cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Distributed Negotiation with a Class of Quadratic Cost Functions

Abstract This paper deals with the conflicting situation in which a set of players (or agents) have local objective functions, but depending on both: local decisions and decisions of other players. In particular, the cost functions are quadratic in the local decision variables, but they are linearly coupled with the decisions of neighbors. The players follow a game-based distributed negotiation pursuing to reach an equilibrium that satisfies them. This work derives the conditions for the existence, uniqueness and stability of Nash equilibriums when the decision variables are not constrained. For the case of constrained decision variables, the paper develops sufficient conditions for the convergence to these equilibriums. These results find application in distributed agent-based estimation, when the amount of information to be transmitted is limited.
What Attracts Bidders to Online Auctions and What is Their Incremental Price Impact

Based on data from eBay auctions of classic comic books, we explore the determinants of the number of bidders in online auctions and the impact of additional bidders on the auction price. We test for winner's curse and examine how secret reserve prices impact both bidding activity and the auction price. In our data set, the number of bidders varies widely from zero in 20.4% of the observed auctions to ten or more in 16.5% but 70% of this variation in bidder numbers is predictable based on the comic being auctioned and attributes of the seller and auction such as third party certification of the comic's condition, the seller's reputation, and the length of the auction. Each additional bidder tends to increase the realized auction price about 2.4%. A minor part of this increase is apparently either because the auctions have a private value component or because some bidders fail to fully adjust for winners curse. However, most appears due to the inability of bidders to accurately determine the number of bidders they are bidding against. The presence of a secret reserve price sharply reduces the number of bidders in an auction but has little impact on what individual bidders are willing to bid.
SITOSTEROLEMIA: A RARE CAUSE OF PREMATURE CORONARY HEART DISEASE

Premature atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease may rarely present in the absence of classic cardiac risk factors and the etiology often remains unknown. A previously healthy 21-year-old male presented from an outside facility for evaluation of chest pain and dyspnea with minimal exertion,
The Role of Creative Coursework in Skill Development for University Seniors

Previous research suggests that creativity training can be effective in academic settings and that teachers in particular can have an impact on creativity. Furthermore, creativity is one of many transferable skills in higher education that will benefit students when they enter the workforce. This study extends research on creativity training and transferable skills in higher education, using data from the Senior Transitions topical module of the National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE). Responses from over 48,000 seniors at 227 different U.S colleges and universities were used to explore curricular differences across disciplinary fields as well as how exposure to creative coursework can predict confidence in numerous skills and abilities. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis provided support for a measure of exposure to creative coursework, and an ANOVA suggested significant differences by major fields, with arts majors showing a distinct advantage. Results from ordinary least squares regression models found that even after controlling for several demographic and institutional characteristics, creative coursework is a significant positive predictor of confidence in several different skills and abilities that are important for adapting to traditional and non-traditional work settings, including creative thinking, critical thinking, entrepreneurial skills, and networking abilities. Potential reasons for these patterns of results are discussed. These findings can help to inform curricular and programming enhancements for college students across all major fields, helping to better prepare them for their futures in various workplace settings.
Multilevel and Community-Level Interventions with Native Americans: Challenges and Opportunities

Multilevel and community-level interventions that target the social determinants of health and ultimately health disparities are seldom conducted in Native American communities. To contextualize the importance of multilevel and community-level interventions, major contributors to and causes of health disparities in Native communities are highlighted. Among the many documented socioeconomic factors influencing health are poverty, low educational attainment, and lack of insurance. Well-recognized health disparities include obesity, diabetes, and hypertension. Selected challenges of implementing community-level and multilevel interventions in Native communities are summarized such as the shortage of high-quality population health data and validated measurement tools. To address the lack of multilevel and community-level interventions, the National Institutes of Health created the Intervention Research to Improve Native American Health (IRINAH) program which solicits proposals that develop, adapt, and test strategies to address these challenges and create interventions appropriate for Native populations. A discussion of the strategies that four of the IRINAH grantees are implementing underscores the importance of community-based participatory policy work, the development of new partnerships, and reconnection with cultural traditions. Based on the work of the nearly 20 IRINAH grantees, ameliorating the complex social determinants of health disparities among Native people will require (1) support for community-level and multilevel interventions that examine contemporary and historical factors that shape current conditions; (2) sustainability plans; (3) forefronting the most challenging issues; (4) financial resources and time to collaborate with tribal leaders; and (5) a solid evidence base.
Microbiology Comment Nudge Improves Pneumonia Prescribing

Background Systematic and behavioral interventions are needed to improve antibiotic use for common conditions like pneumonia. Methods Single pretest, post-test quasi-experiment in a 4-hospital health system in metropolitan Detroit, Michigan. Hospitalized patients treated with anti-methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus and antipseudomonal antibiotics for respiratory infections from August 1, 2015, through January 31, 2016, and August 1, 2016, through January 31, 2017, were eligible for inclusion. Beginning in May 2016, respiratory cultures with no dominant organism growth and no Pseudomonas sp. or Staphylococcus aureus were reported by the clinical microbiology laboratory as "commensal respiratory flora only: No S. aureus/MRSA [methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus] or P. [Pseudomonas] aeruginosa." Before intervention, these were reported as "commensal respiratory flora." The primary end point was de-escalation or discontinuation of anti-methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus or antipseudomonal therapy. Secondary clinical and safety outcomes included nephrotoxicity and in-hospital, all-cause mortality. Results Two hundred ten patients were included in the study. De-escalation/discontinuation was more commonly performed in the intervention group (39% vs 73%, P < .001). After adjusting for APACHE II and Charlson Comorbidity Index, the intervention comment was associated with a 5.5-fold increased odds of de-escalation (adjusted odds ratio, 5.5; 95% confidence interval, 2.8-10.7). Acute kidney injury was reduced in the intervention phase (31% vs 14%, P = .003). No difference in all-cause mortality was detected between the groups (30% vs 18%, P = .052). Conclusion A simple, behavioral nudge in microbiology reporting increased de-escalation and discontinuation of unnecessary broad-spectrum antibiotics. This highlights the importance of clear, persuasive communication of diagnostic testing in improving antibiotic prescribing behaviors.
Spoken and Written English: The Case for Distinct Languages

Five possible relationships among speech, writing, and language are evaluated. These relationships are: that writing is related to language through the medium of speech, that speech is based on writing, that spoken and written forms of a language are decodable one to the other, that spoken and written language are related only through the single language they represent but cannot be translated one to the other without recourse to the grammar of that language, and that speech and orthography represent distinct languages. The conclusion reached is that the grammars underlying speech and writing are distinct –that they employ different conceptions of morphology and syntax – and thus may be said to represent different languages.
From c to infinity and back: unbounded auto-active verification with VCC

In this tutorial I'll show how to prove deep functional properties of tricky sequential and concurrent C programs using VCC. I'll get into induction, termination, algebraic data types, infinite maps, and lemmas, all unified as ghost data and C-like code manipulating it. Once these are provided, verification is automatic, but the development process of such annotations tends to be very interactive, thus "auto-active verification" using C as a proof language. VCC [1] is an industrial-strength verification environment for low-level concurrent systems code written in C. VCC takes a program (annotated with function contracts, state assertions, and type invariants) and attempts to prove the correctness of these annotations. VCC's verification methodology[3] allows global two-state invariants that restrict update of shared state and enforces simple, semantic conditions sufficient for checking those global invariants modularly. VCC works by translating C, via the Boogie intermediate verification language, to verification conditions handled by the Z3 SMT solver. The environment includes tools for monitoring proof attempts and constructing partial counterexample executions for failed proofs and has been used to verify functional correctness of tens of thousands of lines of Microsoft's Hyper-V virtualization platform and of SYSGO's embedded real-time operating system PikeOS. VCC is available with sources for non-commercial use at http://vcc.codeplex.com/ , and online at http://rise4fun.com/Vcc . A tutorial [2] is also provided.
Privacy preserving automatic fall detection for elderly using RGBD cameras

In this paper, we propose a new privacy preserving automatic fall detection method to facilitate the independence of older adults living in the community, reduce risks, and enhance the quality of life at home activities of daily living (ADLs) by using RGBD cameras. Our method can recognize 5 activities including standing, fall from standing, fall from chair, sit on chair, and sit on floor. The main analysis is based on the 3D depth information due to the advantages of handling illumination changes and identity protection. If the monitored person is out of the range of a 3D camera, RGB video is employed to continue the activity monitoring. Furthermore, we design a hierarchy classification schema to robustly recognize 5 activities. Experimental results on our database collected under conditions with normal lighting, without lighting, out of depth range demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposal method.
Information for New Cell Studies

As you progress with cell culture work, you may want or need to find new methods. These occasions arise when the culturist wishes to apply new methods to a familiar cell type or chooses to study a new cell type. Sometimes you may also decide that further information on your current system would be helpful.
Reliability Quantification of High-Speed Naval Vessels Based on SHM Data

Identification of the structural responses of high-speed naval vessels under normal sea operation is subjected to uncertainties associated with the loading conditions, material properties, cross-sectional dimensions and damage propagation, among others. Probabilistic analyses provide appropriate performance indicators, such as the reliability index, which can simultaneously consider these uncertainties in the prediction of the service life of ships based on the required reliability levels. In this context, structural health monitoring (SHM) can aid in determining the seaway loading conditions and quantifying the structural responses under different operational conditions. As a result, uncertainties associated with the performance prediction can be quantified and some of them (i.e., epistemic uncertainties) can be reduced. In this paper, reliability assessment, based on SHM data, of high-speed naval vessels is performed. Information from SHM is used to estimate the actual structural response associated with the sea states, ship speeds, and wave headings encountered by the vessel. Recorded structural responses are used to establish the time-variant performance profile of the studied cross-sections. This profile can be used to predict the remaining service life and to plan for the appropriate threshold-based inspections and repair actions. The presented approach is applied to a high speed naval vessel.
Introduction of Professor David G. Roux, Recipient of the 2nd North American Tannin Conference Award

What a delightful place for this second international conference on plant polyphenols, especially at this time of year! And how delightful to see old friends including Dick Hemingway who fortunately for us all ignored my advice years ago ‘to avoid tannin chemistry because it was a jungle out there.’ It is indeed a pleasure to participate in this prestigious 2nd North American Tannin Conference, and I am particularly pleased to present the Conference Award to Professor David Roux. Our audience today includes not only his former students, colleagues, and collaborators from around the world but also his successor at Bloemfontein, Professor Daneel Ferreira. Even those of you here today who have not had personal contact with Professor Roux know of him, for it is hardly possible to do research on polyflavonoid tannins without referring to him.
Understanding the Association Between Frailty and Cardiac Surgical Outcomes.

Background Previous work identified a direct relationship between frailty and adverse outcomes in cardiac surgery, but assessment of the effect across subgroups of patients has largely been ignored. This study identified whether the association of frailty (measured by gait speed) with adverse outcomes differed across subgroups of patients. Methods The study evaluated 53,932 patients who underwent cardiac operations between 2011 and 2016 across 33 Michigan institutions. Five-meter gait speed (in seconds) was divided into groups: faster ( Results Nearly one fourth (22.7%) of patients had at least one gait speed test. Slower (34% of patients) versus faster (28%) patients were older (72.5 years vs 62.6 years), had more comorbidities, and had the primary outcome (16.6% vs 9.5%) (p Conclusions Slower gait speed was associated with increased odds of major morbidity or mortality. This effect was amplified among patients with preexisting comorbidities. Future studies should evaluate the impact of preprocedural interventions on frailty, including those aimed at addressing comorbidities.
New Creation: Pauline Social Experiments for an Ethos of Love and Justice

This chapter explores how Paul’s hope for the new creation is rooted in the everyday practices of the gathering of Corinth. His call for new creation, then, is not an attempted escape from earthly life, but for the transformation of the ethos of autonomy, prestige, and wealth that has led to the degradation of self, city, and creation. In place of the self-made gentleman and independent sage, Paul extols the vulnerable and related body of Christ animated by love. These exercises for new creation provide a positive account for action beyond the politics of resistance. These social experiments engage in the creative work of building new forms of community and ways of life.
Advanced multi-domain method for multiphase flow interaction with Lagrangian structural meshes

Abstract Multiphase flow with particulates has emerged as a topic of fundamental fluid and continuum mechanics interest in many applications including national security applications. For more efficient simulation workflows, the utilization of a separate background multiphase flow mesh and foreground Lagrangian structural meshes is greatly beneficial. We propose a multi-domain coupling method for multiphase Godunov compressible high-speed flow interacting with an ALE structure on a different mesh. Along with cell centered updates in ghost points similar to ghost fluid methods we use additional modifications of the solid states at faces in such a way that resulting solution of the Riemann problem at each face satisfies the boundary interface conditions. Due to variation in targets and potentially dense particulate phases, the embedded grid coupling methodology needs to be stable across a wide range of fluid/structure density ratios as well as both dense and dilute particle regimes. We are developing multiphase extensions of the Banks, et. al. (2011) interface conditions that are appropriate for the wide range of multi-phase flow conditions. Several examples demonstrate applicability of the method for multiphase flow interaction with dynamic deformable Lagrangian structural meshes.
FPGA Implementation of High Accuracy Automatic Epileptic Seizure Detection System

Analysis of Electroencephalogram (EEG) records acquired from the brain is considered the easiest and a powerful tool in diagnosis the neurological disorders that are related to the electrical activities of the brain like epilepsy. In this paper, we propose a novel approach to extract the most relevant features to epilepsy disease and use them to do classification process that yields fast and accurate automatic diagnosis. Hilbert Transform of EEG signals is calculated and mean power frequency is applied to reduce the feature vector dimensions. The classification process between normal and seizure cases is done using Multilayer Perceptron Artificial Neural Network. The classification accuracy achieved using this method is 100 %. FPGA implementation of the proposed system is done for real-time analysis. High accuracy of the proposed system, power efficiency and its light weight make it a good candidate for automatic epileptic seizure detection.
Spatially-periodic microplasmas in complex microchannel networks: wall-plasma interactions and dynamic behavior

Wall-plasma interactions have been observed for spatially-periodic microplasmas generated in 300–700 µm wide channels fabricated in nanoporous alumina. Examination of Ne microplasma discs produced in a standing-wave pattern in Al2O3 channels illustrates the competition between electron production at the sheath-wall interface and loss by recombination in an atmospheric pressure background. Two topologies of the microplasma arrays are observed. For channel widths (d) less than 450 µm, the microplasmas are generally centered in the channel and sustained by electron generation at both plasma sheath/channel wall interfaces, presumably including the release of charge residing in the hexagonal alumina pores. As d is progressively increased from 300 to 450 µm, the microchannel plasma cross-section is gradually transformed from circular to elliptical, and its surface area declines by as much as 50% so as to minimize e − losses to the background gas. Increasing d above ~450 µm abruptly switches the topology to one in which plasmas having a triangular cross-section attach to one of the channel walls in a pattern that alternates along the channel axis. Microfabricating trapezoidal cross-section channels into complex geometries, including the Cornu spiral and intersecting linear arrays, also reveals dynamic behavior in the propagation of microplasmas. For a common spiral structure, observations of plasma expansion show the wavefront propagates over the corrugated surface or within the channel with radial and azimuthal velocities of 3 ± 1 km s−1 and 8 ± 1.5 km s−1, respectively. Plasma formation is initiated in each ring of the spiral through electron seeding by streamers propagating radially outward at velocities approaching 200 km s−1. In addition to electrostatic charge-mediated variations in the mean separation between adjacent microplasmas, the time-dependent interference between two 1D microplasma arrays has been observed during plasma expansion. Reproducible ignition of a microplasma ensemble along ridges micromachined into channels near the intersections of two linear arrays has also been realized. The results reported here demonstrate that microchannels with the walls overcoated with any of a variety of materials provide a promising platform for examining in detail the interaction of low temperature plasma with a surface of arbitrary composition and topography.
Conformal VLC Receivers with Photodetector Arrays: Design, Analysis and Prototype

To enable visible light communication (VLC) for mobile receivers, we design and prototype a wide field-of-view (FOV) optical receiver with off-the-shelf components and in forms that are conformal to the receivers' surface. The VLC system uses high-efficiency optical transmitters with high brightness (7645 Lux in 1 m) low power (36 W) white LED panels which also provide proper lighting. To overcome the detrimental effects of the time-varying inter-symbol interference (ISI) due to the VLC receiver's high acceptance angle and vibration in its structure, we design and utilize an optimal multiple-symbol detection (MSD) algorithm. MSD attains remarkable improvements compared to the symbol-by-symbol detection but with exponential time cost. To decrease the MSD's computing demands, we then design an adaptive Decision Feedback Affine Projection Algorithm (DF-APA). DF-APA attains a notable further improvement with polynomial computation complexity which allows faster response to VLC channel dynamics. We, finally, test the system in presence of intense vibration in the receiver's body and show a 20 Mbps VLC link over 7 m distance.
Team-teaching an interdisciplinary undergraduate bioethics course

The authors, one a trained geneticist and the other a trained ethicist, designed and team-taught a bioethics course where nineteen third- and fourth-year undergraduate students were enrolled at Aquinas College in Grand Rapids, Michigan, during the fall 2016 semester. The syllabus, including democratically-chosen ethical debate topics, peer-led student working groups, and varied assessment methods were novel aspects of the course. The students, being either philosophy or biology majors or minors, successfully completed the course and indicated being highly satisfied with the course at its completion. Although there were limitations to a course such as this one, educators at similar small liberal arts institutions could offer a bioethics course by following our suggestions, including collaborative teaching and assessment and incorporating students’ preferences into the scheduled curriculum.
A 0.5-V 560-kHz 18.8-fJ/Cycle On-Chip Oscillator With 96.1-ppm/°C Steady-State Stability Using a Duty-Cycled Digital Frequency-Locked Loop

On-chip oscillators are popular clocking solutions for a wide range of circuits and systems due to their ease of integration and low form factor, but their energy efficiency is typically limited to the pJ/cycle range by a number of contributors, such as active biasing currents, frequency dividers, and comparators. This work presents an on-chip oscillator for energy-efficient Internet-of-Things (IoT) applications based on a duty-cycled digital frequency-locked loop (DFLL) that reduces energy by disabling energy-hungry components and only periodically reactivating them to keep the output frequency stabilized during temperature drifts. A test chip is implemented in 65-nm CMOS and achieves 18.8 fJ/cycle (10.5 nW at 560 kHz) while maintaining an average steady-state temperature stability of 96.1 ppm/°C from 0 °C to 100 °C.
Explicit Design of Provably Covert Channel Codes

We design an explicit code ensuring provably covert communication over Binary Symmetric Channels (BSCs). This design complements an earlier work that provides a methodology for asymptotic optimal performance but falls short of offering explicit details for operation at finite block length. In particular, we show how to preserve covertness guarantees when facing the unavoidable compromises required by finite block length operation. Compared to the reference scheme without sophisticated coding, our scheme offers orders of magnitude savings in secret key bits. Key ingredients of our design include polar codes for source coding and invertible extractors.
Mathematical modeling of interdependent infrastructure: An object-oriented approach for generalized network-system analysis

Abstract Risk and resilience analysis research has favored simpler models such as topological connectivity and maximum flow algorithm to model infrastructure performance. However, modeling of dependencies and interdependencies requires high-fidelity flow analyses. Developing a rigorous mathematical formulation to model interdependent infrastructure encounters three sets of challenges: (1) Identifying and understanding the different types of interactions within and across the infrastructure, (2) Modeling the time-varying performance of each infrastructure accurately, and (3) Modeling the interdependencies among infrastructure. This paper presents a mathematical formulation that models infrastructure as a set of generalized flow network objects. The proposed formulation then models infrastructure interdependencies using dynamic interfaces among the network objects, enabling infrastructure-specific multi-fidelity analyses. This formulation is the first in the literature that can model bilateral and looped interdependencies. The paper also presents guidelines for selecting boundaries and resolutions and introduces novel aggregated performance measures that address the disparity in the performance of spatially distributed infrastructure. Finally, the paper illustrates the proposed formulation using two examples. First, a simple example conceptually illustrates the formulation’s details. Second, a real-world example models the performance of interdependent infrastructure for Shelby County, Tennessee, in a post-earthquake scenario to illustrate scalability.
Cultural Evolutionary Mismatches in Response to Collective Threat

Across the millennia, human groups have evolved specific cultural and psychological adaptations to cope with collective threats, from terrorism to natural disasters to pathogens. In particular, res...
The Martis Complex Revisited

In 1953 a prehistoric culture was first identified in the western Great Basin and the north-central Sierra Nevada and termed the “Martis Complex.” Since questions have been raised about the charact...
Community Design and Air Quality

Urban air pollution has myriad sources that range from highly localized to regional and national, and even international. Characteristics of the built environment, particularly with regard to roadways and traffic exposure, have critical implications for air pollution exposures of urban dwellers. In high-income countries, air pollution remains a public health threat to urban dwellers. Worldwide, air pollution is an ever greater threat to public health because of increasing population concentrations, rising industrialization, and expanding vehicle fleets. As urban environments continue to grow, their design needs to address exposures to traffic and to industrial pollution. Measures taken to reduce greenhouse gas emissions should have the co-benefit of reducing mobile source emissions. However, climate change may increase regional pollution by increasing the demand for space heating and cooling, requiring more power generation.
Antineutrophil Cytoplasmic Antibodies in Inflammatory Bowel Diseases

Publisher Summary This chapter describes the antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies (ANCA) in inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD). To identify the nature of P-ANCA antigen recognition, P-ANCA sensitivity to DNase treatment was compared among patients with ulcerative colitis and other P-ANCA-expressing diseases (primary sclerosing cholangitis, type 1 autoimmune hepatitis). These experiments showed a loss of antigenic recognition after DNase digestion of neutrophils. The existence of subgroups of pathogenically distinct inflammatory bowel diseases, if confirmed by subclinical (genetic and/or immunologic markers) and clinical markers, might permit tailored therapeutic regimens, targeted at selected points in the pathogenic process. Genetic and subclinical marker studies of ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease will continue to elucidate the ongoing puzzles of disease manifestation and diagnosis. In inflammatory bowel diseases, standard therapy is directed against the final stages of nonspecific inflammation. The treatment does not alter the natural history of relapse and remission of the disease and is based predominantly on anti-inflammatory properties.
Product Marketing and Channel Management in Electronic Commerce

Marketing managers developing strategies to market products on the Internet are faced with important issues. We suggest that the use of Web advertising, virtual store-fronts and virtual communities provides innovative opportunities for marketers to communicate with consumers, understand their preferences and personalize the marketing offers at far lesser costs and far more effectively than through traditional means. The Web can also extend to fulfill the transaction and distribution needs of the consumers through new consumer processes, and thus becomes a new marketing channel. Considering the unique characteristics of the Web and traditional channels, we suggest the use of product and market characteristics in identifying the right channel for the right product. Further, we present a new framework of channel management strategies to help organizations effectively integrate the Web channel into their marketing strategy.
PULMONARY VENOUS (WEDGE) PRESSURE. CORRELATION WITH ONSET AND DISAPPEARANCE OF DYSPNEA IN ACUTE LEFT VENTRICULAR HEART FAILURE.

Abstract 1. 1. Subjects with varying degrees of heart disease and left ventricular enlargement were studied during maximal exercise on a recording ergometer. Signals by the subjects indicating appearance or change of any type of disturbing sensation permitted precise correlation of symptoms with the physiologic variables measured. In every case the major symptom was either dyspnea or fatigue of the legs. 2. 2. In the group of subjects with a sense of fatigue as the end-point, the pulmonary wedge pressure was normal in the control period and rose minimally during the exercise. Arterial gas tensions were normal in the control, fatigue and end-fatigue periods. 3. 3. In the group of subjects experiencing dyspnea, the arterial blood gases were either unchanged or minimally altered. The pulmonary wedge pressures were either within normal limits or only slightly elevated in the control period and rose rapidly and progressively during exercise to the moment of dyspnea. 4. 4. In every patient with a normal or near normal pulmonary wedge pressure in the control period who developed dyspnea during exercise, the pulmonary wedge pressure had risen to at least 25 mm. Hg at the onset of the symptom and fell in the range of 25 to 50 mm. Hg. For the patients with dyspnea as a group, the mean pulmonary wedge pressures in the control period, at the onset of dyspnea and at its disappearance were, respectively, 14, 34 and 21 mm. Hg. 5. 5. The findings strongly suggest that pulmonary vascular engorgement, or some closely correlating physiologic variable, was intimately and causally related to the appearance of dyspnea. 6. 6. These observations emphasize the magnitude of the pulmonary venous and capillary hypertension which must be present whenever dyspnea develops in acute left ventricular failure as seen clinically. Further, these findings serve as a warning that considerable elevation of these pressures may persist even after disappearance of dyspnea.
Planning for El Niño: The Stages of Natural Hazard Mitigation and Preparation∗

This study examines mitigation and preparation activities selected by four county and state governments in anticipation of the 1997–1998 El Nino. It expands the knowledge of how state and local governments plan short-term projects and mitigate with longer-term activities in anticipation of a natural hazard. It also provides a preliminary understanding of divergent responses and plans under similar disaster warnings. It outlines stages that governments follow in determining their natural hazard mitigation and preparedness activities. This model should provide hazard planners, particularly those planning for slower onset hazards, with insights into their own local circumstances, allowing them to choose appropriate strategies.
Negotiating First Graders' Reading Stance: The Relationship Between Their Efferent and Aesthetic Connections and Their Reading Comprehension

Due to changing demographics, our students are coming into schools with diverse life experiences, which do not always reflect the cultural reality of their schools. Given the research on the importance of using literature that is relevant to the students’ background, this study sought to explore how first grade urban students connect to literature that mirrored their personal experiences, but is not always considered appropriate material for classroom read-alouds. It was also of interest to determine how their reading stance, as measured by the type of connections students made, affected their comprehension of the story read. Results indicated that students who assumed an aesthetic stance while listening to the story, and made connections based on direct or vicarious personal experiences, scored higher on the comprehension measures.
Sally's Lechon: An Outpost of Eating in Ethnic America

The food industry plays a major role in the culture, economy, and society of Filipino immigrants. Filipino-Americans see restaurant ownership, catering, and employment as opportunities to succeed in their adopted country. However, the success of Filipino owners like Marlyn is limited and guised; a restaurant's success entails the sacrifices of Filipino women and families. By analyzing the food and restaurant choices of Marlyn's clients, I also argue that foodways reflects the changing lifestyle and demands of Filipinos with busy and fast-paced lives in America. By analyzing foodways as symbolic means of maintaining and changing community identities, I show the process of assimilation and cultural change in an ethnic community.
Synthesis of Clinical-Grade [18F]-Fluoroestradiol as a Surrogate PET Biomarker for the Evaluation of Estrogen Receptor-Targeting Therapeutic Drug

16α-[18F]-fluoroestradiol ([18F]FES), a steroid-based positron emission tomography (PET) tracer, has emerged as a dependable tracer for the evaluation and management of estrogen receptor-positive (ER
HHUIF and MSICF: Novel algorithms for privacy preserving utility mining

Privacy preserving data mining (PPDM) is a popular topic in the research community. How to strike a balance between privacy protection and knowledge discovery in the sharing process is an important issue. This study focuses on privacy preserving utility mining (PPUM) and presents two novel algorithms, HHUIF and MSICF, to achieve the goal of hiding sensitive itemsets so that the adversaries cannot mine them from the modified database. The work also minimizes the impact on the sanitized database of hiding sensitive itemsets. The experimental results show that HHUIF achieves lower miss costs than MSICF on two synthetic datasets. On the other hand, MSICF generally has a lower difference ratio than HHUIF between original and sanitized databases.
The consistency of repeated H2−O2 titration cycles on supported Pt catalysts

H2 and O2 uptakes at 296 K on a Pt/Al2O3 catalyst remained constant during repeated H2−O2 titration cycles conducted in a high vacuum adsorption system. Previously reported variations in these uptakes are attributed to adsorption of contaminants during desorption conditions. Also, it was found that nearly 40% of the H2 adsorbed could be removed by degassing at 296 K for 1 hr.
How We Dapple the World

This essay endorses the conclusion of Sklar’s “Dappled Theories in a Uniform World” that he announces in his abstract, that notwithstanding recent attacks foundational theories are universal in their scope. But Sklar’s rejection of a “pluralist ontology” is questioned. It is concluded that so called “foundational” and “phenomenological” theories are on a much more equal footing as sources of knowledge than Sklar would allow, that “giving an ontology” generally involves dealing in idealizations, and that a transfigured “ficitonalism” provides an (in many respects) better model of scientific knowledge than the model of “foundational truths.”
Gender Differences in Social Service Needs of Transgender People

Abstract Transgender people are socially, economically, and demographically diverse. Previous studies, however, have not addressed the gender differences of transgender people with regard to their social service needs. Analyzing data from needs assessment surveys conducted in Philadelphia and Chicago, this study explored gender differences in social service needs of 184 transgender people. The results show that four of the reported needs for social services (job training, legal services, housing, and welfare benefits) did not differ significantly between Male-to-Female (MTF) and Female-to-Male (FTM) respondents. Gender difference in the need for counseling could be accounted for by education and the city in which surveys were conducted. Significant gender differences were identified in the needs for parenting skills, family planning and child care, however. FTM respondents had significantly higher levels of need for these services than MTF respondents, and the significant gender differences remained even ...
Vehicular network pseudonym distribution in congested urban environments

As vehicular networks (a.k.a. VANETs) continue to mature, the benefits they promise come closer to reality. For this to happen, both security and privacy must be provided. Particularly in dense urban environments, novel methods of distributing the often changing identity (pseudonyms or PNs) of the vehicles is necessary in order to ensure vehicles have sufficient PNs. In this paper, we examine three methods of PN distribution through the use of ns-3 simulation. The specific measurements used are: (1) the average overall background data throughput, (2) average overall PNs distributed, (3) maximum number of PNs distributed, and (4) the distribution of the PNs across an array of vehicles in possession of varied numbers of PNs. We demonstrate that a strategy that intelligently limits to whom you distribute PNs in congested environments improves the overall data throughput and provides more PNs to those in need. This paper presents a method to implement this strategy.
1127 64Cu UPTAKE IN CULTURED, X-CHROMOSOME LINKED COPPER MALABSORPTION (MENKES' DISEASE) CELLS

The number of cells, DNA, RNA, protein and 64Cu uptake per unit fibroblast culture were determined from skin of x-chromosome linked copper malabsorption (X-cLCM) patients and amniocentesis cells of a pregnancy at risk. Appropriate controls were similarly evaluated. The 64Cu uptake per unit RNA was the most discriminating determinant between the control and X-cLCM populations (0.005<p<0.01). The 64Cu uptake per unit protein was the least discriminating determinant (0.02<p<0.05). Intermediate values (0.01<p<0.02) were found for the 64Cu uptakes per unit DNA and per 106 cells. The data do not reveal any significant differences between cultured X-cLCM and control fibroblasts' rate of replication, transcription or translation. These findings suggest that Horn's description of an increased 64Cu uptake per unit protein in X-cLCM cultured cells (Lancet 1:1156-1158, 1976) is not due to an alteration of protein synthesis. This technique may prove useful for antenatal discrimination of X-cLCM fetuses.
SOIL AMINO ACID UTILIZATION AMONG SPECIES OF THE CYPERACEAE: PLANT AND SOIL PROCESSES

Amino acids are released during the decomposition of soil organic matter and have been shown to be utilized as a nitrogen source by some non-mycorrhizal species in the family Cyperaceae (the sedge family). Twelve out of 13 Cyperaceae species examined in the current study were capable of absorbing soil amino acids in the non-mycorrhizal state. With two exceptions (two species in the genus Kobresia), species from subalpine or alpine habitats exhibited lower rates of total nitrogen uptake compared to species from more temperate habitats, which is possibly explained by lower growth rates in the alpine and subalpine species and a lower overall demand for soil nitrogen. The alpine and subalpine species exhibited higher rates of glycine uptake relative to NH 4 1 and NO3 2 uptake, compared to species from the more temperate habitats. This may reflect specialization toward the uptake of organic N in the alpine and subalpine species. In three ecosystems where sedges commonly occur, amino acids were present in the soil pore water, but in highly variable amounts. Seasonal maximum amino acid concentra- tions in alpine soil pore water ranged from 13 to 158 mmol/L in four dry meadow sites. The most common amino acid in these alpine soils was glycine. In a subalpine fen habitat, aspartate was the most commonly observed amino acid, and total amino acid concentrations were 15-20 mmol/L. In a shortgrass steppe habitat, glutamate was the most abundant amino acid, and total amino acid concentrations were 25-45 mmol/L. Soil protease activities correlated positively with soil protein content when all three ecosystems (alpine, subalpine fen, and shortgrass steppe) were considered together. The addition of protein (as casein) significantly increased soil protease activity, indicating that soil protein content contributes to the capacity to generate soil amino acids. Soil protein contents correlated positively with total soil N content when the alpine and shortgrass steppe sites were considered together. The retention of NH4 1 and amino acids on the alpine soil was high compared to soils of lower organic matter content that have been investigated in past studies. We conclude that (1) the potential to take up amino acids in non-mycorrhizal roots of the family Cyperaceae is widespread among species native to a variety of different habitats, (2) amino acids are available for uptake (though most abundant in the alpine), (3) the potential to generate soil amino acids is proportional to soil protein concentration, and (4) soil amino acids can be retained in the soil at high levels, leading to the conclusion that the soil binding affinity of amino acids may constrain uptake by plant roots and microorganisms.
The arterial blood supply to the liver in cirrhosis.

Of 21 patients with cirrhosis of the liver 9 had collateral arterial flow to the liver from the superior mesenteric artery. The degree of collateral arterial flow in cirrhosis was related to the presence of centrifugal portal flow, the degree of bilirubinemia and the presence of a markedly enlarged spleen with increased splenic blood flow.
Conversion to tacrolimus after liver transplantation.

We have reviewed our experience with conversion to tacrolimus after 435 liver transplantations. Tacrolimus was administered as a rescue agent in 33 patients until October 1993. Indications for rescue therapy were: cholestatic forms of severe, steroid-resistant cellular rejection (n=8), OKT3-resistant cellular rejections (n=6), cellular rejections in patients suffering from cyclosporin malabsorption (n=4), late onset cellular rejections (n=4), early chronic rejections (n=3), and chronic vascular or ductopenic rejections (n=8). Response was evident in 29 of the 33 patients (88%), whereas 4 patients (12%) were nonresponsive. Patient and graft survival were 76% and 70%, respecitively. Graft loss with or without patient death occurred in three of eight patients suffering from severe, steroid-resistant cellular rejection, in two of six patients with OKT3-resistant cellular rejections, and in five of eight patients undergoing chronic rejection. In severe steroid-resistant cellular rejection, successful tacrolimus rescue therapy corresponded to a significantly lower total serum bilirubin than unsuccessful therapy (12.0±5.6 mg% vs 29.7±5.9 mg%, P(0.05). We conclude that tacrolimus rescue therapy is a safe and efficient alternative for high-risk cases that do not respond to conservative treatment. In severe, steroid-resistant cellular rejection and in chronic ductopenic rejection, conversion to tacrolimus is beneficial only in a limited number of cases. A predictive parameter, which total serum bilirubin may prove to be in severe, steroid-resistant cellular rejection, is needed to select those cases that might benefit more from retransplantation than from conversion to tacrolimus.
Abnormal fatty acid composition in sarcolemma and sarcoplasmic reticulum from myotonic ADR mouse muscle

The fatty acid composition of membrane lipids from sarcolemma and sarcoplasmic reticulum isolated from biceps and gastrocnemius muscle has been compared in normal (wildtype, +/adrmto or +/+) and affected (adrmto/adrmto) myotonic mice. The adrmto mouse exhibits an arrested development of the righting response, and arose spontaneously from the SWR/J strain. These mice exhibit classical myotonia similar to the human disease, Becker's myotonia [1]. Significant alterations, characterized by a decrease in the saturated fatty acid, palmitic acid (16:0), and the polyunsaturated fatty acid, arachidonic acid (20:4), and an increase in stearic (18:0) and linoleic (18:2) acids, were observed between sarcolemma and sarcoplasmic reticulum from normal and affected mice. These changes in fatty acid composition of muscle membrane from ADR mice may be adequate to cause an alteration in membrane fluidity and affect the function of ion channels. The fatty acid composition of erythrocytes ghosts was also examined, as a potential marker for alterations in muscle membranes. In erythrocyte ghosts isolated from affected mice, the only alteration observed was a decrease in the proportion of oleic acid (18:1), an effect completely different from those observed in muscle membranes. Therefore, erythrocyte ghosts do not serve as an adequate indicator of changes in fatty acid composition of muscle membranes in this model of myotonia.
Proximal Positioning: A Strategy of Practice in Violin Pedagogy

The research problem for this study was the identification and characterization of patterns of expert teaching practice as they occurred in context. The primary participant, renowned violin pedagogue Dorothy DeLay, was observed in the natural setting of her studio, and her teaching practices were documented through field notes, audiotapes, and contextual artifacts. The theory of proximal positioning represents a dominant theme within the educational environment Delay created. This pattern of teaching practice accounts for the adjustments that a pedagogue makes in order to assist students through zones of proximal development. Two categories of teaching strategies support this theory. Preparatory strategies are characterized by teacher actions that reveal the overall goals of instruction and processes for probing student frames of reference. Facilitative strategies are characterized in terms of lesson-goal development, cognitive magnification of performance details (an attention-directing tactic), the use ...