cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Smoking Topography in a Nonlaboratory Environment

The relationships between the number of cigarettes smoked/day and the number of puffs/cigarette, puff duration, and total puff time/cigarette were studied. Data were collected on 12 regular smokers for all cigarettes smoked over a 3-day period in a nonlaboratory environment. Between-subject variability was substantial on each of the topographical measures. Neither the number of cigarettes smoked per day nor the classification of Heavy (> 25 cigarettes/day) vs Moderate (< 25 cigarettes/day) smoking levels was related to the intensity with which cigarettes were smoked. Within-subject consistency on the topography measures indicates that smokers may have relatively unique smoking patterns.Most studies of smoking in the natural environment employ number of cigarettes/day as their estimate of smoke exposure. However, total smoke exposure is determined by an interaction of various topographical features, including frequency (number of cigarettes/day, number of puffs/cigarette), durational (puff duration, interp...
The telomeric protein Rap1 is conserved in vertebrates and is expressed from a bidirectional promoter positioned between the Rap1 and KARS genes.

Abstract We have identified the chicken homolog of the mammalian telomere protein repression and activation protein 1 (Rap1). Although cRap1 has only 36% sequence identity to hRap1, it contains the same conserved BRCA1 C-terminal (BRCT), Myb and Rap C-terminus (RCT) domains. Two-hybrid analysis and immunolocalization experiments revealed that cRap1 interacts with the telomere-binding protein telomeric repeat binding factor (TRF)2 and localizes to telomeres. Thus, despite considerable sequence divergence, the identity and overall domain structure of telomere-associated proteins is conserved in vertebrates. Analysis of the cRap1 genomic locus revealed that the cRap1 gene lies immediately adjacent to the cKARS (lysyl-tRNA synthetase) gene with the two genes in a head-to-head orientation separated by only 57 nt. This same organization is conserved at the human Rap1–KARS locus. When 5′ regions of the cRap1 and cKARS genes were tested for promoter activity, the promoters of both genes were found to lie in or near the intergenic spacer. The two promoters lack TATA boxes but appear to have downstream promoter elements (DPEs). Analysis of human Rap1 and KARS expressed sequence tags (ESTs) indicated that this localization of TATA-less promoters to the intergenic spacer is a conserved feature of the Rap1–KARS locus.
The 2880-Å emission spectrum of I2: Ion-pair states near 47 000 cm−1

Abstract An emission system of I2 in Ar in the region 2830–2890 A is examined under high resolution and found to display fine violet-degraded band structure. This system is interpreted as a charge-transfer transition originating from an ion-pair state near 47 000 cm−1 and terminating on a weakly bound state which dissociates to two ground-state atoms. This interpretation is supported by spectral simulations employing a bound-free model. The transition is tentatively assigned as 0 g − → 2431 0 u − ( 3 Π ) , according to which the excited state becomes the fourth ion-pair state near 47 000 cm−1 to be experimentally characterized, and the lower state is the last component of the lowest 3Π state to be identified. The vibrational assignments include about 45 bands in 127I2 and 129I2, spanning v′ = 0–4 and v″ = 6–19, but with the numbering of the lower state remaining uncertain by several units. The main spectroscopic constants for the excited state are Te = 47 070 cm−1, ϵe = 105.7 cm−1, ϵexe = 0.49 cm−1. The spectral simulations place the lower state's potential curve 34 650 cm−1 below the upper state at R = R′e, with slope −850 cm−1/A. For our “best” numbering of the lower state, ϵe = 20.5 cm−1, ϵexe = 0.29 cm−1, Te = 12 190 cm−1, and De = 360 cm−1.
SU-E-T-619: Comparison of CyberKnife Versus HDR (SAVI) for Partial Breast Irradiation

Purpose: Compare SAVI plans and CyberKnife (CK) plans for the same accelerated course. Methods and Materials: Three SAVI patients were selected. Pre-SAVI CTs were used for CK planning. All prescriptions are 3400cGy in 10 fractions BID. Max dose to skin and chestwall is 425cGy. For SAVI, PTV is a 1cm expansion of the cavity minus the cavity. For CK, CTV is a 1cm expansion of the seroma, with 2mm margin. CK plans are normalized to SAVI, so that in both cases the 323cGy isodose line covers the same percentage of PTV. For CK Fiducial/Synchrony tracking is used. Results: In the following, all doses are per fraction and results are averaged. The PTVs for the CK plans are 2.4 times larger than the corresponding SAVI PTVs. Nonetheless the CK plans meet all constraints and are superior to SAVI plans in several respects. Max skin dose for SAVI vs CK is 332cGy vs 337cGy. Max dose to chestwall is 252cGy vs 286cGy. The volume of lung over 125cGy is 6.4cc for SAVI and 2.5cc for CK. Max heart dose is 60cGy for SAVI and 83cGy for CK. The volume of PTV receiving over 425cGy is 49cc for SAVI and 1.3cc for CK. Max dose to contra-lateral breast is 16cGy for SAVI and 4.5cGy for CK. Conclusion: CK PTVs are directly derived from the seroma. Corresponding SAVI PTVs tend to be much smaller. Dosimetrically, CK plans are equivalent or superior to SAVI plans despite the larger PTVs. Interestingly, the dose delivered to the lung is higher in SAVI vs CK. Fiducial/Synchrony tracking employed by CK might reduce errors in delivery compared to errors associated with shifts of the SAVI implant. In conclusion, when CK is an option for partial breast irradiation it may preferable to SAVI.
GRANULOMATOUS HEPATITIS IN CAT SCRATCH DISEASE (CSD): A NEW SYNDROME WITH DEMONSTRATION OF THE CAT SCRATCH BACILLUS IN THE LIVER

Three patients had an unusual presentation of CSD with visceral involvement. Two of the patients had no peripheral adenopathy. High lever (≥39°C) was present for more than 3 weeks in each case. Abdominal CT revealed focal hepatic defects in 2 patients and periportal and periaortic adenopathy in the third. At laparotomy, nodules were visible on the liver surfaces of all 3 patients and histologic examination revealed necrotizing granulomata. Using the Warthin-Starry silver stain, organisms consistent in appearance with the cat scratch bacillus were identified in the liver and a periaortic lymph node from one patient, in the liver from the second patient, and in the axillary lymph node of the third. This represents the first reported identification of the organism beyond the inoculation site-peripheral lymph node complex. In all 3 patients the clinical findings and abnormalities observed on imaging studies improved without specific therapy. A review of the surgical pathology files of Washington University revealed that these 3 patients were the only pediatric cases of granulomatous hepatitis diagnosed during the past 6 years. These findings indicate that CSD should now be included in the differential diagnosis of granulomatous hepatitis. The identification of CSD as a cause of granulomatous hepatitis in two of the patients in the absence of peripheral adenopathy suggests that the clinical spectrum of CSD may be broader than previously appreciated.
The genetics of autoimmune thyroiditis: The first decade

Most of our current understanding of the genetic predisposition to autoimmune disease can be traced to experiments performed in the decade from 1971 to 1981. Chella David was a key contributor to this research. Many of these early steps came from studies of experimental autoimmune thyroiditis. This model has been especially valuable because essentially the same disease can occur spontaneously in selected strains of animals or can be induced by deliberate immunization. From a genetic point of view, the disease has been investigated in three different species: mice, rats and chickens. The same antigen, thyroglobulin, initiates the disease in all three species. Among the main discoveries were the relationship of autoimmune disease to the major histocompatibility complex (MHC), the interplay of different subregions within the MHC in promoting or retarding development of disease, the differing roles of MHC class II and MHC I class genes in induction and effector phases, respectively, and the cumulative effect of non-MHC genes, each of which represents a small addition to overall susceptibility. Other experiments revealed that genetic differences in thyroglobulin allotypes influence susceptibility to thyroiditis. Thyroid glands differed in different strains in vulnerability to passive transfer of antibody. The first evidence of modulatory genes on the sex-related X chromosome emerged. All of these genetic findings were concurrently translated to the human disease, Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, where thyroglobulin is also the initiating antigen.
Studies with Ionization Gauge. II. Relation between Ionization Current at Constant Pressure and Number of Electrons per Molecule

Calibration constants for the ionization gauge in various gases.---The relation for the pressure $P=K\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}\mathrm{positive}$ ionization, where $K$ is a constant, was found to hold for Hg vapor (.025 to.21 bar) and for iodine vapor assuming published values of vapor pressures. For ${\mathrm{H}}_{2}$, He, Ne, ${\mathrm{N}}_{2}$ and CO at pressures around 50 bars, readings were compared with those of a McLeod gauge and the values of $K$ determined. For the same electrical conditions (anode voltage and electron current) $\frac{1}{K}$ is found to be proportional to the total number of electrons per molecule or molar number $N$, (except for ${\mathrm{H}}_{2}$ and He for which $\mathrm{KN}$ is half as large). Measuring ${i}_{+}\mathrm{in}$ microamps and $P$ in bars, the value of the constant $\mathrm{KN}$ is 10.4 for an electron current at 0.5 m-amp. and an accelerating voltage of 125 volts. Results for the vapor pressure of water and of Hg${\mathrm{I}}_{2}$ also agree with this relation.Relative ionization due to slow electrons in various gases is, then,p roportional to the pressure and to the molar number (except for ${\mathrm{H}}_{2}$ and He). This agrees with results previously obtained for ionization by $\ensuremath{\alpha}$ and $\ensuremath{\beta}$ rays, except that for these ${\mathrm{H}}_{2}$ is not abnormal. From the electron current, $K$ and the mean free path, the fraction of the collisions with molecules which produce positive ions can be computed. It comes out \textonequarter{} in argon for an accelerating potential of 125 volts.Vapor pressures of napthalene,---11\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{} to 18\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}C, and of vacuum oil 0\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{} and 25\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}C were determined, assuming probable values of $K$.
Vulnerability Assessment of Critical Infrastructure, Associated Industries, and Communities during Extreme Events

Critical infrastructure play an important role in functioning of industries and communities and also responding against natural disasters to reduce their impacts (i.e., routes and bridges for evacuation and public buildings for sheltering). Due to global warming, there is an increase in the frequency of extreme weather events which pose a high risk of functional and structural failure of critical infrastructure. Recent natural disasters (i.e., Hurricane Katrina, 2008 Midwest Flood, etc.) have exposed the vulnerability of critical infrastructure in the U.S. Therefore, it is important for the emergency-related agencies to identify and fortify the vulnerable critical infrastructure ahead of time to significantly reduce the potential damage due to floods. In this paper a decision support system (DSS) using Bayesian Network theory and System Dynamics Simulation method is presented for vulnerability assessment of critical infrastructure. This DSS has been developed to support emergency agencies and industries to prepare customized mitigation strategies and plans for preparedness, response, and recovery using the criticality and vulnerability analyses.
Four-wave-mixing stopped light in hot atomic rubidium vapour

Digital signal processing, holography, and quantum and classical information processing rely heavily upon recording the amplitude and phase of coherent optical signals. One method for achieving coherent information storage makes use of electromagnetically induced transparency. Storage is achieved by compressing the optical pulse using the steep dispersion of the electromagnetically induced transparency medium and then mapping the electric field to local atomic quantum-state superpositions. Here we show that nonlinear optical processes may enhance pulse compression and storage, and that information about the nonlinear process itself may be stored coherently. We report on a pulse storage scheme in hot atomic rubidium vapour, in which a four-wave-mixing normal mode is stored using a double- configuration. The entire (broadened) waveform of the input signal is recovered after several hundred microseconds (1/e time of about 120 s), as well as a new optical mode (idler) generated from the four-wave-mixing process.
Technoeconomic Analysis of Biofuel Production and Biorefinery Operation Utilizing Geothermal Energy

A technoeconomic study is conducted to assess the feasibility of integrating geothermal energy into a biorefinery for biofuel production. The biorefinery is based on a thermochemical platform that ...
IDENTIFICATION OF PATHOGENIC BACTERIA IN MIXED CULTURES BY FTIR SPECTROSCOPY

Routine identification of pathogenic microorganisms predominantly based on nutritional and biochemical tests is a time-consuming process. In this study, a method based on FTIR spectroscopy was developed to detect and identify the presence of five possible pathogenic bacteria in ten different microorganism mixtures with each cocktail containing up to three different species at a concentration of 109 CFU/mL. A mathematical approach based on factoring out the common features in the spectral fingerprints was developed and implemented in conjunction with discriminant analysis. FTIR spectra of the mixtures were directly obtained and analyzed using canonical variate analysis based on the discriminant model for the presence of particular species in the pathogenic bacteria mixtures. In nine out of ten mixtures, the predictions were 100% accurate; in one mixture, only one false negative was reported, with no false positives. Results suggest that FTIR spectroscopy combined with a suitable analytical procedure has excellent potential as a fast, powerful, and reliable alternative for identifying a specific foodborne pathogen in a complex and/or competing system.
Phonetics and Recent Developments in Language Study

Author's summary.— The development of phonetics as an applied and an experimental science in the various fields of language study and of language teaching. The value of phonetics training in the study of the so-called less known languages and the importance of applied phonetics in the teaching of modern languages in the light of the recent political developments.
Receiver operating characteristic curves of sonographic estimated fetal weight for prediction of macrosomia in prolonged pregnancies

We evaluated areas under receiver operating characteristic curves for sonographic estimated fetal weight (EFW) as a predictor of macrosomia in prolonged pregnancies. These areas were 0.85 for birth weights of ≥ 4000 g and 0.95 for birth weights of ≥ 4.500 g. Both were significantly greater than 0.5, the area under curves for useless tests. Areas under curves before and after adjustment for time elapsed between measurement and delivery did not differ significantly. At the inflexion point cut-off level of 3711 g, sensitivity, specificity and positive and negative predictive values of EFW for birth weight of ≥ 4000 g were 85, 72, 49 and 94%, respectively. At the inflexion point cut-off level of 4192 g for birth weight of ≥ 4500 g: these values were 83, 92, 30 and 99%. The relative risk for birth weight of ≥ 4000 g was 7.99, and for birth weight of ≥ 4500 g, 39.50, both significant. In conclusion, sonographic EFW is a useful test for predicting macrosomia. Adjustment for time elapsed did not significantly improve either test, probably because of slow rates of fetal growth at this gestational age. Cut-off values derived from this analysis result in high sensitivity but low positive predictive value. A randomized controlled trial of mode and timing of delivery for predicted macrosomia is needed. Copyright © 1997 International Society of Ultrasound in Obstetrics and Gynecology
Efficacy of choice testing to predict chronic ingestion of drinking solutions adulterated with chemicals.

Abstract The feasibility of using a measure of palatability in a 2-bottle choice paradigm to determine detriments in fluid intake when unpalatable solutions containing drugs or chemicals were provided as a sole source of fluid was examined. Palatability measures obtained from testing various concentrations of quinine with water in a two-bottle choice paradigm were compared with intake of these same solutions when they were the sole fluid source for 20 consecutive days. Mice were observed to significantly avoid quinine solutions at concentrations as low as 0.0001 mg/ml in a choice situation while fluid intake was reduced in a forced drinking situation only at a concentration of 0.1 mg/ml. Palatability altered forced fluid intake only when quinine solutions comprised 20% or less of total intake in a choice situation. This approach was successfully employed to predict whether various concentrations of halogenated hydrocarbons could be administered in a repetitive forced drinking situation without reducting total fluid intake of mice.
Thiol-mediated disassembly and reassembly of [2Fe-2S] clusters in the redox-regulated transcription factor SoxR.

SoxR, a transcription factor containing [2Fe-2S] clusters, governs the cellular response to oxidative stress in Escherichia coli. The oxidation state of the iron−sulfur clusters regulates the SoxR ...
The Anatomy and Isometry of the Medial Patellofemoral Ligament Implications for Reconstruction

BackgroundSeveral techniques have been described for reconstruction of the medial patellofemoral ligament. However, the isometry of the medial patellofemoral ligament has not been studied.PurposeTo define the anatomy and isometry of the medial patellofemoral ligament.Study TypeCadaveric study.MethodsThe authors dissected the medial patellofemoral ligament in 11 cadaveric knees and recorded its anatomic relationships. They evaluated the isometry of the medial patellofemoral ligament by obtaining measurements between various anatomic pairings at certain fixed angles of knee flexion.ResultsDuring knee flexion from 0° to 90°, the portion of the medial patellofemoral ligament from the inferior patellar attachment to the superior femoral attachment was nearly isometric, demonstrating an average change in length of only 1.1 mm. Statistical analysis showed the superior femoral attachment to be most significant in determining isometric behavior.ConclusionsThe most isometric portion of the medial patellofemoral lig...
Measuring felt recoil of sporting arms

When a shotgun or rifle is fired, the shooter experiences an impact to the upper body known as recoil. This force felt by the shooter is a consequence of the momentum transfer from the accelerating ballistic charge to the firearm, which is ultimately transferred to the shooter as he/she restrains the firearm's induced motion. The accelerating ballistic charge responsible for the recoil has two components. The first is the acceleration of the projectile itself. The recoil associated with this action is known as primary recoil. The second component is associated with the acceleration of the gases created by the combustion of the gunpowder propellant. For competitors in the shooting sports, gun recoil can affect performance and create discomfort. An objective method of measuring felt recoil forces would be useful to evaluate methods of recoil reduction. An experimental test apparatus was developed to measure recoil forces of sporting rifles and shotguns. No modifications to the firearms themselves were necessary to make the measurements. Through both inertial and dissipative restraint mechanisms, the apparatus reproduced gun movement that was representative of that experienced by a particular shooter. This should result in measured recoil forces similar to those experienced by the shooter. The apparatus measures the horizontal shoulder force and the vertical force component exerted at the stock comb. The recoil event was found to be quite short, having duration on the order of 10 ms. Peak recoil forces for common shotgun target loads were in the range of 1.6-2.2 kN (360-494 lbf). The apparatus was found sensitive enough to measure recoil force differences among different factory loaded ammunition, and differences in recoil force imparted by different firearms shooting the same ammunition. The apparatus should prove useful for quantifying differences in felt recoil as affected by ammunition type, gunstock geometry, barrel porting, recoil reduction devices, and gun weight, among other factors.
The administration of cobra venom factor reduces post-ischemic cerebral injury in adult and neonatal rats.

Abstract The role of complement in post-ischemic cerebral injury is incompletely understood. Therefore, experiments were designed to test the effect of complement depletion on cerebral infarct volume in adult rats and cerebral atrophy in neonatal rats. Cerebral infarcts were induced in adult rats by transient filamentous occlusion of the right middle cerebral artery (MCAO). Cerebral atrophy was induced by subjecting 7-day-old rats to ligation of the right common carotid artery followed by 2.5 h of hypoxia (8% O 2 ). Forty-eight hours after MCAO, coronal sections of adult brains were obtained and stained with 2,3,5-triphenyl tetrazolium chloride. The infant rat brains were removed for analysis 6 weeks after the hypoxic–ischemic insult. Volumes of infarcts and normal hemispheric parenchyma were quantified by computer-based planimetry. Twenty-four hours prior to MCAO (adults) or hypoxia–ischemia (neonates), each animal received an i.p. injection of either 1 mcg/g body weight cobra vemon factor (CVF; adult n = 11; neonatal n = 20) or normal saline (adult n = 12; neonatal n = 24). In the neonates, a second dose of CVF or saline was administered 2 days after hypoxia–ischemia. The administration of CVF significantly reduced: (1) post-ischemic cerebral infarct volume in the adults and (2) post-hypoxic–ischemic cerebral atrophy in the neonates. Therefore, complement activation augmented post-ischemic cerebral injury in adult and neonatal rats. Complement depletion induced by CVF significantly reduced post-ischemic cerebral infarct volume and atrophy in adult and neonatal rats.
The “Natural Course” View of Conflict Resolution

While observing the events surrounding a recent episode of student disorder at the university with which the author is affiliated, he was particularly impressed with the early intransigence of the group involved. The students were at first not willing to enter into negotiations, they were opposed to vacating the building which they had occupied, and they were resistant to attempts to have a committee composed of administrators and faculty meet with them even on their own grounds. Although the president had already given a favorable response to all but one of their demands, the students insisted on all of their demands being accepted by him without further discussion and on having this statement presented to them in notarized form. As the subsequent events unfolded, intermediaries acceptable to students and administtation were identified. Over a period of time these persons met with the two groups separately, and finally an agreement was reached after a joint meeting with the two parties involved in the dispute. During these long hours of numerous deliberations, it often seemed that a total impasse had been reached, with such conditions prevailing as to make conflict resolution virtually impossible. The developments that actually transpired clearly demonstrated that such an interpretation was erroneous. What, then, materially influenced the situation so that a satisfactory outcome was finally possible? I t is suggested that the critical dimension was one of time. It is hypothesized that no matter how conducive to conflict resolution circumstances are after a certain critical phase in the dispute has been attained, further progress must await the passage of a "respectable" amount of time. The time is devoted to a consolidation of positions, to the mobilization of energies, to the development of a defensive posture, all building up to a peak, followed by a gradual reduction in these symptoms of system disequilibrium. Perhaps a patallel can be found in the "nanual course" of certain physical illnesses with the accompanying rise in temperature, the intensification of symptoms, and then the break in the fever. If the proposed explanation has any validity, it should also be manifested in other conflict areas, such as labor-management disputes. The determinants of the specific amount of "respectable" time that needs to elapse would have to be identified. In practical terms, beyond a certain point of conflict development very little can be done to accelerate its resolution and from then on one must await the passage of time. The patties in a dispute need to develop patience and to avoid overreacting.
Full-wave analysis of dielectric waveguides at a given frequency

New variational formulation to compute propagation constants is proposed. Based on it. vector finite element method is proved to exclude spurious modes provided finite elements possess discrete compactness property. Convergence analysis is conducted in the framework of collectively compact operators. Reported theoretical results apply to a wide class of vector finite elements including two families of Nedelec and their generalization, the hp-edge elements. Numerical experiments fully support theoretical estimates for convergence rates.
Developments and experience in the fourier element method

The Fourier element method, which was developed for rapid calculation of magnetic fields in the end regions of generators, has been transformed by automatic mesh generation and algebraic manipulation. The first allows the entire geometry to be specified by the coordinates of the cross-sectional corners, presented in any order. The second, applied especially to combinations of modified Bessel functions, has divided by five the computation in setting up the stiffness matrix. Experience in applying the method to the end regions of large generators bas shown it to be easy to use, fast, and in accord with measurements.
Phosphoinositide 3-Kinase Inhibition Spares Actin Assembly in Activating Platelets but Reverses Platelet Aggregation

Platelet stimulation by thrombin leads to the activation of phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI 3-K) and to the production of the D3 phosphoinositides, phosphatidylinositol 3,4-bisphosphate (PdtIns-3,4-P2) and 3,4,5-trisphosphate (PdtIns-3,4,5-P3). Because changes in the levels of these phosphoinositides correlate with the kinetics of actin assembly, they have been proposed to mediate actin assembly, causing cell shape changes. Wortmannin and LY294002, two unrelated inhibitors of PI 3-K, were used to investigate the role of PI 3-K in platelet actin assembly and aggregation. Both PI 3-K inhibitors abrogated the production of PdtIns-3,4-P2 and PdtIns-3,4,5-P3 in thrombin receptor-activating peptide (TRAP)-stimulated cells. However, neither wortmannin nor LY294002 altered the kinetics of actin assembly or the exposure of nucleation sites in TRAP-stimulated cells. In contrast, PI 3-K inhibitors showed a specific inhibitory pattern of cell aggregation, characterized by a primary phase of aggregation followed by progressive disaggregation. Flow cytometry analysis with the PAC1 monoclonal antibody or with FITC-labeled fibrinogen indicated that wortmannin inhibited the maintenance of the platelet integrin GPIIb-IIIa in its active state. Wortmannin also inhibited, in a dose-dependent manner, platelet aggregation induced by the binding of the monoclonal antibodies P256 and LIBS-6 to GPIIb-IIIa. LIBS Fab-induced aggregation also led to the production of PdtIns-3,4-P2. Platelet secretion, as evidenced by the release of preloaded 14C-5-hydroxy-tryptamine secretion or P-selectin up-regulation, was not affected by PI 3-K inhibition. These results demonstrate that the generation of D3 phosphoinositides is not required for actin assembly in TRAP-activated platelets. However, PI 3-K stimulation is necessary for prolonged GPIIb-IIIa activation and irreversible platelet aggregation. PI 3-K stimulation downstream of GPIIb-IIIa engagement may provide positive feedback required to sustain active GPIIb-IIIa.
Marital Dissolution, Early Motherhood and Early Marriage

The age at which a young woman marries appears to be related strongly to the probability that the marriage remains intact: older couples tend to make more stable pairings than those who wed while quite young. But youthful marriages are often accompanied by youthful childbearing. The effects of the age at which the woman 1st wed and the age at which she bore her 1st child on the likelihood that the marriage dissolved during this period were assessed net of each other and of other circumstances and characteristics of the woman. It was found that among young wives teenage parenthood did not appear to increase the risk of divorce or separation whereas teenage marriage significantly raised the probability of disruption. When the analysis was performed separately by race this pattern held among white wives; however for black wives a 1st birth before age 20 was found to increase instability more than a 1st marriage before that age. The finding that age at 1st marriage but not age at 1st birth is significantly related to the probability of marital dissolution appears robust in the total sample: among subsamples of wives all married at about the same age the age at which they had their 1st birth did not influence stability of marriages. Data were drawn from the US National Longitudinal Study of the Labor Market Experiences of Young Women which sampled over 5000 women aged 18-24 in 1968 with reinterviews each following year up to 1972. (authors modified)
The material culture of homicidal fantasies

A descriptive study was conducted of normal undergraduate students' impulsive homicidal thoughts and the weapons used in these fantasies. Participants completed a questionnaire asking them to describe a recent incident in which they thought about killing someone. A significant proportion of participants reported having homicidal fantasies. Most fantasies were elicited by frustrating or threatening interpersonal events and involved material-cultural weapons (e.g., firearms, knives, clubs) as opposed to organismic weapons (e.g., hands, feet). Material-cultural weapons were rated as easier to use and more lethal than organismic weapons, and participants reported higher self-efficacy beliefs for using material-cultural weapons. Most participants reported that they had been exposed to mass media models using their weapons of choice and that they had access to these weapons. The findings are interpreted as evidence for evolved psychological machinery that can associate material-cultural implements with aggressive behavior and rehearse this association through fantasy. Aggr. Behav. 26:225–234, 2000. © 2000 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
One- and Three-Month Inhalation Studies with Coolanol 25R

Male and female Sprague-Dawley rats were exposed to an aerosol of COOLANOL 25R dielectric heat transfer fluid (COOLANOL 25R) for 6 hid, 5 d/wk at target-exposure levels of 0, 15, 60, or 120 mg/m3 i...
Analysis of error in soot characterization using scattering-based techniques

Abstract The increasing concern of the health and environmental effects of ultrafine soot particles emitted by modern combustion devices calls for new techniques to monitor such particles. Techniques based on light scattering represent one possible monitoring method. In this study, numerical simulations were conducted to examine the errors involved in soot characterization using light scattering techniques. Specifically, this study focused on examining the error caused by the approximate fractal scattering models based on the Rayleigh–Deybe–Gans theory (the RDG-FA model). When the angular scattering properties were used to retrieve parameters of soot aggregates (the radius of gyration and the fractal dimension), the RDG-FA method was observed to cause a relative error of ∼10% for a representative set of soot parameters. The effects of measurement uncertainties were also investigated. Our results revealed the pattern of the errors: the errors consisted of a relatively constant baseline error caused by the RDG-FA approximation and an error increasing with the measurement uncertainties. These results are expected to be useful in the analysis and interpretation of experimental data, and also in the determination of the accuracy and applicable range of scattering techniques.
IEDB-3D: structural data within the immune epitope database

IEDB-3D is the 3D structural component of the Immune Epitope Database (IEDB) available via the ‘Browse by 3D Structure’ page at http://www.iedb.org. IEDB-3D catalogs B- and T-cell epitopes and Major Histocompatibility Complex (MHC) ligands for which 3D structures of complexes with antibodies, T-cell receptors or MHC molecules are available in the Protein Data Bank (PDB). Journal articles that are primary citations of PDB structures and that define immune epitopes are curated within IEDB as any other reference along with accompanying functional assays and immunologically relevant information. For each curated structure, IEDB-3D provides calculated data on intermolecular contacts and interface areas and includes an application, EpitopeViewer, to visualize the structures. IEDB-3D is fully embedded within IEDB, thus allowing structural data, both curated and calculated, and all accompanying information to be queried using multiple search interfaces. These include queries for epitopes recognized in different pathogens, eliciting different functional immune responses, and recognized by different components of the immune system. The query results can be downloaded in Microsoft Excel format, or the entire database, together with structural data both curated and calculated, can be downloaded in either XML or MySQL formats.
Phylogenetic relationships of southern African geckos in the Pachydactylus group (Squamata: Gekkonidae)

Abstract Pachydactylus and its close relatives (Chondrodactylus, Colopus, Palmatogecko) constitute the most species‐rich component of the southern African gekkonid fauna. We conducted a phylogenetic analysis of mitochondrial (cytb, 12S rRNA, 16S rRNA) and nuclear (RAG‐1) gene sequences for these geckos. Pachydactylus tetensis + P. tuberculosus form the sister group to the remaining taxa, and we resurrect the genus Elasmodactylus to accommodate these two basal species. The P. bibronii group is sister to Chondrodactylus angulifer, and is here transferred to the latter genus. Pachydactylus kochii is the sister species of Colopus wahlbergii and is transferred to that genus. All remaining taxa ‐ including the P. namaquensis group, the ‘small‐bodied’ Pachydactylus, and Palmatogecko ‐ form a well‐supported monophyletic assemblage recognised herein as Pachydactylus sensu stricto. The major clades within Pachydactylus s.s. include the capensis, serval/weberi, rangei, rugosus, and geitje groups, as well as a divers...
An Evaluation of Mutation and Data-Flow Testing: A Meta-analysis

Mutation testing is a fault-based testing technique for assessing the adequacy of test cases in detecting synthetic faulty versions injected to the original program. The empirical studies report the effectiveness of mutation testing. However, the inefficiency of mutation testing has been the major drawback of this testing technique. Though a number of studies compare mutation to data ?ow testing, the summary statistics for measuring the magnitude order of effectiveness and efficiency of these two testing techniques has not been discussed in literature. In addition, the validity of each individual study is subject to external threats making it hard to draw any general conclusion based solely on a single study. This paper introduces a novel meta-analytical approach to quantify and compare mutation and data ?ow testing techniques based on findings reported in research articles. We report the results of two statistical meta-analyses performed on comparing and measuring the effectiveness as well as efficiency of mutation and data-?ow testing based on relevant empirical studies. We focus on the results of three empirical research articles selected from the premier venues with their focus on comparing these two testing techniques. The results show that mutation is at least two times more effective than data-?ow testing, i.e., odds ratio= 2.27. However, mutation is three times less efficient than data-?ow testing, i.e., odds ratio= 2.94.
Criteria for performing PCR in cases of suspected herpes encephalitis.

We applaud the effort of Tang et al. to establish criteria for the optimal utilization of PCR for the diagnosis of herpes simplex virus (HSV) encephalitis (4). However, we are hesitant to utilize their criteria because of the rare presentation of HSV encephalitis in patients with normal cerebrospinal fluid parameters (estimated to be 2 to 3% of cases) (3). Failure to perform PCR on a patient with this presentation would put the laboratorian in an adverse medicolegal position. Furthermore, patients with early encephalitis, and presumably with normal cerebrospinal fluid parameters, are the patients in whom early intervention could provide the potential for optimal outcome. The criterion at Charity Hospital in New Orleans, La., for referring specimens for PCR is that clinical suspicion of HSV encephalitis is high enough that the patient has been empirically started on acyclovir. Generally, therapy based on clinical suspicion of HSV encephalitis is recommended (2). A negative HSV PCR result with cerebrospinal fluid could be used in the appropriate clinical setting to support the discontinuation of acyclovir. The laboratory director consults with the primary care physician upon receipt of a request for performance of PCR, to explain the criterion. This policy ensures that therapy is instituted early in the course of the disease, when the likelihood of an optimal outcome is better. In the past 6 months, we have referred only 10 of 24 specimens for performance of PCR for HSV, saving the hospital $2,800.00. Ed. Note: The authors of the published article did not respond.
Exploring the use of an aerial robot to guide blind runners

Lack of physical activity is a serious health concern for individuals with visual impairments who have fewer opportunities to engage in physical activities that provide the amounts and kinds of stimulation to maintain adequate fitness and to support a healthy standard of living. Adolescents with visual impairments often exhibit delays in motor development, such as poor balance and inefficient gait that are considered by-products of predominantly sedentary behaviors during the developmental years [1]. Physical inactivity has been associated with several medical conditions, such as cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure, cancer, type 2 diabetes, and depression.
Effectiveness of a Heads-Up Adaptive Lane Deviation Warning System for Middle-Aged and Older Adults

46 participants (24 younger and 22 older) completed at least one out of four simulated drives designed to test the effectiveness of an Adaptive Lane Deviation Warning (LDW) system, and they drove through both a warnings-on and warnings-off version of each drive. Findings showed that LDW was effective in reducing reaction time for lane deviation corrections for both older (by 1.2 seconds) and younger drivers (by 1.6 seconds). The older and younger drivers did not differ in correction RTs when the warnings were turned off. But older drivers showed slower correction RTs than younger drivers in the warning-on drives. The data indicate that these benefits were specific to LDW rather than general improvement in driving performance. Cognitive processing speed emerged as a particularly robust predictor of benefits from the LDW compared to other domains of cognitive function.
K − − p Interaction at 2.24 BeV c

${K}^{\ensuremath{-}}\ensuremath{-}p$ interactions at $2.24 \frac{\mathrm{BeV}}{c}$ were studied in several exposures of the Brookhavan National Laboratory 20-in. hydrogen bubble chamber at the alternating-gradient synchrotron. We give an account of all aspects of the experiment, including: experimental procedures, scanning and measuring techniques, data-reduction methods, and experimental results and their consistency with the current theories of strong and weak interactions. The experimental results are grouped as follows: meson and baryon resonance spectroscopy; other two-body and three-body reactions; the $\ensuremath{\Xi}$ hyperon; and total cross sections. For completeness, we include information published elsewhere but add important details not previously given. In addition, we report a considerable range of new results.
Apnea Monitoring by Acoustic Detection of Airflow

An acoustic monitor to detect apnea in infants has been developed. Recordings of a signal derived from breath sounds at the nose were made in eight premature infants and compared with observation of the infant and with transthoracic impedance and ECG monitoring. The acoustic monitor detected 26 episodes of apnea lasting 15 seconds or longer which were confirmed by observation and by heart rate slowing of at least 20 beats per minute. Only seven of these episodes were detected by the impedance monitor. The ECG monitor alarmed during the nine spells in which heart rate dropped below 100 beats per minute, 27.5 +/- 9.7 seconds after breath sounds ceased. Inasmuch as the acoustic device detects absent airflow during central or obstructive apnea before bradycardia occurs and is insensitive to body movements, it represents an improved monitoring technique for infants with apnea.
The Effect of Noncellulosic Material on the Actinic Degradation of Cotton Fabric; Part I: Some Copper-Containing Fungicides

The use of fungicidal treatments to protect cotton cellulose from damage by microorganisms is likely to continue. Many noncellulosic materials, including some inorganic and metallo-organic compounds, seem to be capable of photosensitizing the degradation of cotton cellulose. Since the interpretation of much of the published work on this effect lacks precision because it relates to a system which has undergone progressive loss of noncellulosic compound during experiments involving outdoor weathering, work has been carried out on cotton fabrics treated with four typical copper fungicides and irradiated with light from a carbon arc under conditions such that there was no loss of added compound. Copper naphthenate, copper Cunimene, and copper carbonate all show evidence of causing enhanced breakdown of the fabric, especially at low concentrations. Higher concentrations afforded some measure of protection. Copper oxinate gave protection at all concentrations.
The 'No Surplusage' Canon in State and Local Tax Cases

Previous installments of this column have examined numerous canons or conventions of statutory interpretation in their application to state and local tax controversies. This installment considers another canon: the precept that courts should prefer interpretations that render no part of a statute superfluous.
A Discontinuous Galerkin Method for the Magnetohydrodynamics on Arbitrary Grids

A discontinuous Galerkin method based on a Taylor basis is presented for the solution of the magnetohydrodynamics equations on arbitrary grids. Unlike the traditional discontinuous Galerkin methods, where either standard Lagrange finite element or hierarchical node-based basis functions are used to represent numerical polynomial solutions in each element, this DG method represents the numerical polynomial solutions using a Taylor series expansion at the centroid of the cell. Consequently, this formulation is able to provide a unified framework, where both cell-centered and vertex-centered finite volume schemes can be viewed as special cases of this discontinuous Galerkin method by choosing reconstruction schemes to compute the derivatives, offer the insight why the DG methods are a better approach than the finite volume methods based on either TVD/MUSCL reconstruction or essentially non-oscillatory (ENO)/weighted essentially non-oscillatory (WENO) reconstruction, and has a number of distinct, desirable, and attractive features, which can be effectively used to address some of shortcomings of the DG methods. The extension of the HLLD scheme to multi-dimensional problems is developed to compute fluxes across cell interfaces. The developed method is used to compute a variety of test cases. The numerical experiments demonstrate the high accuracy of this discontinuous Galerkin method.
ARACNe-AP: gene network reverse engineering through adaptive partitioning inference of mutual information

Summary: The accurate reconstruction of gene regulatory networks from large scale molecular profile datasets represents one of the grand challenges of Systems Biology. The Algorithm for the Reconstruction of Accurate Cellular Networks (ARACNe) represents one of the most effective tools to accomplish this goal. However, the initial Fixed Bandwidth (FB) implementation is both inefficient and unable to deal with sample sets providing largely uneven coverage of the probability density space. Here, we present a completely new implementation of the algorithm, based on an Adaptive Partitioning strategy (AP) for estimating the Mutual Information. The new AP implementation (ARACNe-AP) achieves a dramatic improvement in computational performance (200× on average) over the previous methodology, while preserving the Mutual Information estimator and the Network inference accuracy of the original algorithm. Given that the previous version of ARACNe is extremely demanding, the new version of the algorithm will allow even researchers with modest computational resources to build complex regulatory networks from hundreds of gene expression profiles. Availability and Implementation: A JAVA cross-platform command line executable of ARACNe, together with all source code and a detailed usage guide are freely available on Sourceforge (http://sourceforge.net/projects/aracne-ap). JAVA version 8 or higher is required. Contact: califano@c2b2.columbia.edu Supplementary information: Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
The Paradox of Traditional Chiefs in Democratic Africa

Part I. Toward a New Theory of Chiefs: 1. The paradox of chiefs 2. Conceptualizing chiefs 3. Traditional leaders and democracy 4. Chiefs as development brokers Part II. Chiefs, Development, and Elections in Zambia: 5. Introduction to Zambia 6. Chiefs and local public goods provision 7. Electoral king makers 8. Chiefs and the voter's calculus Part III. Traditional Leaders in Africa and Beyond: 9. Chiefs and government responsiveness across Africa 10. Development brokers revisited.
A Reality of Its Own

In September 2014, the CDC published a supplement to the MMWR that announced a worst-case estimate of 1.4 million cases of Ebola in Liberia and Sierra Leone (Meltzer et al., MMWR 63(3):1–14, 2014, [1]). The epidemic was then 6 months old and 8,000 cases had been reported. It was estimated that at least 2.5 times that many had occurred, and the 1.4 million was based on the then estimated incidence of 21,000 cases in 6 months. The method was mathematically simple—based primarily on mean incubation period, contact index, and specific sets of patient circumstances—but the details were complicated.