cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
PageRank as a collective variable to study complex chemical transformations and their energy landscapes.

A reduced set of reaction coordinates is often employed in chemistry to describe the collective change between reactants and products within the context of rare event theories and the exploration of energy landscapes. Yet selecting the proper collective variable becomes increasingly challenging as the systems under study become more complex. Recent advancement of new descriptions of collective molecular coordinates has included graph-theoretical metrics, including social permutation invariant and PageRank (PR) coordinates, based upon the network of interactions about molecules and atoms within a system. Herein we continue the development of PR by (1) presenting a new formulation that is continuous along a reaction path, (2) illustrating that the fluctuations in PR are demonstrative of the fundamental motions of the atoms/molecules, and (3) providing the analytical derivatives with respect to atomic coordinates. The latter is subsequently combined with a harmonic bias to create the potential of mean force (PMF). As an example, we first consider the transformation of tetrahedral [Al(OH)4](aq)− to octahedral [Al(OH)4(H2O)2](aq)− using the PR PMF. Second, we explore the interchange of contact ion pair and solvent separated ion pairs of aqueous Na⋯OH, where the distance-biased PMF is projected onto PR space. In turn, this reveals where solvent rearrangement has the most impact upon the reaction pathway.
Four Histories of Social Mobilizations: Dandi, Dharasana, Montgomery, Manila, and Rangoon

History is rich of accounts of nonviolent social movements toppling down powerful, yet unjust regimes. This chapter reviews four select moments of some of these histories: Gandhi’s salt march (which triggered the Free India Movement); Rosa Park’s arrest (which triggered the modern American civil rights movement); Ninoy Aquino’s assassination (which triggered the Philippine People Power Revolution ousting a dictator); and the murder of Phune Maw (which triggered the Burmese Uprising). This chapter describes, in some key details, these localized tipping moments, how subsequent macro-mobilizations had transpired, and the results of the ensuing campaigns.
A Bioethics Approach to Social Work Practice With Transgender Clients

Increased advocacy for the informed consent model of transgender health care specifies that patients should be in control of access to receiving medical interventions such as hormone therapy or sur...
Using nonlinear difference equations to study Quicksort algorithms

Using nonlinear difference equations, combined with symbolic computations, we make a detailed study of the running times of numerous variants of the celebrated Quicksort algorithms, where we consid...
Abandoning the Dewey Decimal System in Public Libraries

Within the last fifteen years, a growing number of public libraries throughout the United States have started to rethink how their materials are cataloged and arranged. While the Dewey Decimal Syst...
Deep Spiking Neural Network: Energy Efficiency Through Time Based Coding

Spiking Neural Networks (SNNs) are promising for enabling low-power event-driven data analytics. The best performing SNNs for image recognition tasks are obtained by converting a trained deep learning Analog Neural Network (ANN) composed of Rectified Linear Unit (ReLU) activation to SNN consisting of Integrate-and-Fire (IF) neurons with “proper” firing thresholds. However, this has come at the cost of accuracy loss and higher inference latency due to lack of a notion of time. In this work, we propose an ANN to SNN conversion methodology that uses a time-based coding scheme, named Temporal-Switch-Coding (TSC), and a corresponding TSC spiking neuron model. Each input image pixel is presented using two spikes and the timing between the two spiking instants is proportional to the pixel intensity. The real-valued ReLU activations in ANN are encoded using the spike-times of the TSC neurons in the converted TSC-SNN. At most two memory accesses and two addition operations are performed for each synapse during the whole inference, which significantly improves the SNN energy efficiency. We demonstrate the proposed TSC-SNN for VGG-16, ResNet-20 and ResNet-34 SNNs on datasets including CIFAR-10 (93.63% top-1), CIFAR-100 (70.97% top-1) and ImageNet (73.46% top-1 accuracy). It surpasses the best inference accuracy of the converted rate-encoded SNN with 7–14.5\(\times \) lesser inference latency, and 30–60\(\times \) fewer addition operations and memory accesses per inference across datasets.
Ethics in Intellectual Property Negotiations: Issues and Illustrations

Negotiating – formally or informally – is a characteristic aspect of law practice. The requisite skills are acquired “on the job” and, for some, via the formal study of negotiation processes and attributes. The negotiator has much to consider, including the client’s goals and interests, likely litigation outcomes should negotiations fail or any ultimate agreement be breached, and what the counterparty is likely seeking to accomplish. The challenges include negotiating within the limits imposed by the ethics rules. This paper identifies key authorities relevant to negotiation ethics and illustrates their operation in the context of hypotheticals based on intellectual property practice. In particular, it highlights some hotly debated aspects and implications of the professional conduct rules relating to representing clients in negotiations.
A Study of Group Formation Using Agent-Based Modeling

This work uses agent-based modeling to model three philosophical accounts of group formation and subsequent group agency. Each account proposes the presence of collective intentionality, a product of either I-intentionality or we-intentionality as its foundation. The successful modeling of all three types of group formation was completed in NetLogo utilizing a common uniform landscape.
Physiological and molecular responses of lobe coral indicate nearshore adaptations to anthropogenic stressors.

Corals in nearshore marine environments are increasingly exposed to reduced water quality, which is the primary local threat to Hawaiian coral reefs. It is unclear if corals surviving in such conditions have adapted to withstand sedimentation, pollutants, and other environmental stressors. Lobe coral populations from Maunalua Bay, Hawaii showed clear genetic differentiation between the 'polluted, high-stress' nearshore site and the 'less polluted, lower-stress' offshore site. To understand the driving force of the observed genetic partitioning, reciprocal transplant and common-garden experiments were conducted to assess phenotypic differences between these two populations. Physiological responses differed significantly between the populations, revealing more stress-resilient traits in the nearshore corals. Changes in protein profiles highlighted the inherent differences in the cellular metabolic processes and activities between the two; nearshore corals did not significantly alter their proteome between the sites, while offshore corals responded to nearshore transplantation with increased abundances of proteins associated with detoxification, antioxidant defense, and regulation of cellular metabolic processes. The response differences across multiple phenotypes between the populations suggest local adaptation of nearshore corals to reduced water quality. Our results provide insight into coral’s adaptive potential and its underlying processes, and reveal potential protein biomarkers that could be used to predict resiliency.
Identifying Program Needs of Women Detainees in a Jail Environment

ABSTRACTWomen in local jails face a unique set of challenges than those serving time in state or federal prison; the case outcome may be unknown, she may be suffering from substance withdrawal, and plans for finding a caregiver for children must be made. Although there is a growing literature examining women in prison and the problems posed by long-term absences due to incarceration, little is known about the immediate crises faced by those in jail. This study focuses on women detained and incarcerated in a Midwestern jail and explores life narratives of past victimization, mental health, substance abuse, and parenting issues.
Regulatory Paradigms for Modern Breeding

Modern breeding, based upon molecular biology using genetic information, has made rapid advances. Breeders using rDNA techniques properly can think of this technique as traditional biotechnology. Within the past ten years, breeders have begun to use newer techniques [site-directed nuclease techniques (SDNs), RNAi, and synthetic biology] to create and to develop plants and animals with desired genetic traits. In this chapter printed in the NABC 26 Report (May 2015), the authors address the question: What is the appropriate regulatory paradigm for modern breeding?
Commentary onIntrona F, Di Vella G, Campobasso CP. Determination of Postmortem Interval from Old Skeletal Remains by Image Analysis of Luminol Test Results. J Forensic Sci 1999; 44(3):535–8

Commentary on Introna F, Di Vella G, Campobasso CP. Determination of postmortem interval from old skeletal remains by image analysis of luminol test results. J Forensic Sci 1999; 44(3):535–8.
Rebleeding from clipped aneurysm after 35 years: Report of 2 cases.

BACKGROUND: A successfully applied clip for a ruptured aneurysm keeps the aneurysm's neck closed, preventing rerupture throughout the patient's life. Unfortunately, rebleeding from a clipped aneurysm does occur, but the likelihood declines with time. Since relatively old people suffer from subarachnoid hemorrhage, they die from diseases other than rebleeding, such as cancer. Therefore, rebleeding from a clipped aneurysm after two decades is quite rare. CASE DESCRIPTION: Here, we report 2 cases of rerupture after an extremely long time since the initial clipping. In both cases, the old clip was removed, and the regrown gourd-shaped aneurysm was successfully obliterated. The clips in both cases were submitted to their manufacturers and inspected thoroughly. They were found to be second-generation, stainless steel clips, and were almost intact, even keeping their closing forces. In both cases, the clip existed on the surface of the newly made dome, and the previous dome completely disappeared. CONCLUSIONS: We experienced 2 cases of rebleeding from the clipped aneurysm after 35 years. In one of the cases, the clip was a Yasargil second generation stainless steel clip that retained its mechanical properties and surface elemental composition in vivo for a long time. These cases should be informative as they show extremely long-term course of a clip applied for a ruptured aneurysm.
Generation of cytotoxic T lymphocytes against immunorecessive epitopes after multiple immunizations with adenovirus vectors is dependent on haplotype.

Currently, adenovirus (Ad) is being considered as a vector for the treatment of cystic fibrosis as well as other diseases. However, the cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) response to Ad could limit the effectiveness of such approaches. Since the CTL response to virus infection is often focused on one or a few immunodominant epitopes, one approach to circumvent this response is to create vectors that lack these immunodominant epitopes. The effectiveness of this approach was tested by immunizing mice with human group C adenoviruses. Three mouse strains (C57BL/10SnJ [H-2b], C3HeB/FeJ [H-2k], and BALB/cByJ [H-2d]) were immunized with wild-type Ad or Ad vectors lacking the immunodominant antigen(s), and the CTL responses were measured. In C57BL/10 (B10) mice, a single inoculation intraperitoneally (i.p.) led to the recognition of an immunodominant antigen in E1A. When B10 mice were inoculated multiple times either i.p. or intranasally with wild-type Ad or an Ad vector lacking most of the E1 region, subdominant epitopes outside this region were recognized. In contrast, C3H mice inoculated with wild-type Ad recognized an epitope mapping within E1B. When inoculated twice with Ad vectors lacking both E1A and E1B, no immunorecessive epitopes were recognized. The immune response to Ad in BALB/c mice was more complex. CTLs from BALB/c mice inoculated i.p. with wild-type Ad recognized E1B in the context of the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I Dd allele and a region outside E1 associated with the Kd allele. When BALB/c mice were inoculated with E1-deleted Ad vectors, only the immunodominant Kd-restricted epitope was recognized, and Dd-restricted CTLs did not develop. This report indicates that the emergence of CTLs against immunorecessive epitopes following multiple administrations of Ad vectors lacking immunodominant antigens is dependent on haplotype and could present an obstacle to gene therapy in an MHC-diverse human population.
Does Economic Growth Cause Environmental Recovery? Geographical Explanations of Forest Regrowth

This study examines the links between economic change and environmental recovery. We first review the influential framework known as Forest Transition Theory (FTT), which uses the experience of the North to posit a causal linkage between economic growth and forest regrowth. We then lay out problems with this theory and offer an alternative. Our central argument is that FTT provides faulty explanations of forest regrowth because it treats economic development as a characteristic of places. Drawing from geographical scholarship that sees economic development as occurring through dynamic relationships among places, we contend instead that forest regrowth in the North is due not to a universal process of economic development, but rather reflects the ability of wealthy regions to import forest and agricultural products, thereby exporting environmental impact. Economic growth, therefore, cannot be prescribed as a universal catalyst for environmental recovery because any such recovery relies on degradation elsewhere. Future research on forest regrowth should investigate multiple environment–economy relationships that both create and depend on differences among places.
Non-thermal Processing By Radio Frequency Electric Fields

Publisher Summary The radio frequency electric fields (RFEF) process reduces the population of Escherischia coli in apple juice at 45°C. Inactivation is dependent on the electric field strength, number of treatment stages, and temperature. Significantly better inactivation has been observed at radio frequencies near 20 kHz compared to frequencies near 40 kHz. Inactivation is independent of initial microbial concentration in the range of 4–6 log cfu/ml. The RFEF process has successfully been scaled up from 0.55 l/min to 1.4 l/min using an innovative pilot plant consisting of an 80 kW power supply and novel matching network. Although remarkable progress has recently been made in the development of the nonthermal RFEF process, more research needs to be done before it can be commercialized. The RFEF process needs to be further scaled up to be of commercial interest. In addition, a 5 log reduction is desirable. This should be achievable by adding several more treatment chambers in series. The stability of the equipment, including the metal electrodes, at longer operational times must be studied. Relative costs and merits of the RFEF and pulsed electric fields processes must be examined.
Deciding Between Work and Family: An Episodic Approach

This study examined work–family conflict decision-making based on a within–person, episodic approach. Based on 274 episodes across 78 individuals, we investigated the frequency of decisions that result in work interference with family (WIF) versus family interference with work (FIW), as well as the relation of work and family situational variables and previous work–family conflict (WFC) episodes on those decisions. No difference in the frequency with which participants reported WIF episodes versus FIW episodes was observed. Results indicated that work/family role sender pressure, work/family instrumental support, work/family activity importance, work emotional support, and the direction of the previous WFC decision each predicted WFC decisions. Dominance analysis indicated that role sender pressure was the most important predictor. In addition, we compare and discuss within-person variation with between-person variation. Contributions of the study to work–family research and practice are discussed.
A study of theI = 0 π−π+ enhancement in the 1.07 GeV mass region

Abstract We have analyzed theπ+π− effective mass distribution inπ−p experiments at 2.26 and2.36GeV/c and confirm the existence of aπ−π+ mass enhancement at1.07 ± 0.02GeV with a width ranging from 50 MeV to 120 MeV depending on the choice of cuts on momentum transfer and decay angle. We find that the enhancement is particularly strong when produced at these momenta; however, although we find that many of its properties are consistent with it being theππ decay mode of the η0+(1060), we cannot rule out the possibility that it is a newl = 2 resonance.
Therapeutic endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography: what the future holds.

Recent advances in noninvasive diagnostic procedures have lessened the role of endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) as a diagnostic tool. The combination of major technologic advances and endoscopists' growing comfort with invasive procedures is pushing the boundaries of endoscopic therapies. The future of therapeutic ERCP will hinge on the development of technologies that allow procedures beyond the gastrointestinal tract. Progress has already been made in the laboratory setting in endoscopic biliary bypass and endoscopic gastrojejunostomy. These new developments, although exciting, need careful and well-controlled trials before clinical use can be advocated.
Predicting dispositions toward inclusion of students with disabilities: the role of conservative ideology and discomfort with disability

Within the published empirical record, a limited number of investigations exist that study the association between socio-political ideologies of preservice teachers and their attitudes toward disability-related matters within schools. To the extent that individual socio-political ideology and discomfort with disability remain mostly unexplored, this state of affairs may unwittingly compromise the capacity of future educators to assist students with special needs. The purpose of our study was to test relationships between preservice teachers’ conservative ideologies and discomfort with disability on the one hand and perceived negative attitudes toward students with disabilities and opposition to inclusion on the other. Our correlational findings indicate that preservice educators who report being higher in social dominance orientation, right-wing authoritarianism, economic and cultural conservatism, and discomfort with disabilities are more likely to oppose inclusion and to hold negative attitudes toward students with disabilities. Regression analyses revealed that social dominance orientation and discomfort with disability were stronger predictors of negative attitudes toward students with disabilities and opposition to inclusion than cultural conservatism/right-wing authoritarianism. These findings lend support to teacher preparation programs assisting preservice teachers in understanding (a) their attitudes toward inclusion and students with disabilities and (b) the impact their dispositions may have on their future effectiveness in supporting these students in their efforts to become productive and independent members of society.
Findings from NSF-JST-NIST Workshop on Rescue Robotics

This paper summarizes the findings and observations from the NSF-JST-NIST Workshop on Rescue Robotics held at Texas A&M, March 8-11, 2010. The 50 workshop participants represented sixteen universities in the USA, Japan, and China. Over a dozen land, marine, and aerial vehicles were tested using the Response Robot Evaluation Exercise #6 or in more scenario-oriented testing at Disaster City®. The workshop produced nine recommendations for standards for unmanned vehicles as well as proposed four topics for human-robot interaction evaluation. While the workshop generated tangible contributions to the ASTM Standards meeting and individual research programs, the workshop illustrated the benefits of interacting with more responders, robots, and other researchers than has been previously available to the community.
trans-10,cis-12-Conjugated Linoleic Acid Instigates Inflammation in Human Adipocytes Compared with Preadipocytes

We showed previously in cultures of primary human adipocytes and preadipocytes that lipopolysaccharide and trans-10,cis-12-conjugated linoleic acid (10,12-CLA) activate the inflammatory signaling that promotes insulin resistance. Because our published data demonstrated that preadipocytes are the primary instigators of inflammatory signaling in lipopolysaccharide-treated cultures, we hypothesized that they played the same role in 10,12-CLA-mediated inflammation. To test this hypothesis, we employed four distinct models. In model 1, a differentiation model, CLA activation of MAPK and induction of interleukin-8 (IL-8), IL-6, IL-1β, and cyclo-oxygenase-2 (COX-2) were greatest in differentiated compared with undifferentiated cultures. In model 2, a cell separation model, the mRNA levels of these inflammatory proteins were increased by 10,12-CLA compared with bovine serum albumin vehicle in the adipocyte fraction and the preadipocyte fraction. In model 3, a co-culture insert model, inserts containing ∼50% adipocytes (AD50) or ∼100% preadipocytes (AD0) were suspended over wells containing AD50 or AD0 cultures. 10,12-CLA-induced IL-8, IL-6, IL-1β, and COX-2 mRNA levels were highest in AD50 cultures when co-cultured with AD0 inserts. In model 4, a conditioned medium (CM) model, CM collected from CLA-treated AD50 but not AD0 cultures induced IL-8 and IL-6 mRNA levels and activated phosphorylation of MAPK in naive AD0 and AD50 cultures. Consistent with these data, 10,12-CLA-mediated secretions of IL-8 and IL-6 from AD50 cultures were higher than from AD0 cultures. Notably, blocking adipocytokine secretion prevented the inflammatory capacity of CM from 10,12-CLA-treated cultures. These data suggest that CLA instigates the release of inflammatory signals from adipocytes that subsequently activate adjacent preadipocytes.
Ecological correlates of substance use in African American adolescents living in public housing communities: Assessing the moderating effects of social cohesion

Abstract Adolescence is a stage of development when young people explore the larger social world. Accordingly, exposure to violence and other risk factors increase during adolescence. Exposure to community and domestic violence in addition to other contextual and individual correlates have been found associated with substance use. Using a sample of 663 African American adolescents living in urban public housing, this study assesses how multiple risk factors, including for example violence and peers' behavior, are related to adolescents' alcohol, tobacco and marijuana use. This paper also assesses how, or whether, these relationships are moderated by social cohesion. The model explained 28% of the variance in substance use. Mental health symptoms in addition to violence were significantly associated with substance use. These effects, however, were dependent upon levels of social cohesion. Implications to practice are discussed.
Women who place their infant up for adoption: A pilot study

Abstract Since legal abortion is increasingly available and single parenthood increasingly accepted, fewer women who have unwanted pregnancies are choosing to place an infant up for adoption. In a three-year study of 80 women who did place an infant up for adoption, we attempted to clarify their reasons for doing so. Forty percent of the women reported past frequent or severe depression. The pregnancy had been unplanned by 93% of the women. Most of them recalled having as a response confusion to their placing their infant up for adoption, but they expressed satisfaction or relief now when responding to a questionnaire. We recommend that extended counselling be made available to women who place an infant up for adoption.
Reliability of post-chemoradiotherapy F-18-FDG PET/CT for prediction of locoregional failure in human papillomavirus-associated oropharyngeal cancer.

Summary Objectives Although widely adopted, the accuracy of post-chemoradiotherapy (CRT) 18 F-fluorodeoxygluocose positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) for predicting locoregional failure (LRF) in human papillomavirus-related (HPV+) oropharyngeal cancer (OPC) remains poorly characterized. We assessed the predictive value of 3-month PET/CT response for LRF in this population. Materials and methods 101 consecutive patients with stage III-IV HPV+ OPC who underwent definitive CRT with pre-treatment and 3-month post-CRT PET/CT at our institution from 3/2005-3/2011 were included. 3-month PET/CT response was re-classified as complete-response (CR), near-CR, or incomplete-response ( Results Among 98 patients with an evaluable primary tumor, LF occurred in 2/67 patients with CR, 0/20 with near-CR, and 1/11 with max thresholds or % change did not improve the accuracy of 3-month PET/CT. Use of additional PET/CT surveillance after 3 months in 67 patients accurately detected both LF (96%) and RF (97%). Conclusions In the largest study to-date of PET/CT response assessment in HPV+ OPC, 3-month PET/CT response demonstrated high NPV for LRF, though with disappointing sensitivity and PPV. Subsequent PET/CT surveillance showed potential utility for early detection of LRFs.
Doing Bad to Feel Better? An Investigation of Within- and Between-Person Perceptions of Counterproductive Work Behavior as a Coping Tactic

Employee counterproductive work behavior (CWB, e.g., theft, production deviance, interpersonal abuse) is costly to organizations and those who work within them. Evidence suggests that employees are motivated to engage in CWB because they believe that these behaviors will make them feel better in response to negative workplace events. However, research has yet to consider the situational and individual factors that shape the extent to which employees view CWB in such a manner. In order to provide insight into the decision-making process surrounding the use of CWB as a coping strategy, this study leverages coping theory to examine the factors (both situational/within-person and individual/between-person) that contribute to employees’ beliefs that CWBs will be instrumental for emotion regulation aims in response to workplace stressors. In a repeated measures scenario-based study of 297 employees, we found that individuals’ perceived coping instrumentalities for CWBs are a function of the controllability and source of the stressor as well as a more stable learned response to stressful situations at work.
Time Resolved DPIV in a Transonic Turbine Cascade

This paper presents an extension of existing Proper Orthogonal Decomposition (POD) based methods for gappy data reconstruction to allow its use with experimental data without a priori knowledge of the ‘True’ solution, and applies it time-resolved DPIV data taken in a transonic turbine cascade. The method is based on minimizing the residual of a divergence criterion, in order to determine the optimum number of modes required for reconstruction. This serves as a convergence criterion for termination of Venturi and Karniadakis’s iterative Gappy POD method. Gappy flow fields were created using DNS data from a near wall turbulence simulation. Gappyness levels of 5%, 11%, 20%, 50% and, 80% were created with gap sizes 3×3, 7×7, 11×11, and arbitrary N×M vector spaces. The method is shown to closely predict the optimum required modes for a minimum-error reconstruction, and the errors associated with this convergence criterion are shown to be on or below the error associated basic DPIV velocity uncertainty measurements. Finally, this method is tested on gappy experimental data from a transonic turbine cascade. The resulting reconstructed flow fields demonstrate clearly observable vortical structures and dominant frequencies.Copyright © 2008 by ASME
Overlay as the key to drive wafer scale 3D integration

3D integration is the stacking of multiple active device layers (with or without interconnecting metal lines) to form a more complex integrated circuit or to provide a new architectural venue. There are many different techniques to accomplish the stacking of the active layers, ranging from packing solutions through wafer bonding, to regrowth of Silicon films. We utilized an aligned SOI wafer bonding method that allows very high alignment accuracy to achieve very dense 3D interconnections. However, wafer bonding tools currently do not have the capability to achieve better than 100nm overlay error (3 sigma). This limits the highest density we can achieve in a 3D design due to the large landing area that is required to yield the 3D vias, reducing the areal benefit and thus worsening yields. Hence, in this work we will discuss key issues that prevent better than 100nm 3 sigma alignment between the two substrates. We show that controlled process integration enables significant reduction of the alignment errors between two substrates. The second part of the paper details 3D bonder re-engineering solutions to achieve an order of magnitude improvement in alignment accuracy and drive the full potential of 3DIC. More specifically, inclusion of the learning achieved from lithographic technology, as well as specific bonding process control methods are discussed.
A prospective randomized double-blind study to evaluate the effect of dexamethasone in acute laryngotracheitis.

To determine whether a single dose of dexamethasone (0.6 mg/kg) is useful in the treatment of acute laryngotracheitis (croup), 29 hospitalized patients with acute laryngotracheitis were randomly assigned in a double-blind fashion to receive either parenterally administered dexamethasone (n=16) or a saline placebo (n=13). Severity of the illness was assessed by a clinical croup score based on retractions, stridor, air entry, cyanosis, and level of consciousness. Twelve hours from the time of injection, the patients receiving the dexamethasone had a statistically significant decline in median croup score from 4.5 to 1.0 ( p p =0.027). During this same period, only 19% of patients receiving dexamethasone required two or more racemic epinephrine treatments in comparison with 62% of patients who received the placebo ( p
Selenium, boron, and heavy metals in birds from the Mexicali Valley, Baja California, Mexico.

Trace elements in irrigation drainwater in some areas of the southwestern United States have been detected at concentrations that are associated with reproductive, teratogenic and behavioral anomalies in birds. For example, increased bird mortalities were linked with high concentrations of selenium (Se) at the Kesterson Reservoir in California (Ohlendorf et aL 1986a). Agricultural ecosystems in northwestern Mexico resemble closely those of central and southern California because they are also intensively irrigated and there is concern that elevated concentrations of trace elements in these areas could also result in detrimental effects on resident and migratory birds and other wildlife. The Mexicali Valley is located in northeastern Baja California, south of the Imperial Valley in California. Approximately 70% of the cultivated land in Mexicali (182,000 hectares) is irrigated by gravity flow with water from the Colorado River (Secretaria de Agricultura y Recursos Hidraulicos 1984), and elevated concentrations of trace elements in agricultural drainwaters might be expected. Runoff is discharged directly to canals and to the Hardy River. The Hardy River also receives brine waste with potentially high concentrations of arsenic (As) and boron (B) from a geothermal energy plant located at Cerro Prieto in the middle of the agricultural valley, approximately 30 km south of the city of Mexicali (Comisi6n Federal de Electricidad 1987). There are no studies that evaluate the environmental hazards and concentrations of trace elements in wildlife of the Mexicali Valley, except for some data on fish and clams. Concentrations of mercury (Hg) in fish and clams from irrigation canals and drainages of the Mexicali Valley were measured to evaluate the extent of Hg contamination by the Cerro
Re: Delivery Room Research: When Does Poor Quality Evidence Become an Ethical Issue?

Foglia et al1 raise an interesting question regarding a stipulation of the common rule in determining whether emergency consent waiver is appropriate: is the legal representative of the infant truly present in the delivery room? In our Ethics Rounds from November 2014,2 Dr Schreiner argued that because a newborn's mother is physically present at the time of delivery, emergency consent cannot be waived. But Foglia et al's point is well taken; at the time of delivery, the mother is often in physical pain, nauseous, and extremely worried about the well- being of her soon-to-be-born infant. If it is a vaginal delivery, she is also working very hard (literally laboring) to meet her child safely. If there is another legal parent in the room, that person is immediately preoccupied with all of the aforementioned, and additionally worries for the … E-mail: dfeltman{at}northshore.org
Adverse Outcome After Delivery Room Cardiovascular Resuscitation of Extremely Premature Infants. † 1167

Adverse Outcome After Delivery Room Cardiovascular Resuscitation of Extremely Premature Infants. † 1167
A program for the identification of tRNA-like structures in DNA sequence data.

A computer algorithm has been developed which identifies tRNA genes and tRNA-like structures in DNA sequences. The program searches the sequence string for specific base positions that correspond to the invariant and semi-invariant bases found in tRNAs. The tRNA nature of the sequence is confirmed by the presence of complementary base pairing at the tRNA's calculated 5' and 3' ends (which in situ constitutes the amino-acyl stem region). The program achieves greater than 96% accuracy when run against known tRNA sequences in the Genbank database. The program is modular and is readily modified to allow searching either a file or database. The program is written in "C" and operates on a D.E.C. Vax 750. The utility of the algorithm is demonstrated by the identification of a distinctive tRNA structure in an intron of a published bovine hemoglobin gene.
FICTITIOUS GROUPS AND THE GENERALITY OF PREJUDICE: AN ARTIFACT OF SCALES WITHOUT NEUTRAL CATEGORIES

Generality of prejudice of real groups (ethnic and ideological) to fictitious groups was dramatically reduced to about chance level when college Ss were allowed the response alternative of neutrality, which was strongly their dominant response. When attitude scales had no neutral category, as in past research, then generality of prejudice-tolerance to nonexistent groups occurred. This is an artifact of the use of nonneutral scales. There were more significant correlations between judgments of the real groups when judged on the neutral point semantic differential scale than when measured on the nonneutral semantic differential.
Effects of brain-gut related peptides on cAMP levels in myenteric ganglia of guinea-pig small intestine

This study was designed to test the hypothesis that stimulation of adenylate cyclase and elevation of cAMP is involved in the signal transduction process for substance P, calcitonin gene-related peptide, vasoactive intestinal peptide, cholecystokinin or gastrin releasing peptide in myenteric ganglia. Enzymatically dissociated ganglia from the myenteric plexus of the guinea-pig small intestine were used to study changes in levels of cAMP in response to application of the brain-gut peptides in the presence and absence of forskolin. Application of substance P and calcitonin gene-related peptide were found to increase intraganglionic cAMP in a dose-dependent fashion when a phosphodiesterase inhibitor was present. The ED50 values for substance P and calcitonin gene-related peptide were 5 microM and 0.75 microM, respectively. The presence of forskolin in the incubation medium resulted in significant upward shifts of the dose-response curves for both peptides. Neither vasoactive intestinal peptide, cholecystokinin nor gastrin releasing peptide stimulated increases in intraganglionic cAMP under the same experimental conditions used for substance P and calcitonin gene-related peptide.
Motor performance assessment in Parkinson's disease: Association between objective in-clinic, objective in-home, and subjective/semi-objective measures

Advances in wearable technology allow for the objective assessment of motor performance in both in-home and in-clinic environments and were used to explore motor impairments in Parkinson’s disease (PD). The aims of this study were to: 1) assess differences between in-clinic and in-home gait speed, and sit-to-stand and stand-to-sit duration in PD patients (in comparison with healthy controls); and 2) determine the objective physical activity measures, including gait, postural balance, instrumented Timed-up-and-go (iTUG), and in-home spontaneous physical activity (SPA), with the highest correlation with subjective/semi-objective measures, including health survey, fall history (fallers vs. non-fallers), fear of falling, pain, Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale, and PD stage (Hoehn and Yahr). Objective assessments of motor performance were made by measuring physical activities in the same sample of PD patients (n = 15, Age: 71.2±6.3 years) and age-matched healthy controls (n = 35, Age: 71.9±3.8 years). The association between in-clinic and in-home parameters, and between objective parameters and subjective/semi-objective evaluations in the PD group was assessed using linear regression-analysis of variance models and reported as Pearson correlations (R). Both in-home SPA and in-clinic assessments demonstrated strong discriminatory power in detecting impaired motor function in PD. However, mean effect size (0.94±0.37) for in-home measures was smaller compared to in-clinic assessments (1.30±0.34) for parameters that were significantly different between PD and healthy groups. No significant correlation was observed between identical in-clinic and in-home parameters in the PD group (R = 0.10–0.25; p>0.40), while the healthy showed stronger correlation in gait speed, sit-to-stand duration, and stand-to-sit duration (R = 0.36–0.56; p<0.03). This suggests a better correlation between supervised and unsupervised motor function assessments in healthy controls compared to PD group. In the PD group, parameters related to velocity and range-of-motion of lower extremity within gait assessment (R = 0.58–0.84), and turning duration and velocity within iTUG test (R = 0.62–0.77) demonstrated strong correlations with PD stage (p<0.01).
Effects of rooting medium and fertilizer rate on response of white clover to tropospheric ozone.

Abstract Two white clover ( Trifolium repens L.) clones with varying sensitivity to O 3 are being developed as a system to indicate effects of ambient concentrations of tropospheric O 3 on plants. One clone (NC-S) is highly sensitive to O 3 and the other (NC-R) is highly resistant. The system relies on periodic measurement of foliar injury, foliar chlorophyll, and forage production of NC-S and NC-R grown in 15-liter pots throughout a summer season. Relative amounts of foliar injury and ratios (NC-S/NC-R) for chlorophyll and forage weight can be used to estimate biologically effective ambient O 3 concentrations. The effect of variation in rooting media formulation and fertilizer rate on response of NC-S and NC-R to ambient O 3 was determined in the present study. In the rooting medium experiment, clover was grown in three mixtures of sandy loam topsoil:course washed sand:Metro Mix 220 (ratios (by volume) of 2:1:1, 2:1:5, and 6:1:1). In the fertilizer experiment, clover was grown in the 2:1:1 medium at four fertilizer rates (soluble 5-11-26 (N-P-K) at 0.0, 0.5, 1.0, or 2.0 g per pot). Ozone caused more foliar injury, more chlorosis, and a greater decrease in forage production of NC-S than of NC-R in all studies. Rooting media treatments affected both clones similarly and occasional clone x media interactions were judged to be random. Forage production by NC-S, relative to that of NC-R, was generally greater in the 0.0 fertilizer treatment, but the forage ratios were similar at all other fertilizer treatments. The relative response of NC-S and NC-R to O 3 is fairly stable under cultural conditions that support normal plant growth.
Effect of Intrauterine Devices on Pituitary Gonadotropins, Ovulation and Pseudopregnancy in Rabbits

An experiment was planned to test the effects of IUD in rabbits who had a pseudopregnancy before the treatment. The effects of IUD were compared in animals having a treatment period of 4 days of estrus versus a long treatment of a pseudopregnancy plus 8 days of estrus. 80 rabbits in the first 24 hours of estrus following a pseudopregnancy were assigned to 8 groups of 10 each. The experiment was 2 by 2 by 2 factorial the factors being: 1) treatment with IUD in both the uterine horns; 2) duration of treatment; and 3) mating. The treatment with IUD caused a significant increase in variability of the length of pseudopregnancy. In the treated animals the proportion of large follicles that had ovulated by 11 hours after mating was significantly less than in the control groups. This effect was more pronounced when the IUD had its effect for a shorter period than for a longer period. There was no significant difference in the total number of follicles that had matured in the different groups. The relative potency of the pituitary gland was higher in the non-mated than in the mated animals but differences due to the IUD treatment were not significant either. The lesser proportion of follicles ovulating by 11 hours in the treated animals is suggestive of an interference with acute release of luteinizing hormone (LH). The less pronounced effects of the IUDs after they had been installed for the longer time appear to reflect some kind of adaptation in their presence.
The Best (?) Formula for Computing π to a Thousand Places

In the December 1938 issue of this Monthly, D. H. Lehmer gave a very comprehensive list of formulas for computing π. He rightly chose formulas (23) and (32) as the best self checking pair, with (18) a good substitute for (23).
Extraversion and task performance: A fresh look through the workload history lens

Abstract This study manipulated workload levels and used a technique examining workload history to test Eysenck’s (1967) theory of extraversion. Participants consisted of 71 undergraduates who had been selected from a larger pool that had completed the Eysenck Personality Inventory. Participants performed an auditory vigilance task while percent correct data were recorded. A repeated measures ANOVA was conducted and results indicated that extraverts and introverts respond differently to a sudden decrease in workload level. Specifically, a sudden decrease in workload level resulted in an immediate significant decrement in correct responses for extraverts while the decrement for introverts was minimal. Limitations were discussed and implications for future research were addressed.
Causal analyses between exports and economic growth in developing countries

This study investigates the prima facie causal relationship between the exports and output growth in 30 developing countries over the period from 1960 to 1988 in a multivariate framework. The information set considered for the output and exports models are ω = (domestic output, exports, labour and capital), and ω = (exports, domestic output, exchange rate and foreign output) respectively. This study indentities a feedback prima facie causal relationship between exports and output growth in five countries, export growth prima facie causes output growth in another six countries; output growth prima facie causes export growth in a further eight countries; and no causal relationship was observed between export growth and output growth in the remaining 11 countries. We also found that in 15 countries the foreign exchange rate prima facie caused export growth, and that in 12 countries world output caused export growth.
Digital picture processing techniques for the publishing industry

Abstract This paper describes experimental digital methods for processing continuous tone pictures to produce outputs which are suitable for conventional printing methods. Digital halftone and line conversion techniques are discussed, and the results of both methods are shown.
Classes and mechanisms of calcium waves

Abstract The best known calcium waves move at about 5–30 μm/s (at 20°C) and will be called fast waves to distinguish them from slow (contractile) ones which move at 0.1-1 μm/s as well as electrically propagated, ultrafast ones. Fast waves move deep within cells and seem to underlie most calcium signals. Their velocity and hence mechanism has been remarkably conserved among all or almost all eukaryotic cells. In fully active (but not overstimulated) cells of all sorts, their mean speeds lie between about 15–30 μm/s at 20°C. Their amplitudes usually lie between 3–30 μM and their frequencies from one per 10–300 s. They are propagated by a reaction diffusion mechanism governed by the Luther equation in which Ca2+ ions are the only diffusing propagators, and calcium induced calcium release, or CICR, the only reaction; although this reaction traverses various channels which are generally modulated by IP3 or cADPR. However, they may be generally initiated by a second, lumenal mode of CICR which occurs within the ER. Moreover, they are propagated between cells by a variety of mechanisms. Slow intracellular waves, on the other hand, may be mechanically propagated via stretch sensitive calcium channels.
Mean-life measurements of ionized Ar and Cl excited states at grazing incidence wavelengths

We have measured ClVI, Cl VII, and Ar VII, Ar VIII decay times at wavelengths in the range 50-550 \AA{} using the beam-foil technique. The detection system was developed to obtain a spatial resolution of about 50 \ensuremath{\mu}m along the beam, allowing very short lifetimes of the order of a few picoseconds to be measured. Our results are compared with recent theoretical results and other experimental data in the Mg I and Na I isoelectronic sequences.
The hydrogen-vanadium(V) oxytrichloride reaction

Abstract The reaction of hydrogen and VOCl3 has been investigated over the temperature range 500–850°C. Pure VOCl was obtained as the reaction product at 600–635°C; but at higher temperatures mixtures of V2O3, VCl2 and VOCl resulted. Thermal decomposition of VOCl at 650–900°C proceeded with the formation of V2O3, VCl2, VCl3 and VCl4; this reaction was related in a definite way to the hydrogen reduction. X-ray powder diffraction data are given for VOCl and VCl2.