cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Temporal Effects of Child and Adolescent Exposure to Neighborhood Disadvantage on Black/White Disparities in Young Adult Obesity.

Abstract Purpose This study investigates the effects of duration and timing of exposure to neighborhood disadvantage from birth through age 17 years on obesity incidence in early adulthood and black/white disparities therein. Methods Individual- and household-level data from the 1970–2011 waves of the Panel Study of Income Dynamics are merged with census data on respondents' neighborhoods (n = 1,498). Marginal structural models with inverse probability of treatment and censoring weights are used to quantify the probability of being obese at least once between ages 18 and 30 years as a function of cumulative exposure to neighborhood disadvantage throughout childhood and adolescence or during each of three developmental stages therein. Results Longer term exposure to neighborhood disadvantage from ages 0–17 years is more common among blacks than among whites and is associated with significantly greater odds of being obese at least once in early adulthood. Exposure to neighborhood-level deprivation during adolescence (ages 10–17 years) appears more consequential for future (young adult) obesity than exposure that occurs earlier in childhood. Conclusions The duration and timing of exposure to neighborhood disadvantage during childhood and adolescence are associated with obesity incidence in early adulthood for both blacks and whites. However, given inequalities in the likelihood and persistence of experiencing neighborhood disadvantage as children and youth, such adverse effects are likely to be more concentrated among black versus white young adults.
An Exploratory Investigation of Brand Switching

Data for this investigation of variables influencing brand switching were obtained in an isolated community in the Midwest where nearly all residents purchased food products from a single source of supply. All residents worked for a single employer, who verified their income levels. This setting provided nearly ideal research conditions.
Hydroalkoxylation Catalyzed by a Gold(I) Complex Encapsulated in a Supramolecular Host

Gold(I)-phosphine complexes are readily encapsulated by a tetrahedral supramolecular host (Ga(4)L(6)). We have investigated the catalytic activity of the resulting complexes for the intramolecular hydroalkoxylation of allenes. The catalytic activity of Me(3)PAuBr was increased 8-fold by encapsulation, as determined by initial rate kinetics, and we observed up to 67 catalytic turnovers by Me(3)PAu(+) encapsulated in Ga(4)L(6).
Tutorial on photoacoustic tomography

Photoacoustic tomography (PAT) has become one of the fastest growing fields in biomedical optics. Unlike pure optical imaging, such as confocal microscopy and two-photon microscopy, PAT employs acoustic detection to image optical absorption contrast with high-resolution deep into scattering tissue. So far, PAT has been widely used for multiscale anatomical, functional, and molecular imaging of biological tissues. We focus on PAT’s basic principles, major implementations, imaging contrasts, and recent applications.
Applying Hawaii’s Tourism Industry Sustainability Principles to Hainan

Hainan island,known by many as "Hawaii of the Orient ",is undergoing early transformation to become an international tourism destination.The Hawaiian tourism industry’s successful experiences in sustainable development can be a model for Hainan.In this paper,we discuss six essential sustainability principles,drawn from the experiences of Hawaiian tourism development.These principles may be compared to the structure and function of an airplane: The government and market elements,working together,are like the cockpit of the plane,which guides and controls tourism destination development.The principle of sustainable development is like the plane ’s tail section,which provides balance and stability for the entire operation.Protecting indigenous culture and benefiting local people are the foundations of tourism development,in turn acting as the body of plane.Innovation and scientific decision-making based on tourism data,function as the wings of the plane,which provide the forces to elevate the plane or the long-term growth of the tourism destination.This paper is constructed around the key operations involved in the above six fields in Hawaii.It also analyzes Hainan’s weaknesses in the field compared to Hawaii and provides suggestions for Hainan’s future development.
Etiologic study of primary congenital hypothyroidism

The underlying causes of 35 children with primary congenital hypothyroidism at the Children's Hospital were studied. There were 21 girls and 14 boys. Serum T4 and TSH level, 24 hours 131I uptake, and technetium-99m thyroid scintigraphy were performed after discontinuation of synthetic thyroid hormone for 4-6 weeks. Athyrosis was the most common cause and accounted for forty-three per cent of the patients. Twenty per cent of the patients had thyroid hypoplasia. Ectopic thyroid was found in thirty-three per cent of the patients. Only a patient whose diagnosis was organification defect had slightly enlarged thyroid gland, high retention of 131I and positive perchlorate discharge test. Onset of symptoms before 9 months of age may be helpful for distinguishing between lingual thyroid and the others. Serum T4 level less than 2 micrograms/dL was observed to be more common in athyrosis and lingual thyroid groups than thyroid hypoplasia group.
Krylov model order reduction of finite element approximations of electromagnetic devices with frequency-dependent material properties: Research Articles

A methodology is presented for the Krylov subspace-based model order reduction of finite element models of electromagnetic structures with material properties and impedance boundary conditions exhibiting arbitrary frequency dependence. The proposed methodology is a generalization of an equation-preserving Krylov model order reduction scheme for methodology for second-order, linear dynamical systems. The emphasis of this paper is on the application of this method to the broadband model order reduction of planar circuits including lossy strips of arbitrary thickness and lossy reference planes. In particular, it is shown that the proposed model order reduction methodology provides for the accurately modelling of the impact of the frequency dependence of the internal impedance per unit length of the thick lossy strip on the electromagnetic response of the stripline structure over a very broad, multi-GHz frequency band, extending all the way down to frequencies in the DC neighbourhood. In addition, the application of the proposed methodology to the broadband modelling of electromagnetic coupling between strips on either side of a lossy ground plane is demonstrated. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Treatment of Status Epilepticus

Very-high-dose phenobarbital was used for refractory status epilepticus in 50 children treated in the Neurology Division, Children's Hospital, University of Southern California School of Medicine, Los Angeles, CA.
Relating a Jet-Surface Interaction Experiment to a Commercial Supersonic Transport Aircraft Using Numerical Simulations

Reynolds-Averaged Navier-Stokes (RANS) simulations were performed for a commercial supersonic transport aircraft concept and experimental hardware models designed to represent the installed propulsion system of the conceptual aircraft in an upcoming test campaign. The purpose of the experiment is to determine the effects of jet-surface interactions from supersonic aircraft on airport community noise. RANS simulations of the commercial supersonic transport aircraft concept were performed to relate the representative experimental hardware to the actual aircraft. RANS screening simulations were performed on the proposed test hardware to verify that it would be free from potential rig noise and to predict the aerodynamic forces on the model hardware to assist with structural design. The simulations showed a large region of separated flow formed in a junction region of one of the experimental configurations. This was dissimilar with simulations of the aircraft and could invalidate the noise measurements. This configuration was modified and a subsequent RANS simulation showed that the size of the flow separation was greatly reduced. The aerodynamic forces found on the experimental models were found to be relatively small when compared to the expected loads from the model’s own weight.Reynolds-Averaged Navier-Stokes (RANS) simulations were completed for two configurations of a three-stream inverted velocity profile (IVP) nozzle and a baseline single-stream round nozzle (mixed-flow equivalent conditions). For the Sideline and Cutback flow conditions, while the IVP nozzles did not reduce the peak turbulent kinetic energy on the lower side of the jet plume, the IVP nozzles did significantly reduce the size of the region of peak turbulent kinetic energy when compared to the jet plume of the baseline nozzle cases. The IVP nozzle at Sideline conditions did suffer a region of separated flow from the inner stream nozzle splitter that did produce an intense, but small, region of turbulent kinetic energy in the vicinity of the nozzle exit. When viewed with the understanding that jet noise is directly related to turbulent kinetic energy, these IVP nozzle simulations show the potential to reduce noise to observers located below the nozzle. However, these RANS simulations also show that some modifications may be needed to prevent the small region of separated flow-induced turbulent kinetic energy from the inner stream nozzle splitter at Sideline conditions.
Went for Cost, Priced at Cost? An Economic Approach to the Transfer Pricing of Offshored Business Services

What are the implications of the rapid growth in offshored business services for transfer pricing, the pricing of products traded between affiliated firms? We explore these implications through a case study of transnational corporations in the teleservices industry. Teleservices TNCs own foreign affiliates that provide inbound and outbound call services to third party clients. Economic analysis, applied to the facts and circumstances of the industry, is used to develop pricing rules for offshored call centers, including the implications for location savings. Even though the catchphrase, "Went for cost, Stayed for quality", does apply to teleservices as it does in other offshored business services, we conclude that, "Went for cost, Priced at cost", is the appropriate transfer-pricing maxim for tax authorities and TNCs to follow.
Detailed Characterization of Surface Ln-Doped Anatase TiO2 Nanoparticles by Hydrothermal Treatment for Photocatalysis and Gas Sensing Applications

Nanostructured anatase TiO2 is a promising material for gas sensing and photocatalysis. In order to modify its catalytic properties, the lanthanide (Ln) ions Eu3+, Gd3+, Nd3+ and Yb3+ were precipitated on the surface of TiO2 nanoparticles (NPs) by hydrothermal treatment. Results from Raman spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction (XRD) measurements show that the anatase structure of the TiO2 nanoparticles was preserved after hydrothermal treatment. SEM and TEM show a heterogeneous distribution in size and a nanocrystallite morphology of the TiO2 NPs (∼ 14 nm in size) and EDX confirmed the presence of the Ln-ion surface doping after hydrothermal treatment. An increase in photoluminescence (PL) was observed for the Ln-surface-doped TiO2 NPs when measurements were made in forming gas (5% H2 + 95% Ar) at 520 °C. In contrast, the PL measurements made at room temperature did not show any noticeable difference in forming gas or in ambient air. Our temperature-dependent PL results obtained in different gas environments are consistent with modification of oxygen-vacancies and hole-defects due to a combination of hydrothermal treatment and surface Ln-doping.
In Defense of Theory and Analysis: A Critical Evaluation of the Discipline and Its Application to Bartók’s Musical Language

This paper defends an evaluation of Bartok’s music based on analytical procedures that use abstract theoretical concepts instead of, as advocate some scholars like Laszlo Somfai, restrict it to the scrutiny of compositional sketches and ethnomusicological influences. The analytical contributions of Roy Travis, Malcolm Gillies, Erno Lendvai, Janos Karpati, Colin Mason, Allen Forte and Richard Cohn, among others, are evaluated in order to introduce an original model that proposes a nontraditional tonal system based on the interval cycles and inversional symmetry, following some of George Perle’s propositions.
Chronic Otitis Media

Chronic otitis media is a complex diagnosis, encompassing several more specific diseases such as cholesteatoma, tympanic membrane perforation, chronic suppurative otitis media, tympanostomy tube otorrhea, and chronic otitis media with effusion. Given the range of conditions that are classified as chronic otitis media, it is important to define each of these diagnoses individually as they have differing etiologies. Although the included conditions have many differences, there are also several etiologic factors that unite them including Eustachian tube dysfunction and biofilms. Through understanding of the differences and similarities, one can more easily understand when and why different treatments must be employed. This chapter reviews the epidemiology, etiologies, diagnosis, and treatment of various types of chronic otitis media.
Patricio Ortiz, Indigenous Knowledge, Education and Ethnic Identity: An Ethnography of an Intercultural Bilingual Education Program in a Mapuche School in Chile. Saarbrücken, Germany: VDM-Verlag, 2009, 220 páginas

Entre los mapuche-lafquenche de las areas costeras de la Region de la Araucania, existe una forma de conocimiento vernaculo o kimun, inserto en la lengua mapuche mapudungun y que es formalmente transmitido por un sabio o kimche, “intelectual organico” mapuche cuyo rol social es el de ser depositario del kimun. El libro de Patricio Ortiz explora la forma en que ese conocimiento, no codificado, es integrado al sistema escolar por medio de la implementacion de una intervencion educativa enmarcad...
Cerebral Asymmetry and Behavioral Laterality

Maudsley’s quotation above reformulated an earlier pronouncement of Sir Isaac Newton in which the remarkable overall exterior symmetry of Homo sapiens was credited to the deity (Oppenheimer, 1977). Whereas the symmetrical design of the human body is apparent from the outside, with two each of eyes, nostrils, ears, and limbs, the interior is recognized as asymmetrically arranged, most obviously in the thorax and abdomen where the organs are single. Asymmetry of the cerebral hemispheres is less discernible, nonetheless the early anatomists knew that the two cerebra are not mirror images in their gross structure. The more subtle absences of cerebral symmetry are revealed only piecemeal as discoveries of anatomic, electrophysiologic, and chemical differences between the two sides of the brain allude to differences in function and cerebral asymmetries and behavioral lateralities alternate in yielding to the search for scientific truth.
Cyclophosphamide Therapy for Multiple Sclerosis

Cyclophosphamide has long been a widely used alkylating agent in the treatment of malignancies, notably hematologic malignancies and, despite its long history, continues to find new uses in immune-mediated nonmalignant processes. Although cyclophosphamide has been studied as a treatment for multiple sclerosis (MS) for the past 30 years, it is only after successful trials of mitoxantrone with improved designs employing magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) as a surrogate marker that clinical researchers have become highly confident of the use of this class of drugs. Trial results suggest that it is efficacious in cases of worsening MS that have an inflammatory component as evidenced by relapses and/or gadolinium (Gd)-enhancing lesions on MRI or in patients in earlier stages of progression. There is no evidence of efficacy in primary-progressive (PPMS) or later secondary-progressive MS (SPMS). Although they are usually considered a general immunosuppressive agent, immunologic studies indicate that proliferating myelin-specific T-cells may be preferentially eliminated in MS. Side effects include nausea, alopecia, infertility, bladder toxicity, and risk of malignancy. Cyclophosphamide is usually given as every 4- to 8-week outpatient intravenous (IV) pulse therapy with or without corticosteroids and is usually well tolerated. Cyclophosphamide is recommended for patients with MS whose disease is not controlled by first-line agents and those with rapid worsening.
The Virtual Personalities Neural Network Model: Neurobiological Underpinnings

The Virtual Personalities Model is a motive-based neural network model that provides both a psychological model and a computational implementation that explicates the dynamics and often large within-person variability in behavior that arises over time. At the same time the same model can produce -- across many virtual personalities - between subject variability in behavior that when factor analyzed yields familiar personality structure (e.g., the Big-5). First, we describe our personality model and its implementation as a neural network model. Second, we focus on detailing the neurobiological underpinnings of this model. Third, we examine the learning mechanisms, and their biological substrates, as ways that the model gets "wired up", discussing Pavlovian and instrumental conditioning, Pavlovian to instrumental transfer (PIT), and habits. Finally, we describe the dynamics of how initial differences in propensities (e.g., dopamine functioning), wiring differences due to experience, and other factors could operate together to develop and change personality over time, and how this might be empirically examined. Thus, our goal is to contribute to the rising chorus of voices seeking a more precise neurobiologically-based science of the complex dynamics underlying personality.
Biosafety and Biohazards: Understanding Biosafety Levels and Meeting Safety Requirements of a Biobank

When it comes to biobanking and working with different types of laboratory specimens, it is important to understand potential biohazards to ensure safety of the operator and laboratory personnel. Biological safety levels (BSL) are a series of designations used to inform laboratory personnel about the level of biohazardous risks in a laboratory setting. There are a total of four levels ranked in order of increasing risk as stipulated by the Center of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) (Biosafety in microbiological and biomedical laboratories, 5th edn. HHS publication no. (CDC) 21-1112. https://www.cdc.gov/biosafety/publications/bmbl5/bmbl.pdf . Accessed 2 Jan 2016, 2009). We will address the main distinctions between these levels including briefly introducing hazards characteristics that classify biohazardous agents, as well as define the essentials in meeting safety requirements.
Costume Society of America Fellow 2018 Harold Mailand: Leader in Conservation

the stellar career of Harold Mailand parallels that of CSA! In 1971, at the Metropolitan Museum of Art Costume Institute, under supervision of Elizabeth Lawrence, Betty Kirke, and June Bove, he sta...
ELECTRIC ANALOGS IN TIME-SETTLEMENT PROBLEMS

The simulation of the consolidation process by electric analog simulators is investigated. The simulator consists of an analog model, which is a scaled-down version of the compressible material and its boundaries, and excitation-response measurement equipment. The analogy of form of electrical and hydraulic systems is shown by finite difference approximations. Design criteria, such as calculation of resistance and capacitance and selection of scale factors to relate model and prototype properties, are presented. The use of the simulator is demonstrated by examples. Apparent sources of error include capacitance leakage and lumping, both of which are inevitable. The consolidation expression for three-dimensional flow and its electrical analogy are derived.
The early anthropogenic hypothesis: A review

Abstract The ‘early anthropogenic hypothesis’ (EAH), published in 2003, proposed that early agricultural humans transformed planet Earth by adding CO2 to the atmosphere by deforestation after 7000 years ago and by adding CH4 to the atmosphere by wet-rice farming and livestock tending after 5000 years ago. Later work led to the insight that the resulting warming of the atmosphere and the ocean would have contributed additional CO2 feedback by reducing CO2 solubility in the global ocean and by boosting ventilation from the Antarctic Ocean surface due to suppressed Antarctic sea-ice extent. This paper summarizes new findings from multiple scientific disciplines that document how the steadily spreading human influence transformed their environment after 7000 years ago. We blend this new evidence into a revised version of the EAH, and we also evaluate proposed alternatives to the anthropogenic explanation.
ExPress: Simultaneously Achieving Storage, Execution and Energy Efficiencies in Moderately Sparse Matrix Computations

Sparse matrix computations have witnessed a resurgence with the pervasive use of deep neural networks. Leveraging sparsity enables efficiency of storage by avoiding storing zeroes. However, sparse representations incur metadata computational overheads – software needs to process the metadata (or indexe) that describes row/column locations of non-zero values before it can access the corresponding data values. There have been several formats proposed for representing sparse matrices including Compressed Sparse Row (CSR), Coordinate (COO), Bitmaps, Run-length encoding, & hierarchical representations. Each representation achieves different levels of memory compression and incurs different levels of computational complexity depending on the sparsity (percentage of zero values). We seek answers to the following: (i) at what sparsity levels is it worth eliminating compressed representation of matrices and use the dense representation that includes both zeros and non-zero values, and (ii) even if we use compressed data representation, will it be useful to expand the matrices internally to eliminate metadata processing overheads? In this paper we propose the use of a special hardware called ExPress that expands compressed matrices into dense data, eliminating metadata computations from the main processing element. Our ExPress hardware is configurable so that it can expand from different compressed formats. Our experiments for matrix-vector multiplication using several DNN workloads show performance gains of 43%, 33% and 11% on average over software implementations that use CSR, Bitmap and Run-length encoding respectively. ExPress shows performance gains over sparse software codes for sparsity up to 70%. Further, ExPress simultaneously achieves energy improvement by reducing the instruction overhead of sparsity-aware computations.
Geographic and Environmental Themes in Children’s Literature

A rich pool of geographic and environmental ideas are embedded children’s literature. This paper illuminates the geographic and environmental education themes present in second to eighth grade Comm...
Regulation of Serum Insulinlike Growth Factor II

It is now generally accepted that there are two different insulinlike growth factors (IGF) of human serum: IGF-I/somatomedin C (SMC) and IGF-II. Although both peptides possess insulinlike and somatomedinlike properties, they are not functionally equivalent. Each possesses a preferential receptor which is variably expressed in different tissues. In this chapter I shall review some of the information about serum concentration of IGF-I/SMC and IGF-II which strongly suggests considerable independence of regulation of IGF-II.
Exploration of Opinion-aware Approach to Contextual Suggestion

Abstract : In this paper we describe our effort on TREC Contextual Suggestion Track. Using resources such as description or websites of example suggestions to build user profile has been proven to be effective on last year's TREC. This year we also leverage the power of using user profile. Real world opinions of the suggestions are used in our method to build both user profile and candidate suggestion profile. Two ranking method are investigated to rank the candidate suggestions: linear interpolation and learning to rank. For description generation, we apply the similar method as used in the last year. The structured description combines the category information of the suggestion, meta-description of the website, reviews of the suggestion and the similar example suggestions that the user liked. Official results of our submitted runs show the effectiveness of the proposed method.
Recent craton growth by slab stacking beneath Wyoming

Abstract Seismic tomography images high-velocity mantle beneath the Wyoming craton extending to >250 km depth. Although xenoliths and isostatic arguments suggest that this mantle is depleted of basaltic component, it is not typical craton: its NE elongate shape extends SW of the Wyoming craton; xenoliths suggest that the base of Archean mantle was truncated from ∼180–200 to ∼140–150 km depth since the Devonian, and that the deeper mantle is younger than ∼200 Ma. The Sevier–Laramide orogeny is the only significant Phanerozoic tectonic event to have affected the region, and presumably caused the truncation. Apparently, the base of the Wyoming craton was removed and young, depleted mantle was emplaced beneath the Wyoming craton during the Sevier–Laramide orogeny. We suggest that the Wyoming craton experienced a ∼75 Ma phase of growth through a three-stage process. First, flat-slab subduction removed 40–50 km off the base of the Archean Wyoming craton. This was followed by emplacement of basalt-depleted ocean plateau mantle lithosphere of the Shatsky Rise conjugate, which arrived in the early Laramide. The geologic recorded of vertical motion in the Wyoming region suggests that the plateau's crust escaped into the Earth's interior at 70–75 Ma. Initiation of Colorado Mineral Belt magmatism at this time may represent a slab rupture through which the ocean crust escaped.
Ethical Considerations of Establishing Post-Treatment Friendships Between Therapists and Former Clients

An examination of the ethics involved in establishing friendships after termination brings into consideration some basic tenets of psychotherapy. Dependency needs and boundary issues are investigated. The psychologist as expert in intrapersonal and interpersonal relationships is of importance in working through transference and countertransference issues. Termination and the level of resolution of the therapy is another focal point of this discussion. Suggestions are offered for the transmission of ethical behavior. Therapy for therapists is suggested as a necessary correlate to uniformity of ethical principles. Approaches for monitoring and remediating this dilemma are offered.
Uptake of Exogenous sn-1-Acyl-2- lyso-phosphatidylinositol into HeLa S3 Cells REACYLATION ON THE CELL SURFACE AND METABOLISM TO GLUCOSAMINYL(ACYL)PHOSPHATIDYLINOSITOL

Abstract A HeLa S3 subline is unusual in accumulating relatively large amounts of glucosaminyl(acyl)phosphatidylinositol (GlcN(acyl)PI), a derivative of phosphatidylinositol (PI) in which both GlcN and a fatty acid are linked to inositol hydroxyl groups (D. Sevlever, D. Humphrey, and T. L. Rosenberry, submitted for publication). This lipid is a proposed intermediate on the biosynthetic pathway for glycosyl-PI (GPI) anchors of membrane proteins. In this study we demonstrate for the first time that exogenous inositol phospholipids can enter this biosynthetic pathway and be metabolized to GlcN(acyl)PI. When HeLa S3 cells were incubated for 24 h with exogenous PI or sn-1-acyl-2- lyso-phosphatidylinositol (lyso-PI) labeled with 3H in the inositol group, 25-30% of the label was recovered in cell-associated lipids and most of the remaining 70-75% in hydrophilic metabolites in the medium. The predominant labeled lipid was PI, with smaller amounts of lyso-PI, phosphatidylinositol 4-phosphate (PIP), and GlcN(acyl)PI. Both exogenous lipid precursors gave the same distribution of labeled lipids, and a similar distribution was observed for endogenous inositol phospholipids metabolically labeled with [3H]inositol. Addition of excess inositol had no effect on the conversion of [3H]lyso-PI to [3H]GlcN(acyl)PI, indicating that the conversion did not result from breakdown to [3H]inositol followed by resynthesis. The cellular orientation of incorporated PI and lyso-PI was determined by incubating cells at 4°C with PI-specific phospholipase C (PI-PLC). This enzyme cleaves only PI and lyso-PI on the outer leaflet of the cell membrane. After 24-h incubation with either precursor, only about 15% of cell-associated [3H]PI or [3H]lyso-PI was on the outer leaflet. However, more than 60% of the [3H]PI was on the outer leaflet after 1-h incubation with either precursor, suggesting that substantial sn-2 acylation of exogenous [3H]lyso-PI occurred in the outer leaflet. This suggestion was confirmed by examining labeled lipids in cells after uptake of [3H]lyso-PI at 4°C. No transmembrane translocation of lyso-PI, PI phosphorylation, or PI glycosylation occurred at this temperature, but some sn-2 acylation was apparent and more than 90% of the [3H]PI formed was on the outer leaflet. These data indicate that sn-2 acylation can occur in the outer leaflet of the cell membrane, perhaps by transacylation from other cell surface phospholipids.
Chapter 9 Representative democracy as social choice

Abstract Social Choice traditionally employs the preferences of voters or agents as primitives. However, in most situations of constitutional decision-making the beliefs of the members of the electorate determine their secondary preferences or choices. Key choices in US political history, such as the ratification of the Constitution in 1787 and the election of Lincoln in 1860, were conditioned by changing beliefs as regards the truth of propositions about the political universe. Preference-based models of election tend to conclude that candidates, or parties, converge to a vote-maximizing policy position at the “electoral center”. Empirical work suggests that such a conclusion is invalid. This chapter argues, on the contrary, that parties or candidates adopt positions that optimize, in a Nash equilibrium sense, with respect to both their beliefs over electoral response, and their beliefs over appropriate policy choices. The analysis indicates that political choices will be different depending on whether plurality (“first past the post”) or proportionality is used as the method of electoral representation.
Effects of Salinity on Acetylene Reduction (Nitrogen Fixation) and Respiration in a Marine Azotobacter

An acetylene-reducing (nitrogen-fixing) bacterium, identified as Azotobacter sp., was isolated from a site in the Canary Creek Marsh, Del. Acetylene reduction activity of the isolate was maximal at 15 to 25‰ NaCl, with no activity observed at 0 or 60‰. Respiration studies showed similar results, with maximal activity occurring at a slightly lower salinity (10 to 20‰ NaCl). The salinities over which peak activity occurred fell within the normal range of in situ salinity (20 to 28‰ total salinity).
Psychosocial Factors and Functional Capacity Evaluation Among Persons with Chronic Pain

Psychosocial factors have been found to have a significant impact on functional activity, particularly among persons with chronic pain. While various systems have been developed to assess functional limitations through functional capacity evaluation (FCE), assessment of psychosocial factors that may impact function have been largely ignored. This paper examines the existing literature on psychosocial factors and FCE performance. Given that there are few studies that have directly addressed this issue, the paper also examines psychosocial factors that have been found to influence function in persons with pain. The results of the literature review indicate that few psychosocial factors have been found to be directly associated with FCE and functional measures, although many are related to various measures of disability. The strongest evidence that psychosocial factors are related to functional performance is based on the studies examining the association between functional activity and pain-related fear, self-efficacy, and illness behavior. Psychosocial factors have also been shown to influence measures of sincerity of effort often obtained during FCE. Proposals for modifying FCE assessment are given based on the available data, as well as suggestions for future research.
The Product of the Respiratory Syncytial Virus M2 Gene ORF1 Enhances Readthrough of Intergenic Junctions during Viral Transcription

The mRNA encoding the M2 protein of respiratory syncytial (RS) virus contains two open reading frames (ORFs). ORF1 encodes the 22-kDa structural protein, M2, and ORF2 has the potential to encode a 10-kDa protein (90 amino acids). Using a vaccinia virus T7 expression system, we examined the RNA synthetic activities of mono- and dicistronic subgenomic replicons of RS virus by direct metabolic labeling of RNA in the presence and absence of the products of ORF1 and ORF2. In the absence of ORF1 and ORF2, the negative- and positive-sense products of genomic RNA replication and positive-sense polyadenylated mRNA(s) were synthesized. Expression of the whole M2 transcription unit (containing ORF1 and ORF2) or ORF1 alone caused an increase in the synthesis of polyadenylated mRNA, the majority of which was due to a substantial increase in the quantity of polycistronic mRNAs generated by the polymerase failing to terminate at gene end signals. In agreement with previous reports, the ORF2 product was found to inhibit viral RNA replication and mRNA transcription. These data show that the M2 protein functions as a transcriptional antiterminator that enhances the ability of the viral RNA polymerase to read through intergenic junctions. The role of such a function during the viral life cycle is discussed.
Using academic competition to alleviate financial pressures for minority students

According to a report prepared for the Commission on National Investment for Higher Education, colleges and universities are becoming less accessible to minority students because of decreased funding. Further, the literature shows that minority students' retention problems are often tied to financial difficulties. Thus, to help increase minority students' retention rates by alleviating financial pressures, we designed an NSF funded academic program, the Sun Devil Bridge Program (SDBP), that included a competitive scholarship component. This scholarship component rewarded academic excellence, motivated students to achieve, and helped reduce economic pressures so minority students could focus on academic success.
Multitasking in the Olfactory System: Context-Dependent Responses to Odors Reveal Dual GABA-Regulated Coding Mechanisms in Single Olfactory Projection Neurons

Studies of olfaction have focused mainly on neural processing of information about the chemistry of odors, but olfactory stimuli have other properties that also affect central responses and thus influence behavior. In moths, continuous and intermittent stimulation with the same odor evokes two distinct flight behaviors, but the neural basis of this differential response is unknown. Here we show that certain projection neurons (PNs) in the primary olfactory center in the brain give context-dependent responses to a specific odor blend, and these responses are shaped in several ways by a bicuculline-sensitive GABA receptor. Pharmacological dissection of PN responses reveals that bicuculline blocks GABAA-type receptors/chloride channels in PNs, and that these receptors play a critical role in shaping the responses of these glomerular output neurons. The firing patterns of PNs are not odor-specific but are strongly modulated by the temporal pattern of the odor stimulus. Brief repetitive odor pulses evoke fast inhibitory potentials, followed by discrete bursts of action potentials that are phase-locked to the pulses. In contrast, the response to a single prolonged stimulus with the same odor is a series of slow oscillations underlying irregular firing. Bicuculline disrupts the timing of both types of responses, suggesting that GABAA-like receptors underlie both coding mechanisms. These results suggest that glomerular output neurons could use more than one coding scheme to represent a single olfactory stimulus. Moreover, these context-dependent odor responses encode information about both the chemical composition and the temporal pattern of the odor signal. Together with behavioral evidence, these findings suggest that context-dependent odor responses evoke different perceptions in the brain that provide the animal with important information about the spatiotemporal variations that occur in natural odor plumes.
Lipid Metabolism in Diet-Induced Obese Rabbits Is Similar to That of Obese Humans

Whereas diet-induced obese rabbits have been used to study various aspects of obesity, alterations of lipid metabolism in this model have not been clarified. This study aimed to compare plasma nonesterified fatty acid (NEFA) and triglyceride (TG) kinetics in obese and lean rabbits by means of U-(13)C16-palmitate infusion. Young female rabbits consumed either a high-fat diet (49% energy from fat) ad libitum to develop obesity (n = 6) or a normal diet (7.9% energy from fat) as lean control (n = 5). After 10 wk of feeding, the body weight of obese rabbits (5.33 +/- 0.05 kg) was greater (P < 0.001) than that of lean rabbits (3.89 +/- 0.07 kg). The obese rabbits had higher concentrations of plasma NEFA and TG and a greater rate of fatty acid (FA) turnover. Whereas the fractional secretion rates of hepatic TG did not differ, 100% of hepatic secretory TG was synthesized from plasma NEFA in the lean rabbits compared to 59% in the obese rabbits (P < 0.001). In the lean rabbits, hepatic lipase-mediated hydrolysis of lipoprotein TG did not contribute to the FA pool for synthesis of secretory TG, consistent with the naturally occurring deficit in hepatic lipase in this species. We conclude that lipid metabolism in diet-induced obese rabbits is similar to that in obese humans. The deficiency in hepatic lipase in rabbits simplifies the quantitation of hepatic lipid kinetics.
Identification of foundation impedance functions and soil properties from vibration tests of the Hualien containment model

Abstract Foundation impedance functions for the foundation of the one-quarter-scale reinforced concrete Hualien (Taiwan) containment model are derived from the response data obtained during forced vibration tests. The resulting impedance functions are significantly different in two orthogonal directions and suggest a significant lateral variation of soil properties, a marked anisotropy or differences in contact conditions along the perimeter of the foundation. Estimates of the shear-wave velocities in the first two or three layers of soil are obtained by minimizing the differences between the experimentally-based impedance functions and the corresponding theoretical results. Theoretical results for the response of the containment model based on the identified soil properties and on structural properties also determined on the basis of forced vibration tests closely match the observed response.
Selective detection of volatile nickel, vanadium, and iron porphyrins in crude oils by gas chromatography-atomic emission spectroscopy

This report describes the selective detection of volatile nickel, vanadium, and iron metalloporphyrins in crude oil samples. An atomic emission detector (AED) was used for simultaneous detection of these metals using the Ni 301.2 nm, V 292.4 nm, and Fe 302.1 nm emission lines. Detection limits for these metals range from 0.05 to 5 pg/sec. The presence of volatile forms of these metals in several crude oil samples has been confirmed.
Assembly of plasmin-generating proteins on the surface of human endothelial cells.

Abstract Traditionally, plasmin generation has been conceptualized as a process oriented on the surface of a fibrin-containing thrombus. Recent work, however, indicated that plasminogen and its activators, tissue plasminogen activator (t-PA) and urokinase, can assemble on the surface of cultured human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs). On binding to HUVECs, plasminogen is activated by t-PA approximately 12-fold more efficiently than fluid-phase plasminogen, and is converted to a plasmin-modified form, possibly unique to cell surfaces. In addition, t-PA interacts with HUVECs at two sites. The major binding site preserves its activity and represents a true (relative molecular weight 40, 000) membrane-associated exoreceptor. The low-density lipoprotein (LDL)—like lipoprotein, lipoprotein(a), is highly associated with atherosclerosis, bears striking sequence homology to plasminogen, and competes with plasminogen for cell surface binding. In summary, functional assembly of plasminogen and t-PA may represent an important thromboregulatory system.
Lung carcinoid cell lines have bombesin-like peptides and EGF receptors.

The biochemical properties of lung cancer cell lines were investigated. Bombesin-like peptides were present in three small cell lung cancer (SCLC) cell lines examined and three of four lung carcinoids but not in five non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) cell lines. Therefore SCLC and some lung carcinoids, but not NSCLC, are enriched in neuroendocrine properties. In contrast, 125I-EGF bound with high affinity to all five NSCLC cell lines and three of four lung carcinoids but not to the three SCLC cell lines examined. For lung carcinoid cell line NCI-H727, 125I-EGF bound with high affinity (Kd = 6 nM) to a single class of sites (Bmax = 110,000/cell). The 125I-EGF bound was rapidly internalized at 37°C but not 4°C. Using Western blot techniques and antiphosphotyrosine antibodies, EGF induced phosphorylation of a major 170 Kd protein. Using immunoprecipitation techniques and anti-EGF recep-tor antibodies a major 170 Kd protein was labeled. These data indicate that biologically active EGF receptors are present on NSCLC and lung carcinoid cell lines.
Deriving reference values in electrodiagnostic medicine.

Traditional methods for determining nerve conduction reference values have usually involved studying a group of normal controls, and determining the mean ± 2 standard deviations (SD) for each parameter. Recent studies suggest other factors should be taken into account. Height has a greater effect on conduction velocity than age or temperature. The common assumption that conduction values follow a normal, bell-shaped Gaussian distribution appears unwarranted. The curve for some conduction parameters is significantly skewed, making a mean ± 2 SD definition of normality inaccurate to a clinically important degree. In developing and using reference values one should consider height, age, and temperature, and calculate the mean ± 2 SD of the transformed data to remove the effects of skew. Reference values provide only a guide to the probability a given result came from a healthy or diseased individual; one should therefore seek multiple internally consistent abnormalities before diagnosing disease on the basis of electroneurography. © 1993 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Talking through transitions: Microgenetic changes in preschoolers private speech and executive functioning

In this study we explored the relation between private speech and task mastery by using the microgenetic method to examine the language and performance of 13 children aged 4 and 5 as they gained expertise with a spatial, multi-step planning task across 6 sessions. Seven of the 13 children’s performances across these sessions were characterized by a sharp change in performance between two consecutive sessions. Detailed microgenetic examinations of individual children suggested that abrupt improvements in performance were associated with a higher use of on-task private speech. More variability was noted in the problem-solving and private speech patterns of children who did not experience abrupt shifts in performance. Implications regarding the role of individual differences in the use of private speech during problem-solving are discussed.
On boundary conditions in lubrication with one dimensional analytical solutions

Abstract This work summarizes different boundary conditions for the Reynolds’ equation, classifies them using mathematical terms, and demonstrates their effects. Various analytical solutions for 2D journal bearings are presented and the rupture location depends linearly on the eccentricity ratio. With a given eccentricity and inlet position, the inlet pressure is uniquely related to the flow rate inside the bearing if the bearing is not starved nor choked. Furthermore, a general analytical solution of a dimpled step bearing is derived and it demonstrates the invalidity of the Reynolds condition for discontinuous geometry. Cavitation appears in intermediate groove depth of this step bearing.
A perspective on periodontal disease activity measurements.

Abstract Studies utilizing serial standardized periapical radiographs for measurements of alveolar bone height and for digital subtraction and changes in clinical probing attachment level have suggested that adult periodontitis may exhibit periods of exacerbation and remission at specific sites. The use of such serial examinations for the determination of disease activity must be interpreted with caution since the different methods for the assessment of disease activity have different levels of sensitivity and specificity and because such sequential methods integrate disease activity and do not provide an instantaneous measure of activity. An ideal test for disease activity would approach an instantaneous measure of disease activity and would not integrate activity over time.
technical innovation in the New England fin‐fishing industry: an examination of the Downs and Mohr hypothesis

Studies of the diffusion of innovations have produced very inconsistent results. Downs and Mohr state that the problem lies in the way innovation is conceived and argue that the diffusion of innovations can only be understood by considering the match, or compatability, between the innovations and their potential adopters, and not by studying the innovations or adopters separately and out of context. Our study of the diffusion of 18 technical innovations in the New England fin-fishery supports this viewpoint. Most of the data from our study make no sense except in terms of the Downs and Mohr hypothesis. We reach two conclusions: (1) there is no one group of fishermen who is more prone to adopt these innovations; and (2) the ethnography and a regression analysis indicate that innovations are adopted when they match the needs of the adopter. Downs and Mohr also recommend a methodology that leads to a general model of innovation. Our study indicates that their suggested methodology is flawed. [innovation, fishing, New England, diffusion, methodology]
Camels, Cormorants, and Kangaroo Rats: Integration and Synthesis in Organismal Biology After World War II

During the decades following World War II diverse groups of American biologists established a variety of distinctive approaches to organismal biology. Rhetorically, organismal biology could be used defensively to distinguish established research traditions from perceived threats from newly emerging fields such as molecular biology. But, organismal biologists were also interested in integrating biological disciplines and using a focus on organisms to synthesize levels of organization from molecules and cells to populations and communities. Part of this broad movement was the development of an area of research variously referred to as physiological ecology, environmental physiology, or ecophysiology. This area of research was distinctive in its self-conscious blend of field and laboratory practices and its explicit integration with other areas of biology such as ecology, animal behavior, and evolution in order to study adaptation. Comparing the intersecting careers of Knut Schmidt-Nielsen and George Bartholomew highlights two strikingly different approaches to physiological ecology. These alternative approaches to studying the interactions of organisms and environments also differed in important ways from the organismal biology championed by leading figures in the modern synthesis.