cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Complications After Total Knee Arthroplasty in Patients With Pigmented Villonodular Synovitis

Abstract Background Pigmented villonodular synovitis (PVNS) is a locally destructive histiocytic proliferation most commonly occurring in the knee. Extensive local joint destruction can indicate the need for a total knee arthroplasty (TKA). The objective of this study is to evaluate PVNS of the knee as a risk factor for complication after TKA. Methods Patients who underwent TKA with a diagnosis of PVNS of the knee from 2007 to 2016 were identified in a national private payer insurance database. Complication rates for emergency room visits, readmission, revision, stiffness, infection, and death were calculated and compared to a control population of patients who received TKA for osteoarthritis (OA). Results Four hundred fifty-three patients were diagnosed with PVNS of the knee and underwent TKA during the time period and compared with a matched control cohort of 1812 patients who underwent TKA for OA. The rate of revision TKA at 2 years, emergency room visits, readmission, and death did not differ between the PVNS group and the control cohort. The PVNS group had stiffness at 1 year compared to the OA group (6.84% vs 4.69%, odds ratio 1.48, P = .023). The infection rate at 2 years was 3.31% in the PVNS group and 1.55% in the OA group (odds ratio 1.73, P = .011). Conclusion The complication rates for TKA in patients with a diagnosis of PVNS of the knee have not been previously demonstrated. These patients have a higher rate of stiffness and infection when compared to a control cohort, so they may have a more complicated postoperative course.
Abstract A047: ONECUT2 is a targetable master regulator of aggressive variants of castration-resistant prostate cancer

Background: Treatment of prostate cancer by hormone suppression leads to the appearance of aggressive variants of metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC) with variable or no dependence on the androgen receptor (AR). Here we identify the neural transcription factor ONECUT2 as a negative regulator of the AR axis, that emerges in aggressive PC variants to control transcriptional networks linked to CRPC and neuroendocrine (NE) differentiation. We further demonstrate that ONECUT2 can be targeted with a small molecule that inhibits mCRPC metastasis in mice. Methods: ONECUT2 was confirmed as a mCRPC-relevant protein and to be targetable by computational modeling and bioinformatics, enforced expression, silencing, microarray, ChIP-Seq, immunohistochemistry, immunofluorescence, quantitative imaging, functional assays, in vivo experiments, and surface plasmon resonance. Results: We have performed a master regulator analysis using 260 mCRPC transcriptome profiles and developed a model transcription factor network for mCRPC that associates ONECUT2 for the first time with metastatic progression. Gene expression profiling of ONECUT2-engineered PC cell lines has allowed us to generate a ONECUT2 activity signature that reveals high positive correlation with pro-neural and aggressive PC signatures, and a negative correlation with AR activation pathways. We find that ONECUT2 is a negative regulator of AR expression and a repressor of its transcriptional program through direct binding to AR target genes. We also find that ONECUT2 is significantly increased in human NEPC and confers NE properties to CRPC through direct downregulation of the NEPC inhibitor FOXA1 and direct upregulation of the NEPC driver PEG10. Finally, we show that ONECUT2 is required for cell growth and survival and that it can be targeted with a small molecule that, by binding to the ONECUT2 C-terminal DNA binding domain, inhibits mCRPC metastasis in mice. Conclusions: OC2 is a master regulator of aggressive mCRPC variants that drives AR-dependent adenocarcinoma toward NEPC differentiation by blocking AR/FOXA1-activity and inducing PEG10. OC2 can be targeted with a drug-like small molecule that inhibits CRPC metastasis in mice. Patients with OC2 active tumors may benefit from OC2 inhibitor therapy. Citation Format: Mirja Rotinen, Sungyong You, Julie Yang, Simon Coetzee, Wen-Chin Huang, Fangjin Huang, Xinlei Pan, Alberto Yanez, Dennis Hazelett, Chia-Yi Chu, Leland Chung, Stephen Freedland, Dolores Di Vizio, Isla Garraway, Ramachandran Murali, Beatrice Knudsen, Michael Freeman. ONECUT2 is a targetable master regulator of aggressive variants of castration-resistant prostate cancer [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Special Conference: Prostate Cancer: Advances in Basic, Translational, and Clinical Research; 2017 Dec 2-5; Orlando, Florida. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2018;78(16 Suppl):Abstract nr A047.
Role of mPFC and nucleus accumbens circuitry in modulation of a nicotine plus alcohol compound drug state.

Combined use of nicotine and alcohol constitute a significant public health risk. An important aspect of drug use and dependence are the various cues, both external (contextual) and internal (interoceptive) that influence drug-seeking and drug-taking behavior. The present experiments employed the use of Designer Receptors Exclusively Activated by Designer Drugs (DREADDs) and complementary Pavlovian drug discrimination procedures (feature-positive and feature-negative training conditions) in order to examine whether medial prefrontal cortex (prelimbic; mPFC-PL) projections to the nucleus accumbens core (AcbC) modulate sensitivity to a nicotine + alcohol (N + A) interoceptive cue. First, we show neuronal activation in mPFC-PL and AcbC following treatment with N + A. Next, we demonstrate that chemogenetic silencing of projections from mPFC-PL to nucleus accumbens core decrease sensitivity to the N + A interoceptive cue, while enhancing sensitivity to the individual components, suggesting an important role for this specific projection. Furthermore, we demonstrate that clozapine-N-oxide (CNO), the ligand used to activate the DREADDs, had no effect in parallel mCherry controls. These findings contribute important information regarding our understanding of the cortical-striatal circuitry that regulates sensitivity to the interoceptive effects of a compound N + A cue.
What is the Dimensionality of Human Semantic Space

McDonald and Lowe [15] showed that cosines in a semantic space of several hundred dimensions reflect human priming results for a wide range of semantic and associatively related words [16, Exp.2]. Previously, Lowe [II, 10] argued that the intrinsic dimensionality of semantic space is much lower, and that high-dimensional structure can be effectively captured in just two dimensions as the surface of a neural map. This paper provides a replication of McDonald and Lowe’s results in two dimensions using the Generative Topographic Mapping [2], a statistically motivated neural network architecture for topographic maps.
Identifying Small Pulsatile Signals within Noisy Data: A Fluorescence Application

One of the most challenging scientific data analysis quandaries is the identification of small intermittent irregularly spaced pulsatile signals in the presence of large amounts of heteroscedastic experimental measurement uncertainties. We present an application of the use of AutoDecon to a typical fluorescence and/or spectroscopic data sampling paradigm, which is to detect a single fluorophore in the presence of high background emission. Our calculations demonstrate that single events can be reliably detected by AutoDecon with a signal-to-noise ratio of 3/20. AutoDecon was originally developed for the analysis of pulsatile hormone-concentration time-series data measured in human serum. However, AutoDecon has applications within many other scientific fields, such as fluorescence measurements where the goal is to count single analyte molecules in clinical samples.
Verifying concurrent, crash-safe systems with Perennial

This paper introduces Perennial, a framework for verifying concurrent, crash-safe systems. Perennial extends the Iris concurrency framework with three techniques to enable crash-safety reasoning: recovery leases, recovery helping, and versioned memory. To ease development and deployment of applications, Perennial provides Goose, a subset of Go and a translator from that subset to a model in Perennial with support for reasoning about Go threads, data structures, and file-system primitives. We implemented and verified a crash-safe, concurrent mail server using Perennial and Goose that achieves speedup on multiple cores. Both Perennial and Iris use the Coq proof assistant, and the mail server and the framework's proofs are machine checked.
Thermoregulation and thermal performance of crested geckos (Correlophus ciliatus) suggest an extended optimality hypothesis for the evolution of thermoregulatory set-points.

Crested geckos (Correlophus ciliatus, formerly Rhacodactylus ciliatus) were rediscovered in New Caledonia 25 years ago and despite being common in the pet trade, there is no published information on their physiology. We measured thermoregulation (preferred body temperature, thermal set-point range, and voluntary limits) and performance (thermal performance curves [TPC] for 25 cm sprint speed and 1 m running speed) of adult and juvenile crested geckos in the laboratory to describe their thermal tolerances, differences among life stages, correlations between behavior and performance, and correlations with natural temperatures. Despite lacking special lighting or heating requirements in captivity, crested geckos displayed typical thermal biology for a lizard with no difference among life stages. They thermoregulated to a narrow set-point range (TSET , 24-28°C), that broadly overlaps natural air temperatures in New Caledonia, during activity. Somewhat surprisingly, the optimal temperature for performance (TOPT , 32°C) was substantially above preferred body temperatures and approximated the average maximum temperature voluntarily experienced (VTMAX , 33°C). Preferred body temperatures, by contrast, corresponded to the lower threshold temperature (Td ) where the TPC deviated from exponential, which we suggest is the temperature where performance is optimized after accounting for the costs of metabolic demand and overheating risk. Our results demonstrate that despite their lack of specific requirements when housed in human dwellings, crested geckos actively thermoregulate to temperatures that facilitate performance, and have thermal biology typical of other nocturnal or shade-dwelling species. Additionally, crested geckos appear at little risk of direct climate change-induced decline because increased temperatures should allow increased activity.
Comparing Learning Outcomes and Satisfaction of an Online Algebra-Based Physics Course with a Face-to-Face Course

This study aimed to compare the online and face-to-face teaching of a required algebra-based physics course for non-physics majors in large-enrollment course sections. The study design is quasi-experimental; the students self-selected to enroll in either the fully online and asynchronous course or the face-to-face course. In this study, we look at pre- and post-surveys, test grades, and course grades. A total of 116 students from both the face-to-face version (n = 76) and the online version (n = 40) of the course participated in this study. Both courses were taught by the same instructor and covered the same topics using identical homework, quizzes, and tests to ensure comparison fidelity. Findings show that general physics students do equally well in both face-to-face and online versions of the course. However, online students show a higher rate of satisfaction of the course.
Sustainable responses of an urban park for disaster resilience: a case study of hurricane harvey

Registering as one of the most costly storms in the U.S., Hurricane Harvey resulted in massive damages along the Texas coast with catastrophic winds and storm surges from record rainfall totals and...
Manipulating Retinal OCT data for Image Segmentation based on Encoder-Decoder Network

Medical image analysis is consistently being researched in the computer vision in that it captures potential symptoms and enables more delicate diagnosis of patients. Based on the development of medical equipment such as optical coherence tomography(OCT) and magnetic resonance imaging(MRI), it is possible to analyze medical data with clearer and higher resolution than before. However, there are still many data that have limitations in manually diagnosis by human. Moreover, identifying the extent of the damaged retinal layer also remains one of the most challenging tasks since the damaged layer not only contains too many invisible layers, but it is too small. Normal OCT data has smooth layers while age-related macular degeneration(AMD) or diabetic macular edema(DME), which are classified as abnormal, has layers that are damaged by bleeding. The precise regional classification is required for the diagnosis and prescription of the damaged layers and a new approach to effectively training an irregular layer of abnormal data is also needed. Hence, this paper proposes an OCT data manipulation method as a preprocessing step to improve training boundaries of regional layers. The preprocessed data were generated by manual range using the proposed method and applied to the encoder-decoder networks, SegNet and Unet. The experiment shows that the preprocessed datasets were trained much faster than the original and the optimized range was also confirmed through comparison the results of preprocessed dataset by each range.
Identity propaganda: Racial narratives and disinformation:

This article develops the concept of “identity propaganda,” or narratives that strategically target and exploit identity-based differences in accord with pre-existing power structures to maintain h...
Improving Recruitment for Mental Health Research in Muslim American Women : Research Recruitment in Muslim American Women.

This study determines the methods for improving recruitment of Muslim American women in mental health research. Studying this minority population in more depth will reduce their suffering from mental illness. A 40-item survey, along with cover letter, was hosted on the Stanford University website and sent via email to organizations known to have large Muslim American women populations. Although approximately 200–300 responses were hoped for, an unexpected total of 1279 women completed the survey within days. The effectiveness of this survey was attributed to multiple factors: ease of an online survey, privacy afforded through an anonymous survey, trust in the PI, the survey being hosted by a reputable university and understanding the importance of mental health research. It is important to continue improving methods to recruit the minority Muslim American women population for studies.
Genome-wide association for smoking cessation success in a trial of precessation nicotine replacement.

Abilities to successfully quit smoking display substantial evidence for heritability in classic and molecular genetic studies. Genomewide association (GWA) studies have demonstrated single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and haplotypes that distinguish successful quitters from individuals who were unable to quit smoking in clinical trial participants and in community samples. Many of the subjects in these clinical trial samples were aided by nicotine replacement therapy (NRT). We now report novel GWA results from participants in a clinical trial that sought dose/response relationships for “precessation” NRT. In this trial, 369 European-American smokers were randomized to 21 or 42 mg NRT, initiated 2 wks before target quit dates. Ten-week continuous smoking abstinence was assessed on the basis of self-reports and carbon monoxide levels. SNP genotyping used Affymetrix 6.0 arrays. GWA results for smoking cessation success provided no P value that reached “genome-wide” significance. Compared with chance, these results do identify (a) more clustering of nominally positive results within small genomic regions, (b) more overlap between these genomic regions and those identified in six prior successful smoking cessation GWA studies and (c) sets of genes that fall into gene ontology categories that appear to be biologically relevant. The 1,000 SNPs with the strongest associations form a plausible Bayesian network; no such network is formed by randomly selected sets of SNPs. The data provide independent support, based on individual genotyping, for many loci previously nominated on the basis of data from genotyping in pooled DNA samples. These results provide further support for the idea that aid for smoking cessation may be personalized on the basis of genetic predictors of outcome.
Modern numerical protection schemes with phase Comparison

Numerical phase comparison protection overcomes the problems faced on the long EHV transmission system by providing dynamic compensation of charging current at all times thus providing stability during external fault conditions. With the implementation of impedance starters complimenting current and voltage starters, enhances the sensitivity thus enabling the gap detection algorithm, which is based on the modulation current using the positive and the negative sequence component current. The amplification of the negative sequence current based on load current provides reliability of the protection to detect high resistance earth fault even in long transmission lines. The numerical phase comparison protection provides flexibility to user by adapt settings according to different system configurations. (4 pages)
Manipulating tropical fire ants to reduce the coffee berry borer

1. The coffee berry borer Hypothenemus hampei (Coleoptera, Curculionidae) (Ferrari) is the most important pest of coffee production worldwide. 2. The hypothesis that the tropical fire ant, Solenopsis geminata Westwood, indirectly protects the coffee berry borer by suppressing other ant species that are the coffee berry borer's primary predators was tested. 3. It was found that removing S. geminata from coffee plots significantly increased the disappearance of adult coffee berry borer beetles from coffee berries compared with control plots. An average of 6% of beetles disappeared from plots with S. geminata whereas 23% of beetles disappeared from plots from which S. geminata was removed. This pattern was observed on two shade coffee farms with marked differences in ant species composition, one in the rainforest in central Costa Rica and one in the cloudforest in northwest Costa Rica. 4. If the results of this small-scale study can be replicated on the farm level, then S. geminata suppression may represent a new management technique for the coffee berry borer throughout Central and South America.
Phase transitions in BaMnF4

BaMnF4 is a pyroelectric ferromagnet which displays a number of unusual physical characteristics, some of which are unique. It has the only known continuous antiferroelectric phase transition. It has two- and three-dimensional antiferromagnetic ordering temperatures. It is a weak ferromagnet with ferromagnetism caused by the linear magnetoelectric effect-the only case yet known. It exhibits dielectric anomalies at its Neel temperature. At high temperatures its dielectric constant diverges with increasing temperature; a ferroelectric phase transition would occur if the crystals did not melt first. At high temperatures BaMnF4 is also an anisotropic ionic conductor. The antiferroelectric phase is incommensurate. The incommensurate phase appears unusual in that its translation vector is temperature-independent. Sound velocity measurements made near the antiferroelectric phase transition temperature demonstrate the presence of and characteristics for a relaxational mode; this mode couples strongly to transverse acoustic phonons and is probably the 'phason' predicted theoretically for incommensurate lattices. This article reviews theory and experiment for this unusual material, including neutron, Raman and Brillouin scattering; X-ray, dielectric and conductivity measurements; magnetic resonance and susceptibility studies.
Using Disparate Impact Analysis in Fair Housing Act Claims: Landlord Withdrawal From the Section 8 Voucher Program

The Fair Housing Act (FHA) outlaws discrimination in housing based on race, color, religion, national origin, and sex. A plaintiff can win an FHA claim using a disparate impact theory by showing that the defendant’s actions had a disproportionately adverse impact on a protected class. This Note will address a circuit court split on whether a landlord can be held liable for discrimination under the FHA for withdrawing from the Section 8 voucher program. Section 8 is a government program that provides lowincome citizens with vouchers to pay a portion of their rent. Many voucher recipients are minorities or persons with disabilities. The U.S. Courts of Appeals for the Second and Seventh Circuits have held that, as a matter of law, a landlord who withdraws from the Section 8 voucher program cannot be held liable under the FHA, even if that action has a disproportionate impact on a protected class. In contrast, the Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit has held that a plaintiff can rely on evidence of disparate impact to show that a landlord violated the FHA by withdrawing from Section 8. This Note argues that in order to meet the FHA’s goal of ending housing discrimination, landlords who withdraw from the Section 8 program should not be given a categorical exemption from liability under the FHA if that action has a disparate impact on a protected class.
Manufacturing pathway and associated challenges for nanoscale computational systems

We propose one possible manufacturing pathway for realizing nanodevice based computational fabrics that combines self-assembly based techniques with conventional photolithography. This pathway focuses on realizing the fabric as a whole including assembly of nanostructures, functionalization of devices, contacts and interconnects. Furthermore, this pathway is scalable to large systems, as multiple devices are created simultaneously in a self-aligning process step. We discuss the key sequence of steps for achieving nanoscale computational systems using the example of a simple digital logic circuit, and review the associated challenges involved for each of these.
Need for Envelope Material above Draintile

The effect of removal of half of the envelope on the performance of a drain-tile installation will vary with each drainage situation. Analysis herein is limited to a drainage situation in which the tile line flows less than half full and the upper portion of the envelope remains unsaturated.
The effects of clastic sedimentation on organic facies development within a Tertiary subbituminous coal bed, Powder River Basin, Montana, U.S.A.

Abstract The Anderson-Dietz coal is a 25 m-thick bed that splits eastward into three benches (the Anderson, Dietz #1 and Dietz #2), each separated from the other by as much as 45 m of detrital sedimentary rocks. Petrographic and chemical analyses of the Anderson and Dietz #1 coal benches suggest that detrital sediments (now lithified between the benches) were introduced after the peat surface had subsided as a result of either fire or differential compaction of underlying sediments. Sediments associated with this event had a limited effect upon the quality of the Anderson and Dietz #1 coal benches; ash yields and sulfur contents are elevated only at the very top and bottom of the benches. In areas where the benches are not split, sulfur content and maceral types indicating degradation, increase only in a thin zone (∼ 1 m thick) that is laterally equivalent to the split sediments. However, ash yields in this interval increase only slightly (2–5%); this indicates that, while little sedimentation occurred, the peat which formed the coal was inundated by higher pH surface and ground water causing the degradation of plant material.
A novel stereoscopic display technique with improved spatial and temporal properties

Common stereoscopic 3D (S3D) displays utilize either spatial or temporal interlacing to send different images to each eye. Temporal interlacing sends content to the left and right eyes alternatingly in time, and is prone to artifacts such as flicker, unsmooth motion, and depth distortion. Spatial interlacing sends even pixel rows to one eye and odd rows to the other eye, and has a lower effective spatial resolution than temporal interlacing unless the viewing distance is large. We propose a spatiotemporal hybrid protocol that interlaces the left- and right-eye views spatially, but the rows corresponding to each eye alternate every frame. We performed psychophysical experiments to compare this novel stereoscopic display protocol to existing methods in terms of spatial and temporal properties. Using a haploscope to simulate the three protocols, we determined perceptual thresholds for flicker, motion artifacts, and depth distortion, and we measured the effective spatial resolution. Spatial resolution is improved, flicker and motion artifacts are reduced, and depth distortion is eliminated. These results suggest that the hybrid protocol maintains the benefits of spatial and temporal interlacing while eliminating the artifacts, thus creating a more realistic viewing experience.
The scattering of obliquely incident plane waves from a corrugated conducting surface

A physical optics solution is presented for the scattering of plane waves from a perfectly conducting corrugated surface in the case of waves incident from an arbitrary direction and for an observer far from the surface. This solution is used to compute the radar cross section of the surface in the case of backscatter from irregular (i.e., stochastic) corrugations. An interesting feature of the solution is the occurrence of singularities in the scattered fields. These singularities appear to be a manifestation of focussing by the surface at its "stationary" points. Whether or not the singularities occur in the solution depends on the manner in which one restricts the analysis to the far-field.
Why has public R&D on alternatives to fossil fuels decreased in industrialized countries?

Abstract Why has public investment in R&D on alternatives to fossil fuels decreased in industrialized countries? The conventional wisdom holds that the culprit is electricity deregulation. We test this hypothesis against data on public energy R&D in industrialized countries, 1980–2007. The data show some weak support for it. However, the data show a stronger association between decreasing public energy R&D and the declining economic importance of heavy industry. These findings suggest that policy initiatives aimed to correct deregulation's ills are only partially helpful.
The congressional calendar and stock market performance

Abstract This study reports on the existence of a curious calendar effect—a relationship between stock market performance and the schedule of the U.S. Congress. Almost the entire advance in the market since 1897 corresponds to the periods when Congress is in recess. This is an impressive result, given that Congress is in recess about half as long as in session. Furthermore, average daily returns when Congress is not meeting are almost thirteen times greater than when Congress is in session. Throughout the year, cumulative returns during recess are eight times that experienced while Congress is in session.
Some Results on Comparing the Quantiles of Dependent Groups

Recently, Lombard derived an extension of the Doksum–Sievers shift function to dependent groups. This article suggests using a particular numerical method for determining the critical value, reports on the ability of the method to control the probability of a Type I error when sample sizes are small, and it provides comparisons with methods aimed at comparing deciles. It is found that for continuous distributions, Lombard's method performs well and in particular has high power relative to the other two methods considered. But when tied values can occur, now it can have relatively poor power; a method based on the Harrell-Davis estimator is found to give more satisfactory results.
Erklärung der persuasiven Wirkung von Werbung

In diesem Beitrag werden die in der jungeren Forschung zur Wirkung von Werbung diskutierten und untersuchten Aspekte in einem Werbewirkungsmodell zusammengefasst. Der hier dargestellte Entwurf enthalt drei Mediatorvariablen (Gefallen der Werbung, Gedanken uber die Werbung, Gedanken uber das Werbeobjekt) und zwei Moderatorvariablen (Involvement/Fahigkeit zur Informationsverarbeitung und Kontakthaufigkeit). Die Relevanz dieser funf Grosen wird basierend auf Erkenntnissen in der Literatur theoretisch diskutiert und soweit moglich durch vorhandene empirische Studien belegt. Den Nutzen eines derartigen Modells sehen wir zum einen darin, dass es eine Grundlage bilden kann, die Wirkung vielfaltiger weiterer Aspekte der Werbegestaltung (z.B. Variation der Werbemittel bei unterschiedlichen Kontakten) oder von Rezipienteneigenschaften (z.B. bisherige Vertrautheit mit dem Werbeobjekt oder Stimmung) genauer in Form von direkten und indirekten Effekten auf die Verhaltensabsicht gegenuber dem Werbeobjekt untersuchen zu konnen. Ferner liefert ein derartiges Modell Anhaltspunkte, welche Werbewirkungsgrosen in Werbetests untersucht werden sollten, wenn diagnostische Aussagen bezuglich der Verbesserungsmoglichkeiten von Werbemitteln angestrebt werden.
Inverse isotope effects and models for high-Tc superconductivity.

A model for high-temperature superconductivity with a mass-independent electronic mechanism in conjunction with a moderate amount of electron-phonon coupling has previously been shown to be inconsistent with experimental constraints on ${\mathit{T}}_{\mathit{c}}$, the isotope effect exponent, and the electron-phonon coupling. The present work allows for an electronic mechanism with an inverse isotope effect. In this case, the model is consistent with the experimental constraints.
Electron microscope study of calcification in the alga Halimeda (order Siphonales)1

Crystal growth and associated cytoplasmic changes were observed in Halimeda monile and H. incrassata by electron microscopy. Aragonite crystals were first formed at the filament wall surface in spa...
Characterizing soil spatial variability with apparent soil electrical conductivity

Spatial characterization of the variability of soil physico-chemical properties is a fundamental element of (i) soil quality assessment, (ii) modeling non-point source pollutants in soil, and (iii) site-specific crop management. Apparent soil electrical conductivity (EC"a) is a quick, reliable measurement that is frequently used for the spatio-temporal characterization of edaphic (e.g., salinity, water content, texture, and bulk density) and anthropogenic (e.g., leaching fraction) properties. It is the objective of this paper to provide the protocols for conducting a field-scale EC"a survey (Part I) and apply these protocols to a soil quality assessment in central California's San Joaquin Valley (Part II). The protocols are comprised of eight general steps: (i) site description and EC"a survey design; (ii) EC"a data collection with mobile GPS-based equipment; (iii) soil sampling design; (iv) soil core sampling; (v) laboratory analysis; (vi) calibration of EC"a to EC"e; (vii) spatial statistical analysis; (viii) GIS database development and graphic display. For each outlined step, detailed discussion and guidelines were presented. The developed protocols provide the guidelines to assure reliability, consistency, and compatibility of EC"a survey measurements and their interpretation.
Massive parallelism in artificial intelligence

There is growing interest in highly interconnected networks of very simple processing elements within artificial intelligence circles. These networks are referred to as connectionist networks and play an increasingly important role in artificial intelligence and cognitive science. This paper attempts to explicate the motivation behind pursuing connectionist networks, and discusses some recent proposals that adopt a connectionist approach to solving problems of visual recognition, knowledge representation, limited inference, and natural language understanding.
Measurements and analysis of surface potential change during wear of single-crystal silicon (100) at ultralow loads using Kelvin probe microscopy

The change in surface potential resulting from wear at ultralow loads using Kelvin probe microscopy is studied. Samples studied include single-crystal silicon (100), single-crystal silicon (100) lubricated with fully bonded Z-DOL (a perfluoropolyether). The effects of relative humidity (RH) as well as that of load and number of cycles during wear on the change in surface potential have been investigated. It is believed that the removal of either contaminant layer, natural oxide layer or lubricant during few wear cycles gives rise to the initial change in surface potential. As the number of cycles and/or load increases, the material is removed from the silicon surface by subsurface fatigue wear and stresses beneath the silicon surface resulting in subsurface structural changes which are responsible for further change in the surface potential.
Minority‐state relations in contemporary Iran

(1984). Minority‐state relations in contemporary Iran. Iranian Studies: Vol. 17, No. 1, pp. 37-71.
A 65-Year-Old Man With Persistent Cough and Large Nodular Opacity

A 65-year-old Asian man with a history of chronic hepatitis B infection presented to our pulmonary clinic for second opinion of his chronic, persistent, nonproductive cough. He was evaluated 10 months earlier with chest CT scan, which revealed a large lingular nodular opacity that was diagnosed as nodular cryptogenic organizing pneumonia by CT scan-guided percutaneous lung biopsy. Systemic corticosteroids were initiated and continued over the next 10 months. The dry cough persisted, and he developed intermittent left-sided pleuritic chest pain. He denied fevers, night sweats, hemoptysis, weight loss, or dyspnea. He was a lifelong nonsmoker and moved to the United States from China during childhood.
Effects of individualized music on confused and agitated elderly patients

The Progressively Lowered Stress Threshold Model in conjunction with an identified theoretical basis provides a framework for the use of individualized music in individuals with Dementia of the Alzheimer's Type (DAT). The effects of individualized music is explored in five elderly patients who are confused and agitated and residing in a long-term care facility. The Modified Cohen-Mansfield Agitation Inventory is used to measure the outcome. The immediate and 1-hour residual effects suggest the potential of individualized music as an alternative approach to the management of agitation in confused elderly patients.
Fibrin Sealants and Glues

Fibrin sealants and fibrin glues have become effective instruments in the care of surgical patients. They have been used as an adjunct to hemostasis, wound healing, tissue adhesion, and drug delivery. In cardiac surgery, fibrin glues have emerged as valuable tools to improve hemostasis, decreased blood transfusions, improve tissue handling, and pretreat vascular grafts. Fibrin glues and sealants are now available commercially in the United States. This article will review the history, pharmacology, uses, and toxicity of fibrin sealants and fibrin glues.
Frozen sections of arthropods for histological studies and fluorescent antibody investigations.

A method for the rapid sectioning of arthropods is described whereby specimens are quick-frozen in gelatin and sectioned in a freezing cabinet at −15 °C. Sections in which the internal anatomical structures were excellently preserved could be prepared regularly from the nymphal and adult ticks, Dermacentor andersoni, Ornithodoros moubata and O. parkeri, and from the cone-nosed bug, Rhodnius prolixus. The usefulness of this frozen section technique was demonstrated or suggested for, (a) histological studies on the relationship of organ systems, (b) localization of parasites and disease agents by means of conventional stains, and (c) fluorescent antibody studies on the development and behavior of disease agents in ticks and other arthropods. By employing conventional stains Trypanosoma rangeli has been localized in the salivary glands of the arthropod host and by fluorescent antibody methods Rickettsia rickettsii was demonstrated successfully in frozen sections prepared from whole ticks.
Pneumococcal vaccination in older adults induces antibodies with low opsonic capacity and reduced antibody potency

The primary mode of prevention of adult disease from Streptococcus pneumoniae is vaccination with anti-capsular polysaccharide vaccine; however, its effects are less in the targeted older population than in young persons. Few studies have examined the mechanism behind this limited effectiveness. We have measured antibody concentrations and opsonization titers for multiple serotypes amongst both old adults and young, healthy controls. To avoid specificity problems associated with pneumococcal antibody ELISA, we absorbed the serum samples with c-polysaccharide and capsular polysaccharide of 22F type. Antibody concentrations were found to be similar for six out of the seven tested serotypes, while opsonization titers were significantly higher in six out of seven serotypes in the younger population. Antibody potency, as measured by the ratio of opsonization titer to antibody concentration, was found to be significantly higher for the younger subjects for all serotypes. We conclude that, while all ages of adults make similar concentrations of antibodies in response to pneumococcal vaccine, the effectiveness of those antibodies is significantly reduced in the older adult population.
Efficient inequality: differential allocation in the local public sector

Abstract This paper examines the consequences for social efficiency if the locally provided public input can be differentially allocated among residents. We derive the distributional efficiency condition, which is the distribution of public inputs that maximizes within-city gains from trade. Differential allocation also causes modifications to the standard (Samuelsonian) allocative efficiency condition. Additionally, we explore the consequences of differential allocation for the median voter model. Standard empirical voter models are seriously flawed because they fail to distinguish final public output production from either individual demand or the distribution of publicly provided inputs. Finally, we derive the club sharing efficiency condition.
Natural advantages and contractual justice

Anthony Kronman has argued that libertarians cannot distinguish non-arbitrarily between legitimate and illegitimate advantage-taking in contractual relations except by reference to a liberal, wealth-redistributive standard Kronman calls “paretianism.” We argue to the contrary that libertarians need not concede that any advantage-taking in contracts is legitimate and thus need not be liberal “paretians” with respect to advantage-taking.
An efficient framework for user authorization queries in RBAC systems

The User Authorization Query (UAQ) Problem for RBAC, introduced by Zhang and Joshi, is to determine the set of roles to be activated in a single session for a particular set of permissions requested by the user. This set of roles must satisfy constraints that prevent certain combinations of roles to be activated in one session, and should follow the least privilege principle. We show that the existing approach to the UAQ problem is inadequate, and propose two approaches for solving the UAQ problem. In the first approach, we develop algorithms that use the backtracking-based search techniques developed in the artificial intelligence community. In the second approach, we reduce the problem to the MAXSAT problem which can be solved using available SAT solvers. We have implemented both approaches and experimentally evaluated them.
Associations between state-level soda taxes and adolescent body mass index.

Abstract Purpose Soft drink consumption has been linked with higher energy intake, obesity, and poorer health. Fiscal pricing policies such as soda taxes may lower soda consumption and, in turn, reduce weight among U.S. adolescents. Methods This study used multivariate linear regression analyses to examine the associations between state-level grocery store and vending machine soda taxes and adolescent body mass index (BMI). We used repeated cross-sections of individual-level data on adolescents drawn from the Monitoring the Future surveys combined with state-level tax data and local area contextual measures for the years 1997 through 2006. Results The results showed no statistically significant associations between state-level soda taxes and adolescent BMI. Only a weak economic and statistically significant effect was found between vending machine soda tax rates and BMI among teens at risk for overweight. Conclusions Current state-level tax rates are not found to be significantly associated with adolescent weight outcomes. It is likely that taxes would need to be raised substantially to detect significant associations between taxes and adolescent weight.
Chlorpyrifos exposure during a critical neonatal period elicits gender-selective deficits in the development of coordination skills and locomotor activity.

The widespread use of chlorpyrifos has raised concern about the potential consequences of fetal and childhood exposure. Previous studies have shown that apparently subtoxic doses of chlorpyrifos are nevertheless capable of affecting brain development by inhibiting mitosis, eliciting apoptosis, and altering neuronal activity and reactivity. To determine whether these biochemical changes elicit behavioral abnormalities, we evaluated coordination skills and open field behaviors in developing rats. Administration of 1 mg/kg s.c. of chlorpyrifos on postnatal (PN) days 1-4 elicited deficits in reflex righting on PN3-4 and in geotaxic responses on PN5-8, an effect that was specific to females. However, the ontogeny of more complex behaviors indicated a subsequent selectivity toward males. In the periweaning period, open-field locomotor activity and rearing were markedly reduced in male rats that had been exposed to chlorpyrifos on PN1-4, whereas no effect was detected in females. The gender-selective behavioral effects were associated with greater sensitivity of males to inhibition of cholinesterase in the first few hours after chlorpyrifos treatment. In contrast to the effects seen after administration on PN1-4, shifting the period of chlorpyrifos exposure to PN11-14 had a much less notable effect, even when higher doses were used: no decreases in locomotor activity and overall increases in rearing and grooming that were not significantly gender-selective. Administration on PN11-14 did not produce differential effects on cholinesterase in males and females. These studies indicate that chlorpyrifos given during a critical neonatal period, even at levels below the threshold for overt toxicity, can elicit both immediate and delayed gender-selective behavioral abnormalities. The ultimate evaluation of the developmental neurotoxicity of chlorpyrifos will thus require long-term assessments of neurobehavioral consequences of exposure during discrete developmental periods.
A new method of assay for polynucleotide ligase

Abstract A new method for the assay of polynucleotide ligase is described. It consists of two parallel DNA polymerase reactions with poly(dA) · oligo(dT) as template-primer and d[3H] TTP as precursor; ligase is added to both, but one is supplemented with NMN and the other with NAD. In the presence of NAD, ligase joins several oligo(dT) molecules, thus reducing the number of primer sites available to the polymerase, while the NMN-supplemented reaction serves as a control. The difference in dTMP incorporation between the two assays provides a measure of the activity of the ligase. The method is simple, rapid, and sensitive and can be used for the comparison of ligase levels in crude cell extracts or for monitoring ligase activity in the course of the purification of the enzyme.
Chondrosarcoma: Report of Two Cases

Benign neoplasms composed of cartilage are frequently observed; malignant forms, however, are comparatively rare. Phemister (1) reported 10 cases of malignant cartilaginous neoplasms among 61 bone sarcomas which he studied. Geschickter and Copeland's (2) group of such tumors includes about 154 cases. Among the 3200 necropsies performed by the staff of the Department of Pathology, Yale University School of Medicine, between Sept. 21, 1917, and Aug. 27, 1934, there were 420 cases of malignant neoplastic disease with but a single chondrosarcoma. This and one other case recently observed in the New Haven Hospital are recorded here because they present some unusual morphologic and clinical features. Report of Cases Case I: Mr. W. DeJ., a thirty-four-year-old, white, married, grocery store manager, was admitted to the New Haven Hospital (Unit. No. 82766) on March 19, 1930, with a painful swelling just below his left knee. He stated that about two and a half years previously he struck his knee against a sugar barrel and that the pain and swelling which followed disabled him for about ten days. Since then there had been a swelling in the same location. About six months following the injury, roentgenograms were taken and x-ray therapy advised. This treatment, however, did not affect the swelling, which gradually increased and for about seven months prior to admission had caused a dull aching pain with weakness and lameness of the leg and pain in the knee on flexion. On examination, an ovoid, slightly raised, tender swelling was observed, beginning just below the patella, extending for about 10 cm. downward and 7 cm. across. The center appeared brown, slightly fluctuant, and was raised 1 cm. Dilated minute blood vessels were seen radiating into the distal and lateral borders. There was a definite fullness in the distal portion of the popliteal space, but no tumor mass could be palpated. Flexion of the knee was limited to about 80 degrees. Roentgenograms showed the diameter of the head of the tibia to be increased, the osseous structure to be replaced by a “soap-bubble” appearance, and a “trumpet-shaped” flaring of the cortex. A diagnosis of giant-cell tumor of the left tibia was made, and on March 21, 1930, an exploratory operation was performed (by Dr. Merrill K. Lindsay) and a portion of the growth removed for histologic examination. The specimen thus obtained consisted of several fragments of red-gray and gelatinous tissue measuring up to 1 cm. in diameter and containing some bony spicules. Microscopic preparations showed strands of cells with faintly staining cytoplasm and deep blue staining nuclei lying in a homogeneous pink or lavender staining substance. There were seen occasional narrow strands of fibrous connective tissue, some deep blue staining granular areas with no osseous structure, some freshly extravasated blood, and a few large mononuclear cells containing golden yellow pigment. The arrangement of the cells and their relation to the intercellular substance resembled the structure of embryonal cartilage (Fig. 2).
Dual-Doppler and Multiparameter Radar Observations of a Bow-Echo Hailstorm

Abstract During the afternoon and evening hours of 23 May 1991 a hail-producing multicellular severe thunderstorm developed near Denver, Colorado, and tracked eastward for more than 100 km. Along this path, hailstone diameters of 2–7 cm (0.75–2.75 in.) were reported at several points. The storm was observed by both the CSU-CHILL (CHL) and NCAR Mile High (MUR) 10-cm Doppler radars. The general echo morphology evolved by way of cyclic, discrete new cell formation near an outflow boundary moving ahead of the storm's forward flank. As this new cell growth occurred, the shape of the storm's most intense core also evolved in a periodic fashion. On four separate occasions these cores briefly assumed a bow shape with peak reflectivity values of 65–70 dBZ. The evolution of one such bow echo was examined by a series of six CHL-MHR dual-Doppler analyses. The resultant airflow patterns suggested that the core reflectivity structure was deformed into the bowlike configuration by updraft-induced flow field perturbation...