cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Transnational migration and learning processes of Mexican adults constructing lives in California

Abstract This study of Mexican adults constructing lives in California examines how a transnational social context of living relates to adults' nonformal and informal learning experiences. Social network dynamics and cultural orientation relative to the United States and Mexico create a context in which the need for and meaning of learning experiences are defined. At the same time, learning experiences influence the configuration of social networks and the ways in which individuals go about becoming incorporated into their community of residence, in turn, shaping the character of the transnational context of life. Educational planning that is based on a deeper understanding of transnationalism, social network dynamics, and the interplay between nonformal and informal learning, may be more successful in reaching this population with meaningful programs.
A note on the multivariate local time intensity of exchangeable interval partitions

Abstract Consider an exchangeable interval partition Ξ of [0,1] with associated local time ξ. We give a precise description of the set where the intensity measure Eξ n , n⩾2 , admits a continuous density. We also examine to what extent that set exhausts the continuity points of the density.
Acute aortic syndrome

The term acute aortic syndrome refers to a heterogeneous group of conditions that cause a common set of signs and symptoms, the foremost of which is aortic pain. Various pathologic entities may give rise to this syndrome, but the topic has come to focus on penetrating aortic ulcer and intramural hematoma and their relation to aortic dissection. Penetrating aortic ulcer is a focal atherosclerotic plaque that corrodes a variable depth through the intima into the media. Intramural hematoma is a blood collection within the aortic wall not freely communicating with the aortic lumen, with restricted flow. It may represent a subcategory of aortic dissection that manifests different behavior by virtue of limited flow in the false lumen. This article reviews the current literature regarding acute aortic syndrome, focusing on management options.
Homogeneity and packing structure of a 2D sheared granular system

This work focuses on the homogeneity and packing structure in a 2D granular system subjected to a novel bottom-assisted shear. While traditional boundary-driven shear experiments always induce inhomogeneities in the form of localized shear bands, our novel shear apparatus successfully prevents the formation of shear bands by incorporating a controlled deformable base and creatively utilizing the particle-base friction. We studied homogeneity of this sheared granular system using both non-affine particle displacements and the coarse-grained density field. Both methods present signatures of a homogeneous system, even under large amounts of shear. By applying Voronoi tesselation to the packing, we also determined local densities on the particle scale. The statistics of this Voronoi density are then studied, and under a simple scaling, a collapse of the local density distribution is found for different shear strains and different densities.
Protein phosphorylation in primary astrocyte cultures treated with and without dibutyryl cyclic AMP

Protein phosphorylation was investigated in primary rat astrocyte cultures treated with and without dibutyryl cyclic AMP. Astrocytes maintained in dibutyryl cyclic AMP for several weeks displayed increased phosphate incorporation in 5 protein bands (55, 52, 45, 43 and 28 kDa) while incorporation in one band (42 kDa) was decreased. Phosphate incorporation in several other protein bands was unchanged. Calcium-dependent phosphate incorporation was also altered by prior exposure of the cells to dibutyryl cyclic AMP: addition of calcium to broken cell preparations resulted in increased incorporation in 75, 53 and 52 kDa while decreased incorporation occurred in 100 kDa. These differences in protein phosphorylation may be related to the previously reported biochemical and morphological changes brought about by dibutyryl cyclic AMP and may provide insights into the mechanisms of reactive gliosis.
Plasma adiponectin response to acute exercise in healthy subjects

Adipose tissue secretes adiponectin, an adipocytokine that is involved in the regulation of insulin sensitivity. Following acute exercise, insulin sensitivity has been shown to increase. Increased adiponectin following exercise may be related to the change in insulin sensitivity. The purpose of the present study was to characterize the effect of a single cycle exercise session on adiponectin and to compare the exercise effects between healthy male and female subjects. Plasma concentrations of adiponectin, tissue necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), insulin, glucose, and leptin were assessed before and immediately after a 60-minute stationary cycle ergometry session at 65% of VO2max. Male and female subjects were matched for cardiorespiratory fitness and body composition and dietary intake was controlled for the three days prior to the exercise trial. At rest, adiponectin concentration was not associated with percentage body fat, body mass index (BMI), fitness, or resting plasma variables (P>0.05). Following exercise, neither male nor female subjects exhibited changes in adiponectin or leptin concentrations (P>0.05). TNF-α exhibited a time main effect increase with exercise (P<0.05), but there were no gender differences. These results suggest that plasma adiponectin concentrations do not change with exercise in healthy male or female subjects. Results are given as mean (SE).
Production lot sizing with work-in-process considerations in response to periodic demand

Abstract This paper develops two separate models for simultaneous determination of a product's manufacturing batch size and the order quantities of the input items that are used in the production process, in response to periodic, fixed purchase orders from a single customer. The effects of work-in-process inventories, resulting from a finite rate of production, on the producer's cost function is explicitly taken into consideration in the model development process. The first of these models assumes that all input items are procured lot-for-lot, based on the production schedule of the output item. This assumption is relaxed in the second model, where multiple procurement lots for any input during a production cycle are allowed. While an optimization procedure is outlined for solving the first model, for the more generalized case, an iterative, heuristic solution algorithm is proposed due to the associated computational burden, particularly for a large number of input items. These concepts are illustrated through a numerical example.
Improving the bond strength between steel rebar and concrete by oxidation treatments of the rebar

Abstract Oxidation treatments of steel rebar by water immersion (2–5 days) and ozone exposure increased the bond strength between steel rebar and concrete by 14% and 22% respectively. The treatments slightly increased the electrical contact resistivity between rebar and concrete. Increase of the water immersion time to 7 or 10 days caused the bond strength to decrease to values still above that of the case without water treatment. The contact resistivity increased monotonically with the water immersion time.
Host conifer reaction to stem invasion1

Knowledge of host-insect interactions is essential for understanding host-tree mortality patterns over large areas. The response of a conifer to stem invasion is a dynamic process that consists of three components: 1. wound cleansing by the resin canal system, 2. containment of the infection by the hypersensitive response, and 3. wound healing by the formation of wound periderm. Xylem tissue is frequently rendered non-conductive by the build-up of terpenes and other compounds frequently associated with normal heartwood. In order for a tree to successfully resist or tolerate an attack, the entire response process must be completed with minimum interference from the invading organisms. Depending upon the triggering agent, particular components of the response system may be of primary importance in a successful host defense. Zusammenfassung Abwehrreaktion von Nadelbaumen auf Befall durch rindenbrutende Insekten Die genaue Kenntnis der Wechselwirkungen zwischen Insekten und ihren Wirten ist unerlaslich fur das Verstandnis des grosflachigen Verteilungsmusters der nach Befall abgestorbenen Baume. Die Reaktion von Nadelbaumen auf Stammbefall ist ein dynamischer Vorgang, der aus drei Komponenten besteht: 1. Wundreinigung durch das Harzkanalsystem, 2. Begrenzung der Infektion durch Wundharzbildung, und 3. Wundheilung durch die Bildung von Wundperiderm. Die Leitbahnen des Holzes werden oft durch Anreicherung von Terpenen und anderen Substanzen verschlossen, die auch in normalem Kernholz vorkommen. Damit ein Wirtsbaum den Befall erfolgreich abwehren oder zumindest tolerieren kann, mus die gesamte Abwehrreaktion moglichst ohne storende Einwirkung durch den eindringenden Schadling erfolgen. Je nachdem, um welchen Schadorganismus es sich handelt, konnen bestimmte Komponenten des Abwehrsystems von besonderer Bedeutung fur eine erfolgreiche Schadlingsabwehr sein.
An evaluation of a fluoride-releasing, visible light-activated bonding system for orthodontic bracket placement

In spite of improved preventive measures, decalcification around bonded orthodontic appliances continues to be a problem for the clinician. Various fluoride-containing mediums have been proposed as aiding in the elimination of this problem; however, almost all are dependent on patient cooperation for their success. An ideal preventive system would be one that would operate independently of patient cooperation. The purpose of the present study was to compare a visible light-activated, fluoride-releasing bonding system with a visible light-activated conventional bonding system relative to bracket retention and prevalence of decalcification. Twenty-two patients were entered into the study, representing 206 experimental brackets and 206 control brackets. The average treatment period was 25 months. No significant differences in bracket retention rates were found between the two systems. Significantly, 26 teeth in the control group demonstrated decalcification (12.6%), whereas none of the teeth in the experimental group did. The results of this study suggest that a visible light-activated, fluoride-releasing bonding system is capable of adequately retaining brackets while aiding in the prevention of decalcification around bonded appliances.
Quantitative analysis of the speed/accuracy trade-off in transaction level modeling

The increasing complexity of embedded systems requires modeling at higher levels of abstraction. Transaction level modeling (TLM) has been proposed to abstract communication for high-speed system simulation and rapid design space exploration. Although being widely accepted for its high performance and efficiency, TLM often exhibits a significant loss in model accuracy.In this article, we systematically analyze and quantify the speed/accuracy trade-off in TLM. To this end, we provide a classification of TLM abstraction levels based on model granularity and define appropriate metrics and test setups to quantitatively measure and compare the performance and accuracy of such models.Addressing several classes of embedded communication protocols, we apply our analysis to three common bus architectures, the industry-standard AMBA advanced high-performance bus (AHB) as an on-chip parallel bus, the controller area network (CAN) as an off-chip serial bus, and the Motorola ColdFire Master Bus as an example for a custom embedded processor bus.Based on the analysis of these individual busses, we then generalize our results for a broader conclusion. The general TLM trade-off offers gains of up to four orders of magnitude in simulation speed, generally however, at the price of low accuracy. We conclude further that model granularity is the key to efficient TLM abstraction, and we identify conditions for accuracy of abstract models. As a result, this article provides general guidelines that allow the system designer to navigate the TLM trade-off effectively and choose the most suitable model for the given application with fast and accurate results.
MAGNETISM OF ACTINIDE COMPOUNDS

Abstract Actinide compounds exhibit most of the known magnetic phenomena. Their properties are easily modified in intermetallic compounds. We present some new results on uranium ferromagnets and heavy fermion antiferromagnets and explain their implications. We show magnetic ordering in a high T c superconductor.
The Display of the Blue‐black Grassquit: The Acoustic Advantage of Getting High

Male blue-black grassquits (Volatinia jacarina) display by leaping vertically above the top of the dense grass in which they perch and emitting a high pitched call. Acoustic-transmission experiments demonstrated that calls broadcast from above the high grass typical of grassquit habitat attenuated less over distance than identical calls broadcast from typical perch heights within the grass. By leaping when they call, grassquits might enhance the distance over which their call can be detected.
Scanning Electron Microscope Observations of Amoeba proteus During Phagocytosis

Phagocytosing Amoeba proteus at different stages of forming foodcups have been observed by scanning electron microscopy. A nonphagocytosing ameba is characterized by dorsal and lateral ridges running longitudinally over the posterior half of the cell and its attachment to the substrate over small areas. When stimulated by prey organisms, the ameba loses polarity and ridges, and adheres to the substrate more firmly over a wider area of contact. Then it forms broad pseudopods to surround its prey and this results in the formation of foodcups. The surface of all ameba is covered with small projections, and membranous blebs are often seen on the surface of phagocytosing organisms.
RADIOIMMUNOASSAY FOR TRIIODOTHYRONINE: A PRELIMINARY REPORT

ABSTRACT Triiodothyronine (T3) has been conjugated to human serum albumin and injected into rabbits with the production of antibodies against T3. The serum from the rabbits was used in a double antibody radioimmunoassay for T3. The assay is sufficiently sensitive and specific for practical use in measuring T3 in serum.
Differential response of growing and regressing chicken ovaries to gonadotropic hormones

Abstract Steroid hormone secretion was investigated by growing left and regressing right ovaries from chick embryos under the stimulation of purified equine LH (eLH), equine FSH (eFSH), ovine LH (oLH), and ovine FSH (oFSH) in organ culture. Radioimmunoassay was used to measure the amount of steroid hormone released into the culture medium during 6 hr of incubation at 41°. Stimulation of steroid hormone production by mammalian gonadotropin was dose dependent. Studies on 17β-estradiol (E2) production from the growing left ovary of the 15-day-old embryo showed that steroid biosynthesis was stimulated fourfold over the basal rate of the control ovary by mammalian LH, whereas mammalian FSH could stimulate production by only 2.5-fold. Gonadotropin stimulation of testosterone (T) production by the growing ovary of the 15-day-old embryo showed a pattern similar to E2 production. The E2 production of the regressing right ovary was stimulated 3.7-fold by mammalian LH and 3.2-fold by mammalian FSH. Testosterone production by the regressing ovary was stimulated sevenfold above basal level by gonadotropin. By comparing the concentrations of hormone required for the half-maximum effect (ED50) for oLH, eLH, and eFSH, we found that the regressing ovary required 5 times more hormone for the same stimulating effect observed in the growing ovary. The regressing ovary required 10 times more oFSH than the growing ovary to achieve the same degree of stimulation. The results indicated that the regressing ovary has lower response to gonadotropic hormone stimulation than the growing ovary and embryonic chicken ovary receptors are more sensitive to LH-like activity than FSH-like activity. Furthermore, the right ovary, although regressing, still maintains this ability to discriminate between LH or FSH structure.
Encapsulating an amino acid in a DNA fold.

Here we present the first solution structure of a ligand-DNA aptamer complex. Our NMR-molecular dynamics structural studies of the interaction between argininamide and a DNA stem-loop complex establishes that the hairpin loop DNA binding site undergoes an adaptive conformational transition on complex formation. The tip of the DNA loop folds down towards the stem and sandwiches the bound argininamide between reversed Hoogsteen A.C and Watson-Crick G.C base pairs. The argininamide is encapsulated within the structured DNA loop and is stabilized by an intricate set of intermolecular hydrogen bonds and stacking interactions. The structure of the complex lays out the molecular principles defining both the architecture of the internal cavity and the recognition elements that could contribute to ligand discrimination.
Pre-distortion techniques and bandwidth efficient modulation for military satellite communications

In bandwidth limited satellite channels, higher order modulations can be used to increase data throughput (as measured by bit/s/Hz). This paper compares two modulations with 4 bit/s/Hz efficiency, 16-QAM and 16-amplitude phase shift keying (16-APSK). It is shown that 16-APSK offers better performance in nonlinear satellite channels with adjacent channel interference (ACI). The nonlinearity of the channel is due to the high power amplifier (HPA) at the transmitter. The nonlinearity can be reduced by using larger output back-offs (OBO) at the transmit HPA. However, it is desirable to keep the OBO as low as possible in order to lower the costs associated with the HPA. Pre-distorting the transmitted signal suitably can lower the distortion due to the HPA, without a large OBO. When the HPA characteristics are completely known, the transmitter can pre-distort the signal based on the instantaneous transmitted power. This is called open-loop predistortion. Typically, the amplifier characteristics are usually not completely known. The existing methods in the technical literature estimate the pre-distortion required by assuming that the transmitter has access to the HPA output. However, in military satellite communications such a feedback path is also typically not present, e.g., onboard ships. This paper develops a closed-loop pre-distortion method when the transmitter cannot access the output of the HPA and the link is full-duplex. Here, the receiver estimates the pre-distortion required and communicates it to the transmitter. The performance of the closed-loop predistortion technique is characterized by simulations.
Low-Power and Process Variation Tolerant Memories in sub-90nm Technologies

Inter-die and intra-die variation in process parameters increases parametric failures and leakage spread in nano-scale memories, leading to significant yield degradation. Design level optimization methods are not sufficient to address the leakage and parametric failures, particularly, under large variation. In this paper, we propose two post-silicon tuning techniques which can simultaneously reduce the leakage spread and improve parametric yield in memories. We show that, self- repairing and self-adaptive systems with post-silicon tuning are essential for designing low-power and robust memories in sub- 90 nm technologies.
Short Stature in Children

Short stature in childhood has many possible causes, only the minority of which are endocrine disorders. In addition to a complete history and physical examination, the most important information that can be brought to bear on the differential diagnosis of short stature is accurate serial measurements of length and/or height. When these data are used to calculate growth velocity and are plotted on a standard growth curve, short children can be quickly classified into those growing at a subnormal rate and likely to have a significant underlying problem and those whose growth rate is normal and who are very unlikely to have any problem. In general, diagnostic studies may be limited to short children who are growing at a subnormal rate. Endocrine disease should only be considered after chronic illness of a nonendocrine organ system has been eliminated from consideration. The possibilities of hypothyroidism, an abnormality of the X chromosome in short girls, and growth hormone deficiency should be sequentially evaluated. The unusual diagnoses of deprivation dwarfism and glucocorticoid excess must be kept in mind. If a specific diagnosis is confirmed, appropriate therapy can be instituted. The vast majority of short children are growing at a normal rate and are boys with constitutional delay. A bone age x-ray is extremely helpful in arriving at a prediction of their mature height which is almost always within the range expected in their family. The reassurance provided by this maneuver usually makes any pharmacologic therapy unnecessary.
Entry mass transfer in axial flows through randomly packed fiber bundles

An analysis of the effects of nonuniform fiber packing on external mass-transfer coefficients for axial flows through bundles of parallel, axially oriented fibers is presented in the entry mass-transfer limit. In this limit, one can obtain an analytic solution to the mass-transfer boundary-layer equations in terms of the velocity gradient on the fiber surface for either a constant wall flux or constant wall concentration. To explicitly calculate mass-transfer coefficients, a numerical approximation for the velocity gradient is obtained from the conservation of momentum equations using the boundary-element method. Results indicate that the effective mass-transfer coefficient depends strongly on fiber packing. Regions of higher fiber packing have lower flows and lower mass-transfer coefficients than regions of lower packing. The net effect is a dramatic decrease in overall mass-transfer coefficient relative to mass-transfer coefficients in regularly packed fiber bundles.
Addressing deafness and hidden terminal problem in directional antenna based wireless multi-hop networks

We address deafness and directional hidden terminal problem that occur when MAC protocols are designed for directional antenna based wireless multi-hop networks. Deafness occurs when the transmitter fails to communicate to its intended receiver, because the receiver's antenna is oriented in a different direction. The directional hidden terminal problem occurs when the transmitter fails to hear a prior RTS/CTS exchange between another pair of nodes and cause collision by initiating a transmission to the receiver of the ongoing communication. Though directional antennas offer better spatial reuse, these problems can have a serious impact on network performance. In this paper, we study various scenarios in which these problems can occur and design a MAC protocol that solves them comprehensively using only a single channel and single radio interface. Current solutions in literature either do not address these issues comprehensively or use more than one radio/channel to solve them. We evaluate our protocol using detailed simulation studies. Simulation results indicate that our protocol can effectively address deafness and directional hidden terminal problem and increase network performance.
Frontiers in brain imaging methods grand challenge.

ibility and reliability of research results, and thus on methods that ensure optimal outcomes. We identify below several directions that we hope to push forward in the publication of brain imaging methods. In line with the principles of the Frontiers journals, we propose that openness (in code, data, and access) is of fundamental importance. Methods that M atter Methods for data acquisition and analysis are and will increasingly be central to scientific research using brain imaging. However, some methods matter more than others, either because they have a strong impact on the way we acquire, process, manage, interpret or reuse the data, or because they are more principled or mathematically grounded. Too often the impact of a new method is poorly assessed, and new methods are often developed that are unlikely to be applicable to actual studies. We hope to see a greater focus on the impact of improvements of acquisition and processing methods, and more work on how to make these methods accessible to the scientific community. o pen data and code
Adaptive critic learning techniques for automotive engine control

A new approach for automotive engine torque and air-fuel ratio control is presented in this paper. A class of adaptive critic designs that can be classified as (model-free) action-dependent heuristic dynamic programming is used in the present project. Adaptive critic designs are defined as designs that approximate dynamic programming in the general case, i.e., approximate optimal control over time in noisy, nonlinear environment. The present work uses a system, called "critic", to approximate the cost function in dynamic programming and thus to achieve optimal control. The goals of the present learning control design for automotive engines are emissions reduction and maintenance of optimal performance under various operating conditions. Using the data obtained from a test vehicle, we first develop a neural network model of the engine. A neural network controller is then designed based on the idea of approximate dynamic programming to achieve optimal control. In the simulation studies, the initial controller is trained using the neural network engine model developed rather than the actual engine. We have developed and tested self-learning neural network controllers for both engine torque and exhaust airfuel ratio control. For both control problems, good transient performance of the neural network controller has been observed. A distinct feature of the present technique is the controller's real-time adaptation capability based on real vehicle data which allows the neural network controller to be further refined and improved in real-time vehicle operation through continuous learning.
A novel technique for parallel computations using associative dataflow processor

The current microelectronics technology is expected to have the capability of 50-100 million transistors on a single chip by the year 2000. Such an on-chip hardware capacity motivates the development of a new generation of faster and more intelligent computers incorporating efficient techniques to handle computations. The prevalent concepts of control-flow and data-flow to build computers have their limitations and weaknesses in exploiting parallelism to the utmost limit. Therefore, a novel technique to handle parallel computations, called associative dataflow, is presented in this paper. In the proposed model of computation, the need for tokens is eliminated. The processing of a dataflow graph is accomplished in two phases. (1) The search phase: assuming the dataflow graph to be upside-down, each node at the top of the hierarchy, called the parent, looks for its descendants, called children, which are at the bottom of the hierarchy. This facilitates each node to know its data and destination(s) in the system. (2) The execution phase: the operations are performed, but now there is no delay in creating or matching tokens. This approach eliminates the major bottleneck in dataflow architectures, concerning the matching of tokens and the enhancement of their performance. Preliminary results have indicated a faster execution speed and higher ALU utilization for the proposed model compared to the conventional dataflow model. These results forecast a promising future for the associative dataflow model of computation.
Some considerations for reengineering Navy legacy systems

Navy shipboard and aircraft systems and the super systems in which they interoperate are some of the most complex computer based systems in the world. This together with the sheer number of platforms, their long service lives, and rolling upgrades schedules make reengineering them a formidable task. In this paper some of the considerations involved are laid out, some of the possible approaches are shown to be undesirable, and current efforts and needed work are discussed.
Application of FDTD to anisotropic materials

A scattered field version of FDTD which uses the 'Yee' cell spatial discretization of the field components is modified to allow calculation of scattering from an anisotropic material with off-diagonal elements in the permittivity and conductivity tensors. This formulation can be extended to include anisotropic magnetic materials. The article assumes a familiarity with the scattered field formulation of FDTD.
A Novel Method for Volumetric MRI Response Assessment of Enhancing Brain Tumors

Current radiographic response criteria for brain tumors have difficulty describing changes surrounding postoperative resection cavities. Volumetric techniques may offer improved assessment, however usually are time-consuming, subjective and require expert opinion and specialized magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) sequences. We describe the application of a novel volumetric software algorithm that is nearly fully automated and uses standard T1 pre- and post-contrast MRI sequences. T1-weighted pre- and post-contrast images are automatically fused and normalized. The tumor region of interest is grossly outlined by the user. An atlas of the nasal mucosa is automatically detected and used to normalize levels of enhancement. The volume of enhancing tumor is then automatically calculated. We tested the ability of our method to calculate enhancing tumor volume with resection cavity collapse and when the enhancing tumor is obscured by subacute blood in a resection cavity. To determine variability in results, we compared narrowly-defined tumor regions with tumor regions that include adjacent meningeal enhancement and also compared different contrast enhancement threshold levels used for the automatic calculation of enhancing tumor volume. Our method quantified enhancing tumor volume despite resection cavity collapse. It detected tumor volume increase in the midst of blood products that incorrectly caused decreased measurements by other techniques. Similar trends in volume changes across scans were seen with inclusion or exclusion of meningeal enhancement and despite different automated thresholds for tissue enhancement. Our approach appears to overcome many of the challenges with response assessment of enhancing brain tumors and warrants further examination and validation.
On-demand high performance computing: image guided neuro-surgery feasibility study

The emerging cyberinfrastructure holds the promise of providing on-demand access to high performance network, compute and data resources. Image guided neurosurgery is one of many applications that requires such on-demand access to resources. In this paper, we have studied the feasibility of accessing such resources on-demand. An experiment was designed and carried out across five TeraGrid clusters for this study. This paper provides an analysis of the results and draws some conclusion regarding feasibility of on-demand access to high performance resources.
Patient-Physician E-Mail Communication: The Kaiser Permanente Experience

Kaiser Permanente (KP) is a not-for profit health care organization that provides care for approximately 8.7 million members in nine states and the District of Columbia. In 2004, it began implementation of its current electronic health record (EHR), which by 2010, was in use in all KP regions, in both outpatient and inpatient settings. Over the same period, a suite of online services was also implemented. Among these services was a password-protected e-mail system (referred to as secure messaging) that allowed physicians and patients to communicate electronically. Use of secure messaging has increased rapidly. By 2010, 64% of the 3.6 million KP members in northern California had signed up for online access. In 2010, the 7,000 physicians of Northern California KP received 5.8 million secure messages. Secure messaging has been associated with a decrease in office visits, an increase in measurable quality outcomes (at least in primary care), and excellent patient satisfaction.
Watchful waiting for minor depression in primary care: remission rates and predictors of improvement.

Objectives: The objectives of this study were to determine remission rates and predictors of improvement for minor depression following a 1-month watchful waiting period in primary care and to describe the watchful waiting processes. Methods: Prior to randomization into a clinical trial for minor depression, 111 participants were entered into a 1-month watchful waiting period. Depression severity and predictors of improvement were measured at the start of watchful waiting. At the end of watchful waiting, remission rates were calculated and predictor variables were analyzed for their contribution toward predicting improvement. Results: Remission rates were low, ranging from 9% to 13%, depending on the measure. Avoidant coping style and frequency of engaging in active pleasant events at baseline accounted for the majority of change in depression. During watchful waiting, about one fifth of the sample (21%) had at least one contact with their physician and 27% reported using self-initiated treatments. Conclusions: There is a low likelihood of spontaneous remission for treatment-seeking samples with minor depression in primary care. An avoidant coping style seriously interferes with remission, and engaging in regular active pleasant events confers an advantage. Feasible interventions for primary care that promote activity and decrease avoidant coping styles may improve outcomes. These findings may not generalize to community and non-treatment-seeking samples.
Design of Sequence-specific DNA Cleaving Molecules

The design of sequence-specific cleaving molecules for double-helical DNA requires the attachment of DNA cleaving moieties to sequence-specific DNA binding molecules. The site of attachment and choice of cleaving strategy will be dependent on the availability of molecular models for the sequence-specific binding of small molecules (i.e., 1000 MW) to right-handed double-helical DNA. Productive model building is possible because of recent progress in the development of analytical methods, such as footprinting and affinity cleaving, to determine the preferred binding locations, binding site sizes, and orientations of natural or synthetic sequence-specific DNA binding molecules on large DNA such as DNA restriction fragments (100-500 bp). The natural product distamycin is a crescent-shaped tripeptide containing three N-methylpyrrolecarboxamides which binds in the minor groove of right-handed double-helical DNA with a strong perference for A•T rich sequences (FIG. I). The preferred sequences, binding site size, and orientation preference for tris-N-methylpyrrolecarboxamide are known from footprinting and affinity cleaving data. Moreover, from recent X-ray analysis of the complex of the dipeptide, netropsin, with the B-DNA dodecamer, S-CGCGAATTCGCG-3', Dickerson and co-workers have provided a molecular basis for the recognition of DNA by netropsin, and by extension, distamycin. They find that netropsin sits symmetrically in the center of the minor groove of A•T rich right-handed DNA and displaces the water molecules of the spine of hydration. Each of its three amide NH groups forms a bridge between adjacent adenine N3 or thymine O2 atoms on opposite helix strands." Dickerson and coworkers suggest that the base specificity of netropsin for contiguous sequences of A •T base pairs in B-DNA is provided not by hydrogen bonding but by close van der Waals contacts between adenine C2 hydrogens and CH groups on the pyrrole rings of the oligopeptide molecules.
IDB Investments in Brazilian Protected Areas during the 1990s

This essay attempts to document the funds invested by the IDB and its counterparts and how the resources were used in the restricted field of protected areas in Brazil, during the period 1990-1999. For this purpose, all relevant documents regarding loans, technical cooperation and small projects approved or executed since 1990 were reviewed. The goal of the exercise was to fine-tune a search on the subject of protected areas, as defined by the World Commission on Protected Areas (WCPA) of the World Conservation Union (IUCN) and by the Brazilian legislation on the matter. On the basis of the results, the author discusses the viability of this kind of exercise, the perception of other institutions regarding IDB investments on biodiversity in Brazil and, briefly, the role of the IDB in assisting Brazil in the field of protected areas.
Uniform bounds for the bilinear Hilbert transforms, I

It is shown that the bilinear Hilbert transforms H α,β (f,g)(x)=p.v.∫ R f(x-αt)g(x-βt)dt/t map L p1 (R) × L p2 (R) → L p (R) uniformly in the real parameters α, β when 2 < p 1 , p 2 < oo and 1 < p = p 1 p 2 /p 1 +p 2 < 2. Combining this result with the main result in [9], we deduce that the operators H 1,α map L 2 (R) x L∞(R) → L 2 (R) uniformly in the real parameter α ∈ [0,1]. This completes a program initiated by A. Calderon.
On call at the mall: a mixed methods study of U.S. medical malls

Background: The decline of the traditional U.S. shopping mall and a focus on more consumer- centered care have created an opportunity for “medical malls”. Medical malls are defined as former retail spaces repurposed for healthcare tenants or mixed-use medical/retail facilities. We aimed to describe the current reach of healthcare services in U.S. malls, characterize the medical mall model and emerging trends, and assess the potential of these facilities to serve low-income populations. Methods: We used a mixed methods approach which included a comprehensive literature review, key informant interviews, and a descriptive analysis of the Directory of Major Malls, an online retail database. Results: Six percent (n = 89) of large, enclosed shopping malls in the U.S. include at least one non-optometry or dental healthcare tenant. We identified a total of 28 medical malls across the U.S., the majority of which opened in the past five years and serve middle or high income populations. Stakeholders felt the key strengths of medical malls were more convenient access including public transportation, greater familiarity for patients, and “one stop shopping” for primary care and specialty services as well as retail needs. Conclusions: While medical malls currently account for a small fraction of malls in the US, they are a new model for healthcare with significant potential for growth.
Membrane-Based Solvent Extraction

Solvent extraction is a common industrially used equilibrium-based separation process. In such a process, a solute (or solutes) in a solution, aqueous or organic, is extracted into an immiscible solvent, organic or aqueous, by dispersing one of the immiscible phases as drops in the other phase. This creates a large interfacial area and increases the extraction rate considerably. After the extraction is over, the phases are separated and the dispersed phase coalesced. There are two general categories of equipment for solvent extraction. A mixer-settler arrangement provides a single equilibrium stage; a number of them connected together provide multistage extraction. Continuous countercurrent contacting equipment whether in the form of columns or centrifugal devices can generate the equivalent of many stages in one device (Treybal 1963).
Phylogenetic analysis of RAD-seq data: examining the influence of gene genealogy conflict on analysis of concatenated data

One of the major issues in phylogenetic analysis is that gene genealogies from different gene regions may not reflect the true species tree or history of speciation. This has led to considerable debate about whether concatenation of loci is the best approach for phylogenetic analysis. The application of Next-generation sequencing techniques such as RAD-seq generates thousands of relatively short sequence reads from across the genomes of the sampled taxa. These data sets are typically concatenated for phylogenetic analysis leading to data sets that contain millions of base pairs per taxon. The influence of gene region conflict among so many loci in determining the phylogenetic relationships among taxa is unclear. We simulated RAD-seq data by sampling 100 and 500 base pairs from alignments of over 6000 coding regions that each produce one of three highly supported alternative phylogenies of seven species of Drosophila. We conducted phylogenetic analyses on different sets of these regions to vary the sampling of loci with alternative gene trees to examine the effect on detecting the species tree. Irrespective of sequence length sampled per region and which subset of regions was used, phylogenetic analyses of the concatenated data always recovered the species tree. The results suggest that concatenated alignments of Next-generation data that consist of many short sequences are robust to gene tree/species tree conflict when the goal is to determine the phylogenetic relationships among taxa.
Pharmacologic dissociation of immunologic release of histamine and slow reacting substance of anaphylaxis in rats.

SummaryA study of the structural analogs of diethylcarbamazine reveals the requirement for a carboxamide grouping and a saturated or unsaturated ring containing nitrogen for optimal inhibition of SRS-Arat release. Diethylcarbamazine and its analogs do not act by interfering with PMN leukocyte viability and they do not inhibit the homocytotropic antibody-mediated release of histamme and serotonin. Conversely, disodium cromoglycate suppresses the latter pathway without inhibiting the antigen-induced release of SRS-Arat. Neither diethylcarbamazine nor disodium cromoglycate antagonizes the pharmacologic activity of histamine or SRS-Arat. The use of these agents permits further dissociation of the pathways leading to the immunologic release of SRS-Arat and histamine in the rat by selective pharmacologic inhibition.
A rational theory of oblique incidence and its extension to stress-separation in birefringent composites

A rational theory of oblique incidence for a birefringent medium is developed. The theory rules out the concept of secondary principal stresses as an arbitrary one and provides more adequate interpretation of isochromatics and isoclinics in oblique incidence. The method is shown to be applicable for stress-separation in an anisotropic-birefringent composite, and the stress-optical equations deduced require an additional stress-fringe constant to those involved in normal incidence. The stress-birefringence relations for isotropic photoelasticity are obtained as a particular case of the general theory.
Laying the Foundations for Scientometric Research: A Data Science Approach

Objective:Scientometric studies of social work have stagnated due to problems with the organization and structure of the disciplinary literature. This study utilized data science to produce a set o...
Up the Hill and Across the Aisle: Discovering the Path to Bipartisanship in Washington

Appeals for bipartisan diplomacy pepper popular commentary, often with wistful references to a bygone era where leaders (like Lyndon Johnson and Everett Dirksen) set aside partisan point scoring to serve the public interest. Here we reconsider the elements driving bipartisan contact in Washington. Stepping back from popular narratives, we situate the president-opposing leader relationship within a more general class of institutional bargaining, leading to the prediction that bipartisan negotiation emerges from a particular combination of incentives and institutions—namely, when the president is strong politically (rendering opposing leaders willing to compromise) but opposing party leaders are strong institutionally (rendering them crucial to passing the deal). Utilizing Presidential Daily Diaries, hypotheses are tested against original data on presidents' personal interactions with opposing Senate leaders across 40 years, 20 Congresses, and eight presidencies (1961–2000).
Histopathologic outcome of neoadjuvant image-guided therapy of hepatocellular carcinoma.

Background and aims: The best curative treatment for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is liver transplant (LT), with the limitation to either a solitary lesion < 5 cm or up to three lesions < 3 cm each. Arresting tumor growth or downstaging to make patients eligible for LT can be obtained by neoadjuvant treatments suchas transarterial chemoembolization (TACE), selective internal radiation therapy (SIRT), chemical or radiofrequency ablation (RFA). We evaluated the histopathologic response in explant specimens to neoadjuvant image-guided therapy of HCC prior to LT.Methods: Twenty-eight patients with 39 HCC nodules eligible for LT underwent neoadjuvant image-guided therapy 1-393 days prior to transplant. Treatment included TACE (5 nodules), SIRT (7 nodules), RFA (12 nodules), chemical ablation (3 nodules) combined TACE and acetic acid injection (1 nodule) and combined TACE and RFA (11 nodules). 19/28 patients not transplanted within 30 days had interval MRI and 3 patients with progressive disease were retreated.Results: Residual viable tumor was seen in 42% of patients with post-treatment imaging. Explant pathology revealed viable tumor in 35 of 39 (90%) treated nodules and somewhere in the explanted liver in all patients. Viability and/or progression of the treated tumor was noted in 5/5 nodules treated with TACE, 6/7 with SIRT, 11/12 with RFA, 2/3 with chemical ablation and 11/12 with combined treatment.Conclusion: Viable local or remote tumor was identified on explanted liver in the majority of patients with HCC after neoadjuvant therapy, despite apparent successful treatment on MRI.
Acellular Dermal Matrix-Assisted Prosthetic Breast Reconstruction: Efficacy and Morbidity

The growing acceptance and popularity of skin-sparing mastectomy techniques in breast surgery has led to increasing rates of immediate breast reconstruction over the past decade. More than 70 % of these cases undergo implant-based reconstruction. Acellular dermal matrices (ADMs) have been used in an increasing percentage of these cases since the inferolateral ADM sling was introduced in 2005. This chapter presents some of the most commonly used ADM products in breast reconstruction. The authors describe their preferred operative technique and standard postoperative management. The advantages and postoperative outcomes of ADM-assisted breast reconstruction are analyzed and comparisons of ADM products are summarized. Finally, aesthetic and patient reported outcomes and the costs of ADM-assisted breast reconstruction are reviewed.