cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Instrumental Rationality as Expected Utility Maximization

This chapter provides a brief quasi-historical introduction to expected utility theory , the most widely defended version of normative decision theory . The overarching goal of normative decision theory is to establish a general standard of rationality for the sort of instrumental (or “practical”) reasoning that people employ when trying to choose means appropriate for achieving ends they desire. Expected utility theory champions subjective expected utility maximization as the hallmark of rationality in this means-ends sense. We will examine the theory in the setting where it works best by applying it to the case of professional gamblers playing games of chance inside casinos. In this highly idealized situation, the end is always the maximization of one's own fortune, and the means is the ability to buy and sell wagers that offer monetary payoffs at known odds. Later chapters will consider more general contexts. Since the material here is presented in an elementary (and somewhat pedantic) way, those who already understand the concept of expected utility maximization and the rudiments of decision theory are encouraged to proceed directly to Chapter 2. PASCAL AND THE “PROBLEM OF THE POINTS” The Port Royal Logic of 1662 contains the first general statement of the central dogma of contemporary decision theory: In order to decide what we ought to do to obtain some good or avoid some harm, it is necessary to consider not only the good or harm in itself, but also the probability that it will or will not occur; and to view geometrically the proportion that all these things have when taken together.
Improving human-human collaboration between children with a social robot

Despite the growing body of research in human-robot collaboration, there has been little focus on how social robots can support human-to-human teaming. In this paper, we investigate whether a social robot can improve human-human collaboration. We conducted a between-subjects study where pairs of children play a collaborative game with a social robot. During pauses in the game, the robot either (1) asks the children questions to better focus the participants on the task they are working on, (2) asks the children questions that are targeted at developing and reinforcing the relationship between the participants, or (3) doesn't ask any questions. Our results show that participants who were asked task-focused questions had higher performance scores in the collaborative game than the other groups, however, had a lower perception of their performance than the participants who were asked relationally-focused questions. We did not find any differences between the groups in interpersonal cohesiveness. Our findings suggest that social robots can be used to improve performance measures and perception of performance in groups of children.
Management of Tricuspid Regurgitation in Patients With Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome

Tricuspid valve (TV) performance is critical for palliation of hypoplastic left heart syndrome. We will review current TV repair techniques, outcomes, and novel approaches.
Seed Germination In Viola pedunculata and Viola purpurea SUBSP. Quercetorum (Violaceae), Critical Food Plants For Two Rare Butterflies

Viola L. are the larval food plants for a charismatic group of butterflies in Speyeria Scudder, 1872, which contains several rare and declining taxa in California and across North America. A current impediment to restoring Viola in California is a lack of knowledge of germination requirements. In this study we focused on determining conditions for successful germination of V. pedunculata Torr. & A. Gray, the food plant of the federally listed endangered Speyeria callippe (Boisduval, 1852) subsp. callippe, and V. purpurea Kellogg subsp. quercetorum (M.S. Baker & J.C. Clausen) R.J. Little, the food plant of the imperiled southern Coast Range butterfly, S. adiaste (Edwards, 1864) subsp. clemencei (Comstock, 1925). We examined the effects of gibberellic acid, seed color, elaiosome removal, and duration of stratification on germination success. We found that both taxa germinate exceptionally well (73–100%) after a prolonged period of after-ripening and 6–10 wk of stratification. Gibberellic acid and elaiosome removal did not have strong effects on germination of V. pedunculata, and both dark and mottled V. purpurea subsp. quercetorum seeds germinated equally well. We make recommendations for successful lab germination of these two native violets, setting the stage for additional research to help restore their populations as well as their herbivores.
Useful products in theorizing for information systems

Recent years have seen a growing interest in theory building within the information systems (IS) field and debate is continuing on what constitutes theories in IS. This study extends Weick's recommendation to focus instead on theorizing rather than on the theories themselves as a way of progressing forward. It focuses on the products of theorizing that only approximate theories but are critical to their development including discursive formations, questions, analogies, myths, metaphors, paradigms, concepts, constructs, statements, propositions, models and frameworks. These terms can be found scattered in various treatise on theories but are not sufficiently elaborated in a cohesive manner as products of theorizing. This study defines these terms, describes their characteristics and how they enhance theorizing.
Indirect determination of zinc by thiol complexation and iodine coulometric titration with photocell detection

Abstract We have extended the capabilities of iodine coulometry for the determination of ionic zinc through its complexation with cysteine and subsequent titration of the thiol. The titration endpoint times of cysteine with zinc are proportionally longer as compared to cysteine itself. A homebuilt constant-current coulometer is employed for this method development. The instrument is composed of a constant-current source connected to nonisolated platinum electrodes contained in a 150-mL beaker (the coulometric cell) that sits on a photocell mounted in a styrofoam lid on top of a magnetic stirrer. Photometric endpoint detection is facilitated by connecting the photocell detector to an operational amplifier circuit; its output, recorded on a multifunctional chemical analysis system, resembled a sigmoidal curve. The titration conditions are optimized in terms of pH, temperature, stirring rate, and cysteine-to-zinc concentration ratios. Calibration curves generated as time versus increasing zinc concentrations in the presence of a constant cysteine concentration are used to determine zinc content in dietary supplements. The limit of detection is 5.5 × 10− 5 M Zn and the limit of quantification is 6.2 × 10− 5 M Zn. Percent relative standard deviations are at 4%. The recoveries of zinc from liquid zinc, enhanced zinc lozenges, and zinc tablets generally range from 80 to 120%. Titration of ascorbic acid and then zinc in the same solution is successfully performed with recoveries greater than 95% for both analytes. A comparison of the coulometry Zn data to atomic absorption results is also made for most samples.
The Self Shows Up in Experience

I can be aware of myself, and thereby come to know things about myself, in a variety of different ways. But is there some special way in which I—and only I—can learn about myself? Can I become aware of myself by introspecting? Do I somehow show up in my own conscious experiences? David Hume and most contemporary philosophers say no. They deny that the self shows up in experience. However, in this paper I appeal to research on schizophrenia—on thought insertion, in particular—to argue that Hume and his follows are wrong: The self does, in fact, show up in experience.
A Case of Superficial Femoral Arteriovenous Fistula and Severe Venous Stasis Ulceration, Managed with an Iliac Extender Prosthesis.

Most femoral artery arteriovenous fistulas occur as a result of percutaneous interventions. However, arteriovenous fistulas can occur in the setting of trauma, with resultant consequences such as heart failure, steal syndrome, or venous insufficiency. Indications for endovascular repair in this setting are limited to patients who are at too high risk for anesthesia, have a hostile groin, or would not survive significant bleeding. We report the case of a traumatic femoral arteriovenous fistula, causing severe venous insufficiency and arteriomegaly, in a 58-year-old male, with history of traumatic gunshot wound complicated by popliteal DVT. Surgical options for arteriovenous fistula include open and endovascular repair but this patient’s fistula was more suitable for endovascular repair for reasons that will be discussed.
Heart Failure and Total Hip Arthroplasty: What Are the Perioperative Outcomes and Complications?

Heart failure (HF) has been reported to cause morbidity and mortality after surgery. As the prevalence of HF and hip osteoarthritis increase, physicians are likely to observe a rise in the number of HF patients requiring total hip arthroplasty (THA). We asked (1) what perioperative outcomes can be expected for patients with HF after THA, and (2) does HF contribute to an increased risk of short-term complications after THA? The National Surgical Quality Improvement Program database was accessed to find patients with osteoarthritis who underwent THA from 2008 to 2014. The HF cohort included 177 patients, while the control group consisted of 64,619 patients. Demographics, comorbidities, outcomes, and complications were collected. Multivariate regression analysis was performed. HF patients were found to have longer hospital stays ( β = 0.87; p = 0.004) and were less likely to be discharged home (OR = 1.77, p = 0.001) following THA. It also increased the risk for any complication (OR = 1.54, p = 0.011), mortality (OR = 3.67, p = 0.042), readmission (OR = 1.68, p = 0.041), cardiac arrest (OR = 8.44, p = 0.006), myocardial infarction (OR = 3.75, p = 0.014), and deep surgical site infection (OR = 3.62, p = 0.035). HF patients had longer hospital stays and were discharged to a facility after THA. Overall, they had an increased risk of any complication, readmission, cardiac arrest, myocardial infarction, and deep surgical site infection. Moreover, the mortality risk after THA was significantly high. Cardiac optimization could play a key role in the prevention of these adverse outcomes. Patients should be counseled prior to surgery.
Verification and validation of a rapid heat transfer calculation methodology for transient melt pool solidification conditions in powder bed metal additive manufacturing

Abstract A fundamental understanding of spatial and temporal thermal distributions is crucial for predicting solidification and solid-state microstructural development in parts made by additive manufacturing. While sophisticated numerical techniques that are based on finite element or finite volume methods are useful for gaining insight into these phenomena at the length scale of the melt pool (100–500 μm), they are ill-suited for predicting engineering trends over full part cross-sections (>10 × 10 cm) or many layers over long process times (>many days) due to the necessity of fully resolving the heat source characteristics. On the other hand, it is extremely difficult to resolve the highly dynamic nature of the process using purely in-situ characterization techniques [1] . This paper proposes a pragmatic alternative based on a semi-analytical approach to predicting the transient heat conduction during powder bed metal additive manufacturing processes. The model calculations were theoretically verified for selective laser melting of AlSi10Mg and electron beam melting of IN718 powders for simple cross-sectional geometries and the transient results are compared to steady state predictions from the Rosenthal equation. It is shown that the transient effects of the scan strategy create significant variations in the melt pool geometry and solid-liquid interface velocity, especially as the thermal diffusivity of the material decreases and the pre-heat of the process increases. With positive verification of the strategy, the model was then experimentally validated to simulate two point-melt scan strategies during electron beam melting of IN718, one intended to produce a columnar and one an equiaxed grain structure. Through comparison of the solidification conditions (i.e. transient and spatial variations of thermal gradient and liquid-solid interface velocity) predicted by the model to phenomenological CET theory, the model accurately predicted the experimental grain structures.
Response inhibition and error-monitoring processes in individuals with obsessive-compulsive disorder*

Response inhibition (RI) has been putatively linked to the symptoms of OCD. Despite the enticing link between RI and OCD, there are points in the relationship that require clarification. We examined the RI-OCD relationship taking into account a) the potentially differential pattern of RI-OCD relationship between obsessions and compulsions, and b) the potentially confounding effect of negative affect, particularly in regards to depression. Additionally, we investigated how error-monitoring processes in the inhibitory context account for OCD symptoms. Results showed that the RI-OCD relationship is robust in regards to compulsion symptoms, but not for obsessions, even when controlling for negative affect. Additionally, while individuals with OCD display behavioral slow-down following commission errors on the stop-signal task, slow-down following successful inhibition is significantly related to compulsion symptoms. Findings suggest that future studies investigating RI in OCD should take into account heterogeneous clinical presentations in OCD, as well as incorporate error-monitoring variables to better understand RI processes in OCD.
OUTCOMES OF PNEUMATIC RETINOPEXY PERFORMED BY VITREORETINAL FELLOWS.

PURPOSE To evaluate the anatomical and visual outcomes of patients who underwent pneumatic retinopexy by vitreoretinal fellows. METHODS We included 198 eyes (198 patients) that underwent pneumatic retinopexy by vitreoretinal fellows at a single academic institution between November 2002 and June 2016. Main outcomes were single-operation success and final anatomical success in retinal reattachment, as well as visual acuity at 3 months and 6 months after treatment. RESULTS Single-operation success rate was 63.6% at 3 months and 59.5% at 6 months. Final anatomical reattachment was achieved in 92.9% (n = 184) and 96.6% (n = 143) at 3 months and 6 months, respectively. Logarithm of the minimum angle of resolution visual acuity improved from 0.72 ± 0.1 (∼20/100 Snellen) at baseline to 0.36 ± 0.06 (∼20/40 Snellen) at 6 months (P 0.50). Single-operation success was associated only with size of detachment (P = 0.01). Visual outcome was associated with macula status at baseline (P = 0.032) and number of reoperations (P < 0.001). CONCLUSION Anatomical and visual outcomes of fellow-performed pneumatic retinopexy are comparable with those reported in the previous literature.
Bifurcation Phenomena and Transition to Chaos in Dissipative Systems

For motion in dissipative systems, the phase space volume contracts onto an attractor of lower dimensionality than the original space. Furthermore, as a system parameter changes, the motion on the attractor may change from regular to chaotic. Although our knowledge of chaotic behavior in dissipative systems is by no means complete, the broad features are now clear, and certain techniques to calculate the properties of the motion have emerged.
Available Hardware Primitives

In this chapter we discuss currently-available hardware security primitives with a focus on existing smartphone and tablet platforms. As the vast majority of these platforms are built for the ARM architecture, we first present a generic ARM platform hardware and security architecture, focusing our discussion on platform hardware components that help realize the features discussed in Chap. 3. We then identify design gaps and implementation challenges in off-the-shelf mobile devices that prevent third-party application developers from fully realizing the desired security properties. Finally, we provide two case studies of inexpensive mobile development platforms with myriad security features, to serve as references against which to compare mass-market devices.
Seizures as a manifestation of primary hyperparathyroidism in a dog

Hypercalcemia caused by primary hyperparathyroidism was believed to be responsible for seizures in a dog. A diagnostic evaluation showed no primary causes of seizures. After surgical excision of the adenomatous parathyroid gland, phenobarbital treatment was discontinued, without recurrence of seizures.
The Normative Implications of the Configuration of the Applied Sciences: A Comment on Thompson

Thompson’s paper examines the feasibility of intervening in the applied science research process to direct it toward the production of alternative technologies. Specifically, Thompson focuses on intervening at the stage of research choice. He proposes a modification of the political economy of research choice proposed by Busch, Lacy, and Dundon, who argue that research choice is influenced primarily by social, political, and economic factors. Thompson argues that technological values (such as productivity), practical rationality, and laboratory facilities also influence research choice, and that these severely constrain the ability of researchers to pursue alternative goals that flow from alternative values. Those alternative values may not be translatable into technological values amenable to practical rationality. He also thinks that the current technological values are at the core of applied science and enable applied scientists to satisfy society’s goals. Changing those values would therefore require a substantial reconceptualization of the foundations of the various applied science disciplines. Thompson’s argument is important because it forces us to consider the normative implications of the configuration of the applied sciences.
Design and Program Structures

The purpose of programming is designing a computer solution to a problem. An algorithm and the appropriate data structures have to be designed that will carry out the problem solution. An algorithm is a detailed and precise sequence of activities that accomplishes a solution to a problem. A programming language is used to implement an algorithm and data descriptions that represent the solution to a problem. This chapter explains the general design structures of an algorithm. These are explained using informal, more general, and higher-level notations: flowcharts and pseudo-code.
Updates on Molecular Classification of Triple Negative Breast Cancer

Clinical management of triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) is challenging as patients have heterogeneous responses to systemic therapy, and there is no established therapeutic target. Gene expression profiling and genomic sequencing analysis are among the first steps in understanding the biology of TNBC. In this paper, we review the molecular classification of TNBC and discuss the implications for systemic therapy. Clonal and mutational spectrum analyses of TNBC show that it is highly heterogeneous with a diverse mutational pattern and can be clustered into different subtypes including basal-like, luminal androgen receptor, and mesenchymal, based on gene expression profiling. Although knowledge of these subtypes is not used in routine clinical practice, studies have shown that patient outcomes differ according to subtype, with higher pathological complete response rates to chemotherapy reported in basal-like subtypes. Clinical trials with targeted agents are now starting to incorporate molecular subtypes into eligibility criteria. TNBC is molecular heterogeneous, and therefore, a wide spectrum of patients’ clinical outcomes exists. Incorporating molecular subtypes into treatment algorithms may offer clinicians greater precision in managing TNBC patients.
Ultra-wideband Compact Circularly Polarized Antenna Using Coupled Dipoles

Novel ultra-wideband compact circularly polarized (CP)antenna with 5:1 CP < 1 dB bandwidth and 3:1 VSWR < 3:1 bandwidth is designed by coupling four standard half-wave dipoles capacitively in a square loop fashion. The performance of the antenna is demonstrated in free space, with metallic and electromagnetic band gap (EBG)metamaterial ground planes. In the case of metallic ground plane the total height of the antenna is 3 cm, which is 0.15 of the wavelength at the lowest frequency of operation of 1.5 GHz. Significant reduction in the height, 0.015 of wavelength, is achieved with EBG ground plane which is almost 10 times less as compared to metallic case. The CP antenna with a feed structure including a balun and 100 Ω to 160 Ω impedance transformer has been simulated and is being fabricated currently. The measured results of the coupled dipole antenna will be presented in the IEEE- APS meeting.
Photoacoustic computed tomography of human extremities

We present a method of imaging angiographic structures in human extremities, including hands, arms, legs, and feet, using a newly developed photoacoustic computed tomography (PACT) system. The system features deep penetration (1.8 cm in muscular tissues) with high spatial and temporal resolutions. A volumetric image is acquired within 5 to 15 s while each cross sectional image is acquired within 100 μs. Therefore, we see no blurring from motion in the imaging plane. Longitudinal and latitudinal cross-sectional images of a healthy volunteer clearly show the vascular network of each appendage and highlight the system’s ability to image major and minor vasculatures, without the use of an external contrast or ionizing radiation. We also track heartbeat-induced arterial movement at a two-dimensional frame rate of 10 Hz. This work substantiates the idea that PACT could be used as a noninvasive method for imaging human vasculatures.
Selective antimicrobial activity of cell lytic enzymes in a bacterial consortium

The role that the complex microbial communities play in human and environmental health cannot be understated. The increased information about community complexity, as well as the overuse of broad-spectrum antibiotics, suggest that new approaches to target specific organisms within a community context are essential towards new antimicrobial therapies. Here, we have assessed the activity and selectivity of two cell wall lytic enzymes, lysostaphin (Lst) and PlyPH, in the presence of multiple bacteria and under varied media conditions. Lst and PlyPH target the clinically relevant pathogens Staphylococcus aureus and Bacillus cereus, respectively. Lst was effective under all conditions resulting in ~ 4-log and ~ 3-log reduction at 100 μg/mL in actively growing monoculture and co-culture, respectively. PlyPH was also selective but less active and more susceptible to media and cell population changes. Lst and PlyPH activities could be increased in supernatants from actively growing cultures in the presence of a protease inhibitor cocktail, suggesting a possible role played by proteases secreted during cell growth in reducing lytic enzyme activity. This work demonstrates the utility of cell wall lytic enzymes for targeted pathogen killing or microbial community remodeling.
Which interventions incorporating physical and cognitive elements are most effective to improve gait in cognitively impaired older adults? A systematic review

AbstractBackground: The primary objective of this systematic review was to determine effective interventions to improve gait (speed, stride length, double limb support) in older adults with cogniti...
Tracking and Predicting Human Somatic Cell Reprogramming Using Nuclear Characteristics.

Abstract Reprogramming of human somatic cells to induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) generates valuable resources for disease modeling, toxicology, cell therapy, and regenerative medicine. However, the reprogramming process can be stochastic and inefficient, creating many partially reprogrammed intermediates and non-reprogrammed cells in addition to fully reprogrammed iPSCs. Much of the work to identify, evaluate, and enrich for iPSCs during reprogramming relies on methods that fix, destroy, or singularize cell cultures, thereby disrupting each cell’s microenvironment. Here, we develop a micropatterned substrate that allows for dynamic live-cell microscopy of hundreds of cell subpopulations undergoing reprogramming while preserving many of the biophysical and biochemical cues within the cells’ microenvironment. On this substrate, we were able to both watch and physically confine cells into discrete islands during the reprogramming of human somatic cells from skin biopsies and blood draws obtained from healthy donors. Using high-content analysis, we identified a combination of eight nuclear characteristics that can be used to generate a computational model to predict the progression of reprogramming and distinguish partially reprogrammed cells from those that are fully reprogrammed. This approach to track reprogramming in situ using micropatterned substrates could aid in biomanufacturing of therapeutically relevant iPSCs and be used to elucidate multiscale cellular changes (cell-cell interactions as well as subcellular changes) that accompany human cell fate transitions.
A Qualitative Exploration of Shift Work and Employee Well-Being in the US Manufacturing Environment

Objective Describe manufacturing workers' perceptions of the effect of shift work, following the Framework for Worker Well-Being. Methods Eight focus groups and 43 interviews were conducted across four large manufacturing plants. Thematic analysis was used to analyze the data within each of the five domains of the Framework: physical environment and safety climate; workplace policies and culture; health status; work evaluation and experience; and home, community, and society. Results Respondents described shift work as detrimental to well-being across four of the five Framework domains. The exception was in the workplace policies and culture domain, where some respondents described shift work as necessary, fair, and financially beneficial. Conclusions Shift work negatively influences worker well-being in a holistic way. Employers could consider reconfiguring workplace wellness benefits to transcend the boundaries of the workplace and better support workers and their families.
The Cancer Dependency Map enables drug mechanism-of-action investigations.

How do small molecules exert their effects in mammalian cells? This seemingly simple question continues to represent one of the fundamental challenges of modern translational science and as such has long been the subject of intense scientific scrutiny. In their recent study, Garnett and colleagues (Goncalves et al, 2020) demonstrate proof-of-concept for a new way to attack this problem systematically for Oncology drugs, by identifying correlated CRISPR- and drug-killing profiles in the Cancer Dependency Map dataset.
The Changing Nature of Wildfires: Impacts on the Health of the Public

Catastrophic wildfires are increasing around the globe as climate change continues to progress. Another risk factor for large wildfires in the western United States is a legacy of fire suppression that has allowed overgrowth of underbrush and small trees in forests where periodic lightning-sparked wildfires are part of the natural ecosystem. Wildfire smoke contains CO2, CO, NOx, particulate matter, complex hydrocarbons (including polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons), and irritant gases, including many of the same toxic and carcinogenic substances as cigarette smoke. The public need clear and consistent messaging to understand that wildland fire smoke poses a health risk.
Discovery of Marburg virus neutralizing antibodies from virus-naïve human antibody repertoires using large-scale structural predictions.

Marburg virus (MARV) disease is lethal, with fatality rates up to 90%. Neutralizing antibodies (Abs) are promising drug candidates to prevent or treat the disease. Current efforts are focused in part on vaccine development to induce such MARV-neutralizing Abs. We analyzed the antibody repertoire from healthy unexposed and previously MARV-infected individuals to assess if naive repertoires contain suitable precursor antibodies that could become neutralizing with a limited set of somatic mutations. We computationally searched the human Ab variable gene repertoire for predicted structural homologs of the neutralizing Ab MR78 that is specific to the receptor binding site (RBS) of MARV glycoprotein (GP). Eight Ab heavy-chain complementarity determining region 3 (HCDR3) loops from MARV-naive individuals and one from a previously MARV-infected individual were selected for testing as HCDR3 loop chimeras on the MR78 Ab framework. Three of these chimerized antibodies bound to MARV GP. We then tested a full-length native Ab heavy chain encoding the same 17-residue-long HCDR3 loop that bound to the MARV GP the best among the chimeric Abs tested. Despite only 57% amino acid sequence identity, the Ab from a MARV-naive donor recognized MARV GP and possessed neutralizing activity against the virus. Crystallization of both chimeric and full-length native heavy chain-containing Abs provided structural insights into the mechanism of binding for these types of Abs. Our work suggests that the MARV GP RBS is a promising candidate for epitope-focused vaccine design to induce neutralizing Abs against MARV.
Strategic Impact of Inward Foreign Direct Investments on the Labour Markets of Developing Economies

Foreign direct investment (FDI) is a key element in this rapidly evolving international economic integration, also referred to as globalization. According to the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development - OECD (2008) FDI provides a means for creating direct, stable and long-lasting links between economies. Under the right policy environment, it can serve as an important vehicle for local enterprise development, and it may also help improve the competitive position of both the recipient (“host”) and the investing (“home”) economy. This paper presents an articulated review of results concerning the impact of foreign direct investments on labour productivity. The focus basically is on the labour productivity differences that exist between the foreign and domestic companies and on the way these differences evolves in the host countries. Findings show that national companies generally increase their labour productivity due to the technological and managerial competences that they borrow from the foreign companies established in their country and also because they have to protect themselves from the new competition as well as comply with the growing demand coming from the new investors. Due to their higher labour productivity, foreign firms offer higher wages to their employees. This also determines a growth in the salaries of national companies’ skilled workers. Therefore the wage inequalities and skill differences grow in countries that receive FDI. However the overall effect of a growing productivity is most often translated into job creation and regional development.
Speculative Parallel Execution for Local Timestepping

Currently, synchronous timestepping for fluid and plasma simulations requires selection of a global time step that conservatively satisfies stability conditions everywhere. However, this approach causes substantial unnecessary work in the presence of large variations of element sizes or local wavespeeds. Local timestepping can significantly reduce work by allowing subdomains to take steps according to local rather than global stability constraints. However, parallelizing this algorithm presents considerable difficulty. Since the stability condition depends on the state of the submesh and its neighbors, dependencies become irregular and may dynamically change as neighbors take smaller or larger timesteps. Furthermore, coarsening and refining timesteps introduces dynamic load imbalance. In order to correctly resolve these dependencies in a distributed setting, we parallelize the local timestepping algorithm using an optimistic (Timewarp-based) parallel discrete event simulation. We introduce waiting heuristics to eliminate misspeculation when dependencies can be identified early, and present a semi-static load balancing strategy to improve scalability. We present detailed performance characterizations of event overheads, misspeculation, and scalability of our approach. Our numerical experiments demonstrate up to a 2.8x speedup versus a baseline unoptimized approach; a 4x improvement in per-node throughput compared to an MPI parallelization of synchronous timestepping; and scalability up to 3,072 cores on NERSC Cori's Haswell partition.
When to Consider Lynch Syndrome in Non-Colon and Non-Endometrial Malignancies:

Lynch syndrome (LS) is a common genetic syndrome characterized by pathogenic mutations of DNA mismatch repair genes resulting in a hereditary predisposition to cancer. While typically associated wi...
Decision Support for Patients

This chapter is designed to introduce the concept of computer-based decision support systems for patients. With the rapid growth of computing technology available to consumers and the virtual explosion of health information available on the World Wide Web, patient decision aids and computer-based health interventions are now a more common part of routine medical care. The new field of consumer health informatics deals with “developing and evaluating methods and applications to integrate consumer needs and preferences into information management systems in clinical practice, education, and research.”1 This technology, both hardware and software, is part of a growing trend toward empowering consumers to take a more active role in their own health care and to provide the necessary information to enhance their decision making. Today, more than ever, consumers are using information technology as an important supplement to the information provided by healthcare professionals in the course of clinical encounters.
Wilson, Edward O.

Edward O Wilson is the most distinguished living evolutionist. He has made seminal contributions to ant taxonomy, to island biogeography, to the importance of pheromones (chemical methods of communication) and to social behaviour (sociobiology). He has also been active in conservation projects, much concerned to promote biodiversity, and he has in later years turned his attention to philosophical and social issues, arguing that evolution provides a firm foundation for the study of ethics and epistemology. Keywords: ants; sociobiology; evolution; ethics; epistemology; pheromone; biogeography
Non-equilibrium effects in the growth of spherical gas bubbles due to solute diffusion—II: The combined effects of viscosity, liquid inertia, surface tension and surface kinetics

Abstract A formulation and computed results are presented for the growth of stationary gas bubbles due to solute diffusion in super-saturated solutions. In the formulation account is taken of the role played by surface kinetics, liquid inertia, viscous forces and surface tension forces. Various asymptotic regimes are defined which would correspond to diffusion control (parabolic growth rate) inertia control (constant growth rate) and control by surface kinetics. Dimensionless groups are suggested which allow the quantitative definition of the validity of asymptotic solutions corresponding to these regimes. While inertial effects predominate in the very early stages of growth, in the majority of systems inertial effects will be of practical importance at greatly reduced pressures only (vacuum distillation, vacuum degassing of molten metals). Viscous effects will be important for highly viscous fluids only, such as some polymers and molten glass. The numerical value of the rate coefficient for surface kinetics may vary over wide limits so that surface kinetics could be potentially important as a rate limiting factor over a wide range of conditions.
Token Resistance to Sex: New Perspectives on an Old Stereotype

According to the traditional sexual script, women—but not men—engage in token resistance to sex, refusing when they actually intend to engage in sex. Several studies have found that over a third of the college women sampled reported refusing sexual intercourse when they intended to engage in it. We asked 65 women and 64 men to write narratives describing their experiences conforming to the definition of token resistance used in previous studies. As in previous research, both women and men reported engaging in token resistance. However, most respondents apparently misunderstood the definition because they wrote narratives that did not meet this definition. These results refute the stereotype that most women—and only women—engage in token resistance to sex. Furthermore, these results cast doubt on prevalence data reported in previous studies. Results indicate that the overwhelming majority of women and men who say “no” to sex actually mean no.
Financial Reporting Concerns, Framing Effects and Employee Stock Option Grants

Managers are concerned about reported earnings (e.g., Graham et al. 2005). The favorable accounting treatment for employee stock options (ESO) available under the pre-expensing regime lead managers to frame ESOs as cheap to grant (e.g., Murphy 2002 2003; Hall and Murphy 2003; Jensen and Murphy 2004). This paper tests two effects of framing in the context of employee stock option grants: the reference-point-dependent preferences and the ratio-difference principle. I analyze stock option grants to CEOs, the other top 4 executives, and non-executive employees in 859 firms from 1996 to 2002. I find that firms grant more stock options when doing so helps them to meet or beat earnings targets, consistent with the notion of reference-point-dependent preferences in prospect theory. Further, I analyze the relationship between the extent of potential "expense saving" and stock option grants. I find that firms grant more options when granting stock options have a bigger impact on reported earnings, consistent with the ratio-difference principle in mental accounting theory. In sum, results suggest that management decision making of ESO grant is subject to framing effects.
Osteosarcoma in Early Childhood

Osteosarcoma is most commonly encountered in the teenage individual.1 The recent referral of a 20-month-old boy with this tumor to the M. D. Anderson Hospital and Tumor Institute prompted a comparison of characteristics of the disease reported in early childhood with those of older patients. CASE REPORT A 20-month-old Filipino boy was admitted with a provisional diagnosis of osteosarcoma involving the left femur. He had been in good health until a few months prior to admission when he began limping. Radiographs obtained at his local hospital revealed a lytic-blastic lesion at the distal left femur and a needle biopsy suggested a diagnosis of osteoblastoma.
A Great Philosopher's Not So Great Account of Great Virtue: Aristotlés Treatment of Greatness of Soul'

Once again it is becoming fashionable to ask ‘What character traits are virtues?’ Naturally, it behooves us to try to recapture the insights of our predecessors, as well as forging ahead on our own. In this paper I shall examine one such insight.
Thymus cell maturation: II. Differentiation of three “mature” subclasses in Vivo

Abstract Several thymus cell subclasses may be defined on the basis of their sedimentation velocity, their light-scattering properties (a measure of cell volume), or binding of a fluoresceinated anti-Thy 1.2 antiserum. Using a multiparameter fluorescence-activated cell sorter (FACS), cells with distinguishable light-scattering or fluorescence intensity (after staining with fluorescein anti-Thy 1.2) were separable for analysis of intrathymic maturation pathways. Outer thymic cortical large and medium lymphocytes were the only cells labeled within 1 hr after transcapsular diffusion of administered [ 3 H]thymidine. These labeled cells were also entirely contained in the brightest fluorescence intensity (with fluorescein anti-Thy 1.2) subclass. Under conditions of [ 1 H] thymidine “chase” in vivo , label shifted proportionately and apparently in parallel to three “mature” subclasses: (1) small thymocytes with high surface concentrations of Thy 1.2, representing ~ 80% of all thymus cells; (2) slightly larger cells, with very low surface Thy 1.2, which are indistinguishable from cortisone-resistant thymocytes, and which make up less than 10% of all thymus cells; (3) dead or fragile cells.
Large area, high speed InGaAs thin film MSMs for heterogeneously integrated optoelectronies

Thin film InGaAs photodetectors for heterogeneously integrated optoelectronics are demonstrated with low dark current (0.16nA at 5V), and high speed (3ps rise time, 6.3ps FWHM), large area (40 µm), and good responsivity (0.19A/W at 5V).
Symptomatic and hemodynamic recovery following dobutamine stress echo: benefit of low-dose esmolol administration.

Objectives: We studied the use of esmolol in patients experiencing minor side effects of palpitations, anxiety, nervousness, and tremors associated with dobutamine stress echocardiography. Background: Dobutamine stress echocardiography is frequently used in the assessment of coronary artery disease. Esmolol administration may enhance patient comfort. Methods: Sixty consecutive patients who experienced minor side-effects during dobutamine stress echocardiography were given 0.3 mg/kg esmolol intravenously in the recovery period and compared retrospectively to sixty consecutive controls who underwent dobutamine stress echocardiography, who did not receive esmolol, during the same time period. Both groups were matched for age, ejection fraction, and peak dose of dobutamine. Heart rate and blood pressure were assessed during and after dobutamine administration. Results: Both groups had similar baseline blood pressure (mmHg) (142 ± 19/72 ± 14 vs 139 ± 20/72 ± 14) and heart rate (beats per minute) (75 ± 14 vs 75 ± 17) (esmolol and control respectively, p=ns), but peak heart rate was higher in the esmolol group (126 ± 14 vs. 116 ± 14, p<0.01). In the group who received esmolol, symptomatic relief paralleled the statistically significant decrease in heart rate which occurred within 1 minute of esmolol administration (99.7 ± 15.3 vs 108.5 ± 13.1 p<0.0001); the heart rate in the esmolol group remained significantly lower than the control group for 5 minutes following esmolol administration (92.0 ± 10.3 vs 96.7 ± 11.8 p<0.05). As a percentage of peak heart rate the esmolol group remained significantly lower than the control for 7 minutes (74% vs 80% p<0.05). Esmolol induced a significant reversal of dobutamine-induced diastolic hypotension (diastolic blood pressure at peak 66 ± 17 vs 8 min recovery 70 ± 12, p<0.03) that was not seen in controls (diastolic blood pressure at peak 64 ± 18 vs 8 min recovery 65 ± 14, p=ns). Systolic blood pressure and heart rate remained elevated in both groups 8 min into recovery compared to baseline, suggesting persistent dobutamine effect beyond the expected 2 min pharmacologic half-life of dobutamine. No side-effects from esmolol were seen despite it being used in 9 patients with EF $lt; 35%. Conclusions: Esmolol is effective and well tolerated for the management of dobutamine-related minor side-effects. The mechanism of benefit, in addition to heart rate reduction, may involve a reversal of dobutamine- induced diastolic hypotension. Blood pressure and heart rate recovery are slower than expected from previously published pharmacokinetic data.
Vested Interests in Addiction Research and Policy. Alliance between tobacco and alcohol industries to shape public policy

Aims The tobacco and alcohol industries share common policy goals when facing regulation, opposing policies such as tax increases and advertising restrictions. The collaboration between these two industries in the tobacco policy arena is unknown. This study explored if tobacco and alcohol companies built alliances to influence tobacco legislation and, if so, how those alliances worked. Methods Analysis of previously secret tobacco industry documents. Findings In the early 1980s, tobacco companies started efforts to build coalitions with alcohol and other industries to oppose cigarette excise taxes, clean indoor air policies and tobacco advertising and promotion constraints. Alcohol companies were often identified as a key partner and source of financial support for the coalitions. These coalitions had variable success interfering with tobacco control policy-making. Conclusions The combined resources of tobacco and alcohol companies may have affected tobacco control legislation. These alliances helped to create the perception that there is a broader base of opposition to tobacco control. Advocates should be aware of the covert alliances between tobacco, alcohol and other industries and expose them to correct this misperception.
Spatial Perturbations within an RNA Promoter Specifically Recognized by a Viral RNA-Dependent RNA Polymerase (RdRp) Reveal That RdRp Can Adjust Its Promoter Binding Sites

RNA synthesis during viral replication requires specific recognition of RNA promoters by the viral RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp). Four nucleotides (−17, −14, −13, and −11) within the brome mosaic virus (BMV) subgenomic core promoter are required for RNA synthesis by the BMV RdRp (R. W. Siegel et al., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 94:11238–11243, 1997). The spatial requirements for these four nucleotides and the initiation (+1) cytidylate were examined in RNAs containing nucleotide insertions and deletions within the BMV subgenomic core promoter. Spatial perturbations between nucleotides −17 and −11 resulted in decreased RNA synthesis in vitro. However, synthesis was still dependent on the key nucleotides identified in the wild-type core promoter and the initiation cytidylate. In contrast, changes between nucleotides −11 and +1 had a less severe effect on RNA synthesis but resulted in RNA products initiated at alternative locations in addition to the +1 cytidylate. The results suggest a degree of flexibility in the recognition of the subgenomic promoter by the BMV RdRp and are compared with functional regions in other DNA and RNA promoters.
Linking clinical variables to health-related quality of life in Parkinson's disease.

Abstract Objective: Identify the point-in-time relationship between Parkinson's disease (PD) signs and symptoms and measures of health-related quality of life (HRQL). Background: Clinical measures used in PD assessments traditionally emphasize physical signs and symptoms. We hypothesized that these measures would be strongly associated with the physical function dimensions of HRQL that reflect mental symptoms. Design/methods: A cross-sectional study of 193 neurology clinic PD patients employed self-administered in-clinic and take-home questionnaires and in-person clinical examinations and interviews. Results: The variance explained by PD physical signs and symptoms was substantial for physical function, but only modest for all other HRQL dimensions. Mental symptoms explained a larger proportion of variance than physical symptoms for 12 of the 14 HRQL measures. Conclusion: PD patients’ well-being, general health perceptions, health satisfaction and overall HRQL are strongly influenced by mental health symptoms and more weakly influenced by physical symptoms. Clinical evaluation of PD patients should include mental health and self-reported HRQL assessment.
Sativin: an Induced Isoflavan from the Leaves of Medicago sativa L.

IT has been shown that low-molecular weight antibiotics (phytoalexins1) may be produced following the interaction between plants and various biotic or abiotic agents. In tissues penetrated by non-pathogenic fungi the accumulation of phytoalexins may be responsible for cessation of fungal development, which suggests that these compounds may have a role in disease resistance. Phytoalexins can apparently be detoxified by pathogenic fungi2.