cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
'Never again'. Model mugging: a therapeutic resource for the psychiatric nurse.

I was in a room that had no windows and a disorienting effect. No light reached the room from outside and the fluorescent light gave the cement walls a forbidding appearance. The only sound was of my footsteps as they ricocheted off the walls, making them seem louder than ever. I felt cut off from the outside world. I was nervous, and my heart was beating loudly. I tried to remain calm, grounded, and in the present moment, but my mouth was dry, my shoulders tense, and my mind unable to focus. Seemingly out of nowhere I was grabbed from behind. Without thinking, my right arm swung up and around, glancing the side of my attacker's head. As I swung to the right with my arm. I pinched my fingers together and struck at his eyes. I flopped to the floor, laying on my left side with my right leg raised knee-to-nose and my arm raised to protect my head, waiting for him to come after me. He jumped on top of me but I kicked him in the head three times. He raised his hands to his forehead, signaling that I had hit his head hard enough with the heal of the foot to knock him unconscious. I stood up over him, stomped my foot, and yelled "No! 9-1-1!" Only then was I aware of the women behind me, cheering me on as I defended myself against an assault in the Model Mugging Program.
Routine HIV testing in older adults.

The combination of low HIV literacy on the part of older adults and health care professionals’ assumption that they are at low risk leads to insufficiently early testing for HIV and late diagnosis. Virtual Mentor is a monthly bioethics journal published by the American Medical Association.
Functional status after operation for Ebstein anomaly: the Mayo Clinic experience.

Objectives The objective of this study was to review the long-term functional outcome of patients with Ebstein anomaly who had cardiac operation at our institution. Background Ebstein anomaly is a spectrum of tricuspid valvular and right ventricular dysplasia. Many patients will require operation in an attempt to improve quality of life. Methods From April 1, 1972, to January 1, 2006, 539 patients with Ebstein anomaly underwent 604 cardiac operations at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. Patient records were reviewed, and all patients known to still be alive were mailed a medical questionnaire or contacted by telephone. Results At the initial operation at our institution, the mean age of the patients was 24 years (range 8 days to 79 years) and 53% were female patients. Survival at 5, 10, 15, and 20 years was 94%, 90%, 86%, and 76%, respectively. Survival free of late reoperation was 86%, 74%, 62%, and 46% at 5, 10, 15, and 20 years, respectively. Surveys were returned by 285 of 448 (64%) patients known to be alive at the time of this study. Two hundred thirty-seven (83%) patients were in New York Heart Association functional class I or II, and 34% were taking no cardiac medication. One hundred three patients (36%) reported an incident of atrial fibrillation or flutter, 5 patients (2%) reported having had endocarditis, and 1 patient ( Conclusions Patients have good long-term survival and functional outcomes after undergoing surgery for Ebstein anomaly. Atrial arrhythmias are common both before and after surgery. Many patients have had one or more successful pregnancies with a low-recurrence risk of congenital heart disease.
Age-associated T-cell Clonal Expansions (TCE) in vivo—Implications for Pathogen Resistance

Age-related T-cell clonal expansions (TCE) are an incompletely understood disturbance in T-cell homeostasis found frequently in old humans and experimental animals. These accumulations of CD8 T-cells have the potential to distort T-cell population balance and reduce T-cell repertoire diversity above and beyond the changes seen in the aging of T-cell pool in the absence of TCE. This chapter discusses our current knowledge of the role of these expansions in health and disease, with a special focus on their influence upon immune defense against infectious diseases.
Platelet binding properties of monoclonal lupus autoantibodies produced by human hybridomas

The platelet binding properties of human monoclonal lupus autoantibodies have been studied. These IgM autoantibodies, produced by human X human hybridomas derived from lymphocytes of patients with systemic lupus erythematosus, are known to bind to single-stranded DNA. Four anti-DNA antibodies that express the dominant 16/6 idiotype--HF2-1/17, HF2-18/2, HF2-1/13b, and HF3-16/6--bound to glutaraldehyde-fixed platelets. In contrast, HF6-21/28, HF9-11/3, and polyclonal IgM bound poorly to platelets. [35S]Methionine was incorporated into HF2-1/17, and the interaction of the intrinsically radiolabeled HF2-1/17 with fixed platelets was evaluated in a solution phase radioimmunoassay. [35S]Methionine HF2-1/17 bound to fixed platelets and could be displaced by equivalent amounts of HF2-1/17, HF2-18/2, HF2-1/13b, and HF3-16/6. HF2-1/17 bound with greater affinity to fresh platelets and to thrombin-activated platelets than to glutaraldehyde-fixed platelets. Single-stranded DNA competed with platelets for the HF2-1/17 combining site. Treatment of fresh platelets with nuclease I, trypsin, chymotrypsin, and neuraminidase did not alter the binding of antibody to the platelet surface. No binding of antibody to phospholipid micelles was observed. Purified IgM autoantibodies did not inhibit platelet aggregation induced with ADP, thrombin, or ristocetin in platelet-rich plasma. These results indicate that the human IgM monoclonal anti-DNA autoantibodies that express the dominant 16/6 idiotype are polyspecific, bind to platelets, and interact with a platelet epitope that does not appear to involve DNA, protein, or sialic acid. These antibodies interact with platelets through the same sites responsible for antibody-DNA binding.
The Use of Aluminum Nanostructures in Plasmon-Controlled Fluorescence Applications in the Ultraviolet Toward the Label-Free Detection of Biomolecules

Fluorescence is widely used today in biomedical sensing and imaging applications. This requires tagging the target biomolecules with external fluorescent probes. A major disadvantage of tagging biomolecules externally is that it requires chemical modification, and additional incubation and washing steps. These modification steps are cumbersome and can potentially perturb the native functionality of the biomolecules. In this chapter, we discuss how aluminum nanostructures can potentially be employed in the ultraviolet region in various plasmon-controlled fluorescence applications to enhance the intrinsic emission of biomolecules and increase biomolecule detectability, thereby negating the need for tagging biomolecules externally thus overcoming the problems associated with it.
Das praktische Vorgehen im Überblick

Im nun folgenden zweiten Teil wird dargelegt, wie die fundamentalen Erkenntnisse aus dem ersten Teil im Rahmen eines Vorgehensmodells einzusetzen sind, welches die Realisierung ganzheitlicher, in ein Gesamtkonzept passender Losungen anstrebt. Grundsatzlich regelt ein Vorgehensmodell, nach welchen zeitlichen Gesichtspunkten die Planung, Entwicklung und Realisierung von Anwendungen zu erfolgen hat. Es unterteilt den Werdegang von Anwendungen in uberblickbare Phasen und ermoglicht damit einen schrittweisen Planungs-, Entscheidungs- sowie Konkretisierungsprozess. Daruber hinaus vermag ein geeignetes Vorgehensmodell die Wirkung des systemtheoretischen Vorge-hensprinzips vom Groben zum Detail (top-down) zu verstarken.
1.31 Dynamic Hydrogels

Dynamic hydrogels undergo structural changes in response to specific external stimuli, and the structural modification is accompanied by changes in the physical and chemical properties of the hydrogel. The ability to alter these properties in a controllable manner has allowed hydrogels to be employed in a diverse set of biomedical applications: targeted drug delivery, tissue engineering, molecule sensing, and autonomous control in biomedical devices. Temperature, pH, and ligand binding are some of the environmental cues that have been used to trigger changes in hydrogels. The stimuli work by altering the balance of intermolecular and intramolecular forces, such as hydrogen bonding and hydrophobic interactions, between the chains in the hydrogel and the solvent. In some cases, the conformational change is reversible, while for other mechanisms, the polymer structure is irreversibly altered. A variety of polymers, peptides, and nanoparticles have been used to create responsive hydrogels. The availability of a diverse range of materials allows the properties of the hydrogel to be tailored to the application of interest. This chapter reviews the historical development of dynamic hydrogels, discusses the various mechanisms by which the structural changes take place, and presents select biomedical applications where these materials are being employed.
Comic Books, Mock Trials, and Zombies: Engaging Integrative Biopsychology Themes in the Classroom:

Several topics in biopsychology can be used to explore the integrative process in the classroom. While many of these can be addressed in a straightforward lecture/discussion format, there are a var...
New mass spectrometry technologies contributing towards comprehensive and high throughput omics analyses of single cells

Mass-spectrometry based omics technologies - namely proteomics, metabolomics and lipidomics - have enabled the molecular level systems biology investigation of organisms in unprecedented detail. There has been increasing interest for gaining a thorough, functional understanding of the biological consequences associated with cellular heterogeneity in a wide variety of research areas such as developmental biology, precision medicine, cancer research and microbiome science. Recent advances in mass spectrometry (MS) instrumentation and sample handling strategies are quickly making comprehensive omics analyses of single cells feasible, but key breakthroughs are still required to push through remaining bottlenecks. In this review, we discuss the challenges faced by single cell MS-based omics analyses and highlight recent technological advances that collectively can contribute to comprehensive and high throughput omics analyses in single cells. We provide a vision of the potential of integrating pioneering technologies such as Structures for Lossless Ion Manipulations (SLIM) for improved sensitivity and resolution, novel peptide identification tactics and standards free metabolomics approaches for future applications in single cell analysis.
2018 Clinical Update in Liver Transplantation

Liver transplantation (LT) continues to be the gold standard for treating end-stage liver disease, and challenges that are posed to the anesthesiologist during transplantation are well known. Successful liver transplantation requires knowledge, recognition, and treatment of hemodynamic and metabolic disturbances by the anesthesiologist. End-stage liver disease causes unique derangements to the clotting cascade, increasing risk both for hemorrhagic and thrombotic events. Cirrhotic cardiomyopathy may be masked for years because of low systemic vascular resistance in cirrhosis, and overt heart failure can be precipitated by LT. Surveys of high-volume transplant centers show an overall transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) use rate of 95%. Guidelines on the use of TEE in LT have mirrored safety findings in several studies and suggest TEE may be used for patients with esophageal varices if the benefit outweighs the risk. This review will cover organ system dysfunction in liver cirrhosis and the implications for liver cirrhosis patients and review recent advances in pathophysiology and treatments. In addition, the authors will highlight the concept of enhanced recovery after surgery and how it pertains to the LT patient population. Lastly, the authors review recent advances in organ preservation and optimization.
A comparison of drone imagery and ground-based methods for estimating the extent of habitat destruction by lesser snow geese (Anser caerulescens caerulescens) in La Pérouse Bay

Lesser snow goose (Anser caerulescens caerulescens) populations have dramatically altered vegetation communities through increased foraging pressure. In remote regions, regular habitat assessments are logistically challenging and time consuming. Drones are increasingly being used by ecologists to conduct habitat assessments, but reliance on georeferenced data as ground truth may not always be feasible. We estimated goose habitat degradation using photointerpretation of drone imagery and compared estimates to those made with ground-based linear transects. In July 2016, we surveyed five study plots in La Perouse Bay, Manitoba, to evaluate the effectiveness of a fixed-wing drone with simple Red Green Blue (RGB) imagery for evaluating habitat degradation by snow geese. Ground-based land cover data was collected and grouped into barren, shrub, or non-shrub categories. We compared estimates between ground-based transects and those made from unsupervised classification of drone imagery collected at altitudes of 75, 100, and 120 m above ground level (ground sampling distances of 2.4, 3.2, and 3.8 cm respectively). We found large time savings during the data collection step of drone surveys, but these savings were ultimately lost during imagery processing. Based on photointerpretation, overall accuracy of drone imagery was generally high (88.8% to 92.0%) and Kappa coefficients were similar to previously published habitat assessments from drone imagery. Mixed model estimates indicated 75m drone imagery overestimated barren (F2,182 = 100.03, P < 0.0001) and shrub classes (F2,182 = 160.16, P < 0.0001) compared to ground estimates. Inconspicuous graminoid and forb species (non-shrubs) were difficult to detect from drone imagery and were underestimated compared to ground-based transects (F2,182 = 843.77, P < 0.0001). Our findings corroborate previous findings, and that simple RGB imagery is useful for evaluating broad scale goose damage, and may play an important role in measuring habitat destruction by geese and other agents of environmental change.
Racialized Structural Vulnerability: Neighborhood Racial Composition, Concentrated Disadvantage, and Fine Particulate Matter in California.

This study contributes to previous research by advancing a “racialized structural vulnerability” framework and presenting a new empirical analysis of the relationship between neighborhood Asian, Black, and Latinx composition; extrinsic and intrinsic vulnerability; and PM2.5 exposures in California with secondary data from 2004–2014. Principal component analyses revealed that tract Latinx composition was highly correlated with extrinsic vulnerability (economic disadvantage and limited English-speaking ability), and that tract Black composition was highly correlated with intrinsic vulnerability (elevated prevalence of asthma-related emergency department visits and low birth weight). Spatial lag regression models tested hypotheses regarding the association between Asian, Black, and Latinx population vulnerability factors and the 2009–2011 annual average PM2.5 percentile rankings, net of emissions and spatial covariates. Results indicated that the percent Latinx population, followed by the regional clustering of PM2.5, and the percent of non-Latinx Black and non-Latinx Asian population were the strongest positive multivariable correlates of PM2.5 percentile rankings, net of other factors. Additional analyses suggested that despite shifting demographic and spatial correlates of 2012–2014 PM2.5 exposures, the tracts’ Black and Latinx composition and location in the San Joaquin Valley remain important vulnerability factors with implications for future research and policy.
Associations Between Midlife (but Not Late-Life) Elevated Coronary Heart Disease Risk and Lower Cognitive Performance: Results From the Framingham Offspring Study.

It is unclear how coronary heart disease (CHD) risk across the adult life span affects late-life cognition. We estimated associations of midlife and late-life elevated CHD risk with cognitive trajectories (general cognitive performance, processing speed/executive function, memory) in later life (after age 55 years or age 70 years) among 2,892 Framingham Offspring Study participants who had completed CHD risk assessments approximately every 4 years since 1971 and had undergone neuropsychological testing between 1999 and 2014. We stratified analyses by apolipoprotein E gene (APOE) Ɛ4 allele carrier status. Using linear mixed-effects models, elevated CHD risk in midlife (age 55 years) was associated with lower levels of general cognitive performance (β = -0.560 standard deviation (SD) units, 95% confidence interval (CI): -0.874, -0.246), executive function (β = -0.624 SD units, 95% CI: -0.916, -0.332), and memory (β = -0.560 SD units, 95% CI: -0.907, -0.213) at age 70 years but not with rates of cognitive change. Late-life (age 70 years) elevated CHD risk, however, was associated with somewhat better levels of general cognitive performance and memory. There were associations between duration of elevated CHD risk during midlife and levels (but not trajectories) of later-life cognitive outcomes. Associations were not modified by APOE-ɛ4 status. These findings suggest that midlife elevated CHD risk is associated with lower cognition, independently of APOE-ɛ4 status, suggesting that risk of vascular disease may not contribute a "second hit" to AD risk.
Timing, Sites, and Correlates of Lung Cancer Recurrence

Abstract Introduction Understanding temporal and anatomic patterns of lung cancer recurrence could guide disease management and monitoring. However, these data are not available in population-based datasets and are not routinely recorded in clinical trials. Materials and Methods We identified cases of stage 1 to 3 lung cancer diagnosed January 1, 2000, to December 31, 2017, in the tumor registry of a National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer center. For cases with documented disease recurrence, we recorded anatomic site(s) and timing. We estimated time to recurrence using Kaplan-Meier methods. Associations between case characteristics and recurrence features were assessed using univariable and multivariable logistic regression models and Cox regression models. Results A total of 1619 cases of stage 1 to 3 lung cancer from 1549 patients were included in the analysis. Of these, 466 (30%) patients developed recurrent lung cancer. The most common type of first recurrence was distant disease, most commonly central nervous system (CNS) (37%). In multivariable analyses, race (P = .02) and primary treatment modality (P Conclusion In this single-center series of stage 1 to 3 lung cancer, recurrent disease was associated with race, histology, and treatment modality, and most commonly occurred in the CNS. Modulation of clinical and radiographic disease monitoring according to recurrence risk, timing, and site may offer a means to identify future lung cancer when it remains asymptomatic and highly treatable.
Is obesity a risk factor for readmission after acute myocardial infarction

Abstract Introduction and objectives Hospital readmissions are a major concern in terms of both cost and quality of care. The purpose of this study was to determine which patients were more likely to experience hospital readmissions after acute myocardial infarction in order to help develop more targeted programs and policies. Patients and materials and methods The 2014 Nationwide Readmissions Database was used to calculate the national readmission rate by patient characteristics. All U.S. patients who presented to the hospital with acute myocardial infarction in 2014 and incurred a readmission were included in this analysis. The main outcome of interest was the rate of readmission by obesity. Obesity was measured using the comorbidity indicator found in the dataset. National secondary data of a sample of U.S. hospital discharges was used to measure hospital readmission rates. Bivariate analysis and logistic regression were used to determine if a significant relationship existed between readmissions and the patient characteristics. For this purpose odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval has been calculated. Results There were 11.66% hospital readmissions in the database. Non-obese adults were 21% less likely to be readmitted than obese adults. Non-obese patients were 21.2% less likely to be readmitted than obese patients (OR 0.788, CI 0.751–0.827, p-value Conclusions The Hospital Readmissions Reduction Program has been effective at reducing hospital readmissions. However, greater focus needs to be placed on reducing hospital readmissions for patients with chronic conditions, especially obesity.
Photochemical and nonthermal chemical modification of porous silicon for biomedical applications

Abstract: Hydrogen-terminated silicon (Si) in the form of single crystals, nanocrystalline porous silicon (PSi), or nanoparticles is fairly unreactive. Thermal reactions often require high temperatures and long reaction times to induce significant reaction. Photochemical and nonthermal activation open up a number of reaction pathways in controlled and mild conditions. Substitution of hydrogen atoms can stabilize the surface, passivating it electrically and chemically. The formation of Si–O–R and Si–C–R moieties facilitates further chemical transformations that allow for the anchoring of species as varied as hydrocarbons and proteins with the possibility of direct patterning. This review begins with a discussion of the fundamentals of Si–H bond activation and then specifically investigates a variety of activation schemes from ultraviolet (UV) and white light irradiation through radical initiators to sonochemistry and microwaves.
Chapter 16 – Methane Hydrates

Publisher Summary Methane hydrate is an ice-like substance composed of cages of water molecules enclosing a molecule of methane gas. Methane hydrate forms at high pressure and low temperature, where sufficient gas is present, and generally in two types of geological settings: in the Arctic, where hydrate forms beneath permafrost, and beneath the ocean floor at water depths greater than about 500 meters. The two major technical constraints to production are: the need to detect and quantify methane hydrate deposits prior to drilling; and the demonstration of methane production from hydrate at commercial volumes. Modelling of small-volume production tests in the US and Canadian Arctic suggest that commercial production is possible using depressurization and thermal stimulation from conventional wellbores. Large-scale production tests are planned in the Canadian Arctic in the winter of 2008 and in the US Arctic in the following year. Demonstration of production from offshore deposits will lag behind Arctic studies by three to five years, because marine deposits are less well documented and marine sampling and well tests are significantly more expensive. Although there are significant conventional natural gas resources available at that time, production of methane from hydrate is expected to proceed in areas lacking adequate indigenous natural gas supplies and in areas with underutilized infrastructure. Methane hydrate could become a major energy source within 20 years of the first commercial production, paralleling the development of coal-bed methane.
The autonomic nervous system differentiates between levels of motor intent and end effector

While attempting to bridge motor control and cognitive science, the nascent field of embodied cognition has primarily addressed intended, goal-oriented actions. Less explored, however, have been unintended motions. Such movements tend to occur largely beneath awareness, while contributing to the spontaneous control of redundant degrees of freedom across the body in motion. We posit that the consequences of such unintended actions implicitly contribute to our autonomous sense of action ownership and agency. We question whether biorhythmic activities from these motions are separable from those which intentionally occur. Here we find that fluctuations in the biorhythmic activities of the nervous systems can unambiguously differentiate across levels of intent. More important yet, this differentiation is remarkable when we examine the fluctuations in biorhythmic activity from the autonomic nervous systems. We find that when the action is intended, the heart signal leads the body kinematics signals; but when the action segment spontaneously occurs without instructions, the heart signal lags the bodily kinematics signals. We conclude that the autonomic nervous system can differentiate levels of intent. Our results are discussed while considering their potential translational value.
Current Status of Instagram Utilization by Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Residency Programs: A Comparison With Related Dental and Surgical Specialties

Purpose The utility of social media in oral and maxillofacial surgery (OMS) residency programs has never been investigated, despite the increasing popularity of such platforms in academic medicine. As a specialty that strives for constant innovation, it is important for OMS programs to participate in the emerging concept of incorporating social media into medical and surgical education. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the use of Instagram in OMS residency programs in the United States. Methods A cross-sectional study of Instagram search data was performed. The Instagram accounts of OMS residency programs were searched, and their metrics were retrieved from June 1 to June 5, 2020. Factors correlated with the total number of followers were identified. The use of Instagram in OMS residency programs was compared with that in other related dental and surgical residency programs. Results Only 17 (18.7%) of 91 OMS residency programs had an Instagram account. The number of programs with Instagram accounts exhibited linear growth (R2 = 0.98) since December 2018. The median number of followers was 326 (range, 94 to 2,152), and the median number of posts was 9 (range, 2 to 40). The number of Instagram followers was positively correlated with the number of accounts followed, the number of total posts, and the number of educational posts, and it was negatively correlated with the Instagram engagement rate. Instagram presence did not differ among residency programs for orthodontics (18.2%), periodontics (5.5%), and OMS (P = .067). However, Instagram presence in OMS residency programs was significantly lower than that in plastic surgery (74.7%; P Conclusions Instagram use in OMS residency programs is growing but is significantly lower than that in related surgical fields. This may represent a missed opportunity for promoting collaboration and efficiently delivering useful information to trainees.
The Use and Non-Use of Contracts in the Manufacturing Industry

Editor’s Note: For a number of years the author has been engaged in a study (which is continuing) of the use and nonuse of contracts by business. He has interviewed lawyers and businessmen from at least 75 firms, corresponded with at least 100 other businessmen, collected the form contracts used by about 850 firms, and read the cases involving the 500 largest manufacturing corporations.
Sellars on Rational Agency as Presupposing Collective Attitudes

Sellars inherits the Kantian idea that “to say that man is a rational animal, is to say that man is a creature not of habits, but of rules” (“Language, Rules and Behavior,” p. 298). For familiar Wittgensteinian reasons, conceptual activity cannot be rule-following activity. Sellars therefore articulates a via media between rule-following activity and mere rule-conforming behavior—something he calls pattern-governed behavior. The task is to explain how pattern-governed behavior is related to rules without being rule-following—and without assimilating it to mere rule-conforming behavior.
Univ. of California at Berkeley’s HYPER System

The University of California at Berkeley’s HYPER system is aimed at synthesizing real-time applications, and includes transformations, scheduling, data path synthesis, module binding, and controller design.
Physiological Correlates of Aggression in Adolescent Females

vii Statement of the Problem 1 Review of the Literature 3 Aggression 3 Physical Aggression 4 Relational Aggression 6 Consequences of Aggressive Behavior 8 Development of Aggression 10 Physiological Correlates of Aggression 16 Genetic and Environmental Influences on Cortisol 18 Cortisol and Aggressive Behavior 20 α-amylase and Aggression 24 Confounds in Physiological Research 26 Methods 30 Participants 30
Energy-Architecture Tuning for ECC-Based RFID Tags

The implementation of Elliptic Curve Cryptography (ECC) on small microcontrollers is challenging. Past research has therefore emphasized performance optimization: pick a target architecture, and minimize the cycle count and footprint of the ECC software. This paper addresses a different aspect of resource-constrained ECC implementation: given the application profile, identify the most suitable architecture parameters. At the highest level, an application profile for ECC-based RFID tags is defined by the required security level, signature generation latency and the available energy/power budget. The target architecture parameters of interest include core-voltage, core-frequency, and/or the need for hardware acceleration. The paper brings two contributions to this complex design space exploration problem. First, we introduce a prototype setup for the precise energy measurement of a microcontroller-based ECC implementation. Second, we present a methodology to derive and optimize the architecture parameters starting from the application requirements. We demonstrate our methodology on a MSP430F5438A microcontroller, and present the energy/architecture design space for 80-bit and 128-bit security-levels, for prime field curves secp160r1 and nistp256.
Optimal Pebbling on Grids

Given a distribution of pebbles on the vertices of a connected graph G, a pebbling move is defined as the removal of two pebbles from some vertex and the placement of one of these on an adjacent vertex. The pebbling number of a graph G is the smallest integer k such that for each vertex v and each distribution of k pebbles on G there is a sequence of pebbling moves that places at least one pebble on v. We say such a distribution is solvable. The optimal pebbling number of G, denoted $$\varPi _{OPT}(G)$$?OPT(G), is the least k such that some particular distribution of k pebbles is solvable. In this paper, we strengthen a result of Bunde et al. relating to the optimal pebbling number of the 2 by n square grid by describing all possible optimal configurations. We find the optimal pebbling number for the 3 by n grid and related structures. Finally, we give a bound for the analogue of this question for the infinite square grid.
New considerations in the diagnosis and therapy of deep vein thrombosis.

ABSTRACT:The cause of thrombosis is often unknown but is universally ascribed to part of Virchow's triad: stasis, hypercoagulability, and intimal injury. Venous thromboembolic disease is a common and costly medical problem, with iliofemoral deep vein thrombosis (IFDVT) being a less common but often
Exports and Productivity - Comparable Evidence for 14 Countries by The International Study Group on Exports and Productivity

We use comparable micro level panel data for 14 countries and a set of identically specified empirical models to investigate the relationship between exports and productivity. Our overall results are in line with the big picture that is by now familiar from the literature: Exporters are more productive than non-exporters when observed and unobserved heterogeneity are controlled for, and these exporter productivity premia tend to increase with the share of exports in total sales; there is strong evidence in favor of self-selection of more productive firms into export markets, but nearly no evidence in favor of the learning-by-exporting hypothesis. We document that the exporter premia differ considerably across countries in identically specified empirical models. In a meta-analysis of our results we find that countries that are more open and have more effective government report higher productivity premia. However, the level of development per se does not appear to be an explanation for the observed cross-country differences.
Does Ownership Structure Affect Corporations' Responses to Lower Dividend Tax Rates? An Analysis of Public and Private Banks

The Jobs and Growth Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2003 (JGTRRA) significantly reduces the maximum tax rate imposed on dividend income received in 2003 through 2008 by individual shareholders. Using data from call reports filed with the Federal Reserve Board, we investigate whether federally regulated bank holding companies (BHCs) increased dividend distributions after JGTRRA. By focusing on BHCs, we are able to compare the responses to this important but temporary change in tax policy across publicly-traded and privately-held corporations, while controlling for industry-related factors. Examining private firms' dividend payouts and reactions to JGTRRA allows us to estimate the effect of differential taxation on dividend policy in a setting that is relatively free of the information asymmetry and agency problems that may dominate the payout decisions of public firms. We find that dividend yield (i.e. dividend distributions deflated by assets) increased after the reduction of the dividend tax rate for both private and public BHCs. However, private BHCs increased dividend payouts to a greater extent than most public BHCs. Our findings have implications for tax policy and for understanding differences between public and private firms.
Genetic differentiation of Glossina morsitans centralis populations

Variation at mitochondrial and microsatellite loci was used to study the breeding and dispersal structure of Glossina morsitans centralis, in six natural populations from Botswana, the Caprivi Strip (Namibia), Zambia, and in a laboratory culture derived from Singida, Tanzania. Only seven mitochondrial haplotypes were found. Mean diversity averaged over the six natural populations was 0.216 ± 0.085. The fixation index FST = 0.866 indicated a high degree of genetic differentiation among populations. Fifty-three alleles were detected among six microsatellite loci and six natural populations. Mean microsatellite diversity was 0.702 ± 0.091. Depending on the estimating model used, fixation indices varied from 0.15 to 0.225 confirming that G. m. centralis populations are strongly subdivided. For all FST estimates, positive correlations were detected between pair-wise genetic distance measures and geographical distances. The difference in fixation indices estimated from mitochondrial or nuclear loci was explained by the greater sensitivity of mitochondrial genomes to genetic drift. Population differentiation can be explained by genetic drift and the subsequent recovery of extant populations from small, discontinuous populations. These data confirm genetically the collapse and retreat of G. m. centralis populations caused by the rinderpest epizootic of the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
Medical imaging with laser-polarized noble gases

The field of medical imaging with polarized rare gases, just five years old, has brought optical scientists together with medical researchers to perfect techniques and pursue new opportunities for biomedical research. This review, written for the likely reader of these volumes, aims to present the field from several perspectives. The historical perspective shows how applications of nuclear polarization for experiments in nuclear and particle physics led to techniques for production of large quantities of highly polarized 3He that are increasingly reliable and economical. The atomic/optical physics perspective details the underlying processes of optical pumping, polarization, and relaxation of the rare gases. The biomedical perspective describes work to data and the potential applications of imaging in medicine and research.
Secondary abdominal pregnancy

Abstract Ten cases of secondary abdominal pregnancy have been studied as a basis for this discussion. While recognizing the possibility of primary abdominal pregnancy, we are of the opinion that its occurrence must be exceedingly rare. The incidence of secondary abdominal pregnancy in our series, reported here, is 0.28 per cent. A relatively long period of sterility preceding the ectopic gestation was a common factor in this series. Pelvic infection, on the other hand, did not seem to play a noticeable part in predisposing the patients to the development of secondary abdominal pregnancy. Although at times a history of disturbed menses was suggestive of ectopic pregnancy, we do not find that it was a guide in diagnosing secondary abdominal pregnancy. Progressive lower abdominal pain, associated with constantly increasing constipation, was an outstanding symptom. The location of the placenta within the abdomen and its tendency to attach itself to the left colon offers an anatomical explanation for both of these symptoms. Abnormal uterine bleeding occurred in six of the 10 cases; while this was a diagnostic aid in pointing to the probability of ectopic gestation, it did not suggest the presence of secondary abdominal pregnancy. Similarly, the laboratory investigation was in no way pathognomonic of this condition. The treatment of secondary abdominal pregnancy is ultimately surgical. Of necessity, surgical judgment alone can determine the time for operation. Preoperative blood transfusion of patients presenting a marked secondary anemia is the one most valuable therapeutic agent in minimizing surgical risk. In addition, postoperative blood transfusions may be employed to great advantage. The surgical management of the attached portions of the placenta will always represent the major problem in any individual case of intraabdominal pregnancy. As reported in this series, we have employed removal of detached fragments of the placenta together with insertion of gauze pack drainage which allows the remaining attached portions to marsupialize. In this series, two deaths followed operation, thus making a 20 per cent mortality. The placenta in one of these patients had produced a complete obstruction of the bowel by its massive implantation in the sigmoid. The patient at the time of operation was practically moribund. The second death might have been prevented had we been able to obtain blood for transfusion prior to operation.
Efficient Selection of a Set of Good Enough Designs With Complexity Preference

Many automation or manufacturing systems are large, complex, and stochastic. Since closed-form analytical solutions generally do not exist for such systems, simulation is the only faithful way for performance evaluation. From the practical engineering perspective, the designs (or solution candidates) with low complexity (called simple designs) have many advantages compared with complex designs, such as requiring less computing and memory resources, and easier to interpret and to implement. Therefore, they are usually more desirable than complex designs in the real world if they have good enough performance. Recently, Jia (IEEE Trans. Autom. Sci. Eng., vol. 8, no. 4, pp. 720-732, Oct. 2010) discussed the importance of design simplicity and introduced an adaptive simulation-based sampling algorithm to sequentially screen the designs until one simplest good enough design is found. In this paper, we consider a more generalized problem and introduce two algorithms OCBA-mSG and OCBA-bSG to identify a subset of m simplest and good enough designs among a total of K (K >; m) designs. By controlling the simulation allocation intelligently, our approach intends to find those simplest good enough designs using a minimum simulation time. The numerical results show that both OCBA-mSG and OCBA-bSG outperform some other approaches on the test problems.
A Fast and Stable Incremental Clustering Algorithm

Clustering is a pivotal building block in many data mining applications and in machine learning in general. Most clustering algorithms in the literature pertain to off-line (or batch) processing, in which the clustering process repeatedly sweeps through a set of data samples in an attempt to capture its underlying structure in a compact and efficient way. However, many recent applications require that the clustering algorithm be online, or incremental, in the that there is no a priori set of samples to process but rather samples are provided one iteration at a time. Accordingly, the clustering algorithm is expected to gradually improve its prototype (or centroid) constructs. Several problems emerge in this context, particularly relating to the stability of the process and its speed of convergence. In this paper, we present a fast and stable incremental clustering algorithm, which is computationally modest and imposes minimal memory requirements. Simulation results clearly demonstrate the advantages of the proposed framework in a variety of practical scenarios.
Relationships between College Experiences and Alumni Participation in the Community

This investigation examined relationships between college experiences and alumni participation in community organizations. College experiences were measured by participation in college activities and by perceptions of college contribution to developing intellectual and personal skills. Participation in activities during college was a substantial predictor of alumni participation in community organizations. Perceptions of college contribution to developing intellectual and personal skills were significantly related to alumni participation in community organizations but did not explain significant variance in alumni participation.
A Model for Sulfhydryl Groups in Proteins. Hydrophobic Interactions of the Cysteine Side Chain in Micelles

A number of long chain N-acyl-glycines, N-acyl-dl-serines, and N-acyl-dl-cysteines have been synthesized by means of the mixed anhydride method. The critical micelle concentrations of the sodium salts of these compounds have been determined with the dye method. These values in the cysteine series are only half as high as in the glycine and serine series, i.e. the micelles of the cysteine derivatives are more stable. From these observations one may conclude that the cysteine side chain participates in the hydrophobic bonding system of the micelle. Moreover, the quantitative comparison of the values of the critical micelle concentrations leads to the conclusion that the CH2SH group has the same effect on the micelle stability as a methylene group of the hydrocarbon tail of the compounds investigated. Therefore, there is justification for the recently voiced assumptions of the hydrophobic nature of the cysteine side chain in proteins.
Bounding the entropic region via information geometry

This paper suggests that information geometry may form a natural framework to deal with the unknown part of the boundary of entropic region. An application of information geometry shows that distributions associated with Shannon facets can be associated, in the right coordinates, with affine collections of distributions. This observation allows an information geometric reinterpretation of the Shannon-type inequalities as arising from a Pythagorean style relationship. The set of distributions which violate Ingleton's inequality, and hence are linked with the part of the entropic region which is yet undetermined, is shown also to have a surprising affine information geometric structure in a special case involving four random variables and a certain support. These facts provide strong evidence for the link between information geometry and characterizing the boundary of the entropic region.
Transient Plasma Induced Production of OH and its Effects on Ignition in Atmospheric CH4-AIR Quiescent Mixtures (Postprint)

Abstract : Transient plasma from a 60 kV, 70 ns pulse induced OH production in air and CH4/air quiescent mixtures inside a cylindrical chamber is analyzed. The resulting OH from the plasma discharge, ignition, and subsequent combustion is analyzed using planar laser induced fluorescence. A high-framing-rate camera was also used to image ignition and flame propagation in the chamber, providing spatial and temporal resolution over the entire combustion event. Results indicate OH structures produced during the discharge in humid, ambient air are less branched, thicker, and last longer when compared to structures in CH4/dry-air. Transient plasma successfully ignited the CH4/air mixture, populating the discharge volume with radicals. Mean OH number densities produced by the discharge were found to decay within 100 s of the plasma. Ignition under these conditions was found to occur approximately 1 ms after the discharge along the anode, creating multiple ignition kernels whose proximity to the anode is consistent with the region of highest field and, thus, maximum radical density.
Response to Dinjens et al.

To the Editor: We appreciate the comments and literature cited made by Drs Dinjens, Dubin, and Wagner (1) concerning the accuracy of MLH1 promoter hypermethylation analysis to discriminate between somatic and germline abnormalities of the MLH1 gene in colorectal cancers with loss of MLH1 and PMS2 proteins. As mentioned, the usefulness of MLH1 promoter hypermethylation testing in performing this distinction was discussed in the guidelines.
Geochemical characterization of tubular alteration features in subseafloor basalt glass

Abstract There are numerous indications that subseafloor basalts may currently host a huge quantity of active microbial cells and contain biosignatures of ancient life in the form of physical and chemical basalt glass alteration. Unfortunately, technological challenges prevent us from observing the formation and mineralization of these alteration features in situ, or reproducing tubular basalt alteration processes in the laboratory. Therefore, comprehensive analysis of the physical and chemical traces retained in mineralized tubules is currently the best approach for deciphering a record of glass alteration. We have used a number of high-resolution spectroscopic and microscopic methods to probe the geochemical and mineralogical characteristics of tubular alteration features in basalt glasses obtained from a suite of subseafloor drill cores that covers a range of different collection locations and ages. By combining three different synchrotron-based X-ray measurements – X-ray fluorescence microprobe mapping, XANES spectroscopy, and μ-XRD – with focused ion beam milling and transmission electron microscopy, we have spatially resolved the major and trace element distributions, as well as the oxidation state of Fe, determined the coordination chemistry of Fe, Mn and Ti at the micron-scale, and constrained the secondary minerals within these features. The tubular alteration features are characterized by strong losses of Fe2+, Mn2+, and Ca2+ compared to fresh glass, oxidation of the residual Fe, and the accumulation of Ti and Cu. The predominant phases infilling the alteration regions are Fe3+-bearing silicates dominated by 2:1 clays, with secondary Fe- and Ti-oxides, and a partially oxidized Mn-silicate phase. These geochemical patterns observed within the tubular alteration features are comparable across a diverse suite of samples formed over the past 5–100 Ma, which shows that the microscale mineralization processes are common and consistent throughout the ocean basins and throughout time. The distributions of Ti and Cu are distinct between tubular mineralization and the crack-filling minerals and thus delineate sequential stages of fluid–rock interaction. The preserved chemistry of clay and oxide mineralization in the tubular alteration then represents a common precursor state (e.g. Ti accumulation), that has not yet undergone recrystallization (e.g. titanite formation) as observed in many older, metamorphosed examples of tubular alteration.