cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Increasing patient mobility through an individualized goal-centered hospital mobility program: A quasi-experimental quality improvement project.

Abstract Background Hospital-acquired functional decline due to decreased mobility has negative impacts on patient outcomes. Current nurse-directed mobility programs lack a standardized approach to set achievable mobility goals. Purpose We aimed to describe implementation and outcomes from a nurse-directed patient mobility program. Method The quality improvement mobility program on the project unit was compared to a similar control unit providing usual care. The Johns Hopkins Mobility Goal Calculator was created to guide a daily patient mobility goal based on the level of mobility impairment. Findings On the project unit, patient mobility increased from 5.2 to 5.8 on the Johns Hopkins Highest Level of Mobility score, mobility goal attainment went from 54.2% to 64.2%, and patients exceeding the goal went from 23.3% to 33.5%. All results were significantly higher than the control unit. Discussion An individualized, nurse-directed, patient mobility program using daily mobility goals is a successful strategy to improve daily patient mobility in the hospital.
THE RECOGNITION AND WORKUP OF HIGH OUTPUT HEART FAILURE DUE TO ARTERIOVENOUS MALFORMATIONS

A 57 year-old male with Klippel-Trenaunay Syndrome (KTS) presented with four weeks of dyspnea on exertion with unilateral right lower extremity swelling and pain. Vital signs were unremarkable though exam demonstrated elevated jugular venous distension and unilateral pitting edema in the right
Posthepatitic Severe Aplastic Anemia—An Indication for Early Bone Marrow Transplantation

Despite the use of androgens, corticosteroids, antibiotics, and blood product support, survival in posthepatitic severe aplastic anemia remains about 10%. Histocompatible bone marrow transplantation in this illness has been shown to be feasible. Therefore, marrow transplantation is indicated early in the course of severe aplasia following hepatitis. Delay of this procedure exposes patients to increasing risks of sepsis, hemorrhage, and sensitization to transplantation antigens by multiple transfusions. Weeks, not months, should elapse between diagnosis and transplantation if an appropriate donor, intensive supportive care, and a trained transplantation team are available.
Dissociation between the hypotensive effect of thiazides and plasma divalent cations.

Alterations in divalent cation metabolism are increasingly being sought in experimental and human hypertension (1–11). The finding of a low ionizable plasma calcium in some hypertensive patients (2, 4) has lead to the exploration of the effect of calcium intake on the level of arterial blood pressure (6–11). This has been done by either dietary survey of large populations groups or by dietary supplementation in both experimental and human hypertension (6–12). Derangements of extracellular ionizable calcium and magnesium concentrations in hypertensive patients have been related to the renin profile (4). Ionizable serum calcium levels were found to be lower in patients with low renin hypertension and higher in patients with high renin hypertension than in those with normal renin hypertension (4).
ADJUNCTIVE TRANSFER FACTOR IN OSTEOGENIC SARCOMA: I. CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS OF CHEMOTHERAPY AND IMMUNOTHERAPY

Publisher Summary This chapter focuses on the analysis of results of experiments conducted to study adjunctive transfer factor (TF) in osteogenic sarcoma. The team undertook the therapy of patients with osteogenic sarcoma with a combination adjuvant therapy utilizing chemotherapy and transfer factor. The experimental report states that donors for the transfer factor were either household contacts of patients with osteogenic sarcoma or patients with osteogenic sarcoma who have been in complete remission for a period exceeding two years and show no evidence of osteogenic sarcoma. The dialyzable transfer factor was administered before treatment in 18 dosages interspaced between the treatments in such a manner as to optimize the lymphocyte responsiveness but taking into account the total immune response. The results suggest that radiotherapy has been found in vivo and in vitro to have little effect on osteogenic sarcoma and the delay incurred from time of diagnosis to definitive surgery in administering radiotherapy cannot be supported.
Culture, Identity, and Equity in the Mathematics Classroom

In this article, we frame issues of equity in term of the relations between the specifically mathematical practices established in the classroom on the one hand, and the practices of students’ local, home communities and of the broader groups to which they belong in wider society on the other hand. In the first part of the article, we discuss how the practices of these various groups and communities might be characterized by drawing on Wenger’s (1998) notion of a community of practice and Gee’s (1997) notion of a Discourse. Later in the article, we clarify that in addition to focusing on the continuities and contrasts between the practices of different communities, the relational perspective also encompasses issues of both power and identity. As we illustrate, the gatekeeping role that mathematics plays in students’ access to educational and economic opportunities is not limited to differences in the ways of knowing associated with participation in the practices of different communities. Instead, it also includes difficulties that students experience in reconciling their views of themselves and who they want to become with the identities that they are invited to construct in the mathematics classroom.
History and Social Structure of North Yemen

Ancient civilizations flourished on the southwestern part of the Arabian Peninsula, but they remain almost unknown. We have learned something about them from surface inscriptions, coins, a few partial excavations, and some fragmentary reports in Greek and Roman historical literature, but no full-scale archeological work has yet been completed in the heartland of these complex cultures.1 The area now covered by the Yemen Arab Republic (North Yemen), and the People’s Democratic Republic Yemen (South Yemen) was known in the pre-Islamic times as Arabia Felix, or Happy Arabia. This name referred to its reputation as the source of some of the materials most highly-prized in the flourishing civilizations of Egypt, Greece, and Rome, but just as justifiably the name could have arisen from the happy circumstances of its beautiful green wadis and the salubrious climate of its magnificent mountains.
A natural experiment for efficient markets: Information quality and influential agents

Abstract We test the integration of repeated decision making of influential agents in asset prices. Our approach exploits a natural experiment in the Major League Baseball (MLB) betting market, where umpire assignments are revealed only for certain games, using over 2.5 million decisions made by these officials. Estimations reveal only partial adjustment to information related to umpire behavioral heterogeneity. We show this is exploitable by informed bettors, providing advantages over more salient, lower quality information. These results suggest that underlying information on influential individual decision making can serve as a high quality indicator of asset values due to persistence across time.
Distinguishing Emotions of Guilt and Shame in Psalm 51

Psalm 51 contains an expression of guilt and shame as the psalmist petitions God for restoration. Yet how emotions are identified or understood remains confused in recent discussion and scholarship...
Bank Ties and Firm Value: Evidence from Japanese M&As in the 1990s

This paper documents the change in Tobin's Q of 120 Japanese firms engaging in merger and acquisition (M&A) in the 1990s, a period characterized by governance crisis and reform in Japan. Prior to 1999, Japanese acquirers with stronger bank ties experienced a smaller increase in economic value after engaging in acquisition bids. On the contrary, in the ensuing years, acquirers with stronger bank ties gained larger economic value. The impact of bank ties on economic value is not explained by differences in operating performance before and after acquisitions. To the extent that bank ties provide a mechanism for monitoring of corporate management, the results suggest that change in firm value is a function of firm-level monitoring effectiveness, and that corporate monitoring commands its own premium.
Feins, Roberta P. A Morsel of Bread, A Knife. Seattle, Washington: Center on Contemporary Art, 2018.

Book review: Feins, Roberta P. A Morsel of Bread, A Knife. Seattle, Washington: Center on Contemporary Art, 2018.
Free-Space Modulators Based on Dimerized High Contrast Gratings

We investigate periodic symmetry breaking as a method of controlling Fano resonances in high contrast dielectric gratings with small device footprints and report experimental and computational demonstrations of free-space modulators based on these dimerized gratings. © 2019 The Author(s)
Biomimetic Reductive Cleavage of Keto Aryl Ether Bonds by Small-Molecule Thiols.

The nucleophilic and reductive properties of thiolates and thiols make them ideal candidates as redox mediators via the thiol/disulfide couple. One mechanism for biological lignin depolymerization entails reduction of keto aryl ether bonds by an SN 2 mechanism with the thiol redox mediator glutathione. In this study, mimicking this chemistry in a simple protein- and metal-free process, several small organic thiols are surveyed for their ability to cleave aryl keto ethers that model the β-O-4 linkages found in partially oxidized lignin. In polar aprotic solvents, β-mercaptoethanol and dithiothreitol yielded up to 100 % formation of phenol and acetophenone products from 2-phenoxyacetophenone, but not from its reduced alcohol congener. The effects of reaction conditions and of substituents on the aryl rings and the keto ether linkage are assessed. These results, together with activation barriers computed by quantum chemical simulations and direct observation of the expected intermediate thioether, point to an SN 2 mechanism. This study confirms that small organic thiols can reductively break down lignin-relevant keto aryl ether linkages.
SRAM-ADC: SRAM Circuits Transformable to a Stochastic ADC at Ultralow Area Overhead

A low-cost microprocessor-based system-on-chip is a key building block for the Internet of Things. To perform sensing, computing, and communications, it requires multiple analog, digital, and mixed-signal circuits. Integrating those circuits, however, increases silicon area and cost. It is particularly expensive to add dedicated hardware for low duty-cycled functions such as environment sensing. In this letter, we reduce such overhead and introduce a design approach that can dynamically transform an 8-kB 6T SRAM into a 6-b stochastic ADC having a 300-mVPP input range. Incurring only a 740- $\mu \text{m}^{2}$ (0.93%) area overhead, this approach provides a data-conversion capability at very low cost.
First-Principles Calculation

This chapter describes the application of first-principles calculation to investigate the structure and properties of different classes of glasses. These include insulating glasses, three types of metallic glasses, and an example of an amorphous metal–organic framework as an emerging hybrid organic glass. First-principles calculation differs from the more popular molecular dynamics simulation and can provide more in-depth information on interatomic interactions. In many highly complex multicomponent glass systems, ab initio calculation may be the only viable method for realistic modeling. Here it is demonstrated that first-principles calculation is best accomplished by a combination of methods with different strengths and advantages. We introduce the novel concept of using total bond order density as a single quantum mechanical metric to assess the strength and cohesion in different types of glasses by providing some provocative examples of the limitations and inadequacy in current theory for structure characterization of glasses. The chapter also highlights some urgent areas in glass research where first-principles calculations could play a more critical role.
Outcomes of Combined Anterior Septal Reconstruction and Dorsal Hump Reduction

Objectives/hypothesis Deviations of the caudal nasal septum can impact airflow and aesthetics. The anterior septal reconstruction (ASR) technique, a modification of extracorporeal septoplasty, addresses this issue while preserving a segment of the dorsal septum. When ASR is combined with dorsal hump reductions and osteotomies, the keystone may be destabilized. This study evaluates the outcomes of this intervention. Study design Retrospective chart review. Methods This is a retrospective study evaluating the functional and aesthetic outcomes of 58 patients who underwent ASR combined with dorsal hump reductions (with or without osteotomies). The Nasal Obstruction Symptom Evaluation (NOSE) and Standardized Cosmesis and Health Nasal Outcomes Survey Obstructive/Cosmetic (SCHNOS-O, SCHNOS-C) scores were measured and compared pre- and postoperatively. Linear regression analysis was performed to determine the impact of sex, gender, osteotomies, and trauma on outcomes. Results Mean improvement in NOSE, SCHNOS-O, and SCHNOS-C scores within the first 3 months after surgery were -41.8, -32.6, and -51.5 respectively (P 9 months, these improvements were also significant for NOSE and SCHNOS-O scores and approached significance (P = .06) for SCHNOS-C scores. A subanalysis of patients who underwent osteotomies yielded functional and aesthetic improvements across all follow-up periods, all of which were significant with the exception of SCHNOS-O scores at >9 months (P = .1). In a multiple linear regression analysis, osteotomies contributed significantly to change in SCHNOS-C scores (β = -64.09, P = .001) at 3- to 9-month follow-up. Conclusions The combination of ASR, hump take down, and osteotomies is safe and efficacious with implications for patients who seek correction of caudal septal deviations in conjunction with changes in external contour deformities. Level of evidence 3 Laryngoscope, 2020.
Genomic Sequence Classification Using Probabilistic Topic Modeling

Taxonomic classification of genomic sequences is usually based on evolutionary distance obtained by alignment. In this work we introduce a novel alignment-free classification approach based on probabilistic topic modeling. Using a k-mer (small fragments of length k) decomposition of DNA sequences and the Latent Dirichlet Allocation algorithm, we built a classifier for 16S rRNA bacterial gene sequences. We tested our method with a tenfold cross validation procedure considering a bacteria dataset of 3000 elements belonging to the most numerous bacteria phyla: Actinobacteria, Firmicutes and Proteobacteria. Experiments were carried out using complete and 400 bp long 16S sequences, in order to test the robustness of the proposed methodology. Our results, in terms of precision scores and for different number of topics, ranges from 100 %, at class level, to 77 % at genus level, for both full and 400 bp length, considering k-mers of length 8. These results demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed approach.
Nutrient supplementation experiments on saltern microbial communities support utilization of DNA as a source of phosphorus

All environments including hypersaline ones harbor measurable concentrations of dissolved extracellular DNA (eDNA) that can be utilized by microbes as a nutrient. However, it remains poorly understood which eDNA components are used, and who in a community utilizes it. For this study, we incubated a saltern microbial community with combinations of carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus, and DNA, and tracked the community response in each microcosm treatment via 16S rRNA and rpoB gene sequencing. We show that microbial communities could use DNA only as a phosphorus source, and provision of other sources of carbon and nitrogen was needed to exhibit a substantial growth. The taxonomic composition of eDNA in the water column changed with the availability of inorganic phosphorus or supplied DNA, hinting at preferential uptake of eDNA from specific organismal sources. Especially favored for growth was eDNA from the most abundant taxa, suggesting some haloarchaea prefer eDNA from closely related taxa. Additionally, microcosms9 composition shifted substantially depending on the provided nutrient combinations. These shifts allowed us to predict supplemented nutrients from microbial composition with high accuracy, suggesting that nutrient availability in an environment could be assessed from a taxonomic survey of its microbial community.
Concrete Constructions: Assembling a Postwar Poetics

This essay focuses on the manifestos and theoretical works of Concrete poets—primarily the German-language poets Max Bense and Eugen Gomringer, as well as the Noigandres group—examining their engagement with discourses of postwar modernity, including internationalism, design, and communication and information theory. While the movement’s programmatic texts at times proved unpersuasive or inconsistent, they nonetheless demonstrated a readiness or even eagerness to cross boundaries—both national and disciplinary—and to seek inspiration from scientific and technical fields in an attempt to articulate a new poetics suited to the modern age. Rather than see the movement’s manifestos and theoretical statements as hubristic promises that its poetry could never keep, this essay proposes that we see the poems and the programmatic texts as two parts of the same project, which claimed a place for poetry in a technologically saturated age.
The Effects of Celebrity Silence Breakers: Liking and Parasocial Relationship Strength Interact to Predict the Social Influence of Celebrities’ Sexual Harassment Allegations

Although likability and parasocial relationships (PSRs) typically go hand in hand, people can dislike media figures they are bonded to, or they can feel disconnected from media figures that they li...
The Impact of Obesity in End of Life Care in Patients With End Stage Liver Disease: An Observational Study.

Background:Both obesity and end stage liver disease (ESLD) are increasing. Obesity’s impact on hospice and palliative care in patients with ESLD is unknown.Methods:We retrospectively evaluated pati...
Fractons with twisted boundary conditions and their symmetries

We study several exotic systems, including the X-cube model, on a flat three-torus with a twist in the $xy$ plane. The ground-state degeneracy turns out to be a sensitive function of various geometrical parameters. Starting from a lattice, depending on how we take the continuum limit, we find different values of the ground-state degeneracy. Yet, there is a natural continuum limit with a well-defined (though infinite) value of that degeneracy. We also uncover a surprising global symmetry in $2+1$ and $3+1$ dimensional systems. It originates from the underlying subsystem symmetry but the way it is realized depends on the twist. In particular, in a preferred coordinate frame, the modular parameter of the twisted two-torus $\ensuremath{\tau}={\ensuremath{\tau}}_{1}+i{\ensuremath{\tau}}_{2}$ has rational ${\ensuremath{\tau}}_{1}=k/m$. Then, in systems based on $\text{U}(1)\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}\text{U}(1)$ subsystem symmetries, such as momentum and winding symmetries or electric and magnetic symmetries, this symmetry is a projectively realized ${\mathbb{Z}}_{m}\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{\mathbb{Z}}_{m}$, which leads to an $m$-fold ground state degeneracy. In systems based on ${\mathbb{Z}}_{N}$ symmetries, like the X-cube model, each of these two ${\mathbb{Z}}_{m}$ factors is replaced by ${\mathbb{Z}}_{gcd(N,m)}$.
Anti-Arrhythmic Drug Choices for Newly Diagnosed Atrial fibrillation - Patterns and Potential Implications

Recent trials have shown that early intervention for rhythm control of atrial fibrillation (AF) was associated with better cardiovascular outcomes. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
Analysis of the oligomeric state of mycobacterial membrane protein large 3 and its interaction with SQ109 with native cell membrane nanoparticles system.

Abstract Mycobacterial membrane protein large 3 (Mmpl3) as a trehalose monomycolate lipid transporter contributes to cell wall biosynthesis. Inhibition of Mmpl3 can suppress cell growth and lead to mycobacterial death. SQ109 is a hydrophobic inhibitor of Mmpl3. We have devised a detergent-free strategy to characterize the SQ109/Mmpl3 interaction using the Native Cell Membrane Nanoparticles (NCMN) system, a new method for extracting membrane proteins that better retains native lipids. The homogeneity of the Mmpl3 NCMN particles was confirmed with electron microscopy. The hydrophobic protein-ligand interaction analysis shown for Mmpl3 using the NCMN system may broadly apply to other membrane proteins.
Frequency Domain Detection and Precoding for Massive MIMO with Single Carrier Modulation

Single carrier modulation (SCM) schemes are attractive for uplink (UL) transmissions due to improved power efficiency at the user equipment (UE) transmitter compared with multi-carrier modulation schemes. In a massive MIMO scenario with SCM, the UL detection must mitigate the effects of inter-symbol interference and multi-user interference. This processing is effectively performed in the frequency domain (FD) using a minimum mean squared error (MMSE) detector when the transmission is framed with a cyclic prefix. This paper analyzes an MMSE-based detector compatible with distributed processing in a time-division duplex (TDD) system. The matrix inverses computed for the UL detection are then reused to perform multi-user precoding for the downlink (DL). We find that this scheme yields tremendous savings in computational complexity compared to commonly used zero-forcing (ZF) precoding without sacrificing any performance. Since MMSE processing introduces a bias to the estimates, we derive the scalar coefficients necessary to cancel the MMSE bias. The impact of channel estimation errors is analyzed for both the UL and DL cases in conjunction with a power-efficient approach to SCM channel estimation. Moreover, extensive simulations are performed to confirm our theoretical findings.
Cobalt-Catalyzed [2π + 2π] Cycloadditions of Alkenes: Scope, Mechanism, and Elucidation of Electronic Structure of Catalytic Intermediates.

Aryl-substituted bis(imino)pyridine cobalt dinitrogen compounds, (RPDI)CoN2, are effective precatalysts for the intramolecular [2π + 2π] cycloaddition of α,ω-dienes to yield the corresponding bicyclo[3.2.0]heptane derivatives. The reactions proceed under mild thermal conditions with unactivated alkenes, tolerating both amine and ether functional groups. The overall second order rate law for the reaction, first order with respect to both the cobalt precatalyst and the substrate, in combination with electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopic studies established the catalyst resting state as dependent on the identity of the precatalyst and diene substrate. Planar S = 1/2 κ3-bis(imino)pyridine cobalt alkene and tetrahedral κ2-bis(imino)pyridine cobalt diene complexes were observed by EPR spectroscopy and in the latter case structurally characterized. The hemilabile chelate facilitates conversion of a principally ligand-based singly occupied molecular orbital (SOMO) in the cobalt dinitrogen and alkene...
Inhibition by 2-deoxy-D-glucose of callose formation, papilla deposition, and resistance to powdery mildew in an ml-o barley mutant.

Abstract Resistance to powdery mildew in the ml - o mutant barley line, Riso 5678/3 ∗ Carlsberg II, is characterized by a high frequency of early formed, callose-containing papillae. Treatment of ml - o resistant barley coleoptiles with 10 −5 m 2-deoxy-D-glucose, an inhibitor of callose formation in plants, resulted in a decrease in papilla frequency from 92-41% and an increase in penetration efficiency from 15–78%. Time-course analysis showed that papilla formation was also delayed by 2-deoxy-D-glucose treatment and that sites with late-forming papillae were penetrated by the fungus whereas sites with early-forming papillae were not. These results support previous evidence that early papilla formation is the mechanism of ml - o resistance. Use of the callose-specific dye, sirofluor, showed that nearly all papillae in both the controls and the 2-deoxy-D-glucose-treated cells contained callose, suggesting that callose formation may greatly facilitate papilla deposition in this ml - o barley mutant. Papilla frequency also decreased in the susceptible barley isoline, and an increase in penetration efficiency occurred at 4 × 10 −5 m 2-deoxy-D-glucose. We infer that the mutation at the ml - o locus enhanced a constitutive, but originally ineffective, resistance mechanism, namely papilla formation.
Relaciones de pareja en el teatro costarricense emergente

En los ultimos seis anos, se han publicado en seis antologias las primeras incursiones en la escritura teatral de jovenes costarricenses. Este estudio analiza las relaciones de pareja, que siempre se encuentran en un proceso de ruptura, en las tres obras de la antologia mas reciente, Dramaturgia costarricense: Expresiones escenicas emergentes (2012). Aunque las situaciones que llevan a las separaciones de los jovenes personajes son varias, el peso de las expectativas sociales en la Costa Rica contemporanea es un factor comun en la disolucion de las relaciones amorosas. Otra causa de su ruptura es la falta de un verdadero dialogo entre los jovenes a pesar de todos los avances tecnologicos que supuestamente facilitan la comunicacion. El teatro costarricense emergente invita a su publico a repensar los roles sociales del hombre y la mujer y a reconocer el dano causado por las interacciones negativas en la comunicacion cotidiana de la pareja
Photochemical transformations on plasmonic metal nanoparticles

Optically excited plasmonic nanoparticles can activate chemical reactions on their surfaces. The underlying physical mechanisms responsible for the chemical activity and advances in photocatalysis on plasmonic metallic nanostructures are discussed. The strong interaction of electromagnetic fields with plasmonic nanomaterials offers opportunities in various technologies that take advantage of photophysical processes amplified by this light–matter interaction. Recently, it has been shown that in addition to photophysical processes, optically excited plasmonic nanoparticles can also activate chemical transformations directly on their surfaces. This potentially offers a number of opportunities in the field of selective chemical synthesis. In this Review we summarize recent progress in the field of photochemical catalysis on plasmonic metallic nanostructures. We discuss the underlying physical mechanisms responsible for the observed chemical activity, and the issues that must be better understood to see progress in the field of plasmon-mediated photocatalysis.
Platelet MAO deamination of serotonin in depressed patients: Changes after imipramine treatment and clinical correlations

Monoamine oxidase (MAO) in blood platelets has been used as a model to study MAO in the central nervous system, where disorders in serotonergic systems are thought to occur in depression. Inconsistent changes in platelet MAO of depressed patients have been reported when several substrates other than serotonin (5-HT) have been used. To correlate changes in platelet MAO activity with the enzyme activity in central serotonergic systems, the platelet MAO activity of depressed patients (first unmedicated and then after 3 weeks and 2 months of imipramine treatment) and normal controls was measured using 5-HT as substrate. The results showed that there is a steady, measurable platelet MAO activity with that substrate. This activity was significantly higher in unmedicated depressed patients than in controls, and it decreased progressively with imipramine treatment, reaching a normal level when the patients were clinically recovered from depression after 2 months of therapy.
Parallelizing EM Clustering Algorithm on a Cluster of SMPs

In this paper, we report on parallelization of the EM clustering algorithm using the FREERIDE middleware developed in our prior work. FREERIDE is based upon the observation that the processing structure of a large number of data mining algorithms involves generalized reductions. FREERIDE offers a high-level interface and support both distributed memory and shared memory parallelization, besides efficient execution on disk-resident datasets. We show how the main processing loops in both the E and M steps of the EM algorithm essentially involve a generalized reduction, and therefore, the algorithm can be parallelized using FREERIDE.
Leading teams to effective decisions: the vital role of framing

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to illuminate in practical terms research‐based approaches that enable organizational leaders to support effective decision‐making in teams.Design/methodology/approach – A literature review of emerging group decision‐making research was conducted and thematically summarized. The themes were discussed and revised with input from twenty global leaders and a dozen university researchers at a two‐day conference held at Harvard University's Learning Innovation Laboratory.Findings – What leaders do early on has lasting impact on a team's ability to make effective decisions. Research shows that leaders have the most impact on group decisions at the beginning when they frame the team's goal (purpose), member roles and skills they bring to the group (people), and initial strategies (process). The earlier teams establish these frames the more likely they have put in place the conditions for effective decision‐making.Practical Implications – The themes illustrate a model that l...
The facet ascending algorithm for integer programming problems

Many practical large-scale optimization problems, such as scheduling a manufacturing system, can be modeled as integer programming problems. Because of their combinatorial nature, these problems are often very difficult to solve optimally, especially within a limited amount of time. Therefore, near-optimal solutions are often sought. Lagrangian relaxation is an effective method for decomposing a difficult problem into subproblems that are much easier to solve. A major part of this method is to optimize the dual function of the integer programming problem. Since the dual function is nondifferentiable, the subgradient method is frequently used as a method for maximizing (for a primal minimization problem) the dual function. However, this method can exhibit slow convergence due to iterations zigzagging across a set of nondifferentiable points. The new algorithm presented in this paper exploits the polyhedral concave nature of the dual function by ascending facets along nondifferentiable points, thus avoiding the zigzagging behaviour of the subgradient method. The algorithm is tested on a nonlinear integer programming problem for scheduling a simple manufacturing system. The computational results show this algorithm is a significant improvement over the subgradient method. >
New vision in video capsule endoscopy: current status and future directions

Now, more than 10 years after the approval of video capsule endoscopy (VCE), the technology has become an essential component in the management of several clinical conditions. Currently, two capsules are approved in the USA for visualizing the small bowel mucosa, one capsule is authorized for oesophageal assessment and several others are in use or under evaluation worldwide. New investigations have focused on optical improvements, advances in intestinal cleansing and risk reduction strategies to optimize VCE methodologies in clinical care. Established indications diagnosed using VCE include unexplained gastrointestinal bleeding, small bowel Crohn's disease (in adults and children >10 years old), localization of small bowel tumours and a broad range of miscellaneous abnormalities. Investigations are ongoing to determine the utility of VCE in colon cancer screening, assessment of oesophageal disorders and diagnosis of coeliac disease. Active research is in progress into ways to improve the efficacy of VCE recording interpretation, prolong imaging time and further enhance optics and imaging methods. To expand the potential utility of VCE, novel devices that can manoeuvre within or insufflate the gut lumen, tag or biopsy suspect lesions, or target drug delivery to specific sites are in development. To facilitate these advances, consortia have been organized to promote innovative VCE technologies.
Nanomaterials for targeted drug delivery to cancer stem cells

Recent developments in cancer biology have identified the existence of a sub-poplulation of cells - cancer stem cells (CSC) that are resistant to most traditional therapies (e.g. chemotherapy and radiotherapy) and have the ability to repair their damaged DNA. These findings have necessitated a break with traditional oncology management and encouraged new perspectives concerning cancer treatment. Understanding the functional biology of CSCs - especially the signaling pathways that are involved in their self-renewal mechanisms - is crucial for discovering new forms of treatment. In this review, we highlight current and future prospects for potential cancer therapies based on the use of nano-sized materials. Nanomaterials could revolutionize cancer management because of their distinctive features - unique surface chemistry, strong electronic, optic, and magnetic properties - that are found neither in bulk materials nor in single molecules. Based on these distinct properties, we believe that nanomaterials could be excellent candidates for use in CSC research in order to optimize cancer therapeutics. Moreover, we propose these nanomaterials for the inhibition of the self-renewal pathways of CSCs by focusing on the Hedgehog, Notch, and Wnt/β-catenin self-renewal mechanisms. By introducing these methods for the detection, targeting, and destruction of CSCs, an efficient alternative treatment for the incurable disease of cancer could be provided.
Hormonal and nonhormonal desensitization in isolated bone cells

Prior exposure to PTH markedly decreased the responsiveness of isolated, cultured bone cells to the stimulatory effect of the hormone on cyclic AMP formation. This process of desensitization developed within 30 min, persisted during prolonged incubation of the cells in PTH-free medium, and could not be attributed to enhanced excretion of cyclic AMP from the cells, nor to the extracellular accumulation of an inhibitor of PTH action. Adenylate cyclase activity in a subcellular fraction derived from PTH-treated cells was refractory to PTH and to sodium fluoride. These results indicate that PTH-mediated desensitization reflects, at least in part, impaired cyclic AMP formation. Adenosine and PGE2, known stimulators of bone cell cyclic AMP formation, elicited agonist-specific desensitization, and also desensitized bone cells to the effects of subsequently added PTH. PTH blunted the cellular response to adenosine, but not to PGE2. Modest refractoriness to PTH was evident in cells that had been treated previously with the cyclic AMP phosphodiesterase inhibitors IBMX, theophylline, and Bt2cAMP, whereas treatment with sodium butyrate had no effect. The actions of the inhibitors, like that of PTH, were rapid in onset and long-lasting. Desensitization caused by previous treatment with the phosphodiesterase inhibitors, and with PTH itself, was accompanied by enhanced phosphodiesterase activity in bone cell homogenates. Induction of phosphodiesterase activity may well contribute to desensitization in the bone cell system.
Comparison of Different Excitation Sources and Normalization Techniques in Laser-Ablation AES Using a Photodiode-based Spectrometer

A new technique is evaluated for normalizing laser power fluctuations in laser-ablation atomic spectrometry. The technique involves measuring the light loss caused by scattering from the ablated material as it flows through a specially designed cell. The resulting measured optical density can be used to correct for variations in the amount of sample that has been ablated. This new approach is compared to the use of a matrix element as an internal standard. Three different excitation sources for AES (Ar-ICP, Ar-MIP, and He-MIP) were combined with laser ablation and evaluated with the new normalization approach. Although the overall performance is best for the Ar-ICP combination, the MIPs have some desirable characteristics (i.e., low background radiation) which in some cases lead to better results. The spectra were collected with a photodiode-based spectrometer that is designed for simultaneous multichannel detection and is therefore especially well suited to measurement and background correction of signals produced during transient sampling such as with laser ablation. The ability of such a spectrometer to deal with complex samples such as cast iron is discussed.
Modeling root-reinforcement with a fiber-bundle model and Monte Carlo simulation

Abstract This paper uses sensitivity analysis and a fiber-bundle model (FBM) to examine assumptions underpinning root-reinforcement models. First, different methods for apportioning load between intact roots were investigated. Second, a Monte Carlo approach was used to simulate plants with heartroot, plateroot and taproot/herringbone networks growing on slopes and floodplains. Results suggest that: 1. The commonly adopted value (1.2) for a term accounting for initial root orientation, shear distortion angle and soil friction angle is too large and is only attained for friction angles >35°; 2. to obtain the correct dynamics, equal load apportionment must be used in FBMs; 3. root architecture has a significant impact on loading curve shape and the peak load supported by a root bundle; and 4. plants with different root architectures are suitable for stabilizing different features (for example, 500 Eastern Sycamore roots of differing network types provided median reinforcement of 4.86–15.08 kPa on a slope and 9.49–14.82 kPa on a floodplain). These latter variations, and the duration and displacement over which reinforcement is provided, are controlled by the proportions of compressed and tensioned roots as soil shearing initiates. Root-reinforcement may vary dramatically dependent upon the location of a plant relative to a failing soil mass.
Estimates for Rankin–Selberg L-Functions and Quantum Unique Ergodicity

Abstract Subconvex bounds in the weight aspect for Rankin–Selberg L -functions associated to two cusp forms are established. These bounds are applied to prove the equidistribution of mass conjecture for CM forms.
Low Temperature Water–Gas Shift Reaction: Interactions of Steam and CO with Ceria Treated with Different Oxidizing and Reducing Environments

In a recent review article, it was suggested that a redox mechanism best describes observations regarding the WGS reaction for metal promoted ceria systems, as well as how molecules such as CO, CO2, H2O, and H2 interact with the ceria surface. In this contribution, the pretreated surface of Pt/ceria was subjected to steaming or H2 treatment at 250 °C followed by CO adsorption after six different pre-treatment sequences were performed. Subjecting a H2-treated surface directly to CO, or followed by steaming, led to the highest concentration of surface formates by reaction of CO with Ce3+ defect-associated Type II bridging OH groups. The Type II OH groups were also generated by CO treatment followed by steaming. Using CO as a probe led to a significant coverage of formate species, though less than the previous cases (CO added to a H2 treated surface or a surface treated with H2, then H2O). Surprisingly, even subjecting an oxidized surface (pre-reduced and subjected to O2 at 400 °C) to steam still produced a significant density of Type II OH groups, as evidenced by the formates produced upon exposure to CO. The formates were easily decomposed in steam at 130 °C and converted to carbonate species. Thus, focusing on the turnover of formate via C–H bond breaking offers important possibilities for future catalyst development.
Poverty across the Life Cycle: Evidence from the PSID

The likelihood of experiencing poverty at some point during the adult life cycle is estimated. These probabilities are derived through a set of life tables built upon 25 waves of data from the Panel Study of Income Dynamics, and represent an alternative approach to studying poverty than prior empirical studies. Life table analyses are divided into early adulthood (ages 20–40), middle adulthood (ages 40–60),and later adulthood (ages 60–80). The findings indicate that individuals within the sample face a significant risk of poverty at some point during their adult lives, particularly during the early and later stages of adulthood. Duration tends to be relatively short (1 or 2 years), but once poverty occurs, it is likely to occur again. Results also reveal the profound life-course effect that race, education, and gender have upon the likelihood of encountering poverty during the adult years. Several policy and research implications are discussed. © 2001 by the Association for Public Policy Analysis and Management.
Plasma From Women With Preeclampsia Increases Endothelial Cell Nitric Oxide Production

In preeclampsia, a factor in the maternal circulation alters endothelial function via a reduction in nitric oxide synthesis. We measured the in vitro effects of 2% plasma from women with preeclampsia, compared with 2% plasma from normotensive pregnant women, on cultured endothelial cell nitrite production and nitric oxide synthase activity. On finding differential effects, we measured the effects on cellular viability (assessed by lactate dehydrogenase levels) and performed a time course study. Endothelial cell nitrite production was found to be higher after exposure to plasma from the preeclamptic group than the normotensive pregnant group. The effects of long-term exposure (120 hours) were similar to those of short-term exposure (24 hours). In addition, nitric oxide synthase activity was significantly greater after exposure to preeclamptic plasma than after exposure to normotensive pregnant plasma. No differential effect on cellular viability was found. Contrary to our hypothesis, exposure of endothelial cells to preeclamptic plasma resulted in increased nitric oxide production and nitric oxide synthase activity.
Characteristics And Uses Of X-Radiation From Laser-Heated Plasmas

Multi-million degree plasmas produced at the foci of powerful lasers efficiently emit short intense pulses of soft x-rays. Recent x-ray measurements obtained with laser-repetition rates up to 10 Hz are reviewed. High average-power solid and gas laser systems with powers sufficient for x-ray generation are now being designed. New laser-plasma x-radiation sources should find extensive use in research and industry. Demonstrated and expected uses of x-rays from laser-heated plasmas are summarized.© (1984) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Aluminum Interaction With Biomolecules: The Molecular Basis for Aluminum Toxicity

In order to develop a full understanding for the toxic nature of aluminum (AI), it is important to first discuss the chemistry of this metal. Aluminum has a primary hydration number of 6, remains unhydrolyzed below pH 3, exhibits only a trivalent state (AI(III», and has an ionic radius of 0.51 }...I Aluminum may become extensively hydrolyzed at elevated pH, but this state is metastable with respect to the formation of Al(OHh The content of hydrated Al species in the solution is determined by Al concentration, pH, and conditions of the hydrolysis reaction. z Although Al exists only in the trivalent state (AI(III», its inner hydration shell is hexacoordinated, with a LlHHYD = 1141 Kcallmol. This high energy results from the electrostatic interaction of ions and water dipole3 causing soluble Al species to retain some of these water molecules during interactions with biologic ligands. Aluminum is soluble in aqueous solutions only under constrained conditions governed by pH and metal ion concentration (Table 1). Solvation of Al proceeds according to the following general reaction:
Functional and Global Evaluations: Discussion

Whitehouse: In the USA, the Agency for Healthcare Policy and Research has recently issued guidelines for early recognition and assessment of dementia, which I think this group should aim to incorporate in its deliberations. Interestingly, to assess patient function, they selected an instrument from the literature called the FAQ, which as far as I am aware, is not widely known by people in the field. Would anyone like to comment on this test? These guidelines will influence GPs, because they will be made aware of the recommendations by government information leaflets.
Copper in Lake Pontchartrain bottom sediment: Relationship to sediment properties

Several watersheds in the Louisiana Pontchartrain Basin are listed as impaired, with dissolved Cu as one of the impairments. In this study we determine Cu levels in sediment of Lake Pontchartrain (which comprises part of one of the largest estuaries in the Gulf Coast region) which receives water from impaired watersheds. Sediment samples were collected along an 8 km sampling grid (174 sites) and analyzed for total Cu in sediment. The average Cu content in sediment was 13.6 ± 6.7 mg.kg−1 ranging from 0 to 31.5 mg.kg−1 (n = 174). Results show that there was little Cu pollution in the lake sediment. Cu level was correlated with Al content (r = 0.888∗∗) and Fe content (r = 0.907∗∗) of sediment. Higher Cu was also found in sediment with high clay content (r = 0.429∗∗). Cu was inversely correlated with sand content of sediment (r = −0.520∗∗).
Stability of strained quantum-well field-effect transistor structures

Conditions for stability of strained-layer structures and their implications for device fabrication are examined. Structures which have exhibited the best performance to date are found to be thermodynamically metastable (or at best marginally stable) structures, which will restrict the processing steps permissible in the integration of these devices to form complex circuits. >
Supersymmetric enhancement of non-charmed B-decays

We study the non-charmed strange decays of the B meson in the context of low-energy minimal N = 1 supergravity. We find that the inclusive channel b → s gluon is greatly enhanced with respect to the standard model prediction. Indeed, for gluino and squark masses of 60–80 GeV and a top mass between 50 and 80 GeV, a branching ratio as high as 10–30% can be reached. This opens a new window for the possibility of testing the presence of new physics in low-energy phenomenology. A comparative review of the standard model results is presented.
An Empirical Investigation of the Effect of Growth on Short‐Term Changes in Loss Ratios

Given the use of premium growth as a risk measure in regulatory and private risk assessment models, the impact of growth on underwriting profitability is an important question. Our results show a negative relationship between premium growth and changes in loss ratios, suggesting that premium growth alone does not necessarily result in higher underwriting risk. Further, there is a positive relationship between claim count growth and changes in loss ratios, suggesting that claim count growth may be a preferred measure of underwriting risk.
A parabolic extension of Newton's method

One topic which has always been of paramount importance in numerical analysis is that of approximating roots of equations, be they algebraic or transcendental. Newton's method, which approximates a portion of a curve by its tangent line in an iterative fashion, is probably the best known and most widely used algorithm. In a recent paper, Alefeld [1] describes one extension of Newton's method, known as Halley's method, where the curve is approximated by a sequence of tangential hyperbolas. We now consider a different and probably more natural extension of Newton's method, where the curve is approximated by a sequence of tangential parabolas. An alternative approach using parabolas, but based on interpolation methods, is known as Mueller's method ([2], p. 120ff.) and has proved to be successful.