cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Medical diagnosis versus legal determination of death

This summary of the medical and legal descriptions of death notes that the physician makes a medical diagnosis of death, the physician then makes the legal pronouncement of death, and that statute or the courts make the legal determination of death. Medical diagnosis of death follows either the common law standard of total cessation of cardiac and respiratory function or the medically accepted standards of brain death, the latter being based on irreversible loss of brain function. Cessation of cardiorespiratory function inevitably causes brain death; similarly, brain death inevitably causes cessation of cardiac function. The common law definition of death has been redefined: death is brain death which inevitably causes cessation of the cardiorespiratory functions. Legal determination of death, since the advent of cadaver organ transplantation, has been made by case law, which is briefly summarized, or by statute in most jurisdictions. The history of the Uniform Determination of Death Act is briefly summarized; this observer joins those recommending adoption of this Act. A table gives the rules or statutes that determine death in 36 U.S. jurisdictions.
The evaluation of syncope with electrophysiologic studies.

An electrophysiologic study is appropriate in patients with syncope that remains unexplained after a complete clinical, neurologic, and noninvasive cardiovascular evaluation. The purpose of the electrophysiologic study is to uncover a potential arrhythmic cause of syncope. Because arrhythmias severe enough to cause transient loss of consciousness may potentially cause sudden death, electrophysiologic studies may play a critical role in the diagnostic evaluation of patients with occult but potentially lethal arrhythmias.
SU-G-JeP2-08: Image-Guided Radiation Therapy Using Synthetic CTs in Brain Cancer

Purpose: Synthetic-CTs(synCTs) are essential for MR-only treatment planning. However, the performance of synCT for IGRT must be carefully assessed. This work evaluated the accuracy of synCT and synCT-generated DRRs and determined their performance for IGRT in brain cancer radiation therapy. Methods: MR-SIM and CT-SIM images were acquired of a novel anthropomorphic phantom and a cohort of 12 patients. SynCTs were generated by combining an ultra-short echo time (UTE) sequence with other MRI datasets using voxel-based weighted summation. For the phantom, DRRs from synCT and CT were compared via bounding box and landmark analysis. Planar (MV/KV) and volumetric (CBCT) IGRT performance were evaluated across several platforms. In patients, retrospective analysis was conducted to register CBCTs (n=34) to synCTs and CTs using automated rigid registration in the treatment planning system using whole brain and local registration techniques. A semi-automatic registration program was developed and validated to rigidly register planar MV/KV images (n=37) to synCT and CT DRRs. Registration reproducibility was assessed and margin differences were characterized using the van Herk formalism. Results: Bounding box and landmark analysis of phantom synCT DRRs were within 1mm of CT DRRs. Absolute 2D/2D registration shift differences ranged from 0.0–0.7mm for phantom DRRs on all treatment platforms and 0.0–0.4mm for volumetric registrations. For patient planar registrations, mean shift differences were 0.4±0.5mm (range: −0.6–1.6mm), 0.0±0.5mm, (range: −0.9–1.2mm), and 0.1±0.3mm (range: −0.7–0.6mm) for the superior-inferior(S-I), left-right(L–R), and anterior-posterior(A-P) axes, respectively. Mean shift differences in volumetric registrations were 0.6±0.4mm (range: −0.2–1.6mm), 0.2±0.4mm (range: −0.3–1.2mm), and 0.2±0.3mm (range: −0.2–1.2mm) for S-I, L–R, and A–P axes, respectively. CT-SIM and synCT derived margins were within 0.3mm. Conclusion: DRRs generated via synCT agreed well with CT-SIM. Planar and volumetric registrations to synCT-derived targets were comparable to CT. This validation is the next step toward clinical implementation of MR-only planning for the brain. The submitting institution has research agreements with Philips Healthcare. Research sponsored by a Henry Ford Health System Internal Mentored Grant.
Picking up the Pieces

Even before the final capitulation of Germany and Japan in 1945 the Managers had turned their thoughts to the post-war future. The decision they took, to restore ‘normal’ pre-war capacity and services as soon as practicable, had no obvious alternative. From it followed the consequences which were to dominate the rebuilding programme in the first decade or so after the war: the purchase of US-built ‘Victory’ and ‘Liberty’ ships as a stop-gap measure to improve capacity; the speedy reconditioning of the existing fleet to meet Blue Funnel standards; and a programme of accelerated building to produce a fleet of some 60 or so well-equipped modern vessels by 1960 which would be able to service traditional Blue Funnel trades at their traditional levels.
The Crisis Unfolds

During the prologue to the crisis, the economy expanded along with consumer confidence and home prices. As mentioned toward the end of Chapter 4, the US had a “pleasant problem” because money was easy to come by, the Federal Reserve kept interest rates historically low, and the federal government was spending at historically high levels.1 Unfortunately, the good times could not last forever. By mid-2006, house prices in most regions of the country peaked (see Figure 4.7). Soon thereafter, borrowers ran into trouble with their mortgage debt because of rising interest rates on adjustable-rate mortgages or an inability to refinance. As borrowers struggled financially, so too did investors and financial institutions who owned MBSs, home mortgages, and other financial products tied to real estate. As the bubble in residential real estate burst, a financial crisis ensued. It was not long before the financial distress caused a decline in real activity. Indeed, between October 2007 and October 2008, $8 trillion in stock market wealth was lost and the economy officially slipped into a recession in December 2007.2 This chapter explains the first financial crisis of the twenty-first century as well as its spread to the real sector.
In vivo characterization of regenerative peripheral nerve interface function.

Objective Regenerative peripheral nerve interfaces (RPNIs) are neurotized free autologous muscle grafts equipped with electrodes to record myoelectric signals for prosthesis control. Viability of rat RPNI constructs have been demonstrated using evoked responses. In vivo RPNI characterization is the next critical step for assessment as a control modality for prosthetic devices. Approach Two RPNIs were created in each of two rats by grafting portions of free muscle to the ends of divided peripheral nerves (peroneal in the left and tibial in the right hind limb) and placing bipolar electrodes on the graft surface. After four months, we examined in vivo electromyographic signal activity and compared these signals to muscular electromyographic signals recorded from autologous muscles in two rats serving as controls. An additional group of two rats in which the autologous muscles were denervated served to quantify cross-talk in the electrode recordings. Recordings were made while rats walked on a treadmill and a motion capture system tracked the hind limbs. Amplitude and periodicity of signals relative to gait were quantified, correlation between electromyographic and motion recording were assessed, and a decoder was trained to predict joint motion. Main results Raw RPNI signals were active during walking, with amplitudes of 1 mVPP, and quiet during standing, with amplitudes less than 0.1 mVPP. RPNI signals were periodic and entrained with gait. A decoder predicted bilateral ankle motion with greater than 80% reliability. Control group signal activity agreed with literature. Denervated group signals remained quiescent throughout all evaluations. Significance In vivo myoelectric RPNI activity encodes neural activation patterns associated with gait. Signal contamination from muscles adjacent to the RPNI is minimal, as demonstrated by the low amplitude signals obtained from the Denervated group. The periodicity and entrainment to gait of RPNI recordings suggests the transduced signals were generated via central nervous system control.
Numerical approximation of viscoelastic fluids

Stable finite element schemes are developed for the solution of the equations modeling the flow of viscoelastic fluids. In contrast with classical statements of these equations, which introduce the stress as a primary variable, these schemes explicitly involve the deformation tensor and elastic energy. Energy estimates and existence of solutions to the discrete problem are established for schemes of arbitrary order without any restrictions on the time step, mesh size, or Weissenberg number. Convergence to smooth solutions is established for the classical Oldroyd–B fluid. Numerical experiments for two classical benchmark problems verify the robustness of this approach.
The Shuttle Imaging Radar (SIR-A) sensor and experiment

The SIR-A acquired images which cover about 10 million square kilometers in different regions around the world. These images are being analyzed to assess the capability of spaceborne radar sensor for geologic mapping and earth observation. An overview of the data acquired and preliminary science results will be presented.
Hyperbola: Under Construction!

SummaryWe show how a perspective illusion in a picture of a building under construction leads to the design of a classical linkage for drawing a hyperbola.
Role of positivity in blind deconvolution (Conference Presentation)

Blind deconvolution is an important problem arising in many engineering and scientific applications, ranging from imaging, communication to computer vision and machine learning. Classical techniques to solve this highly ill posed problem exploit statistical priors on the signals of interest. In recent times, there has been a renewed interest in deterministic approaches for blind deconvolution, whereby, using the novel idea of "lifting", the non-convex blind deconvolution problem can be cast as a semidefinite program. Using suitable subspace assumptions on the unknown signals, precise theoretical guarantees can be derived on the number of measurements needed to perform blind deconvolution. In this paper, we will address the problem of positive sparse blind deconvolution, where the signals of interest exhibit positivity (alongside sparsity) either naturally, or in appropriate transform domains. Important applications of positive blind deconvolution include image deconvolution and positive spike detection. We will show that positivity is a powerful constraint that can be exploited to cast the blind deconvolution problem in terms of a simple linear program that can be theoretically analyzed. We will explore the questions of uniqueness and identifiability, and develop conditions under which the linear program reveals the true positive sparse solution. Numerical results will demonstrate the superior performance of the proposed approach.
Appetite and Gut Hormones Response to a Putative α-Glucosidase Inhibitor, Salacia Chinensis, in Overweight/Obese Adults: A Double Blind Randomized Controlled Trial

Animal studies indicate Salacia reduces body weight, possibly due to its α-glucosidase inhibitor (α-GI) properties, but this has not been examined previously. In this study, a randomized, placebo-controlled, three-way cross-over design was used to evaluate whether Salacia Chinensis (SC) reduces appetite in healthy overweight/obese individuals (body mass index 28.8 ±3.6 kg/m²; 32 ± 12 years). Forty-eight participants were fasted overnight and consumed a dose of SC (300 or 500 mg) or placebo with a fixed breakfast meal at each visit. Appetite sensations, glycemic indices and gastrointestinal peptides were measured. Results indicated that SC had no effect on postprandial appetite. However, in women, hunger was reduced by SC compared to placebo at multiple time points (300 mg; p < 0.05), but not in men. Area under the curve (AUC) for serum glucose, insulin and amylin was attenuated with SC compared to placebo (p < 0.05). Glucagon like peptide-1 had two peaks after the meal, but the AUC did not differ between groups. The AUC of peak areas for peptide YY and ghrelin were greater for SC than placebo (p < 0.05). These findings indicate that Salacia decreases glycemic indices supporting its role as an α-GI, and affects certain gastrointestinal peptides suggesting it may be an appetite modulator.
Enter the Nanoman.

How do you explain a topic like cancer nanotechnology to non-experts? Nicole Steinmetz illustrates an approach combining science and the performing arts.
Curtains and Canvas: Spanish Painters on the Nineteenth-Century Stage

Among the many legacies of the Enlightenment and Romanticism in Spain was an increased interest in history and historical subjects, amply on display in plays written by Montiano, Cadalso, Moratin, ...
Coupled-Channel Analysis of N* Photoproduction

Experiments involving πN and γN scattering provide data that may be represented in terms of energy-dependent partial-wave amplitudes. A determination of these amplitudes requires a sufficiently varied and high-quality data base, supplemented by various theoretical constraints. It is further necessary to parametrize the energy dependence of these amplitudes in order to extract pole positions and decay amplitudes for nucleon resonances. For consistency, such parametrizations require a coupled-channels framework. This paper describes a novel multichannel, multiresonance method for parametrizing πN and γN amplitudes, and presents some preliminary results of fits. In addition, quark-model predictions are presented as a guide to suggest promising future experimental studies of nucleon resonances.
Decision Errors, Organizational Iatrogenesis, and Errors of the Seventh Kind

This paper offers a framework for understanding how management decision errors may lead to iatrogenic outcomes. Organizational iatrogenesis is the unintentional genesis of qualitatively different p...
Palliative Radiotherapy as a Treatment for Carcinoma Invasion of the Sacrum: An Observational Case Series Study.

BACKGROUND/AIM Radiotherapy for carcinoma invasion of the sacrum (CIS) is an alternative treatment to surgery in patients with advanced, inoperable tumors or those not medically eligible for resection of the neoplasm. Herein we present an observational study of patients with imaging-confirmed CIS who were treated non-operatively with radiation. PATIENTS AND METHODS A retrospective chart review of CIS patients treated with palliative radiotherapy (PR) during a 9-year period (2004-2013) was performed. RESULTS Six women and 13 men with an average age of 60 years took part in this study. Most patients (84%) exhibited extrasacral metastases. Primary tumors included lung (n=6), colorectal (n=6), breast (n=3), bladder or kidney (n=2), and liver carcinoma or a tumor in an unknown primary site (n=2). The mean follow-up time was 10 months with a 2-year survival rate of 9%. The majority (71%) of symptomatic patients obtained relief from pain following PR. Half of those individuals who were non-ambulatory prior to therapy regained mobility. There were no acute ill-effects or later complications after irradiation. CONCLUSION Despite the small cohort and poor overall survival rate, non-operative radiation treatment is a beneficial method of palliative care in patients with CIS.
New models for instruction: Fusing the ACRL Framework and Roles and Strengths of Teaching Librarians to promote the lifelong learning of teaching librarians

The ACRL Framework for Information Literacy for Higher Education’s emphasis on curiosity, creativity, engagement, and metacognition can guide librarians in designing meaningful learning experiences for students. Inspiring students to learn is arguably contingent upon our sustained engagement as teachers. Can we facilitate and inspire learning without building and expanding our skills and harboring a certain joie de vivre for teaching? To put it bluntly, don’t we have to put on our own masks first? How do we establish habits of mind that nourish our skills and our spirits so that we can remain engaged throughout our teaching lifespans?
E-125 Short-Term In-Hospital Outcomes of Thrombolysis for Acute Ischemic Stroke Patients with Non-Primary Brain Tumors and Deficiency Anemias

Background Intravenous thrombolysis remains an underutilized treatment for acute ischemic stroke (AIS) due to several relative and absolute contraindications. Previous studies have found similar outcomes after thrombolysis between AIS patients with benign brain tumors and AIS patients without. This study aims to investigate short-term outcomes of thrombolytic treatment for the greater majority of AIS patients who have no history of primary brain tumors, particularly those with deficiency anemias. Methods This retrospective cohort study utilized data from the 2012–2015Q3 Nationwide Inpatient Sample (NIS). ICD-9 codes identified adult patients (ages 18+) who suffered acute ischemic stroke and received intravenous thrombolysis, and then further isolated patients diagnosed with anemia. Data for patients who were missing important clinical identifiers (age, gender, race, mortality), did not receive IV thrombolysis, and had primary brain tumors (benign or malignant) were excluded. Data analyses assessed hospital mortality rate, length of stay (LOS), inpatient charges, and average age of admission. Results Of the 24,692 encounters with AIS patients treated with thrombolysis and had no history of primary brain tumors, 3,276 were diagnosed with anemia. Mean mortality rate was significantly increased (8.2% anemia vs. 6.7% no anemia, p = 0.002). Mean LOS was significantly longer (8.11 days anemia vs. 6.07 days no anemia, p Average total charges were significantly increased ($109,278.95 anemia vs. $82,529.99 no anemia, p Average age at admission was significantly older (69.38 years anemia vs. 66.69 years no anemia, p Conclusion This study aims to inform physicians to better manage AIS patients receiving IV thrombolysis with anemia and no history of primary brain tumors. These patients experience higher mortality rate, longer LOS, increased total hospital charges, and older age at admission than those without anemia. These findings suggest that placing clinical focus on the coexisting deficiency anemia before administering IV thrombolysis for AIS may be critical for improving short-term in-hospital outcomes. Future research should aim to investigate different thrombolytic agents to determine the most optimal choice for patients with anemia. Disclosures K. Tong: None. A. Wang-Selfridge: None. P. Brauer: None.
Generalization of the Kelvin equation for arbitrarily curved surfaces

Abstract Capillary condensation, which takes place in confined geometries, is the first-order vapor-to-liquid phase transition and is explained by the Kelvin equation, but the equation's applicability for arbitrarily curved surface has been long debated and is severe problem. Recently, we have proposed generic dynamic equations for moving surfaces. Application of the equations to the vapor/fluid interfaces in chemical equilibrium conditions nearly trivially solves the generalization problem for the Kelvin equation. The equations are universally true for any surfaces: atomic, molecular, micro or macro scale, real or virtual, Riemannian or pseudo-Riemannian, active or passive.
Fast noise in the Landau-Zener theory

We study the influence of a fast noise on Landau-Zener transitions. We demonstrate that a fast colored noise much weaker than the conventional white noise can produce transitions itself or can change substantially the Landau-Zener transition probabilities. In the limit of fast colored or strong white noise we derive asymptotically exact formulas for transition probabilities and study the time evolution of a spin coupled to the noise and a sweeping magnetic field.
Safety of Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors in Patients With Pre-Existing Inflammatory Bowel Disease and Microscopic Colitis

PURPOSE:Enterocolitis is among the leading adverse events associated with immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs). There are limited retrospective data regarding the safety of ICIs in patients with inf...
COVID-19 Transmission Dynamics and Effectiveness of Public Health Interventions in New York City during the 2020 Spring Pandemic Wave

New York City experienced a large COVID-19 pandemic wave during March - May 2020. We model the transmission dynamics of COVID-19 in the city during the pandemic and estimate the effectiveness of public health interventions (overall and for each major intervention separately) for the entire population and by age group. We estimate that the overall effective reproductive number was 2.99 at the beginning of the pandemic wave and reduced to 0.93 one week after the stay-at-home mandate. Most age groups experienced similar reductions in transmission. Interventions reducing contact rates were associated with a 70.7% (95% CI: 65.0 - 76.4%) reduction of transmission overall and >50% for all age groups during the pandemic. Face covering was associated with a 6.6% (95% CI: 0.8 - 12.4%) reduction of transmission overall and up to 20% for 65+ year-olds during the first month of implementation. Accounting for the amount of time masks are in use (i.e. mainly outside homes), these findings indicate universal masking could reduce transmission by up to 28-32% when lockdown-like measures are lifted, if the high effectiveness estimated for older adults were achieved for all ages. These estimates are verified by out-of-fit projections and support the need for implementing multiple interventions simultaneously in order to effectively mitigate the spread of COVID-19.
The factorization theory of Thom spectra and twisted nonabelian Poincaré duality

We give a description of the factorization homology and E n topological Hochschild cohomology of Thom spectra arising from n –fold loop maps f : A → B O , where A = Ω n X is an n –fold loop space. We describe the factorization homology ∫ M Th ( f ) as the Thom spectrum associated to a certain map ∫ M A → B O , where ∫ M A is the factorization homology of M with coefficients in A . When M is framed and X is ( n − 1 ) –connected, this spectrum is equivalent to a Thom spectrum of a virtual bundle over the mapping space Map c ( M , X ) ; in general, this is a Thom spectrum of a virtual bundle over a certain section space. This can be viewed as a twisted form of the nonabelian Poincare duality theorem of Segal, Salvatore and Lurie, which occurs when f : A → B O is nullhomotopic. This result also generalizes the results of Blumberg, Cohen and Schlichtkrull on the topological Hochschild homology of Thom spectra, and of Schlichtkrull on higher topological Hochschild homology of Thom spectra. We use this description of the factorization homology of Thom spectra to calculate the factorization homology of the classical cobordism spectra, spectra arising from systems of groups and the Eilenberg–Mac Lane spectra H ℤ ∕ p , H ℤ ( p ) and H ℤ . We build upon the description of the factorization homology of Thom spectra to study the ( n = 1 and higher) topological Hochschild cohomology of Thom spectra, which enables calculations and a description in terms of sections of a parametrized spectrum. If X is a closed manifold, Atiyah duality for parametrized spectra allows us to deduce a duality between E n topological Hochschild homology and E n topological Hochschild cohomology, recovering string topology operations when f is nullhomotopic. In conjunction with the higher Deligne conjecture, this gives E n + 1 –structures on a certain family of Thom spectra, which were not previously known to be ring spectra.
Catalyst carbonylation: a hidden, but essential, step in reaction initiation

The proliferation of increasingly useful reactions for hydrogen transfer in organic synthesis has included the introduction of many new homogeneous catalysts into the organic synthesis lexicon. Unlike the proliferation of palladium-based cross-coupling reactions in which the mechanism is generally conserved, we are learning that these emerging hydrogen transfer catalysts have a rich diversity of mechanisms for catalyst activation, speciation, C–H bond cleavage and formation, and ultimately deactivation. We find that an underappreciated commonality in the catalytic activation for some of these systems is the generation of a (carbonyl)metal group, which dominates the downstream speciation of the catalyst system. In this mini-review we highlight a few well-documented cases of this phenomenon as food for thought for those who are designing new catalytic systems to introduce into this dynamic and impactful area.
Recombination rate analysis in long minority carrier lifetime mid-wave infrared InGaAs/InAsSb superlattices

Gallium is incorporated into the strain-balanced In(Ga)As/InAsSb superlattice system to achieve the same mid-wave infrared cutoff tunability as conventional Ga-free InAs/InAsSb type-II superlattices, but with an additional degree of design freedom to enable optimization of absorption and transport properties. Time-resolved photoluminescence measurements of InGaAs/InAsSb superlattice characterization- and doped device structures are reported from 77 to 300 K and compared to InAs/InAsSb. The low-injection photoluminescence decay yields the minority carrier lifetime, which is analyzed with a recombination rate model, enabling the determination of the temperature-dependent Shockley–Read–Hall, radiative, and Auger recombination lifetimes and extraction of defect energy levels and capture cross section defect concentration products. The Shockley–Read–Hall-limited lifetime of undoped InGaAs/InAsSb is marginally reduced from 2.3 to 1.4 μs due to the inclusion of Ga; however, given that Ga improves the vertical hole mobility by a factor of >10×, a diffusion-limited InGaAs/InAsSb superlattice nBn could expect a lower bound of 2.5× improvement in diffusion length with significant impact on photodetector quantum efficiency and radiation hardness. At temperatures below 120 K, the doped device structures are Shockley–Read–Hall limited at 0.5 μs, which shows promise for detector applications.
Moving Toward Family-Centered Early Care and Education: The Past, the Present, and a Glimpse of the Future

Over the past 4 decades, early care and education programs in the United States have struggled to overcome obstacles to active parent and family participation, especially in the wake of recent welfare reform guidelines requiring parents to work outside the home. This article highlights the vision and activities of four Wisconsin Early Childhood Centers for Excellence, which offer family-centered services along with services to young children. Using various strategies, these programs have empowered parents and strengthened bonds between parents and professionals. Their success suggests that new models based on family-centered goals can improve the overall quality of early care and education for young children.
The Criminal Psychopath Revealed: Assessment, Recidivism, Treatment and Neuroscience

Psychopathy and substance abuse are severe, co-morbid clinical disorders associated with significant civil and criminal disruption. Significant strides have been made in understanding how substance abuse and psychopathy predict institutional behavior, criminal recidivism, and treatment outcome. However, little is understood in terms of the neural systems associated with these disorders and how they interact - which limits treatment efforts designed to remediate risk factors associated with relapse to substance abuse and criminal behavior. One complicating factor is that clinical research with incarcerated populations is hampered by the limited availability of noninvasive imaging systems. The Mind Mobile Imaging System was designed to help address this issue. In the first two years of deployment, the Mind Mobile Imaging system has been used to collect more than 1000 brain imaging sessions with incarcerated populations. This body of research has led to important discoveries of regarding the neural systems associated with psychopathy and substance abuse. These results significantly advance our understanding of psychopathy and substance abuse and may lead directly to novel cognitive behavioral treatment programs designed to remediate risk factors associated with these clinical conditions.
Mead, Margaret (1901–1978)

Margaret Mead was the United States’ best-known anthropologist of the twentieth century and a pioneering scholar on the subjects of sex and gender. Mead's major contributions to the study of sex and gender are reflected in four important works: Coming of Age in Samoa (1928), Growing Up in New Guinea (1930), Sex and Temperament in Three Primitive Societies (1935), and Male and Female (1949). These works were written for a broad reading public and addressed her interest in the relationship between biology and culture. Critiques of these works include Derek Freeman's two deeply flawed books on Mead and Coming of Age in Samoa. Mead's later years are reviewed in terms of her alleged influence on the “sexual revolution” of the 1960s, and her writing for an audience of young American women, including her Redbook columns on sex and changing women's roles. Keywords: anthropology; gender identity and role; sexuality in non-Western cultures; the Pacific
Optimal asymmetric encryption

Given an arbitrary k-bit to k-bit trapdoor permutation f and a hash function, we exhibit an encryption scheme for which (i) any string x of length slightly less than k bits can be encrypted as f(rx), where r x is a simple probabilistic encoding of x depending on the hash function; and (ii) the scheme can be proven semantically secure assuming the hash function is “ideal.” Moreover, a slightly enhanced scheme is shown to have the property that the adversary can create ciphertexts only of strings for which she “knows” the corresponding plaintexts—such a scheme is not only semantically secure but also non-malleable and secure against chosen-ciphertext attack.
The Post-Announcement Performance of Diversifying Firms

We apply the Fama-French three factor model to returns from a sample of specialized firms that announced an economic diversifying event over the period from 1978 through 1992. In addition to full-sample results, we report results for sub-samples of firms that refocus within 60 months of the diversification announcement, as well as for firms that were acquired, and firms that experienced financial distress. Finally, we compare long-run monthly post-announcement returns to pre-announcement returns. We find mixed evidence, with positive immediate impacts and only weak indications of negative long-run consequences.
School-Based Health Clinics: The Role for Nutrition

Abstract There are three primary areas for nutrition intervention in schools: direct nutrition care in a school-based health clinic, school meals, and nutrition education in the classroom and of school staff. Dietitians can positively affect students' nutrition health by providing nutrition guidance in the clinic and by creating a positive nutrition environment in the school through increased nutrition education in the classroom and healthful, tasty meals in the cafeteria. J Am Diet Assoc. 1997;97(suppl 2):S117–S119.
Influence of Additives on Enhanced In vitro Shoot Multiplication of Orthosiphon aristatus (Blume) Miq.

Orthosiphon aristatus is a valuable medicinal plant and different parts of the plant are pharmaceutically used for the treatment of various diseases. The present study was designed to develop an efficient protocol for micropropagation of O. aristatus from nodal explants and to study the influence of additives on the enhancement of the number of shoots per explant. Among the different types of additives used, 10% coconut water and 30 mg/L glutamine added to Murashige and Skoog’s (MS) medium supplemented with 1.0 mg/L 6-benzyl amino purine (BAP) and 0.5 mg/L kinetin (KIN) was found to be most effective. Maximum number of shoots (44.07 ± 0.38) with 100% shooting response and shoot length of 7.47 ± 0.10 cm was recorded. In vitro rooting of the microshoots was achieved on half-strength MS medium containing 0.5 mg/L indole-3-butyric acid (IBA), producing an average of 30.27 ± 0.36 roots and 6.02 ± 0.20 cm root length. The rooted shoots were acclimatized with 100% survival rate on coco pith: soil (3:1) planting substrate and was successfully transferred to field conditions. The hardened plants exhibited homogeneity and no morphological variations were observed among the regenerants and the mother plants. Thus, the procedure described is a quick and reliable method which could be applied for efficient large-scale propagation, genetic transformation assays and secondary metabolite production.
A 9-mo randomized clinical trial comparing fat-substituted and fat-reduced diets in healthy obese men: the Ole Study

BACKGROUND Dietary fat has been implicated as a risk factor for cardiovascular disease and obesity. OBJECTIVE We evaluated the effect on body weight, body fat, lipids, glucose, and insulin of replacing dietary fat with olestra in moderately obese men. DESIGN Forty-five healthy overweight men were randomly assigned to 1 of 3 diets: control diet (33% fat), fat-reduced diet (25% fat), or fat-substituted diet (one-third of dietary fat replaced by olestra to achieve a diet containing 25% metabolizable fat). Body fat was measured by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry and visceral and subcutaneous abdominal fat by computed tomography. RESULTS Thirty-six men completed the 9-mo study. Body weight and body fat in the fat-substituted group declined by a mean (+/- SEM) of 6.27 +/- 1.66 and 5.85 +/- 1.34 kg, respectively, over 9 mo compared with 3.8 +/- 1.34 and 3.45 +/- 1.0 kg in the control group and 1.79 +/- 0.81 and 1.68 +/- 0.75 kg in the fat-reduced diet group. At 9 mo, the mean difference in body fat between the fat-reduced and fat-substituted groups was -4.19 +/- 1.19 kg (95% CI: -6.57, -1.81), that between the control and fat-substituted groups was -2.55 +/- 1.21 kg (-0.13, -4.97), and that between the control and fat-reduced groups was 1.63 +/- 1.18 kg (3.96, -0.70). The men eating the fat-reduced diet asked for almost no extra foods, in contrast with the significantly higher requests (P < 0.05) from both of the other 2 groups. CONCLUSION Replacement of dietary fat with olestra reduces body weight and total body fat when compared with a 25%-fat diet or a control diet containing 33% fat.
Compensatory stepping in Parkinson's disease is still a problem after deep brain stimulation randomized to STN or GPi

The effects of deep brain stimulation (DBS) on balance in people with Parkinson's disease (PD) are not well established. This study examined whether DBS randomized to the subthalamic nucleus (STN; ...
The Influence of Measurement Parameters on the Specific Rotation of Amino Acids

The effects of solute and hydrochloric acid concentrations on optical rotation were studied using 20 naturally occuring amino acids.There appeared to be no common factor among the amino acids as far as the inclination of optical rotation was concerned. Lutz-Jirgenson’s rule could be applied to few amino acids in the cationic form. Therefore, in the determination of the optical rotation, the concentration of the solute, nature of solvent and temperature must be rigorously controlled. The optical conditions of measurement and the specific rotation of 20 amino acids were recommended based on this work.
Immunomodulatory activities of extracellular metallothionein I. Metallothionein effects on antibody production

Extracellular metallothionein (Zn,Cd-MT) has previously been shown to be a potent inducer of lymphocyte proliferation and to synergize with polyclonal activators in proliferation assays. In this report, the effects of metallothionein on the development of humoral responsiveness are examined. In vivo, the specific anti-ovalbumin (OVA) IgG response was diminished by co-injection of Zn, Cd-MT, while total IgG levels remained unchanged. A similar reduction was also observed when Zn,Cd-MT was administered during the development of an anti-sheep red blood cell (sRBC) humoral response. When amounts of Zn and Cd equimolar to that associated with the Zn, Cd-MT were co-injected with OVA, humoral responsiveness was enhanced, in contrast to the suppression seen with Zn, Cd-MT. Apothionein lacking the available thiols associated with native Zn, Cd-MT had no effect on the development of humoral immunity. These results point to the thiols associated with the protein as the important determinants in the observed immunosuppression and this is supported by the capacity of UC1MT, a new monoclonal anti-MT antibody, to reverse MT mediated immunosuppression. No evidence was found to suggest that Zn,Cd-MT was interacting directly with OVA. Finally, in vitro experiments with LPS-stimulated splenocyte production of IgM correlated with the in vivo observations of Zn,Cd-MT. These data provide evidence for a significant role for MT in the development of metal-mediated immunomodulation and suggest that MT may also possess immunomodulatory functions under circumstances where MT is synthesized in the absence of heavy metal stress. Furthermore, it may be possible to take advantage of this system to exogenously manipulate the development of the immune response.
Does Government Spending Crowd Out Donations of Time and Money

The authors examine data on giving and volunteering to determine whether public provision of social services and other public goods affects donations of time and money and provides evidence of crowding out. They find a negative and statistically significant relationship between government spending and donations of money and time. They also find that volunteers have demographic and other characteristics that are associated with high values of time and money.
One-Dimensional Steady Inviscid Flow Through a Stenotic Collapsible Tube

A one-dimensional inviscid solution for flow through a compliant tube with a stenosis is presented. The model is used to represent an artery with an atherosclerotic plaque and to investigate a range of conditions for which arterial collapse may occur. The coupled equations for flow through collapsible tubes are solved using a Runge-Kutta finite difference scheme. Quantitative results are given for specific physiological parameters including inlet and outlet pressure, flow rate, stenosis size, length and stiffness. The results suggest that high-grade stenotic arteries may exhibit collapse with typical physiological pressures. Critical stenoses may cause choking of flow at the throat followed by a transition to supercritical flow with tube collapse downstream. Greater amounts of stenosis produced a linear reduction of flow rate and a shortening of the collapsed region. Changes in stenosis length created proportional changes in the length of collapse. Increasing the stiffness of the stenosis to a value greater than the nominal tube stiffness caused a greater amount of flow limitation and more negative pressures, compared to a stenosis with constant stiffness. These findings assist in understanding the clinical consequences of flow through atherosclerotic arteries.
PCSK9 Inhibitors: A New Era in Lipid-Lowering Treatment?

In this issue, Navarese and colleagues' meta-analysis provides important preliminary information on clinical outcomes of PCSK9 inhibitors as the U.S. Food and Drug Administration considers approval...
The epigenome as a target for heritable environmental disruptions of cellular function

The environment is a well-established source of damaging or disrupting influences on cellular function. In the past, studies of the mechanisms by which such disruptions occur have focused largely on either direct toxic effects on cellular function at the protein or cell signaling level, or mutagenic effects that impact the genome. In recent years there has been a growing appreciation for the potential for environmental influences to disrupt the epigenome and mechanisms of epigenetic regulation within the cell. Indeed, because of the inherent lability of the epigenome, this represents a primary target for environmentally induced disruption. This review summarizes the manner in which the epigenome normally regulates cellular function, the effects of disruptions on this function, and the manner in which such disruptions may or may not be corrected within the organism and/or transmitted to subsequent generations.
Medical Practice under the Clinton Reforms -- Avoiding Domination by Business

The Clinton proposal for health care reform is based on managed competition, as are the alternatives offered by Republicans in the Senate and by a bipartisan group in the House of Representatives. ...
Association of increased plasma lipid levels with brain stimulation.

Abstract Twenty-four fasting animals were given a total meal of 1 ml. of cream by intubation and stimulated in the hypothalamic region. Pre- and post-stimulation blood specimens were analyzed for triglycerides, cholesterol and phospholipids. An equal number of control animals were sham operated, fed and identically treated except for stimulation. In the stimulated animals significant increases were observed in plasma levels of triglyceride, cholesterol and phospholipids within seventy-five minutes after the test meal was administered and 15 minutes following stimulation. The experiment was repeated with an equal number of animals treated identically except for omission of the test meal. No significant differences were observed between stimulated and nonstimulated animals in any of the variables examined, except triglycerides, when feeding was omitted. Gastric Motility was not altered by hypothalamic stimulation. The association between rapid increases in plasma lipid levels, especially in the cholesterol and phospholipid moieties, and hypothalamic stimulation after lipid feeding, is discussed in terms of a possible neural influence on liver function.
Optimal foraging and fitness in Columbian ground squirrels.

Optimal diets were determined for each of 109 individual Columbian ground squirrels (Spermophilus columbianus) at two sites in northwestern Montana. Body mass, daily activity time, and vegetation consumption rates for individuals were measured in the field, along with the average water content of vegetation at each ground squirrel colony. I also measured stomach and caecal capacity and turnover rate of plant food through the digestive tract for individuals in the laboratory to construct regressions of digestive capacity as a function of individual body mass. Finally, I obtained literature estimates of average daily energy requirements as a function of body mass and digestible energy content of vegetation. These data were used to construct a linear programming diet model for each individual. The model for each individual was used to predict the proportion of two food types (monocots and dicots) that maximized daily energy intake, given time and digestive constraints on foraging. Individuals were classified as “optimal” or “deviating”, depending on whether their observed diet was significantly different from their predicted optimal diet. I determined the consequences of selecting an optimal diet for energy intake and fitness. As expected, daily energy intake calculated for deviators (based on their observed diet proportion) was less than that for optimal foragers. Deviating foragers do not appear to compensate for their lower calculated energy intake through other factors such as body size or physiological efficiency of processing food. Growth rate, yearly survivorship, and litter size increase with calculated energy intake, and optimal foragers have six times the reproductive success of deviators by age three. Optimal foraging behavior, therefore, appears to confer a considerable fitness advantage.
PROSTITUTION AS A RECKLESS ENTERPRISE

Walter C. Reckless's «Vice in Chicago» (1933) examined the consequences of the closing of Chicago brothels in 1913 and the transformation of prostitution from an encapsulated enterprise into a more laissez-faire pursuit. The contents of the monograph, one of the array of pathbreaking urban studies that marked Chicago School research under Robert E. Park, are reviewed both in terms of what they tell us about prostitution then and what significance they hold in regard to the behavior today
Blockade of voltage-dependent and Ca2+-dependent K+ current components by internal Ba2+ in molluscan pacemaker neurons.

Internal Ba2+ blocks both the Ca-dependent component, as well as the voltage-dependent component of the K+ current in molluscan pacemaker neurons.
Ising behavior in a diluted Blume-Capel model

Abstract We study a quenched random mixture of Blume-Capel and Ising spins at low temperature. If the Blume-Capel concentrations is sufficiently small, the model behaves like an Ising model at low temperature.
Reactive sulfur species: kinetics and mechanism of the reaction of thiocarbamate-S-oxide with cysteine.

Hypothiocyanite (OSCN−) is a putative antimicrobial that is produced by defensive human peroxidases, including salivary peroxidase, lactoperoxidase, eosinophil peroxidase, and myeloperoxidase. The reaction of OSCN− with cysteine-derived sulfhydryl groups is believed to be involved in the antimicrobial mechanism of action. Hypothiocyanite decomposes via an unknown mechanism that involves multiple redox and hydrolytic steps to eventually yield mixtures of CN−/OCN− and SO32−/SO42−. Until recently, no information was available regarding the chemical nature of the intermediate(s) that are produced during the chemical cascade, but we have shown that OSCN− undergoes hydrolysis to give the new compound thiocarbamate-S-oxide, H2NC(═O)SO−. In the present paper, we demonstrate that H2NC(═O)SO− reacts with cysteine (CySH) via a two-step mechanism that is analogous to that of OSCN− with cysteine: HOZ + CySH → CySZ + H2O and CySZ + CySH → CySSCy + HZ, where Z = SCN and SC(═O)NH2, respectively. The kinetics and mechanis...
A Vector Wave Identity and Its Application to the Electromagnetic Field

In this paper, we derive a new and very useful vector identity based on the vector wave operator. It relates certain retarded volume and surface integrals of a vector function which, along with its first and second partial derivatives, must be continuous within and at a closed surface, but which may otherwise be arbitrary. This identity applied to the inhomogeneous vector wave equations (obtained from Maxwell's equations by elimination of E and of H in the usual way) yields immediately a formulation of Huygens' principle for the fields E and H. Although, these formulas for E and H are solutions of their respective vector wave equations, it is shown that they are not necessarily a solution of Maxwell's equations. We prove a theorem giving the necessary and sufficient conditions that they be a solution of those equations. Further tranformations on these formulae by use of Maxwell's equations on the surface yield the formulations of Larmor, Tedone, Baker and Copson, and Jones. It is also shown that these lat...
Career Education for Persons With Handicaps

Handicapped youth and adults still encounter serious problems assimilating successfully into today's rapidly changing society. After tracing the major events that have increased the momentum of career education for persons with handicaps, Brolin and Gysbers advocate a life-centered curriculum approach, which focuses on 22 skills essential for successful community living and working. They recommend that counselors assume specific responsibilities in this approach and outline competencies necessary to carry out guidance and counseling activities for persons with handicaps at four phases of career education. The article includes examples of successfully operating career education programs and concludes with a challenge to the profession.