cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Liver allograft outcomes after laparoscopic-assisted and minimal access live donor hepatectomy for transplantation.

Abstract Background The critical shortage of deceased organ donors has led to live-donor hepatectomy as an alternative donor option for transplantation. Although laparoscopic hepatectomy has been well described for management of liver tumors and can be performed safely, few studies have examined early recipient allograft outcomes after laparoscopic live-donor hepatectomy. We describe our initial experience with laparoscopic-assisted and minimal-access donor hepatectomy and its potential as a safe alternative with graft function comparable with open resection in live-donor liver transplantation. Methods We performed a retrospective analysis of our past 30 successive live-donor transplants between 2005 and 2009. Fifteen allografts were procured by standard open live-donor (OLD) hepatectomy, and 15 by laparoscopic-assisted (LALD) or minimal-access (MA) live-donor hepatectomy. Left lateral segment grafts were subcategorized and analyzed further. Results Mean donor age, sex, and liver anatomy were comparable between donor groups. Early graft function as measured by peak total bilirubin level, aspartate aminotransferase level, alanine aminotransferase level, and international normalized ratio on postoperative days 2, 7, 30, and 90 were similar between groups, although the international normalized ratio was slightly more increased on postoperative day 7 in LALD grafts (1.75 ± .45 vs 1.28 ± .16; P = .02). Perioperative allograft biliary (2 of 15 vs 0 of 15; P = .48) and vascular (3 of 15 vs 1 of 15; P = .6) complication rates also were comparable between OLD and LALD/MA grafts. One-year graft and patient survival for LALD/MA was 100% compared with 93% for OLD. Conclusions Our experience shows that LALD or MA live-donor hepatectomy is a safe procedure and produces early graft function comparable with standard OLD hepatectomy. Multicenter, larger-volume experience will determine the widespread application of this technique.
Effect of Fruits, Vegetables, or Vitamin E–Rich Diet on Vitamins E and C Distribution in Peripheral and Brain Tissues Implications for Brain Function

Age-related neurodegenerative conditions are the principal cause of declining cognitive and motor function during aging. Evidence support that fruits and vegetables containing generous amounts of antioxidant nutrients are important for neurological function. We investigated the effect of diets enriched with fruits or vegetables but low in vitamin E and a diet high in vitamin E on the distribution of vitamins C and E in the brain and dopamine release of Fischer 344 rat model, over an 8-month period. The low‐vitamin E diet resulted in lowered a -tocopherol levels in brain and peripheral tissues, whereas the animals that received a diet enriched in vitamin E showed a significant increase, between 500‐900%. Vitamin C concentration in plasma, heart, and liver was reduced in the vitamin E‐supplemented group. It is concluded that supplementation or depletion of a -tocopherol for 8 months results in marked changes in vitamin E levels in brain tissue and peripheral tissues, and varied distribution of a -tocopherol throughout the different brain regions examined. In addition, compared to control group, rats supplemented with strawberry, spinach, or vitamin E showed a significant enhancement in striatal dopamine release. These findings suggest that other nutrients present in fruits and vegetables, in addition to the well-known antioxidants, may be important for brain function.
Quantizer noise benefits in nonlinear signal detection with alpha-stable channel noise

Two new theorems show how deliberately adding quantizer noise can improve statistical signal detection in array-based nonlinear correlation detection even in the case of infinite-variance α-stable channel noise. The first theorem gives a necessary and sufficient condition for such quantizer noise to increase the detection probability for a fixed false-alarm probability. The second theorem shows that the array must contain more than one quantizer for a stochastic-resonance noise benefit and that the noise benefit improves in the small-quantizer noise limit as the number of array quantizers increases. It further shows that symmetric uniform quantizer noise gives the optimal noise benefit among all symmetric scale-family noise types.
Performance of Termidor® HE High-Efficiency Termiticide Co-pack with Termidor® HE Technology Against Eastern Subterranean Termites Reticulitermes flavipes and Formosan Subterranean Termite Coptotermes formosanus in Laboratory Trials and Field Applications

Two laboratory and one field study were performed utilizing fipronil (C12H4Cll2F6N4OS), in the form of Termidor® HE Co-pack with Termidor® HE Technology. Laboratory studies included glass tube bioassays and collateral transfer effect trials. Glass tube bioassay results indicated that this formulation of Termidor® HE Co-pack was efficacious against Reticulitermes flavipes and Coptotermes formosanus caused 100% mortality of both species by 72 h post-exposure. Collateral transfer effect trials also showed efficacy of Termidor® HE Co-Pack with Termidor® HE Technology against both R. flavipes and C. formosanus by causing 100% mortality by 96 h. Termidor® HE Co-pack with Termidor® HE Technology was also applied to structures as a post-construction treatment for remediation of subterranean termite infestations. In field trials, 12 termite structures were treated with Termidor® HE Co-pack with Termidor® HE Technology (hereafter referred to as Termidor ® HE) and no subterranean termites were detected through 36 months post-treatment.
Assessment and Remediation of Executive Dysfunction in Autism and Asperger Syndrome

Impaired executive functions have been documented in individuals with autism and Asperger syndrome (AS) across all ages and functioning levels, using a wide variety of different tasks (McEvoy, Rogers, & Pennington, 1993; Ozonoff, Pennington, & Rogers, 1991; Prior & Hoffmann, 1990; Rumsey, 1985; Rumsey & Hamburger, 1988). Although impairments in abilities such as planning, organization, flexibility, and self-regulation are critical to everyday functioning and school success, little attention has been paid to their remediation. There is a large and growing body of literature devoted to treatment of the communication and social disabilities associated with autism and AS (e.g., Lord, 1988; Marriage, Gordon, & Brand, 1995; Mesibov, 1984; Ozonoff & Miller, 1995; Chapters 9 and 10, this volume), but virtually nothing has been written about managing the executive deficits these individuals demonstrate. This chapter begins by providing a definition of executive function and current hypotheses about the neural substrate of these cognitive processes. This is followed by a review of the research literature on executive dysfunction in autism and AS. The second half of the chapter discusses strategies for assessment and remediation of such problems.
An improved method for the fluorochrome staining of mycobacteria in tissues and smears.

An improved fluorochrome method for staining mycobacteria in both smears and tissue sections is presented. This method includes important modifications in deparaffinization, decolorization technics, and the coverslipping of material. Mycobacteria are stained so intensely that they may be examined in a lighted room. Modified brightfield microscopic technics are possible with this fluorochrome method. Comparable results in identifying bacterial numbers and morphology have been obtained with the fluorochrome method and carbol-fuchsin stains. The fluorochrome stain has a definite advantage in the ease and speed in identification of small numbers of mycobacteria under low-power magnification. Fluorochrome-stained material may be restained with carbol-fuchsin methods, but carbol-fuchsin-stained material cannot be effectively decolorized and restained by fluorochrome methods. Fluorochrome screening is recommended whenever mycobacterial disease is suspected, and especially in those instances in which small numbers of mycobacteria are to be found in the specimen.
Drinking motives mediate emotion regulation difficulties and problem drinking in college students.

ABSTRACTBackground: Problem drinking in college places students at an increased risk for a wealth of negative consequences including alcohol use disorders. Most research has shown that greater emotion regulation difficulties are related to increased problem drinking, and studies generally assume that drinking is motivated by efforts to cope with or enhance affective experiences. However, there is a lack of research specifically testing this assumption. Objectives: The current study sought to examine the mediating potential of drinking motives, specifically coping and enhancement, on the relationship between emotion regulation and problem drinking. Method: College participants (N = 200) completed an online survey, consisting of a battery of measures assessing alcohol use behaviors and related variables. Results: Coping drinking motives fully mediated the emotion regulation/problem drinking relationship, and enhancement motives partially mediated this relationship. Exploratory analyses indicated that all fo...
Future Test Needs of U.S. National Wind Tunnels for NASA's Aeronautics Test Program: An Approach for Mapping Ground Test Facility Usage Projections into Capability Projections

Forecasting future needs for NASA’s portfolio of national-class wind tunnels is challenging due to the uncertainties involved in predicting the multiple factors driving wind tunnel utilization, and the subsequent need to understand facility-specific estimates by test capability. To help NASA’s Aeronautics Test Program with estimating the overall need for wind tunnel capacity over the next several years, the RAND Corporation has developed a “Future Needs Framework” (FNF) that maps facility-specific demand to required capabilities.
First-Principles Study of Structure Sensitivity of Ethylene Glycol Conversion on Platinum

Periodic density functional theory (DFT) calculations are used to investigate the structure sensitivity of ethylene glycol (EG) decomposition on terraced and stepped platinum surfaces, including Pt(111) and Pt(211). On both surfaces, the binding energies of lightly dehydrogenated intermediates resulting from C–H bond scission in EG are typically stronger than the binding energies of intermediates associated with O–H bond breaking, and the corresponding kinetic trends generally track the thermochemical results. C–C and C–O bond cleavage have significantly higher barriers than dehydrogenation until relatively late in the dehydrogenation reaction network, and the transition state energies associated with C–C bond scission decrease almost monotonically with increasing levels of EG dehydrogenation, whereas the transition state energies of C–O bond breaking first decrease and then increase slightly. The most favorable reaction pathways for EG decomposition on Pt(111) and Pt(211) are very similar, with CO and H2...
Quantitative Correlation of in Vivo Properties with in Vitro Assay Results: The in Vitro Binding of a Biotin-DNA Analogue Modifier with Streptavidin Predicts the in Vivo Avidin-Induced Clearability of the Analogue-Modified Antibody.

Quantitative prediction of in vivo behavior using an in vitro assay would dramatically accelerate pharmaceutical development. However, studies quantitatively correlating in vivo properties with in vitro assay results are rare because of the difficulty in quantitatively understanding the in vivo behavior of an agent. We now demonstrate such a correlation as a case study based on our quantitative understanding of the in vivo chemistry. In an ongoing pretargeting project, we designed a trifunctional antibody (Ab) that concomitantly carried a biotin and a DNA analogue (hereafter termed MORF). The biotin and the MORF were fused into one structure prior to conjugation to the Ab for the concomitant attachment. Because it was known that avidin-bound Ab molecules leave the circulation rapidly, this design would theoretically allow complete clearance by avidin. The clearability of the trifunctional Ab was determined by calculating the blood MORF concentration ratio of avidin-treated Ab to non-avidin-treated Ab using mice injected with these compounds. In theory, any compromised clearability should be due to the presence of impurities. In vitro, we measured the biotinylated percentage of the Ab-reacting (MORF-biotin)⊃-NH2 modifier, by addition of streptavidin to the radiolabeled (MORF-biotin)⊃-NH2 samples and subsequent high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) analysis. On the basis of our previous quantitative understanding, we predicted that the clearability of the Ab would be equal to the biotinylation percentage measured via HPLC. We validated this prediction within a 3% difference. In addition to the high avidin-induced clearability of the trifunctional Ab (up to ~95%) achieved by the design, we were able to predict the required quality of the (MORF-biotin)⊃-NH2 modifier for any given in vivo clearability. This approach may greatly reduce the steps and time currently required in pharmaceutical development in the process of synthesis, chemical analysis, in vitro cell study, and in vivo validation.
A MATHEMATICAL ANALYSIS OF THE KINETICS OF POLYCONDENSATION-DEPOLYCONDENSATION REACTIONS

A more general mathematical analysis of the kinetics of polycondensation-depolycondensation reactions is given in the article. Three different types of reactions are considered, namely, (1) reactions between molecules AB and AB, (2) reactions between molecules AA and BB, (3) reactions between molecules AA and BC. One of the condensation products is assumed (without loss of generality) to be water.For reactions of the first type, [p_n], the number of molecules of the n-mer (AB)_n, obeys the following Flory distribution: [p_n]=N_0p~(n-1)(1-p)~2 where N_0 denotes the total number of AB segments (including the unreacted monomers). and p, as defined by is a measure of the degree of condensation. It is shown that p is the solution of the following differential equation: dp/dt=k/2N_0(1-p)~2-k_(-1)p[H_2O] where K and k_(-1) are velocity constants of condensation and hydrolysis respectively, and [H_2O] denotes the number of water molecules. Three special cases are discussed.For reactions of the second type, three different types of condensation products are possible besides water; they obey the following distributions: [p_(2n)]=2N′_0r~(n-1)p~(2n-1)(1-p)(1-rp) [p′_(2n-1)]=N′_0r~(n-1)p~(2n-2)(1-p)~2 [p″_(2n-1)]=N′_0r~(n-2)p~(2n-2)(1-rp)~2 where N′_0 and N″_0 denote the total number of segments AA and BB respectively, r denotes the ratio N′_0/N″_0, and p, as defined by is the solution of the following differential equation: dp/dt=kn′_0/r(1-p)(1-rp)-k_(-1)P[H_2O]For reactions of the third type, six different types of condensation products are possible besides water; they obey the following distributions: [P′_(2n)]=NP~(n-1)q~n(1-p/2-q/2)(1-p) [p″_(2n)]=Np~nq~(n-1)(1-p/2-q/2_(?))(1-q) [p_(2n-1)=Np~(n-1)q~(n-1)(1-p/2-q/2)~2 [p′_(2n-1)]=N/4p~(n-2)q~n(1-p)~2 [p″_(2n-1)]=N/4p~nq~(n-2)(1-p)~2 [p′″_(2n-n)]=∈(n)N/4p~(n-1)q~(n-1)(1-p)(1-q),where N denotes either the total number of segments AA or that of BC, while p and q, as defined by satisfy the following set of differential equations: dp/dt=k′N/2(1-p)(2-p-q)-k′_(-1)p[H_O] dq/dt=k″N/2(1-q)(2-p-q)-k″_(-1)q[H_2O]
Algorithm of Gray Image Encryption and Compression Based on Knight's Tour

In order to improve the storage and transmission efficiency of confidential images,an algorithm of gray image encryption and compression based on knights tour is proposed.In this algorithm original image is divided into blocks of 8×8,then every block is transformed by DCT to build coefficient blocking matrix.The coefficient blocking matrix is scrambled by the knights tour to get encrypted image,then the encrypted compressed image could be gained after JPEG compression.The experimental results and analysis show that the algorithm has good effects such as the huge key space and the strong sensitivity.It gets higher compression efficiency on premise of some degree of scrambling.
An inverse-free Jarratt type approximation in a Banach space

In this study, we introduce a new iterative method for solving nonlinear operator equations in Banach spaces. We establish a sufficient as well as a local convergence theorem. We also provide the best possible practical error bound for this method.
Reducing Readmission at an Academic Medical Center: Results of a Pharmacy-Facilitated Discharge Counseling and Medication Reconciliation Program.

Abstract Background: Hospital readmission has been identified as a key quality indicator and a target for reducing health care spending. Objective: To evaluate the impact of a pharmacy-facilitated medication reconciliation and patient education model with post discharge follow-up on 30-day readmissions. Methods: This prospective, historical control study included all patients admitted during a 6-month period to a general medicine unit with the highest 30-day readmission rate at Yale-New Haven Hospital. Patients were excluded if they expired prior to discharge, transferred, left against medical advice, were discharged to hospice, or were previously enrolled in the study. Upon admission, pharmacy technicians compiled the medication reconciliation information. Interventions were made by the pharmacist communicating with the patient's primary team. Medication and disease state counseling and final medication reconciliation were performed by the pharmacist before discharge. The primary outcome measure was 30-d...
Engaging colleges and universities as partners in healthy communities initiatives

Colleges and universities have an important role to play in building healthier communities. In many communities, however, these institutions are viewed with mistrust and skepticism, not as partners or assets. Academics often fail to respect and value community resources; they often assume the role of experts when they approach communities, in the context of short-term projects that place a priority on their goals rather than on communities' goals. Yet, colleges and universities have much to contribute as partners with their communities, and there are many strategies that can be used to develop community-campus partnerships. Whether the leadership for such a partnership starts with the community or the campus is not particularly important as long as the collaboration moves forward in a way that honors and values the strengths and assets of each.
Submersibles for marine biological research

Submersibles provide a direct means of studying the living ocean resources. Basic submersible types include bathyscaphs, bathyspheres, tethered propelled subs and self-contained subs. Biological scientists require a submersible that is stable, can pinpoint and maintain its position, has variable speed with long endurance and provide excellent viewing and data monitoring systems. Few existing subs meet these needs. Subs can be used to monitor resources not available to other sampling gear, observe relationships of animals to their environment, and determine characteristics of conventional sampling gear. Sophisticated support vessels and diver lockout features will improve the versatility of new generation submersibles.
Boukman in Books: Tracing a Legendary Genealogy

In a recent lecture I attended, Patrick Chamoiseau spoke of the origins of his—Martinican, Caribbean, Creole—literature. He located these origins in the Antillean conteur or storyteller, the nineteenth-century slave or ex-slave who addressed an assembly of his peers to narrate, with improvisation and enhancement, the tales already heard and recounted many times over. It is not uncommon to attribute the origin of literature to oral sources. But Chamoiseau added a counter-intuitive twist to this common association: he claimed that this oral tradition has as one of its major sources a written text: the Bible. The tales told by the slaves or ex-slaves often hearkened back to the stories from the Hebrew Bible about the Garden of Eden, Moses and the exodus as well as New Testament stories. So, according to this genealogy, if we go back in time far enough, contrary to intuitive belief, the origins of storytelling are perhaps written rather than the other way around.
Psychological Defensiveness Among Heart Transplant Candidates

This study examined the utility of the K-correction procedure (i.e., raw score weights added to scales 1, 4, 7, 8, 9) to adjust for a defensive response set on the MMPI. The sample consisted of 51 patients with end-stage heart disease undergoing psychosocial evaluation for transplantation. Participants were separated into “defensive” and “nondefensive” groups using a median split on the K scale (defensive defined as T-score ≥ 59). The MMPI was scored once in the standard manner and then rescored omitting all K-scale items from the clinical scales. As hypothesized, raw score analysis after omitting K-scale items showed the defensive group endorsed significantly fewer items on three of the five clinical scales involving K-correction (scales 1, 7, 8). In contrast, analysis of K-corrected T-scores using standard procedures showed a significant group difference only on scale 4, with a higher T-score found among the defensive group. The defensive and nondefensive groups were not significantly different on numerous demographic, medical, and psychiatric characteristics, suggesting that the tendency to respond in a defensive manner is the major characteristic that distinguishes the two groups. Given this assumption, the K-correction procedure appears to appropriately adjust for a defensive response set on scales 1, 7, 8, and 9, whereas K-correction may overadjust on scale 4.
Le Grand réveil acadien : une nouvelle mise en relief de la présence acadienne en Louisiane

En octobre 2015, le deuxieme Grand reveil acadien (Gra) s’est deroule a plusieurs endroits au sud de la Louisiane, commerant le 250e anniversaire de l’arrivee des Acadiens dans le territoire des Attakapas en 1765. Cet article presente les origines du Gra et les activites qui y ont eu lieu (musique, theâtre, ateliers de genealogie), en parallele avec la premiere edition du Gra en 2011. L’evenement est examine dans une optique de memoire collective et signale un contact accru entre la Louisiane et d’autres communautes francophones, notamment au Canada. Bien que le Gra puisse etre vu comme le signe d’un interet renouvele dans la promotion du francais en Louisiane, cet evenement reposerait sur un compromis entre la celebration d’une identite exclusivement acadienne et l’inclusion d’autres groupes francophones dans la Louisiane francaise et creole, un contexte tres diversifie sur le plan culturel et ethnique.
Ephemeroptera of the Gunnison River, Colorado, U.S.A.

Samples were taken year-round at eleven sites (2900–1400 m a.s.l.) along the Gunnison River, a 329 km long tributary of the Colorado River, to examine the longitudinal distribution of Ephemeroptera and to assess the response of the mayfly fauna to dams in the headwaters and middle reaches. Nymphal abundance increased from headwaters (791 organisms and 333 mg dry weight m-2 at Site 1) to lower reaches (2610 organisms and 873 mg at Site 11). Abundance was slightly elevated immediately below the headwater dam (Site 2) whereas damming the middle reaches greatly reduced mayfly density and biomass. Five families (Baetidae, Ephemerellidae, Heptageniidae, Leptophlebiidae, Tricorythidae) comprised from > 98% to 100% of the mayfly fauna at each site. Leptophlebiids and tricorythids were abundant only in the lower reaches. Mayfly species richness exhibited a unimodal pattern with the maximum at Site 4. Both headwater and middle reach dams greatly reduced species richness immediately downstream. Scrapers and collector-gatherers comprised the majority of the mayfly fauna at all sites. Filter-feeders were abundant only at Site 11 where Traverella albertana attained high densities.
Single-limb drop landing biomechanics in active individuals with and without a history of anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction: A total support analysis

Abstract Background The purpose of this study was to characterize the magnitude and distribution of the total support moment during single-limb drop landings in individuals after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction compared to a control group. Methods Twenty participants after reconstruction and twenty control participants matched on sex, limb dominance and activity level were recruited. Motion analysis was performed during a single-limb drop landing task. Total support moment was determined by summing the internal extensor moments at the ankle, knee, and hip. Each relative joint contribution to the total support moment was calculated by dividing each individual contribution by the total support moment. Data were captured during a landing interval that started at initial contact and ended at the lowest vertical position of the pelvis. Data were then time-normalized and indexed at 25, 50, 75, and 100% of the landing interval. Findings No between-group differences for total support moment magnitude were observed. At both 75% and 100% of the landing, the relative contribution of the knee joint was lower in those with a history of surgery ( p p =0.004). Interpretation In active participants after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction, relative contributions to anti-gravity support of the center of mass shifted from the knee to the hip joint during single-limb landing, which became evident towards the end of the landing interval.
Modeling of Nucleation and Growth Kinetics for Unseeded Batch Cooling Crystallization

Both primary and secondary nucleation rates are considered in a model developed for unseeded batch crystallization. A carefully designed strategy was employed to minimize the effects of the stochastic nature of induction time; nucleation was induced at designed supersaturations on known temperature plateaus. Crystallization kinetics of paracetamol from ethanolic solutions were extracted from measurements of in situ solute concentrations and combined with sieve (ex situ) data on the final product. Parameters in models for primary and secondary nucleation and for crystal growth rate were estimated by fitting a full population balance model to the measurements, and the evolution of the crystal size distribution was compared against in situ estimation from focused-beam reflectance measurements using the technique that we previously developed. The resulting models suggest that primary nucleation produces fewer surviving crystals than had been expected and that most of the product crystals from the process invo...
Doppler Echocardiography for the Estimation of LV Filling Pressure in Patients With Mitral Annular Calcification

Abstract Objectives This study sought to identify Doppler parameters useful for the assessment of left ventricular filling pressure (LVFP) in patients with mitral annular calcification (MAC) and to develop and validate a decision algorithm for assessing LVFP in such patients. Background Predicting LVFP in the presence of MAC is problematic. Methods Prospectively, 50 patients with MAC (mean 72 ± 11 years of age) underwent a complete Doppler echocardiographic study and right or left heart catheterization. Standard and nonstandard parameters of ventricular filling and relaxation were correlated with LVFP. Classification and regression tree analysis was used to develop a decision tree for prediction of LVFP. Validation was performed prospectively using an additional cohort with MAC and invasive hemodynamics (n = 21). Results In the initial study group, 26 patients had mild MAC, and 24 had moderate or severe MAC. Mean LVFP was 17.0 ± 8.1 mm Hg (range 4 to 50 mm Hg). Of the variables tested, the best predictor of LVFP was the ratio of early-to-late diastolic filling velocity (mitral E/A) (r = 0.66; p Conclusions The E/e′ ratio should not be used to estimate LVFP in subjects with significant MAC. However, mitral E/A ratio and IVRT are useful predictors of LVFP in this patient population. The proposed decision algorithm combining these Doppler parameters is accurate in estimating LVFP in patients with MAC.
Interactive Modeling of Smooth Manifold Meshes with Arbitrary Topology: G1 Stitched Bi-Cubic Bézier Patches

Abstract In this paper, we present a new piecewise parametric approach to obtain smooth surfaces from any given orientable 2-manifold polynomial control mesh. Our approach provides C 2 continuous Bi-Cubic Bezier patches that are guaranteed to be stitched with G 1 continuity regardless of the underlying mesh topology. A high level summary of the approach can be given as a two-step process: (1) Starting from an orientable 2-manifold mesh we apply vertex-insertion, which is remeshing algorithm of Catmull–Clark subdivision, to break that surface into a set of all quadrilateral patches. (2) for each such quadrilateral patch, we construct a Bi-Cubic Bezier patch, where the positions of the 16 control points are obtained from the limit surface of the Doo–Sabin subdivision scheme. This approach, when combined with topological modeling, provides a framework for real-time interactive modeling of smooth manifold meshes with arbitrary topology. Based on this approach, we have developed an interactive modeling system that allows users to work with smooth surfaces in real-time by opening or closing holes, creating handles, and combining and disconnecting surfaces. The paper has three main contributions: (1) We guarantee that our method will produce only smooth manifold meshes with C 2 continuous Bi-Cubic Bezier patches. (2) We guarantee visual smoothness for any arbitrary topological structure by providing geometric G 1 continuity in boundaries of patches. (3) We demonstrate that smooth surfaces with arbitrary topology can be created interactively in real-time using parametric patches.
Strategic Positioning and Asymmetric Cost Behavior

This paper examines the association between firms’ choice of strategic position and their cost behavior. Since a comprehensively executed strategy permeates most aspects of company operations, we hypothesize that the strategic positioning of a firm affects management decisions on resource commitments, which is reflected in systematic differences in the firm’s cost behavior. Using Compustat data from 1979-2012, we document evidence that firms pursuing a differentiation strategy exhibit greater cost stickiness, on average, as compared to firms pursuing a cost leadership strategy. Furthermore, this relationship between firms’ strategic positioning and cost behavior is moderated by the optimistic or pessimistic expectations of managers for future sales. This paper contributes to the literature on cost management by explaining how strategic positioning affects firms’ cost behavior using the framework of asymmetric cost behavior.
Awareness of state legislation on naloxone accessibility associated with willingness to prescribe naloxone

ABSTRACTBackground: Increasing rates of opioid-related deaths, state naloxone legislation changes, and negativity prompted investigation of predictive factors associated with willingness to prescribe naloxone to populations at risk of overdose, including knowledge of risk factors, assessment of persons at risk, awareness of legislative changes, perceptions of professional responsibility, and confidence around naloxone prescribing and distribution. Methods: Cross-sectional, Web-based, anonymous, voluntary survey to prescribers of 2 regional health care systems serving urban and rural North Dakota, northern Minnesota, and northwestern Wisconsin. Human subject research was approved by university and health care systems' institutional review boards. Results: Overall, 203 of 1586 prescribers responded; however, not all prescribers completed each survey item. A majority (89.4%, n = 127/142) of respondents had never prescribed naloxone for overdose prevention. Willingness to prescribe naloxone for 4 patient care...
Fluorescence-Activated Cell Sorting

Fluorescence-activated cell sorting, or FACS, is at times a misnomer, when referring to the actual flow cytometry technique. Flow cytometry is broadly utilized in biological research for the analysis of biological entities such as cells and organelles and is based on the detection of their physical and fluorescent characteristics. FACS, on the other hand, specifically refers to the flow cytometry-based technique that allows not only analysis but also the actual separation of cells or organelles based on light scattering and fluorescent parameters, and thus sorting should be used only when referring to the actual process of separation of cells using the flow cytometry technique. Flow cytometry and cell sorting in particular is one of the best, if not the best, technologies for multi-parameter single-cell analysis as of today, enabling detection of rare cellular events and resolution of distinct cell populations.
Molecular Characterization of Allospecific Cytotoxic T-Lymphocyte Recognition Sites in the HLA-A2 Molecule Using Oligonucleotide-Generated Site-Specific Mutants

The complexity and fine specificity of the allospecific T-cell response generated against the human HLA-A2.1 molecule and the characterization of the antigenic determinants that anti-HLA-A2 alloreactive CTLs recognize in the molecule has been analyzed using as targets, cell lines expressing HLA-A2 CTL-variants and the human rhabdomyosarcoma cell line (RD) transfected and expressing HLA-A2 mutants obtained by site-directed mutagenesis.
Pelvic infection after transvaginal ultrasound-guided ovum retrieval

Cette complication est survenue chez 3 malades parmi les 100 premieres ayant subi une aspiration d'ovules transvaginale
Markov Models for Identification of Significant Episodes.

We propose a new method for a reliable identification of statistically significant sequential episodes occurring within a window of size w in an event sequence modeled by a Markov source. As a measure of significance we use Ω∃(n,w), the number of windows containing the episode as a subsequence. We prove that Ω∃(n,w) is a sum of a φ-mixing sequence of random variables and obeys the central limit theorem. This leads us to a computational formula for a threshold to identify significant episodes. The novelty of our method for Markov source stems from the fact that, instead of scoring the whole sequence using a Markov model, we compute the expected value of Ω∃(n,w) and its variance in order to compute the threshold and compare it to the observed Ω∃(n,w). Since performance of the method critically depends on the model structure and parameters, we argue that variable order Markov models of event streams are superior to fixed order Markov models. We chose DNA sequences as event sources in experiments, and compared the performance of fixed order Markov models with interpolated Markov models. This paper is an extension of our previous work in [9, 2] where we considered the problem of the reliable The work of this author was supported by the NSF Grant CCR-0208709, and NIH grant R01 GM068959-01. Portions of this author’s work were supported by Grants EIA-9903545, IIS-0219560, IIS-0312357, and IIS-0242421 from the National Science Foundation, Contract N00014-02-1-0364 from the Office of Naval Research, by sponsors of the Center for Education and Research in Information Assurance and Security, and by Purdue Discovery Park’s e-enterprise Center. The work of this author was supported by the NSF Grant CCR-0208709, NIH grant R01 GM068959-01 and AFOSR Grant FA 8655-04-1-3074. detection of significant episodes for memoryless sources.
Macroglobulinemia: An Analysis for Forty Patients

Forty patients with Waldenstrom’s macroglobulinemia were evaluated for criteria of diagnosis, clinical presentation and course, response to therapy, and appropriateness of the classification primary or secondary. A wide spectrum of presentations, course, and complications were present. Thus, the major criteria for diagnosis was a monoclonal IgM serum protein abnormality present in concentrations greater than 1 g/100 ml. Clinical manifestations included weight loss, mucous membrane bleeding, presence of abnormal masses, lymphadenopathy, hepatosplenomegaly, peripheral neuropathy, and central nervous system abnormalities. A high incidence (60%) of associated malignancy was noted. The hyperviscosity syndrome was a frequent complication (33%). Alkylating drugs were successful in inducing remission in approximately 40% of the patients. Plasmapheresis was uniformly successful in relieving hyperviscosity. It was found that attempts to classify patients as primary or secondary frequently proved in error with long-term observation and as such should be discarded. Hypotheses of etiology are discussed and include the IgM proteins as: markers of a malignant lymphoid line, antibodies to microscopic or submicroscopic organisms related (or not related) to tumor induction, and antibodies to tumor-specific antigens. Firm evidence for any of these possibilities is not available.
Qigong intervention for breast cancer survivors with complaints of decreased cognitive function

The purpose of this pilot study was to evaluate the feasibility of an 8-week Qigong intervention to improve objectively and subjectively assessed cognitive function in breast cancer survivors who were 2 months to 8 years post completion of chemotherapy and radiation therapy. A randomized, single-blind, three-arm intervention pilot was conducted to compare Qigong to gentle exercise and survivorship support. Feasibility was measured by recruitment, group session attendance, and adherence to home practice for the two exercise groups. Changes in self-report and objectively measured cognitive function were compared between the three groups from baseline (T1) to completion of the intervention (T2) and 4 weeks post intervention (T3). Fifty participants consented (83% of desired sample) with an overall attrition rate of 28%. Attrition was highest for the gentle exercise group (50%). Group attendance adherence ranged from 44 to 67%. The a priori established rate of 75% weekly attendance was not achieved, nor was the goal of 75% adherence to home practice for the two exercise groups (7 to 41%). Self-report of cognitive function improved most for the Qigong group (p = .01). Improvement was demonstrated for the Trail Making A (gentle exercise, p = .007) and F-A-S verbal fluency (support group, p = .02) tests. Qigong participants reported the most reduction of distress (p = .02). The study results suggest that mindfulness-based exercise may be superior to gentle exercise alone or survivorship support for improving self-report of cognitive function and distress after treatment for breast cancer. The mindfulness component may enhance the positive impact of exercise on cognitive function.
Synthesis, hepatotoxic evaluation and antipyretic activity of nitrate ester analogs of the acetaminophen derivative SCP-1.

Abstract A series of nitrate ester analogues of the acetaminophen derivative SCP-1 were prepared by triflic acid catalyzed O-acylation of SCP-1 with chloroalkanoyl chlorides followed by nitration with silver nitrate. The chloroesters and corresponding nitrate esters were obtained in high yields. Preliminary hepatotoxicity studies revealed nitrate esters 5b (MD-38) and 5c (MD-39) to be well tolerated by human hepatocytes and had little effect on the three cytochrome P450 enzymes tested (CYP3A4, CYP2E1 and CYP2D6). In addition, the nitrate ester 5c (MD-39) exhibited antipyretic activity similar to acetaminophen.
What Types of Indicators Should Be Used to Capture Community Well-Being Comprehensively?

There is a plethora of community well-being indicators. I will make an attempt to help the reader make sense of community indicators by discussing them in terms of several distinctions, namely (1) indicators based on theories of community well-being; (2) individual versus community well-being; (3) input versus output indicators; (4) indicators focusing on the community at large versus indicators focusing on vulnerable segments; and (5) indicators of well-being versus indicators of ill-being. Based on these distinctions, I propose that a comprehensive set of community well-being indicators has to: (a) be grounded in well-established theory, (b) include indicators capturing well-being of community residents as well as the community as a social system, (c) include both input (action) as well as output (outcome) indicators, (d) capture the well-being of vulnerable segments of society, and (e) capture both community well-being as well as ill-being.
Economic Feasibility of Soybean Oil Production by Enzyme-Assisted Aqueous Extraction Processing

Aqueous oil extraction is an approach that could replace organic solvent extraction with water. Compared to typical solvent extraction and mechanical pressing processes, aqueous extraction has higher oil recovery (over 80%) than the mechanical pressing process, and resolve issues resulted from chemical loading and remaining in the hexane extraction. Proteases are used to assist free oil release from oil bodies by hydrolyzing cotyledon cell walls in aqueous extraction process. The resulting enzyme-assisted aqueous extraction process (EAEP) includes dehulling, flaking, extruding, enzymatic extraction, and enzymatic demulsification processes. SuperPro Designer was used to conduct a techno-economic analysis (TEA) of the extraction process. The total capital investment, operation cost, and profits were evaluated. During EAEP, insolubility of water and oil allows the simultaneous extraction of protein and oil. This decreases operation costs, especially the oil purification process, and therefore increases profits made from the main product (soybean oil). This simultaneous extraction also increases the profit towards the coproduct, i.e., protein in skim. Additionally, the absence of chemical and enzyme recycling contribute to the better economic value of EAEP. Despite the increase in facility costs due to extraction and demulsification units, the value-added coproduct extraction and high free oil yield contribute to the economic feasibility of EAEP in industrial- and commercial-scale productions when skim and insoluble fiber are used as water and carbohydrate supplies for integrated soy/corn ethanol biorefinery processing.
Rhetoric, Materiality, and the Disruption of Meaning: The Stadium as a Place of Protest:

Recently, athlete protests about social injustice have garnered much attention from fans and the media. An element frequently overlooked is the role of place in sports protests. Stadiums are iconic...
A dual-carrier adsorbate-modulated surface conductance model better captures the thermal dependence of conductance in TiO2 and MoO3 powders than an inter-grain hopping model

Non-Arrhenius thermal dependence of surface conductance has previously been observed in the transition-metal oxides TiO2 and MoO3. Through the application of thermochemical modeling, kinetic modeling, and analysis of equivalent resistance networks, it is shown that a dual-charge-carrier model in which the adsorbate surface coverage is modulated by bi-Langmuir adsorption is better able to capture the thermal dependence of surface conductance in these materials than a model based on the hypothesis that conductance is governed by bottlenecks to charge hopping between grains. Adsorption energies predicted by the dual-charge-carrier model are in agreement with estimates of the same from published first-principles calculations. Particle-size dependence of the conductance likely arises from the increasing importance of surface processes to charge transport with decreasing particle size, not from an increase in the number of inter-particle contacts.
Lindblad Exceptional Points in the Dynamics of A Dissipative Superconducting Qubit

The interaction of a quantum system with its environment leads to a steady state, with transients governed by non-Hermitian dynamics. Here, we study exceptional points in the dynamics of a dissipative superconducting circuit.
Unravelling the complex genetic regulation of immune cells

Genetic variation contributes to immune cell function. An unprecedented analysis of genetic associations with immune cell traits provides insights into the complex regulation of immune cells, reveals variants that coincidently influence immune traits and autoimmune disease risk, and offers specific therapeutic targets for these diseases.
Exact Recovery of Community Detection in k-Partite Graph Models with Applications to Learning Electric Potentials in Electric Networks

We study the vertex classification problem on a graph whose vertices are in $$k\ (k\ge 2)$$ different communities, edges are only allowed between distinct communities, and the number of vertices in different communities are not necessarily equal. The observation is a weighted adjacency matrix, perturbed by a scalar multiple of the Gaussian Orthogonal Ensemble (GOE), or Gaussian Unitary Ensemble (GUE) matrix. For the exact recovery of the maximum likelihood estimation (MLE) with various weighted adjacency matrices, we prove sharp thresholds of the intensity $$\sigma $$ of the Gaussian perturbation. Roughly speaking, when $$\sigma $$ is below (resp. above) the threshold, exact recovery of MLE occurs with probability tending to 1 (resp. 0) as the size of the graph goes to infinity. These weighted adjacency matrices may be considered as natural models for the electric network. Surprisingly, these thresholds of $$\sigma $$ do not depend on whether the sample space for MLE is restricted to such classifications that the number of vertices in each group is equal to the true value. In contrast to the $${{\mathbb {Z}}}_2$$ -synchronization, a new complex version of the semi-definite programming (SDP) is designed to efficiently implement the community detection problem when the number of communities k is greater than 2, and a common region (independent of k) for $$\sigma $$ such that SDP exactly recovers the true classification is obtained.
Semi-analytical solution of the ø4 theory on an F4 lattice

Investigating the cutoff dependence of the Higgs mass triviality bound, the o4 theory is formulated on an F4 lattice which preserves Lorentz invariance to a higher degree than the commonly used hypercubic lattice. I solve this model non-perturbatively by evaluating the high-temperature expansion through 13th order following the approach of Luscher and Weisz. The results are continued across the transition line into the broken phase by integrating the perturbative RG equations. In the broken phase, the renormalized coupling never exceeds two thirds of the three level unitarity bound when Λ / mR ⩾ 2. The results confirm recent Monte Carlo data and I obtain as an upper bound for the Higgs mass mR / ƒπ ⩽ 2.46 ± 0.02HTE ± 0.08PT at Λ / mR = 2.