cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Family structure and children’s unmet health-care needs:

This study assessed children's unmet health-care needs within different family types (two-parent biological/adoptive, two-parent stepfamily, and single-mother family type) using data from the 2011/2012 National Survey of Children's Health. Findings indicate that 10.4% of children in single-mother family types had unmet health-care needs compared to 8.7% of children from a two-parent stepfamily and 5.3% for those from two-parent biological/adoptive families. Further analyses revealed racial/ethnic disparities with Black children from two parent-biological/adoptive families being 1.54 (95% confidence interval 1.13, 2.05) times more likely to have unmet health-care needs, while Hispanic children were less likely to have unmet health-care needs relative to their white counterparts. Children from lower income two-parent families had a higher likelihood of unmet health-care needs. The noncontinuous insurance coverage was a risk factor for increasing unmet health-care needs across all three different family types. These findings show major differences in unmet health-care needs among children living in different family structure types. It is recommended that interventions for increasing access to care need to be tailored differently across various family types in order to achieve continuous and sufficient health-care services for our children.
Ethical and Religious Directives for a Catholic Embryo Adoption Agency: A Thought Experiment

At present, there is to our knowledge no Catholic institution engaged in overseeing the practice of embryo adoption (EA), nor any institution that currently oversees the practice explicitly claiming to do so in accord with Catholic ethical and religious principles. On the one hand, this is understandable, since the Catholic Church has yet to rule on the moral permissibility of the practice. On the other hand, this is somewhat surprising, since the Catholic tradition is arguably the most vociferous advocate of the dignity and rights of cryopreserved embryos. For many cryopreserved embryos, adoption represents their sole opportunity for continuing the human life cycle to which they are by nature ordered. Thus, one might expect some Catholic institution to inaugurate a program to aid such embryos, assuming EA does not come to be seen as incompatible with Catholic morality. In this essay, our goal is to provide a vision and a framework for the institutional oversight of the practice of EA done in accord with Catholic teaching. Towards this goal of providing direction for an EA agency guided by a Catholic Christian view of the human good and the common good of society, the essay proceeds in four parts. It begins with a brief background on the recent moral debate over EA among Catholic theologians, noting both the strengths and limitations of the debate as it has proceeded to date. This section also notes how EA has recently stumbled into the cultural limelight, having a prominent place in the recent “culture wars.” The essay continues with a presentation of the specifics of the practice of EA as it presently practiced in the USA, at least by those agencies which make their practices public. The third section presents a vision for a virtuous institutional practice of EA, seeking to move beyond a moral analysis that concludes that EA is merely “morally acceptable in certain circumstances” to one in which the practice can be seen as exhibiting the virtues of solidarity and charity, providing the gift of
Assessing the Developmental Instruction Model: An Exploratory Study of Classroom "Fit" Using Environmental Types.

To support the instructional process, Knefelkamp advanced the developmental instruction model (DIM) to describe the aspects of academic environments that facilitate the epistemological development of college students, consistent with the Perry scheme. No related measurement tool has been developed for the DIM, which may account for the lack of research on it. Because the four DIM constructs (experiential, diversity, personalization, and structure) seemed consistent with the four dimensions found in environmental type theory (extraversion–introversion, sensing–intuition, thinking–feeling, and judging–perception), its related measure, the Salter Environmental Type Assessment, was used. The assertion that advanced learners begin to recognize these four dimensions was examined in this study of students’ (N = 200) perceptions of classroom "fit” by class standing. As compared to first-year students, advanced undergraduate students in this sample indicated stronger preferences (toward environmental extraversion, intuition, and feeling) for the types of learning environments that would support epistemological development. Findings related to environmental judging–perceiving were mixed, however. The results also suggest that the Salter Environmental Type Assessment may be a workable measure of the basic constructs in the DIM. Implications to college teaching are discussed.
Alfalfa resistance to the potato leafhopper: deciphering the resistance mechanism and updating management guidelines

CHAPTER 1. GENERAL INTRODUCTION Dissertation Organization Introduction Objectives Literature Review CHAPTER 2. INSECT COMMUNITIES IN SUSCEPTIBLE AND RESISTANT ALFALFA WITH AN EMPHASIS ON POTATO LEAFHOPPER Abstract Introduction Materials and Methods Results Discussion Acknowledgments References Cited CHAPTER 3. QUANTIFYING POTATO LEAFHOPPER FEEDING ON ALFALFA USING IMAGE ANALYSIS Abstract Introduction Materials and Methods Results and Discussion Acknowledgments References Cited CHAPTER 4. POTATO LEAFHOPPER ANTIXENOSIS IN A LEAFHOPPERRESISTANT ALFALFA VARIETY Abstract Introduction Materials and Methods Results and Discussion Acknowledgments References Cited CHAPTER 5. ALFALFA STAND-TOLERANCE TO POTATO LEAFHOPPER AND ITS EFFECT ON THE ECONOMIC INJURY LEVEL Abstract Introduction Materials and Methods Results vi
Effects of grazing birdsfoot trefoil-enriched pasture on managing Haemonchus contortus infection in Suffolk crossbred lambs.

High-tannin forages can be used to help mitigate the serious limitations associated with gastrointestinal nematode (GIN) infections on efficient small ruminant production. The objective of this experiment was to determine how grazing a GIN-free, established stand of a high-tannin cultivar of birdsfoot trefoil (Lotus corniculatus L.) influenced the prevention or treatment of Haemonchus contortus (Hc) infection in lambs. A birdsfoot trefoil-enriched pasture was established on an area that was previously row cropped and not grazed for at least 15 yr. Treatments included preventative (PREV) with parasite-naive lambs transitioned onto pasture 1 wk prior to receiving an infection of 10,000 Hc larvae, therapy (THER) with parasite-naive lambs infected with 10,000 Hc larvae 4 wk prior to the start of grazing, and control (CONT) with naive, uninfected lambs to verify that natural infection did not occur on pasture. Each treatment group of 12 Suffolk crossbred lambs was divided into 3 replicates per treatment, and all were supplemented with a grain mix to provide 16% CP. Fecal egg count (FEC, eggs/g wet feces) in THER lambs peaked 1 wk after the start of grazing (9,404) and after 4 wk fell to 1,068, equivalent to a FEC reduction of 88.6%. Lambs in PREV had a peak FEC of 4872 at 4 wk after infection where peak FEC was 48% less in PREV than THER lambs. Lambs in CONT did not have measurable FEC for the duration of this study. Packed cell volume (PCV, %) reflected infection status of the lambs in each group, where CONT (32%) had the highest (P < 0.05) PCV followed by THER (29%) and PREV (26%). Total weight gained in CONT lambs was greatest at 5.51 kg (P < 0.01), whereas THER and PREV (2.68 and 2.97 kg, respectively) did not differ. Grazing birdsfoot trefoil-enriched pasture can have both therapeutic and preventative effects on Hc infection in lambs and can be used in a systems approach to control GIN parasites in grazing sheep.
Balancing Charge Storage and Mobility in an Oligo(Ether) Functionalized Dioxythiophene Copolymer for Organic- and Aqueous- Based Electrochemical Devices and Transistors.

This work presents a soluble oligo(ether)-functionalized propylenedioxythiophene (ProDOT)-based copolymer as a versatile platform for a range of high-performance electrochemical devices, including organic electrochemical transistors (OECTs), electrochromic displays, and energy-storage devices. This polymer exhibits dual electroactivity in both aqueous and organic electrolyte systems, redox stability for thousands of redox cycles, and charge-storage capacity exceeding 80 F g-1 . As an electrochrome, this material undergoes full colored-to-colorless optical transitions on rapid time scales ( 70%). Incorporation of the polymer into OECTs yields accumulation-mode devices with an ION/OFF current ratio of 105 , high transconductance without post-treatments, as well as competitive hole mobility and volumetric capacitance, making it an attractive candidate for biosensing applications. In addition to being the first ProDOT-based OECT active material reported to date, this is also the first reported OECT material synthesized via direct(hetero)arylation polymerization, which is a highly favorable polymerization method when compared to commonly used Stille cross-coupling. This work provides a demonstration of how a single ProDOT-based polymer, prepared using benign polymerization chemistry and functionalized with highly polar side chains, can be used to access a range of highly desirable properties and performance metrics relevant to electrochemical, optical, and bioelectronic applications.
Computing with High-Dimensional Vectors

Editor–s note: The author reviews the principles of high-dimensional (HD) computing as a brain-inspired paradigm, with variables and operations encoded in vectors with high dimensionality (e.g., 10,000). HD computing has been shown to be a robust novel approach with promising applications in language and biosignal processing. —An Chen, Semiconductor Research Corporation (SRC) and IBM
Orphan Genes Shared by Pathogenic Genomes Are More Associated with Bacterial Pathogenicity

Orphan genes (also known as ORFans [i.e., orphan open reading frames]) are new genes that enable an organism to adapt to its specific living environment. Our focus in this study is to compare ORFans between pathogens (P) and nonpathogens (NP) of the same genus. Using the pangenome idea, we have identified 130,169 ORFans in nine bacterial genera (505 genomes) and classified these ORFans into four groups: (i) SS-ORFans (P), which are only found in a single pathogenic genome; (ii) SS-ORFans (NP), which are only found in a single nonpathogenic genome; (iii) PS-ORFans (P), which are found in multiple pathogenic genomes; and (iv) NS-ORFans (NP), which are found in multiple nonpathogenic genomes. Within the same genus, pathogens do not always have more genes, more ORFans, or more pathogenicity-related genes (PRGs)-including prophages, pathogenicity islands (PAIs), virulence factors (VFs), and horizontal gene transfers (HGTs)-than nonpathogens. Interestingly, in pathogens of the nine genera, the percentages of PS-ORFans are consistently higher than those of SS-ORFans, which is not true in nonpathogens. Similarly, in pathogens of the nine genera, the percentages of PS-ORFans matching the four types of PRGs are also always higher than those of SS-ORFans, but this is not true in nonpathogens. All of these findings suggest the greater importance of PS-ORFans for bacterial pathogenicity. IMPORTANCE Recent pangenome analyses of numerous bacterial species have suggested that each genome of a single species may have a significant fraction of its gene content unique or shared by a very few genomes (i.e., ORFans). We selected nine bacterial genera, each containing at least five pathogenic and five nonpathogenic genomes, to compare their ORFans in relation to pathogenicity-related genes. Pathogens in these genera are known to cause a number of common and devastating human diseases such as pneumonia, diphtheria, melioidosis, and tuberculosis. Thus, they are worthy of in-depth systems microbiology investigations, including the comparative study of ORFans between pathogens and nonpathogens. We provide direct evidence to suggest that ORFans shared by more pathogens are more associated with pathogenicity-related genes and thus are more important targets for development of new diagnostic markers or therapeutic drugs for bacterial infectious diseases.
Mapping Hope: How Do Vulnerable Youth Locate Hope in Informal Settlements?

This paper contributes to lines of scholarship that both seek to interrogate the notion of hope within African urbanization as well as the integration of the needs of urban youth. It investigates drawn cognitive maps of informal settlements and accompanying essays authored by 123 vulnerable youth living in Lusaka’s informal settlements to better understand how the participants locate hope in their surroundings. The analysis suggests that there are several social-spatial anchors of hope in the city’s informal settlements that simultaneously orient their day-to-day lives and long-term aspirations. These locations and their associated aspirations are mitigated both by the larger social and physical contexts. These findings suggest that the youth locate hope and despair throughout their settlements in discrete locations and also see hope as a group effort. The findings are also used to make recommendations for how urban managers can use this information to support the hopes of informal settlement youth.
Beyond de jure and de facto boundaries: tracing the imperial geographies of US law:

Since 1945, US judges have extended numerous “domestic” US laws (including securities and antitrust laws) to govern economic transactions taking place “abroad”. However, they have generally failed ...
Leaf Lipid Alterations in Response to Heat Stress of Arabidopsis thaliana

In response to elevated temperatures, plants alter the activities of enzymes that affect lipid composition. While it has long been known that plant leaf membrane lipids become less unsaturated in response to heat, other changes, including polygalactosylation of galactolipids, head group acylation of galactolipids, increases in phosphatidic acid and triacylglycerols, and formation of sterol glucosides and acyl sterol glucosides, have been observed more recently. In this work, by measuring lipid levels with mass spectrometry, we confirm the previously observed changes in Arabidopsis thaliana leaf lipids under three heat stress regimens. Additionally, in response to heat, increased oxidation of the fatty acyl chains of leaf galactolipids, sulfoquinovosyldiacylglycerols, and phosphatidylglycerols, and incorporation of oxidized acyl chains into acylated monogalactosyldiacylglycerols are shown. We also observed increased levels of digalactosylmonoacylglycerols and monogalactosylmonoacylglycerols. The hypothesis that a defect in sterol glycosylation would adversely affect regrowth of plants after a severe heat stress regimen was tested, but differences between wild-type and sterol glycosylation-defective plants were not detected.
Neurologic Outcome After Fetal Inflammatory Response Syndrome: Trimester-Specific Considerations

Clinical signs and neuroimaging patterns associated with the fetal inflammatory response syndrome (FIRS) worsen or mimic the clinical repertoire after intrapartum hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) during labor and/or parturition. Diagnostic considerations expressed as neonatal encephalopathy (NE) must consider chronic as well as acute factors associated with FIRS. Trimester-specific factors adversely alter the interactions of the maternal/placental/fetal (MPF) triad and influence the postnatal phenotype of FIRS. Anticipatory guidance for families by clinicians caring for survivors with FIRS, as well as researchers, must consider acute and chronic effects that influence neurologic outcome. Novel neurotherapeutic interventions must include prenatal preventive as well as peripartum/postnatal rescue and repair strategies to effectively reduce the presence and severity of sequelae from FIRS.
Examining Racial Disparities in Diabetes Readmissions in the United States Military Health System.

Introduction Diabetes is one of the most common chronic conditions in the United States and has a cost burden over $120 billion per year. Readmissions following hospitalization for diabetes are common, particularly in minority patients, who experience greater rates of complications and lower quality healthcare compared to white patients. This study examines disparities in diabetes-related readmissions in the Military Health System, a universally insured, population of 9.5 million beneficiaries, who may receive care from military (direct care) or civilian (purchased care) facilities. Methods The study identified a population of 7,605 adult diabetic patients admitted to the hospital in 2014. Diagnostic codes were used to identify hospital readmissions, and logistic regression was used to analyze associations among race, beneficiary status, patient or sponsor's rank, and readmissions at 30, 60, and 90 days. Results A total of 239 direct care patients and 545 purchased care patients were included in our analyses. After adjusting for age and sex, we found no significant difference in readmission rates for black versus white patients; however, we found a statistically significant increase in the likelihood for readmission of Native American/Alaskan Native patients compared to white patients, which persisted in direct care at 60 days (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] 11.51, 95% CI 1.11-119.41) and 90 days (AOR 18.42, 95% CI 1.78-190.73), and in purchased care at 90 days (AOR 4.54, 95% CI 1.31-15.74). Conclusion Our findings suggest that universal access to healthcare alleviates disparities for black patients, while Native America/Alaskan Native populations may still be at risk of disparities associated with readmissions among diabetic patients in both the closed direct care system and the civilian fee for service purchased care system.
The Contribution of Prisons and Jails to US Racial Disparities During COVID-19.

According to COVID Prison Project data, as of October 2020 more than 10% of the US prison population has been infected with SARS-CoV-2 and more than 1200 people in prison have died from the COVID-19 DEMOGRAPHIC DISAGGREGATION Early in the US pandemic, activist scholars raised legitimate concerns about racial equity in testing and transparency in reporting racial demographic data for COVID-19 cases and deaths 4 In June 2020, the US Department of Health and Human Services released new requirements for states reporting data based on race, ethnicity, age, and sex to have a clearer picture of COVID-19-related disparities In August 2020, Senator Elizabeth Warren (D, MA) and other congresspeople introduced the COVID-19 in Corrections Data Transparency Act, which would require federal, state, and local correctional facilities to submit comprehensive data on COVID-19 to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, including mandating that the data collected and reported be disaggregated by demographic characteristics 5 Beyond documenting disparities, comprehensive and disaggregated COVID-19 data should be used to take action, such as ensuring equitable testing in correctional facilities
Analysis of Caenorhabditis elegans acetylcholine synthesis mutants reveals a temperature-sensitive requirement for cholinergic neuromuscular function.

In Caenorhabditis elegans, the cha-1 gene encodes choline acetyltransferase (ChAT), the enzyme that synthesizes the neurotransmitter acetylcholine. We have analyzed a large number of cha-1 hypomorphic mutants, most of which are missense alleles. Some homozygous cha-1 mutants have approximately normal ChAT immunoreactivity; many other alleles lead to consistent reductions in synaptic immunostaining, although the residual protein appears to be stable. Regardless of protein levels, neuromuscular function of almost all mutants is temperature sensitive, i.e., neuromuscular function is worse at 25° than at 14°. We show that the temperature effects are not related to acetylcholine release, but specifically to alterations in acetylcholine synthesis. This is not a temperature-dependent developmental phenotype, because animals raised at 20° to young adulthood and then shifted for 2 hours to either 14° or 25° had swimming and pharyngeal pumping rates similar to animals grown and assayed at either 14° or 25°, respectively. We also show that the temperature-sensitive phenotypes are not limited to missense alleles; rather, they are a property of most or all severe cha-1 hypomorphs. We suggest that our data are consistent with a model of ChAT protein physically, but not covalently, associated with synaptic vesicles; and there is a temperature-dependent equilibrium between vesicle-associated and cytoplasmic (i.e., soluble) ChAT. Presumably, in severe cha-1 hypomorphs, increasing the temperature would promote dissociation of some of the mutant ChAT protein from synaptic vesicles, thus removing the site of acetylcholine synthesis (ChAT) from the site of vesicular acetylcholine transport. This, in turn, would decrease the rate and extent of vesicle-filling, thus increasing the severity of the behavioral deficits.
Young Adults' Perspectives of Childhood Food Allergies: Implications for School Nurses.

The primary goal of this study was to examine young adults’ perspectives about the effects of their food allergies (FAs) on their social lives from school-age to young adulthood. Young adults aged ...
Genetic counseling and prenatal decision for hemoglobin H disease caused by the rare α2 codon 30 (-GAG) (HBA2: c.91_93delGAG) mutation and the SEA deletion: Case series study.

Abstract Objective We report a rare mutation on the α2-globin gene, HBA2: c.91_93delGAG and its potential functions. Case Report We mainly described four patients with hemoglobin (Hb) H disease caused by the rare mutation and the SEA deletion but diversity in clinical presentation. Two had survived to adulthood with normal physical and mental development, except for mild anemia. However, two were children, who had more severe clinical manifestations. One child had developmental disorders of speech and language and mild growth retardation, and the other child suffered from severe hemolytic crises precipitated by infection and received blood transfusion. Conclusion This study is of great significance for clinicians to provide genetic counseling to couples at-risk of having offspring with Hb H disease and let them make the pregnancy decision, particularly reduce the occurrence of severe Hb H disease.
Feedback Control of the One-Phase Stefan Problem with Unknown Boundary Input Hysteresis

This paper presents an enthalpy based full-state feedback control law with respect to a reference solution for a one-phase Stefan problem under unknown boundary input hysteresis. The one-phase Stefan problem describes the evolution of the temperature and the liquid-solid interface location in a solidifying material. In this paper, this setting is used to model an industrial continuous casting process, which produces nearly all steel currently used worldwide. Regulation of both the steel temperature and the liquid-solid interface location history is the key to the steel quality. Experiments have revealed the existence of hysteresis due to boiling of the cooling water at the surface of the outer (solid) boundary of the solidifying steal shell. This work addresses this difficulty by considering control of the Stefan problem with unknown boundary hysteresis. To reduce the problem complexity, the hysteresis effect uncertainty is represented through the changing parameters. Then, the hysteresis inverse is designed and the recalibration method for the hysteresis inverse is proposed. Simulation results are provided, showing that under this setting, both the temperature and the interface location converge to the reference states.
Stream Physical Characteristics Impact Habitat Quality for Pacific Salmon in Two Temperate Coastal Watersheds.

Climate warming is likely to cause both indirect and direct impacts on the biophysical properties of stream ecosystems especially in regions that support societally important fish species such as Pacific salmon. We studied the seasonal variability and interaction between stream temperature and DO in a low-gradient, forested stream and a glacial-fed stream in coastal southeast Alaska to assess how these key physical parameters impact freshwater habitat quality for salmon. We also use multiple regression analysis to evaluate how discharge and air temperature influence the seasonal patterns in stream temperature and DO. Mean daily stream temperature ranged from 1.1 to 16.4°C in non-glacial Peterson Creek but only 1.0 to 8.8°C in glacial-fed Cowee Creek, reflecting the strong moderating influence glacier meltwater had on stream temperature. Peterson Creek had mean daily DO concentrations ranging from 3.8 to 14.1 mg L−1 suggesting future climate changes could result in an even greater depletion in DO. Mean daily stream temperature strongly controlled mean daily DO in both Peterson (R2=0.82, P<0.01) and Cowee Creek (R2=0.93, P<0.01). However, DO in Peterson Creek was mildly related to stream temperature (R2=0.15, P<0.01) and strongly influenced by discharge (R2=0.46, P<0.01) on days when stream temperature exceeded 10°C. Moreover, Peterson Creek had DO values that were particularly low (<5.0 mg L−1) on days when discharge was low but also when spawning salmon were abundant. Our results demonstrate the complexity of stream temperature and DO regimes in coastal temperate watersheds and highlight the need for watershed managers to move towards multi-factor risk assessment of potential habitat quality for salmon rather than single factor assessments alone.
Regulation of entrainment pathways by the suprachiasmatic circadian clock: sensitivities to second messengers.

Publisher Summary The chapter explains that the clock properties predicted from in vivo studies are endogenous to the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN); they persist when the SCN is isolated in a brain slice and maintained under constant conditions in vitro. The SCN continues to generate a stable, near-24-hour rhythm of neuronal activity for up to three cycles in vitro, and this rhythm can be reset by a range of stimuli. At specific phases, or time domains, within the 24-hour cycle, the circadian clock in vitro is still receptive to only a subset of the various stimuli that can reset it. Therefore, the circadian clock regulates its own sensitivity to afferent signals. The chapter demonstrates that this gating is downstream from the second messengers in signaling pathways. It follows that the states of specific molecular gates regulated by the clock change over the 24-hour cycle and site(s) critical to gating signaling pathways that access the clock lie within the cells of the SCN.
Finite-difference time-domain modeling of infrasound from pulsating auroras and comparison with recent observations

[1] A FDTD model of infrasound propagation in a realistic atmosphere is used to provide quantitative interpretation of the recently reported infrasound signatures from pulsating aurora. The pressure perturbations observed on the ground are analyzed as a function of energy flux of precipitating auroral electrons and geometry and altitude localization of the source. The results indicate that fluxes on the order of 50 erg/cm2/s are needed to explain pressure waves magnitudes of 0.05 Pa observed on the ground. This energy is unlikely to be provided exclusively by precipitating electrons, and Joule heating associated with the electrojet modulated by the pulsating aurora may be responsible for part of the deposited energy.
Abstract 16592: The Diamond-Forrester Criterion Significantly Overestimates the Risk of Obstructive Coronary Artery Disease in Patients Presenting to the Emergency Department With Low-Risk Chest Pain

Introduction: We sought to (1) classify patients who underwent stress echocardiography in an emergency department observation unit based on their pretest probabilities of obstructive CAD using the Diamond-Forrester criterion, (2) to compare observed versus expected frequencies of obstructive CAD based on the Diamond-Forrester risk categories of low ( 75%) pretest probability of disease, and (3) to test the association of traditional cardiovascular risk factors (age, gender, hypertension, diabetes, high cholesterol, and smoking) with obstructive CAD. METHODS: Retrospective review of the electronic medical record for patients who presented to the emergency department with chest pain and underwent observation followed by stress echocardiography between the period January 1, 2012 to December 31, 2012. Patients were classified as low, intermediate, or high risk for obstructive CAD using the Diamond-Forrester criterion. Main outcome measures were stress echocardiography results as well as receipt of cardiac catheterization and results. RESULTS: A total of 504 patients were included in the final analysis. Overall, 4.8% had a positive stress test and only 1.2% had angiographic evidence of obstructive CAD. In each category of risk, the observed frequency of obstructive CAD was significantly lower than expected. Having a high pretest probability as defined by the Diamond-Forrester criterion was significantly associated with obstructive CAD. Age, gender, diabetes, hypertension, high cholesterol, and smoking were not independently associated with evidence of obstructive CAD; nor were any composites of these risk factors. CONCLUSIONS: The traditional Diamond-Forrester criterion significantly overestimates the probability of obstructive CAD in ED observation unit patients. Reliance on the Diamond-Forrester criterion and other traditional risk factors associated with obstructive CAD in the outpatient setting could lead to faulty Bayesian reasoning, overuse of non-invasive imaging, and improper interpretation of test results in an ED population of low-risk chest pain patients. Further work is required to determine an optimal risk-assessment strategy for this patient population.
Constraints on predicate invention

The main contribution of this paper is a two step method for inventing new predicates that overcomes some shortcomings of previously published methods (implemented in Cigol & LFP2). The method integrates abductive and inductive learning. In the first step, proofs of the training instances are completed by assuming new facts built from a new predicate symbol. In the second step, the general clause derived to explain the training instances is used to generate more instances of the newly invented predicate. These instances are then used to induce a general definition of the new predicate.
Radionuclide sorption studies on abyssal red clays

The equilibria for the sorption of radionuclides by a widely distributed abyssal red clay are being experimentally investigated. An earlier paper (1) summarized a portion of the investigation concerned with sorption of Rb, Cs, Sr, Ba, Ag, Cd, Ce, Pm, Eu and Gd from aqueous 0.68 N NaC1 solutions containing a single nuclide of interest. This paper summarizes more recent work concerned with sorption of Tc, U, Pu, Am or Cm from 0.68 N NaC1 solutions and with determining the clay’s relative sorption selectivities for cesium, barium and cerium.
Measurement of global precipitation

The Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) Program is an international cooperative effort whose objectives are to (a) obtain increased understanding of clouds and rainfall processes, and (b) make frequent rainfall measurements on a global basis. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration and the Japanese Aviation Exploration Agency have entered into a cooperative agreement for the formulation and development of GPM. This agreement is a continuation of the partnership that developed the highly successful Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM). NASA has taken lead responsibility for the planning and formulation of GPM. Key elements of the program are discussed in this paper.
Expression of Sperm Acrosomal SLLP1 Binding (SAS1B) Protein in a Mammalian System for Crystallization

SAS1B (or Ovastacin) is considered an ideal candidate for both female contraception and for cancer therapies. SAS1B first appears in oocytes of follicles at the primary‐secondary transition in pre-...
MUTATIONS IN THE SPT4, SPT5, AND SPT6 GENES ALTER TRANSCRIPTION OF A SUBSET OF HISTONE GENES IN SACCHAROMYCES CEREVISIAE

The SPT4, SPT5, and SPT6 gene products define a class of transcriptional repressors in Saccharomyces cerevisiae that are thought to function through their effects on chromatin assembly or stability. Mutations in these genes confer a similar range of phenotypes to mutations in HIR genes, which encode transcriptional repressors that regulate expression of many of the core histone genes. Here we show that mutations in the three SPT genes also affect transcription of the histone genes that reside at the HTA1-HTB1 locus. HTA1-lacZ transcription was reduced in each spt mutant background, an effect that required a negative site in the HTA1 promoter. The transcriptional effect could be reversed by the overproduction of histones H2A and H2B in an spt4 mutant and histones H3 and H4 in all three spt mutants. Suppression of the spt4 transcriptional defect was dependent on the overproduction of both histones H2A and H2B, and required the presence of N-terminal amino acids in both histones. The results are consistent with the idea that the effects of the spt mutations on nucleosome assembly and/or stability activate repressors of HTA1 transcription.
Solubilization and purification of bombesin/gastrin releasing peptide receptors from human cell lines

Bombesin/gastrin releasing peptide (BN/GRP) receptors were solubilized and purified from human glioblastoma (U-118) and lung carcinoid cell lines (NCI-H720). The U-118 cells, when extracted with CHAPS/cholesterol hemisuccinate (CHS), bound (125I-Tyr4)BN with high affinity (Kd=2 nM) to a single class of sites (B max)=150 fmol/mg protein). Specific (125I-Tyr4)BN binding was inhibited with high affinity by BN, GRP, GRP14–27, and receptor antagonists such as (D-Phe6)BN6–13methyl ester(ME) and (D-Phe6)BN6–13 propylamide(PA) (IC50=2, 22, 3, 1 and 2 nM, respectively) but not GRP1–16 or BN1–12. The solubilized and cellular receptor bound peptides with similar affinity. The solublized receptor was purified using (Lys0, Gly1–4, D-Ala5)BN and (Lys3, Gly4,5, D-Tyr6)BN3–13 PA affinity resins. When eluted from the affinity resins by NaCl, the receptor bound (125I-D-Tyr6) BN6–13 ME with high affinity. The NCI-H720 BN/GRP receptor was purified 86,000-fold after extraction with CHAPS/CHS and purification using both affinity resins. SDS-PAGE analysis indicated that major 65 and 115 kDa proteins were purified. These data indicate that BN/GRP receptors can be solubilized from human cells and purified using affinity chromatography techniques with retention of ligand binding activity.
Morphological and electrophysiological properties of dissociated primate retinal cells.

Abstract Although isolated retinal cell preparations have been used widely to study retinal function in lower vertebrates, dissociated cells from primate retina have not been developed for routine physiological experiments. In this study, we demonstrated the feasibility of obtaining viable and identifiable dissociated cells from the primate retina. In addition, we characterized voltage-dependent membrane currents in each type of primate retinal cell with the whole-cell patch-clamp technique. Multiple types of ionic conductance with distinctive current profiles were recorded in various types of primate retinal neurons. Photoreceptors exhibited an inward I H activated by membrane hyperpolarization and an outward current activated at depolarized potentials. Two types of potassium currents (transient potassium current, I K(A) , and delayed rectifier potassium current, I K(V) ) were recorded from bipolar cells. I K(A) dominated the current response in putative midget bipolar cells, and I K(V) was mainly associated with putative rod bipolar cells. L-type calcium currents ( I Ca ) were observed in primate bipolar cells with axon terminals, but not in axotomized bipolar cells. Large voltage-dependent sodium currents ( I Na ) were only recorded from ganglion cells. Muller cells exhibited I K(V) and large potassium inward rectifier current ( I K(IR) ), and occasionally a small I Na . Neurons with electrophysiological signatures of amacrine cells and horizontal cells were also studied even though their morphological features were lost during cell dissociation. By using both morphological and physiological criteria outlined in this report, it is possible to use the dissociated retinal cell preparation as an in vitro system for physiological, biochemical and pharmacological studies of the primate visual system.
Ultrasonic fuel gauging

Explains the development of an ultrasonic fuel gauging system by Smiths Industries in response to Boeing’s desire for a system which offers greater reliability. Looks at components and considerations and discusses current developments.
Rectifying RNA splicing errors in hereditary neurodegenerative disease

The normal pattern of human gene expression requires precise coordination between the transcriptional and RNA processing machineries (1). During and following transcription, nascent RNAs may be modified by 5′-end capping, splicing, and 3′-end cleavage/polyadenylation to generate the vast repertoire of gene products required for proper gene expression, from embryonic to late adult life. RNA splicing is a particularly critical step in this process because it generates the multitude of coding and noncoding RNAs required for specific cell and tissue functions. However, splicing is susceptible to processing errors as a result of regulation by numerous cis-acting sequences and transacting factors, and 5′ splice sites may be particularly vulnerable (2). Thus, it is not surprising that a large number of hereditary mutations result in abnormal splicing and disease (3⇓–5). One striking example is the sensory and autonomic neuropathy familial dysautonomia [FD, also known as Riley-Day syndrome or hereditary sensory and autonomic neuropathy type III (MIM 223900)], which is remarkably common in the Ashkenazi Jewish population with a carrier frequency of ∼1 in 30 (6). FD results from a homozygous mutation in intron 20 (IVS20 + 6T > C) of the inhibitor of kappa light polypeptide gene enhancer in B cells, kinase complex-associated protein (IKBKAP) gene, which encodes the IκB kinase complex-associated protein, that is predicted to disrupt interactions between IKBKAP pre-mRNA and U1 small nuclear ribonucleoprotein particle (snRNP), resulting in exon 20 skipping, frameshifting, and enhanced RNA turnover via the nonsense-mediated decay pathway (7) (Fig. 1A). Interestingly, the degree of exon …
Isolation, culture and regeneration of avocado (Persea americana Mill.) protoplasts.

Protoplasts were isolated from embryogenic suspension cultures derived from avocado (Persea americana Mill.) zygotic embryos and nucellus in an enzyme digestion solution consisting of 1% cellulase Onozuka RS, 1% Macerase R10, 0.2% Pectolyase Y-23, 0.7 M mannitol. 24.5 mM CaCl2, 0.92 mM NaH2PO4 and 6.25 2-[N-morpholino]ethanesulfonic acid (1.5 ml) mixed with 0.7 M MS–8P (2.5 ml). MS-8P medium consisted of Murashige and Skoog salts without NH4NO3, 1 mg l–1 thiamine HCl, 100 mg l–1 myo-inositol, 3.1 g l–1 glutamine and 8P organic addenda. Medium osmolarity was adjusted with 0.15 M sucrose and 0–0.55 M mannitol. Protoplast yields of 3.5×106 protoplasts g–1 were obtained. Growth and development of the protoplasts were significantly affected by osmolarity, nitrogen source, plating density and culture medium dilution. Under optimum conditions, proembryos developed directly from embryogenic protoplasts and subsequently into somatic embryos. Optimum conditions for somatic embryo development included the culture of protoplasts at a density of 0.8–1.6×105 ml–1 in 0.4 M MS–8P for 2–3 weeks, followed by subculture in 0.15 M MS–8P at a diluted density of 20–40× for 1 month in darkness to obtain somatic embryos. Mature somatic embryos were recovered on semisolid medium; however, a low frequency of plantlet recovery (≤1%) from protoplast-derived somatic embryos was observed.
Misuse and Disuse of Automated AIDS

A general model of automation use, which proposes that cognitive, social, and motivational processes may lead to productivity loss of human-computer teams is briefly described and data from four experiments testing aspects of the model are presented. Automation use is determined, in part, by the perceived utility of the aid, which is the outcome of a comparison process between the human operator's ability and the reliability of the aid. Perceived utility, however, is affected by a bias towards automation and by self-serving biases.
Dwell Scheduling Algorithms for Phased Array Antenna

In a multifunctional radar performing searching and tracking operations, the maximum number of targets that can be managed is an important measure of performance. One way a radar can maximize tracking performance is to optimize its dwell scheduling. The problem of designing efficient dwell scheduling algorithms for various tracking and searching scenarios with respect to various objective functions has been considered many times in the past and many solutions have been proposed. We consider the dwell scheduling problem for two different scenarios where the only objective is to maximize the number of dwells scheduled during a scheduling period. We formulate the problem as a distributed and a nondistributed bin packing problem and present optimal solutions using an integer programming formulation. Obtaining an optimal solution gives the limit of radar performance. We also present a more computationally friendly but less optimal solution using a greedy approach.
Familial variation of head size and adjustment for parental head circumference

Occipitofrontal head circumference was measured on 122 twin pairs, their spouses, and their children. These data indicate that approximately 50% of normal head size variation is familial. Because of the relationship between the head size of normal children and their parents, adjustment of a child's head size value by the average parental value permits better definition of the range of normalcy. A method is presented that will allow physicians to make this adjustment, providing a more refined assessment of head size when there is a suspected abnormality.
Conductivity of the randomly disordered sine-Gordon chain

The equilibrium statistical mechanics of the (annealed) randomly disordered sine-Gordon chain is formulated and solved exactly by transfer integral techniques. An exact expression for the conductivity of the chain as $T\ensuremath{\rightarrow}0$ K is derived. Calculations based on this expression show the current to be carried by thermally activated phase solitons and to be limited by trapping of these solitons on impurities.
Frequency equation and mode shape formulae for composite Timoshenko beams

Exact expressions for the frequency equation and mode shapes of composite Timoshenko beams with cantilever end conditions are derived in explicit analytical form by using symbolic computation. The effect of material coupling between the bending and torsional modes of deformation together with the effects of shear deformation and rotatory inertia is taken into account when formulating the theory (and thus it applies to a composite Timoshenko beam). The governing differential equations for the composite Timoshenko beam in free vibration are solved analytically for bending displacements, bending rotation and torsional rotations. The application of boundary conditions for displacement and forces for cantilever end condition of the beam yields the frequency equation in determinantal form. The determinant is expanded algebraically, and simplified in an explicit form by extensive use of symbolic computation. The expressions for the mode shapes are also derived in explicit form using symbolic computation. The method is demonstrated by an illustrative example of a composite Timoshenko beam for which some published results are available.
Extrarenal potassium homeostasis.

A 35-year-old white woman came to the hospital complaining of severe weakness of several days duration. She had a 20-year history of anorexia nervosa, recently eating only cheese, unsalted crackers, chicken soup, and dilute lemonjuice. For the past several years, she had taken 2 Ex-lax tablets per day and she excreted one soft bowel movement daily. She noted urinary frequency with polyuria, nocturia, and polydipsia; she drank approximately 12 glasses of fluid per day. She was in her usual state of health until one week prior to admission when she fell twice on ice. Over the week, she had moderate amounts of watery diarrhea, walked more slowly, and had difficulty climbing stairs. On the morning of admission, she collapsed on the floor, could not get up unaided, and was unable to dress herself. The medical history was positive only for amenorrhea for the past 12 years. She had never been hospitalized or sought psychiatric evaluation and had not seen a physician for more than 4 years. Physical examination revealed a blood pressure of 100/60mm Hg; pulse, 80/mm; respiratory rate, 22/mm; temperature, 98.6° F; and weight, 37,7 kg. There were no orthostatic changes and she appeared euvolemic. The only abnormal finding was proximal muscle weakness of both arms and legs greater than expected for her poor nutritional status. Laboratory studies showed a hematocrit of 40%; white blood cell count, 11,400 mm3 with a normal differential; BUN, 21 mg/dl; creatinine, 0.7 mg!dl; and glucose, 88 mg/dl. The sodium was 141; potassium, 1.6; and chloride, 100 mEq/liter. The
Clinical Utility of the Tower of London—Drexel University, Second Edition (TOLDX) After Adolescent Traumatic Brain Injury

The performance of 43 adolescents with traumatic brain injury was evaluated on the Tower of London—Drexel University, second edition (TOLDX; Culbertson & Zillmer, 2005), and compared to that of 43 demographically matched healthy controls. TOLDX variables had a classification accuracy of 69.77%, with clinical patients demonstrating deficits in pre-planning of a schema as well as keeping subgoals in spatial working memory during execution. Time to follow commands and diffuse lesions on neuroimaging accounted for moderate amounts of variance in TOLDX variables. The findings support the clinical utility of the TOLDX in the assessment of adolescents with traumatic brain injury.
Think, Feel, Act: Motivational and Emotional Influences on Military Students' Online Academic Success

This study employed a social-cognitive view of self-regulated learning to examine how several personal factors relate to academic success in an online course. Service academy undergraduates (N = 481) completed a survey that assessed their motivational beliefs (self-efficacy and task value); negative achievement emotions (boredom and frustration); and several outcomes that included their use of self-regulated learning strategies (elaboration and metacognition), course satisfaction, and continuing motivation to enroll in future online courses. Results from several multiple regressions revealed that task value beliefs were the strongest and most consistent positive predictors of elaboration, metacognition, satisfaction, and continuing motivation; whereas self-efficacy beliefs were moderately strong positive predictors of satisfaction and continuing motivation only. On the other hand, students’ boredom and frustration were statistically significant predictors of metacognition, with boredom emerging as a negative predictor and frustration unexpectedly emerging as a positive predictor. Furthermore, both boredom and frustration were negatively related to satisfaction and continuing motivation. Taken together, results from this study provide some insight into the complex relations between students’ thoughts, feelings, and actions in an online course. Theoretical and empirical implications are discussed, as are study limitations and future directions.