Cabling, contact structures and mapping class monoids

In this paper we discuss the change in contact structures as their supporting open book decompositions have their binding components cabled. To facilitate this and applications we define the notion of a rational open book decomposition that generalizes the standard notion of open book decomposition and allows one to more easily study surgeries on transverse knots. As a corollary to our investigation we are able to show there are Stein fillable contact structures supported by open books whose monodromies cannot be written as a product of positive Dehn twists. We also exhibit several monoids in the mapping class group of a surface that have contact geometric significance.Comment: 62 pages, 32 figures. Significant expansion of exposition and more details on some argument

Fuel-Supply-Limited Stellar Relaxation Oscillations: Application to Multiple Rings around AGB Stars and Planetary Nebulae

We describe a new mechanism for pulsations in evolved stars: relaxation oscillations driven by a coupling between the luminosity-dependent mass-loss rate and the H fuel abundance in a nuclear-burning shell. When mass loss is included, the outward flow of matter can modulate the flow of fuel into the shell when the stellar luminosity is close to the Eddington luminosity $L_{\rm Edd}$. When the luminosity drops below $L_{\rm Edd}$, the mass outflow declines and the shell is re-supplied with fuel. This process can be repetitive. We demonstrate the existence of such oscillations and discuss the dependence of the results on the stellar parameters. In particular, we show that the oscillation period scales specifically with the mass of the H-burning relaxation shell (HBRS), defined as the part of the H-burning shell above the minimum radius at which the luminosity from below first exceeds the Eddington threshold at the onset of the mass loss phase. For a stellar mass M_*\sim 0.7\Msun, luminosity L_*\sim 10^4\Lsun, and mass loss rate |\dot M|\sim 10^{-5}\Msun yr$^{-1}$, the oscillations have a recurrence time $\sim 1400$ years $\sim 57\tau_{\rm fsm}$, where $\tau_{\rm fsm}$ is the timescale for modulation of the fuel supply in the HBRS by the varying mass-loss rate. This period agrees with the $\sim$ 1400-year period inferred for the spacings between the shells surrounding some planetary nebulae, and the the predictied shell thickness, of order 0.4 times the spacing, also agrees reasonably well.Comment: 15 pages TeX, 1 ps figure submitted to Ap

Surface mucous as a source of genomic DNA from Atlantic billfishes (Istiophoridae) and swordfish (Xiphiidae)

Procedures for sampling genomic DNA from live billfishes involve manual restraint and tissue excision that can be difficult to carry out and may produce stresses that affect fish survival. We examined the collection of surface mucous as a less invasive alternative method for sourcing genomic DNA by comparing it to autologous muscle tissue samples from Atlantic blue marlin (Makaira nigricans), white marlin (Tetrapturus albidus), sailfish (Istiophorus platypterus), and swordfish (Xiphias gladius). Purified DNA from mucous was comparable to muscle and was suitable for conventional polymerase chain reaction, random amplified polymorphic DNA analysis, and mitochondrial and nuclear locus sequencing. The nondestructive and less invasive characteristics of surface mucous collection may promote increased survival of released specimens and may be advantageous for other marine fish genetic studies, particularly those involving large live specimens destined for release

Impact of Level of Effort on the Effects of Compliance with the 3-Hour Rule

Objective To determine if patients’ level of effort (LOE) in therapy sessions during traumatic brain injury (TBI) rehabilitation modifies the effect of compliance with the 3-Hour Rule of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. Design Propensity score methodology applied to the TBI-Practice-Based Evidence (TBI-PBE) database, consisting of multi-site, prospective, longitudinal observational data. Setting Acute inpatient rehabilitation facilities (IRF). Participants Patients (n=1820) who received their first IRF admission for TBI in the US and were enrolled for 3 and 9 month follow-up. Main Outcome Measures Participation Assessment with Recombined Tools-Objective-17, FIMTM Motor and Cognitive scores, Satisfaction with Life Scale, and Patient Health Questionnaire-9. Results When the full cohort was examined, no strong main effect of compliance with the 3-Hour Rule was identified and LOE did not modify the effect of compliance with the 3-Hour Rule. In contrast, LOE had a strong positive main effect on all outcomes, except depression. When the sample was stratified by level of disability, LOE modified the effect of compliance, particularly on the outcomes of participants with less severe disability. For these patients, providing 3 hours of therapy for 50%+ of therapy days in the context of low effort resulted in poorer performance on select outcome measures at discharge and up to 9 months post discharge compared to patients with <50% of 3-hr therapy days. Conclusions LOE is an active ingredient in inpatient TBI rehabilitation, while compliance with the 3-Hour Rule was not found to have a substantive impact on the outcomes. The results support matching time in therapy during acute TBI rehabilitation to patients’ LOE in order to optimize long-term benefits on outcomes

Uso de fontes legais adicionais em breves de amicus curiae apresentados em Fisher v. University of Texas at Austin

As the political arena becomes increasingly polarized, the legal arena is playing a more important role in the creation of education policy in the United States. One critical stage in the legal process for such efforts is at briefing where “amici curiae,” or friends-of-the-court, may introduce additional arguments for the court to consider through the filing of amicus curiae briefs. To explore the use of extra-legal sources by amici, we focus on the 2013 U.S. Supreme Court case Fisher v. University of Texas at Austin and ask the questions: 1) What are the types, and relative use by amici, of extra-legal sources cited in the briefs submitted in Fisher I? and 2) What is the relative use of extra-legal sources cited in amicus briefs by supporting party and by category of amici? Our findings reveal the wide-range of extra-legal sources used in amicus briefs, and that the type of extra-legal sources incorporated may be associated with who the amici are and which party they support. Ultimately, we discuss potential reasons for the differences observed in the use of extra-legal sources and offer recommendations to more effectively engage in the policy briefing process.A medida que la arena política se polariza cada vez más la arena legal juega un papel más importante en la creación de una política educativa en los Estados Unidos. Una etapa crítica en el proceso legal para tales esfuerzos es en una sesión de información donde “amici curiae”, o amigos de la corte, pueden presentar argumentos adicionales para que la corte los considere mediante la presentación de escritos amicus curiae. Para explorar el uso de fuentes extra legales por amici, nos enfocamos en el caso 2013 de la U.S.Supreme Court Fisher v. University of Texas at Austin y hacemos las siguientes preguntas: 1) ¿Cuáles son los tipos y el uso relativo de los amici de fuentes legales citadas en los escritos presentados en Fisher I? y 2) ¿Cuál es el uso relativo de las fuentes extra legales citadas en los escritos amicus por la parte que apoya y por categoría de amici? Nuestros hallazgos revelan la amplia gama de fuentes extra legales utilizadas en los informes amicus, y que el tipo de fuentes extra legales incorporadas puede asociarse con quiénes son los amici y qué partido apoyan. En última instancia, discutimos las posibles razones de las diferencias observadas en el uso de fuentes extra legales y ofrecemos recomendaciones para participar de manera más efectiva en el proceso de información sobre políticas.À medida que a arena política se torna cada vez mais polarizada a arena legal desempenha um papel mais importante na criação de uma política educacional nos Estados Unidos. Um estágio crítico no processo legal para tais esforços é em uma sessão de informação onde “amici curiae”, ou amigos do tribunal, podem apresentar argumentos adicionais para que o juiz considere arquivar amicus curiae briefs. Para explorar o uso de fontes legais extra pela Amici, nós nos concentramos no caso de 2013 do U.S. Supreme Court Fisher v. University of Texas at Austin e fazemos as seguintes perguntas: 1) Quais são os tipos e o uso relativo de amici de fontes legais citadas nos trabalhos apresentados em Fisher I? e 2) Qual é o uso relativo das fontes extralegais citadas nos resumos de amicus pelo partido que apoia e pela categoria amici? Nossas descobertas revelam a ampla variedade de fontes legais extra usadas nos relatórios de amicus e que o tipo de fontes extralegais incorporadas pode ser associado com quem é o amici e qual partido eles apoiam. Em última análise, discutimos os possíveis motivos das diferenças observadas no uso de fontes extralegais e oferecemos recomendações para participar de forma mais efetiva no processo de informação política

Resistant starch wheat increases PYY and decreases GIP but has no effect on self-reported perceptions of satiety

Dietary fiber has numerous health benefits, such as increasing satiety, and is regularly included in healthy dietary recommendations. However, different types and sources of fiber vary in their chemical properties and biological effects. This double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled, crossover study investigated the effects of resistant starch type 2 (RS2) from wheat on self-reported perceptions of satiety and associated gut hormones in 30 healthy adults ages 40-65 years of age. Participants consumed rolls made using either RS2-enriched wheat flour or a wild-type flour for one week before a test day during which they ate a mixed meal containing the same roll type. Both self-reported perceptions of satiety and plasma concentrations of gut hormones were measured following the meal to assess whether the RS2-enriched wheat enhanced satiety and suppressed hunger for a longer period than the control wheat. Exploratory analysis indicated that fasting and peak concentration of peptide YY3-36 (PYY3-36; qfast&nbsp;=&nbsp;0.02, qpeak&nbsp;=&nbsp;0.02) increased, while peak concentration and iAUC of glucose-dependent insulinotropic peptide (GIP; qpeak &lt; 0.001, qiAUC &lt; 0.001) decreased after ingesting RS2-enriched wheat. However, self-reported perceptions of hunger or fullness using visual analog scales (VAS) did not differ following the test meal

Clinically small tonsils are typically not obstructive in children during drug-induced sleep endoscopy

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether the degree of lateral pharyngeal wall (LPW) obstruction on pediatric drug-induced sleep endoscopy (DISE) correlates with preprocedure tonsillar hypertrophy score on physical examination, and to determine if clinically small tonsils are obstructive. METHODS: Retrospective review of 154 patients who underwent DISE at a single pediatric tertiary care center over a 4-year period. Inclusion criteria were documentation of Brodsky tonsil score on preoperative physical examination. Exclusion criteria were previous tonsillectomy, adenoidectomy, or adenotonsillectomy. Lateral pharyngeal wall obstruction was graded for each patient from 0 (no obstruction) to 3 (severe obstruction) using a validated pediatric DISE scoring system known as the Chan-Parikh scoring system (C-P). Data were analyzed using multivariate linear regression controlling for age at time of DISE and presence of comorbid conditions. RESULTS: One hundred fifteen patients met criteria for analysis. Median age at DISE was 5.1 years. A moderate positive correlation was calculated between Brodsky score and DISE score, Spearman correlation coefficient 0.55, P = 50% obstruction); and six (9%) had a score of 3 (100% obstruction). CONCLUSION: There is a positive correlation between Brodsky Score and DISE LPW score. The majority of children with sleep-disordered breathing with a Brodsky score of 1 did not demonstrate LPW obstruction. These children may benefit from DISE for identification of alternative sites of upper airway obstructio

A systematic review of the aetiology of tobacco disparities for sexual minorities

To conduct a systematic review of the literature examining risk factors/correlates of cigarette smoking among lesbian, gay and bisexual (ie, sexual minority) populations

The Lantern Vol. 33, No. 2, May 1967

• The Plea • Arrival • Nouvelle • Poem on Theme by Leroi Jones • Night Thoughts • Finals • Caught in the Act • Tomorrow • The Rail • The Price • Lost • It\u27s a Svaden Spring • No Thanks to City Hall • Grinding Them to Dust • Four • Five • Nine • Ten • Twelve • Thirty-Six • Psyched Up and Out • Gutted Gloryhttps://digitalcommons.ursinus.edu/lantern/1091/thumbnail.jp