cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Decision-making in the Therapy of External Eye Disease: Noninfected Corneal Ulcers

Despite diverse and multiple clinical etiologies, the pathogenesis of noninfected corneal ulcers consistently relates to persistent or extensive epithelial defects, concomitant with stromal inflammatory cell infiltration and enzymatic degradation of collagen and ground substance. The therapeutic approaches to these disorders may be considered on three levels: (1) the determination of etiology and initiation of primary therapy; (2) promotion of epithelial healing; and (3) limitation of ulceration and support of repair, the latter aspects currently featuring pharmacologic management and limited surgical modalities, particularly the use of tissue adhesive.
Longitudinal assessment of infecting serovars of Chlamydia trachomatis in Seattle public health clinics: 1988-1996.

Background: There have been few longitudinal studies of fluctuations in the prevalence of Chlamydia trachomatis serovars in a given community; such studies could improve our understanding of the epidemiology and transmission of C trachomatis. Study Design: This was a longitudinal study of 7110 female patients (62%) and 4344 male patients (38%) presenting with first-time infections to health department clinics between 1988 and 1996. Goal: The goal was to ascertain trends in the proportion of infecting serovars over the 9-year study period and determine independent relationships between serovar and age, gender, race, and year of infection. Results: Serovar E was the most prevalent (32%), followed by F (18%) and D (13%). Being female, African American, and infected with serovar B was associated with young age (P < 0.001, P < 0.001, and P = 0.09, respectively). Class C serovars were found in older patients (P < 0.001). Over the 9-year period, the percentage of infections with serovar types F and G increased (P = 0.007, P = 0.009), those with I and K decreased (P < 0.001, P = 0.008), and those with B, D, D-, E, H, Ia, and J remained stable. The age of those with positive Chlamydia cultures decreased (P < 0.001). Conclusion: In this population, while the major serovars appeared stable over 9 years, significant changes in the distribution of minor serovars, especially G, were observed over time.
Oxidation of aldehydic products of lipid peroxidation by rat liver microsomal aldehyde dehydrogenase

Lipid peroxidation in microsomal membranes produces a large number of aldehydes, alcohols, and ketones, some of which have been shown to be cytotoxic. This study has determined the kinetic parameters for the oxidation of aldehyde lipid peroxidation products by purified rat hepatic microsomal aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH). Livers were obtained from male Sprague-Dawley rats for preparation of microsomal ALDH which was purified 400-fold. Kinetic parameters, Vmax and V/K, were determined for saturated and unsaturated aldehydes of three to nine carbons in length in the presence of NAD+. Of the aldehydes examined, only acrolein and 4-hydroxynonenal were not oxidized by ALDH. The Vmax values (mumol NADH produced/min/mg protein) increased linearly with carbon chain length and ranged from 6.5 to 23 for the saturated series and 4.0 to 9.0 for the unsaturated aldehydes. The affinity constant V/K (nmol NADH produced/min/mg protein/nmol aldehyde/liter) also increased with carbon chain length and ranged from 12 to 9000 for the saturated aldehydes and 13 to 5300 for the unsaturated aldehydes. These results suggest that microsomal ALDH may serve a biological role for detoxification of reactive aldehydes produced by lipid peroxidation of microsomal membranes.
Survival of Salmonella Serovars Introduced as a Post‐Aging Contaminant during Storage of Low‐Salt Cheddar Cheese at 4, 10, and 21 °C

Abstract: The microbiological stability of low-salt cheese has not been well documented. This study examined the survival of Salmonella in low-salt compared to regular salt Cheddar cheese with 2 pH levels. Cheddar cheeses were formulated at 0.7% and 1.8% NaCl (wt/wt) with both low and high-pH and aged for 12 wk resulting in four treatments: 0.7% NaCl and pH 5.1 (low-salt and low-pH); 0.7% NaCl and pH 5.5 (low-salt and high-pH); 1.8% NaCl and pH 5.7 (standard-salt and high-pH); and 1.8% NaCl and pH 5.3 (standard-salt and low-pH). Each treatment was comminuted and inoculated with a 5-serovar cocktail of Salmonella at a target level of 4 log CFU/g, then divided and incubated at 4, 10 and 21 °C for up to 90, 90, and 30 d, respectively. Salmonella counts decreased by 2.8 to 3.9 log CFU/g in all treatments. In the initial period of survival study, standard-salt treatments exhibited significantly lower Salmonella counts compared to low-salt treatments. The pH levels did not exhibit obvious significant effect in the Salmonella survival in low-salt treatments. Salmonella counts declined gradually regardless of a continuous increase in pH (end pH of 5.3 to 5.9) of low-salt treatments at all study temperatures. Salmonella counts were reduced faster at 21 °C storage. Although there were significant reductions in Salmonella counts, the treatments demonstrated survival of Salmonella for up to 90 d when stored at 4 or 10 °C and for up to 30 d at 21 °C, the need for good sanitation practices to prevent postmanufacturing cross contamination remains. Practical Application: Low-salt aged Cheddar cheese could not support the growth of inoculated Salmonella and in fact gradual reduction in Salmonella count occurred during storage. Besides being nutritionally better, low or reduced salt Cheddar are safe as their full salt counterparts and that salt may only be a minor food safety hurdle regarding the post-aging contamination and growth of Salmonella. However, the treatments could not demonstrate complete destruction of Salmonella for up to 90 d when stored at 4 or 10 °C and for up to 30 d at 21 °C, the need for good sanitation practices to prevent postmanufacturing cross-contamination remains.
F-doped SnO2 thin films grown on flexible substrates at low temperatures by pulsed laser deposition

Abstract Fluorine-doped tin oxide (SnO2:F) films were deposited on polyethersulfone plastic substrates by pulsed laser deposition. The electrical and optical properties of the SnO2:F films were investigated as a function of deposition conditions such as substrate temperature and oxygen partial pressure during deposition. High quality SnO2:F films were achieved under an optimum oxygen pressure range (7.4–8 Pa) at relatively low growth temperatures (25–150 °C). As-deposited films exhibited low electrical resistivities of 1–7 mΩ-cm, high optical transmittance of 80–90% in the visible range, and optical band-gap energies of 3.87–3.96 eV. Atomic force microscopy measurements revealed a reduced root mean square surface roughness of the SnO2:F films compared to that of the bare substrates indicating planarization of the underlying substrate.
Income distribution, market size and the evolution of industry

Abstract An industry typically experiences initial mass entry and later shakeout of producers over its life cycle. However, the timing of the evolution varies substantially across markets. By exploring the dynamic interactions between technology progress and demand diffusion, our theory suggests that the cross-market differences of industrial evolution are largely the result of underlying demand factors. Particularly, higher consumer income or larger market size tends to drive faster demand diffusion and earlier industry shakeout. A comparative study on the US and UK television industries supports the theoretical findings.
Utilization of whole or steamrolled barley fed with forages to wethers and cattle

Abstract Twelve wethers (90 kg) were used in two, 6 × 6 Latin square design digestion trials to determine the associative effect of barley processing on the digestion of poor quality forages. For both trials, treatments were given in a 3 × 2 factorial arrangement. The first trial evaluated the effect of whole barley level (0, 25 or 50%) on the digestion of diets differing in forage source (wheatstraw or bromegrass hay). The second trial evaluated the effect of barley level (0, 25 or 50%) and barley processing method (whole or steamrolled) on the digestion of bromegrass hay based diets. In both trials, increased dietary barley resulted in linear increases ( P P P > 0.05) by increased barley level in Trial 2. There were no differences ( P > 0.05) between diets containing steamrolled or whole barley for digestibility of DM, starch or NDF by wethers (Trial 2). A growth trial with 58 yearling heifers and a digestion trial using four ruminally fistulated cows were conducted to compare barley processing (whole or steamrolled) and supplemental nitrogen source (urea or canola meal) in forage based diets. During the first 70 days of the growth trial, all heifers were fed a diet containing 40% barley. After Day 70, heifers that had been fed diets containing 40% whole barley were fed 60% whole barley. During the first 70 days of the growth trial, compared with whole barley, steamrolling barley increased ( P −1 and decreased ( P F G ) from 18.4 to 8.6. After the level of whole barley was increased from 40 to 60% of the diet, heifer ADG and F G values were similar ( P > 0.05) for the whole and rolled barley diets. Steamrolling barley increased ( P P > 0.05) by barley processing. Total ruminal volatile fatty acid (VFA) concentration in cows was greater ( P
Envisioning Public Administration as a Scholarly Field in 2020: Rethinking Epistemic Traditions

he ﬁ eld of public administration, since its inception, has been beleaguered by questions surrounding its “identity.” What is public administration? Is there a “theory” of public adminis-tration? Is public administration a discipline? Is public administration an art or a science, or both? Th ese and other questions persist and schismatize public administration from the standpoint of study, teaching, and practice.At this point in its history, the debate over the identity of public administration may seem somewhat banal, hackneyed, even immaterial (no pun intended). Pub-lic administration has a very rich theoretical heritage, which guides its research, teaching, and practice. Few would question the legitimacy of public administra-tion as a full-ﬂ edged discipline or ﬁ eld of study. Con-ﬂ ict and dissonance arise, however, over the relevancy of the diverse epistemic traditions that have evolved in public administration. Should the ﬁ eld be regarded as a “science”? Or should public administration be predisposed to at least the “tools” of science, including its analytic methods? Th e “real” questions—norma-tive ones, to be sure—behind the debate revolve around how we should study public admin-istration and ultimately build theory in the ﬁ eld.In the mid-twentieth century, Dwight Waldo and Herbert Simon fomented a debate regarding this conundrum over the logic of inquiry in public administration. It created tensions and sometimes ill will among researchers as well as practitioners. Th e question of whether public administration is an art or science, driven by values or facts, will never be satisfactorily answered, because of a lack of consensus among the community of scholars within the ﬁ eld (Frederickson and Smith 2003; Rosenbloom 1983). Th e debate has raised questions about the philo-sophical and methodological underpinnings of public administration that continue to challenge the ﬁ eld even today (see, e.g., Luton 2007; Lynn, Heinrich, and Hill 2008; Raadschelders 2005; Spicer 2007; White and Adams 1994).
Relationship of density to growth and metamorphosis of caged larval sea lampreys, Petromyzon marinus Linnaeus, in Michigan streams

Larval sea lampreys, Petromyzon marinus, of the 1976 year class were studied between May 1977 and October 1981 in five Michigan streams to determine the relationship of density to growth and metamorphosis. Two cages were placed in each stream; one cage contained 25 larvae (low density group) and the other 75 larvae (high density group). Changes in body length, as an indicator of growth, were monitored in all streams from age I to V. Mean lengths ranged from 25 to 55 mm at the beginning of the study and from 102 to 158 mm at the end. Some ammocoetes attained lengths greater than 160 mm. Growth was related mainly to density; crowding affected growth from age I to metamorphosis. Mean increases of total length ranged from 90 to 128 mm among low-density groups and from 54 to 97 mm among high-density groups. Growth was typically greater in the cage with fewer lampreys in each stream. Most growth occurred from May to October when stream temperatures were highest. In two streams in which cages were not vandalized, 96% and 92% of the lampreys in the low-density groups and 68% and 52% in the high-density groups survived to age V. Metamorphosis occurred at age V in low-density groups. Five lampreys (2.4%; range, 133–145 mm long) metamorphosed among the 207 that survived until completion of the study.
A high-speed sample-and-hold circuit based on CMOS transmission lines

We introduce the design of a high-speed sample-and-hold circuit (SHC) based on spatial sampling with CMOS transmission lines (TLs). Signal propagation analysis shows that periodically loaded CMOS TLs exhibit filter properties, which cause attenuation and deformation of signal pulses. Nevertheless, the dispersion effects on clock pulse propagation are minimal since clock lines are short, much shorter than the meandered input-signal line. Design considerations on clock pulse generator, sampling switches, and charge amplifiers are presented. Compared with other CMOS approaches, the proposed SHC generates clock pulses on chip and avoids clock jitter difficulties. The SHC is implemented in a 0.13 μm digital CMOS process with standard on-chip coplanar waveguides (CPW) as signal and clock pulse propagation TLs, silicon N-type field effect transistors (NFET) as sampling switches, and high-frequency charge amplifiers for charge amplification. Clock pulse signals of ~50 ps width with ~17 ps fall edge are generated on-chip. Simulation analysis with Cadence Spectre shows that a sampling rate of 20 Giga-sample/s with a 25 dB spurious free dynamic range (SFDR) can be achieved. With shorter clock pulses, both sampling rate and SFDR can be improved in future design.
Defining and finding talent: Data and a multiplicative model?

The Simonton (1991) study of 120 classical composers may provide evidence for the existence of innate talent. A weighted multiplicative model of talent development provides a basis for evaluating the adequacy of Howe et al.'s conclusions.
The Moving Story Effort Assessment as a Means for the Movement Assessment of Preadolescent Children

Dance/Movement Therapy, like all psychotherapies, is in need of assessment methods that meet the demands of managed care. Through Laban Movement Analysis therapists are able to assess dynamic qualities of movement, known as Effort elements. This study introduces the Moving Story Effort Assessment (MSEA), a movement assessment for preadolescent children, which uses imagery as a catalyst for Effort production. The assessment was administered to 31 healthy children aged 8–11 years, and the movement rated by 3 trained observers. The findings suggest that the tested images consistently result in eliciting a specific Effort quality. The data collected from this study may therefore be used to assist dance/movement therapists in the assessment of children by comparing this study’s normative results to the child being assessed.
Prophylactic external pacing during cardioversion of atrial tachyarrhythmias.

ness during the healing phase of AM1 remains undefined. Recently, infarct expansion has been postulated as an important mechanism underlying acute cardiac failure after infarction.4 Such thinning and dilatation of infarcted myocardium, if it were to occur early in the course of ibuprofen therapy before collagen deposition, could result in a scar that is mechanically weakened.’ Although we observed a recent increase in the incidence of postinfarction VSD, we have no conclusive proof that a causal relationship exists between ibuprofen therapy and impaired scar formation in the 3 of 4 patients who were receiving this nonsteroidal antiinflammatory agent after AMI. The dose of ibuprofen administered to our patients is similar to the high-dose regimen used in the experimental study by Brown et a1.l In summary, we suggest the possibility that ibuprofen may have played a role in the pathogenesis of post-AM1 ventricular septal rupture in the cases we report. Because no data indicate that salicylates impair scar formation after AMI, salicylates probably should remain the preferred antiinflammatory agent for treatment of postinfarction pericarditis if symptoms are sufficient to warrant such therapy.
Comparison of inboard and outboard magnetic footprints from topological noise and field errors in the DIII-D

Any canonical transformation of Hamiltonian equations is symplectic, and any area-preserving transformation in 2D is a symplectomorphism. Based on these, a discrete symplectic map and its continuous symplectic analog are derived for forward magnetic field line trajectories in natural canonical coordinates. The unperturbed axisymmetric Hamiltonian for magnetic field lines is constructed from the experimental data in the DIII-D. The equilibrium Hamiltonian is a highly accurate, analytic, and realistic representation of the magnetic geometry of the DIII-D. These symplectic mathematical maps are used to calculate the trajectories of magnetic field lines in the DIII-D. Internal statistical topological noise and field errors are irreducible and ubiquitous in magnetic confinement schemes for fusion. It is important to know the stochasticity and magnetic footprint from noise and error fields. The estimates of the spectrum and mode amplitudes of the spatial topological noise and magnetic errors in the DIII-D are u...
Comparison of three media for agar dilution susceptibility testing of Bordetella pertussis using six antibiotics

Since antimicrobial susceptibility testing of the fastidious speciesBordetella pertussis is not standardized, the most suitable medium for agar dilution testing of this species has not yet been determined. In the present study, Mueller-Hinton, Bordet-Gengou, and Oxoid charcoal agars (each supplemented with 5% horse blood) were evaluated for agar dilution susceptibility testing ofBordetella pertussis against ampicillin, chloramphenicol, ciprofloxacin, doxycycline, erythromycin, and trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole. Mueller-Hinton agar was the most suitable medium.
Users are individuals

It has long been recognized that in order to build a good system in which a person and a machine cooperate to perform a task it is important to take into account some significant characteristics of people. These characteristics are used to build some kind of a “user model”. Traditionally, the model that is built is a model of a canonical (or typical) user. But often individual users vary so much that a model of a canonical user is insufficient. Instead, models of individual users are necessary. This article presents some examples of situations in which individual user models are important. It also presents some techniques that make the construction and use of such models possible. These techniques all reflect a desire to place most of the burden of constructing the models on the system, rather than on the user. This leads to the development of models that are collections of good guesses about the user. Thus some kind of probabilistic reasoning is necessary. And as the models are being used to guide the underlying system, they must also be monitored and updated as suggested by the interactions between the user and the system. The performance of one system that uses some of these techniques is discussed.
Translating circular thrust bearings

Thrust bearings have been the object of a considerable amount of research for many years. The attention that these bearings have received is primarily due to the important role they play in the design and operation of heavy equipment. The objectives of this work are to examine the effect of translation and bearing geometry, such as recess depth and width, on the performance of circular thrust bearings. A closed-form solution is obtained for laminar viscous flow that extends prior results which generally focus on stationary or hydrostatic bearings. Earlier studies have examined specific aspects of translation, such as recirculation in the recess, but the current study is a comprehensive analysis in the case of laminar flow. The analysis reveals a single dimensionless parameter that describes the influence of the bearing speed. Expressions that predict the load-carrying capacity of the bearing, the tilting moment exerted on the bearing, the volumetric leakage of the bearing, and power due to lubricant injection and translation are obtained. Streamline patterns under the bearing show conditions at higher speeds when the injected lubricant does not penetrate underneath the entire bearing surface.
Definition of the magnetic ground state using Preisach-based aftereffect models

Abstract Preisach-based aftereffect models are employed to define the ground state of a magnetic system. Four different types of processes due to thermal perturbations, AC demagnetization, Curie point demagnetization and DC demagnetization are reviewed and compared with each other. By modeling the time evolution of the magnetization and magnetic field on the Preisach plane, it is shown that the asymptotic state of the system due to thermal perturbations is the true magnetic ground state.
Reduced physical activity in adults at risk for type 2 diabetes who curtail their sleep.

Adults with parental history of type 2 diabetes have high metabolic morbidity, which is exacerbated by physical inactivity. Self-reported sleep <6 h/day is associated with increased incidence of obesity and diabetes, which may be mediated in part by sleep-loss-related reduction in physical activity. We examined the relationship between habitual sleep curtailment and physical activity in adults with parental history of type 2 diabetes. Forty-eight young urban adults with parental history of type 2 diabetes (27 F/21 M; mean (s.d.) age 26 (4) years; BMI 23.8 (2.5) kg/m2) each completed 13 (2) days of sleep and physical activity monitoring by wrist actigraphy and waist accelerometry while following their usual lifestyle at home. Laboratory polysomnography was used to screen for sleep disorders. The primary outcome of the study was the comparison of total daily activity counts between participants with habitual sleep <6 vs. ≥6 h/night. Secondary measures included daily time spent sedentary and in light, moderate, and vigorous physical activity. Short sleepers had no sleep abnormalities and showed signs of increased sleep pressure consistent with a behavioral pattern of habitual sleep curtailment. Compared to participants who slept ≥6 h/night, short sleepers had 27% fewer daily activity counts (P = 0.042), spent less time in moderate-plus-vigorous physical activity (−43 min/day; P = 0.010), and remained more sedentary (+69 min/day; P = 0.026). Our results indicate that young urban adults with parental history of type 2 diabetes who habitually curtail their sleep have less daily physical activity and more sedentary living, which may enhance their metabolic risk.
Parotid salivary gland ultrastructure in an omnivorous neotropical bat: evolutionary diversity at the cellular level

The parotid salivary gland in an omnivorous neotropical bat, Carollia perspicillata (L.), was studied by transmission electron microscopy and compared to the parotid gland in other species of bats and in mammals in general. The parotid acinar secretory granules were found to be unique among mammals: they consist of a finely punctate matrix containing a variety of electron dense inclusions ranging from punctate densities to complex cage-like geodesic structures. The parotid acinar product in Carollia perspicillata is intermediate in morphology between that formed by homologous secretory cells in insectivorous/carnivorous bats and that in frugivorous bats. Both the intercalated and striated ducts probably release additional secretory products into the saliva.
Cell cycle arrest is not yet senescence, which is not just cell cycle arrest: terminology for TOR-driven aging

Cell cycle arrest is not yet senescence. When the cell cycle is arrested, an inappropriate growth-promotion converts an arrest into senescence (geroconversion). By inhibiting the growth-promoting mTOR pathway, rapamycin decelerates geroconversion of the arrested cells. And as a striking example, while causing arrest, p53 may decelerate or suppress geroconversion (in some conditions). Here I discuss the meaning of geroconversion and also the terms gerogenes, gerossuppressors, gerosuppressants, gerogenic pathways, gero-promoters, hyperfunction and feedback resistance, regenerative potential, hypertrophy and secondary atrophy, pro-gerogenic and gerogenic cells.
Planar Voronoi Diagrams for Sums of Convex Functions, Smoothed Distance and Dilation

We study Voronoi diagrams for distance functions that add together two convex functions, each taking as its argument the difference between Cartesian coordinates of two planar points. When the functions do not grow too quickly, then the Voronoi diagram has linear complexity and can be constructed in near-linear randomized expected time. Additionally, the level sets of the distances from the sites form a family of pseudocircles in the plane, all cells in the Voronoi diagram are connected, and the set of bisectors separating any one cell in the diagram from each of the others forms an arrangement of pseudolines in the plane. We apply these results to the smoothed distance or biotope transform metric, a geometric analogue of the Jaccard distance whose Voronoi diagrams can be used to determine the dilation of a star network with a given hub. For sufficiently closely spaced points in the plane, the Voronoi diagram of smoothed distance has linear complexity and can be computed efficiently. We also experiment with a variant of Lloyd's algorithm, adapted to smoothed distance, to find uniformly spaced point samples with exponentially decreasing density around a given point.
Advances in the treatment of anxiety: Targeting glutamate

Our current psychopharmacological treatments for anxiety disorders evince a number of shortcomings, including troublesome side effects and lack of primary effects. Whereas many new drugs have been developed in the past few decades, most are based on outmoded theories of the pathogenesis of these disorders (i.e., monoamine hypotheses), thus frustrating our ability to create more specific and effective interventions. Recently, however, the neurobiological literature has shown a convergence of findings focusing on the glutamatergic system in anxiety disorders, and the growth of pharmacological tools targeting these receptors has led to the development of novel treatments having anxiolytic effects in humans and animals alike. Additionally, as this system is showing promise as a final common pathway in the pathogenesis of anxiety disorders, we may be able to employ glutamate-specific neuroimaging techniques (e.g., N-acetyl-aspartate, GLX) to both guide treatment decisions and present reliable objective biomarkers for treatment efficacy.
An evaluation of real-time cognitive state classification in a harsh operational environment

This paper describes an evaluation conducted with a full platoon of 32 Soldiers at Aberdeen Proving Grounds' MOUT site in Aberdeen, MD. The objective was to assess the cognitive workload classification techniques driven by neuro-physiological (EEG) and physiological (ECG) sensors. In a first ever evaluation of real-time cognitive monitoring in the harsh operational environment, the assessment culminated in a three phase, 24-hour mission consisting of a coordinated Route Reconnaissance, a Cordon and Search of a village, and a Hasty Defense operation. Task load levels were manipulated by introducing unexpected and unplanned events requiring re-planning and extensive coordination by the leadership (high task load) as well as lulls in the activity in which part missions were executed flawlessly with little variations on the preplanned, well versed drill (low task load). Four leaders (Platoon Leader, Platoon Sergeant, Squad Leader 1, and Squad Leader 2) were equipped with sensors to measure and output cognitive state in real-time. The fused EEG and ECG workload classification approach reached 95% accuracy depending on the individual and the amount of data used to train the classifier. This level of success implies that Augmented Cognition workload assessment tools enable the ability to move beyond subjective workload rating scales, such as NASA TLX and Cooper Harper ratings, to more objective measurements of real-time cognitive state metrics in almost any conceivable operational environment.
The Middle Devonian (Givetian) ammonoid Pharciceras from the New Albany Shale, Kentucky

PHARCICERAS Hyatt, 1884 is the diagnostic ammonoid of the late middle Givetian Stage of the Middle Devonian Series. It occurs in the Rhenish Massif in Germany, the Montagne Noire in southern France, and in equivalent strata in the Anti-Atlas in southern Morocco. Verified North American occurrences of Pharciceras are confined to the New York succession, where the appearance of the ancestral species P. amplexum (Hall, 1886) in the Upper Tully Limestone represents an important and well-established biostratigraphic datum within the Taghanic onlap interval (see Aboussalam and Becker, 2001 for discussion). In this note we describe a second, distinctly younger, North American species, Pharciceras barnetti n. sp., from the New Albany Shale in east-central Kentucky that provides new evidence on the Taghanic onlap interval (Upper Tully/Geneseo Sequence of Baird and Brett, 2003) in the central Appalachian Basin. This occurrence is particularly significant because of its association with conodonts that provide a basis for refined correlations between the central Appalachian Basin and the Taghanic onlap succession in New York. Representatives of Pharciceras barnetti n. sp. were recovered from the Trousdale Member of the New Albany Shale at the J. K. Smith Power Plant, 3.7 km (2.3 mi) west of Trapp, Clark County, Kentucky. Here, the Trousdale sequence consists of 2.4 m of massive, platy black shale that disconformably overlies thinly interbedded argillaceous dololutites and black dolomitic shales of the Portwood Member of the New Albany Shale and is unconformably overlain by interbedded black and greenish gray shales of the Camp Run Member of the New Albany Shale (see Brett et al., 2004 for a sequence stratigraphic analysis of the Portwood and Trousdale members in central Kentucky). Ammonoids occur singly and in thin, 1–3 cm thick, pyritic chert lenses in the lower half of the Trousdale, 1.4–1.9 m above the top …
Patterns of fungal diversity and composition along a salinity gradient

Estuarine salinity gradients are known to influence plant, bacterial and archaeal community structure. We sequenced 18S rRNA genes to investigate patterns in sediment fungal diversity (richness and evenness of taxa) and composition (taxonomic and phylogenetic) along an estuarine salinity gradient. We sampled three marshes—a salt, brackish and freshwater marsh—in Rhode Island. To compare the relative effect of the salinity gradient with that of plants, we sampled fungi in plots with Spartina patens and in plots from which plants were removed 2 years prior to sampling. The fungal sediment community was unique compared with previously sampled fungal communities; we detected more Ascomycota (78%), fewer Basidiomycota (6%) and more fungi from basal lineages (16%) (Chytridiomycota, Glomeromycota and four additional groups) than typically found in soil. Across marshes, fungal composition changed substantially, whereas fungal diversity differed only at the finest level of genetic resolution, and was highest in the intermediate, brackish marsh. In contrast, the presence of plants had a highly significant effect on fungal diversity at all levels of genetic resolution, but less of an effect on fungal composition. These results suggest that salinity (or other covarying parameters) selects for a distinctive fungal composition, and plants provide additional niches upon which taxa within these communities can specialize and coexist. Given the number of sequences from basal fungal lineages, the study also suggests that further sampling of estuarine sediments may help in understanding early fungal evolution.
Estimates of gastrocnemius muscle length during simulated pathological gait.

The purpose of this study was to compare estimates of gastrocnemius muscle length (GML) obtained using a segmented versus straight-line model in children. Kinematic data were acquired on eleven typically developing children as they walked under the following conditions: normal gait, crouch gait, equinus gait, and crouch with equinus gait. Maximum and minimum GML, and GML change were calculated using two models: straightline and segmented. A two-way RMANOVA was used to compare GML characteristics. Results indicated that maximum GML and GML change during simulated pathological gait patterns were influenced by model used to calculate gastrocnemius muscle length (interaction: P = .004 and P = .026). Maximum GML was lower in the simulated gait patterns compared with normal gait (P < .001). Maximum GML was higher with the segmented model compared with the straight-line model (P = .030). Using either model, GML change in equinus gait and crouch with equinus gait was lower compared with normal gait (P < .001). Overall, minimum GML estimated with the segmented model was higher compared with the straight-line model (P < .01). The key findings of our study indicate that GML is significantly affected by both gait pattern and method of estimation. The GML estimates tended to be lower with the straight-line model versus the segmented model.
Computational modeling of a triaxial test for soft tissues

Mechanical testing of soft biological tissues has generally been limited to 1D and 2D because of difficulties establishing uniform and controllable 3D deformation. To begin to address this problem, this study presents 3D computational models being developed for a novel triaxial experiment. New continuum-based material models for soft tissue have been developed, and implemented in a new finite element software package.
Pharmacological interventions for bipolar youth: Developmental considerations

Despite the high prevalence rate, there have been relatively few controlled studies to systematically examine pharmacological treatments for children and adolescents with bipolar disorder. We review the differences in clinical characteristics between youth and adults with bipolar disorder and the extant literature of pharmacological treatments for children and adolescents with bipolar disorder, as well as discuss the effectiveness of pharmacological interventions for treating children and adolescents who are at familial risk for developing bipolar disorder. Although the number of controlled studies of youth with manic and mixed episodes is rapidly growing, there are few studies examining treatments for depression and the prevention of recurrent affective episodes in this population. Although children and adolescents with bipolar disorder commonly present with co-occurring psychiatric disorders, such as attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, there are limited data to guide the treatment of these patients. Recently, studies have begun to characterize prodromal manifestations of bipolar disorder and identify early intervention strategies for treating children and adolescents with an elevated risk for developing bipolar disorder.
A Simple Top-Down/Bottom-Up Approach to Sectored, Ordered Arrays of Nanoscopic Elements Using Block Copolymers

A top-down/bottom-up approach is demonstrated by combining electron-beam (e-beam) lithography and a solvent annealing process. Micellar arrays of polystyrene-block-poly(4-vinylpyridine) (PS-b-P4VP) with a high degree of lateral order can be produced on a surface where sectoring is defined by e-beam patterning. The e-beam is used to crosslink the block copolymer (BCP) film immediately after spin-coating when the BCP is disordered or in a highly ordered solvent-annealed film. Any patterns can be written into the BCP by crosslinking. Upon exposure to a preferential solvent for the minor component block followed by drying, cylindrical nanopores are generated within the nonexposed areas by a surface reconstruction process, while, in the exposed areas, the films remain unchanged. Nickel nanodot arrays can be placed over selected areas on a surface by thermal evaporation and lift-off process.
Governance and the Success of U.S. Community Banks, 1790-2010: Mutual Savings Banks, Local Commercial Banks, and the Merchants (National) Bank of New Bedford, Massachusetts

Annual time series data show that from 1790 through 2010 only about 1 percent of U.S. commercial banks failed each year on average. Many community banks, including mutual savings banks and local commercial banks, provided valuable intermediation services for decades before failing or, more likely, merging. The key to community bank success was governance. Local long-term investors, like the stockholders of the Merchants Bank of New Bedford (later the Merchants National Bank), had both the incentive and ability to elect effective board directors who carefully chose and monitored bank officers (presidents and cashiers) charged with producing steady dividends.
Student Responses to a Language Arts Test of Cognitive Functioning

A Language Arts Test of Cognitive Functioning was administered to seventh grade students to estimate levels of cognitive functioning in language arts tasks. The six tasks developed are based on Shayer's curriculum taxonomy: (1) interest and investigation style, (2) reasons for events, (3) relationships, (4) use of a model as a theory, (5) type of categorization, and (6) depth of interpretation. Student responses were analyzed and students were classified as concrete, transitional, or formal thinkers. When compared with results from Bumey's Logical Reasoning Test, students were generally rated lower in cognitive functioning on the LATCF. Of greater importance was the predictability of the LATCF for language arts thinking. Student answers in response to the six tasks elicited specific characteristics of concrete, transitional, and formal thinkers.
Assessing long-term fish responses and short-term solutions to flow regulation in a dryland river basin

Water resource development and non-native species have been cited as primary drivers associated with the decline of native fishes in dryland rivers. To explore this topic, long-term trends in the fish community composition of the Bill Williams River basin were studied over a 30-year period (Arizona, USA). We sampled 31 sites throughout the basin that were included in fish surveys by Arizona Game and Fish in 1994-97 and the Bureau of Land Management in 1979-80. We found that non-native species have proliferated throughout the entire basin, with greater densities in the lower elevations. Native species have persisted throughout most of the major river segments, but have experienced significant declines in frequency of occurrence and abundance in areas also containing high abundances of non-native species. Next, we assessed the short-term response of the fish assemblage to an experimental flood event from the system's only dam (i.e. Alamo Dam). In response to the flood, we observed a short-term reduction in the abundance of non-native species in sites close to the dam, but the fish assemblage returned to its preflood composition within 8 days of the event, with the exception of small-bodied fish, which sustained lower postflood densities. Our findings demonstrate the importance of natural flow regime on the balance of native and non-native species at the basin scale within dryland rivers and highlight minimal effects on non-native fishes in response to short duration flood releases below dams.
Stigma related to sex work among men who engage in transactional sex with men in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

Male sex workers (MSW) in Vietnam face high levels of stigma related to sex work, which may be associated with depression and increased vulnerability to HIV. In 2010, 300 MSW completed a behavioral and psychosocial survey. Multivariable models assessed factors associated with sex work-related stigma and the association between stigma and depression. Factors associated with increased stigma included having disclosed sexual orientation to healthcare workers (b 1.75, 95 % CI 0.69–2.80), meeting clients in the street/park (b 1.42, 95 % CI 0.32–2.52), and having been forced to have sex without a condom (b 2.36, 95 % CI 1.27–3.45). Factors associated with decreased stigma included meeting clients via the telephone or internet (b −1.26, 95 % CI −2.39 to −0.12) and receiving financial support from family or friends (b −1.31, 95 % CI −2.46 to −0.17). Stigma was significantly associated with increased odds of depression (AOR 1.07, 95 % CI 1.01–1.15). Addressing stigma and depression in HIV prevention interventions is crucial for tailoring these programs to MSWs’ needs, and may result in decreased HIV spread.
Rank from comparisons and from ratings in the analytic hierarchy/network processes☆

Rank preservation and reversal are important subjects in multi-criteria decision-making particularly if a theory uses only one of two ways of creating priorities: rating alternatives one at a time with respect to an ideal or standard, or comparing them in pairs. It is known that our minds can do both naturally and without being tutored. When rating alternatives, they must be assumed to be independent and rank should be preserved. When comparing alternatives, they must be assumed to be dependent and rank may not always be preserved. However, even in making comparisons rank can be preserved if one uses idealization instead of normalization with the original set of alternatives and preserves that ideal from then on unless that ideal itself is deleted for some reason. So often it is a matter of judgment as to whether it is desirable to force rank preservation or allow rank to adjust as necessary. Examples are given to illustrate the foregoing ideas.
On the asymptotic optimality of a heuristic mapping algorithm

The mapping of large-scale resource allocation algorithms onto parallel computing architectures is considered. The mapping problem is viewed as one of assigning the nodes of a finite directed acyclic task graph representing the logical and data dependencies among the tasks constituting the algorithm on to the nodes of a finite undirected processor graph denoting the parallel computing architecture so that the completion time of the algorithm is minimized. Two algorithms for solving the mapping problem are presented. The first algorithm is a two-stage heuristic that determines the order of task allocation on the basis of the critical path method and then uses the greedy method to determine the task allocation. The second algorithm uses the idea of pairwise exchange on task allocation order to improve the performance of the greedy heuristic. Extensive computational experiments on hundreds of random graphs show that the heuristic algorithm provides optimal solutions when the ratio of computation time to communication time is very large or very small, and that the pairwise exchange algorithm provides uniformly good mapping for all values of the ratio. The asymptotic optimality of the greedy heuristic algorithm for fork-join task structures is established. >
Digital Divide in Africa

Africa with over a billion population has the lowest overall use of information technologies among inhabited continents. Our exploratory conceptual model includes 18 independent factors that are posited to relate to six ICT use factors. Geographically, several nations in the northern tier of Mediterranean countries and South Africa and two island countries of Seychelles and Mauritius are at a moderate world ICT level, while the other 44 mostly sub-Saharan nations have low to very low levels. For the full sample, ICT laws are the dominant predictor of technology use. When the seven leading nations are excluded, gross national income is the dominant correlate and mobile tariffs is inversely associated with use of ICTs. This points to the more basic influence of affordability in the poorer nations. Two case studies the South African governmental role in ICT diffusion and of challenges of mobile telephony in Nigerian small enterprises are examined, relative to study findings. Suggestions on African policy are to improve openness, ICT laws, and regulations and foster relevant socio-economic development.
Differential Receptor for Advanced Glycation End Products Expression in Preeclamptic, Intrauterine Growth Restricted, and Gestational Diabetic Placentas.

Problem Receptor for advanced glycation end products (RAGE) is a receptor implicated in the modulation of inflammation. Inflammation has been associated with pregnancy pathologies including preeclampsia (PE), intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR), and gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM). Our objective was to examine placental RAGE expression in PE, IUGR, and GDM complications. Method of study Human placental tissues were obtained for RAGE determination using Q-PCR, immunohistochemistry, and Western blot. Invasive trophoblast cells were cultured and treated with AGES for RAGE activation studies. Results Compared to control placenta, we observed: (i) decreased RAGE gene expression during GDM, (ii) increased RAGE protein in the PE placenta, and (iii) decreased RAGE protein in the IUGR placenta. In trophoblast cells exposed AGEs, we observed: (i) decreased trophoblast invasion, (ii) increased c-Jun N-terminal kinases (JNK) and Extracellular signal-regulated kinases (ERK), and (iii) increased TNF-α and IL-1β secretion. Conclusion We conclude that placental RAGE is activated during PE and that RAGE-mediated inflammation in the trophoblast involves increased pro-inflammatory cytokine secretion.
Prognosis and the Effect of Body Dysmorphic Disorder on Life

Body dysmorphic disorder (BDD) is among the most distressing and debilitating of all mental illnesses. The course of BDD, which has been studied more rigorously in the past 10 years, is generally chronic. The high rates of suicidal ideation and completed suicide are a telling sign of the intense suffering caused by the illness. Living with BDD is challenging given the profound impairments in social, vocational, and domestic functioning related to preoccupations and compulsive behaviors. Comorbid mental illnesses are very common. Factors that worsen prognosis include greater symptom severity, longer duration of symptoms, and younger age (less than 18). Recommended mental health treatment can lead to recovery, while cosmetic treatment is unlikely to help and may even result in symptom exacerbation. Individuals with BDD are usually dissatisfied with cosmetic treatment and may even engage in violence towards their providers.