cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Postpartum Amenorrhoea in Ethiopia: The Role of Weaning, Child Death, and Socioeconomic Factors

Using data from the 1990 National Family and Fertility Survey (NFFS) and employing discrete-time hazards models, we examine the effect of weaning, child death, and socioeconomic factors on postpartum amenorrhoea in Ethiopia. The results show that 91 in every 100 mothers breastfed their child for at least 6 months. The median duration of breastfeeding stands at 18 months, and amenorrhoea lasts for a median duration of 12 months. Significant variations in breastfeeding and amenorrhoea duration are also observed among the different categories of breastfeeding women. The median duration of breastfeeding for lactating women is 24 months, 6 months for those who weaned, and 2 months for those whose child died. The median duration of postpartum amenorrhoea is 14 months for breastfeeding women, 12 months for those who weaned, and 6 months for those whose child died. Discrete-time hazard models reveal that child death has the strongest effect on the resumption of menses. Net of other factors, the risk of returning to menses increased 3 times for mothers whose child died. The effect of child death, however, decreases over time. Weaning also has a significant positive effect; and, like child death, its effect diminishes as time passes. The study further shows significant differences in the risk of returning to postpartum menses by socioeconomic characteristics of the women, even though they are breastfeeding.
Characterizing the Effects of Single Event Upsets on Synchronous Data Paths

We present a Single Event Upset (SEU) model with supporting data demonstrating frequency effects that deviate from conventional theory. The model emphasizes design topology versus circuit-element contributions to SEU cross sections.
Two-point inequalities, the Hermite semigroup and the Gauss-Weierstrass semigroup

Let e−zH, Re z ⩾ 0, be the Hermite semigroup on R with Gauss measure μ. Necessary and sufficient conditions for e−zH to be a bounded map from Lp(μ) into Lq(μ), 1 ⩽ p, q ⩽ ∞, are found and in many cases it is proved that e−zH: Lp(μ) → Lq(μ) is in fact a contraction. Furthermore, these results and a formula relating the Hermite semigroup with the Gauss-Weierstrass semigroup ezΔ enable one to calculate the precise norm of ezΔ:Lp(dx) → Lq(dx) in a large number of cases.
The role of mitochondrial pyruvate transport in the control of lactate gluconeogenesis.

Abstract 1. 1. At low l -lactate concentrations, plots of the reciprocal of the gluconeogenic rate vs hydroxycyanocinnamate concentration were linear up to high inhibitor concentrations, indicating that the pyruvate transporter was a rate-limiting step and alternate pathways were at best minor. 2. 2. At 10 mM l -lactate and in the absence of added acids, the 1 V vs I plots became sigmoidal, indicating both some excess capacity of the transporter, and a significant alternative pathway. 3. 3. Use of transaminase inhibitors suggests that the alternate pathway does not primarily involve a dual glutamate-pyruvate transaminase mechanism.
Significant changes in acidic nuclear proteins during development

Abstract 1. 1. Using the method of polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, it has been demonstrated that acidic nuclear proteins of rat brain and liver nuclei have significant gel pattern changes during development. 2. 2. In addition, a high degree of tissue specificity was observed.
Males Feeding Females During Incubation. I. Required by Microclimate or Constrained by Nest Predation

abstract: Nest attentiveness (percentage of time spent on the nest) during incubation represents a parent‐offspring conflict; incubating birds must balance a trade‐off between caring for embryos by staying on the nest versus caring for themselves by getting off the nest to forage. For species in which females are the sole incubator, males can potentially affect this trade‐off and increase nest attentiveness by feeding incubating females on the nest (incubation feeding). Increased nest attentiveness may be required when local microclimate conditions are harsh and thereby require greater incubation feeding (microclimate hypothesis). Alternatively, incubation feeding may be constrained by risk of attracting nest predators (nest predation hypothesis), which in turn may constrain female nest attentiveness because of energy limitation. We show that incubation feeding rates are much greater among cavity‐nesting than among coexisting open‐nesting birds. Under the microclimate hypothesis, the greater incubation fe...
The Eriksonian Life Story: Developmental Scripts and Psychosocial Adaptation

An individual’s life story may be conceptualized as a developmental script comprising the psychological reconstruction of one’s remembered past, experienced present, and anticipated future. The current study of 128 mid-life adults tested the hypothesis that individuals whose developmental scripts more closely reflected Erikson’s (Childhood and society, 2nd ed. Oxford, England, Norton & Co, 1963) theory of psychosocial development would have higher levels of psychosocial adaptation. Adhering to an Eriksonian developmental script in which early life scenes conveyed a concern with interpersonal trust and adulthood scenes conveyed caring for the future of society (generativity) was related to higher levels of social connectedness above and beyond age, family income, gender, and the Big-Five traits. Examining the extent to which one’s life story approximates a theoretically informed developmental script has the potential to enrich the study of narrative identity.
Evaluation of Betalain Pigments as Colorants in Turkey Summer Sausages

Abstract Betalain pigments (red beet) were incorporated as a colorant in summer sausages formulated from 50% mechanically deboned turkey frames and 50% hand deboned turkey meat. Different levels of betalain pigments were added to sausages and compared with summer sausages formulated with or without the addition of sodium nitrite (156 p.p.m.). Addition of betalain pigments at a level of 25 p.p.m. produced a color resembling the nitrite control turkey sausages. However, to obtain a darker red color, the incorporation of 35 p.p.m. of betalain and 1.4 p.p.m. of Annatto was required. Sensory evaluations indicated a preference for sausages formulated by the addition of betalain pigments because of a desirable color in the sausages. Exposure of sausages to light resulted in lower color scores by taste panelists for the nitrite control, but did not produce any serious detrimental effects in sausages with added colorants.
delta 5-3 beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase activity in sebaceous glands of scalp in male-pattern baldness.

Sebaceous glands were isolated by manual dissection using a stereomicroscope from skin specimens of bald scalp of men with male-pattern baldness undergoing hair transplant or scalp reduction surgery and also from specimens taken from hairy and bald areas of scalp at autopsy of adult male victims of accidental death within 3 h post mortem. Homogenates of the isolated glands exhibited activities of delta 5-3 beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (3 beta HSD), 17 beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase, and testosterone 5 alpha-reductase by the conversion of [3H]dehydroepiandrosterone (DHA) to 3H-delta 4-androstenedione (AD), [3H]testosterone, and [3H]dihydrotestosterone. Homogenates of glands from bald (B) scalp had greater 3 beta HSD activity than homogenates of glands from hairy (H) scalp. After differential centrifugation, 3 beta HSD activity was found mainly in the microsomal and 105,000 X g supernatant fractions. Specific activity of the enzyme based on protein mass was highest in the microsomal fraction; however, the total 3 beta HSD activity in the 105,000 X g supernatent of B glands was significantly (p less than .01) greater than that of H glands. 3 beta HSD activity in sebaceous glands isolated from autopsy specimens did not differ from that of glands isolated from surgical specimens in apparent Km (0.13-0.14 microM), pH optima (8.0), or coenzyme requirement for NAD. Since substantial 3 beta HSD activity was present in the cytosol, and cytosol of B glands showed increased 3 beta HSD activity, the increased conversion of DHA to AD may be a critical step for androgenic action and may be responsible for excessive androgenicity in male-pattern baldness.
Evaluation of Monte Carlo generation of continuous asymmetric distributions

Reliable methods for generating pseudo-random numbers from specific distributions are increasingly important in all branches of applied mathematics. In Monte Carlo studies, generating random variables from specific continuous probability distributions, whether symmetric or asymmetric is a fundamental consideration. A composite uniform U(0,1) generator algorithm is described and statistically tested. Algorithms for transforming the U(0,1) to a set of selected continuous probability distributions are also validated.
Concurrent visual task effects on evoked and emitted auditory p300 in adolescents

Using an oddball stimulus presentation paradigm, the effects of divided attention on auditory P300s were studied. Auditory attention was either divided or focused, depending on the demands placed on subjects during the performance of a concomitantly presented visual task. Two types of auditory tasks were performed under each of the two auditory attention conditions. In one, subjects responded to infrequently presented high pitched tones (oddball stimuli). In the other they responded to the occasional omission of a stimulus in an otherwise rhythmically presented chain of stimuli. P300s and reaction times were recorded to both the rare tones and the omissions. The Sternberg visual memory task was used to manipulate the subject's auditory attention state. Subjects actively performed the Sternberg task during the divided auditory attention condition, whereas during the focused attention condition they were not required to respond to the visual stimuli. During focused auditory attention, evoked auditory P300s were both larger and faster than their emitted counterparts. During divided attention, auditory P300s were reduced in amplitude but latency was unaffected. Evoked auditory P300s showed evidence of containing P300a as well as P300b components, particularly when attention was shared with the visual task.
A BUG'S STRIFE: ABIOTIC ANGST IN THE MICROCOSMOS

Steven L. Chown and Sue W. Nicolson Oxford University Press (2004) pp. 254. ISBN 0-1985-1548-0 (hbk)/0-1985-1549-9 (pbk) £ 70.00 (hbk)/£32.50 (pbk) ![Figure][1] In this slim volume, Chown and Nicolson lay out a broad and integrative view of physiological ecology
Survivin Inhibitor YM-155 Sensitizes Tumor Necrosis Factor– Related Apoptosis-Inducing Ligand-Resistant Glioma Cells to Apoptosis through Mcl-1 Downregulation and by Engaging the Mitochondrial Death Pathway

Induction of apoptosis by the death ligand tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL) is a promising antitumor therapy. However, not all tumor cells are sensitive to TRAIL, highlighting the need for strategies to overcome TRAIL resistance. Inhibitor of apoptosis family member survivin is constitutively activated in various cancers and blocks apoptotic signaling. Recently, we demonstrated that YM-155 [3-(2-methoxyethyl)-2-methyl-4,9-dioxo-1-(pyrazin-2-ylmethyl)-4,9-dihydro-3H-naphtho[2,3-d]imidazol-1-ium bromide], a small molecule inhibitor, downregulates not only survivin in gliomas but also myeloid cell leukemia sequence 1 (Mcl-1), and it upregulates proapoptotic Noxa levels. Because Mcl-1 and survivin are critical mediators of resistance to various anticancer therapies, we questioned whether YM-155 could sensitize resistant glioma cells to TRAIL. To address this hypothesis, we combined YM-155 with TRAIL and examined the effects on cell survival and apoptotic signaling. TRAIL or YM-155 individually induced minimal killing in highly resistant U373 and LNZ308 cell lines, but combining TRAIL with YM-155 triggered a synergistic proapoptotic response, mediated through mitochondrial dysfunction via activation of caspases-8, -9, -7, -3, poly-ADP-ribose polymerase, and Bid. Apoptosis induced by combination treatments was blocked by caspase-8 and pan-caspase inhibitors. In addition, knockdown of Mcl-1 by RNA interference overcame apoptotic resistance to TRAIL. Conversely, silencing Noxa by RNA interference reduced the combined effects of YM-155 and TRAIL on apoptosis. Mechanistically, these findings indicate that YM-155 plays a role in counteracting glioma cell resistance to TRAIL-induced apoptosis by downregulating Mcl-1 and survivin and amplifying mitochondrial signaling through intrinsic and extrinsic apoptotic pathways. The significantly enhanced antitumor activity of the combination of YM-155 and TRAIL may have applications for therapy of malignant glioma.
A classification and regression trees analysis predicting treatment outcome following a group intervention randomized controlled trial for HIV-positive adult survivors of childhood sexual abuse

Abstract This study demonstrates the utility of classification and regression trees (CR depressive symptoms and active coping strategies predicted outcome for the coping group condition, and shame about sexual abuse and dissociative symptoms predicted outcome for the support group condition. Methodological issues and implications for clinical decision making are discussed.
Modeling sediment entrainment and transport processes limited by bed armoring

Abstract A sediment-transport model including a bed-armoring algorithm is used to ascertain the potential importance of bed-armoring processes. The parameters that control the bed-armoring effects on the suspension of granular sediments in the marine environment are examined using the numerical model and data from the Eel shelf. Results for the shelf indicate that bed armoring controls the total suspended-sediment load and affects the across-shelf gradients of suspended material. The armoring effects are too significant to be neglected in most analyses of shelf and nearshore sediment transport, and this is especially relevant for models that are developed to represent large-scale and long-term sedimentary regimes. A principal controlling parameter is the thickness of the active layer, and the dynamics of this layer are not well known.
GlideScope stylet associated with endotracheal tube T-connector split causing a breathing circuit leak

2013;03:74-9. [8] Veselis RA, Reinsel RA, Wronski M, Marino P, Tong WP, Bedford RF. EEG and memory effects of low-dose infusions of propofol. Br J Anaesth 1992;69:246-54. [9] Goudra BG, Penugonda LC, Sinha AC. Intra-lingual succinylcholine for the treatment of adult laryngospasm in the absence of IV access. J Anaesthesiol Clin Pharmacol 2013;29:426-7. [10] LiuH,WaxmanDA,Main R,Mattke S.Utilization of anesthesia services during outpatient endoscopies and colonoscopies and associated spending in 2003–2009. JAMA 2012;307:1178-84.
Percutaneous cryoablation of small kidney tumours under magnetic resonance imaging guidance: Medium-term follow-up

Objective. Minimally invasive treatment of small kidney tumours remains a challenge. Cryoablation has recently been advocated for such neoplasias. However, few series evaluating this therapeutic regimen are as yet available. The goal of this retrospective study was to evaluate the initial clinical experience of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)-guided percutaneous cryotherapy of small renal tumours. Material and methods. Seven patients with small renal tumours [mean diameter 21 (11–30) mm] underwent percutaneous renal tumour cryoablation using the Cryo-Hit® delivery system. The procedure was performed in an MRI interventional unit, using a 0.23 Tesla open MRI imaging system. Five men and two women were included in the group. The average age was 61.5 (34–84) years. The patients had a solitary kidney (n=2), renal insufficiency (n=4) or a kidney graft (n=1). The intervention was performed under general anaesthesia. Average time for the whole procedure was 235 min with 26 min of effective treatment time. Mean ...
Reliability, Validity, and Feasibility of the Zwisch Scale for the Assessment of Intraoperative Performance

Purpose The existing methods for evaluating resident operative performance interrupt the workflow of the attending physician, are resource intensive, and are often completed well after the end of the procedure in question. These limitations lead to low faculty compliance and potential significant recall bias. In this study, we deployed a smartphone-based system, the Procedural Autonomy and Supervisions System, to facilitate assessment of resident performance according to the Zwisch scale with minimal workflow disruption. We aimed to demonstrate that this is a reliable, valid, and feasible method of measuring resident operative autonomy. Methods Before implementation, general surgery residents and faculty underwent frame-of-reference training to the Zwisch scale. Immediately after any operation in which a resident participated, the system automatically sent a text message prompting the attending physician to rate the resident's level of operative autonomy according to the 4-level Zwisch scale. Of these procedures, 8 were videotaped and independently rated by 2 additional surgeons. The Zwisch ratings of the 3 raters were compared using an intraclass correlation coefficient. Videotaped procedures were also scored using 2 alternative operating room (OR) performance assessment instruments (Operative Performance Rating System and Ottawa Surgical Competency OR Evaluation), against which the item correlations were calculated. Results Between December 2012 and June 2013, 27 faculty used the smartphone system to complete 1490 operative performance assessments on 31 residents. During this period, faculty completed evaluations for 92% of all operations performed with general surgery residents. The Zwisch scores were shown to correlate with postgraduate year (PGY) levels based on sequential pairwise chi-squared tests: PGY 1 vs PGY 2 (χ 2 = 106.9, df=3, p 2 = 22.2, df=3, p 2 = 56.4, df=3, p 2 = 4.5, df=3, p=0.21). For the 8 operations reviewed for interrater reliability, the intraclass correlation coefficient was 0.90 (95% CI: 0.72-0.98, p r > 0.90, all p's r > 0.86, all p's Conclusions The Zwisch scale can be used to make reliable and valid measurements of faculty guidance and resident autonomy. Our data also suggest that Zwisch ratings may be used to infer resident operative performance. Deployed on an automated smartphone-based system, it can be used to feasibly record evaluations for most operations performed by residents. This information can be used to council individual residents, modify programmatic curricula, and potentially inform national training guidelines.
Subreflector extension for improved efficiencies in Cassegrain antennas--GTD/PO analysis

Both offset and symmetric Cassegrain reflector antennas are used in satellite and ground communication systems. It is known that the subreflector diffraction can degrade the performance of these reflectors. A geometrical theory of diffraction/physical optics (GTD/PO) analysis technique is used to investigate the improving effects of the extended subreflector, beyond its optical rim, on the reflector efficiency and farfield patterns. Representative numerical results are shown for an offset Cassegrain reflector antenna with different feed illumination tapers and subreflector extensions. It is observed that for subreflector extensions as small as 1 \lambda noticeable improvements in the overall efficiencies can be expected. Useful design data are generated for the efficiency curves and far-field patterns.
Rapid Photoinactivation of Native AMPA Receptors on Live Cells Using ANQX

AMPA (α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic acid) receptors, a major subtype of ionotropic glutamate receptors, mediate the majority of fast excitatory synaptic transmission in the mammalian brain. The constitutive and regulated trafficking of AMPA receptors into and out of excitatory synapses ensures rapid responses to synaptically released glutamate and provides a mechanism for synaptic plasticity. To permit the direct, quantitative, real-time measurement of native AMPA receptor trafficking in live neurons, we designed and utilized a membrane-impermeable, photoreactive AMPA receptor antagonist to rapidly and irreversibly inactivate surface receptors with ultraviolet (UV) light. The photoreactive antagonist, 6-azido-7-nitro-1,4-dihydroquinoxaline-2,3-dione (ANQX), is an aryl azide that, when irradiated with UV light, becomes a highly reactive nitrene that can covalently cross-link to and thus irreversibly antagonize bound AMPA receptors. Thus, ANQX provides a means of rapidly silencing surface-exposed AMPA receptors. Combined with a functional AMPA receptor assay, such as continuous recording of AMPA receptor–mediated ionic currents, ANQX provides a means of directly monitoring native AMPA receptor trafficking in real time.
Giant Shapiro steps in Josephson-junction arrays.

Giant Shapiro steps have recently been observed in the I-V characteristics of Josephson-junction arrays, both with and without transverse magnetic fields. For magnetic fluxes per unit cell of the array \ensuremath{\Phi}=(p/q)${\mathrm{\ensuremath{\Phi}}}_{0}$, these steps occur at voltages per unit cell of \ensuremath{\Elzxh}\ensuremath{\omega}/2eq, where \ensuremath{\omega} is the frequency of the rf field. I present a calculation of this effect, restricted to certain values of f=p/q and certain current directions within the lattice. This calculation leads to results concerning the width of steps as a function of q and as a function of the amplitude of the driving field. It also leads to a prediction of subharmonic steps, at voltages of (\ensuremath{\Elzxh}\ensuremath{\omega}/2e)(n/qm).
587 Amplitude Integrated Eeg Asa Diagnostic Tool in Neonatal Stroke

Background: The two-channel amplitude integrated EEG (aEEG) allows for continuous monitoring of cortical activity of each hemisphere separately. Aim: We present three newborns with unilateral cerebral infarction, in whom the aEEG was an important diagnostic tool. Methods: Infants were monitored routinely by twochannel aEEG, electrodes were positioned in C3- P3, C4-P4. Case reports: Summary: In all three cases, unilateral ictal activity was displayed in the two-channel aEEG (difficult to recognize in one-channel aEEG). Clinical signs of cerebral infarction may be unspecific and ultrasound changes might be detected only when high suspicion is raised by the aEEG findings.
The amino-terminal region of Gli3 antagonizes the Shh response and acts in dorsoventral fate specification in the developing spinal cord.

Abstract A concentration gradient of Shh is thought to pattern the ventral neural tube, and these ventral cell types are absent in shh −/− mice. Based on in vitro and genetic studies, the zinc finger-containing transcription factors Gli 1, 2, and 3 are mediators of the Shh intracellular response. The floorplate and adjacent cell types are absent in gli1 −/− ;gli2 −/− mice, but part of the Shh −/− phenotype in the neural tube is alleviated in the Shh −/− ;gli3 −/− double mutant. This is consistent with the predicted role of Gli3 as a repressor of the Shh response. Gli3 repressor activity is blocked by Shh. In order to test the role of the repressor form of Gli3 in the neural tube, a truncated version of Gli3 (Gli3R*) was designed to mimic a Pallister Hall allele. Gli3R* acts as a constitutive repressor independent of Shh signaling. Misexpression of Gli3R* in the chick neural tube caused a ventral expansion of class-I, dorsal progenitor proteins and a loss of class-II, ventral progenitor proteins consistent with expected activity as a repressor of the Shh response. Activation of the BMP response is sufficient to maintain gli3 expression in neural plate explants, which might be a mechanism by which BMPs antagonize the Shh response.
Erik H. Erikson's America: the political implications of ego psychology.

American culture has been unusually receptive to psychoanalytic systems of thought; and Erik H. Erikson, the most eminent contemporary exponent of ego psychology, has been particularly influential. His ethical orientation, as well as some of his key clinical concepts, has matched distinctively American needs. Yet Erikson has also helped to liberate us from the constraints of early psychoanalytic thought. His psychology has been a way of getting away from the dogmatism of “orthodox” psychoanalysis, although at the same time he may have lost some valuable features of the Freudian heritage.
Mandating Supplemental Intervention Services: Is New York State Doing Enough to Help All Students Succeed?

As states have become more active in establishing curriculum content standards and related assessments disappointingly little attention has been paid to policy efforts that create learning opportunities for students to meet the new standards. This study examines one state policy designed to bolster the opportunity to learn by mandating additional instruction for students not currently achieving proficiency in the state standards. The results focus on a detailed description of New York State’s Academic Intervention Services, including its organizational and instructional elements (e.g., staffing, scheduling, student grouping, instructional strategies) across NYS schools. While the majority of states have established curriculum frameworks and linked them to assessment instruments, this experience in NY may be unique for its coordinated emphasis on intervention services (academic and non-academic) linked to rigorous learning and accountability standards. However, the caveats identified in this study promote a familiar sense of local discretion in the interpretation and implementation of state policy mandates. The analyses describe how
Efficient solution of eigenvalue equations of optical waveguiding structures

A general numerical method is presented that is capable of extracting all the zeros of a complex equation. This method allows accurate determination of the complex propagation constants of general multilayer optical and microwave planar waveguides, the computation of energy states and their lifetimes of semiconductor heterostructures, and the roots of complex transcendental equations from other scientific disciplines. The method differs from previous approaches in that the time-consuming differentiation of the complex function is not required. Furthermore, the present method is not affected by the presence of complex poles and so can be used for the solution of meromorphic transcendental equations. In practice, the method is found to be much faster than other rigorous approaches. >
Volume-sensitive K(+)/Cl(-) cotransport in rabbit erythrocytes. Analysis of the rate-limiting activation and inactivation events.

The kinetics of activation and inactivation of K+/Cl− cotransport (KCC) have been measured in rabbit red blood cells for the purpose of determining the individual rate constants for the rate-limiting activation and inactivation events. Four different interventions (cell swelling, N -ethylmaleimide [NEM], low intracellular pH, and low intracellular Mg2+) all activate KCC with a single exponential time course; the kinetics are consistent with the idea that there is a single rate-limiting event in the activation of transport by all four interventions. In contrast to LK sheep red cells, the KCC flux in Mg2+-depleted rabbit red cells is not affected by cell volume. KCC activation kinetics were examined in cells pretreated with NEM at 0°C, washed, and then incubated at higher temperatures. The forward rate constant for activation has a very high temperature dependence (Ea ∼ 32 kCal/mol), but is not affected measurably by cell volume. Inactivation kinetics were examined by swelling cells at 37°C to activate KCC, and then resuspending at various osmolalities and temperatures to inactivate most of the transporters. The rate of transport inactivation increases steeply as cell volume decreases, even in a range of volumes where nearly all the transporters are inactive in the steady state. This finding indicates that the rate-limiting inactivation event is strongly affected by cell volume over the entire range of cell volumes studied, including normal cell volume. The rate-limiting inactivation event may be mediated by a protein kinase that is inhibited, either directly or indirectly, by cell swelling, low Mg2+, acid pH, and NEM.
Glyoxal uptake on ammonium sulphate seed aerosol: reaction products and reversibility of uptake under dark and irradiated conditions

Abstract. Chamber studies of glyoxal uptake onto ammonium sulphate aerosol were performed under dark and irradiated conditions to gain further insight into processes controlling glyoxal uptake onto ambient aerosol. Organic fragments from glyoxal dimers and trimers were observed within the aerosol under dark and irradiated conditions. Glyoxal monomers and oligomers were the dominant organic compounds formed under the conditions of this study; glyoxal oligomer formation and overall organic growth were found to be reversible under dark conditions. Analysis of high-resolution time-of-flight aerosol mass spectra provides evidence for irreversible formation of carbon-nitrogen (C-N) compounds in the aerosol. We have identified 1H-imidazole-2-carboxaldehyde as one C-N product. To the authors' knowledge, this is the first time C-N compounds resulting from condensed phase reactions with ammonium sulphate seed have been detected in aerosol. Organosulphates were not detected under dark conditions. However, active photochemistry was found to occur within aerosol during irradiated experiments. Carboxylic acids and organic esters were identified within the aerosol. An organosulphate, which had been previously assigned as glyoxal sulphate in ambient samples and chamber studies of isoprene oxidation, was observed only in the irradiated experiments. Comparison with a laboratory synthesized standard and chemical considerations strongly suggest that this organosulphate is glycolic acid sulphate, an isomer of the previously proposed glyoxal sulphate. Our study shows that reversibility of glyoxal uptake should be taken into account in SOA models and also demonstrates the need for further investigation of C-N compound formation and photochemical processes, in particular organosulphate formation.
Stacked Generalization in Computer-Assisted Decision Systems: Empirical Comparison of Data Handling Schemes

Computer-assisted decision (CAD) systems are becoming increasingly popular for the diagnostic interpretation of radiologic images. These CAD systems often involve the stacked generalization of several different decision models. Combining decision models is a common meta-analysis strategy to improve upon the diagnostic performance of each individual model. This study investigates how different data handling schemes may affect the performance evaluation of CAD systems that rely on stacked generalization. The study is based on a multistage CAD system for the detection of masses in screening mammograms. The CAD system consists of a series of knowledge-based modules that operate at Level 0 capturing morphological as well as multiscale textural information. Then, the knowledge-based predictions are combined with a Level 1 classifier. The study shows that a leave-one-out sampling scheme appears to be an effective and relatively unbiased strategy for the estimation of the overall performance of a CAD system that is based on stacked generalization. However, extra caution should be placed on the complexity of the Level 1 combiner. When the available dataset is relatively small, a relatively simple learning system such as a backpropagation neural network with very few hidden nodes is preferable to avoid optimistically biased estimates of diagnostic performance.
A neural network for path search in directed graphs

The use of a Boltzmann machine to search for the shortest path in a directed graph (digraph) whose edge weights are equal is discussed. The adjacency matrix of the digraph is employed in the Boltzmann machine topology such that each entry in the adjacency matrix corresponds to a computation node of the Boltzmann machine. The quadratic performance function, for which the Boltzmann machine finds minima, is defined using the syntactic constraints that a path specification has to satisfy. An example application of the proposed method employing a 10-node digraph is demonstrated. >
Morphology and property relationships in ternary blends of polyethylene/polyamide-6/compatibilizing agents

The effects of compatibilizing agents on the morphology and properties of high density polyethylene (HDPE) and polyamide-6 blends were investigated. The ternary blends were studied with the objective of understanding and optimizing the compatibilization of HDPE and polyamide-6. The blends were prepared by melt mixing the individual components in a twin-screw extruder. Mechanical property, rheological property, differential scanning calorimetry, and scanning electron microscopy results are discussed. The addition of compatibilizing agents results in a greatly reduced dispersed phase particle size. The properties of the blends level out after a compatibilizer level of 3 wt% has been reached. The rheological, mechanical, and thermal property results indicate the presence of the compatibilizing agent along the interfacial boundary regions between the other two phases. © 1995 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Two Cases of Progressive Familial Intrahepatic Cholestasis Type 2 Presenting with Severe Coagulopathy without Jaundice

Progressive familial intrahepatic cholestasis (PFIC) type 2 results from a mutation in the bile salt exporter pump, impeding bile acid transport. Patients usually present with jaundice, pruritus, growth failure, and fat soluble vitamin deficiencies. We present two patients diagnosed with PFIC type 2 due to severe coagulopathy and bleeding without jaundice.
Perspective: The NAEP Remembers Jim Roberts

The National Association of Environmental Professionals (NAEP) mourns the loss of our friend and colleague, Jim Roberts, who died November 25, 2007. In this brief tribute, I'd like to record my memories of him and his professional contributions. Several other members of the NAEP also sent me brief statements to include.
Circuit design for low overhead delay-fault BIST using constrained quadratic 0-1 programming

We propose a quadratic 0-1 approach to redesign a circuit in order to test it for excessive delays using a new robust delay-fault Built-In Self Testing (BIST) model. This approach models the problem as a weighted signed graph balancing problem. The algorithm has O(n/sup 2/) complexity, where n is the number of circuit nodes. We drop hardware from false timing paths to lower the delay fault BIST hardware overhead to 17% in large circuits (measured overhead in addition to stuck-fault BIST overhead). Results show that the computation is rapid for the 1985 ISCAS benchmarks.
Monetary and Fiscal Policy Switching

A growing body of evidence finds that policy reaction functions vary substantially over different periods in the United States. This paper explores how moving to an environment in which monetary and fiscal regimes evolve according to a Markov process can change the impacts of policy shocks. In one regime monetary policy follows the Taylor principle and taxes rise strongly with debt; in another regime the Taylor principle fails to hold and taxes are exogenous. An example shows that a unique bounded non-Ricardian equilibrium exists in this environment. A computational model illustrates that because agents' decision rules embed the probability that policies will change in the future, monetary and tax shocks always produce wealth effects. When it is possible that fiscal policy will be unresponsive to debt at times, active monetary policy (like a Taylor rule) in one regime is not sufficient to insulate the economy against tax shocks in that regime and it can have the unintended consequence of amplifying and propagating the aggregate demand effects of tax shocks. The paper also considers the implications of policy switching for two empirical issues.
Complex Oxides as Molecular Materials: Structure and Bonding in High-Valent Early Transition Metal Compounds

Complex oxides of the early transition metals in their highest oxidation states display a remarkable variety of properties, including catalytic [1], electrooptic [2], high-K dielectric [3], electromechanical [4], ferroelectric [5], and charge density wave [6] behavior. The structural basis for this behavior, although understood in general terms, is not well understood on the atomic-molecular size scale, and as a result, these properties are difficult or impossible to control chemically. A first step toward addressing this problem is clear definition of structure and bonding in these materials, the subject of this Chapter.
Declining Relative Risk for Myocardial Infarction Among HIV-Positive Compared With HIV-Negative Individuals With Access to Care

Concerns remain for an increased myocardial infarction (MI) risk among individuals infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). We conducted a cohort study evaluating MI risk from 1996 to 2011 by HIV status. The adjusted MI rate ratio for HIV status declined over time, reaching 1.0 (95% confidence interval, .7-1.4) in 2010-2011, the most recent study period.
Rapid determination of hydrogen peroxide in the wood pulp bleaching streams by a dual-wavelength spectroscopic method

Abstract This study has demonstrated a spectrophotometric method for residual hydrogen peroxide analysis in wood pulp bleaching streams. In an acidic medium, hydrogen peroxide can instantly associate with molybdate to form a peroxomolybdic acid complex that has an absorption peak at 330 nm. To avoid the spectral interference from excess molybdate ion, 350 nm is used for spectroscopic quantification. A linear relationship between the absorbance at 350 nm and peroxide concentration was found up to a peroxide concentration of ca. 0.2 mmol l −1 . It was discovered that 297 nm was an isosbestic point that could be used to develop a dual-wavelength method to account for the spectral interference from dissolved lignin in pulp bleaching streams, a critical procedure for the success of the present method. This method is simple, rapid, sensitive, accurate, and has the potential for on-line applications.
Benchmarking anomaly-based detection systems

Anomaly detection is a key element of intrusion detection and other detection systems in which perturbations of normal behavior suggest the presence of intentionally or unintentionally induced attacks, faults, defects, etc. Because most anomaly detectors are based on probabilistic algorithms that exploit the intrinsic structure (or regularity) embedded in data logs, a fundamental question is whether or not such structure influences detection performance. If detector performance is indeed a function of environmental regularity, it would be critical to match detectors to environmental characteristics. In intrusion-detection settings, however, this is not done, possibly because such characteristics are not easily ascertained. This paper introduces a metric for characterizing structure in data environments, and tests the hypothesis that intrinsic structure influences probabilistic detection. In a series of experiments, an anomaly detection algorithm was applied to a benchmark suite of 165 carefully calibrated, anomaly-injected data sets of varying structure. The results showed performance differences of as much as an order of magnitude, indicating that current approaches to anomaly detection may not be universally dependable.
Influence of prenatal exposure to diethylstilbestrol on estrogen and progestin binding proteins in uteri and d1methylbenzanthracene‐induced mammary tumors of the rat

Various characteristics of steroid binding proteins from mammary tumors and uteri of rats exposed prenatally to diethylstilbestrol (DES) were examined. Pregnant rats were treated with no hormone (group A) or with a total dose of 1.2 μg DES during the second (group B) or third (group C) trimester of gestation. Female offspring received 7,12‐dimethylbenz[a]anthracene (DMBA) at d 50 ± 1. Animals with large mammary tumors were subjected to bilateral ovariectomy. Seven months after carcinogen treatment, the experiment was terminated. High‐affinity binding sites for [ 3 H]estradiol‐17s and [ 3 H]R5020 were found in all mammary tumors assayed. On sucrose gradients of low ionic strength both 8 S and 4S forms of the estrogen receptor were identified in mammary tumors, regardless of prenatal treatment. In addition, progestin receptors sedimenting at 4S were identified in these tumors. However, the 7–8S form of the progestin receptor was found only in tumors from intact animals. Levels of progestin receptors were di...
The Laicization of French and English Society in the Thirteenth Century

STUDENTS of mediaeval society have long been aware of a sharp change in attitudes and values which took place in the thirteenth century. During that period, while Europe remained sincerely and completely Catholic, the church lost much of its influence. Though it perfected its organization and carried on its religious activities with great energy, the standards which it had set for secular activities were increasingly disregarded. The forces released by the great revival of civilization in the twelfth century could no longer be controlled by the church. They broke out of the old channels and either found new courses for themselves or dissipated their energy in the swamps and backwaters of uncoordinated endeavor. This secularization of European society is apparent in every field of human activity, in art and literature as well as in politics and economics. But while the fact of secularization is undisputed, the reasons for this great change in European opinion and the way in which the change was brought about are not clear. It is a problem which is well worth studying, not only because it is the key to much of the later history of the middle ages, but also because it is an interesting example of the ways in which public opinion are changed. This paper is an attempt to study one aspect of secularization, the laicization of French and English society in the thirteenth century. Laicization may be defined as the development of a society in which primary allegiance is given to lay governments, in which final decisions regarding social objectives are made by lay governments, in which the church is merely a private society with no public powers or duties. When society has been laicized leadership has passed from the church to the state. In the modern period this assumption of leadership by the state is usually manifested in attempts to control social services, such as education, to regulate family relationships, and to confiscate all, or part of the church's property. These particular manifestations of the idea of laicization should not be confused with the idea itself. There was no demand for government regulation of marriage and divorce in the thirteenth century and very little protest against church control of education. There were efforts to limit the church's acquisition of new property, but only a few fanatics advocated confiscation of what the church already possessed. Yet during the thirteenth century leadership passed from the church to lay governments, and when the test came under Boniface viii it was apparent that lay rulers, rather than the pope, could count on the primary allegiance of the people. Laicization is the political aspect of secularization. As such, it cannot be wholly explained by purely economic factors. I am quite willing to accept the conventional view that the economic changes of the twelfth and thirteenth centuries made society more worldly, but worldliness is not the same thing as laicization.
Variation in the frequency of skipped spawning in Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua) off Newfoundland and Labrador

Macroscopic maturity data collected between January and March of 1978–2004 during groundfish surveys were analysed to determine the frequency of skipped spawning for Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua) populations in the Northwest Atlantic. Nearly 18% of the 6583 potential female spawners sampled during this period would not have spawned in the subsequent spawning season. The frequency of skipped spawning was much higher on the Flemish Cap (NAFO Division 3M, ∼33%) and off the south coast of Newfoundland (Subdivision 3Ps, ∼21%) than that in three areas off eastern Newfoundland and southern Labrador (Divisions 3L, ∼8%; 3K, ∼3%; and 2J, <1%). Annual variation in the frequency of skipped spawning was apparent in all areas. Skipped spawning was most common in fish of medium size (60–79 cm). Non-reproductive cod were characterized by lower liver condition than reproductive cod, but not a lower gutted condition. Generalized linear models suggested that relative liver weight was the best predictor of spawning probability, and that age, length, and relative body condition were not good predictors. Models of spawning probability based on relative liver condition suggest that female fish in poor condition in 3KL are more likely to spawn than fish of equal condition in areas 3M and 3Ps.
When Robots Object: Evidence for the Utility of Verbal, but not Necessarily Spoken Protest

Future autonomous robots will likely encounter situations in which humans end up commanding the robots to perform tasks that robot ought to object. A previous study showed that robot appearance does not seem to affect human receptiveness to robot protest produced in response to inappropriate human commands. However, this previous work used robots that communicate the objection to the human in spoken natural language, thus allowing for the possibility that spoken language, not the content of the objection and its justification, were responsible for human reactions. In this paper, we specifically set out to answer this open question by comparing spoken robot protest with written robot protest.
Carfilzomib reverses pulmonary arterial hypertension.

Aims Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) remains a lethal disease with pronounced narrowing of pulmonary vessels due to abnormal cell growth. Agents that can reduce the pulmonary vascular thickness thus have therapeutic potential. The present study investigated the efficacy of carfilzomib (CFZ), a proteasome inhibitor and a cancer chemotherapeutic drug, on reversing PAH. Methods and results In two rat models of PAH, SU5416/hypoxia and SU5416/ovalbumin, CFZ effectively reversed pulmonary vascular remodelling with the promotion of apoptosis and autophagy. In human pulmonary artery smooth muscle cells, knocking down mediators of autophagy attenuated CFZ-induced cell death. The cell death role of autophagy was promoted by the participation of tumour protein p53-inducible nuclear protein 1. CFZ increased the protein ubiquitination, and siRNA knockdown of ubiquitin inhibited cell death, suggesting that CFZ-induced cell death is ubiquitin-dependent. Mass spectrometry demonstrated the ubiquitination of major vault protein and heat shock protein 90 in response to CFZ. The siRNA knockdown of these proteins enhanced CFZ-induced cell death, revealing that they are cell survival factors. CFZ reduced right-ventricular pressure and enhanced the efficacy of a vasodilator, sodium nitroprusside. While no indications of CFZ toxicity were observed in the right ventricle of PAH rats, apoptosis was promoted in the left ventricle. Apoptosis was prevented by dexrazoxane or by pifithrin-α without interfering with the efficacy of CFZ to reverse pulmonary vascular remodelling. Conclusion The addition of anti-tumour agents such as CFZ along with cardioprotectants to currently available vasodilators may be a promising way to improve PAH therapy.
Should we deactivate vagus nerve stimulator in patients undergoing general anesthesia

• Patients with drug-resistant epilepsy may have an implanted vagal nerve stimulator (VNS).