cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Estimating Fluvial Discharges coincident with 21st Century Coastal Storms Modeled with CoSMoS

Erikson, L.H.; O'Neill, A.C., and Barnard, P.L., 2018. Estimating fluvial discharges coincident with 21st century coastal storms modeled with CoSMoS. In: Shim, J.-S.; Chun, I., and Lim, H.S. (eds.), Proceedings from the International Coastal Symposium (ICS) 2018 (Busan, Republic of Korea). Journal of Coastal Research, Special Issue No. 85, pp. 791–795. Coconut Creek (Florida), ISSN 0749-0208.On the open coast, flooding is largely driven by tides, storm surge, waves, and in areas near coastal inlets, the magnitude and co-occurrence of high fluvial discharges. Statistical methods are typically used to estimate the individual probability of coastal storm and fluvial discharge occurrences for use in sophisticated flood hazard models. A challenge arises when considering possible future climate changes and the relation between the intensity of extreme coastal water levels and high fluvial discharges.In this study, the Coastal Storm Modeling System (CoSMoS) is used to dynamically downscale global climate projections to local-scale storm-driven coastal water levels, including associated fluvial discharges. An efficient approach to derive 21st century projected fluvial discharges for rivers within San Francisco Bay was developed, leveraging a readily-available time-series of projected (2010 – 2100) discharge rates of the predominant river system (the “Delta”). Delta projections were used to estimate flow rates of 8 Bay rivers for the IPCC's CMIP5 RCP4.5 climate scenario. Relationships describing discharge rates, normalized by respective watershed areas, were developed and applied to projected data to generate 21st century fluvial discharge time-series for each river. Results indicate decreasing discharge rates throughout the 21st century with the exception of extreme flows.
Systematic Assessment of Theory-Based Research in Hospitality Management: A Prelude to Building Theories:

This exploratory research attempts to identify the potential of building theories within the field of hospitality management. A systematic scan of 9,364 peer-reviewed publications during the years ...
BURDEN AND IMPACT OF ARRHYTHMIAS IN MARIJUANA USERS ACROSS THE UNITED STATES

Case reports have documented arrhythmias from marijuana (cannabis) use. However, the overall prevalence of arrhythmias in marijuana users and their impact on healthcare have not been described previously. The National Inpatient Sample database was queried for the year 2016. Marijuana use and
Multimodal Deep Feature Aggregation for Facial Action Unit Recognition using Visible Images and Physiological Signals

In this paper we present a feature aggregation method to combine the information from the visible light domain and the physiological signals for predicting the 12 facial action units in the MMSE dataset. Although multimodal affect analysis has gained lot of attention, the utility of physiological signals in recognizing facial action units is relatively unexplored. In this paper we investigate if physiological signals such as Electro Dermal Activity (EDA), Respiration Rate and Pulse Rate can be used as metadata for action unit recognition. We exploit the effectiveness of deep learning methods to learn an optimal combined representation that is derived from the individual modalities. We obtained an improved performance on MMSE dataset further validating our claim. To the best of our knowledge this is the first study on facial action unit recognition using physiological signals.
Strategies for volumetric imaging with a fluorescence microscope

Three-dimensional fluorescence imaging has been a longstanding goal for microscopists, made all the more challenging when aiming for a trifecta of resolution, speed, and field of view. The purpose of this review is to summarize some current strategies in volumetric microscopy, both camera- and scanning-based.
Reducing cultural mismatch: Latino students' neuroendocrine and affective stress responses following cultural diversity and inclusion reminder.

Abstract Cultural mismatch theory suggests that a poor fit between the cultural values endorsed by individuals and the institutions to which they belong results in emotional distress and activation of physiological stress processes, particularly for underrepresented groups. To test a novel paradigm for reducing perceptions of this cultural mismatch, the current experiment evaluated whether reminding first-year Latino university students (N = 84; Mage = 18.56; SD = 0.35; 63.1% female; 85.7% Mexican descent; 65.5% first-generation college students) about institutional support for cultural diversity and inclusion would reduce neuroendocrine and affective responses to psychosocial stress. Prior to completing a modified version of the Trier Social Stress Test, participants were randomly assigned to view either a video conveying university commitment to cultural diversity and inclusion (n = 45) or a control video (n = 39) depicting a campus tour. Five saliva samples assayed for cortisol and corresponding negative affect measures were collected to assess stress reactivity and recovery patterns (pre-task baseline, post-task +30 min, +45 min, +60 min, +75 min). Repeated measures data were analyzed using bilinear spline growth models. Viewing the culture video (compared to control) significantly reduced cortisol reactivity to the TSST and post-task negative affect levels, specifically for students endorsing higher Latino cultural values (e.g., familism, respect). Post-task cortisol levels were also reduced for students endorsing higher U.S. mainstream cultural values (e.g., self-reliance, competition). Results provide novel evidence for cultural diversity in stress responsivity and individual variation in approaches to reduce perceived cultural mismatch.
KANSL2 and MBNL3 are regulators of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma invasion

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is one of the most lethal forms of cancer. One major reason for this is that PDAC quickly metastasizes to other organs, thereby making its treatment difficult. The molecular machinery driving PDAC metastasis is still poorly understood. In this study, we applied an unbiased approach using CRISPR screening to identify genes that strongly regulate invasion (based on an in vitro assessment of their metastatic potential) in PANC-1, a PDAC cell line. Through CRISPR screening, we identified MBNL3 and KANSL2 as strong regulators of invasion in PANC-1 cells. We further validated MBNL3 and KANSL2 as regulators of PANC-1 cell invasion by using the doxycycline-inducible shRNA system. We also showed that MBNL3 and KANSL2 do not affect cell proliferation. Through our efforts, we have established a process to identify genes that regulate cell invasion and can be further investigated as potential targets for therapeutic intervention.
Equitable Monetary Relief Under the FTC Act: An Opportunity for a Marginal Improvement

Optimal remedies should be grounded in consumer harm. The caselaw interpreting the FTC's ability to obtain equitable monetary relief, however, has strayed far from this benchmark. Rather than requiring the FTC to show the marginal impact of deception, courts presume that everyone exposed to deception is harmed based on the fiction that the FTC has proven materiality. This approach is likely to overstate consumer harm in most circumstances involving a legitimate product, which will reduce the amount of beneficial marketplace information available to consumers. Several cases that challenge the FTC's legal authority to use 13(b) to obtain equitable monetary relief are awaiting certiorari determinations, which have led some to call for Congressional intervention to fix the statutory problem. Regardless of the outcome of this process, we see this turn of events as an opportunity for the FTC to recalibrate its consumer protection remedies to more closely mirror consumer harm. It should do so by focusing on the marginal impact of deception, a task that could be accomplished through Congressional action or on the FTC's own initiative. Regardless of the path, this marginal improvement would be an important one for consumers.
SARS-CoV-2 transmission via speech-generated respiratory droplets.

During a pandemic, identifying modes of transmission is paramount to devise effective and practical mitigation strategies. Mohamed Abbas and Didier Pittet1Abbas M Pittet D Surfing the COVID-19 scientific wave.Lancet Infect Dis. 2020; (published online June 30.)https://doi.org/10.1016/S1473-3099(20)30558-2Summary Full Text Full Text PDF Scopus (0) Google Scholar challenge the conclusions of our reports that normal speaking might be an important mode of transmission for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), involving small particles that remain airborne for minutes.2Anfinrud P Stadnytskyi V Bax CE Bax A Visualizing speech-generated oral fluid droplets with laser light scattering.N Engl J Med. 2020; 382: 2061-2063Crossref PubMed Scopus (50) Google Scholar, 3Stadnytskyi V Bax CE Bax A Anfinrud P The airborne lifetime of small speech droplets and their potential importance in SARS-CoV-2 transmission.Proc Natl Acad Sci USA. 2020; 117: 11875-11877Crossref PubMed Scopus (41) Google Scholar Whereas the opening remarks in Abbas and Pittet's correspondence are irrelevant to our work, we eagerly welcome an intellectual debate on the scientific merits of our research. In their correspondence, they claim that our “findings have no immediate implications”.1Abbas M Pittet D Surfing the COVID-19 scientific wave.Lancet Infect Dis. 2020; (published online June 30.)https://doi.org/10.1016/S1473-3099(20)30558-2Summary Full Text Full Text PDF Scopus (0) Google Scholar Nothing could be further from the truth. While we refer readers to the appendix (pp 1–5) for a detailed response to all issues raised, we here address two of Abbas and Pittet's more pertinent concerns.
TRAP: a predictive framework for the Assessment of Performance in Trail Running

Trail running is an endurance sport in which athletes face severe physical challenges. Due to the growing number of participants, the organization of limited staff, equipment, and medical support in these races now plays a key role. Monitoring runner’s performance is a difficult task that requires knowledge of the terrain and of the runner’s ability. In the past, choices were solely based on the organizers’ experience without reliance on data. However, this approach is neither scalable nor transferable. Instead, we propose a firm statistical methodology to perform this task, both before and during the race. Our proposed framework, Trail Running Assessment of Performance (TRAP), studies (1) the assessment of the runner’s ability to reach the next checkpoint, (2) the prediction of the runner’s expected passage time at the next checkpoint, and (3) corresponding prediction intervals for the passage time. We apply our methodology, using the race history of runners from the International Trail Running Association (ITRA) along with checkpoint and terrain-level information, to the “holy grail” of ultra-trail running, the Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc (UTMB) race, demonstrating the predictive power of our methodology.
Can a barrier zone stop invasion of a population

We consider an integro-difference model to study the effect of a stationary barrier zone on invasion of a population with a strong Allee effect. It is assumed that inside the barrier zone a certain proportion of the population is killed. A Laplace dispersal kernel is used in the model. We provide a formula for the critical width $$L^*$$ of barrier zone. We show that when a barrier zone is set at the front of a population, if the width of barrier zone is bigger than $$L^*$$ then the barrier zone can stop the population invasion, and if the width of barrier zone is less than $$L^*$$ then the population crosses the barrier zone and eventually occupies the entire space. The results are proven by establishing the existence and attractivity of three types of equilibrium solutions. The mathematical proofs involve phase plane analysis and comparison.
Getting Ahead By Spending More? Local Community Response to State Merit Aid Programs

In more than half of U.S. states over the past two decades, the implementation of merit aid programs has dramatically reduced net tuition expenses for college-bound students who attend in-state colleges. Although the intention of these programs was to improve access to enrollment for high-achieving students, it is possible that they had unanticipated effects. We analyze whether state funding for higher education and K-12 education changed as a result of program implementation, and whether local school districts attempt to counter any such changes. We employ two methodologies to study whether this has been the case: a difference-in-differences model and a synthetic control estimation strategy. We find robust evidence that implementation of state merit aid programs led to an economically (and statistically) significant decline in state funding for K-12 education, which was mostly offset through increases in local revenues by school districts. These results have important implications for understanding how merit aid policies could have unintended consequences for the students they aim to support.
Medial Meniscal Allograft Transplantation

Background:This technique video reviews medial meniscal allograft transplantation (MAT) using a representative case example.Indications:Medial meniscal allograft transplantation is indicated in sym...
The Contingency of Coalition Making in the Pre-Electoral Arena: Strategic Entry Under Political Constraints

Why do some parties coordinate and form pre-electoral coalitions (PECs) while others compete independently and form post-electoral government coalitions? While the literature on coalition theory has provided various explanations for government coalitions, PECs have to date been understudied. PECs are important determinants of electoral outcomes and the formation of government coalitions. Parties weigh both the costs and benefits of PECs and enter into PECs when doing so maximizes their expected utility. Specifically, parties must consider the conditions and constraints structuring the pre-electoral arena to determine whether PECs maximizes their utility. Using probit regression analysis, this paper tests the effects of institutions and party preferences and finds that electoral system type, incumbency advantages, party size, and ideology are important determinants of PEC formation.
Left atrial strain quantification by intraoperative transesophageal echocardiography: Validation with transthoracic echocardiography

Abstract OBJECTIVES Whereas left atrial (LA) strain has been well-validated using transthoracic echocardiography (TTE), its feasibility using transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) has not been studied. Conventional transesophageal views are known to be limited due to the posterior location of the LA. Here, we test the feasibility and accuracy of the deep transgastric long-axis LA focused view for peak atrial longitudinal strain (PALS) quantification. DESIGN This is a retrospective study of patients who underwent elective cardiac surgery between 2018 to 2020. TEE deep transgastric long-axis view was compared to TTE 4-chamber atrial focused view as the reference standard. LA area, volume, and PALS were quantified independently. SETTING Weill Cornell Medicine, a single large academic medical center. PARTICIPANTS The population comprised of 42 patients undergoing cardiac surgery who had a TTE and TEE within 14.9 ± 20.8 days. INTERVENTIONS TTE, TEE, cardiac surgery. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS TEE-derived PALS strongly correlated with TTE derived PALS (r=0.92, p CONCLUSIONS This exploratory study supports the feasibility of TEE for assessing LA longitudinal strain. There is an excellent correlation between atrial strain derived via TEE vs. TTE although values tended to be smaller on TEE, and bias between values were highly variable, suggesting that values were not interchangeable.
Interleukins for B lymphocytes.

The above reviews our developing knowledge on the nature of B cell-specific interleu-kins. It may be anticipated that in the next several years, considerable progress will be made in understanding the physicochemical properties of these factors, their time and nature of action, and the nature of their receptors. Such information should lead to a new physiologically based pharmacology for manipulation of antibody responses in human disease and in response to vaccines.
Violence in Athletics: A Judicial Approach

Frank Gifford recognized, as do the majority of professional athletes, that certain athletic activities are violent and dangerous. Violent physical contact is inherent in both hockey and football. A brief observation of either will reveal "violence and intimidation in excess of that permitted by the rules... becoming integral parts of strategy" and thus truly a part of the games. Although some people object to the presence of any violence in professional sports, most sports fans tolerate, and some even enjoy legitimate aggressive play and the attendant violent physical contact. Conversely, few people would contend that unlimited violence is appropriate in athletic competition. "The mere act of putting on a uniform and entering the sports arena should not serve as a license" to injure, maim, or kill your opponent. The agreement at these polar extremes, however, masks the difficulties that arise when one attempts to demarcate the boundary between legitimate aggressive play and excessive violence. Law suits pertaining to injuries sustained during athletic competition are not a particularly recent phenomenon. A 1915 case, Douglas v. Converse, involved a suit for an injury incurred by a spectator during a polo match. Violence in sports recently has received increased attention in the legal community because of the dramatic increases in sports-related injuries. Currently, over seventeen million Americans sustain athletic injuries requiring medical attention each year. As the number of injuries grows, the number of sports violence cases before the courts also grows, creating an acute need for more refined doctrines. This article will examine the problem of violence in sports generally and, in particular, the defenses used to avoid liability. The author will first consider the assumption of risk doctrine, and conclude that the doctrine is not an appropriate defense to excessive violence during an athletic competition. The author will then consider the consent doctrine as applied to sporting events, and evaluate some of the scope of consent tests that courts and plaintiffs have proposed. Finally, the author will propose a two-stage consent test: First, the test screens out certain egregious acts and creates for them a rebuttable presumption of liability; second, a traditional foreseeability test is then applied with specific guidelines to the remaining acts.
Drug-Induced Dyslipidemia

Hyperlipidemia may be caused or exacerbated by many conditions including pharmacotherapy. A wide variety of medications can cause adverse effects on lipid metabolism leading to dyslipidemia. These include antihypertensives such as thiazide diuretics and nonspecific beta-adrenergic blockers, various steroid hormones including glucocorticoids, estrogens, androgens, and their related compounds, immunosuppressive medications, antineoplastic agents, atypical antipsychotics, HIV-1 protease inhibitors, antiepileptics, and other miscellaneous drugs. The effect of some medications is mild and of little clinical significance, while others can cause severe hyperlipidemia and acute complications such as pancreatitis. This chapter focuses on some of the common medications causing dyslipidemia, the magnitude of their effects, and its mechanisms, and management. Awareness about drug-induced dyslipidemia is essential for providing optimal care to patients with lipid disorders.
Immunoglobulin kappa gene enhancers synergistically activate gene expression but independently determine chromatin structure

Previous studies have located transcriptional enhancer elements within both the intron and 3'-region of the mouse kappa immunoglobulin gene. Here we address the role of these two enhancers in specifying gene activity and specific chromatin structures. MOPC41 kappa gene constructs, either intact or containing deletions of one or both enhancers, were introduced into S194 mouse plasmacytoma cells for transient and stable expression studies. Transient expression assays revealed that the basal level expression exhibited by enhancerless constructs was activated 100-200-fold by the two enhancers together in a synergistic fashion. A similar trend was observed when both enhancers were present in stably integrated constructs, although the synergy was less pronounced. Analysis of DNase I hypersensitive sites in the chromatin revealed that stably integrated constructs established hypersensitive sites about the enhancer sequences. These sites demonstrated the same nuclease susceptibility as those associated with the endogenous gene(s), and their establishment was independent of the presence of the other enhancer. Thus, although both enhancers are required for maximal gene expression, the elements act independently in determining specific chromatin structures.
Quantifying the risk of incompatible kidney transplantation: a multicenter study.

Incompatible live donor kidney transplantation (ILDKT) offers a survival advantage over dialysis to patients with anti-HLA donor-specific antibody (DSA). Program-specific reports (PSRs) fail to account for ILDKT, placing this practice at regulatory risk. We collected DSA data, categorized as positive Luminex, negative flow crossmatch (PLNF) (n = 185), positive flow, negative cytotoxic crossmatch (PFNC) (n = 536) or positive cytotoxic crossmatch (PCC) (n = 304), from 22 centers. We tested associations between DSA, graft loss and mortality after adjusting for PSR model factors, using 9669 compatible patients as a comparison. PLNF patients had similar graft loss; however, PFNC (adjusted hazard ratio [aHR] = 1.64, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.15–2.23, p = 0.007) and PCC (aHR = 5.01, 95% CI: 3.71–6.77, p < 0.001) were associated with increased graft loss in the first year. PLNF patients had similar mortality; however, PFNC (aHR = 2.04; 95% CI: 1.28–3.26; p = 0.003) and PCC (aHR = 4.59; 95% CI: 2.98–7.07; p < 0.001) were associated with increased mortality. We simulated Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services flagging to examine ILDKT's effect on the risk of being flagged. Compared to equal-quality centers performing no ILDKT, centers performing 5%, 10% or 20% PFNC had a 1.19-, 1.33- and 1.73-fold higher odds of being flagged. Centers performing 5%, 10% or 20% PCC had a 2.22-, 4.09- and 10.72-fold higher odds. Failure to account for ILDKT's increased risk places centers providing this life-saving treatment in jeopardy of regulatory intervention.
Regulation of IL-6 Synthesis in Human Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells by C3a and C3adesArg

The anaphylatoxin C3a has been reported to have immunomodulatory effects on a number of different cell types. In this study we investigated the effects of C3a and C3a desArg on gene expression and protein secretion of IL-6 in human PBMCs, either alone or in combination with LPS or IL-1β. C3a or C3a desArg alone exhibited no effect on the expression or secretion of IL-6. However, when PBMC were stimulated with LPS or IL-1β, both C3a and C3a desArg were found to enhance IL-6 release by PBMC in a dose-dependent manner. Since C3a has been shown to induce PGE 2 production by monocytes, and PGE 2 has been shown to influence cytokine production, we investigated the potential role of PGE 2 in C3a-mediated enhancement of LPS- and IL-1β-induced IL-6 production. Indomethacin blocked PGE 2 release, but had no influence on the observed effects of C3a, suggesting that the effects of C3a on IL-6 production are independent of PGE 2 formation by monocytes. Northern blot analysis showed that C3a as well as C3a desArg enhanced LPS-induced mRNA levels for IL-6. Pretreatment of PBMCs with pertussis toxin blocked the functions of C3a and C3a desArg , indicating that the actions of these two molecules are mediated by a G protein-coupled pathway. Furthermore, we investigated the effects of C3a and C3a desArg on induction of NF-κB and activating protein-1 binding. Both molecules enhanced LPS-induced NF-κB and activating protein-1 binding activity. These results demonstrate the capacity of intact C3a and its circulating des-Arg form to exert immunmodulatory effects in vitro.
Tetraquark cusp effects from diquark pair production

We present the first study of the cusp effect (the movement of resonant poles due to the proximity of multiparticle thresholds) caused by the creation of diquark-antidiquark pairs. The cusp profile for such states is obtained from constituent counting rules. We compare the effectiveness of diquark cusps in moving resonant poles with that from a phenomenological form commonly used for meson-pair creation and find that mesons tend to be more effective at lower energies (e.g., the $K\overline{K}$ threshold), while diquarks tend to be more effective at the charm [$X(3872)$] scales and above.
Human parvovirus infection: rheumatic manifestations, angioedema, C1 esterase inhibitor deficiency, ANA positivity, and possible onset of systemic lupus erythematosus.

Objective. To investigate the clinical and serological characteristics of parvovirus infection. Methods. Case series : during 1993-4, 9 adult patients presented with polyarthralgias/polyarthritis. Clinical evaluation and serological studies of antinuclear antibodies, rheumatoid factor (RF), IgM and IgG antibodies to human parvovirus were done in all patients. Other serologies including anti-DNA, serum complement, and C1 esterase inhibitor levels were obtained in some patients. Results. All 9 patients had polyarthralgias/polyarthritis, serological evidence of parvovirus B19 IgM and IgG antibodies, and normal sedimentation rate. All patients were seronegative for RF. Four women had positive ANA titers. In 2 of them the ANA positivity was transient. One developed systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Three women had angioedema of the face and tongue ; one had transient C1 esterase inhibitor deficiency and another a transient decrease in C4 levels. Conclusion. Parvovirus may be implicated in the development of SLE as well as other chronic arthropathies. This is the first reported case of angioedema and decreased C1 esterase inhibitor levels associated with parvovirus infection.
Fishing Out a New Heart

Approaches to repairing damaged heart tissue have focused on the promise of multipotential stem cells. However, repairing damaged tissue through regeneration--a strategy adopted by animals such as the newt--may also prove beneficial. In their Perspective, Scott and Stainier discuss new work (Poss et al .) that reveals the regenerative capacity of the injured zebrafish heart.
Assessing the differentiation state of cultured bovine urothelial cells: elevated synthesis of stratification-related K5 and K6 keratins and persistent expression of uroplakin I.

Although significant progress has recently been made in culturing mammalian urothelial cells, relatively little is known about their biochemical differentiation. In this paper, we assessed the differentiation state of cultured bovine urothelial cells by analyzing their keratins and a cell surface marker, uroplakin I. Urothelial cells were serially cultured either in a serum-free medium, or in a serum-containing medium in the presence of 3T3 feeder cells, with similar results. Despite their stratified appearance, both normal urothelium and cultured urothelial cells synthesize mainly K8, K18 and K19, keratins that are typically seen in simple epithelia. However, cultured urothelial cells synthesize a greatly increased amount of K5 and K6 keratins, which are usually expressed by stratified epithelia but present only in trace amounts in normal urothelium. These data indicate that, as far as keratin synthesis is concerned, cultured urothelial cells undergo an altered pattern of differentiation towards a more ‘stratified phenotype’; this unusual finding has interesting implications for urothelial evolution. In the meantime, many superficial cells in cultured urothelial colonies make uroplakin I, a 27 × 10(3) Mr protein subunit of the asymmetrical unit membrane (AUM) characteristic of urothelial (superficial) umbrella cells. These results indicate that cultured urothelial cells undergo, at least in part, AUM biogenesis. Cultured urothelial cells thus provide a useful experimental model system for studying certain early steps of AUM formation.
Modern Business Administration Introductory Readings

The article reviews the book “Modern Business Administration,” by Richard I. Hartman, Terrance P. Hogan, and John T. Wholihan.
Association Between Anemia, Bleeding, and Transfusion with Long-term Mortality Following Noncardiac Surgery

Abstract Background Preoperative anemia is a well-established risk factor for short-term mortality in patients undergoing noncardiac surgery, but appropriate thresholds for transfusion remain uncertain. The objective of this study was to determine long-term outcomes associated with anemia, hemorrhage, and red blood cell transfusion in patients undergoing noncardiac surgery. Methods We performed a long-term follow-up study of consecutive subjects undergoing hip, knee, and spine surgery between November 1, 2008 and December 31, 2009. Clinical data were obtained from administrative and laboratory databases, and retrospective record review. Preoperative anemia was defined as baseline hemoglobin Results There were 3050 subjects who underwent orthopedic surgery. Preoperative anemia was present in 17.6% (537) of subjects, hemorrhage occurred in 33 (1%), and 766 (25%) received at least one red blood cell transfusion. Over 9015 patient-years of follow-up, 111 deaths occurred. Anemia (hazard ratio [HR] 3.91; confidence interval [CI], 2.49-6.15) and hemorrhage (HR 5.28; 95% CI, 2.20-12.67) were independently associated with long-term mortality after multivariable adjustment. Red blood cell transfusion during the surgical hospitalization was associated with long-term mortality (HR 3.96; 95% CI, 2.47-6.34), which was attenuated by severity of anemia (no anemia [HR 4.39], mild anemia [HR 2.27], and moderate/severe anemia [HR 0.81]; P for trend .0015). Conclusions Preoperative anemia, perioperative bleeding, and red blood cell transfusion are associated with increased mortality at long-term follow-up after noncardiac surgery. Strategies to minimize anemia and bleeding should be considered for all patients, and restrictive transfusion strategies may be advisable. Further investigation into mechanisms of these adverse events is warranted.
Inverted geometry TOF spectrometer at the ZING-P pulsed neutron source prototype

Abstract A neutron inelastic scattering spectrometer has been constructed and operated at the spallation pulsed neutron source prototype (ZING-P) at Argonne National Laboratory. The spectrometer operates in the inverted geometry mode with a pulsed polychromatic incident beam and a focused crystal analyzer in the scattered beam. High efficiency is achieved by the large angular acceptance of the analyzer unit. The instrument is useful for the measurement of spectra in the range 0–200 meV in cases where the value of the momentum transfer is not crucial.
The factor age and the recovery of severely burned children

Abstract Purpose It is not known if the recovery of pediatric burn patients is age-dependent. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of age on the recovery of body composition of severely burned children. Procedures Pediatric patients with massive burns, ≥40% of total body surface area, were followed over 2 years. Patients were divided into two age groups: 0–3.9 years old and 4–17.9 years old at the time of burn. Body composition was determined at hospital discharge, 6, 9, 12, 18, and 24 months after burn using dual-X-ray absorptiometry. Data analysis was performed using a two way ANOVA followed by Tukey's correction when appropriate. Significance was accepted at p Findings Twenty-four patients were enrolled (age 0–3.9: n = 9; age 4–17.9: n = 15). Percent changes in height and bone mineral content were significantly increased in the younger age group, p p Conclusion Patterns of recovery in pediatric burn patients are determined by age. This observation should be considered in the development of therapeutic approaches.
Benefits of a comprehensive undergraduate teaching assistant program

The Undergraduate Teaching Assistant (UTA) Program at the University of Arizona exposes students to many different aspects of teaching an undergraduate mathematics course. The program's breadth generates various qualitative and quantitative benefits. Some of these benefits are that the UTAs improve their mathematics and communications skills, instructors have additional support both inside and outside the classroom, and mathematics students in classes with UTAs enjoy their mathematics classes more than students in similar classes without UTAs.
Prostate Cancer After Heart Transplantation

ABSTRACTProstate cancer has an unpredictable natural history if left untreated, particularly if the neoplasm is discovered when it is apparently organ confined. To our knowledge we report the first case of organ confined adenocarcinoma of the prostate in a cardiac transplant recipient. The therapeutic decision is complicated by the uncertainty of the impact of continued immunosuppression on tumor growth. Although the effect of immunosuppression on the growth of prostate cancer is unknown, our patient was treated within the accepted guidelines for similarly affected nonimmunosuppressed individuals. Improvements in long-term survival rates of patients undergoing cardiac transplantation warranted radical surgical ablation as treatment for this man with clinically organ confined prostate cancer.
Personality characteristics of patients treated in a veterans administration hospital for fractures of the maxilla and mandible.

Abstract The case histories of 247 patients admitted to the Veterans Administration Hospital in Houston, Texas, for treatment of fractures of the mandible and/or maxilla were studied. Information regarding the cause of the fractures and personality characteristics of the patients was obtained. This material was tabulated to reveal the personality types of these patients.
Energy transfer from photosystem II to photosystem I in Porphyridium cruentum.

Abstract Rates of photooxidation of P -700 by green (560 nm) or blue (438 nm) light were measured in whole cells of Porphyridium cruentum which had been frozen to −196 °C under conditions in which the Photosystem II reaction centers were either all open (dark adapted cells) or all closed (preilluminated cells). The rate of photooxidation of P -700 at −196 °C by green actinic light was approx. 80% faster in the preilluminated cells than in the dark-adapted cells. With blue actinic light, the rates of P -700 photooxidation in the dark-adapted and preilluminated cells were not significantly different. These results are in excellent agreement with predictions based on our previous estimates of energy distribution in the photosynthetic apparatus of Porphyridium cruentum including the yield of energy transfer from Photosystem II to Photosystem I determined from low temperature fluorescence measurements.
Practitioner and Employer Assessment of ABET Outcome Criteria

The Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET) has revised the accreditation criteria that are designed to assure that graduates of accredited programs are prepared to enter the practice of engineering and satisfy industrial requirements. The general criteria also specify that engineering programs must demonstrate that their graduates possess or satisfy eleven (11) educational outcomes generally known as “a” through “k.” This investigation suggests that graduating seniors in civil engineering believe their educational experience has given them a strong background in two of the outcomes required by ABET. These include: (1) an ability to apply knowledge of mathematics, science, and engineering; and (2) an ability to identify, formulate, and solve engineering problems. In contrast, three outcomes received slightly lower ratings from alumni practitioners and employers. These include, a knowledge of contemporary issues; the broad education necessary to understand the impact of engineering soluti...
Urea fertilization effects on nutrient uptake and growth of Platanus occidentalis during plantation establishment

The benefit of fertilizer application during establishment of a tree plantation depends on effective nutrient uptake and the utilization of the nutrients in growth. Five urea treatments (0, 50, 75, 150, and 450 kg N/ha) were applied in a completely randomized plot design to a field planted with American sycamore (Platanus occidentalis L.) seedlings to evaluate growth responses and nitrogen use efficiency during the first season of plantation establishment. The site was in the Oak Ridge Reservation in eastern Tennessee on a highly weathered soil. Harvests were conducted on 3 occasions during a 22 week experimental period, and dry weights of stems, leaves, and large and small roots were measured. Chemical analyses were conducted on plant tissues from the 0, 75, and 450 kg N/ha treatments. Plant dry weight increased with urea application and growth analysis showed that this was mainly associated with increase in leaf area and to a minor extent with increase in net assimilation rate. Root weight increased significantly with urea application. The specific absorption rate of roots for several nutrients was greater at higher urea levels for the first 2 harvest periods, but this pattern reversed during the 3rd growth period. Surprisingly, manganese uptake and the specific absorption rate for manganese were enhanced with higher urea application. The acidifying effect of urea nitrification is a likely explanation for the increased Mn availability, and nitrate leaching and/or nitrogen immobilization contributed to low uptake of urea-N by the seedlings. The proportion of the applied nitrogen incorporated into the seedlings was 1.5 and 0.6% for the 75 and 450 kg N/ha urea treatments, respectively. Broadcast fertilizer application is not an effective way of supplying nutrients to seedlings during plantation establishment.
The keystone combination: team teaching in a sabermetrics course

ABSTRACT The Society for American Baseball Research (SABR), formed in 1971, has given rise to the term “Sabermetrics”, which noted practitioner Bill James has defined as “the search for objective knowledge about baseball.” Mathematics, by its very nature, is objective, but baseball opinion is often based on a subjective interpretation of events. Thus, a one-credit course in Sabermetrics team-taught by two professors allows for a broader range of opinion to be introduced in class. Students also benefit from the two different teaching styles offered
A group of glutamatergic interneurons expressing high levels of both neurokinin-1 receptors and somatostatin identifies the region of the pre-Bötzinger complex.

The pre-Botzinger complex (pre-BotC) is a physiologically defined group of ventrolateral medullary neurons that plays a central role in respiratory rhythm generation. These cells are located in a portion of the rostral ventrolateral medulla (RVLM) that is difficult to identify precisely for lack of a specific marker. We sought to determine whether somatostatin (SST) might be a marker for this region. The rat pre-BotC area was defined as a 500-μm-long segment of ventrolateral medulla coextensive with the ventral respiratory group. This region was identified by juxtacellular labeling of neurons with respiratory-related activity and by its location rostral to the phrenic premotor neurons. It contained most of the SST-ir neuronal somata of the RVLM. These cells were small (107 μm2) and expressed high levels of preprosomatostatin mRNA. They were strongly neurokinin 1 receptor (NK1R)-ir and were selectively destroyed by saporin conjugated with an NK1R agonist (SSP-SAP). Most SST-ir neurons (>90%) contained vesicular glutamate transporter 2 (VGLUT2) mRNA, and terminals immunoreactive for SST and VGLUT2 protein were found in their midst. Few SST-ir neurons contained GAD-67 mRNA (<1%) or preproenkephalin mRNA (6%). Retrograde labeling experiments demonstrated that over 75% of the SST-ir neurons project to the contralateral pre-BotC area, but none projects to the spinal cord. In conclusion, the RVLM contains many neurons that express preprosomatostatin mRNA. A subgroup of these cells contains high levels of SST and NK1R immunoreactivity in their somata. These glutamatergic interneurons identify a narrow region of the RVLM that appears to be coextensive with the pre-BotC of adult rats. J. Comp. Neurol. 455:499–512, 2003. © 2002 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
On the theorem of Feit-Higman

Abstract We let correspond to any finite incidence structure S a certain semisimple algebra of endomorphisms of the vector space spanned by the flags of S. In case the structure is a generalized polygon we compute the irreducible representations of the algebra and deduce the theorem of Feit-Higman.
Accelerating spatially varying Gaussian filters

High-dimensional Gaussian filters, most notably the bilateral filter, are important tools for many computer graphics and vision tasks. In recent years, a number of techniques for accelerating their evaluation have been developed by exploiting the separability of these Gaussians. However, these techniques do not apply to the more general class of spatially varying Gaussian filters, as they cannot be expressed as convolutions. These filters are useful because the underlying data---e.g. images, range data, meshes or light fields---often exhibit strong local anisotropy and scale. We propose an acceleration method for approximating spatially varying Gaussian filters using a set of spatially invariant Gaussian filters each of which is applied to a segment of some non-disjoint partitioning of the dataset. We then demonstrate that the resulting ability to locally tilt, rotate or scale the kernel improves filtering performance in various applications over traditional spatially invariant Gaussian filters, without incurring a significant penalty in computational expense.
Calorimetric studies of composite superconductors based on Nb 3 Sn

Heat capacity measurements between 4 and 24 K have been made on Nb 3 Sn composite superconductors. The results are shown to be useful in determining the degree and uniformity of the compound formation through solid state reactions. Considering its simplicity and sensitivity, low temperature calorimetry should be considered as one of the practical techniques for materials characterization and manufacturing processes evaluation.
Keeping Data Private while Computing in the Cloud

The cloud offers unprecedented access to computation. However, ensuring the privacy of that computation remains a significant challenge. In this paper, we address the problem of distributing computation onto the cloud in a way that preserves the privacy of the computation's data even from the cloud nodes themselves. The approach, called sTile, separates the computation into small subcomputations and distributes them in a way that makes it prohibitively hard to reconstruct the data. We evaluate sTile theoretically and empirically: First, we formally prove that sTile systems preserve privacy. Second, we deploy a prototype implementation on three different networks, including the globally-distributed PlanetLab testbed, to show that sTile is robust to network delay and efficient enough to significantly outperform existing privacy-preserving approaches.
Acceleration of Amyloid β-Peptide Aggregation by Physiological Concentrations of Calcium

Alzheimer disease is characterized by the accumulation of aggregated amyloid β-peptide (Aβ) in the brain. The physiological mechanisms and factors that predispose to Aβ aggregation and deposition are not well understood. In this report, we show that calcium can predispose to Aβ aggregation and fibril formation. Calcium increased the aggregation of early forming protofibrillar structures and markedly increased conversion of protofibrils to mature amyloid fibrils. This occurred at levels 20-fold below the calcium concentration in the extracellular space of the brain, the site at which amyloid plaque deposition occurs. In the absence of calcium, protofibrils can remain stable in vitro for several days. Using this approach, we directly compared the neurotoxicity of protofibrils and mature amyloid fibrils and demonstrate that both species are inherently toxic to neurons in culture. Thus, calcium may be an important predisposing factor for Aβ aggregation and toxicity. The high extracellular concentration of calcium in the brain, together with impaired intraneuronal calcium regulation in the aging brain and Alzheimer disease, may play an important role in the onset of amyloid-related pathology.
Cytochrome P-4502E1-Dependent Formation of Trifluoroacetyl Adducts from Halothane by Transduced HepG2 Cells

E-9 cells, a HepG2 cell line that has the alcohol-inducible human cytochrome P-4502E1 (CYP2E1) cloned into its genome, was tested for its ability to produce trifluoroacetyl (TFA) adducts from the metabolism of halothane. The metabolism of halothane results in the production of TFA halide that can readily react with cellular proteins to form TFA adducts, which can be detected by antibodies directed against them. E-9 cells formed TFA adducts when incubated with halothane. The major consistent bands that were detected were of molecular weights of approximately 50, 78, and 100 kDa. The formation of these adducts was dependent on halothane concentration and time of incubation with halothane. MV-5 cells, the control cell line that has the viral vector without the P-450, did not produce any adducts. Inhibitors of CYP2E1 function, such as 4-methylpyrazole, inhibited adduct formation. Furthermore, phorbol esters, which have been shown to increase the CYP2E1 level in this cell line, increased TFA adduct formation. This HepG2 cell line may be of value in studying the metabolism and toxicity of halothane in a human cell culture model.
Condoms and Contexts: Profiles of Sexual Risk and Safety Among Young Heterosexually Active Men

Heterosexual men's sexual safety behavior is important to controlling the U.S. epidemic of sexually transmitted infections (STIs), including human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). While sexual safety is often treated as a single behavior, such as condom use, it can also be conceptualized as resulting from multiple factors. Doing so can help us achieve more nuanced understandings of sexual risk and safety within partner-related contexts. We used latent class analysis with data collected online from 18- to 25-year-old heterosexually active U.S. men (n = 432) to empirically derive a typology of the patterns of sexual safety strategies they employed. Indicators were sexual risk-reduction strategies used in the past year with the most recent female sex partner: condom use, discussing sexual histories, STI testing, agreeing to be monogamous, and discussing birth control. We identified four subgroups: Risk Takers (12%), Condom Reliers (25%), Multistrategists (28%), and Relationship Reliers (35%). Partner-related co...
Reinstatement after counterconditioning

Reinstatement after counterconditioning was examined in three experiments with rats. The rats received CS-shock pairings in Phase 1 and then CS-food pairings in Phase 2. When unsignaled shock was presented after appetitive conditioning, fear performance to the CS replaced food performance. This reinstatement effect depended on initial pairings of the CS and shock in Phase 1. It also depended on shock exposure occurring in the test context. The results parallel previous data obtained after extinction. Counterconditioning and extinction yield several parallel effects (spontaneous recovery, renewal, and now reinstatement) which suggest that Phase 2 does not destroy the learning acquired in Phase 1.