cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Impact of Medicaid expansion in Oregon on access to prenatal care.

Abstract Medicaid expansion under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) has the potential to improve reproductive health by allowing low-income women access to healthcare before and early in pregnancy. The aim of this study was to examine the effects of Oregon's Medicaid expansion on timely and adequate prenatal care. We included live births in Oregon from 2012 to 2015 and used individually-linked birth certificate and Medicaid eligibility data. Outcomes were receipt of first trimester prenatal care and receipt of adequate prenatal care. We also assessed Medicaid enrollment one month prior to pregnancy. We estimated the overall effect of Medicaid expansion on prenatal care utilization using probit regression models. Additionally, we assessed the impact of Medicaid expansion on prenatal care utilization via pre-pregnancy Medicaid enrollment using bivariate probit models. Overall, receipt of first trimester prenatal care increased post-expansion by 1.5 percentage points (p
Understanding Professional Fashion Stylists’ Outfit Recommendation Process: A Qualitative Study

Unused and underutilized clothing is a major contributor to the environmental impact of the apparel industry. To reduce this underutilization, we need to implement ways to maximize clothing use. Artificially intelligent decision support may help users make better purchase decisions as well as daily dressing decisions. However, learning relationships between user and garment features is challenging due to the sparsity of data and the lack of validated expert models. One way to bridge this gap and inform clothing recommender system development is to understand how professional stylists choose outfits that maximize clothing use and satisfaction of clients. The purpose of this study was to understand how professional stylists make outfit and garment decisions for clients. This study used a qualitative approach to collect data from 12 professional stylists with varying areas of specialization on their decision-making process. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews and analyzed using thematic analysis. Findings show client features, garment features and the consultation process as the main factors in decision making. Consequently these factors could be integrated in design of recommender systems that increase consumers’ clothing utilization.
Making the most of your electrons: Challenges and opportunities in characterizing hybrid interfaces with STEM

Abstract Inspired by the unique architectures composed of hard and soft materials in natural and biological systems, synthetic hybrid structures and associated hard-soft interfaces have recently evoked significant interest. Soft matter is typically dominated by structural fluctuations even at room temperature, while hard matter is governed by rigid mechanical behavior. This dichotomy offers considerable opportunities to leverage the disparate properties offered by these components across a wide spectrum spanning from basic science to engineering insights with significant technological overtones. Such hybrid structures, which include polymer nanocomposites, DNA functionalized nanoparticle superlattices, and metal organic frameworks to name a few, have delivered promising insights into the technologically relevant applications such as catalysis, environmental remediation, optoelectronics, and medicine. The interfacial structure between the hard and soft phases demonstrates features across a variety of length scales and often strongly influence the functionality of hybrid systems. While scanning/transmission electron microscopy (S/TEM) has proven to be a valuable tool for acquiring intricate molecular and nanoscale details of these interfaces, the unusual nature of hybrid composites presents a suite of challenges that make assessing or establishing structure–property relationships especially difficult. There are additional considerations at all stages of sample analysis from preparing electron-transparent samples to obtaining sufficient contrast to resolve the interface between dissimilar materials given the dose sensitivity of soft materials. We discuss each of these challenges and supplement a review of recent developments in the field with additional experimental investigations and simulations to present solutions for attaining a nano or molecular-level understanding of these interfaces. These solutions present a host of opportunities for investigating the role interfaces play in this unique class of functional materials.
Brief of Law Professors as Amici Curiae in Support of Plaintiffs in Re Juliana v. U.S. (9th Cir. 2019), 25 Widener L. Rev. 283 (2019)

This is a published version of an amicus brief favoring constitutional applications to the climate crises. Amici present three points in support of Plaintiffs-Appellees’ Answering Brief. First, the lower court properly held that it has jurisdiction to hear Plaintiffs’ constitutional claims under the Due Process Clause for three reasons: (1) Plaintiffs have alleged and provided evidence of sufficient injury in fact that is fairly traceable to Defendants’ conduct and can be redressed by the court to satisfy standing requirements; (2) federal courts can exercise jurisdiction over Plaintiffs’ claims because the reference in Article III to “Cases” and “Controversies” is not frozen in time to what it was in the “courts at Westminster”; and (3) the Administrative Procedure Act is not jurisdictional and there is no need for litigants to pursue constitutional claims under it. This Court should reject Defendants’ arguments that the federal judiciary should shirk its constitutional responsibility in this case.
Fiat and Bona Fide Boundaries: Towards on Ontology of Spatially Extended Objects

Human cognitive acts are directed towards objects extended in space of a wide range of different types. What follows is a new proposal for bringing order into this typological clutter. The theory of spatially extended objects should make room not only for the objects of physics but also for objects at higher levels, including the objects of geography and of related disciplines. It should leave room for different types of boundaries, including both the bona fide boundaries which we find in the physical world and the fiat (or human-demarcation-induced) boundaries with which much of geography has to deal. Two distinct axiomatic theories of boundaries are accordingly presented, and the need for both is examined in some detail. The resultant dual framework is shown to have application above all for our understanding of issues involving contact, division, and separation, issues which have posed serious difficulties for the ontological theories of boundaries that have been proposed hitherto.
Female Voices from an Ewe Dance-drumming Community in Ghana

Reviewed Medium: book Authors: James Burns Year: 2009 Pages: 234 Publisher: Ashgate Publishing ISBN: 978-0-7546-6495-6 (hard cover).
Trying technology: Neither sure nor soon

Abstract New agricultural biotechnologies, in contrast to green revolution technolo gies, offer new tools and institutional frameworks to address agricultural and hunger problems in both well-endowed and marginal areas; in both the industrialized and the developing world. Developing nations, bilateral and international donors, and numerous nongovernmental and private-sector participants contemplate a variety of environmental and economic, as well as cultural and nutritional, issues in choosing technologies. A review of the current state of plant biotechnologies, the crop plants and characteristics towards which they are aimed, and the institutional frameworks developing to implement them suggests that impacts on hunger will be minimal in the 1990s, but that institutional developments in the 1990s will probably shape their impact on hunger over the longer term.
Comprehension: an overlooked component in augmented language development.

Purpose. Despite the importance of children's receptive skills as a foundation for later productive word use, the role of receptive language traditionally has received very limited attention since the focus in linguistic development has centered on language production. For children with significant developmental disabilities and communication impairments, augmented language systems have been devised as a tool both for language input and output. The role of both speech and symbol comprehension skills is emphasized in this paper.Method. Data collected from two longitudinal studies of children and youth with severe disabilities and limited speech serve as illustrations in this paper. The acquisition and use of the System for Augmenting Language (SAL) was studied in home and school settings. Communication behaviors of the children and youth and their communication partners were observed and language assessment measures were collected.Results. Two patterns of symbol learning and achievement – beginning and adv...
Photosynthetic water oxidation center: spin frustration in distorted cubane MnIVMnIII3 model complexes

The photosystem II water oxidation center (WOC) (S{sub 2} state) was modeled using four Mn{sup IV}Mn{sup III} complexes. Chemical preparation of the complexes and the structural characterization of them is discussed discussed. Results of X-ray crystallography, IR absorption, NMR, and EPR studies for these complexes are reported and conclusions concerning the electronic structure are presented. 57 refs., 15 figs., 7 tabs.
Water Splitting: Thermochemical

Hydrogen can be produced by direct or single-step splitting of water. The Gibbs free energy change for direct thermochemical water splitting is zero at about 4300 K at 1 bar. However, in practice, direct thermochemical splitting of water poses challenging high-temperature materials and product separation issues, among others. One way to lower the extremely high temperatures required for direct splitting of water and mitigate gas separation issues is the use of multistep cycles. To date, more than 350 thermochemical cycles for splitting water has been conceived. Of these, fewer than two dozen cycles still remain subject to further research and development. Among them are several “sulfur family” cycles as well as a number of volatile and nonvolatile metal oxide cycles. All of these cycles consist of at least two process steps, and some are hybrid cycles requiring both heat and work (e.g., electricity) input. This article presents a brief review of the status of multistep thermochemical water-splitting cycles (TCWSCs) for the production of hydrogen. Keywords: hydrogen production; thermochemical cycles; water splitting; hybrid cycles; sulfur family cycles; sulfur–ammonia cycle
Serum vitamin D levels in a cohort of adult and pediatric patients with eosinophilic esophagitis.

Abstract Background Vitamin D deficiency has been associated with increased risk for severe asthma, challenge-proven food allergy, and severe atopic dermatitis. Vitamin D levels have not been reported in patients with eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE). Objective To determine levels of 25-hydroxyvitamin D in a cohort of patients with EoE. Methods Total serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D was measured using liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectroscopy in adults (n = 35) and children (n = 34) with EoE. Results were compared with patient demographics, EoE-specific disease parameters, markers of sensitization, and features of severity using multivariable logistic regression. Results The median vitamin D level was 28.9 ng/mL. Patients with insufficient vitamin D ( 2 ). Peak median esophageal eosinophil counts were not significantly different for vitamin D insufficient and sufficient patient groups; however, higher vitamin D levels correlated with higher histologic eosinophil counts ( R = 0.61, P = .03). Although there were no statistical differences in total IgE or levels of specific IgE between patients with vitamin D insufficiency and those with sufficiency, a positive skin prick test reaction to peanut was more common in patients who had vitamin D insufficiency (adjusted odds ratio 7.57, P = .009). Vitamin D insufficiency was not associated with surrogate markers of severity (dilation in adults or hospitalization or emergency visits in children). Conclusion In these patients with EoE, vitamin D levels were low overall (median
PC Based Workstzition for Neuroradiologists

SYSTEM HARDWARE A cost-effective personal workstation has been Two computer systems were used to develop the designed and developed using PC based software, an IBM PS/2 (MCA) and an AT&T commercial products. The workstation has 6386SX (ISA). The detail hardware description been designed to be used with MR and CT of the system include: images to carry out clinical and research projects by neuroradiologists. The software has been designed to be hardware independent and work under Microsoft Windows.
Organization Personality Perceptions and Attraction: The role of social identity consciousness

The current study explores the theory of symbolic attraction. The theory suggests that social identity consciousness moderates the relationship between symbolic inferences between organizations and attraction to those organizations. The study explored the two dimensions of social identity consciousness (i.e., social adjustment concern and value expression concern) as moderators of the relationship between organization personality perceptions (i.e., boy scout, innovativeness, dominance, style, and thrift) and organization attraction. The results of the study suggest that value expression concern moderates the relationships between boy scout, innovativeness, style, and thrift perceptions and attraction such that the relationships between these variables are stronger among those high on value expression concern. There was no support for social adjustment concern as a moderator of these relationships.
Models of multilocus recombination: nonrandomness in chiasma number and crossover positions

Cytological evidence indicates that genetic interference can be partitioned into two empirical components: nonrandomness in the number of chiasmata that occur and nonrandomness in the locations of multiple chiasmata. Previous studies have incorporated the first effect into genetic models for analyzing multipoint data. An extension to this approach is presented which allows for the second component of interference by modeling the probability density function of the locations of multiple crossovers. Results of reanalyses of multilocus data for the Drosophila X chromosome show that models that incorporate only the first effect give a better fit to these data than do standard mapping functions and that the extended model significantly improved the fit by decreasing the predicted frequency of multiple crossovers in nearby regions. Our results demonstrate that chiasma-based models of multilocus recombination, which are unique in incorporating direct estimates of the frequency of multiple crossovers for a chromosome region, can provide a powerful and realistic means of accounting for genetic interference when applied to the problems of gene localization, locus ordering, and exclusion mapping.
High latitude stratospheric electrical measurements in fair and foul weather under various solar conditions

Stratospheric electric field and conductivity measurements are presented for sites of latitude greater than 50 deg N GG, during the months of either April or August, in a variety of weather and solar conditions. Vertical electric field data from balloon flights with an average duration of 18 hours at ceiling, in fair weather, are shown to be appropriately modeled by a simple, exponential, altitude-dependent equation. Data collected over electrified clouds and thunderstorms are presented, along with a discussion of the thunderstorm-related electric currents. Current surges in the atmosphere due to DC currents as well as the spheric are calculated, and it is found that in over 1000 hours of balloon data, no direct solar influence is identified except during major flares.
Integration of Nonlinear Differential Systems with Wide Eigenvalue Range

A new method of integrating the nonlinear differential systems with wide eigenvalue range encountered in power system transient studies is developed. A state transition matrix is employed and a very efficient procedure for its calculation is included. For typical problems this integration method has permitted step sizes a factor of 100 larger than conventional numerical integration algorithms without loss of accuracy or significant increase in computing time per step.
Sedimentary phosphate formation in warm shallow waters: new insights into the palaeoceanography of the Permian Phosphoria Sea from analysis of phosphate oxygen isotopes

Abstract Oxygen isotopic analyses of the structural phosphate ( δ 18 O P ) in sedimentary phosphorites of the Upper Permian Phosphoria Formation reveal that phosphogenesis occurred across a broad range of palaeoenvironments. The δ 18 O P values from well-preserved hand-picked phosphate-grain separates range from 20.2 to 13.7 (±0.5)‰ SMOW, with the lowest values in the most landward shallow-water deposits and the highest values in the most basinward deeper water deposits. The relationship between the maximum burial depth and δ 18 O P is opposite to that predicted if burial diagenesis was responsible for the isotopic signature of these phosphate grains. This suggests that the regional trend in oxygen isotopic data is not due to burial diagenesis. The range in oxygen isotopic values does correspond to the potential range of palaeotemperatures in the shallow and broad epicontinental Phosphoria Sea. The range is 14–42°C (±3.5°C) assuming a seawater δ 18 O of −2.5 ‰ SMOW. Palaeotemperatures along an offshore to onshore transect indicate that upwelling involved temperate (14–26°C; mean of 21°C) but not cold waters, and that warming across the palaeoshelf resulted in mean shallow-water temperatures of 34–37°C. The latter values approximate those predicted by climate and ocean circulation models. These warm palaeotemperatures provide further evidence that phosphogenesis in the epicontinental Phosphoria Sea occurred under palaeoceanographic conditions that were different from modern phosphorite depositional systems. This suggests that a purely actualistic approach to the interpretation of the Phosphoria phosphorites is not valid.
Distribution of 5-hydroxytryptamine-immunoreactive boutons on immunohistochemically-identified Renshaw cells in cat and rat lumbar spinal cord

A combination of anti-gephyrin- and anti-calbindin D28k-immunoreactivity was used to identify 129 and 171 Renshaw cells and their dendrites in cat and rat lumbar spinal cord, respectively. Using anti-5-hydroxytryptamine-immunoreactivity to label serotoninergic fibers and boutons, 1048 serotoninergic boutons were observed in close contact with the immunolabeled Renshaw cells, with an average of 4.4 and 2.8 close contacts on cat and rat Renshaw cells, respectively. Two-thirds of the observed appositions were formed on the somatic membrane.
The development of sexual identity.

The development of sexual identity was studied in 686 individuals, using a fantasy measure of sexual identity that does not depend on learned sex-role stereotypes. The results showed a marked differentiation between the sexes at preadolescence, a loss of differentiation during the freshman year of college that most closely resembled the lack of differentiation in sexual identity of preschool children, and a reemergence of a clear sexual identity during the last years of college. Possible biological, social context, and psychodynamic-maturational explanations for this pattern of development are discussed.
Use of the life optimism test among adolescents in a clinical setting: A report of reliability testing

This study examined the consistency and reliability of the Life Optimism Test (LOT) among patients attending an adolescent medicine clinic. The LOT had good internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha ranging from 0.56 at pretest to 0.76 at posttest) and good 1-week test-retest reliability (intraclass correlation = 0.84). These data support use of the LOT to measure optimism among adolescents.
Variability in Atmospheric Chlorofluorocarbons (CCl3F and CCl2F2) near a Large Urban Area: Implications for Groundwater Dating

Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) are frequently used as tracers for age dating of young groundwaters. However, in urban environments with many CFC point sources, uncertainties in the delivery of CFCs to groundwater (input function) complicate quantitative interpretation of observed CFC distributions. To assess the potential impact of elevated atmospheric CFC mixing ratios on CFC-based groundwater ages near a large coastal urban center, we measured atmospheric mixing ratios of CFCs in Palisades, NY, 25 km north of New York City. We present and discuss a 16-month record of atmospheric CCl3F (CFC-11) and CCl2F2 (CFC-12) obtained from gas chromatographic analyses taken at intervals of approximately 10 min. Nearly all measured values are in excess of remote Northern Hemisphere (NH) atmospheric mixing ratios. The mean mixing ratios of CFC-11 and CFC-12 are 6 and 13% higher, respectively, than those measured at a remote NH location during the same time period. The temporal trends of CFC-11 and CFC-12 differ from those...
Study design considerations in developmental neurotoxicology.

It is widely accepted that exposure to environmental factors during development can result in effects other than death, gross structural abnormality, or altered growth. One area of concern is the developing nervous system, which may be especially vulnerable to environmental perturbation. Testing chemicals for potential developmental neurotoxicity has received a high priority and testing guidelines have been published and recently revised by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. These guidelines are based on several principles of developmental neurotoxicity that have been developed during several years of research. In general, manifestation of neurotoxicity following developmental exposure can depend on the time at which exposure occurs and for the purposes of hazard detection, experiments should be designed to optimize the detection of neurotoxicity. In addition, maternal health and interaction with the offspring, as well as postnatal development are important design issues in developmental neurotoxicology. It is also widely accepted that several doses be used and multiple measures of neurotoxicity assessed in both genders at several points during the life span of the animal. Finally, the litter is usually regarded as the most appropriate statistical unit to control for genetic and maternal factors.
Utilization of Satellite Snow-Cover Observations for Seasonal Streamflow Estimates in the Western Himalayas

The results presented in this study indicate the possibility of seasonal runoff prediction when satellite-derived basin snow-cover data are related to point source river discharge data for a number of years. NOAA-VHRR satellite images have been used to delineate the areal extent of snow cover for early April over the Indus and Kabul River basins in Pakistan. Simple photo-interpretation techniques, using a zoom transfer scope, were employed in transferring satellite snow-cover boundaries onto base map overlays. A linear regression model with April 1 through July 31 seasonal runoff (1974-1979) as a function of early April snow cover explains 73% and 82% of the variance, respectively, of the measured flow in the Indus and Kabul Rivers. The correlation between seasonal runoff and snow cover is significant at the 97% level for the Indus River and at the 99% level for the Kabul River. Combining Rango et al.9s (1977) data for 1969-73 with the above period, the April snow cover explains 60% and 90% of the variance, respectively, of the measured flow in the Indus and Kabul Rivers. In an attempt to improve the Indus relationship, a multiple regression model, with April 1 through July 31, 1969-79, seasonal runoff in the Indus River as a function of early April snow-covered area of the basin and concurrent runoff in the adjoining Kabul River, explains 79% of the variability in flow. Moreover, a significant reduction (27%) in the standard error of estimate results from using the multi-variate model. For each year of the study period, 1969-79, a separate multiple regression equation is developed dropping the data for the year in question from the data-base and using those for the rest of the years. The snow cover area and concurrent runoff data are then used to estimate the snowmelt runoff for that particular year.The difference between the estimated and observed dircharge values averaged over the 11 year study period is 10%. Satellite derived snow-covered area is the best available input for snowmelt-runoff estimation in remote, data sparse basins like the Indus and Kabul Rivers. The study has operational relevance to water resource planning and management in the Himalayan region.
Monte Carlo investigations of the wavelength dependence of light transport through turbid media

Elastic-scattering spectroscopy examines the wavelength dependence of light that has passed through a small volume of tissue. Measurements are typically made by placing two optical fibers on the surface of the tissue to be examined. The analysis of these measurements to obtain quantitative information about scattering and absorption is important to many biomedical applications such as cancer diagnosis and measurement of bilirubin concentrations. For fiber separations large enough for the diffusion approximation to be valid, this is straight forward. However, for clinical applications such as those listed above, the separation is too small for the diffusion approximation to be applicable. To obtain insight into the question of how scattering and absorption changes affect the wavelength dependence of the elastic-scatter signal Monte Carlo simulations have been used. First, it is shown that the Monte Carlo simulations and elastic-scatter measurements of polystyrene spheres agree quite well. Monte Carlo simulations are then used to investigate how particle size and concentration affect the elastic-scatter signal. It is found that the concentration has very little effect of the wavelength dependence, but that the size of the scattering particles does affect the wavelength dependence. In general, the signal decreases more rapidly as a function of wavelength for smaller particles.
Impact of Decision-Making Empowerment on Attributions of Leadership

Although empowerment often makes a team more effective, managers do not use this tool extensively. One explanation for this is that managers fear that individuals will draw negative conclusions abo...
Ion heating due to modulated parametric decay

Abstract Under circumstances where parametric decay occurs in a plasma, a lower hybrid pump wave modulated near ion cyclotron harmonics is found to increase ion temperatures up to a factor of two over CW pump wave application.
Upper Carboniferous Fossils in America and Europe

THE interesting note by Prof. A. E. Trueman in NATURE of June 29, p. 1074, recalls to mind some studies of Upper Carboniferous cockroaches, which I made a number of years ago. The results are fully set forth in Annals and Magazine of Natural History, April 1927, but it is now pertinent to quote (p. 393):
The importance of legal systems for portfolio investment in the developing world

Building on recent works showing the role that legal institutions can play in attracting foreign investment to developing countries, and drawing on insights obtained from Powell and Rickard (International Interactions 36: 335–362, 2010), we demonstrate that developing countries with common law legal systems attract greater portfolio investment than countries that have civil law or Islamic legal systems because common law systems are more inclined to promote the rule of law and protect property rights and can be understood to provide more efficiency in the law, better contract enforcement, more judicial autonomy and more market-oriented regulations. We base our findings on an analysis of time-series panel data for 99 countries covering the period 1980–2007.
Effects of halothane anesthesia on the retention of a passive avoidance task in rats

One-trial passive avoidance training was given to 126 male albino rats in a 3 by 3 by 2 factorial design, with halothane anesthesia (administered 20 sec after training, 30 min after training, or not administered), retest interval (1, 4, or 7 days), and preanesthesia (administered 2 days before training or not administered) as main effects. Results were as follows: (1) 24-h retention in nonpreanesthetized Ss replicated the usual gradient of retrograde amnesia; (2)4-and 7-day scores did not exhibit the similarity to Day 1 scores predicted by consolidation theory; (3) the effects of preanesthesia on retention were marked but did not appear to be due to drug dissociation.
Surface-Attached [(NC)5Fe(CN)Pt(NH3)4(NC)Fe(CN)5]4−: A Study in the Electrochemical and Photochemical Control of Surface Morphology

The [Pt(NH 3 ) 4 ] 2 4+ salt of [(NC) 5 Fe II (CN)Pt IV (NH 3 ) 4 (NC)Fe II (CN) 5 ] 4− (I) electrochemically derivatized on a Ni surface by anodic precipitation as the Ni 2+ analogue, Ni 2 I. The resulting electrode surface was characterized by diffuse-reflectance FTIR spectroscopy and cyclic voltammetry
Monohydrogenphosphate-sensing electrode formulations

Abstract Four-component Ag 2 S:PbS:PbHPO 4 : Ag 2 HPO 4 and three-component Ag 2 S:PbS:PbHPO 4 formulations have been prepared and evaluated for sensitivity to monohydrogenphosphate. The 3:1:1 composition is superior in terms of ease of preparation, stability, rapidity of response and reproducibility. Testing was done over the range 10 -1 –10 -5 M HPO 4 2- in buffer at pH 8.44 with constant ionic strength. Response times to 64% of final values varied between 60 and 300 s depending upon concentration, and potential changes with concentration varied between 25 and 31.5 mV/decade in the 10 -1 –10 -3 M range, depending upon electrode configuration. Many common ions interfere.
Atypical face versus object processing and hemispheric asymmetries in 10-month-old infants at risk for autism.

Background Previous studies have documented atypicalities in face/object processing in children and adults with autism spectrum disorders (ASDs). To investigate whether such atypicalities may reflect a genetically mediated risk factor present early in development, we measured face/object processing in 10-month-old high-risk infants who carry some of the genes associated with ASD because they have an older sibling diagnosed with the disorder. Methods We employed event-related potentials (ERPs) to measure cortical responses to pictures of faces and objects, the objects being toys. Latencies and amplitudes of four ERP components (P100, N290, P400, and Nc) were compared between 20 high-risk infants and 20 low-risk control subjects (infants with no family history of ASD). Results Responses to faces versus objects differed between high- and low-risk infants for the latencies of the N290 and P400. Differences were driven by faster responses to faces than objects in low-risk, but not high-risk, infants (P400) and, conversely, faster responses to objects than faces in high-risk, but not low-risk, infants (N290). Object responses were also faster in high-risk than low-risk infants (both N290 and P400). Left versus right hemisphere responses also differed between high- and low-risk infants for the amplitudes of the P100, N290, and P400; collapsed across faces/objects, low-risk, but not high-risk, infants exhibited hemisphere asymmetries. Conclusions Genetic risk for ASD is associated with atypical face versus object processing and an atypical lack of hemispheric asymmetry early in life. These atypicalities might contribute to development of the disorder.
Entropic Contributions to the Atomic-Scale Charge-Carrier/Surface Interactions That Govern Macroscopic Surface Conductance

In this paper it is demonstrated how to use quantum-chemical electronic structure calculations to estimate the values of the entropic parameters in a mathematical model of surface conductance. Entropy changes involved in both charge-carrier-hopping and desorption processes are considered. The model is then fit to experimental data for the temperature dependence of surface conductance of γ-alumina and the best-fit values of the entropic parameters are compared to those obtained by quantum-chemical calculations.
Prognostic significance of atrial fibrillation in advanced heart failure. A study of 390 patients.

BACKGROUNDAtrial fibrillation is common in advanced heart failure, but its prognostic significance is controversial.METHODS AND RESULTSWe evaluated the relation of atrial rhythm to overall survival and sudden death in 390 consecutive advanced heart failure patients. Etiology of heart failure was coronary artery disease in 177 patients (45%) and nonischemic cardiomyopathy or valvular heart disease in 213 patients (55%). Mean left ventricular ejection fraction was 0.19 +/- 0.07. Seventy-five patients (19%) had paroxysmal (26 patients) or chronic (49 patients) atrial fibrillation. Compared with patients with sinus rhythm, patients with atrial fibrillation did not differ in etiology of heart failure, mean pulmonary capillary wedge pressure on therapy, or embolic events but were more likely to be receiving warfarin and antiarrhythmic drugs and had a slightly higher left ventricular ejection fraction. After a mean follow-up of 236 +/- 303 days, 98 patients died: 56 (57%) died suddenly, and 36 (37%) died of prog...
Demand Shifts and Market Structure in Free-Entry Oligopoly Equilibria

Abstract This papers examines the structural implications of demand shifts in free-entry oligopoly equilibria. The model generalizes the conjectural variations framework to consider asymmetric firm conjectures, allows for the possibility of cost differences across firms, and endogenizes conditions of entry and exit in the industry. In non-competitive environments, changes in incumbent output and industry profitability are inversely-related to changes in the equilibrium price following a demand shift. In response to rotations of demand through the equilibrium point, changes in profitability are positively-related to changes in industry concentration and, when marginal costs are non-decreasing, inversely-related to changes in market power.
THE MYOSIN FILAMENT : IV. Observation of the Internal Structural Arrangement

The subunit organization of the myosin filament of chicken striated muscle has been observed directly in cross-sections in electron microscopy. The organization consists of three centrally located and nine peripherally located subunits in a close-packed arrangement. This arrangement is that predicted by a previously derived model for the detailed molecular organization of the myosin filament (Pepe, 1966 a, 1967 a, 1971). Each subunit measures approximately 30 A in diameter and the center-to-center distance is approximately 37 A. If these measurements are considered to be on the high side, then they indicate that each subunit represents one myosin molecule. However, it is not possible to determine unequivocally whether one or two myosin molecules per subunit are present on the basis of this work.
Personality and salesforce selection in the pharmaceutical industry

Abstract The influence of personality characteristics on the job performance of sales representatives in a large pharmaceuticals firm was investigated. The results help to show how these factors can be used in the development of a salesperson selection system. Implications for sales managers are also discussed.
Environmental effects on adult growth patterns in the male sailfin molly, Poecilia latipinna (Poeciliidae)

Widespread male body size variation in P. latipinna appears to be attributable to genetic variation in the size at maturation. The contribution of adult growth needs to be assessed because adult growth rates may vary with size at maturation and local environment. In our laboratory study we examined adult growth patterns as a function of size at maturation and juvenile experience (favorable or unfavorable conditions). In our field study we assessed adult growth as a function of initial size and environmental condition (using males in enclosures in contrasting habitats). Adult growth rates in the laboratory were an order of magnitude higher than rates observed in field enclosures. Growth rates varied with male size, increasing with increasing male size in the laboratory study but decreasing with increasing male size in the field study. The laboratory results alone would have cast considerable doubt on the ability to interpret size distributions of field-collected males, but the field results indicate that adult growth is sufficiently low that it can be ignored as a source of body size variation within and among populations.
Maintaining the end: Roles of telomere proteins in end-protection, telomere replication and length regulation

Chromosome end protection is essential to protect genome integrity. Telomeres, tracts of repetitive DNA sequence and associated proteins located at the chromosomal terminus, serve to safeguard the ends from degradation and unwanted double strand break repair. Due to the essential nature of telomeres in protecting the genome, a number of unique proteins have evolved to ensure that telomere length and structure are preserved. The inability to properly maintain telomeres can lead to diseases such as dyskeratosis congenita, pulmonary fibrosis and cancer. In this review, we will discuss the known functions of mammalian telomere-associated proteins, their role in telomere replication and length regulation and how these processes relate to genome instability and human disease.
SU-GG-J-130: Recent Development of a Carbon Nanotube Field Emission Based X-Ray Micro-Radiotherapy System for Small Animal Radiotherapy

Purpose: To develop a novel multi‐pixel x‐ray beam micro‐radiotherapy (micro‐RT) system for high‐resolution small animal image‐guidedradiotherapy(IGRT) using carbon nanotube(CNT)field emissiontechnology.Materials and Methods: We have developed a prototype multi‐pixel x‐ray beam micro‐RT device for feasibility demonstration. The micro‐RT design uses a pixel beam array which consists of fifty individually addressable x‐ray pixel beams, each beam is ∼2 mm in size. The pixel beam array can form a maximum field size of 1 cm × 2 cm with arbitrary field shapes and intensity modulation patterns. Potential advantages of the multi‐pixel micro‐RT system over the single source micro‐RT systems are stationary flexibility and real‐time nature of the electronic field shaping.CNTfield emission based imaging and irradiation systems have also ultrahigh temporal resolution, which can be very important for small animal IGRT. Previously we have demonstrated the feasibility of the system using lower beam energy and here we report the recent progress in CNT FE based micro‐RT development with higher energy beams. Results: A 100 kV prototype CNTfield emission based micro‐RT system is developed. The prototype device can generate 75 individual addressable multi‐pixel x‐ray beams. Each beam is expected to produce a dose rate on the order of >1 Gy/min at the center of the irradiated object. We also integrated our CNTfield emission based micro‐RT and micro‐CT devices for small animal IGRT.Conclusions: We have made significant progress in developing the novel multi‐pixel micro‐RT system using CNTfield emissiontechnology. It remains to be a challenge to achieve high voltage (>100 kV) and high dose rate using this highly original prototype device in an academic research laboratory environment. The CNT‐based micro‐RT can be integrated with the CNTfield emission based micro‐CT already developed for real time small animal IGRT.
Late cardiac reoperation after cardiac transplantation

Abstract Background . The intermediate and long-term results of cardiac transplantation continue to improve. Subsequent cardiac procedures may be required to extend patient survival and protect graft function. Methods . The medical records of all adult and pediatric cardiac transplant recipients who underwent a subsequent cardiac procedure at our institution were reviewed. Results . Three hundred sixty patients have undergone primary orthotopic transplantation in our institution. Seventeen patients (12 adults, 5 children) underwent a subsequent procedure requiring cardiopulmonary bypass including cardiac retransplantation (10), coronary artery bypass grafting (3), ascending aortic replacement (2), tricuspid valve repair (1), and myotomy and myomectomy (1 patient). Mean interval from time of transplantation to second procedure was 8.3 years. There was one perioperative death. Two patients, both retransplants, died late postoperatively at 22 and 84 months, respectively. Overall mean follow-up in the late survivors is 26.6 months. All survivors are currently asymptomatic and doing well. Conclusions . A variety of subsequent cardiac procedures, in addition to retransplantation, can be performed safely in carefully selected cardiac transplant recipients. The intermediate term results are gratifying in terms of survival and freedom from symptoms.
Current Use of Unopposed Estrogen and Estrogen Plus Progestin and the Risk of Acute Myocardial Infarction Among Women With Diabetes The Northern California Kaiser Permanente Diabetes Registry, 1995–1998

Background— Little is known about hormone replacement therapy (HRT) and risk for myocardial infarction (MI) in diabetic women. We examined associations of current HRT, estrogen dosage, and time since HRT initiation with risk of acute MI in diabetic women. Methods and Results— Cox proportional hazards models, with current HRT modeled as a time-dependent covariate, were used to assess the 3-year risk of MI. Among 24 420 women without a recent MI (mean age 64.9 years), 1110 incident MIs were identified. After adjustment for cardiovascular risk factors, current HRT was associated with reduced MI risk (relative hazard [RH] 0.84, 95% CI 0.72 to 0.98). The RH for MI associated with current estrogen plus progestin use was 0.77 (95% CI 0.61 to 0.97), and the RH for MI associated with current unopposed estrogen use was 0.88 (95% CI 0.73 to 1.05). Women were at reduced MI risk if they were taking a low or medium dose of estrogen (equivalent to <0.625 or 0.625 mg of conjugated estrogen, respectively) but not a high d...
Prediction equations for total body water during early infancy.

I n the classic publication of Friis-Hansen (I). prediction equations for total body water (TBW) were provided for infants and children from birth to age 16 years. Equa­ tions using weight and height were derived from 73 measurements of TBW by deuterium dilution. Jn the II-day to O.S-year age-group, there were 19 infants. We have found that the Friis-Hansen equation, specified for this age-group, overestimates our measurements of TBW in infants by 12'~·~,. We therefore present new equations derived from measurements of JH and I~O dilution spaces for the prediction of TBW during early infancv. Forty term. appropriate for gestational age, breast­ fed and formula-fed infants were studied at one month (II 20. mean age (SO) 32 (4) days. IS males/five females) or four mon ths (11 = 20, age 114 (10) days. I I males/nine females) (2). At the time of study all infants were healthy and thriving: mean weight was 4.75 (0.5) and 6.60 (0.61) kg and mean length was 54.9 (1.9) and 62.0 (1.8) cm at one and four months. respectively. TBW was determined by deuterium and oxygen-18 dilution. A. baseline urine sample was collected from each infant before oral administration of a dose of cH 2 0, equiva­ lent to 200 mg cH 20 (99.8 atom percent 2H) and 300 mg 'HO/kg body weight. Post-dose urine samples were collected daily thereafter for 14 days in sterile. pediatric specimen bags (U-Bag. Hollister. Inc., Kurtsvi!le, MO). Urine samples were analyzed for "H using a Finnigan Oelta-E gas-isotope-ratio mass spectrometer (Finnigan MAT, San Jose, CA) and for IXO using a VG-SIRA 12/ ISOPREP-18 mass spectrometer system (VG Isotec, Cheshire, UK). Initial isotope dilution spaces (TBW1) were calculated from the changes in isotopic enrichment of"H or 1XO in urine «()d) as
Turnover of palmitate, arachidonate and glycerol in phospholipids of rat rod outer segments.

Abstract Rat retinas were intravitreally labeled with [3H]palmitic acid, [3H]arachidonic acid or [3H]glycerol to study the turnover of the component parts of the major phospholipids in rod outer segments at times ranging from 2 hr to 12 days post injection. Rod outer-segment and retinal debris fractions were extracted and the major phospholipids separated by two-dimensional thin-layer chromatography. In darkness, [3H]glycerol rapidly labeled phosphatidylinositol in both rod outer-segment and retinal debris fractions. The label in phosphatidylinositol subsequently decreased dramatically, demonstrating a rapid turnover of phosphatidylinositol with a half-life of less than 1 day. Phosphatidylcholine and phosphatidylethanolamine were maximally labeled by glycerol in the retinal debris at the 2-hr time-point and were maximally labeled in rod outer segments between 1 and 5 days post injection, with somewhat longer residence times in the rod outer segments. Phosphatidylserine showed a lag in initial labeling in both rod outer-segment and retinal debris fractions indicating that this phospholipid is not a major precursor of phosphatidylcholine and phosphatidylethanolamine in rat retinas. [3H]Palmitate and [3H]arachidonate labels were rapidly incorporated into outer-segment phospholipids by 1–2 hr post injection. Eighty per cent of the palmitate label was initially associated with phosphatidycholine at 2 hr. The total amount of palmitate label in rod outer-segment phosphatidylcholine did not change for 12 days post injection. Outer-segment phosphatidylethanolamine steadily increased in palmitate label throughout the 12-day period, suggesting that phosphatidylethanolamine may be utilized for recapture of palmitate released from breakdown of palmitate esters of rhodopsin or vitamin A or from phospholipids. Arachidonate primarily labeled phosphatidylinositol and phosphatidylcholine of both rod outer segments and retinal debris. The arachidonate label did not decrease dramatically during the first day in phosphatidylinositol as did the glycerol label, indicating that arachidonic acid is reutilized by the retina. Turnover of the individual phospholipids, as measured by a decrease in glycerol labeling of the phospholipid backbone, is more rapid than the loss of palmitate label, indicating that there is extensive reutilization of palmitate in both phosphatidylcholine and phosphatidylethanolamine of the rod outer segment. The data indicate that palmitate derived from many sources could be used by the photoreceptor to acylate rhodopsin. No difference in palmitate or arachidonate labeling of major rod outer-segment phospholipids was noted between light- and dark controls at 5 days post injection.
Cardiac troponin-I concentration in dogs with cardiac disease.

Cardiac troponin-I (cTnI) is a highly sensitive and specific marker of myocardial injury and can be detected in plasma by immunoassay techniques. The purpose of this study was to establish a reference range for plasma cTnI in a population of healthy dogs using a human immunoassay system and to determine whether plasma cTnI concentrations were high in dogs with acquired or congenital heart disease, specifically cardiomyopathy (CM), degenerative mitral valve disease (MVD), and subvalvular aortic stenosis (SAS). In total, 269 dogs were examined by physical examination, electrocardiography, echocardiography, and plasma cTnI assay. In 176 healthy dogs, median cTnI was 0.03 ng/mL (upper 95th percentile = 0.11 ng/mL). Compared with the healthy population, median plasma cTnI was increased in dogs with CM (0.14 ng/mL; range, 0.03-1.88 ng/mL; P 0.20 ng/mL was significantly shorter than median survival time of those with cTnI <0.20 ng/mL (112 days versus 357 days; P = .006). Plasma cTnI is high in dogs with cardiac disease, correlates with heart size and survival, and can be used as a blood-based biomarker of cardiac disease.