watergate, the Clinton affair constitutes a political benchmark that illuminates the relationships that have been evolving between political actors, institutions, and citizens at a particular historical juncture (Herbst, 1998). In particular, the scandal underscored the complexity of the mass media's role in relation to leadership in the current era. The public's attitudes toward President Clinton over the course of the Lewinsky matter defied established patterns of expectations, especially in light of the
Three New Varieties of Packera paupercula (Asteraceae, Senecioneae) in Midwestern and Southeastern North America

We describe two new varieties of the North American species complex Packera paupercula (Michaux) A. Love & D. Love (Asteraceae, Senecioneae): variety savannarum R. R. Kowal from the American upper Midwest and variety appalachiana A. M. Mahoney from the southeastern United States. The new combination P. paupercula var. pseudotomentosa (Mackenzie & Bush) R. R. Kowal from the Midwest is also established. Because of their pubescence, these varieties have been previously included within a broadly circumscribed P. plattensis (Nuttall) W. A. Weber & A. Love. Their recognition is based on a biosystematic study, which included morphological and ecological observations in the field and in a transplant garden experiment, and chromosome counts.
Cardiovascular and electrodermal adjustments during a vigilance task in patients with borderline and established hypertension

We studied cardiovascular and noncardiovascular sympathetic nervous system (SNS) responses to a vigilance task in patients with borderline (BT) or established hypertension (HT). Twelve patients in each group and twelve normotensive controls (NT) were subjected to a signalled reaction-time (RT) task which included the presentation of a noxious 110 dB white noise contingent upon RT-performance at the end of a 30 sec foreperiod. During this foreperiod recordings were made of: systolic and diastolic blood pressures, heart rate, skin- and muscle-blood flows. Skin and muscle vascular resistances were calculated from mean blood pressure and regional blood flows. Skin conductance level, fluctuations and responses were recorded as noncardiovascular SNS-responses. Compared to NT both HT and BT had higher resting blood pressures, heart rate, skin- and muscle-vascular resistances. BT showed higher resting skin conductance levels than HT and NT who were not different from one another. During stimulation HT and BT evidenced pressor hyperreactivity compared to NT. The electrodermal effects did not parallel the cardiovascular ones. Skin conductance and cardiovascular variables were more closely related in NT than HT or BT. The presence of cardiovascular hyperreactivity together with the absence of noncardiovascular hyperreactivity in HT indicates heightened SNS-activity specific to the cardiovascular system and not part of generalized SNS-arousal. The similarity between HT and BT is consistent with the notion that the differences between BT and HT are quantitative rather than qualitative.
Determination of alkali metal cation selectivities of dibenzo-16-crown-5 lariat ethers with ether pendant groups by using electrospray ionization quadrupole ion trap mass spectrometry

Abstract The alkali metal cation selectivities of six lariat ethers with ether pendant groups were evaluated by electrospray ionization mass spectrometry in four methanolic solvent systems. The observed binding selectivities are affected by the number of oxygen atoms in the pendant ether group, the presence of a geminal propyl group, and to a lesser extent the polarity of the solvent environment. The presence of a dioxapentyl group in conjunction with a propyl sidearm yields the most Na + -selective lariat ether. A longer trioxaoctyl pendant group exhibits a preference for complexation of K + over Na + due to the optimization of the interactions between the metal ion and the oxygen atoms of the trioxaoctyl group. Ab initio calculations suggest that the addition of a dioxapentyl or trioxaoctyl group pulls the Na + above the crown ether oxygens, increasing interaction with the former at the expense of interaction with the latter.
Sexual addiction: A literature review of treatment interventions

ABSTRACTThis article reviewed the available studies of treatments for individuals suffering from sexual addiction. Sexual addiction may affect as many as 3–5% of all Americans and can result in dire consequences for those affected. Because the existence of sexual addiction remains controversial, this problem has been understudied. A search of five databases for peer-reviewed studies revealed a dearth of empirical studies on targeted treatments for sexual addiction. The treatment modalities that have been studied are primarily modified cognitive behavioral techniques, as well as expressive and exposure techniques. Seven studies were selected for this review. The studies had several methodological weaknesses, with two showing promising outcomes. More research is needed in the area of sexual addiction.
Assessment of potential fumigants to control Chaetodactylus krombeini (Acari: Chaetodactylidae) associated with Osmia cornifrons (Hymenoptera: Megachilidae).

With the recent decline of honey bees, Apis mellifera (L.) (Hymenoptera: Apidae), there is a need for alternative or supplemental crop pollinators, such as Osmia cornifrons (Radoszkowski) (Hymenoptera: Megachilidae). However, O. cornifrons propagation could be impeded by a cleptoparasitic mite, Chaetodactylus krombeini Baker. We investigated the effects of formic acid and wintergreen oil on mortality of C. krombeini hypopi and O. cornifrons adults by determining the lethal concentration of each compound on each species. On average, >4.8 and >1.8 h were required to cause mortality in O. cornifrons adults when 176.7 ppm of formic acid and wintergreen oil, respectively. Estimates of LC50 for C. krombeini hypopi treated with formic acid and wintergreen oil were 54.3 and 271.3 ppm, respectively. This study showed that C. krombeini could be controlled effectively without inducing O. cornifrons adult mortality based on concentration and duration of fumigation.
Longevity of Interrupted Fern Colonies

Abundant data are available on the ages of perennial seed plants, but we know little about the longevity of ferns. In this study we estimated the ages of 30 colonies of Osmunda claytoniana (Interrupted Fern). Common in the Monongahela National Forest of northeastern West Virginia, Interrupted Ferns typically form convexly bulging, elliptically shaped colonies. We studied colonies larger than 6.6 ft (2 m) in average diameter. Each colony was comprised of dozens of ramets interconnected by a subsurface, dichotomously branching rhizome system. The fronds' stipe bases persist through the colony's life, endure along the entire length of the rhizome, and extend back to the origin of the colony's founding ramet. We estimated the age of a fern colony by dividing the average radius of the colony by the growth rate of its rhizomes. We estimated rhizome growth rate by dividing the average number of stipe bases per length of rhizome by the average number of fronds generated by an individual ramet per year. Rhizome growth rates varied from 0.04 to 0.24 in (0.1–0.6 cm) per year, which represents a slow outward expansion by colonies. Our observational data and derived estimates indicated that these colonies were as old as 414 years. If our estimates are accurate, the Interrupted Fern may be one of the longest-lived organisms in the Appalachian Mountains.
Pseudophakia: Incidence of Cystoid Macular Edema

Cystoid macular edema (CME) remains a significant cause of decreased visual acuity following cataract extraction. Fluorescein angiographically proven cystoid macular edema is reported to occur in greater than 50% of patients, causing decreased visual acuity in approximately 8% of cases (1–6). At the Wilmer Institute we are in the process of re-examining our incidence of cystoid macular edema following extracapsular cataract extraction with implantation of a posterior chamber lens implant. We are also attempting to determine whether eyes undergoing primary capsulotomy are more likely to develop clinically significant CME.
Emily Dickinson's Poetic Vocabulary

Emily Dickinson's poetic vocabulary has been variously described as being “a small, rigidly compartmented vocabulary of general and conventional groups of terms, plus a moderately capacious vocabulary of homely, acute, directly felt words from which the whole actualizing strength of her verse is drawn”; as being a “large vocabulary including many rare words and some of her own manufacture”; and as being “undeniably rich, subtle, and strikingly original.” Much of the discussion of her vocabulary has been based upon the impressions of individual commentators and not upon an objective survey of her vocabulary as a whole, but the appearance in 1951 of a concordance to the poems of the Amherst poet in print at that time and the recent publication of the definitive edition of her poems that includes all of the known Dickinson material have made possible a detailed study of her entire vocabulary which furnishes a factual basis for conclusions as to her verbal habits. Such a study shows that the words on which a great deal of critical attention has been focused form only a small part of her total vocabulary and that her so-called favorite words are far from being her favorites on the basis of frequency of occurrence, findings that raise the question of whether the emphasis on those words is that of the poet or of the critics. Such a study also makes it possible to compare the Dickinson vocabulary with those of other poets and thus to determine in what ways she is unique in the words she uses and in what ways she conforms to patterns established by other poets. This discussion is based upon the results of such a study, and, in view of the comments that have been made on her vocabulary, it falls rather naturally into three parts: (1) the isolation and analysis of the more unusual words used by Dickinson, (2) the discussion of her “favorite” words, and (3) the comparison of her most frequently used words with those used most often by one hundred English poets from the sixteenth to the twentieth centuries. In general, it may be said that the findings show that Emily Dickinson's habits in the choice of words are similar to those of other poets and that her success or failure as a poet cannot be attributed to the use of an exotic or special vocabulary.
Abstract 5485: Increased prevalence of light chain monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance (MGUS) in first-degree relatives of individuals with multiple myeloma or MGUS

Monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance (MGUS) is a precursor to multiple myeloma and related diseases. The majority of MGUS cases are characterized by the expression of immunoglobulin heavy chain (IgH); however, approximately one-fifth of MGUS cases do not present with IgH expression. These individuals have light chain MGUS (LC-MGUS), a precursor to light-chain MM (LC-MM). LC-MGUS is characterized by an absence of IgH and an abnormal free light chain ratio (FLC-R), indicating excessive expression of either κ or ≤ free light chains. LC-MGUS has a prevalence of 0.8% in the general population over the age of 50, as compared with a prevalence of 3.2% for heavy-chain MGUS (HC-MGUS) (Dispenzieri, 2010). There is currently little understanding of the association between family history of HC-MGUS or multiple myeloma (MM) and LC-MGUS. We investigated whether the prevalence of LC-MGUS is elevated in first-degree relatives of patients with either HC-MGUS or MM. HC-MGUS probands expressed IgH and were recruited through a population-based study of Olmsted County residents; MM probands consisted of both HC-MM and LC-MM and were recruited through the Mayo Clinic Hematology practice. Serum samples were collected from first-degree relatives of probands older than 40 years of age and subjected to electrophoresis, immunofixation, and free light chain assay. Prevalence of LC-MGUS was calculated in all first-degree relatives combined, and in relatives from both HC-MGUS and MM families separately. We compared the prevalence in family members to that in a well-defined Olmsted County, MN cohort (Dispenzieri, 2010) of patients aged 50 and over. A total 911 relatives of 232 MM and 97 MGUS patients were studied. LC-MGUS was detected in 17/911 (1.9%) relatives, for an age- and sex-adjusted prevalence of 1.7% (95% CI, 0.9% to 2.6%). Prevalence among relatives of MM probands (age- and sex- adjusted rate 2.1%; 95% CI, 1.0% to 3.2%) was higher than among relatives of MGUS probands (age- and sex- adjusted rate 0.6%; 95% CI, 0.0%-1.6%). There was an increased risk of LC-MGUS in relatives compared to the reference population which was predominantly due to the increased risk among relatives of MM probands (risk ratio=3.4, 95% CI 2.0, 5.51) as opposed to relatives of MGUS probands (risk ratio=1.1, 95% CI, 0.3 to 4.5). Among MM probands, there was no significant difference between the prevalence increase in relatives of the 32 probands with LC-MM and that of the relatives of the 200 probands with HC-MM (3.8 vs 3.3, ratio=1.2, 95% CI: 0.3-5.1, p=0.85). We conclude that the prevalence of LC-MGUS is significantly higher among first degree family members of all MM probands compared to the general population. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 103rd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2012 Mar 31-Apr 4; Chicago, IL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2012;72(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 5485. doi:1538-7445.AM2012-5485
Gender, the Stress Process, and Health: A Configurational Approach

Numerous studies have shown that men and women react to experiences of stressors and a lack of protective resources in different ways, with women exhibiting high levels of internalizing health outcomes (e.g., psychological distress and ill health) and men showing higher levels of externalizing outcomes (e.g., substance abuse and aggression). Although this research is valuable, the emphasis on differing outcomes by gender has prematurely shifted the focus away from the processes leading to similar health outcomes across genders. The current study uses a novel analytic approach, Fuzzy Set Qualitative Comparative Analysis (fsQCA), to examine and compare the key pathways that lead to poor physical and mental health among men and women. Analysis of data from a panel study of Indianapolis residents (N = 532) indicates that a combination of numerous stressors with low resources consistently leads to poor mental and physical health. The specific configurations of factors that are sufficient to produce these outco...
Investigation on Occupational Health Status in Operating Environment of Railway Tunnel Repair

[Objective]To grasp the major occupational hazard and its extent in the construction process of different types of tunnel through investigation on occupational hazards in operating environment of railway tunnel repair,and provide scientific evidence for putting forward effective improvement and management measures and developing rational prevention method.[Methods]The appropriate number of short tunnels,medium length tunnels,long tunnels were selected for occupational hazards investigation and extent surveillance,and the workers were occupationally examined.[Results]① The inside concentrations of CO,CO2,NO,NO2 produced by continuous operating of tamping machine did not exceed national health standards;②the soot particulate matter concentrations in the tunnel exceeded the national health standards;③benzopyrene was not found in operating environments inside and outside of tunnel;④the concentrations of dusts generated in ballast cleaning and tamping operation out of the tunnels exceeded national health standards;⑤during the operation of inside tamping machine and outside ballast cleaning,the noise in the driver's cab exceeded the national health standard. But during the outside tamping operations and the tamping car driving in the range,the noise in the driver's cab was lower than the national health standards;⑥The attack rates of suffering the hearing abnormalities among the large machine drivers and bridge and tunnel workers were higher than that of the line workers,the difference was significant (P0.05).[Conclusion]The major repair construction inside the tunnel is continuous tamping operation by tamping machine,the generated major hazard is noise which has influence on hearing of large machine drivers.
Fostering a Culture to Support Surgical Outcome Measures

For decades, it is known that surgical outcomes vary by surgeon. Numerous studies have shown that surgeons (and hospitals) with higher volumes have better outcomes.1–3 More recently, Birkmeyer et al4 demonstrated that surgical skills (referring to the gentleness, tissue exposure, instrument handling, time and motion, and flow of operation) are associated with outcomes and that a surgeon’s skills are related to their case volume. Surgeons are an important part of the quality equation, and measures of their outcomes are important for patients when deciding about whether to proceed with a given procedure, in a certain hospital, with a specific surgeon. Consider, for example, the case of a healthy 65-year-old, asymptomatic woman who on routine physical examination is found to have severe mitral regurgitation. The guidelines recommend early surgical repair provided that the likelihood of achieving durable valve function is >95%, which is possible when performed by an experienced surgeon in a center of excellence.5 Reasonably, patients and referring clinicians should have access to well-designed, rigorous outcome measures that enable comparison of performance across surgeons and healthcare systems. Article, see p 414 In the United Kingdom, outcomes for cardiothoracic surgeons have been reported since 2005; other surgical specialties followed suit in 2013. Sponsored by the Society for Cardiothoracic Surgery in Great Britain and Ireland,6 patients, clinicians, and payors can easily access information about an individual surgeon’s procedure volume, case-mix, and risk-adjusted, inpatient mortality relative to the national average. The data are clear and concise and seemingly should support transparency and accountability, as they are factored into reimbursement fees. Yet there is pushback from the surgical profession about the value of mortality measures and the appropriateness of attribution to individual surgeons. In this issue of Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes , these issues are highlighted in …
Position paper: embracing heterogeneity-improving energy efficiency for interactive services

Data centers today are heterogeneous: they have servers from multiple generations and multiple vendors; server machines have multiple cores that are capable of running at difference speeds, and some have general purpose graphics processing units (GPGPU). Hardware trends indicate that future processors will have heterogeneous cores with different speeds and capabilities. This environment enables new advances in power saving and application optimization. It also poses new challenges, as current systems software is ill-suited for heterogeneity. In this position paper, we focus on interactive applications and outline some of the techniques to embrace heterogeneity. We show that heterogeneity can be exploited to deliver interactive services in an energy-efficient manner. For example, our initial study suggests that neither high-end nor low-end servers alone are very effective in servicing a realistic workload, which typically has requests with varying service demands. High-end servers achieve good throughput but the energy costs are high. Low-end servers are energy-efficient for short requests, but they may not be able to serve long requests at the desired quality of service. In this work, we show that a heterogeneous system can be a better choice than an equivalent homogeneous system to deliver interactive services in a cost-effective manner, transforming heterogeneity from a resource management nightmare to an asset. We highlight some of the challenges and opportunities and the role of AI and machine learning techniques for hosting large interactive services in data centers.
Maternal prenatal urinary phthalate metabolite concentrations and visual recognition memory among infants at 27 weeks.

Abstract Background Prior research has demonstrated inverse associations between maternal prenatal urinary phthalate metabolite concentrations and cognitive development assessed in preschool and school-aged children. While there are a limited number of studies that evaluated these associations during infancy, no study has evaluated whether these associations exist when using the Fagan Test of Infant Intelligence (FTII), which captures novelty preference as a function of visual recognition memory. Objective We evaluated associations between phthalate metabolite concentrations in maternal prenatal urine and cognition in infancy using the FTII at 27 weeks and determine if these associations are sex-specific. Methods Mono- n- butyl phthalate (MnBP), monobenzyl phthalate (MBzP), monoisobutyl phthalate (MiBP), mono-ethyl phthalate (MEP), mono-3-carboxypropyl phthalate (MCPP) and four di-2-ethylhexyl phthalate metabolites (DEHP) were quantified in urine samples collected from 168 minority women living in urban neighborhoods during their third trimester of pregnancy. The FTII was administered to infants at 27 weeks to measure visual recognition memory and was recorded as the novelty preference score. Results There were no associations between prenatal phthalate metabolite concentrations and novelty preference score in the full sample. However, there was evidence of effect modification by infant sex. Sex-stratified models demonstrated that compared to girls in the lowest tertile of MBzP concentrations, girls in tertiles 2 and 3 had, on average, 3.98 and 4.65 points lower novelty preference scores (p-value=0.04 and 0.03, respectively). The relationship was similar for ΣDEHP, MiBP, and MEP. Effects among boys were inconsistent and generally not significant. Conclusion Maternal prenatal exposure to some phthalates was negatively associated with visual recognition memory as measured by the FTII among girls at age 27 weeks.