cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Study on Cell Cycle Regulatory Mechanism in Rat Bladder Carcinogenesis Promoted by Terephthalic Acid

[Objective] To study the cell cycle regulatory mechanism in rat bladder carcinogenesis promoted by terephthalic acid(TPA).[Methods] A total of 50 male Wister rats were divided into test group(30 rats) and control group(20 rats),respectively intraperitoneally injected with N-methyl-N-nitrosourea(MNU) and citrate buffer twice a week for 4 weeks,and then basal diet containing 5%TPA were given to the test group and basal diet to the control group separately for the next 22 weeks.Major regulatory proteins in G1 cell cycle checkpoint including p16INK4a,cyclin-dependent kinase 4(Cdk4),cyclin D1,and retinoblastoma protein(pRb) were determined during various stages of urinary bladder carcinogenesis by immunohistochemistry.[Results] In MNU-5% TPA treated group,the incidences of overexpression of Cdk4,cyclin D1 and pRb in papilloma were significantly higher than those in epithelial simple hyperplasia(P=0.023,P 0.001 and P 0.001,respectively) and in papillary or nodular(PN) hyperplasia(P=0.042,P=0.012 and P=0.002,respectively).The incidence of absent expression of p16INK4a in papilloma was much higher than that in epithelial simple hyperplasia(P=0.004) and in PN hyperplasia(P=0.02).[Conclusion] Our results clearly reveal that the disorder of p16INK4a-cyclin D1/Cdk4-pRb pathway is associated with bladder carcinogenesis promoted by TPA-stone.
Prevention of urinary tract infections in patients with spinal cord injury

Urinary tract infections remain the most frequent infection in patients with either traumatic or nontraumatic spinal cord injury and occur at a rate of 2.5 events per patient per year. Most cases of septicemia in these patients can be attributed to the urinary tract, with a death rate of about 15%.[
Protecting the Delta Smelt: Environmental Organizations Have Standing to Enforce the Endangered Species Act’s Consultation Requirement

In January 1993, the U.S. Fish & Wild Life Service (“FWS”) added the delta smelt, a small, silvery blue fish, to the Endangered Species Act’s (“ESA”) list of threatened wildlife. Species on the list are entitled to the ESA’s protections. In Natural Resource Defense Council v. Jewell, the Natural Resource Defense Council (“NRDC”) brought an action against the Bureau of Reclamation (the “Bureau”) for violating Section 7(a)(2) of the ESA, the consultation requirement, to protect the delta smelt. The consultation provision required the Bureau to consult with the FWS before it renewed contracts that controlled water rights in the delta smelt’s habitat. To use the ESA’s citizen suit provision, a plaintiff must establish Article III standing. The NRDC was able to satisfy all three elements of Article III standing: injury in fact, causation, and available redress. The United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit found that a non-governmental organization could have Article III standing to challenge a federal agency’s violation of the ESA consultation requirement. This Comment argues that the Ninth Circuit properly reasoned that redress could be available before a listed species suffers actual harm, thereby providing species with protections guaranteed by the ESA.
Double-Hit Mouse Model of Cigarette Smoke Priming for Acute Lung Injury.

Epidemiological studies indicate that cigarette smoking (CS) increases the risk and severity of acute lung injury (ALI)/acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). The mechanism is not understood, at least in part because of lack of animal models that reproduce the key features of the CS priming process. In this study, using two strains of mice, we characterized a double-hit mouse model of ALI induced by CS priming of injury caused by lipopolysaccharide (LPS). C57BL/6 and AKR mice were preexposed to CS briefly (3 h) or subacutely (3 wk) before intratracheal instillation of LPS and ALI was assessed 18 h after LPS administration by measuring lung static compliance, lung edema, vascular permeability, inflammation, and alveolar apoptosis. We found that as little as 3 h of exposure to CS enhanced LPS-induced ALI in both strains of mice. Similar exacerbating effects were observed after 3 wk of preexposure to CS. However, there was a strain difference in susceptibility to CS priming for ALI, with a greater effect in AKR mice. The key features we observed suggest that 3 wk of CS preexposure of AKR mice is a reproducible, clinically relevant animal model that is useful for studying mechanisms and treatment of CS priming for a second-hit-induced ALI. Our data also support the concept that increased susceptibility to ALI/ARDS is an important adverse health consequence of CS exposure that needs to be taken into consideration when treating critically ill individuals.
Attempted operative vaginal delivery vs repeat cesarean in the second stage among women undergoing a trial of labor after cesarean delivery.

Background It is not well-characterized whether attempting operative vaginal delivery is a safe and effective alternative among women who undergo a trial of labor after cesarean delivery who are unable to complete second-stage labor with a spontaneous vaginal delivery. Objective The purpose of this study was to compare maternal and neonatal outcomes that are associated with attempted operative vaginal delivery with those that are associated with second-stage repeat cesarean delivery without an operative vaginal delivery attempt among women who undergo a trial of labor after cesarean delivery. Study Design This is a retrospective secondary analysis of data from Cesarean Registry of the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development Maternal-Fetal Medicine Units Network. Women who underwent a trial of labor after cesarean delivery who were at least 36 weeks gestation were eligible for analysis if they had a live, singleton, nonanomalous gestation in cephalic presentation and reached second-stage labor (defined as complete cervical dilation) with a fetal station of at least +2. The data for women who had an attempted operative vaginal delivery with either forceps or vacuum were compared with those of women who underwent second stage repeat cesarean delivery without operative vaginal delivery attempt. Outcomes of maternal and neonatal complications were compared between groups with bivariable and multivariable analyses. Results Of 1230 women whose cases were eligible for analysis, 945 women (76.8%) had an attempted operative vaginal delivery. Of those who underwent attempted operative vaginal delivery, 914 women (96.7%) achieved a vaginal delivery. Women who attempted operative vaginal delivery had a lower mean body mass index (30.4±6.0 vs 31.8±5.9 kg/m 2 ; P =.001) and gestational age (39.5±1.3 vs 39.8±1.2 weeks; P =.012) at delivery and were more likely to be of non-Hispanic black race (30.0% vs 22.1%; P =.002), to have had a previous vaginal delivery (34.9% vs 20.4%; P P P P Conclusion In the setting of a trial of labor after cesarean delivery in the second stage with a fetal station of at least +2, attempted operative vaginal delivery resulted in a vaginal birth after cesarean delivery in most women and was not associated with increased adverse maternal and neonatal outcomes but was associated with a reduced frequency of endometritis compared with repeat cesarean delivery without operative vaginal delivery attempt.
Current advances in neurolinguistics: the use of electroencephalography (EEG) to study language

This article discusses how cognitive neuroscience techniques are used to study language with the aim of showing its advantages to neurolinguistics. It focuses on Electroencephalography (EEG) because of the great temporal resolution of this technique. The concept of Event Related Potentials (ERPs) is explained and some ERPs found in sentence processing experiments are discussed in order to show how the understanding of the linguistic operations elicited by these ERPs can be useful to explain how these operations are implemented on-line and to validate psycholinguistics models.
Cold Hardiness of Vitis vinifera Roots

Grapevine buds have identifiable patterns of cold acclimation and deacclimation, but it is not known whether roots also follow these patterns. A better understanding of root cold hardiness thresholds and/or acclimation patterns would enable mitigation strategies to be developed to reduce the likelihood of root damage. This study had two major objectives: 1) to improve protocols for electrolyte leakage and then quantitatively compare the results to differential thermal analysis; and 2) to quantify whether Vitis vinifera roots acclimate to preconditioning temperatures. Existing protocols were optimized and root cold hardiness was evaluated on own-rooted Vitis vinifera Merlot and Chardonnay. To determine whether grapevine roots acclimate to their environment, three preconditioning regimes were applied: ambient air temperature during active vine growth; 12°C for one week during dormancy; and 0°C for one week during dormancy. Following preconditioning, root samples were collected and exposed to fixed temperatures of −2.0, −4.0, −6.0, or −8.0°C, and electrolyte leakage, the standard indicator of root cold damage, was measured. The incidence of low temperature exotherms from differential thermal analysis was used as a potential alternative to identify temperatures that cause tissue damage. Overall, Chardonnay and Merlot roots did not have dynamic cold acclimation patterns like grapevine buds. There was little variation in maximum cold hardiness (
Autonomous vehicles' disengagements: Trends, triggers, and regulatory limitations.

Abstract Autonomous Vehicle (AV) technology is quickly becoming a reality on US roads. Testing on public roads is currently undergoing, with many AV makers located and testing in Silicon Valley, California. The California Department of Motor Vehicles (CA DMV) currently mandates that any vehicle tested on California public roads be retrofitted to account for a back-up human driver, and that data related to disengagements of the AV technology be publicly available. Disengagements data is analyzed in this work, given the safety-critical role of AV disengagements, which require the control of the vehicle to be handed back to the human driver in a safe and timely manner. This study provides a comprehensive overview of the fragmented data obtained from AV manufacturers testing on California public roads from 2014 to 2017. Trends of disengagement reporting, associated frequencies, average mileage driven before failure, and an analysis of triggers and contributory factors are here presented. The analysis of the disengagements data also highlights several shortcomings of the current regulations. The results presented thus constitute an important starting point for improvements on the current drafts of the testing and deployment regulations for autonomous vehicles on public roads.
Marx est mort! Where Have All the “New Philosophers” Gone?

The May 1968 events in France, as well as number of world events in the late 1960s and early 1970s, produced a profound crise de conscience in French Marxist thought. The Nouvelle Philosophie emerg...
Application of Laser Macrotexture Measurement for Detection of Segregation in Asphalt Pavements

AbstractNumerous efforts have been made in recent decades to determine segregation in asphalt pavements. The visual inspection method is considered a basic and widely used method to detect segregat...
Pattern Formation During Crystallization and the Formation of Fine-Scale Layering

Fine-scale layering is characterized by the laminar segregation of mineral phases on a millimeter to centimeter scale. Where best developed, it is found in specific associations within the Stillwater Complex. In the Banded series, layer spacing is proportional to crystal grain size, with the best examples of fine-scale layering characterized by coarse rock textures and the development of secondary structures. These latter features include the division of primary banding into two or more layers and the development of “honeycomb” crystal arrangements within the plane of individual layers. Analogy with similar features formed in crystallizing salt solutions suggests that fine-scale layering can develop during textural coarsening of the rock. An assemblage of crystals is inherently unstable to minor perturbations in crystal size: larger grains will grow at the expense of smaller grains in order to diminish the total surface free energy of the system. Such a process can result in an orderly segregation of mineral phases and can produce layering when a gradient of grain size is present across the system. This condition would be expected in an advancing front of nucleation and crystal growth in a solidifying magma. Quantitative modeling can explain many of the features of fine-scale layering, and suggests that textural features of igneous layering in general can become better defined with time.
Theoretical Perspectives Influencing the Use of Information Technology in Teaching and Learning

This chapter discusses how various theories of learning and forms of pedagogy shape the technologies used to instantiate them, and how the evolution of computers and telecommunications is widening the range of instructional designs available. Three alternative schools of thought on how people learn have strongly influenced the design of instructional technologies: Behaviorism, Cognitivism, and Constructivism. Behaviorist instructional technologies are limited both in what they can teach and in the types of engagement they offer to learners, but are useful for tasks involving learning facts and simple procedural skills. Scholars disagree on how broad a range of knowledge and skills Cognitivist instructional technologies can teach, but they are effective for well-defined content and skills that have a few correct ways of accomplishing tasks. Constructivist approaches can teach a very broad spectrum of knowledge and skills, however, the efficiency of Constructivist technologies for material that these other two schools of thought can teach is questionable. Emerging technologies such as multi-user virtual environments and augmented realities enable new types of pedagogical strategies based on situated learning.
Sex Differences in Human Brain Aging

In humans, advancing age is associated with decreased brain tissue size and increased brain cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) volume. Although sex differences have been described in the size, symmetry, and function of several brain structures, only a few imaging studies have examined the effects of sex on brain aging in nonpatient samples of living humans. Using quantitative MR imaging, we found that age-related changes in brain size were significantly greater in males than females for the peripheral (sulcal) CSF volume, the lateral (Sylvian) fissure CSF volume, and the parieto-occipital region area. Main effects of age were observed for other brain regions, but these effects were similar in males and females. These findings suggest that brain morphology in humans is sensitive to the effects of both age and sex, and that these two variables may interact over the life span to influence brain size. These data should provide a useful context within which to interpret changes in regional brain structure associated with “abnormal” aging.
Fast Source Reconstruction via ADMM with Elastic Net Regularization

Norm-1 regularized optimization algorithms are commonly used for Compressive Sensing applications. In this paper, an optimization algorithm based on the Alternating Direction Method of Multipliers (ADMM) together with the Elastic Net regularization is presented. This type of regularization is a linear combination of the norm-1 and norm-2 regularizations, allowing a solution between the sparsest and the minimum energy solutions, but still enforcing some sparsivity. The combination of these two regularizations and the distributive capabilities of the ADMM algorithm enables a fast sparse signal recovering with minimum error.
Ontology-based data integration for advancing toxicological knowledge

Abstract Modern toxicology is evolving to leverage data science approaches to better address complex public health concerns. Understanding the adverse health impacts of exposure is a multifactorial endeavor, which requires working across a variety of data types. These data are often siloed, and integration has required manual curation and extraction. In this review, we present the utility of adopting ontologies and semantic methods to bring disparate data into a scientifically meaningful context to drive novel scientific insights. Existing semantic standards have not been widely utilized in toxicology. Broader adoption of ontologies, together with increased data sharing, will improve a researcher's ability to integrate, navigate, and analyze vast amounts of heterogeneous data—allowing for more rapid assessment of chemical(s) safety and biological mechanisms. Recent efforts have aimed to define and realize the establishment of a data ecosystem or “commons” whereby data are shared for use by all in a common infrastructure, thereby increasing the value of government-funded data sets. Investment in making data “born interoperable” using common semantics could bring computational resources to bear on issues that are solely reliant on manual and expert assessment. Here, we introduce the concept of ontologies and present our vision for computationally enabled semantic toxicology.
Dihedral-angle-corrected registry-dependent interlayer potential for multilayer graphene structures

The structural relaxation of multilayer graphene is essential in describing the interesting electronic properties induced by intentional misalignment of successive layers, including the recently reported superconductivity in twisted bilayer graphene. This is difficult to accomplish without an accurate interatomic potential. Here, we present a new, registry-dependent Kolmogorov-Crespi-type interatomic potential to model interlayer interactions in multilayer graphene structures. It consists of two parts, representing attractive interaction due to dispersion and repulsive interaction due to anisotropic overlap of electronic orbitals. An important new feature is a dihedral-angle-dependent term that is added to the repulsive part to describe correctly several distinct stacking states that the original Kolmogorov-Crespi potential cannot distinguish. We refer to the new model as the dihedral-angle-corrected registry-dependent interlayer potential (DRIP). Computations for several test problems show that DRIP correctly reproduces the binding, sliding, and twisting energies and forces obtained from ab initio total-energy calculations based on density-functional theory. We use the new potential to study the structural properties of a twisted graphene bilayer and the exfoliation of graphene from graphite. Our potential is available through the OpenKIM interatomic potential repository at https://openkim.org.
The Morning After; Explaining the Slowdown in Japanese Growth in the 1990's

This paper uses vector autoregressions (VARs) to investigate four explanations of the extended slump in Japanese economic activity during the 1990s: the absence of bold and consistent fiscal stimulus; limited room for expansionary monetary policy because of a liquidity trap; asset price deflation reflecting the long-term problems caused by overinvestment, inadequate returns on saving, and debt overhang; and disruption of financial intermediation. The results indicate that disruption in financial intermediation, largely operating through the impact of changes in domestic asset prices on bank lending, has been the principal case of the slump.
Average treatment effects for stayers with correlated random coefficient models of panel data

Correlated random coefficient (CRC) models provide a useful framework for estimating average treatment effects (ATE) with panel data by accommodating heterogeneous treatment effects and flexible patterns of selection. In their simplest form, they lead to the well‐known difference‐in‐differences estimator. CRC models yield estimates of ATE for “movers” (i.e., cross‐sectional units whose treatment status changed over time) while ATE for “stayers” (i.e., cross‐sectional units who retained the same treatment status over time) are not identified. We study additional restrictions on selection into treatment that lead to the identification of ATE for stayers by an extrapolation from quantities identified by the CRC model. We discuss estimation and testing of the extrapolation's validity, then use our results to estimate the returns to agricultural technology adoption among maize farmers in Kenya.
An Analysis Of Diploidy And Dominance In Genetic Algorithms

The use of diploidy and dominance in genetic algorithms (GAs) has long been used to improve performance in time-varying optimization problems. Diploidy increases diversity in GAs by allowing recessive genes to survive in a population and become active at some later time when changes in the environment make them more desirable. This paper suggests an intuitive way to implement diploidy and presents some mathematical analyses of fitness proportional selection to justify its use in time-varying problems. An extension of the classical schema theorem for diploid GAs is presented. The mathematical analyses are geared towards the One Max problem, and assume a GA with selection and mutation only (no crossover). The analyses confirm that diploidy increases diversity, and provide some quantitative results for diversity increase as a function of the GA population characteristics.
Prevalence of HBV Infection, Vaccine-Induced Immunity, and Susceptibility Among At-Risk Populations: US Households, 2013-2018.

Background and aims In the USA, HBV is one of the leading causes of chronic liver disease and cirrhosis and is a major cause of liver cancer. We aimed to estimate the prevalence of past and present HBV infection, susceptibility to HBV infection, and vaccine-induced immunity to hepatitis B among the US population during 2013-2018. Approach and results Prevalence estimates and 95% CIs were analyzed using 2013-2018 data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Serologic testing among noninstitutionalized persons aged ≥ 6 years was used for classifying persons as total hepatitis B core antibody (anti-HBc), indicative of current or previous (ever having had) HBV infection; HBsAg, indicative of current HBV infection; and antibody to ABsAg (anti-HBs), indicative of immunity attributable to hepatitis B vaccination. Persons who tested negative for anti-HBc, HBsAg, and anti-HBs were considered susceptible to HBV infection. Non-US-born residents accounted for 69.1% of the population with chronic HBV infection and were 9.1 times more likely to be living with chronic hepatitis B, compared with US-born persons. Among adults aged ≥ 25 years who resided in US households, an estimated 155.8 million persons (or 73.4%) were susceptible to HBV infection, and an estimated 45.4 million had vaccine-induced immunity to hepatitis B. Men who have sex with men (MSM) were 3.6 times more likely to have ever been infected with HBV; however, MSM were just as likely to have vaccine-induced immunity to hepatitis B as non-MSM. Conclusion Despite increasing immune protection among young persons vaccinated after birth, the estimated prevalence of persons living with chronic hepatitis B in the USA has remained unchanged at 0.3% since 1999.
Social Determinants of Health Needs and Pediatric Health Care Use.

Objective To examine the associations between family-reported social needs in primary care settings and pediatric health care use. Study design Data were obtained for a sample of 56 253 children and youths (age 0-21 years) who received primary care at a large hospital-based pediatric institution between June 2018 and October 2019 to estimate a propensity score for the probability of being seen in a primary care clinic. Inverse probability weighted regression specifications were used to examine the associations between reported social needs and health care use. Families were asked about 4 social needs: housing, utilities, transportation, and food. Outcomes included the number of Emergency Department (ED), inpatient, social work, and well-child visits (only for those aged 0-2 years) in the 6 months before and after needs screening. Results Overall, 12.0% of the families reported a general social need, with 28% of those needs identified as urgent. Food and transportation needs were most common. Patients with needs were more likely to have an ED or inpatient visit at 6 months prescreening and 6 months postscreening compared with those without needs. Among children aged Conclusions Social needs are linked to less preventive care use and greater reliance on emergency care services. Understanding how to better assist families in need requires greater attention.
Evolving Research and Practices in Internal Communication

Internal communication, sometimes referred to as employee communication, internal relations, or internal public relations, has witnessed significant growth in the past decades as a discipline and profession. The introduction chapter revisits the definitions of internal communication, provides an overview of the recent developments in research and practice in this domain, particularly positioned in the field of public relations, along with a discussion of emerging trends and issues that are shaping the practice. The chapter ends with the discussion of the vision and goals of the book and an overview of the book’s structure and content.
Sex moderated and RSA mediated effects of prenatal cocaine exposure on behavior problems at age 7.

This study was designed to assess whether prenatal cocaine exposure (PCE) is associated with sex differences in behavior problems in middle childhood and whether there are sex differences in the way in which parasympathetic functioning mediates the relations between PCE and behavior problems within a diverse low-income sample. Participants included 164 high risk mother-child dyads including 89 PC exposed children and 75 control children participating in an ongoing longitudinal study. Respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA) was measured to assess parasympathetic functioning at 13 months of age and maternal reports of child behavior problems were collected at 7 years of age. Results revealed no significant association between PCE and behavior problems for the full sample. A 2 × 2 Anova revealed a significant interaction between PCE and child sex on internalizing, externalizing, and total behavior problems (F (3, 160) = 13.45, p < .001) with cocaine exposed females averaging the highest behavior problem scores. Results also revealed a statistically significant indirect effect linking cocaine exposure to lower externalizing problems via lower baseline RSA among males. Findings indicate that cocaine exposed females may be more vulnerable to developing behavior problems than cocaine exposed males and that high baseline RSA may present a sex specific risk factor for externalizing problems among exposed males.
Fabrication of TiO2 and SiO2 Thin Films by Room Temperature Liquid Phase Deposition

Mesoporous and dense titanium dioxide (TiO2 ) and silicon dioxide (SiO2 ) films were deposited directly from nanoparticle colloidal suspensions on quartz using a liquid phase deposition technique. The quartz surface was pre-treated with an -OH group to activate the deposition surface for crack-free adhesion. The deposited films were characterized with the help of scanning electron microscope for microstructural evaluation. An optical profilometer was used to measure the optical properties of the SiO2 film. The reflectance and transmittance patterns of the film were analyzed to determine the index of refraction of the film.Copyright © 2007 by ASME
Suppression of Rous sarcoma virus-induced tumor formation by preinfection with viruses encoding src protein with novel N termini

Abstract Two recovered avian sarcoma viruses (rASVs), rASV157 and rASV1702, encode src products which contain novel, nonmyristoylated N-terminal amino acids. These viruses transform chicken embryo fibroblasts and cause tumors in chicks. However, the tumors rASVs induce are small and regress within 2 weeks. To determine whether this regression results from weak tumorigenicity or from the active immunity of the host, we injected 1-week-old chicks with rASV and several days later injected the chicks with challenge virus of a different subgroup. Of the rASV1702-preinfected chicks challenged 5 days later with Rous sarcoma virus (RSV), 40% showed no subsequent tumor formation and 60% formed tumors which regressed within 1 week. The potency of this protective effect depended on the dosage of preinfection virus used and increased as the interval between preinfection and challenge infection was lengthened (when the interval was 9 days, none of the challenged chicks formed tumors). rASV157-preinfected chicks challenged with RSV after 9 days showed only partial protection: 42% formed tumors which regressed, whereas 58% formed tumors which continued to grow. Challenging rASV-preinfected chicks with Fujinami sarcoma virus or a RSV vector encoding the v-fps oncogene or polyomavirus middle T resulted in no suppression of tumor formation. Preinfection with src mutants or a RSV vector encoding polyomavirus middle T antigen, both of which induce slow-growing tumors, failed to elicit the protective effect. Finally, a novel N-terminal domain encoded by rASV1702 src was shown to be involved in but not sufficient for full protection. These data indicate that determinants on or induced by rASV157 and rASV1702 can elicit a potent protection against the tumorigenic potential of RSV-encoded p60v-src.
Close to the Edge: Neutralizing the HIV-1 Envelope

Haynes et al. discuss recent findings in Science and Nature Medicine about antibodies directed to the membrane-proximal region (MPR) of the HIV-1 envelope (ENV) glycoprotein and their possible therapeutic utility. Although these antibodies have the desirable trait of neutralizing the virus in vitro, they occur only rarely in patients, possibly because they also react with self-antigens such as the lipid cardiolipin, and so are eliminated. In addition, the MPR region of HIV-1 may not be accessible to this antibody in patients, limiting its usefulness. Nevertheless, Haynes et al. indicate that further work on neutralizing antibodies that target the conserved Env protein of HIV-1 is warranted.
Programming and Problem Solving with Ada 95

From the Publisher: In the tradition of Pascal and Turbo Pascal, authors Nell Dale and Chip Weems have teamed up with Mark Headington to offer Programming and Problem Solving with C++ for students in the CS1/C101 course. Written in the same style as the successful Pascal books, this text provides an accessible introduction to programming using C++ for beginning students. The first half of the text gives students a solid foundation in top-down programming techniques. The second half builds on this foundation and explains ADTs, the C++ class, encapsulation, information hiding, and object-oriented software development.
System Behavior in an Adaptive Environment

The goal of an adaptive parser is to acquire an idiosyncratic grammar with minimal ambiguity and maximal coverage through repeated experience with a user. To attain this goal a system must have both a method for expanding the search space in the presence of an unparsable input and a method for augmenting the grammar to recognize the unfamiliar structure directly in future interactions. Using such methods the system can extend an initial grammar to handle new forms, or variants of existing forms, whether they be truly ungrammatical constructions, or grammatically valid extensions to an initial grammar whose coverage was less than complete.
Cognitive Decline in High-Functioning Older Persons Is Associated with an Increased Risk of Hospitalization

Objectives: To examine hospital use for patients with evidence of cognitive decline indicative of early cognitive impairment. Design: Medicare Part A hospital utilization data were linked to data from the MacArthur Research Network on Successful Aging Community Study to examine the association between baseline cognition and decline in cognitive function over a 3-year period and any hospitalization over that same period. Setting: New Haven, Connecticut, and East Boston, Massachusetts. Participants: Subjects (N=598) were from two sites of the MacArthur Research Network on Successful Aging Community Study, a 7-year cohort study of community-dwelling older persons with high physical and cognitive functioning. Measurements: Multivariate logistic regression was used to determine the association between any hospitalization over 3 years (1988–91) as the outcome variable and baseline cognitive function and decline in cognition over 3 years as primary predictor variables. Decline was based upon repeated (1988 and 1991) measures of delayed verbal recall and the Short Portable Mental Status Questionnaire (SPMSQ). Results: Of 598 subjects, 48 died between 1988 and 1991. No baseline (1988) delayed recall scores or change in recall scores (1988–91) were associated with hospitalization. Although 48.2% declined on verbal memory scores, decline was not associated with risk of hospitalization. Of 494 subjects with complete 3-year data, 31.2% declined at least one point on the SPMSQ, and 4.7% declined more than two points. Among individuals aged 75 and older at baseline, the adjusted odds ratio for hospitalization for those who declined more than 2 points compared with those who declined less was 7.8 (95% confidence interval=2.0–30.8). Conclusion: Although specific memory tests were not associated with hospitalization, high-functioning older persons who experienced decline in overall cognitive function were more likely to be hospitalized. Variation in baseline cognitive function in this high-functioning cohort did not affect hospitalization, but additional research is needed to evaluate associations with other healthcare costs.
UTERINE AND POSTNATAL MATERNAL EFFECTS IN MICE SELECTED FOR DIFFERENTIAL RATE OF EARLY DEVELOPMENT

A series of mouse lines was produced by long-term restricted index selection for divergent rate of growth during early and late postnatal development. The selection program was based on the following treatments: E(+) and E(-) lines were selected to alter birth to 10-day weight gain while holding late gain for both lines constant and a control line was established via random selection. Using embryo transfer and crossfostering methodology, we partitioned postnatal growth for E(+), E(-), and C lines into progeny genetic, uterine maternal, and nurse maternal components. Selection for differential early growth resulted in correlated response in uterine and nurse maternal effects on body weights, with significant genetic-by-environment interactions. Significant uterine effects were also observed in tail length measurements. Direct uterine effects on body weight were relatively small and resulted in growth rate differences early in development. Nurse effects were large, resulting in modification of progeny growth trajectory especially during early postnatal development. Genetic-by-uterine interactions were large and demonstrate progeny-specific effects of the prenatal uterine environment.
WINNING STRATEGIES FOR MANUFACTURERS IN MATURE INDUSTRIES

With rapidly changing technologies and volatile markets, manufacturing strategies based on intuition and past experience alone are poor guides. Effective game plans base manufacturing decisions on both strategic objectives and quantitative analysis.
Correlations Between Sexual Abuse Histories, Perceived Danger, and PTSD Among Intimate Partner Violence Victims

Intimate partner violence (IPV), childhood abuse, and sexual assault in adulthood are profound public health concerns, particularly for women. Exposure to trauma can contribute to long-standing health problems and escalated medical costs. Unfortunately, these experiences are often intertwined. Sexual assault often occurs in intimate relationships in which there is concurrent IPV; likewise, many victims of IPV have experienced childhood abuse. The prevalent intersections of these struggles can lead to posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms. This article examines the contributions of childhood abuse histories and sexual assault to PTSD symptoms among women experiencing IPV. Findings suggest childhood abuse experiences account for more variance in PTSD symptoms than adult sexual assault. Clinical implications are discussed.
Noise mechanism separation and design considerations for low tip-speed, axial-flow fans

Abstract Noise and performance tests were conducted on a low tip-speed, half-stage axial flow fan such as is used in automotive applications. The fan has a 356 mm diameter, and eight equally-spaced, variable-pitch blades. The tests were conducted in a free-field environment. Various degrees of rotational noise due to inflow distortion were produced by installing circular rods upstream from the fan. The fan back pressure and speed were varied during the tests. The tests determined the general characteristics of rotational and non-rotational noise as functions of flow coefficient and fan speed. Rotational noise predominates at higher flow coefficients and consists principally of tones related to the blade passage frequency. It is caused by inflow distortion and turbulence. Non-rotational noise, on the other hand, is broad band in character and predominates at lower flow coefficients. It is caused by an interaction of the blade with the tip clearance vortex. The minimum-noise flow coefficient generally occurs between these two regimes and its value is shown to be dependent on the relative levels of the two noise mechanisms. The design changes required to reduce the noise in each regime are found to exhibit opposing trends.
Neutron-proton shell model multiplets in 88Y and 90Y from a study of the (α, nγ) reaction

Abstract The non-selective nature of the (α, nγ) reaction has been used to complement information from charged-particle reactions on the level structure of 88Y and 90Y. The γ-ray spectra were recorded with a 25 cm3 Ge(Li) detector at 90° to the beam using primarily targets of 85Rb2CO3 and 87Rb2CO3 and α-particle energies of 11.8, 12.2 and 13.0 MeV. The resulting transitions were accommodated in level schemes that involved primarily the following shell model configurations: (π p 1 2 ) 1 (ν g 9 2 ) −1 , (π g 9 2 ) −1 (ν g 9 2 ) 1 , (π p 1 2 ) 1 (ν p 1 2 ) −1 , (π f 5 2 ) −1 (ν g 9 2 ) −1 in 88Y and (π p 1 2 ) 1 (ν d 5 2 ) 1 , π g ( 9 2 ) 1 (ν d 5 2 ) 1 , (π p 1 2 ) 1 (ν s 1 2) ) 1 in 90Y.
Protection by Clinoptilolite or Zeolite NaA against Cadmium-Induced Anemia in Growing Swine

Weanling Landrace X Yorkshire swine were fed a basal diet or a diet containing 3% clinoptilolite (a natural zeolite) with or without 150 ppm CdCl2 or 3% zeolite NaA (a synthetic zeolite) with or without 150 ppm CdCl2 for 31 days. Hematocrit and hemoglobin were depressed significantly in animals fed Cd in the absence of zeolites, but not in their presence. Liver Cd concentration was increased dramatically by added dietary Cd but was significantly lower in animals fed clinoptilolite with Cd than in those fed Cd alone (11.4 vs 16.5 ppm). Liver Fe and Zn were decreased by dietary Cd; liver Fe was not affected significantly by clinoptilolite or zeolite NaA, but liver Zn was increased by zeolite NaA. Kidney dry matter, Zn, and Cd concentrations were increased by dietary Cd; neither clinoptilolite nor zeolite NaA affected kidney Cd concentration. Zeolite NaA increased kidney dry matter both in the presence and in the absence of dietary Cd. Plasma urea-N, K, Na, and Mg were unaffected by Cd or by either zeolite. The data illustrate the different effects of dietary clinoptilolite compared with zeolite NaA on blood plasma, liver, and kidney concentrations of minerals and provide evidence that both zeolites offer some protection against Cd-induced Fe-deficiency anemia; the magnitude of this protection and the effects of each zeolite on tissue concentrations of Cd and other materials need further quantification.
GUI for automated detection of surface mines using iterated hybrid morphological filters

An unsupervised algorithm is proposed for land mine detection in heavily cluttered multispectral images, based on iterating hybrid multi-spectral morphological filters. The hybrid filter used in each iteration consists of a decorrelating linear transform coupled with a nonlinear morphological detection component. Targets, extracted from the first pass, are used to improve detection results of the subsequent iteration, by helping to update covariance estimates of relevant filter variables. The procedure is stopped after a predetermined number of iterations is reached. Current implementation addresses several weaknesses associated with previous versions of the hybrid morphological approach to land mine detection. Improvement in detection accuracy and speed, robustness with respect to clutter inhomogeneity, and a completely unsupervised operation are the main highlights of the proposed approach. Our experimental investigation reveals substantially superior detection performance and lower false alarm rates over previous schemes. Properties of a graphical user interface (GUI), based on the proposed iterative morphological detection scheme, are also discussed.
Kinetic Modeling of Surface-Initiated Photoiniferter-Mediated Photopolymerization in Presence of Tetraethylthiuram Disulfide

A rate equation-based kinetic model is developed to investigate the effect of important reaction parameters on surface-initiated photoiniferter-mediated photopolymerization (SI-PMP) of methyl methacrylate. In particular, the effect of incident light intensity and concentration of added deactivating species, tetraethylthiuram disulfide (TED), on the growth kinetics of surface-tethered poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) layers was studied in detail. In accord with experimental results, model predictions suggest that maximum rates of PMMA layer growth observed during initial stages of SI-PMP increase as TED concentration ([TED]) is decreased and as light intensity is increased. Conversely, the maximum thickness of the PMMA layers, which is defined as the thickness at which 99% of the surface-tethered polymer chains are irreversibly terminated, increases as [TED] increases and as light intensity decreases. As light intensity and added deactivator affect the number of propagating surface-tethered radicals, findi...
Breastfeeding practices in Ethiopian women in southern California.

A retrospective study on the breastfeeding was carried out on selected 45 Ethiopian immigrant women living in the Los Angeles and San Diego areas (mean = 41 months; range 10–84 months). In-depth interviews were conducted to gather information on breastfeeding habits and a detailed analysis was made of the factors leading to the cessation of breastfeeding. The mean duration of breastfeeding in this sample was 4.2 ±1.1 months (range 3.0–5.7 months); and a non significant association was found between the length of residence in USA and the duration of breastfeeding (r=0.189; 0.001<p<0.01 Pearson Correlation Matrix). Mothers breastfeeding less than four months (N = 27) were compared to mothers who breastfed longer than four months (N = 18). A statistically significant association was found between the duration of breastfeeding and the following variables: mother’s level of education (X2 =20.12 p < 0.005, df = 1), source of income (X2 = 13.46, p = 0.001, df = 1)′ and the availability of free sample formula form the hospital (X2 = 4.46 p = 0.035, df = 1). The most common cited reasons for stopping breastfeeding were mother's employment (40%), and mother’s lack of milk (32%). Data suggest here that the Ethiopian immigrant women in this selected sample are not following the trends towards breastfeeding in the United States.
The Role of Folklore in Teaching Language and Literature

FOLKLORE is necessary in the teaching of language and literature. But what is folklore? It is the culture of the masses. In a highly civilized society it is the culture of the lower social classes. As anthropology has now distinctly demonstrated each social class has its own culture. The language and literature we teach in our schools are components of the culture of the enlightened minority only. The masses or the majority of the people still have their own language and literature, that is, folk language and folk literature. Especially is this true of Russia and of the other countries of Eastern Europe where traditions are still strong and where the historical past still survives in all divisions of material, social, and spiritual culture. In Eastern Europe folk songs, dances, costume, food, type of house, beliefs, and social customs are still extant, and in some respects are even flourishing. If, therefore, we wish to teach the living language of the majority, in other words, the real language of a country, we must give as much of its folklore to our students as possible; otherwise the language we teach will be artificial, unreal, and of little use in practical life. And the language taught without benefit of folklore will be of little use in literature as well, for the literature of each country, especially that of the East European countries, is greatly influenced by the folklore of the country. All Russian writers, especially Pushkin, Turgenev, and Gorky, were fond of Russian literary folklore and were of the opinion that it was necessary for the further development of Russian language and literature. Thus Pushkin considered folk language, especially that of the peasantry, as an inexhaustible source for poetical language in general. He wrote: "Young writers, read folk tales for the purpose of studying the properties of the Russian language ... the study of old folk songs, tales, etc., is necessary in order to have a full knowledge of the properties of the Russian language."' Besides, folklore serves the purpose of creating an atmosphere for the language of a country. Again, language is a component of culture and is scarcely understandable without a knowledge of the other components of culture. The successful language teacher must inform his students as to the general culture of the people of the language he teaches, namely, the social organization, religion, customs, art, philosophy, economic life, and even such forms of material culture as type of house, costume, food, means
Control of GVHD: it's in our DNA!

Selective depletion of the alloreactive T cells causing graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) without loss of the graft-versus-leukemia (GVL) effect is the holy grail of hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT). In this issue of Blood , He et al demonstrate that inhibition of histone methylation leads to
ANTHROPOMORPHIC GOD CONCEPTS ENGENDER MORAL JUDGMENT

Violations of religious doctrine may not only be perceived to violate the laws of one’s religion, but also to be morally wrong. Just as actions considered acceptable outside of social contexts are often considered unacceptable when they affect other people, believers perceiving God in anthropomorphic terms were more likely to judge violations of their religious doctrine to be morally unacceptable than believers not perceiving God in anthropomorphic terms. Devout Christians reported the extent to which they endorsed the Christian theological God concept and an anthropomorphic God concept before rating the extent to which they considered actions prohibited by the Ten Commandments to be theologically and morally wrong. Endorsement of both God concepts influenced the extent to which those acts were perceived to violate the tenets of participants’ religion. Only endorsement of the anthropomorphic God concept, however, determined the extent to which those actions were considered morally wrong.