cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Abstract 16311: Echocardiographic Findings Predict Long-Term Mortality in Stroke Population

Introduction: Transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) has become a routine part of management for acute stroke to assess for cardiac sources of emboli. Many studies have illustrated a low diagnostic yield for sources of emboli on TTE, ranging from 3-10%. Little has been reported about the prognostic importance of TTE findings performed for evaluation of acute stroke. Methods: Brain imaging and TTE reports were reviewed for 3,920 consecutive patients presenting to an urban medical center with acute stroke between 1/1/01 and 9/30/07. Data was collected on baseline demographics, subtypes of stroke, abnormal TTE findings, and 10-year rates of readmission for stroke and mortality. Brain imaging showed evidence of recent or old infarction in 2,501. Results: Study patients were 67±15 years, 60% female, 75% minorities and had hypertension (75%), diabetes (41%), CKD (27%) and atrial fibrillation (18%). On TTE, a cardiac source (mass, thrombus or vegetation) was identified in only 14 cases (0.6%), whereas a clinically significant abnormality (EF Conclusions: Although TTE performed for ischemic stroke had minimal yield for identifying the source of embolization, clinically important abnormalities were common in this population. TTE abnormalities were independently associated with increased long-term mortality.
Mineralogy of the rhizosphere in forest soils of the eastern United States

Chemical and mineralogical studies of forest soils from six sites in the northeastern and southeastern United States indicate that soil in the immediate vicinity of roots and fine root masses may show marked differences in physical characteristics, mineralogy and weathering compared to the bulk of the forest soil. Examination of rhizosphere and rhizoplane soils revealed that mineral grains within these zones are affected mechanically, chemically and mineralogically by the invading root bodies. In SEM/EDS analyses, phyllosilicate grains adjacent to roots commonly aligned with their long axis tangential to the root surface. Numerous mineral grains were also observed for which the edge abutting a root surface was significantly more fractured than the rest of the grain. Both the alignment and fracturing of mineral grains by growing roots may influence pedogenic processes within the rhizosphere by exposing more mineral surface to weathering in the root-zone microenvironment. Chemical interactions between roots and rhizosphere minerals included precipitation of amorphous aluminium oxides, opaline and amorphous silica, and calcium oxalate within the cells of mature roots and possible preferential dissolution of mineral grains adjacent to root bodies. Mineralogical analyses using X-ray diffraction (XRD) techniques indicated that kaolin minerals in some rhizosphere samples had a higher thermal stability than kaolin in the surrounding bulk forest soil. In addition, XRD analyses of clay minerals from one of the southeastern sites showed abundant muscovite in rhizoplane soil adhering to root surfaces whereas both muscovite and degraded mica were present in the immediately surrounding rhizosphere soil. This difference in mineral assemblages may be due to either K-enrichment in rhizoplane soil solutions or the preferential dissolution of biotite at the root-soil interface
Evidence of palliative care stigma: The role of negative stereotypes in preventing willingness to use palliative care

ObjectiveAlthough palliative care is critical to managing symptoms, pain, and transitions to end-of-life care among those facing serious or chronic illness, it is often underused, which may be due to stigma associated with palliative care representing giving up fighting one's illness. The goal of the present studies was to test the theoretical framework of stigma within the context of palliative care to inform future work on intervention development that addresses potential barriers to palliative care utilization.MethodIn study 1, participants (n = 152) had an oncologist describe two treatment options to a terminally ill cancer patient: (1) palliative care and (2) chemotherapy. Participants were then randomly assigned to read that the patient chose palliative care or chemotherapy. In study 2, these stereotypes about those receiving palliative care were examined as a potential mediator between perceived palliative care stigma and prospective palliative care use. Participants (n = 199) completed self-report measures of palliative care stigma, negative stereotypes about palliative care users, and prospective use of palliative care. Mediation analysis tested the mediational effects of stereotypes on the relationship between palliative care stigma and prospective usage of palliative care.ResultIn study 1, those in the palliative care condition endorsed significantly higher levels of negative stereotypes about the patient, viewed the decision more negatively, and saw the patient as less afraid of death. In study 2, palliative care stigma was associated with less prospective usage of palliative care for self and for one's family member. This relationship was mediated by negative stereotypes about individuals receiving palliative care.Significance of resultsResults suggest that palliative care stigma exists (study 1) and that this stigma may be a barrier to the utilization of palliative care (study 2). Future research should examine stigma reduction as a potential intervention target to improve palliative care utilization.
Modern Strategies for the Management of High-Energy Pelvic Fractures in the Twenty-First Century

High-energy pelvic fractures continue to represent a major challenge in trauma management due to the high rates of post-injury mortality of around 30–40% in the modern peer-reviewed literature. The main root cause of potentially preventable mortality relates to the delayed recognition of the extent of retroperitoneal hemorrhage and post-injury coagulopathy. Current management strategies for pelvic ring disruptions with associated hemorrhagic shock include resuscitative endovascular balloon occlusion of the aorta (REBOA) for patients “in extremis” in conjunction with point-of-care guided resuscitation for post-injury coagulopathy. There is increasing international consensus regarding the benefits of early pelvic external fixation in conjunction with direct preperitoneal pelvic packing (PPP), and subsequent angioembolization in patients with ongoing hemorrhage results in significantly improved survival from exsanguinating retroperitoneal hemorrhage. Modern classification systems provide guidance for grading of injury mechanisms and risk stratification of patients with hemodynamically unstable pelvic ring injuries in order to support protocol-driven acute resuscitation strategies and improved outcomes in this highly vulnerable patient cohort.
Linguistic Contributions to Word-Level Spelling Accuracy in Elementary School Children With and Without Specific Language Impairment.

Purpose Children with specific language impairment (SLI) are more likely than children with typical language (TL) to exhibit difficulties in word-level spelling accuracy. More research is needed to...
Evaluation of ERCC1 and RRM1 as prognostic biomarkers in urothelial cancer (UC) treated with adjuvant platinum and gemcitabine chemotherapy.

e15005 Background: Adjuvant (adj) treatment of UC generally entails platinum (plat)- and gemcitabine (gem)-based chemotherapy (chemo). Two candidate prognostic and predictive biomarkers are the exc...
Neuromuscular Development in Neonates and Postnatal Infants: Implications for Neuromuscular Electrical Stimulation Therapy for Dysphagia

Purpose The aim of the current study was to review neuromuscular development, summarize the current body of evidence describing the use of neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) therapy in inf...
Finding Home from the In-between Space for a Queer Asian American Christian Woman

This chapter reflects on a queer Asian American feminist Christian woman’s journey for belongingness. The author depicts her theological journey for home as joining a relay of multiple journeys of the forerunners: feminist theo-ethicists who trailblazed the path for decades. The author portrays herself as running the relay filled with embodied wisdom of the forerunners. She shares the embodied knowledge that has guided five critical moments of her life’s journey searching for home, and describes her current research in articulating a moral vision of home in the Korean Asian Christian community. The five forerunners include Rita Nakashima Brock, Letty M. Russell, Traci C. West, Kwok Pui-lan, and Wonhee Anne Joh.
The MX-Helix of Muscle nAChR Subunits Regulates Receptor Assembly and Surface Trafficking.

Nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (AChRs) are pentameric channels that mediate fast transmission at the neuromuscular junction (NMJ) and defects in receptor expression underlie neuromuscular disorders such as myasthenia gravis and congenital myasthenic syndrome (CMS). Nicotinic receptor expression at the NMJ is tightly regulated and we previously identified novel Golgi-retention signals in the β and δ subunit cytoplasmic loops that regulate trafficking of the receptor to the cell surface. Here, we show that the Golgi retention motifs are localized in the MX-helix, a juxta-membrane alpha-helix present in the proximal cytoplasmic loop of receptor subunits, which was defined in recent crystal structures of cys-loop receptor family members. First, mutational analysis of CD4-MX-helix chimeric proteins showed that the Golgi retention signal was dependent on both the amphipathic nature of the MX-helix and on specific lysine residues (βK353 and δK351). Moreover, retention was associated with ubiquitination of the lysines, and βK353R and δK351R mutations reduced ubiquitination and increased surface expression of CD4-β and δ MX-helix chimeric proteins. Second, mutation of these lysines in intact β and δ subunits perturbed Golgi-based glycosylation and surface trafficking of the AChR. Notably, combined βK353R and δK351R mutations increased the amount of surface AChR with immature forms of glycosylation, consistent with decreased Golgi retention and processing. Third, we found that previously identified CMS mutations in the e subunit MX-helix decreased receptor assembly and surface levels, as did an analogous mutation introduced into the β subunit MX-helix. Together, these findings indicate that the subunit MX-helix contributes to receptor assembly and is required for normal expression of the AChR and function of the NMJ. In addition, specific determinants in the β and δ subunit MX-helix contribute to quality control of AChR expression by intracellular retention and ubiquitination of unassembled subunits, and by facilitating the appropriate glycosylation of assembled surface AChR.
Synthesis of the PET Tracer 124I-Trametinib for MAPK/ERK Kinase Distribution and Resistance Monitoring.

Trametinib (MEKINIST™) is an extremely potent allosteric inhibitor of MEK1/2 that has been approved for treatment of metastatic melanoma and anaplastic thyroid cancer in patients with confirmed BRAFV600E/K mutations. Though highly efficacious, adverse side effects including skin, gastrointestinal and hepatic toxicity, are dose limiting and can lead to treatment termination. Development of a non-invasive tool to visualize and quantify the delivery and distribution of trametinib (either as single agent or in combination with other therapeutics) to tumors and organs would be very helpful in assessing therapeutic index, personalizing individual dose and potentially predict resistance to therapy. To address these issues, we have developed a radiolabeled trametinib and evaluated the in vitro and in vivo properties. 123I-, 124I- and 131I-trametinib, pure tracer analogs to trametinib, were synthesized in >95% purity with average yield of 69.7% and >100GBq/µmol specific activity. Overall, 124I-trametinib uptake in a panel of cancer cell lines can be blocked with cold trametinib confirming specificity of the radiotracer in vitro and in vivo. 124I-Trametinib was taken up at higher rates in KRAS and BRAF mutant cell lines compared to wild type KRAS cancer cell lines. In vivo, biodistribution revealed high uptake in the liver 2 hours post injection followed by clearance through the gastrointestinal tract over 4 days. Importantly, higher than expected uptake was observed in the lung and heart for up to 24 hours. Peak uptake in the skin and gastrointestinal tract was observed between 6 and 24 hours while in B16F10 melanoma bearing mice peak tumor concentrations were achieved between 24 to 48 hours. Tumor uptake relative to muscle and skin was relatively low, peaking at 3.4- to 8.1-fold by 72 hours, respectively. Biodistribution of 124I-trametinib was significantly reduced in mice on trametinib therapy providing a quantitative method to observe MEK inhibition in vivo. 124I-trametinib serves as a tool to personalize in vivo the dose instead of using the current single fixed dose scheme and when combined with radiomic data monitor emergence of therapy resistance. In addition, the production of iodinated trametinib affords researchers the ability to measure drug distribution for improved drug delivery studies.
Cross-cultural, developmental psychology: integrating approaches and key insights

Abstract Like psychology more broadly, developmental psychology has long suffered from a narrow focus on children from WEIRD societies—or those that are Western, Educated, Industrialized, Rich, and Democratic. In this review, we discuss how developmental scientists have sought to correct this bias through two complementary approaches: one centered on detailed, ethnographic investigations of child development within populations (increasing the depth of our understanding) and one focused on larger, multi-site studies that test children on standardized tasks across populations (increasing breadth). We review key papers from each of these approaches, describe how they are currently practiced, and discuss their strengths and weaknesses. Next, we highlight exemplary papers from the adult literature that offer useful insights, namely the importance of formal modeling and a greater focus on studying variation at multiple levels of analysis. We end by outlining best practices for future waves of cross-cultural, developmental science. Overall, we argue that a more integrated perspective, combining the strengths of the breadth & depth approaches, can help better elucidate the developmental origins of human behavioral diversity.
Strictures, stones and cysts: an unusual cause of pancreatitis in a 20-month-old female child

Choledochal cysts are dilations of the biliary tree that cause a variety of clinical symptoms and can lead to several types of complications. Choledochal cysts are most commonly diagnosed in childhood and frequently present with abdominal pain, jaundice and, in infants, an abdominal mass. Although the most concerning complication is malignant transformation of the cyst epithelium, other complications such as stone formation, acute pancreatitis and stricture can also occur and lead to patient morbidity. Treatment is aimed at not only relieving patient symptoms, but also decreasing a long-term cancer risk. We present a case of a child presenting with abdominal pain and vomiting secondary to a type IVa choledochal cyst complicated by acute pancreatitis, a common bile duct stricture and cystolithiasis.
ICE CORES | History of Carbon Monoxide and Ultra-Trace Gases from Ice Cores

In this article, ice core measurements of carbon monoxide, carbonyl sulfide, methyl chloride, and methyl bromide are discussed with emphasis on fidelity of the measurements, in other words, whether they represent true variations in the atmosphere or not. The ice core records for these ultra-trace gases cover only the recent past of the atmosphere and do not extend beyond the last 2000 years. Although much progress is needed on the verification front, there is reasonably good evidence that the data mostly represent the true composition of the atmosphere during the last two millennia, suggesting that the potential for developing longer atmospheric records is high.
Gas-Phase Binding Energies and Dissociation Dynamics of 1-Alkyl-3-Methylimidazolium Tetrafluoroborate Ionic Liquid Clusters.

Ionic liquids (ILs) have become increasingly popular due to their useful and unique properties, yet there are still many unanswered questions regarding their fundamental interactions. In particular, details regarding the nature and strength of the intrinsic cation-anion interactions and how they influence the macroscopic properties of ILs are still largely unknown. Elucidating the molecular-level details of these interactions is essential to the development of better models for describing ILs and enabling the purposeful design of ILs with properties tailored for specific applications. Current uses of ILs are widespread and diverse and include applications for energy storage, electrochemistry, designer/green solvents, separations, and space propulsion. To advance the understanding of the energetics, conformations, and dynamics of gas-phase IL clustering relevant to space propulsion, threshold collision-induced dissociation approaches are used to measure the bond dissociation energies (BDEs) of the 2:1 clusters of 1-alkyl-3-methylimidazolium cations and tetrafluoroborate, [2Cnmim:BF4]+. The cation, [Cnmim]+, is varied across the series, 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium [C2mim]+, 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium [C4mim]+, 1-hexyl-3-methylimidazolium [C6mim]+, and 1-octyl-3-methylimidazolium [C8mim]+, to examine the structural and energetic effects of the size of the 1-alkyl substituent on binding. Complementary electronic structure calculations are performed to determine the structures and energetics of the [Cnmim]+ and [BF4]- ions and their binding preferences in the (Cnmim:BF4) ion pairs and [2Cnmim:BF4]+ clusters. Several levels of theory, B3LYP, B3LYP-GD3BJ, and M06-2X, using the 6-311+G(d,p) basis set for geometry optimizations and frequency analyses and the 6-311+G(2d,2p) basis set for energetics, are benchmarked to examine their abilities to properly describe the nature of the binding interactions and to reproduce the measured BDEs. The modest structural variation among these [Cnmim]+ cations produces only minor structural changes and variation in the measured BDEs of the [2Cnmim:BF4]+ clusters. Present findings indicate that the dominant cation-anion interactions involve the 3-methylimidazolium moieties and that these clusters are sufficiently small that differences in packing effects associated with the variable length of the 1-alkyl substituents are not yet significant.
Designing Parallel Sparse Matrix Transposition Algorithm Using CSR for GPUs

In this chapter, we propose a parallel algorithm for sparse matrix transposition using CSR format to run on many-core GPUs, utilizing the tremendous computational power and memory bandwidth of the GPU offered by parallel programming in CUDA. Our code is run on a quad-core Intel Xeon64 CPU E5507 platform and a NVIDIA GPU GTX 470 card. We measure the performance of our algorithm running with input ranging from smaller to larger matrices, and our experimental results show that the preliminary results are scaling well up to 512 threads and are promising for bigger matrices.
Plasma-Based water purification for crewed space missions: Laboratory experimental comparisons for on-board applicability

Abstract Low-temperature, atmospheric pressure plasma presents a new, inexpensive, and environmentally friendly method of water purification. For long duration crewed space missions, a novel water purification system that does not rely on consumable filters and chemicals would be desirable. Plasma systems provide a viable option for these missions, but their operation and designs need to be optimized and compared to existing technology. For this application, gas and power usage are key limiting factors. In this work, water contaminated with methylene blue is purified with plasma. The rate of purification, gas flow usage, and power consumption are compared for multiple devices. A single atmospheric pressure plasma jet is compared with jet array configurations and a novel, 3D printed “plasma sheet” design that expands the size of the plasma surface area. A resource gauge parameter was developed to compare the resource usage and purification rate of each device, and this parameter showed that the plasma sheet was able to improve the rate of purification without increasing resource usage. Additionally, two types of jet arrays were designed that demonstrated the need to exceed a minimum energy and flow rate threshold to maintain effective treatment. A low cost jet was also developed that showed suitable treatment results with a two order of magnitude cost reduction. Finally, a figure of merit was discussed to compare the best performing plasma device with the urine processor assembly used on the International Space Station.
Transcriptional reprogramming in neonatal hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells.

Hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) and lineage-committed hematopoietic progenitor cells (HPCs) undergo profound shifts in gene expression during the neonatal and juvenile stages of life. Temporal changes in HSC/HPC gene expression underlie concomitant changes in self-renewal capacity, lineage biases, and hematopoietic output. Moreover, they can modify disease phenotypes. For example, childhood leukemias have distinct driver mutation profiles relative to adult leukemias, and they may arise from distinct cells of origin. The putative relationship between neonatal HSC/HPC ontogeny and childhood blood disorders highlights the importance of understanding how, at a mechanistic level, HSCs transition from fetal to adult transcriptional states. In this perspective piece, we summarize recent work indicating that the transition is uncoordinated and imprecisely timed. We discuss implications of these findings, including mechanisms that might enable neonatal HSCs and HPCs to acquire adultlike properties over a drawn-out period, in lieu of precise gene regulatory networks. The transition from fetal to adult transcriptional programs coincides with a pulse of type I interferon signaling that activates many genes associated with the adultlike state. This pulse may sensitize HSCs/HPCs to mutations that drive leukemogenesis shortly after birth. If we can understand how developmental switches modulate HSC and HPC fate after birth—both under normal circumstances and in the setting of disease-causing mutations—we can potentially reprogram these switches to treat or prevent childhood leukemias.
Dynamic deuterium retention properties of tungsten measured using laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy

Dynamic deuterium (D) retention properties of tungsten (W) are investigated under steady-state D plasma exposure in the PISCES-A linear plasma device. In contrast to static retention, dynamic retention is quickly released from the material at the termination of the incident plasma flux, and thus in-operando laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) measurements have been conducted during steady-state D plasma exposure. A procedure is, first, established to extract the dynamic retention component from the in-operando LIBS D I 656.1 nm line intensity, which can contain contributions from dynamic and static retention as well as background D/D2 gas, excited by both steady-state and laser-induced plasmas. Using the developed procedure, the dynamic D retention in W is systematically examined while scanning the following plasma exposure parameters: incident ion energy, Ei, sample temperature, Ts, incident ion flux, Γi. No clear Ei dependence is seen in the range of Ei ~ 45-175 eV, as expected from a small variation in the average implantation depth (~3-6 nm) of D in W. The dynamic retention is found to monotonously decrease with increasing Ts from 348 to 573 K, while the total static retention is reported to peak at Ts ~ 500-600 K. It is revealed that the dynamic retention linearly increases with increasing Γi, and then saturates at Γi ≥ 0.75 × 1021 m-2s-1. Possible physical mechanisms for the observed dependence of the dynamic retention on Ts and Γi are discussed. Furthermore, sequential pure He, followed by pure D, plasma exposures show that the dynamic D retention is not strongly affected by He bubbles in the near-surface region.
Merkel Cell Polyomavirus Antibody Titer Predicts Recurrence-Free Survival.

BACKGROUND Merkel cell polyomavirus (MCPyV) is associated with the development of Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC). Antibody (MCPyV-Ab) titers may have prognostic implications. This study evaluated the impact of the presence or absence of MCPyV-Ab on the 2-year overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS) of MCC patients. METHODS This single-center, IRB-approved, retrospective cohort study evaluated 51 adult patients with MCC from 2014 to 2021 using a prospectively maintained database. Patients were compared by MCPyV-Ab status, and Kaplan-Meier analysis was used to evaluate 2-year OS and DFS. RESULTS Of the 51 patients, 13 (25.4%) were seropositive, 41 (80.4%) underwent wide excision, 40 (80.0%) received radiotherapy, and 43 (84.3%) received multimodal therapy. The median follow-up period was 15.5 months (range 1-69.5 months). The median 2-year OS of the entire cohort was not reached. The median 2-year OS was not reached for either the seronegative or the seropositive patients. The difference in 2-year OS between the groups was not statistically significant (p = 0.37). Eight patients, all seronegative, were never rendered disease-free and were removed from recurrence analysis. The seropositive patients experienced no recurrences. Of the 30 seronegative patients, 9 (30.0%) experienced recurrence. The median 2-year DFS of the entire cohort was not reached. The median 2-year DFS of the seronegative group was 22.2 months. The 2-year DFS was not reached for the seropositive cohort. Seropositivity conferred a significantly better 2-year DFS than seronegativity (p = 0.04). CONCLUSION The MCPyV-Ab seropositive patients demonstrated improved 2-year DFS. The seropositive patients showed a strong trend toward improved 2-year OS, although the difference not statistically significant. This study substantiated the value of MCPyV-Ab assessment for MCC.
Nanoscale sensing devices for turbulence measurements

A collection of nanoscale sensing devices developed specifically for high-frequency turbulence measurements is presented. The new sensors are all derived from the nanoscale thermal anemometry probe (NSTAP), which uses a free-standing platinum wire as active sensing element. Each sensor is designed and fabricated to measure a specific quantity and can be customized for special applications. In addition to the original NSTAP (for single-component velocity measurement), the new sensors include the T-NSTAP (for temperature measurement), the x-NSTAP (for two-component velocity measurement), and the q-NSTAP (for humidity measurement). This article provides a summary of the NSTAP family including details of design and fabrication as well as presentation of flow measurements using these sensors. Also, a custom-made constant-temperature anemometer that allows proper operation of the NSTAP sensors will be introduced.
Subsidized Housing and the Concentration of Poverty, 1977–2008: A Comparison of Eight U.S. Metropolitan Areas:

This paper examines the link between subsidized housing and the concentration of poverty. I use newly available data from the Department of Housing and Urban Development that extends from the earli...
An Upper Bound on the Expected Cost of an Optimal Assignment

Publisher Summary This chapter presents an upper bound on the expected cost of an optimal assignment. An instance of the n × n assignment problem (AP) is specified by an n × n matrix ( C ij ) of real numbers. When n is fixed and the c ij are drawn independently from the uniform distribution over [0,1];, A* becomes a random variable. Call the matrix ( C ij ) regular if no two distinct subsets of its elements have the same sum. This implies in particular that the optimal assignment σ is unique. Under the stated assumptions about the probability distribution of the c ij , the matrix ( C ij ) is regular with probability 1. The chapter highlights the regular instances of the AP.
Mechanical Hybrid Vehicle Simulation

A method is presented for optimizing the engine/secondary usage strategy of a hybrid vehicle with flywheel, pneumatic, hydraulic, and spring systems for secondary storage. A powertrain simulation is combined with dynamic programming techniques for calibration optimization, and a sequential decision algorithm for specifying optimal operating points for both engine and secondary drive systems. An overview of road-load matching and strategy requirements is presented.
Organizational life cycle and performance among SMEs: Generic strategies for high and low performers

Purpose – This exploratory study seeks to bridge a gap in the literature by exploring the life cycle‐strategy relationship to discover the preferred strategy for high and low performing firms in four of the five stages of the organizational life cycle.Design/methodology/approach – In total, 600 managers randomly chosen from chamber of commerce membership lists in the southern USA were mailed an extensive scale that included items to measure life cycle stage, generic strategy, industry attractiveness and stability, size, and satisfaction with performance. The instrument included 20 life‐cycle items, four items for each of the five stages.Findings – Partial support was found for the expected relationship between strategy and performance as firms move through the organizational life cycle. New, high‐performing organizations that were satisfied with their performance preferred first mover strategies, while renewing organizations categorized as high performers also emphasized the first mover strategic approach...
Estimating nonpoint source pollution: An application of a sequential entropy filter

[1] This paper develops a sequential entropy filter for disaggregating nonpoint sources from ambient data. A numerical simulation based on sediment loading is provided to illustrate the ability of the sequential entropy filter to recover the underlying parameters and optimally disaggregate ambient sediment load among nonpoint sources. In the process we show the equivalence of this sequential entropy filter with Bayes' theorem and, given this equivalence, argue that the sequential entropy filter is more applicable than traditional Bayesian estimators are when the parameter distributions are unknown or when the sample is undersized, which is typically the case when dealing with natural resource data.
Disasters, Donors, and Democracy: Matching Donor Types and Aid Channels in Post-Disaster Humanitarian Aid Giving

Research into the determinants of foreign aid giving suggests different predictions for the effect of recipient country democratic institutions on the probability and amount of aid given by donor countries. While some suggest that better governance in recipient countries may increase the amount of aid provided by donors, others adhere to the notion that less democratic recipient governments may be better poised to exchange donor aid for recipient policy concessions. Furthermore, most of this current research makes the assumption that donors are homogenous in their preferences for foreign aid distribution. This paper uses humanitarian aid distribution following natural disasters to distinguish between donor types based on their responsiveness to disasters and tests whether different donor types channel aid based on the presence or absence of democratic institutions in a recipient country. The results suggest that stronger democratic institutions in recipient countries increase the probability of bilateral aid giving for donors highly responsive to disasters, while strong democratic institutions have no significant effect on the probability of bilateral aid giving for donors that have low levels of humanitarian responsiveness to disasters.
The ascending limb of the cocaine dose-response curve for reinforcing effect in rhesus monkeys

Rationale To date, the literature on the intravenous self-administration of cocaine by laboratory animals lacks a compelling demonstration of an ascending limb to the dose-response function. It has been argued that previous demonstrations of an ascending limb are confounded by the extinction process.
Regeneration-Type Peripheral Nerve Interfaces for Direct Man/Machine Communication

The goal of all man/machine interfaces is to connect the human nervous system, directly or indirectly, to machines. An overview of man/machine interfaces is presented, discussing the various techniques presently available. The development of a promising type of direct interface to peripheral nerves is presented, from the origins of the idea to the work in progress. The basic idea of these regeneration-type neural interfaces is that a planar array of microelectrodes, fabricated on a substrate that is perforated by a plurality of via holes, is placed between the ends of a surgically severed peripheral nerve. Axons regenerate through the via holes and become spatially fixed with respect to the microelectrodes, providing a stable interface. If silicon is used as the substrate for the array, integrated microelectronic circuits can be used to control communication between the nerve and external circuitry. The goal of this project is to develop such a device to interconnect the nerves in an amputation stump and a robotic motor/sensory limb prosthesis.
SCALING PROPERTIES OF THE KURAMOTO-SIVASHINSKY EQUATION

The Kuramoto-Sivishinsky model describes the dynamics of a cellular flame front. It has been known for some time that on scales large compared with the size of a cell the front appears to be a self-affine fractal which has noisy dynamics in 1+1 dimensions. We use the inverse method of Lam and Sander (Phys. Rev. Lett.71, 561 (1993)) to show explicitly how the scaling occurs and how deterministic chaos at small scales develops into noisy dynamics at large scales, and how a small scale pattern becomes a large scale disordered fractal via an intermediate scaling regime.
Julia sets and quasi-stable orbits in the complex plane

Abstract The dynamic behavior and attractors of quasi-stable orbits of 0 for the iteration z n + 1 ← z 2 n + c are explored. Relationships to their associated Julia sets are also discussed in this tutorial.
Modelling the elastic behaviour of granular materials

A review of the literature indicates that the elastic behaviour of granular materials is isotropic and that Poissony's ratio is constant, whereas Young's Modulus, the bulk modulus and the shear modulus vary with the mean normal stress and the deviatoric stress. A nonlinear, isotropic model for the elastic behaviour is developed on the basis of theoretical considerations involving the principle of conservation of energy. Energy is therefore neither generated not dissipated in closed-loop stress paths or in closed-loop strain paths. The framework for the model consists of Hooke's law, in which Poission's ratio is constant and Young's modulus is expressed as a power function invlving the first invariat of the stress tensor and the second invariant of the deviatoric stress tensor. The characteristics of the model are described, and the accuracy is evaluated by comparison with experimental results from triaxial tests and three-dimensional cubical triaxial tests with a variety of stress paths. Parameter determination from unloading–reloading cycles in conventional triaxial compression tests is demonstrated, typical parameter values are given for granular materials and extension of the model to soils with effective cohesion is described.
Late Detection of Critical Congenital Heart Disease Among US Infants: Estimation of the Potential Impact of Proposed Universal Screening Using Pulse Oximetry

Importance Critical congenital heart disease (CCHD) was added to the Recommended Uniform Screening Panel for Newborns in the United States in 2011. Many states have recently adopted or are considering requirements for universal CCHD screening through pulse oximetry in birth hospitals. Limited previous research is directly applicable to the question of how many US infants with CCHD might be identified through screening. Objectives To estimate the proportion of US infants with late detection of CCHD (>3 days after birth) based on existing clinical practice and to investigate factors associated with late detection. Design, setting, and participants Descriptive and multivariable analysis. Data were obtained from a multisite population-based study of birth defects in the United States, the National Birth Defects Prevention Study (NBDPS). We included all live-born infants with estimated dates of delivery from January 1, 1998, through December 31, 2007, and nonsyndromic, clinically verified CCHD conditions potentially detectable through screening via pulse oximetry. Main outcomes and measures The main outcome measure was the proportion of infants with late detection of CCHD through echocardiography or at autopsy under the assumption that universal screening at birth hospitals might reduce the number of such late diagnoses. Secondary outcome measures included prevalence ratios for associations between selected demographic and clinical factors and late detection of CCHD. Results Of 3746 live-born infants with nonsyndromic CCHD, late detection occurred in 1106 (29.5% [95% CI, 28.1%-31.0%]), including 6 (0.2%) (0.1%-0.4%) first receiving a diagnosis at autopsy more than 3 days after birth. Late detection varied by CCHD type from 9 of 120 infants (7.5% [95% CI, 3.5%-13.8%]) with pulmonary atresia to 497 of 801 (62.0% [58.7%-65.4%]) with coarctation of the aorta. In multivariable analysis, late detection varied significantly by CCHD type and study site, and infants with extracardiac defects were significantly less likely to have late detection of CCHD (adjusted prevalence ratio, 0.58 [95% CI, 0.49-0.69]). Conclusions and relevance We estimate that 29.5% of live-born infants with nonsyndromic CCHD in the NBDPS received a diagnosis more than 3 days after birth and therefore might have benefited from routine CCHD screening at birth hospitals. The number of infants in whom CCHD was detected through screening likely varies by several factors, including CCHD type. Additional population-based studies of screening in practice are needed.
The method of partial extraction of metals in a constant current electrical field for geochemical exploration

Abstract The method of partial extraction of metals (PEM) was invented by a group of Leningrad researchers in the late 60's to early 70's. It is based on the leaching of minerals and rocks under the influence of an electric field, on the migration of metal compounds in this field and on their accumulation in specially equipped receiver-electrodes. The quantity of extracted metals and the speed of accumulation is correlated with the composition of ore bodies and the distance of the sample sites from them. It is possible to use the PEM method for geochemical exploration in areas of thick overburden and for drill logging. The main features of the PEM method are good sensitivity and the possibility of determining the position of maximum concentrations for different metals. A number of techniques for field observations and several examples of their successful applications are described.
Familial Sneddon's syndrome: clinical, hematologic, and radiographic findings in two brothers.

We present the clinical, hematologic, and radiographic findings in two brothers with Sneddon9s syndrome (stroke and livedo reticularis) and antiphospholipid antibodies. Patient 1 had anticardiolipin antibody and patient 2 had lupus anticoagulant, which we detected only upon repeated blood testing. One should test for both anticardiolipin antibody and lupus anticoagulant and repeat the screenings before determining a Sneddon9s syndrome patient9s antiphospholipid antibody status. Both Sneddon9s syndrome and the primary antiphospholipid antibody syndrome are potentially familial causes of stroke. In familial cases, an inherited predisposition to antiphospholipid antibody production may be involved in disease pathogenesis.
Employer unfair labor practices and union organizing activity: A simultaneous equation model

A model is estimated that simultaneously determines the extent of alleged employer unfair labor practices and the outcomes of union organizing activity using biennial, state-level data for 1968–1982. The results suggest that employers are unlikely to use ULPs as a union-avoidance strategy when unions are expected to win representation elections and that the extent of employer ULPs depends on legislative, industrial relations, and workplace characteristics within a state. ULPs also increase the likelihood that workers will choose union representation.
HISTOCHEMICAL AGE-CHANGES IN NORMAL AND PATHOLOGICAL PLACENTAL VILLI (HYDATIDIFORM MOLE, ECLAMPSIA)

IN TWO PREVIOUS PAPERS Dempsey and Wislocki (‘44, ‘45) presented observations on the occurrence and significance of lipoids, glycogen, iron, alkaline phosphatase and basophilia in the human placenta. Since these papers were published, we have accumulated further histochemical data on the normal placenta and also some cytological and histochemical information on hydatidif orm moles and on placentas from two cases of severe preeclampsia and eclampsia. We shall describe for the first time the occurrence of placental acid phosphatase, submitting data regarding the related occurrence of calcium, iron and phosphatases in normal chorionic villi. Second, we shall describe the cytology and histochemistry of two hydatidif orm moles which we have examined and discuss the significance of the findings. Third, we shall present an account of the pathological picture of two eclamptic placentas as revealed by cytological and histochemical methods. Finally, we shall comment upon the significance of histochemical age-change...
Round-up of integer bit allocation

A non-iterative algorithm is presented for the round-up procedure of integer bit allocation. The round-up algorithm will give the optimum result without the disadvantages of the traditional iterative method.
Tree seedlings: how do they establish in spontaneously developed forests? A study from a mountainous area in the Czech Republic

The aim of this study was to find out which tree species can establish in spontaneously developed forests (SDFs) on mesic stands and how many tree seedlings are present there. The influence of different factors was examined and an attempt made to find out if there are some general trends true for groups of species typical for different stages of succession or with different types of distribution. All tree seedlings present in 48 permanent plots were counted (100 m2). The following factors were tested: altitude, slope and exposition, distance from the nearest forest, age and species composition of tree layer, species composition of herb layer, light conditions and soil reaction. The species composition was dependent on altitude and soil reaction. There were surprisingly high numbers of seedlings (in average 145 tree seedlings per 100 m2) and species (in average 5) present in SDFs. Not only species common in the area were found, but also uncommon species were present there, although in low numbers. Nonspecific species are the best colonisers of SDFs, and the anemochorous trees are better colonisers than zoochorous ones. The establishment of different tree species is influenced by different factors. The SDFs most probably shift toward forest with a number of species in the tree layer. The dominant species tend to be spruce and maple, but species typical for early stages of succession will be common in these growths.
Lack of effect of hydroxyurea on base excision repair in mammalian cells.

The effect of hydroxyurea on the initial steps of base excision repair has been examined in mammalian cells in 3 different proliferative states: i.e., quiescent cells, asynchronously growing cells undergoing multiple divisions prior to confluence; and synchronous cell populations undergoing the first cell cycle(s) after release from quiescence. Two parameters of the base excision repair pathway were examined: (1) The direct excision of 7-methylguanine from cellular DNA in the presence of increasing hydroxyurea concentrations was quantitated by high performance liquid chromatography; (2) the effects of hydroxyurea on the uracil DNA glycosylase were examined by quantitating the levels of this base excision repair enzyme in quiescent and proliferating cells. In quiescent cells, hydroxyurea at concentrations routinely used to quantitate DNA repair had no effect on the excision rates of 7-methylguanine examined over a span of 3 days; nor was there any effect on the specific activity of uracil DNA glycosylase in confluent cells. In asynchronously proliferating mammalian cells, identical hydroxyurea concentrations had no effect on the induction of the glycosylase. In synchronous growing cells HU had no effect on the temporal sequence of induction of uracil DNA glycosylase prior to DNA replication, nor on the extent of this induction. These results suggest that hydroxyurea at concentrations generally used to measure DNA repair has no effect on base excision repair.
Social Networks, Gender, and Immigrant Incorporation: Resources and Constraints

Most research on social networks and immigrant incorporation focuses on the short-term and positive functions of networks, neglecting changes in networks over time. Author present a dynamic and variable portrayal of networks to demonstrate how they gradually assume different forms and functions for women and for men that differentially affect settlement outcomes, particularly opportunities to become legal. The gendered social relations of neighborhood, work, and voluntary associations interact to produce this outcome. The conclusions suggest that social networks can both strengthen and weaken over time, can change differentially for different segments of the immigrant community, and therefore can have disparate effects on incorporation.
Frequency Domain Criteria for Synthesizing Robustly Stabilizing Compensators for a Class of Interval Plants

Considered in this paper is the robust stabilization of a special family of single-input single-output, interval plants in which only the denominator polynomial or the plant poles are uncertain. Two frequency domain necessary and sufficient conditions are derived for the robust stability of the closed-loop system. The first stability criterion reduces to a question of whether or not a specially constructed polar plot intersects the box [-1, 1] x [-1, 1] in the complex plane and the second reduces to a question of whether or not the polar plot of the nominal loop transfer function intersects a specially constructed frequency dependent domain in the complex plane. Both criteria can be used for synthesizing controllers for the special class of interval plants considered. A loop shaping technique is proposed for the synthesis of a robustly stabilizing compensator. For the special class of interval plants considered, the polar plot of the nominal loop transfer function must not intersect a frequency dependent parallelogram. The four corners of the parallelogram can be explicitly computed at each frequency.
Survey of program directors for training of medical physicists

In order to review the mechanics, costs, and time entailed for the American Association of Physicists in Medicine (AAPM) to qualify as an accrediting body and the desirability of doing so, a survey of the directors of known training programs was conducted. The responses were analysed. A list of the questions and the response to each was included.