cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Charmed Quark Fragmentation in e + e - Annihilations at 29 GeV

The production of charmed quarks has been studied now for several years. So far, the best measurements of their decays have been done at SPEAR [1]. It has been found there, that the charmed quark fragmentation results predominantly in the D and D* particles. Their branching ratios into various final states have been measured with about 15% accuracy. However, the shape of the charm fragmentation function has not been established in the SPEAR experiments. Due to the large mass of charmed mesons and low c.m. energy the kinematic range accessible there was very small, e.g., the fragmentation of charmed quark into D* was limited to z = ED*/Ebeam ≥ 0.7. Thus the detailed study of the dynamics of the charm fragmentation process were not possible. The determination of the charm fragmentation function is much easier at higher energies, where the kinematic restrictions do not play any significant role.
Adaptive Skills and Academic Achievement in Latino Students

ABSTRACTInterventions developed to improve adaptive skills can improve academic achievement. The authors expanded this line of research by examining the relationship between performance on a state proficiency exam and adaptive skills classifications on the Behavioral Assessment System for Children, Second Edition parent and teacher reports. Participants included 392 Latino students, Grades 2–6 in a large urban school district. Ordinal regression models were used to assess relationships between student academic proficiency level and adaptive skills classifications. Students classified as having higher adaptive skills by teachers were more likely to be classified as proficient or higher in reading and mathematics. These findings further support the relationship between adaptive skills and academic achievement. Implications for future research and practice are discussed.
Voice Outcomes of Adults Diagnosed with Pediatric Vocal Fold Nodules and Impact of Speech Therapy

ObjectiveTo evaluate the voice outcomes of adults diagnosed with vocal fold nodules (VFNs) as children and to assess the impact of speech therapy on long-term voice outcomes.Study DesignProspective...
Gravitational waves in cold dark matter

Calculations show that dark matter affects the propagation of gravitational waves but at a level far below the sensitivity of current detectors.
Impact behavior of negative stiffness honeycomb materials

Negative stiffness honeycombs are architected metamaterials that utilize elastic buckling to absorb mechanical energy. Relative to conventional honeycomb materials, they offer several advantages, including the ability to recover their initial configuration and offer consistently repeatable mechanical energy absorption. In this paper, fully recoverable negative stiffness honeycombs are fabricated from thermoplastic and metallic parent materials. The honeycombs are subjected to quasistatic and impact loading to demonstrate the predictability and repeatability of their energy absorption characteristics across a variety of loading conditions. Results indicate that these honeycombs offer nearly ideal shock isolation by thresholding the acceleration of an isolated mass at a predetermined level and that this thresholding behavior is highly repeatable as long as the magnitude of the mechanical energy imparted to the system does not exceed the energy absorption capacity of the honeycomb.
Modeling of Large Aperture Transducer Focusing in Cylindrical Billets

This paper presents the application of beam transmission modeling to the problem of large aperture transducer focusing in cylindrical billets. This work is to aid in the design and procurement of large aperture bi-cylindrically focused transducers for use in the multi-zone billet inspection system being developed under the FAA Engine Titanium Consortium (ETC) program. Need for this work arises from 1) errors due to diffraction and focusing aberrations which occur when established optical lens formulas are employed in the design of acoustic lenses, 2) focusing errors resulting from billet surface geometric irregularities which are not readily handled by other beam model approaches.
Recent Case - Supreme Court of New Jersey Holds that Preembryo Disposition Agreements are Not Binding When One Party Later Objects - J.B. V. M.B.

This case comment, recently published in the Harvard Law Review, surveys developments in the law of preembryo disposition agreements - agreements between couples who undergo in vitro fertilization (IVF) as to what to do about preembryos frozen for possible future implantation in the event of divorce.The comment reviews a recent Supreme Court of New Jersey decision finding such agreements unenforceable in the event that one party later objects, and compares it to the decisions in the three other jurisdictions to have faced the question. The comment examines contract theory and the so-called problem of changed selves before concluding that the immutable rule trumping freedom of contract imposed by the New Jersey Supreme Court should give way to a penalty default rule of preembryo destruction that the parties can contract around.
Bone marrow transplantation for refractory acute leukemia in 34 patients with identical twins

Thirty-four patients aged 4–67 yr (median 17) with acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL) (18 patients) or acute nonlymphocytic leukemia (ANL) (16 patients) who failed to enter complete remission (CR) or relapsed on conventional chemotherapy were treated with cyclophosphamide (CY), 60 mg/kg/day for 2 days, 1000 rad total body irradiation, and a marrow transplant from a genotypically identical normal twin. Sixteen of the patients received additional chemotherapy within the week before CY. After the transplant, 23 patients received immunotherapy consisting of killed autologous leukemic cells and/or normal twin peripheral blood lymphocytes, 16 as part of a prospectively randomized study. One moribund patient died before engraftment. Nine patients (6 ALL, 3 ANL) continued to have detectable leukemic cells. Twenty-four patients (70%) achieved CR. One of them died of viral hepatitis at 1 mo and another of viral interstitial pneumonitis at 4 mo in CR. Fourteen patients (7 ALL, 7 ANL) relapsed 2–16 mo (median 4) after transplantation. However, 8 patients (24%) (3 ALL, 5 ANL) remain in CR without any maintenance chemotherapy at 29–103 mo (median 80) after the transplant. The end results were not signficantly influenced by the type of leukemia, the immediated pre-CY chemotherapy, or the immunotherapy. The results show that this approach, even when applied to endstage patients with acute leukemia in relapse, causes tolerable morbidity, rare nonleukemic deaths, and frequent remissions, some of which represent cures.
Understanding Anisotropy Computations

Most descriptions of anisotropy make reference to reduced distances and conversion of anisotropic models to isotropic counterparts and equations are presented for a certain class of range-anisotropic models. Many descriptions state that sill anisotropy is modelled using a range-anisotropic structure having a very elongated ellipse. The presentations typically have few or no intervening steps. Students and applied researchers rarely follow these presentations and subsequently regard the programs that compute anisotropic variograms as black-boxes, the contents of which are too complex to try to understand. We provide the geometry necessary to clarify those computations. In so doing, we provide a general way to model any type of anisotropy (range, sill, power, slope, nugget) on an ellipse. We note cases in the literature in which the printed descriptions of anisotropy on an ellipse do not match the stated or coded models. An example is provided in which both range- and sill-anisotropic structures are fitted to the experimental variogram values from an elevation data set using the provided equations and weighted nonlinear regression. The original variogram values are plotted with the fitted surfaces to view the fit and anisotropic structure in many directions at once.
The Council of Europe: Political Unification

As stated in the preceding chapters, the individual has achieved the status of a subject of the law before the two great European regional organizations, in a number of specific instances. In spite of the fact that considerable improvement is still required, it is fair to conclude that the dream of Lauterpacht has partially become a reality within the Council of Europe (and the Court of the EEC) for the reason that the individual can petition — directly and in his own name — to the Commission of Human Rights. Moreover, within the Judicial Branch of the Council the private person and nongovernmental entities have a direct right of action in that the Commission can investigate the complaint, file an opinion; and, if a friendly settlement is not reached, the case can be transfered to the Committee of Ministers or the Court. Although he has yet to acquire locus standi before the European Court of Human Rights, his case may be “presented” to the Tribunal by the Commission of Human Rights. Therefore, an injured individual or nongovernmental entity can be afforded relief by a multinational forum.
A New Sunshine Recorder

A new type of sunshine recorder has been developed; its design is based on the principle of a differential air thermometer. Simultaneous laboratory tests show that the instrument responds more rapi...
An Examination of Adoption of Electronic Supply Chain Initiatives by U.S. Medical Practices

Since the mid 1990s, the U.S. healthcare industry has been marked by ever increasing numbers of capitated plans, decreases in fees for service plans, declines in the staff-model, reductions in provider reimbursements and growing emphasis on reducing the overall costs of delivering care. During this period the healthcare industry has focused its MIS efforts on Year 2000 compliance and then meeting the 2003 deadline for the standardization mandates of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, HIPAA. Now U.S. healthcare providers are being forced to increase the level and quality of service afforded to consumers in addition to increasing their own operating efficiencies to achieve cost reductions. This industry is; however, one that has traditionally been slow to adopt technological innovations, particularly by smaller independent providers, who account for significant portions of the market. This report details an adoption research model that includes firm, market, relationship and technological factors. In an ongoing field study of the U.S. healthcare industry, the model is being empirically tested through a survey of medical practice managers, with data collected from over 200 respondents regarding the adoption of electronic healthcare supply chain applications and services. Discriminant analysis is to be employed to examine the factors that distinguish adopters from non-adopters.
Reactivity with the EpCAM-specific antibodies MOC-31 and Ber-Ep4 in plasma cell neoplasms: a potential diagnostic pitfall in cytology samples.

Objective Epithelial cell adhesion molecule (EpCAM) is a protein expressed on surfaces of healthy epithelia, and is overexpressed in dysplasias and carcinomas. Immunohistochemistry (IHC) utilizing antibodies that react with EpCAM, such as MOC-31 and Ber-EP4, distinguish reactive mesothelial cells from carcinomas in serous effusions. IHC is crucial in effusions with singly dispersed atypical cells, a scenario with a broad differential, including hematopoietic malignancies. Plasma cell neoplasms (PCN) are the second most common hematopoietic malignancy, manifesting as multiple myeloma or plasmacytoma, with 6% of cases developing serous cavity involvement. Most PCNs are readily recognizable; however, variants that deviate from the classic cytomorphology risk erroneous diagnosis. This study demonstrates EpCAM expression in a subset of PCNs, highlighting a potential diagnostic pitfall in serous effusion cytology. Methods A 10-year retrospective search for cytology specimens with a diagnosis of PCN was performed. All cases demonstrating CD138/CD38 and monoclonal immunoglobulin expression, and adequately cellular cell block were included. IHC analysis for MOC-31 and Ber-EP4 was performed using Ventana Benchmark Ultra. Scoring was performed as follows: total IHC score equals the positive proportion (0 = no positive tumor cells; 1 = 4 was considered positive. Results 2 of 28 (7%) PCNs demonstrated positivity for MOC-31 and Ber-Ep4. Conclusion A subset of PCNs in cytology samples show positivity for MOC-31 and Ber-EP4 which could result in misinterpretation as carcinoma.
Countermovement Jump Inter-Limb Asymmetries in Collegiate Basketball Players

The purpose of the present study was to establish the intrasession and intersession reliability of variables obtained from a force plate that was used to quantitate lower extremity inter-limb asymmetry during the bilateral countermovement jump (CMJ). Secondarily, a comparison was performed to determine the influence of the jump protocol CMJ with or without an arm swing (CMJ AS and CMJ NAS, respectively) on inter-limb asymmetries. Twenty-two collegiate basketball players performed three CMJ AS and three CMJ NAS on dual force platforms during two separate testing sessions. A majority of variables met the acceptable criterion of intersession and intrasession relative reliability (ICC > 0.700), while fewer than half met standards established for absolute reliability (CV < 10%). CMJ protocol appeared to influence asymmetries; Concentric Impulse-100 ms, Eccentric Braking Rate of Force Development, Eccentric Deceleration, and Force at Zero velocity were significantly different between jumping conditions (CMJAS versus CMJ NAS; p < 0.05). The present data establish the reliability and smallest worthwhile change of inter-limb asymmetries during the CMJ, while also identifying the influence of CMJ protocol on inter-limb asymmetries, which can be useful to practitioners and clinicians in order to effectively monitor changes associated with performance, injury risk, and return-to-play strategies.
Client Perspectives and Experiences With HIV Patient Navigation in the United States: A Qualitative Meta-Synthesis

Patient navigation is increasingly utilized to link and (re)engage persons with HIV to care. Understanding client experiences with HIV patient navigation can facilitate intervention design and translation of evidence to practice. We conducted a qualitative meta-synthesis of client experiences with HIV patient navigation. Data were analyzed using thematic synthesis. We identified seven relevant studies; all collected data via in-depth interviews with persons with HIV who participated in HIV patient navigation. Four interrelated themes emerged from analysis that pertain to (1) the complexity of the health and social service environment and the holistic approaches taken by the navigator, (2) the profound significance of the client-navigator relationship, (3) client reluctance to end the navigation program, and (4) client self-efficacy and feelings of hope and psychological change as a result of their navigation experience. The unifying theme across all studies was the value and impact of the client-navigator relationship on client experience and quality of life. Programs should consider hiring navigators who possess strong relational skills and are peers of the clients, and clearly delineating the role of the navigator. Research should examine the impact of the client-navigator relationship on client outcomes and further investigate how participating in patient navigation affects client self-efficacy, client resiliency, and the role of posttraumatic growth to achieve improved HIV outcomes. This review underscores the significance of the relationship within intensive, multilevel interventions for individuals and communities marginalized and isolated from health and social service systems.
A programmable chemical switch based on triggerable Michael acceptors.

Developing an engineerable chemical reaction that is triggerable for simultaneous chemical bond formation and cleavage by external cues offers tunability and orthogonality which is highly desired in many biological and materials applications. Here, we present a chemical switch that concurrently captures these features in response to chemically and biologically abundant and important cues, viz., thiols and amines. This thiol/amine-triggerable chemical switch is based on a Triggerable Michael Acceptor (TMAc) which bears good leaving groups at its β-position. The acceptor undergoes a “trigger-to-release” process where thiol/amine addition triggers cascaded release of leaving groups and generates a less activated acceptor. The newly generated TMAc can be further reversed to liberate the original thiol/amine by a second nucleophile trigger through a “trigger-to-reverse” process. Within the small molecular volume of the switch, we have shown five locations that can be engineered to achieve tunable “trigger-to-release” kinetics and tailored reversibility. The potential of the engineerable bonding/debonding capability of the chemical switch is demonstrated by applications in cysteine-selective and reversible protein modification, universal self-immolative linkers, and orthogonally addressable hydrogels.
Using predicted imports of 2019-nCoV cases to determine locations that may not be identifying all imported cases

Cases from the ongoing outbreak of atypical pneumonia caused by the 2019 novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) exported from mainland China can lead to self-sustained outbreaks in other populations. Internationally imported cases are currently being reported in several different locations. Early detection of imported cases is critical for containment of the virus. Based on air travel volume estimates from Wuhan to international destinations and using a generalized linear regression model we identify locations which may potentially have undetected internationally imported cases.
Chapter 116 – Antiphospholipid Antibody Syndrome

The antiphospholipid antibody syndrome is defined as the presence of arterial or venous thrombosis and pregnancy complications in the setting of antiphospholipid antibodies. When arterial thrombosis occurs, it is most commonly in the brain. These autoantibodies appear to cause clinical symptoms by working in concert with phospholipid-binding proteins, which then bind on endothelial and other cells leading to a proinflammatory or hypercoagulable state. Stroke associated with antiphospholipid antibodies occurs most commonly in young people, and in people with systemic lupus erythematosus, and should be considered as a possible cause in these groups. The recommended treatment is warfarin therapy. Ongoing studies are evaluating the effectiveness of direct thrombin inhibitors and immunotherapies. Adjunctive treatments if thrombosis recurs on warfarin include hydroxychloroquine and statins. Search for vitamin D deficiency in patients with antiphospholipid antibody syndrome is important as vitamin D deficiency is both common and has been associated with an increased frequency of thrombotic events.
[Medical scribe in a trauma surgery outpatient clinic; shorter, cheaper consultations and satisfied doctors].

Objective To measure the effects of a medical scribe in an orthopaedic trauma surgery outpatient clinic on consultation time, patient satisfaction, doctor satisfaction and costs. Design Cross-sectional study. Method At a level-1 trauma centre in the Netherlands, all standard outpatient trauma consultations were performed either with or without a medical scribe, for a period of 10 weeks. Length of consultation time was defined as the time from commencement of the consultation until the moment the electronic health record had been completely filled out and checked by the surgeon. Patient satisfaction was assessed using a validated questionnaire (PSQ-NL-18). Doctor satisfaction was assessed through a non-structured interview when the study ended in which doctors voiced their opinion on the cooperation with the medical scribe and the feasibility of employing medical scribes. Staffing costs of consultations were calculated by multiplying the gross salaries of surgeons and scribes (in €/min) and the consultation time (in minutes). Results A total of 151 patients were seen with the scribe, and 304 without the scribe. The mean consultation time was 3.2 minutes shorter in the study group compared with the control group (95% CI: 2.2-4.2). Patient satisfaction did not differ between the groups (mean PSQ-NL-18 total score: 4.4 (SD: 0.5) in the group with scribe and 4.3 (SD: 0.5) in the group without scribe (p = 0.45). The physicians felt they had more patient interaction and found working with the medical scribe satisfying. Mean staffing costs with the medical scribe (€19.35 per consultation, SD 10.4) were significantly lower than without (€21.82 per consultation, SD 11.3; p = 0.03). Annually, a cost reduction of €10,500 could be achieved in this outpatient clinic by the introduction of a medical scribe. Conclusion The use of a medical scribe for the documentation during a consultation in an outpatient clinic with a high patient turnover seems to increase doctor productivity and doctor satisfaction.
Incidence of Cerebral Microemboli in Single-Dose vs. Multidose Cardioplegia in Adult Cardiac Surgery

Cerebral microemboli have been associated with neurocognitive deficits after cardiac operations using cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB). Interventions by the perfusionist and alterations in blood flow account for a large proportion of previously unexplained microemboli. This study compared the incidence of microemboli during cardiac operations using conventional (multidose) and del Nido (single-dose) cardioplegia delivery. Transcranial Doppler ultrasonography was used to detect microemboli in bilateral middle cerebral arteries of 30 adult patients undergoing cardiac operations using CPB and aortic clamping. Multidose conventional blood cardioplegia (CBC) was used in 15 patients and single-dose del Nido cardioplegia (DNC) in 15. Manual count of microemboli during cross-clamp and during administration of cardioplegia was performed. Baseline preoperative characteristics were similar between groups. There were no differences in the ascending aortic atheroma grade (1.4 ± .4 CBC vs. 1.6 ± .7 DNC, p = .44), bypass times (141 ± 36 minutes CBC vs. 151 ± 33 minutes DNC, p = .64), and cross-clamp times (118 ± 32 minutes CBC vs. 119 ± 45 minutes DNC, p = .95). The use of multidose CBC was associated with a seven-fold increase in the number of microemboli per minute of bypass (1.65 ± 1 vs. .24 ± .18 emboli/min DNC, p = .0004). In this prospective pilot study, we found that the use of single-dose cardioplegia strategy led to fewer cerebral microemboli when compared with the traditional multidose approach. Our findings warrant further investigation of various cardioplegia strategies and neurologic outcomes in larger cohorts.
Assessment and discussion of the level of the application of passive/natural systems and daylighting systems by practitioners in the US

This paper assesses the current level of the application of passive/natural and daylighting systems in the US by architects and engineers. Although an extensive list of publications about passive/n...
What is the optimal surveillance strategy for non-dysplastic Barrett's esophagus?

There is conflicting data on the effectiveness of the currently recommended endoscopic surveillance strategy in non-dysplastic Barrett’s esophagus (BE) patients. We reviewed the literature to evaluate the (cost) effectiveness of the current surveillance strategy. We also reviewed critical strategies and new technologies that could improve dysplasia detection. Adherence to the current EGD surveillance guidelines is suboptimal with high rates of missed dysplasia/esophageal adenocarcinoma (EAC). The influence of surveillance on EAC mortality appears modest. Careful cleansing, inspection, and sampling of the BE mucosa using high-resolution white light (electronic) chromoendoscopy are critical. Newer sampling techniques coupled with computer aided diagnosis and emerging imaging technologies have shown promise in improving dysplasia detection. Personalized surveillance with risk stratification based on risk factors for progression may be on the horizon. Current BE surveillance strategy will likely be further refined and optimized by emerging new technologies in tissue sampling, advanced imaging, and risk stratification.
Targeting leukemia-specific mutations

T cells can recognize neoantigens derived from protein products of characteristic genetic fusions and thereby specifically target leukemia cells.
Minibatch Processing for Speed-up and Scalability of Spiking Neural Network Simulation

Spiking neural networks (SNNs) are a promising candidate for biologically-inspired and energy efficient computation. However, their simulation is restrictively time consuming, and creates a bottleneck in developing competitive training methods with potential deployment on neuromorphic hardware platforms, even on simple tasks. To address this issue, we provide an implementation of mini-batch processing applied to clock-based SNN simulation, leading to drastically increased data throughput. To our knowledge, this is the first general-purpose implementation of mini-batch processing in a spiking neural networks simulator, which works with arbitrary neuron and synapse models. We demonstrate nearly constant-time scaling with batch size on a simulation setup (up to GPU memory limits), and showcase the effectiveness of large batch sizes in two SNN application domains, resulting in ≈880X and ≈24X reductions in wall-clock time respectively. Different parameter reduction techniques are shown to produce different learning outcomes in a simulation of networks trained with spike-timing-dependent plasticity. Machine learning practitioners and biological modelers alike may benefit from the drastically reduced simulation time and increased iteration speed this method enables.
Behavioral Intentions to Use Patient Portals to Disclose HIV and Other Sexually Transmitted Infection Testing Histories with Sexual Partners Among U.S. Sexual Minority Men.

Disclosure of HIV and other sexually transmitted infection (HIV/STI) testing history to sexual partners is low among gay, bisexual, and other U.S. sexual minority men (SMM). Patient portals (PP) could increase HIV/STI testing history disclosure. This study estimated the predictive validity of the Enhancing Dyadic Communication (EDC) latent construct for perceived behavioral intentions to use PP for HIV/STI test disclosures. A randomized subset of SMM completed the Patient Portal Sexual Health Instrument as part of the 2018 American Men’s Internet Survey. Multivariable logistic regression models estimated associations between EDC and intentions to use PP for test disclosures. Among a sample of 1,509 SMM aged 15 to 77 years, EDC was associated with intentions to use PP to disclose test history with main partners (aOR 2.17; 95% CI 1.90 to 2.47) and non-main partners (aOR 2.39; 95%CI 2.07 to 2.76). Assessing EDC could be useful in clinical settings for interventions encouraging patients to communicate with partners about testing.
How Moral Expectancy Violations Influence Audiences’ Affective Dispositions Toward Characters:

Affective disposition theory (ADT) explains that the moral judgments of character behavior inform dispositions toward characters. These dispositions bias moral judgments of characters’ subsequent b...
Electronic doping and redox-potential tuning in colloidal semiconductor nanocrystals.

ConspectusElectronic doping is one of the most important experimental capabilities in all of semiconductor research and technology. Through electronic doping, insulating materials can be made conductive, opening doors to the formation of p–n junctions and other workhorses of modern semiconductor electronics. Recent interest in exploiting the unique physical and photophysical properties of colloidal semiconductor nanocrystals for revolutionary new device technologies has stimulated efforts to prepare electronically doped colloidal semiconductor nanocrystals with the same control as available in the corresponding bulk materials. Despite the impact that success in this endeavor would have, the development of general and reliable methods for electronic doping of colloidal semiconductor nanocrystals remains a long-standing challenge.In this Account, we review recent progress in the development and characterization of electronically doped colloidal semiconductor nanocrystals. Several successful methods for intr...
Supreme Court Sluggers: James Iredell

The Supreme Court existed for about a dozen years before John Marshall became Chief Justice in 1801. Until recently, in some instances quite recently, scholars tended to neglect those early years and the judges who served on the Court during them. That is why Supreme Court Sluggers cards of the early Court are good vehicles for saluting – if only partially and imperfectly – some great baseball players who also were neglected until recently (and who suffered treatment worse than neglect in their playing days). Sluggers cards of the original pre-Marshall Court – Chief Justice John Jay and Justices John Rutledge, William Cushing, James Wilson, John Blair, and James Iredell – will be based on negro league stars who were denied (for most of their careers, at least) opportunities to play in the major leagues due to race discrimination. The first Sluggers card of a member of the founding-era Court – the card featured in this little article – portrays Justice Iredell in the batting stance of longtime Homestead Grays first baseman Walter “Buck” Leonard. (The nickname came courtesy of a young sibling who tried to call him “Buddy” but pronounced it “Bucky,” and it stuck for life as “Buck.”) On the statistical side, the Iredell card reflects another similarity between the early Justices and the players on whom their portraits are modeled: the sources of job performance data are fragmentary (as well as being sometimes hard to parse), at least compared to those for modern Justices and major leaguers.
Collective Action at Local and Global Scales: The Next Collaborative Agenda

As we approach the twenty-year anniversary of Keohane and Ostrom’s Local Commons and Global Interdependence, I assess their agenda for collaboration between scholars working in the local and global domains. I use the case of global climate change - a challenge that intrinsically spans local to global collective action - to emphasize what scholars working at the intersection of these two domains have learned over the last two decades and what we might do next. Issues that were ripe twenty years ago - such as studying the effects of numbers of actors and their heterogeneity - have seen substantial progress. New topics for cross-domain research include a more careful look at how collective action affects technological innovation. They also include the study of how fragmented institutions affect collective action; fragmentation has grown as a research topic in both domains yet described with different terms of “polycentrism” and “regime complexes.” This paper is part of a panel at APSA aimed at reviving the Keohane-Ostrom; I suggest that a shift to these new topics is as important as a revival of interest in collaboration in these two domains.
Origin of Glycerol Ethers BIOSYNTHESIS FROM LABELED ACETATE, STEARIC ACID, STEARALDEHYDE, AND STEARYL ALCOHOL

Pieces of the digestive gland of the starfish, Asterias forbesi, were incubated in vitro with various radioactive lipid precursors in order to follow the biosynthesis of the alkyl and alkenyl glycerol ethers. Acetate-1-14C was incorporated readily into alkyl glycerol ethers of both neutral lipid and phospholipid fractions, but very poorly into the alkenyl glycerol ethers. Stearic acid-1-14C and stearaldehyde-1-14C were both incorporated into alkyl glycerol ethers, but the fatty aldehyde was a much better precursor of alkenyl glycerol ethers than was the fatty acid. When stearyl alcohol-1-14C-1,1'-3H was compared with stearaldehyde-1-14C-1-3H, it was found, from isotope ratios and relative specific activities, that the fatty aldehyde served as a better precursor than the fatty alcohol in the biosynthesis of alkenyl ethers; on the other hand, the fatty alcohol was more efficiently incorporated into the alkyl ethers. In each of these cases, sufficient tritium was retained on the primary carbon of the lipid product to preclude the obligatory involvement of fatty acids as intermediates in the biosynthesis of lipid ethers. The evidence presented militates against a direct precursor-product relationship between alkyl and alkenyl lipid ethers.
Chapter 1. Health Disparities in the Hispanic Population

Abstract Closing the gap on health and mental health disparities has been receiving increasing attention, coming at a time of growing diversity in the U.S. population. There have been several reports, from the U.S. government and others, calling for increased focus on disparities and proposing the elimination of these (IOM, 2001, 2003; USDHHS, 2001). Despite all these efforts, health and mental health disparities are quite pronounced in the Hispanic population. There are a myriad of reasons for these inequalities that seem to include an interplay of social, personal, and environmental factors. This manuscript examines health and mental health disparities in the Hispanic population and suggests some future directions to be considered.
Outcomes of β-blocker use in pulmonary arterial hypertension: a propensity-matched analysis

The utility and safety of β-blockers in pulmonary hypertension is controversial. Anecdotal reports suggest that β-blockers may be harmful in these patients. The aim of our study was to evaluate outcomes of β-blocker use in pulmonary hypertension. We reviewed patients from our pulmonary hypertension registry between 2000 and 2011. Patients who continued to use β-blockers were compared to those who never used β-blockers for all-cause mortality, time to clinical worsening events, defined as death, lung transplantation and hospitalisation due to pulmonary hypertension. We also evaluated the effect of β-blockers on 6-min walking distance and New York Heart Association (NYHA) functional class. 133 patients used β-blockers and 375 patients never used β-blockers. Mean±sd age was 57±16 years and the median follow-up period was 78 months. Propensity-matched analysis showed that the adjusted odds ratio (95% CI) for mortality with β-blocker use was 1.13 (0.69–1.82) and for clinical worsening events was 0.96 (0.55–1.68). No significant difference was noted in probability of survival and time to clinical worsening events. Patients on β-blockers walked a shorter distance on follow-up 6 min walk test; follow-up NYHA class was similar between groups. Pulmonary hypertension patients receiving β-blockers had a similar survival and time to clinical worsening events compared to patients not receiving them. Functional outcomes were similar, although β-blocker use was associated with a tendency towards shorter walking distance.
New dual-band band-pass filter design with enhanced dual-band skirt characteristics

A new frequency transformation concept is proposed to overcome the skirt characteristic of dual-band bandpass filters (BPF) caused by the conventional frequency transformation method. The new frequency transformation incorporates an extra frequency parameter to achieve additional rejection function in the high-frequency stop-band. To realize the concept, the dual-band BPF's resonators are modified based on their frequency responses. A new dual-band BPF was also designed with the modified resonators, fabricated and measured, and achieved desired enhanced skirt characteristic.
Molecular screening for bladder cancer: progress and potential

Carcinoma of the urinary bladder is a common malignancy and a major cause of morbidity and mortality in the western world. Current understanding of etiology, disease process, molecular characteristics and management principles make urothelial carcinoma an ideal candidate for screening. The capacity of traditional noninvasive diagnostic procedures such as microhematuria testing and urine cytology to be used as stand-alone screening techniques is limited, however. New qualitative and quantitative molecular screening modalities can detect cellular and subcellular alterations that are often exclusively associated with urothelial carcinoma. Such alterations can be detected in a noninvasive manner, using urine as a marker source, with reasonable sensitivity and specificity. Application of several molecular assays in conjunction with traditional screening methods has had promising results. We propose an evidence-based and risk-based approach to future bladder cancer screening. Such an approach would harness the reasonable sensitivity, ease of use and cost-effectiveness of microhematuria testing, plus the specificity of molecular tests, to target high-risk populations for screening. The ultimate goals are to identify susceptible individuals, detect bladder tumors before they invade using unobtrusive and cost-effective methods, and optimize surveillance strategies for long-term follow-up.
Exercise strain-gauge venous plethysmography: evaluation of a "new" device for assessing lower limb venous incompetence.

Plethysmography can be used to detect and assess venous incompetence in the lower extremities. The authors recently evaluated a new device designed for this purpose that uses strain gauges to determine changes in lower extremity cir cumference occurring with (and immediately after) exercise. The device plots a curve of volume against time for each limb and automatically calculates key values such as the volume of blood expelled from the lower limb veins during exercise and the time required for the veins to refill following exercise. The ap paratus was incorporated into their noninvasive vascular laboratory and used (along with other standard tests) to study patients referred for suspected venous incompetence.They observed the following: (1) A shortened postexercise refilling time ac curately identified limbs with venous incompetence. (2) The clinical severity of venous incompetence was inversely related to the refilling time. (3) Exercise- induced changes in lower extremity volume correlated well with si...
Elaborating Procedural Fairness: Justice Becomes Both Simpler and more Complex

Past research has indicated the importance of disputant voice in determining the fairness of conflict resolution procedures, but some conflicting data have called the role of voice into question. The authors review the role of voice in procedural fairness and conclude that some of those negative results were due to a confounded research design. In three studies, this problem was corrected, and additional data were collected. Contrary to the earlier findings, results show that when other factors are equated, participants prefer the conflict resolution procedures that offer the most voice. The authors further note, however, that factors such as the role of the decision maker are also important in determining fairness.
How hospitals practice cost containment with selective contracting and the Medicare Prospective Payment System.

Presents a methodology for defining markets and setting standards in the context of hospitals and antitrusts.
Image segmentation for automatic particle identification in electron micrographs based on hidden Markov random field models and expectation maximization.

Three-dimensional reconstruction of large macromolecules like viruses at resolutions below 10 A requires a large set of projection images. Several automatic and semi-automatic particle detection algorithms have been developed along the years. Here we present a general technique designed to automatically identify the projection images of particles. The method is based on Markov random field modelling of the projected images and involves a pre-processing of electron micrographs followed by image segmentation and post-processing. The image is modelled as a coupling of two fields--a Markovian and a non-Markovian. The Markovian field represents the segmented image. The micrograph is the non-Markovian field. The image segmentation step involves an estimation of coupling parameters and the maximum a posteriori estimate of the realization of the Markovian field i.e, segmented image. Unlike most current methods, no bootstrapping with an initial selection of particles is required.
Culturally unconscious Intercultural implications of The New York Times representation of the Israel–Palestine conflict in 2009 and 2011

In this article, the author critically examines The New York Times (NYT) representation of the Israel–Palestine conflict in the recent political contexts presented by US President Obama’s Cairo spe...
An electron microscope study of Rauscher leukemia virus

Abstract The effect of various stains on the morphology of Rauscher leukemia virus was examined. The virus appeared as a round, membrane-bound structure when prefixed with glutaraldehyde or formalin and stained with uranyl acetate (UA). Other stains, such as sodium phosphotungstate, sodium silicotungstate, or ammonium molybdate caused disruption of over 80% of the virus particles. They then appeared as smaller, tailed particles or swollen, heavily stained membranous structures. In the prefixed, UA-stained preparations, the particles were accurately measured using the catalase crystal internal marker technique. The intact virus had an average diameter of 1470 A. Also present were smaller particles with an outer diameter of 1090 A, which occurred at a level of 20–30%. The proportion of these smaller structures could be increased to 70% of the total particles by a brief treatment with 0.01% dodecyl sodium sulfate (SDS). This suggests that the outer envelope of the intact virus was selectively removed, thus exposing an internal nucleoid. This is consistent with the observation that isolated viral outer envelopes measured 200 A across. The nucleoids obtained by SDS-treatment banded in cesium chloride (CsCl) at an average density of 1.226 g/ml, compared to the value of 1.18 g/ml for the fully enveloped virion, which also suggests the loss of a lipid envelope. Occasionally, nucleoid particles were fortuitously stained to reveal an internal single or double-stranded whorled substructure. The double-stranded form was 2.5 times more prevalent in virus harvested at 3 hr than at 24 hr. The contour length of both whorled forms was about the same and corresponds to a three-dimensional coil 1.1 – 1.5 μ long. Upon prolonged treatment of virus harvested at 3 hr with 0.01% SDS, the whorled structures could be liberated from the nucleoids. They appeared as strands about 1.18 μ long, and banded in CsCl at an average density of 1.343 g/ml. Their localization in the particle by UA staining, as well as their density suggest that these strands are nucleoprotein in nature. Models based on how the strand is packaged in the nucleoid are suggested to explain how the various internal forms could arise in the virus population.
Insider Trading Prior To Hospitality Acquisition Payment Type Announcements

ABSTRACT This study examines evidence of whether hospitality insiders use personal private information to maximize their private benefits prior to hospitality acquisition payment type announcements. The findings of this study with few exceptions, do not support the hypothesis that hospitality insiders undertake abnormal insider trading using inside information about the true value of the acquiring firm when an acquisition payment type is announced. For hospitality acquiring firms using stock or cash financing to pay for the acquisition, the level of abnormal insider transactions in the four quarters prior to an acquisition payment announcement was not significant. However, for hospitality acquirers using mixed financing (cash and stock), abnormal insider sales were positive and significant in the four quarters prior to the announcement. The lack of significant results for the all cash or stock payment announcements may reflect legal constraint on insider trading, managerial control or compensation issues.
Value of fundamentals of laparoscopic surgery training in a fourth-year medical school advanced surgical skills elective.

Abstract Background Few data are available describing the benefits of initiating fundamentals of laparoscopic surgery (FLS) training during medical school. We hypothesized that an intense 1-month surgical skills elective that included FLS task training for fourth-year medical students (MS4s) would result in performance levels indistinguishable from graduating chief residents (PGY5) who had received clinical skill training and access to self-guided FLS curriculum. Methods From July 2007 through June 2011, 114 MS4s participated in a 1-month advanced surgical skills elective. The curriculum for the elective included cadaver dissections, patient management presentations, and surgical skill training (open surgical skills and basic laparoscopic skills modules performed on FLS trainers and virtual reality laparoscopic simulators). From June 2009 through June 2011, 21 PGY5s graduated who had never received formalized FLS skills training. These residents were tested on FLS by a certified proctor and the results recorded. The performance outcome measure was task completion time. Unpaired Student's t -test was used to compare the performance measures for each group. Results All PGY5s achieved FLS certification on their first attempt and completed enough cases for graduation. The MS4 group showed significantly better performance than the PGY5 group in the peg transfer and circle cut ( P P > 0.05) Conclusions Incorporating FLS training into a 1 month-long medical school surgery elective enabled MS4s to achieve FLS performance similar to, or better than, the performance achieved by PGY5 surgery residents. We support the integration of FLS skills task training as a standard part of the skills training curriculum for medical students.
Effect of oxytocin and prostagland in F2α on body temperature in horse mares

Summary The objective of this study was to determine the effect of oxytocin (OT) and prostaglandin Faa (PGFaa) on body temperature in mares. Four mares were surgically implant- ed with transmitters designed to remotely monitor body temperature. Telemetered data were received by a pair of closed loop antennae placed at right angles in a stall and automatically recorded on a computer. Data were collected every 15 min from 60 min before to 300 min after treatment. During day 6 of three consecutive estrous cycles (day 0 = day of ovulation), mares were treated intramuscularly with: 1) 10 mg of PGFa~, 2) 20 units of OT, and 3) 2 ml of isotonic saline (control). Treatment was given immediate- ly following the 60-min body temperature reading (defined as time 0). There were main effects of treatment and time (P
Mediation of cadmium-induced oxidative damage and glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase expression through glutathione depletion

The effect of cadmium (Cd), a significant environmental contaminant, on the expression of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PDH), has been investigated. G6PDH is the key rate-limiting enzyme in the pentose pathway and the expression of its gene has been shown to be redox-sensitive. We show that incubation of primary rat hepatocytes with Cd induces oxidative stress in a time- and concentration-dependent manner as measured by increases in the cytotoxic parameters, lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) and lipid peroxidation (LPO). Significant increases in LDH leakage and LPO can be measured after 12 and 24 h, respectively, in the presence of 4 microM cadmium chloride. However, prior to significant increases in cytotoxic parameters, and within only 6 h of Cd treatment, significant decreases in reduced glutathione and increases in the expression of G6PDH as measured by mRNA levels and enzyme activity are observed. The signal protein MAP kinase (MAPK) is also induced by Cd within 6 h. Blocking the Cd induction of MAPK using the antioxidant N-acetyl cysteine (10 mM) or Trolox (0.5 mM) or the MEK specific inhibitor PD098059 (20 microM) also blocks the Cd induction of G6PDH suggesting that MAPK is a signal protein involved in the redox regulation of this gene.