cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Interrelation of High School and College Athletics, from the Standpoint of the College

(1914). The Interrelation of High School and College Athletics, from the Standpoint of the College. American Physical Education Review: Vol. 19, No. 7, pp. 528-535.
Impact of direct-acting antiviral agents-induced SVR on the long-term burden of hepatocellular carcinoma in chronic hepatitis C cirrhosis.

230Background: Sustained virological response (SVR) has been associated with decreased morbidity and mortality from hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. Data are sparse, however, about the long-term benefits of direct-acting antiviral agents (DAAs) in terms of risk reduction for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). We estimate the impact of SVR on the HCC incidence in the DAA era when SVR is achieved nearly universally even in patients with advanced fibrosis and cirrhosis. Methods: We constructed a Markovian model of 50-year-old patients with compensated HCV cirrhosis (n=1,000) to model the incidence of HCC over 20-years of follow-up. We compared 2 cohorts: 1) SVR following DAA therapy and 2) no SVR (natural history). In the latter, HCC would develop at an annual rate of 4.2% and patients would die as a result of end stage liver disease (ESLD) according to their MELD (=6 at baseline). In the former, MELD score would not increase, the HCC risk would decrease and, in some patients, cirrhosis would regress. Results...
On Racial Thinking and the Problem of “Oriental” Prehistory

Rather than merely condemning nineteenth-century oriental philologists for adopting racial terminology, this essay inquires into the reasons many of these scholars had for hoping that race could serve not just as a descriptor signifying something like a tribal genealogy (as in the “race” of the Levites or the Argives) but as a surrogate for historical analysis. I argue that we must understand the very great uncertainties “orientalists” of the later eighteenth and nineteenth centuries faced with respect to Near Eastern chronologies and their desire to identify which peoples created the first forms of monotheism as key reasons for the adopting first of linguistic and then of biological forms of analysis as means of telling the story of the earliest “Aryans.” This neo-Romantic form of racism did not succeed instantly in displacing the “Semites” from their traditional position in Christian consciousness as the inventors of the true religion, but it did contribute to that process, resulting in opening the way both for more inclusive world prehistories and for more racialized and anti-Semitic accounts of the origins of European civilization.
Individual-, Product-, and Situation-Specific Factors: Is Perceived Risk Affected by Their Interaction?

An exploratory study was undertaken to investigate possible interaction effects between three classes of variables traditionally identified as influencing perceived risk. The three classes of variables are individual-specific, product-specific, and situation-specific. Prior research has focused on the main effects of one of these three classes of variables, but little attention has been paid to the extent to which they interact. Results indicate that interaction effects do exist between the three classes of factors and that they influence the amount of perceived risk. Marketing strategies to reduce the influence of situational variables are suggested as a means of improving the marketing strategy for high-risk products.
Assessing the impact of urbanization on flood risk and severity for the Pawtuxet watershed, Rhode Island

Campbell A, Pradhanang SM, Kouhi Anbaran S, Sargent J, Palmer Z, Audette M. 2017. Assessing the impact of urbanization on flood risk and severity for the Pawtuxet watershed, Rhode Island. Lake Rese...
Depletion perturbation theory within the framework of an advanced hexagonal nodal method

Depletion perturbation theory was developed within the framework of an advanced hexagonal nodal diffusion method. A similarity transformation method was used to compute the mathematical generalized...
The Bauer Otoplasty Technique

The prominent ear is a congenital anatomic finding found in approximately 5 % of the population and is characterized by deformities of various auricular structures such as concha valga, hypertrophy of the concha, change in the auricular-cranium angle, and absence of antihelix modeling. Children with prominent ears are often the target of abuse resulting in long-term psychological complications. Studies have shown that following corrective surgery, there is a marked improvement in the quality of life experienced by these individuals. The history of otoplasty is discussed, and the technique of the Bauer otoplasty is described with its indications and contraindications.
Acromioclavicular Joint and Scapular Ligaments

The acromioclavicular (AC) joint is a diarthrodial joint ostensibly connecting the acromion and the distal clavicle, but in reality suspending the entire arm, via the clavicle and sternoclavicular joint, from the axial skeleton. Using the AC joint as a pivot point, the scapula (acromion) can protract and retract. The AC joint, which is approximately 9 mm by 19 mm, is formed by the distal clavicle and the acromion process of the scapula (Fig. 2.1). The articular surface of the acromion is concave (relative to the subacromial space) and has an anterior and medial orientation toward the convex, distal, end of the clavicle. The joint allows gliding, shearing and rotational motion. The articular surface of the acromial end of the clavicle is hyaline cartilage until 17 years of age, at which time it acquires the structure of fibrocartilage. Similarly, the articular surface of the clavicular side of the acromion becomes fibrocartilage at approximately 23 years of age [1]. The angle of the AC joint on AP view is variable. Urist found it was inclined from superolateral to inferomedial in 49% of cases, vertically oriented in 27%, incongruous in 21% and laterally oriented in 3% [2]. The joint is also inclined a few degrees from anterolateral to posterior medial on the axillary view. Viewed anteriorly, the inclination of the joint may be almost vertical or downward medially, the clavicle overriding the acromion by an angle of as much as 50°.
SYSTOLIC ARRAYS: HIGH PERFORMANCE PARALLEL MACHINES FOR MATRIX COMPUTATION

Publisher Summary This chapter presents the recent development of systolic array methods for some of the important standard problems in numerical linear algebra. Systolic arrays has been introduced and named by Kung and Leiserson. Although their ideas had antecedents, they first fully realized and proclaimed that these designs—highly parallel computing networks with regular data flows, two-dimensional lattice form, simple identical cells, regular input and output patterns, and heavy reuse of data is an ideal way to use the emerging VLSI technology to obtain very high performance for suitable computations. Digital signal and image processing, rather than standard scientific computing and elliptic equation solving in particular, offers the sort of problem best suited for systolic array solution.
Secondary ureteropyelostomy in renal transplant recipients

Ischemic necrosis of the allograft ureter after renal transplantation most often results from failure adequately to preserve its vascularity during donor nephrectomy. An acute episode of rejection occurring early in the posttransplant period may serve to compound the problem, producing even more extensive necrosis of the urinary collecting system. Secondary ureteropyelostomy using the recipient's own ipsilateral ureter is the salvage operation of choice in this situation, as well as in certain instances of ureteral obstruction. This procedure has proven to be highly successful, provided that there is strict adherence to a number of important surgical principles.
A noninvasive smart wearable for diaper moister quantification and notification

A baby feels uncomfortable in a wet diaper and it can cause health issues such as diaper rash. Diaper rash can be avoided by changing the diaper as soon as the baby urinates or passes stool. In this project, a smart wearable gadget is developed which sends an automatic notification to a caregiver’s smartphone whenever the baby urinates. The proposed wearable detects urination event noninvasively by sensing the temperature rise on the outer surface of the diaper and quantifies the event using a decision tree and a midpoint based k-nearest neighbor (KNN) hybrid classification algorithm. The gadget is a small size, low power, low cost and reusable electronic device that is attached externally to the outer surface of the diaper. The gadget can be used with any disposable diaper, thus no change in the diaper production process or price increase is required. The smartphone app shows the diaper change urgency score and logs all the urination events. This record can facilitate treating diseases where accurate records of urination are required. A prototype of the hardware gadget and a smartphone app is developed and tested.
Time-Inconsistent Optimal Control Problems and Related Issues

Classical stochastic optimal control problems are time-consistent, by which it means that an optimal control selected at a given initial pair remains optimal thereafter, along the optimal pair. When the discount is non-exponential and/or the probability is subjective, the corresponding optimal control problem is time-inconsistent, in general. In this paper, we survey recent results in the area and briefly present some of our on-going works.
Antecedents of social media activism: an analytical study of a controversial topic

Using a data mining and deep machine learning technology and method, we conducted a multi-staged investigation of whether social media influenced people’s opinions or merely confirmed already held ...
The Magnitude of the Warfarin-Amiodarone Drug-Drug Interaction Varies With Renal Function: A Propensity-Matched Cohort Study.

Amiodarone inhibits warfarin metabolism and is associated with major bleeding during warfarin therapy. Managing this drug-drug interaction (DDI) is challenging because of substantial interpatient variability in DDI magnitude. Because renal dysfunction induces changes in drug metabolism and protein binding that could alter cytochrome P450 inhibition mechanisms, we hypothesized that renal dysfunction alters the impact of the warfarin-amiodarone DDI. We tested this question in a propensity-matched cohort study of hospitalized patients with atrial fibrillation. Patients were queried from an electronic health record database. Renal function was estimated with creatinine clearance (CrCl). Warfarin response was measured with the warfarin sensitivity index (WSI), a dose-normalized international normalized ratio (INR) measure, and was modeled with multilevel mixed-effects linear regression. Time to supratherapeutic INR (> 4) was modeled using Cox regression. Propensity score matching resulted in 4,518 patients administered amiodarone and 4,518 controls. Amiodarone's effect on warfarin response varied threefold across the renal function range, increasing WSI by 36% in patients with normal renal function (CrCl 115 mL/minute), but by only 11.8% in patients with severe renal dysfunction (CrCl 15 mL/minute). Similarly, amiodarone had a strong effect in patients with normal renal function (hazard ratio (HR) 1.80; 1.23, 2.64), but a negligible effect on supratherapeutic INR hazard in patients with severe renal dysfunction (HR 1.01; 0.75, 1.37). These results suggest that renal function is a novel factor that explains substantial variability in the warfarin-amiodarone DDI. This information could inform warfarin dosage adjustment and monitoring and may have implications for the selection of oral anticoagulation agents in patients treated with amiodarone.
RATE VERSUS RHYTHM CONTROL OF ATRIAL FIBRILLATION AFTER CARDIAC SURGERY IN PATIENTS WITH HEART FAILURE

Whether rhythm control for post-operative atrial fibrillation after cardiac surgery (POAF) is superior to rate control in patients with heart failure (HF) is not known. We performed a post-hoc analysis of a trial by the Cardiothoracic Surgical Trials Network, which randomized patients with POAF to
Racial Differences amongst Patients with Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension

Purpose The prevalence of pulmonary atrial hypertension (PAH) among minority groups is unclear and the impact of race on outcomes from registry databases have not been investigated. Objectives This study was undertaken to evaluate outcomes of patients diagnosed with PAH with respect to different racial backgrounds. Methods The National Inpatient Sample (NIS) was used to identify all patients hospitalized ≥18 years of age in 2016 with a diagnosis of PAH by ICD-10 code I270. We then sought to determine the racial differences amongst white, blacks, Hispanics, Asian/Pacific Islanders (API), and Native Americans (NA), with respect to their characteristics, and outcomes of interests including length of stay (LOS), total charges, number of diagnoses, Elixhauser mortality score, readmission score and mortality, and geographic distribution. Categorical variables between groups were assessed with Chi Square testing while continuous variables were assessed using ANOVA testing. All analyses were conducted using SAS v 9.4 and accounted for the NIS sampling design and updated hospital trend weights. Results In 2016, among 10,300 patients with a primary or secondary diagnosis of PAH, 66.7% were white, 19% were black, 8% were Hispanic, 2% were API and 0.7% were NA. The mean age across this group was significantly different, with whites being oldest (68.19 ± 0.44), and NA being youngest (57.13 ± 5.57). Amongst these groups, API were noted to have the longest LOS (8.59 ± 1.76 days, p Conclusion Patients with PAH of API racial background have a higher LOS, mean readmission score and mortality score compared to other racial cohorts. These significant disparities deserve further investigation.
Monte Carlo Uncertainty Propagation with the NIST Uncertainty Machine

Monte Carlo simulations for uncertainty propagation take as inputs the uncertainty distribution for each variable and an equation for the calculation of a desired quantity. The desired quantity is ...
Robot-assisted sialolithotomy with sialoendoscopy: a review of safety, efficacy and cost.

Review the safety, efficacy and cost of robot-assisted sialolithotomy with sialoendoscopy (RASS) for large submandibular gland hilar sialoliths. Retrospective case series. Patients ≥18 years diagnosed with submandibular hilar sialolithiasis between 1/1/2015 and 7/31/2018 who underwent RASS were identified. Procedure success, post-operative complications, procedure duration, and costs associated with the procedure were reviewed. 33 patients fit inclusion criteria. 94% of patients had successful sialolith removal. Mean sialolith size was 8.9 mm. 15.1% had transient tongue paresthesia. 0% had permanent tongue paresthesia compared to a 2% rate of lingual nerve damage cited in the literature for combined approach sialolithotomy (CAS). The average total cost was $16,921. Insurance paid 100%, 90–99%, 70–89.9%, and 40–69.9% of the expected reimbursement in 43.8%, 18.7%, 18.7% and 12.5% of patients respectively. 6% of patients self-paid. Compared to CAS, the cost of reusable robotic arms and drapes totaled $475, though these costs were included in the standardized operative cost per minute and were not forwarded to the patient. The mean procedure time was 62 minutes. Compared to published mean procedure times for CAS, the reduced operative time may account for a savings of $3332–$6069. RASS is a safe modality for submandibular hilar sialolith removal with a high success rate, low risk for temporary tongue paresthesia, and lower rate of permeant lingual nerve damage compared to CAS. Compared with CAS, RASS may result in a net reduction of operative room costs given its shorter procedure time.
Three-year outcomes of trabeculectomy and Ahmed valve implant in patients with prior failed filtering surgeries.

To compare three-year surgical outcomes of trabeculectomy versus Ahmed valves in patients with prior failed trabeculectomy. This is a longitudinal retrospective comparative study of one-hundred twenty adult patients with prior failed trabeculectomy who underwent a repeat trabeculectomy or Ahmed valve implant. Demographic and clinical data were collected up to 3 years on all study participants at the Kresge Eye Institute from 2004 to 2016. Visual acuity, intraocular pressure, number of intraocular pressure reducing medications, and success rates at various time points up to 3 years after repeat surgery were the main outcome variables. Sixty-five and sixty eyes were included in the trabeculectomy and the Ahmed valve groups, respectively. Baseline intraocular pressure significantly decreased in both groups at 3 years (p 0.05). There was no statistically significant difference between the two groups in visual acuity, percentage of intraocular pressure reduction, number of medications, or success rates at any follow-up time points (p > 0.05 for all). After 3 years, both trabeculectomy and Ahmed valves significantly reduced intraocular pressure from baseline, but with relatively similar number of medications compared to baseline. There was no significant difference in any outcome measure between trabeculectomy and Ahmed valves at any follow-up time points. These results may suggest neither trabeculectomy or Ahmed valves are superior in patients with previously failed trabeculectomies.
Paying the Right Amount to Challenge Trial Participants – We Need to Use Behavioral Science Insights to Sell What’s Right

Sometimes doing what’s right depends on anticipating how people will react when you do the right thing. Consider two aspects of challenge trial payments discussed by Lynch and colleagues (2021). Th...
Economic comparison between ceftiofur-treated and nontreated dairy cows with metritis

The objective was to investigate the economic effect of treating dairy cows with metritis using ceftiofur-free acid or leaving them untreated at the time of diagnosis. Cows with a fetid, watery, red-brownish vaginal discharge were diagnosed with metritis (d 0). Data from 875 dairy cows (506 primiparous and 369 multiparous) from 1 herd in northern Florida that had been part of a larger study evaluating different treatments for metritis were used for the economic analysis. Holstein cows with metritis had been randomly assigned to: Ceftiofur (CEF, n = 239) = subcutaneous injection of 6.6 mg/kg of ceftiofur crystalline-free acid in the base of the ear at d 0 and d 3; Untreated (UNT, n = 233) = no treatment applied at metritis diagnosis. Both groups could receive escape therapy if condition worsened. A group of nonmetritic healthy cows (NMET; n = 403) from the same cohort was randomly selected for comparison. Continuous outcomes such as 300-d milk production (kg/cow), milk sales ($/cow), cow sales ($/cow), treatment cost by 60 days in milk ($/cow), reproduction cost ($/cow), replacement cost ($/cow), feeding cost ($/cow), and gross profit per cow ($/cow) were analyzed using the ANOVA (MIXED procedure of SAS version 9.4). Dichotomous outcomes such as pregnancy and culling by 300 d were analyzed using logistic regression (GLIMMIX procedure of SAS). Models included the fixed effects of treatment, parity, and the interaction between treatment and parity. A stochastic analysis was performed with 10,000 iterations using the observed results from each group. The CEF treatment resulted in greater treatment cost by 60 DIM than UNT ($112 vs. $37), but resulted in a greater proportion of pregnant cows (71 vs. 61%) and decreased culling by 300 DIM (29 vs. 39%) compared with UNT. Gross profit was lesser for UNT than NMET ($2,969 vs. $3,426), and CEF was intermediate ($3,219). The stochastic analysis showed that the mean difference in gross profit between UNT and NMET was -$457; saleable milk (49%) and replacement cost (24%) accounted for most of the variation. The mean difference in gross profit between CEF and NMET group was -$207; saleable milk (82%) and initial metritis treatment cost (9%) accounted for most of the variation. The mean difference in gross profit between the UNT and the CEF group was -$250; replacement cost (41%) and cow sales (31%) accounted for most of the variation. In summary, metritis caused large economic losses when left untreated, and CEF reduced those losses by improving fertility, reducing culling and replacement cost, and reducing milk yield losses.
A Cautionary Tale from Testosterone An Unauthorized Biography

Craig Martin reviews Testosterone: An Unauthorized Biography (Harvard University Press 2019) by Rebecca M. Jordan-Young and Katrina Karkazis. Testosterone examines the history and uses of the hormone in biomedical research. Conventionally understood as the male sex hormone, Martin learns that the construction of this idea is far more complicated and marred by politics of classification and definition. Martin suggests that Jordan-Young and Karkazis’ study models the kind of questions schoalrs of religion would do well to ask about their own data.
Allogenic Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation Is Feasible in Pediatric Patients with an Active or Recently Diagnosed Invasive Fungal Infection.

Background Data on the outcome of allogenic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) in pediatric patients with a history of invasive fungal infection (IFI) is limited. Objective The aim of this study was to report on the feasibility and outcome of allogenic HSCT in pediatric patients with an active or recently diagnosed IFI. Study design In this retrospective single center study 317 children underwent an allogenic HSCT (January 2012 - June 2020), of which 23 patients had an active or recent ( Results Four proven and 19 probable IFIs were diagnosed. The lungs were the main site of infection (22 out of 23 patients), brain involvement was diagnosed in six (26.1%). Aspergillus species (spp.) was the most frequently identified organism. Four patients were diagnosed with mucormycosis of which three were mixed infections with Aspergillus spp. One patient was diagnosed with an Alternaria sinusitis and one patient with an infection with Curvularia spp. with both pulmonary and cutaneous involvement. One year after HSCT 18 of the 23 patients (78,3%) were alive. Four of the five patients that did not survive, died of non-IFI related causes. One patient died to a newly developed IFI post-transplant. Three patients showed non-fatal progression of their original IFI that required prolonged antifungal treatment. Conclusions Survival of this cohort of high risk pediatric patients who underwent allogenic HSCT with an active or recently diagnosed IFI was favorable. An active IFI or recent history of IFI should not be a contra-indication for proceeding to allogenic HSCT.
A Distributed Optimal Power Flow Algorithm that Incorporates A Priori Congestion Information through Bounded Dual Updates

Distributed optimal power flow (OPF) algorithms have been proposed as scalable optimization tools for the future grid; however, few of them incorporated a priori information about transmission congestion from operational experience, a prevalent technique to improve the computational performance when the OPF problem is solved in a centralized way. Centralized OPF algorithms typically include only a fraction of line flow limit constraints that are predicted to be binding. In this paper, a heuristic is proposed to incorporate a priori congestion information into the dual updates of a distributed OPF algorithm. The dual solution of the consensus constraints for phase angles is derived through duality theory, and it is shown to be correlated with the congestion status of nearby lines. Instead of updating the dual variables without restrictions, the proposed heuristic proposes to apply bounds determined from the congestion information in the dual update step. Numerical studies on a 3012-bus Polish system verified the effectiveness of the proposed method.
Mesenchymal stromal cells in wound healing applications: role of the secretome, targeted delivery and impact on recessive dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa treatment

Mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) are multi-potent stromal-derived cells capable of self-renewal that possess several advantageous properties for wound healing, making them of interest to the field of dermatology. Research has focused on characterizing the unique properties of MSCs, which broadly revolve around their regenerative and more recently discovered immunomodulatory capacities. Because of ease of harvesting and expansion, differentiation potential and low immunogenicity, MSCs have been leading candidates for tissue engineering and regenerative medicine applications for wound healing, yet results from clinical studies have been variable, and promising pre-clinical work has been difficult to reproduce. Therefore, the specific mechanisms of how MSCs influence the local microenvironment in distinct wound etiologies warrant further research. Of specific interest in MSC-mediated healing is harnessing the secretome, which is composed of components known to positively influence wound healing. Molecules released by the MSC secretome can promote re-epithelialization and angiogenesis while inhibiting fibrosis and microbial invasion. This review focuses on the therapeutic interest in MSCs with regard to wound healing applications, including burns and diabetic ulcers, with specific attention to the genetic skin disease recessive dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa. This review also compares various delivery methods to support skin regeneration in the hopes of combating the poor engraftment of MSCs after delivery, which is one of the major pitfalls in clinical studies utilizing MSCs.
Gender differences in inhibitory control as assessed on simple delay tasks in early childhood: A meta-analysis:

Bjorklund and Kipp (1996) hypothesized that due to selection processes operative during human evolution, females have an inborn advantage over males in the ability to suppress inappropriate respons...
Participation or frustration? Local stakeholders and the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA): Donlin gold project, Western Alaska

Abstract This paper examines the implementation of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) at the Donlin Gold project in Western Alaska. The Donlin Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) was led by the Army Corps of Engineers to inform federal agency decisions about the issuance of permits including a Section 404 Clean Water Act Permit and a Section 10 Rivers and Harbors Act Permit. As is required by the law, the EIS also investigated and disclosed many environmental impacts that were beyond the scope of the federal permits. The Donlin EIS was widely viewed as more detailed than most other EISs. The EIS process also included local tribal governments as cooperating agencies. Despite the EIS's detail and stakeholders’ increased role, many stakeholders felt that these efforts were insufficient. Stakeholders expressed frustration with the NEPA process and the regulators who implemented it. They reported that they felt patronized by a bureaucratic process that focused on fitting stakeholder concerns into technical and scientific disciplines for analysis by outside experts. This study concludes that augmenting the quantity of scientific study, even in response to the concerns of stakeholders, is unlikely to increase local stakeholders’ satisfaction with NEPA. Rather, regulatory personnel must focus on building trust between their agencies and local communities through 1) direct engagement with local stakeholders beyond the one-way forum of public meetings and 2) transparent dialog early in the NEPA process about the law's limitations with respect to turning stakeholders’ concerns into enforceable project requirements.
Double-edged role of resource competition in gene expression noise and control

Despite extensive investigation demonstrating that resource competition can significantly alter the circuits9 deterministic behaviors, a fundamental issue is how resource competition contributes to the gene expression noise and how the noise can be controlled. Utilizing a two-gene circuit as a prototypical system, we uncover a surprising double-edged role of resource competition in gene expression noise: the competition decreases noise through a resource constraint but generates its own type of noise which we name as 99resource competitive noise.99 Utilization of orthogonal resources enables retaining the noise reduction conferred by resource constraint while removing the added resource competitive noise. The noise reduction effects are studied using three negative feedback controller types: negatively competitive regulation (NCR), local, and global controllers, each having four placement architectures in the protein biosynthesis pathway (mRNA or protein inhibition on transcription or translation). Our results show that both local and NCR controllers with mRNA-mediated inhibition are efficacious at reducing noise, with NCR controllers demonstrating a superior noise-reduction capability. We also find that combining negative feedback controllers with orthogonal resources can improve the local controllers. This work provides deep insights into the origin of stochasticity in gene circuits with resource competition and guidance for developing effective noise control strategies.
Salty water and salty leaf litter alters riparian detrital processes: Evidence from sodium-addition laboratory mesocosm experiments.

Abstract Terrestrial and freshwater secondary salinization is a global phenomenon arising partially from anthropogenic activities. How low-level direct (e.g., sodium exposure through irrigation runoff) or indirect (e.g., sodium exposure through sodium-enriched leaves as riparian plants uptake sodium that via senescence enters detrital systems) impacts detrital processes in riparia have received little attention. Based on the sodium ecosystem respiration hypothesis, we predicted low-level salinization of an inland mesic riparia would result in increased detrital processing and increased leachate dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and conductivity. Two riparian soil mesocosm experiments tested how low-level salinization affects leachate chemistry and conductivity and riparian decomposition rates and detritivore community structure: 1) direct low-level NaCl deposition in water (weekly additions of 300 ml of 0.05% NaCl or just H2O (controls)), and 2) indirect low-level NaCl deposition through Na-enriched artificial litter (0.05% NaCl or just H2O (controls)). After three months, leachate Na+ concentrations were 12-fold and 1.5-fold higher in Na-addition than control mesocosms for direct and indirect Na-addition experiments, respectively. Contrary to predictions, decomposition rate was 1.3-fold lower in indirect Na-addition than control mesocosms but invertebrate communities were similar. Decomposition rate did not differ in direct Na-addition experiments, and although invertebrate abundance was lower, diversity was 1.4-fold higher in Na-addition than control mesocosms. Leachate DOC did not differ between Na-addition and control mesocosms for either direct or indirect Na-addition experiments. This study adds to the growing evidence that even low-level Na addition can stress inland mesic terrestrial systems and demonstrates that even Na-enriched detritus alone can induce salt-stress in riparian soil systems. These results suggest that even low-level salinization of riparia can impact riparian ecosystem function and leachate chemistry through direct exposure and indirectly through Na-enriched detritus, a previously overlooked pathway.
Object Caching for Queries and Updates

We consider a new online problem, called caching for queries and updates, which encompasses three expansions to standard caching: requests can be for multiple data objects (or “file bundles”), requests can be queries that return results much smaller than the data they access, or there may be updates to the data at the source. Different combinations of these expansions arise in modern applications such as scientific computing on data-grids and middle-tier caching in web-based databases. We present a randomized online (2α + 2)-competitive algorithm for this problem, given any α-competitive algorithm for the well studied object caching (multi-size paging) problem. This is the first known online algorithm for the combined problem and for several simpler combinations of the three extensions. This algorithm is both space-efficient and computationally tractable and has bounded overhead for control communication.
An implicit finite difference method for drainage basin evolution

[1] In drainage basin evolution models the implementation of sediment transport and sediment balance is constrained by numerical instabilities. In order to overcome these difficulties an implicit finite difference method is proposed. The method simultaneously adjusts the elevation at each node of the numerical grid, is unconditionally stable, and significantly reduces the computational time. The performance of the method is tested and briefly discussed with a numerical example.
A Supply Chain Network Perspective for Electric Power Generation, Supply, Transmission, and Consumption

A supply chain network perspective for electric power production, supply, transmission, and consumption is developed. The model is sufficiently general to handle the behavior of the various decision-makers, who operate in a decentralized manner and include power generators, power suppliers, the transmitters, as well as the consumers associated with the demand markets. The optimality conditions are derived, along with the equilibrium state for the electric power supply chain network. The finite-dimensional variational inequality formulation of the equilibrium state is derived, whose solution yields the equilibrium electric power flows transacted between the tiers of the supply chain network as well as the nodal prices. The variational inequality formulation is utilized to provide qualitative properties of the equilibrium electric power flow and price patterns and to propose a computational scheme. The algorithm is then applied to compute the solutions to several numerical examples
Examining The Effectiveness Of Multiple Imputation: A Case Study On Hiv Risk Behaviors In Women Receiving Treatment For Substance Use Disorders

Women in the United States are becoming infected with HIV more quickly now than ever before; many of whom are at higher risk because of their substance use habits or that of their partners. (CDC, 2010) This study analyzes cross sectional data regarding the risk behaviors and addiction severity of a sample of women receiving treatment for substance use disorders (SUDs). The data was gathered between 2006 and 2010 at a women's substance use treatment center in St. Louis, Missouri (MO), the name of which cannot be disclosed. We develop a scale, the HIV Risk Scale (HRS), to quantify a woman's risk of contracting HIV at the time of presenting for rehabilitation based on self-reported sexual and drug behaviors. We then, using the seven interviewer-ratings of the Addiction Severity Index (ASI) as predictors of the HRS, examine the results of regression using two methods to adjust for missing data: (1) case-wise deletion and (2) multiple imputation. Results suggest that using several of the ASI, a tool already implemented in rehabilitation efforts, interventions can be tailored to address more closely all of the issues regarding the health and safety of substance abusing women seeking relief from addiction. Results show that specifically looking at the interviewer's assessment of how severely addiction impacts legal, drug-related, alcohol-related, employment-related and medical aspects of a woman's life may enable treatment centers to help her alleviate the HIV to which she maybe exposed.
The Political Origins of Religious Liberty

The issue of religious liberty has gained ever-increasing attention among policy makers and the public. Whereas politicians have long championed the idea of religious freedom and tolerance, the actual achievement of these goals has been an arduous battle for religious minorities. What motivates political leaders to create laws providing for greater religious liberty? In contrast to scholars who argue that religious liberty results from the spread of secularization and modern ideas, Anthony Gill argues that religious liberty results from interest-based calculations of secular rulers. Using insights from political economists, Gill develops a theory of the origins of religious liberty based upon the political and economic interests of governing officials. Political leaders are most likely to permit religious freedom when it enhances their own political survival, tax revenue, and the economic welfare of their country. He explores his theory using cases from British America, Latin America, Russia, and the Baltic states.
Requirements engineering process selection at Hewlett-Packard

The requirements engineering (RE) processes used at Hewlett-Packard (HP) are many and varied. They range from informal to formal on projects that are short, agile, and at Internet-speed as well as long and methodical ones. Typically, the RE approach is influenced by business drivers as well as constraints or attributes of the project. Some of the major attributes that affect HP's RE selection process include: level of understanding of the user's domain/needs, project size and complexity, schedule, resources, cost, quality expectations, project personnel expertise, development model (in-house versus outsourced), tolerance for requirements volatility, cost of requirements changes during development and after release, and the speed at which changes can be applied to the product after release. Attributes of the RE approach for two HP projects are examined in This work. The first project is agile with an Internet-speed release schedule. It is based on experience with the Web site and consumer award-winning eservices hpshopping.com organization. The other project is large, complex, and makes use of outsourced development. It is based on experience with the development of an HP worldwide (WW) IT customer communications system that cuts across all of HP's businesses. Many different RE processes are used at HP. The most effective ones are those customized to closely fit the business drivers and project attributes.
Reading the Community: Helping Students Learn the Process

Colleges and universities in the 21st century will thrive through extensive collaborations with other higher education institutions and with communities with which they have special affinities. These relationships will create an educational environment that promotes deeper learning and student success, while generating knowledge that can be put to good use in improving the sustainability of local and global communities, and the diversity and strength of the economy. This paper will explore ways to engage students in the life of their communities while they take an active role in addressing challenges that affect local culture, health, economic stability and the environment. To do this, students must develop the ability to learn how to enrich their experience in the neighborhoods where they live by paying attention to aspects of life in their community that they normally would not notice; that is, to “read the community.”
The Management of Cubital Tunnel Syndrome

Symptomatic cubital tunnel syndrome is a condition that frequently prompts patients to seek hand surgical care. Although cubital tunnel syndrome is readily diagnosed, achieving complete symptom resolution remains challenging. This article reviews related anatomy, clinical presentation, and current management options for cubital tunnel syndrome with an emphasis on contemporary outcomes research.
Recombinant adeno-associated virus vectors in the treatment of rare diseases.

Introduction: An estimated 25 million Americans are living with rare diseases. Adeno-associated virus (AAV)-mediated gene therapy is an emerging therapeutic option for > 7000 identified rare diseases. This paper highlights the benefits of AAV therapy compared to conventional small molecules, discusses current pre-clinical and clinical applications of AAV-mediated gene therapy, and offers insights into cutting edge research that will shape the future of AAV for broad therapeutic use.Areas covered: In this review the biology of AAV and our ability to generate disease-specific variants is summarized. Limitations of current therapy are reviewed, with an emphasis on immune detection of virus, viral tropism and tissue targeting, and limitations of gene expression. Information for this review was found using PubMed and clinicaltrials.gov.Expert opinion: Currently the scope of clinical trials of AAV gene therapy is concentrated in an array of Phase I/II safety trials with less than two dozen rare diseases feature...
Degradation of Methoxylated Benzoic Acids by a Nocardia from a Lignin-Rich Environment: Significance to Lignin Degradation and Effect of Chloro Substituents

Strain A81 of Nocardia corallina hydroxylates or demethylates p-anisic acid to p-hydroxybenzoic acid and isovanillic acid. It demethylates veratric acid to a mixture of vanillic and isovanillic acids. These are both demethylated to protocatechuic acid, which undergoes ring cleavage to afford β-carboxy-cis-cis-muconic acid. The intermediacy of protocatechuic acid in the catabolic pathway of veratric acid was confirmed by blocking ring cleavage with an additional substituent in the ring: 5-chlorovanillic acid was demethylated to 5-chloro-protocatechuic acid, which accumulated. Chloro substituents in the ring of other methoxylated benzoic acids also arrested their normal metabolism by the Nocardia: an ortho-chloro substituent thwarted both demethylation and ring-opening. ortho-Hydroxylation of p-methoxybenzoic acid to isovanillic acid was unaffected by a chlorine ortho to the methoxyl group. Washed whole cells of veratric acid-grown N. corallina A81 produced no detected structural changes in an isolated lignin. The implications of this observation are discussed.
Decision and Search in Non-Abelian Cramer-Shoup Public Key Cryptosystem

A method for non-abelian Cramer-Shoup cryptosystem is presented. The role of decision and search is explored, and the platform of solvable / polycyclic group is suggested. In the process we review recent progress in non-abelian cryptography and post some open problems that naturally arise from this path of research.
Asymmetric Distribution of UCH‐L1 in Spermatogonia Is Associated With Maintenance and Differentiation of Spermatogonial Stem Cells

Asymmetric division of germline stem cells in vertebrates was proposed a century ago; however, direct evidence for asymmetric division of mammalian spermatogonial stem cells (SSCs) has been scarce. Here, we report that ubiquitin carboxy-terminal hydrolase 1 (UCH-L1) is expressed in type A (A(s), A(pr), and A(al)) spermatogonia located at the basement membrane (BM) of seminiferous tubules at high and low levels, but not in differentiated germ cells distant from the BM. Asymmetric segregation of UCH-L1 was associated with self-renewal versus differentiation divisions of SSCs as defined by co-localization of UCH-L1(high) and PLZF, a known determinant of undifferentiated SSCs, versus co-localization of UCH-L1(low/-) with proteins expressed during SSC differentiation (DAZL, DDX4, c-KIT). In vitro, gonocytes/spermatogonia frequently underwent asymmetric divisions characterized by unequal segregation of UCH-L1 and PLZF. Importantly, we could also demonstrate asymmetric segregation of UCH-L1 and PLZF in situ in seminiferous tubules. Expression level of UCH-L1 in the immature testis where spermatogenesis was not complete was not affected by the location of germ cells relative to the BM, whereas UCH-L1-positive spermatogonia were exclusively located at the BM in the adult testis. Asymmetric division of SSCs appeared to be affected by interaction with supporting somatic cells and extracelluar matrix. These findings for the first time provide direct evidence for existence of asymmetric division during SSCs self-renewal and differentiation in mammalian spermatogenesis.
EFFECT OF TOW ARCHITECTURE ON STRESSES IN WOVEN COMPOSITES

Even simple loading creates complex stress distributions in woven composites. Concomitantly, stress analyses required to predict the three-dimensional stresses tend to be complex. The required analysis can be simplified if some of the geometric details can be ignored. Accordingly, stresses are calculated for fourand eight-harness satin weaves using exact and approximate models of the assumed tow architecture. Comparisons of these results show that in many cases even three-dimensional can be predicted with reasonable accuracy with simplified models.
Asking Directions: A Thematic Development for the Foreign Language Classroom.

: The topic “asking directions” may be productively used in the language classroom as a basis for a variety of real-life simulations and lively personalized conversations. The activities suggested here encourage immediate student employment of the target language in a range of meaningful contexts. Exercises are accompanied by guidelines for productive classroom utilization. All class members participate simultaneously in exercises evoking total student involvement. This session may be used with any target language, including ESL. Vocabulary lends itself to ready modification to suit the needs of any class level in any instructional setting, from high school through university or adult education. The stimulating change of pace provided by these exercises is an effective student motivator. This lesson may be used in entirety or in segments at any point in the language program, to introduce or review some highly practical target language vocabulary.
Trajectory and Spline Generation for All-Wheel Steering Mobile Robots

We present a method for trajectory generation for all-wheel steering mobile robots which can account for rough terrain and predictable vehicle dynamics and apply it to the problem of generating optimal motion splines. There has been little work in trajectory generation for vehicles with all-wheel steering capability compared to the Ackermann, differential-drive, or omnidirectional mobility system models. The presented method linearizes and inverts forward models of propulsion, suspension, and motion to minimize boundary state error given a parameterized set of controls. Our method for generating efficient motion splines between a series of state boundary constraints optimizes the free path heading boundary constraint while meeting position and orientation state constraints. We demonstrate this algorithm on the Rocky 8 rover platform, where parameterized linear velocity, curvature, and path heading controls are generated which satisfy position, orientation, and path heading constraints in rough terrain.
Optimum allocation of weights to assets in a portfolio: the case of nominal annualization versus effective annualization of returns

Based on several research studies and in particular the theoretical study of Prakash et al. (1997), it is known that the variance as well as the skewness of the probability distribution of rates of return increases if the investors-investment interval increases. In the present study, using the portfolio selection procedure deveoloped by Lai (1991) under the presence of skewness and subsequently used by Chunhachinda et al. (1997) and Prakash et al. (2003), we find that the selection of investment interval (e.g. daily versus weekly versus monthly) significantly changes not only the optimal allocation of weights, but also the number of markets selected in the portfolio.