cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Goal setting and monitoring with alcohol and other drug use disorders: Principles and practices.

Abstract Introduction This work builds on a small body of literature that explores core processes in psychotherapy, behavior change, and evidence-based alcohol or other drug (AOD) therapies. Here, this paper discusses two separate but dependent processes. The research team defines goal setting and goal monitoring as collaborative processes where clinicians and clients identify and formulate therapeutic goals; actionable objectives; and revisit, measure, and renegotiate these plans via a standardized procedure over time. Method Study methods included a literature review and qualitative content analysis to derive a set of principles and practices of goal setting and monitoring. The research team used source documents (i.e., literature reviews, therapy manuals, and government-issued practice guidelines) and videos (i.e., therapy demonstration videos), and we performed analyses in NVIVO. Results The study identified ten principles and 32 practices. The principles suggest that goal setting and monitoring can be characterized as a collaborative, explicit, and standardized approach to engaging in goal-directed therapeutic work. The term goal-directed therapeutic work connotes a shift toward a more accountable frame for care than has been previously emphasized in the literature. The identified practices were organized into five sub-themes related to goal setting (10 practices), goal monitoring (10 practices), as well as practices specific to mechanisms of goal pursuit and behavior change. These practices involved ways to attend to client self-determination (4 practices), motivation (4 practices), and self-efficacy (4 practices). Conclusions Goal setting and monitoring are a collaborative means of mapping and tracking a course of mutually accountable treatment. The current work is a novel resource for trainees, clinicians, and clinical supervisors interested in care based on evidence-based principles and practices of AOD and other behavior change therapies.
CoVA: Context-aware Visual Attention for Webpage Information Extraction.

Webpage information extraction (WIE) is an important step to create knowledge bases. For this, classical WIE methods leverage the Document Object Model (DOM) tree of a website. However, use of the DOM tree poses significant challenges as context and appearance are encoded in an abstract manner. To address this challenge we propose to reformulate WIE as a context-aware Webpage Object Detection task. Specifically, we develop a Context-aware Visual Attention-based (CoVA) detection pipeline which combines appearance features with syntactical structure from the DOM tree. To study the approach we collect a new large-scale dataset of e-commerce websites for which we manually annotate every web element with four labels: product price, product title, product image and background. On this dataset we show that the proposed CoVA approach is a new challenging baseline which improves upon prior state-of-the-art methods.
Primed lymphoid cell tolerance: II. In vivo tolerization of highly tolerogen-sensitive hapten-primed, potentially IgG-producing B cells☆

The relative ease of tolerizing IgM-bearing versus IgG-bearing B cells was investigated. Previous work had shown that IgG-bearing trinitrophenyl (TNP)-specific B cells from mice primed and boosted with TNP-keyhole limpet hemocyanin (TNP-KLH) are highly susceptible to tolerization in vitro by TNP presented on an unrelated carrier. TNP-OVA was used as tolerogen, as it may represent a more general class of tolerogens than those which are nonmetabolizable or immunoglobulin containing. This study showed that highly primed B cells are tolerizable in vivo using TNP-OVA, with the IgG response to TNP-KLH easier to tolerize than the IgM response. To determine if the ease of tolerization of the IgG response in vivo was due to intrinsic differences in B-cell precursors of the IgM and IgG responses, tolerance was performed in vitro with B cells of defined surface isotypes. A T-independent antigen, TNP-endotoxin, was employed to minimize T-cell effects. At least 10 times as much TNP-OVA was required to tolerize B cells bearing the IgM surface isotype than those with the IgG surface isotype. Thus, the ease of inhibition of the IgG response as compared to the IgM response in vivo by preexposure to TNP-OVA may be at least partially explained by inherent differences in IgM and IgG B-cell precursors.
An expression for optimum beamformer SINR in multipath channels and comparison to adaptive array measurements

Optimum beamformer output SINR with one interfering signal is expressed in terms of signal spatial signatures and noise power. The expression, valid for multipath channels, leads to consistent results for the cases of no interference and strong interference. The optimum SINR calculated using the expression is compared to measured SINR achieved using an adaptive beamforming algorithm applied to data recorded using an antenna array testbed.
Talks on Quantum Computing

This talk will give an overview of quantum computing in an intuitive and conceptual fashion. No prior knowledge of quantum mechanics will be assumed. The talk will begin with an introduction to the strange world of the quantum. Such concepts as quantum superposition, Heisenberg's uncertainty principle, the "collapse" of the wave function, and quantum entanglement (i.e., EPR pairs) are introduced. This part of the talk will also be interlaced with an introduction to Dirac notation, Hilbert spaces, unitary transformations, quantum measurement, and the density operator. Simple examples will be given to explain and to illustrate such concepts as quantum measurement, quantum teleportation, quantum dense coding, and the first quantum algorithm, i.e., the Deutsch-Jozsa algorithm. The PowerPoint slides for this talk will be posted at the URL: http://www. csee.umbc.edu/ lomonaco/Lectures.html
Perfluorinated Polymers, Tetrafluoroethylene–Ethylene Copolymers

Copolymers of ethylene and tetrafluoroethylene (ETFE) have been studied for more than half a century. However, modified ETFE are the products of real commercial value because they have good tensile strength, moderate stiffness, high flex life, and outstanding impact strength, abrasion resistance, and cut-through resistance. Electrical properties include low dielectric constant, high dielectric strength, excellent resistivity, and low dissipation factor. Thermal and cryogenic performance and chemical resistance are good. This family of polymers can be processed by conventional methods such as melt extrusion, injection molding, transfer molding, and rotational molding. These polymers are synthesized in aqueous, nonaqueous, or mixed medium with free-radical initiators. The polymer is isolated and converted into extruded cubes, powders, and beads or into dispersion. The general-purpose resin is used for insulating and jacketing low voltage power wiring for mass transport system, wiring for chemical plants, and control and instrumentation wiring. It is also used to produce sockets, connectors, and switch components. These resins provide good service in seal glands, pipe plugs, corrugated tubing, fasteners, and pump vanes. Keywords: perfluorinated polymers; tetrafluoroethylene–ethylene copolymers; Tefzel; ETFE; chemical resistance
Correlation Functions and Spectra of Phase- and Delay-Modulated Signals

A delay-modulated signal may be regarded as the response of a delay modulator to the carrier of the signal. By using this point of view a general expression for the correlation function of a delay-modulated signal is obtained. This expression is given in an operational form in which the operand is the correlation function of the carrier, and the operator is the correlation function of the delay modulator. The general result is applied to the determination of the correlation function of a delay-modulated signal having a periodic carrier, and, more particularly, to the determination of the correlation function of a phase-modulated signal.
Just Say Yes to New Drugs

Predatory snails, glowing bacteria, and bad-smelling mosquitoes probably don't make you think "medical breakthroughs!" The list is from the realm of basic research, which has been compared to shooting an arrow into the sky and then painting a target where it lands. It's easy to lampoon basic research. In a culture of ultra-this and cutting-edge-that, "basic" sounds cheap. Of course, in the case of research "basic" means fundamental. Most science teachers are deeply curious about the natural world and can appreciate scientists driven to explore seemingly obscure corners of life. The general public, however, doesn't necessarily appreciate the value of curiosity-driven research that has a high chance of failure. If forced to make a choice on how tax dollars are to be spent, most people would go for applied research. So how is it that the lion's share of research supported by the U.S. Government's National Institutes of Health (NIH) is basic research? The short answer is that basic research is the best compass for applied research. The mission of the NIH is to gain fundamental knowledge about living systems and to apply that knowledge to improving health. At the heart of this mission is the principal of investigator-initiated research, which is bureaucratic code for "let smart, driven, curious people follow their nose." Don't try and tell them what they should be researching. The NIH is the envy of the global research community with a budget of about $30 billion a year. No other nation on earth comes close to this level of public support for biomedical …
SIMPLIFIED CONTROL CHARTS FOR MULTIVARIATE NORMAL SYSTEMS

[This abstract is based on the author's abstract.] A method for performing statistical process control for multivariate normal data is presented. The method may be used when sophisticated SPC software is unavailable. While the charts may not be as pow..
Pigment epithelium-derived factor (PEDF) has direct effects on the metabolism and proliferation of microglia and indirect effects on astrocytes

Pigment epithelium-derived factor (PEDF), a neurotrophic agent first identified in conditioned medium from cultured human retinal pigment epithelial cells, induces neuronal differentiation with neurite outgrowth in Y-79 retinoblastoma cells and has a neurotrophic survival effect on cerebellar granule cells in culture. In the present study, we investigated the effects of human recombinant PEDF (rPEDF) on proliferation and activation of microglia and astrocytes isolated from newborn rat brain. rPEDF treatment caused microglia to round up morphologically, increased their metabolic activity (measured by both MTS conversion and acid phosphatase activity), but blocked proliferation (mitosis). This blocking effect could be demonstrated in cultures stimulated to proliferate by addition of granulocyte-macrophage colony stimulating factor. The effect of rPEDF on microglial metabolic activity showed a dose-response relationship both in serum-containing medium and in chemically defined medium and was blocked with anti-PEDF antibody. rPEDF had no direct effect on the metabolic activity or proliferation of cultured astrocytes but blocked their proliferation in astrocyte-microglia co-cultures. Proliferation of isolated astrocytes was also blocked by conditioned medium from microglia treated with PEDF (PMCM). The effect of PMCM on astrocytes was not blocked by an antibody to transforming growth factor-beta. These results demonstrate that PEDF activates microglial metabolism while blocking proliferation and suggest that a soluble factor(s) released by rPEDF-stimulated microglia blocks the proliferation of astrocytes. Thus, PEDF could play an important role in regulation of glial function and proliferation in the central nervous system.
Low-Temperature Elimination of Organic Components from Mesostructured Organic−Inorganic Composite Films Using Vacuum Ultraviolet Light

A novel and simple procedure named photocalcination has been developed for removing organic components from mesostructured organic−inorganic composite films. This procedure employs an excimer lamp radiating vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) light of 172 nm in wavelength. Organic molecules are removed through two distinct photochemical reactions proceeding simultaneously at room temperature: the photocleavage of C−H and C−C bonds in the organic molecules by direct photoexcitation and their subsequent oxidation with activated oxygen species generated by the photoexcitation of atmospheric oxygen molecules. In this study, a composite of cetyltrimethylammonium chloride−silica (CTAC−silica) was used. Thin films of this organic−inorganic composite were prepared on Si substrates coated with a self-assembled monolayer of octadecyltrimethoxysilane. The films were irradiated with VUV light under pressures of 10, 102, 103, or 105 Pa. Although, in each case, the CTAC molecules in the composite films were completely oxidized a...
Brugia pahangi: Susceptibility and macroscopic pathology of golden hamsters

Abstract Twenty male hamsters were inoculated with 95 to 150 infective larvae of B. pahangi via the subcutaneous route. Worms recovered from 19 hamsters averaged 14% (0–32) from 11 hamsters killed at 105–195 days after infection and 16% (5–19) from 8 hamsters examined at 23–45 days after infection. Approximately one-half of the worms recovered were from the lymphatic vessels of the testes, epididymis, and spermatic cord. A few were found in afferent or efferent vessels of regional lymph nodes. The remaining worms were from the heart and lungs. Low-level microfilaremias were observed in 10 of 12 hamsters held for over 100 days. The average prepatent period was 89 days (65–128). Worms were recovered for up to 3 weeks following inoculation of nine hamsters via the intraperitoneal route with 100–400 infective larvae of B. pahangi. Gross lymphatic pathologic lesions consisted of moderate to marked dilation of lymphatic vessels, enlargement of regional lymph nodes, and numerous lymphthrombi and emboli. Macroscopic changes were most consistent and severe in the lymphatic vessels of the testes, epididymis, and spermatic cord and were noted less frequently in the afferent or efferent vessels of various regional lymph nodes. Areas of reddish discoloration were observed frequently on the serosal surface of the lung in infected hamsters.
Caretaker or undertaker? The role of the proteasome in aging

Despite intensive studies, the molecular basis of the decline of protein degradation with age still remains unresolved. It is suspected that the proteasome is one of the key factors controlling the age-dependent turnover of intracellular proteins. This hypothesis is based on the observation that the proteasome is a part of the ubiquitin-proteasome pathway, which together with the lysosomal pathway constitute the major mechanisms of protein degradation. While there are alterations in proteasome structure and function with age, the observed changes do not provide a clear mechanism for explaining the decline of protein degradation. In addition, there are no consistent changes in the ubiquitination system to account for this decline. On the other hand, because of the essential role played by the proteasome in the maintenance of cellular homeostasis, the observation of age-related changes in structure and function will ultimately be demonstrated to contribute to the aging process. The fact that food restriction, the only currently available experimental paradigm that can alter the aging process, modulates the age-related changes in proteasome structure and function provides presumptive evidence that the proteasome is involved in the aging process.
Mechanism and ablation of arrhythmia following total cavopulmonary connection.

Background— The ability to identify and ablate different arrhythmia mechanisms after the total cavopulmonary connection has not been studied in detail. Methods and Results— After obtaining Institutional Review Board approval according to institutional guidelines, consecutive patients after a total cavopulmonary connection undergoing electrophysiology study over a 6-year period were included (2006–2012). Arrhythmia mechanism was determined, and the procedural outcome was defined as complete, partial success, or failure. A 12-point arrhythmia severity score was calculated for each patient at baseline and on follow-up. Fifty-seven procedures were performed on 52 patients (18.4±11.8 years; 53.0±27.2 kg). Access to the pulmonary venous atrium was necessary in 33 procedures, via fenestration (16) or transbaffle puncture (17), and in 2 cases, an additional retrograde approach was used. In total, 80 arrhythmias were identified in 47 cases: macroreentrant (n=25) or focal atrial tachycardia (n=8), atrioventricular nodal reentry tachycardia (n=13), reentry via an accessory pathway (n=4) or via twin atrioventricular nodes (n=4), ventricular tachycardia (n=5), and undefined atrial tachycardia (n=21). Procedural outcome in 32 patients who underwent ablation was complete success (n=25), partial success (n=3), failure (n=3), or empirical ablation (n=1). After successful ablation, there was a significant decrease in arrhythmia score over 18.2 (4–32) months follow-up, with a sustained trend even in the face of arrhythmia recurrence (50%). Conclusions— Arrhythmia mechanism post total cavopulmonary connection is highly varied, encompassing simple and more complex substrates, documentation of which facilitates a strategic approach to invasive arrhythmia management. Despite the anatomic limitations, successful and clinically meaningful ablation is possible.
Effects of Conditional Central Expression of HIV-1 Tat Protein to Potentiate Cocaine-Mediated Psychostimulation and Reward Among Male Mice

As a major neuropathogenic factor associated with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection, HIV-1 Tat protein is known to synergize with psychostimulant drugs of abuse to cause neurotoxicity and exacerbate the progression of central nervous system pathology. However, the functional consequences of the interaction between HIV-1 Tat and abused drugs on behavior are little known. We tested the hypothesis that HIV-1 Tat expression in brain would modulate the psychostimulant effects of cocaine. Using the GT-tg bigenic mouse model, where brain-selective Tat expression is induced by activation of a doxycycline (Dox) promotor, we tested the effects of Tat on cocaine (10 mg/kg, s.c.) induced locomotion and conditioned place preference (CPP). Compared with uninduced littermates or C57BL/6J controls, cocaine-induced hyperlocomotion was sustained for a significantly longer duration among Tat-induced mice. Moreover, although all groups displayed similar saline-CPP, Tat-induced GT-tg mice demonstrated a three-fold increase in cocaine-CPP over the response of either uninduced littermates or Dox-treated C57BL/6J control mice. Induction of Tat also increased the magnitude of a previously established cocaine-CPP after an additional cycle of cocaine place-conditioning. Despite Tat-induced potentiation, extinction of place preference occurred within 21 days, commensurate with cocaine-extinction among saline-treated littermates and C57BL/6J controls. Re-exposure to cocaine produced reinstatement of an equivalent place preference in Tat-induced GT-tg or C57BL/6J mice; however, induction of Tat protein after the extinction of CPP also produced reinstatement without additional exposure to cocaine. Together, these data suggest that central HIV-1 Tat expression can potentiate the psychostimulant behavioral effects of cocaine in mice.
Change in atmospheric mineral aerosols in response to climate: Last glacial period, preindustrial, modern, and doubled carbon dioxide climates

Desert dust simulations generated by the National Center for Atmospheric Research's Community Climate System Model for the current climate are shown to be consistent with present day satellite and deposition data. The response of the dust cycle to last glacial maximum, preindustrial, modern, and doubled-carbon dioxide climates is analyzed. Only natural (non-land use related) dust sources are included in this simulation. Similar to some previous studies, dust production mainly responds to changes in the source areas from vegetation changes, not from winds or soil moisture changes alone. This model simulates a +92%, +33%, and −60% change in dust loading for the last glacial maximum, preindustrial, and doubled-carbon dioxide climate, respectively, when impacts of carbon dioxide fertilization on vegetation are included in the model. Terrestrial sediment records from the last glacial maximum compiled here indicate a large underestimate of deposition in continental regions, probably due to the lack of simulation of glaciogenic dust sources. In order to include the glaciogenic dust sources as a first approximation, we designate the location of these sources, and infer the size of the sources using an inversion method that best matches the available data. The inclusion of these inferred glaciogenic dust sources increases our dust flux in the last glacial maximum from 2.1 to 3.3 times current deposition.
Engineering Limonene and Bisabolene Production in Wild Type and a Glycogen-Deficient Mutant of Synechococcus sp. PCC 7002.

The plant terpenoids limonene (C10H16) and α-bisabolene (C15H24) are hydrocarbon precursors to a range of industrially-relevant chemicals. High-titer microbial synthesis of limonene and α-bisabolene could pave the way for advances in in vivo engineering of tailor-made hydrocarbons, and production at commercial scale. We have engineered the fast-growing unicellular euryhaline cyanobacterium Synechococcus sp. PCC 7002 to produce yields of 4 mg L-1 limonene and 0.6 mg L-1 α-bisabolene through heterologous expression of the Mentha spicata L-limonene synthase or the Abies grandis (E)-α-bisabolene synthase genes, respectively. Titers were significantly higher when a dodecane overlay was applied during culturing, suggesting either that dodecane traps large quantities of volatile limonene and α-bisabolene that would otherwise be lost to evaporation, and/or that continuous product removal in dodecane alleviates product feedback inhibition to promote higher rates of synthesis. We also investigate limonene and bisabolene production in the ΔglgC genetic background, where carbon partitioning is redirected at the expense of glycogen biosynthesis. The Synechococcus sp. PCC 7002 ΔglgC mutant excreted a suite of overflow metabolites (α-ketoisocaproate, pyruvate, α-ketoglutarate, succinate and acetate) during nitrogen deprivation, and also at the onset of stationary growth in nutrient-replete media. None of the excreted metabolites, however, appeared to be effectively utilized for terpenoid metabolism. Interestingly, we observed a 1.6 to 2.5-fold increase in the extracellular concentration of most excreted organic acids when the ΔglgC mutant was conferred with the ability to produce limonene. Overall, Synechococcus sp. PCC 7002 provides a highly promising platform for terpenoid biosynthetic and metabolic engineering efforts.
Electronic and structural anomalies in lead chalcogenides

The rocksalt-structure PbS, PbSe, and PbTe semiconductors and their alloys exhibit a series of electronic-structure anomalies relative to the II-VI system, including the occurrence of direct gaps at the L point, anomalous order of band gaps and valence-band maximum energies versus anions, negative optical bowing, and negative band-gap pressure coefficients. We show that these anomalies result from the occurrence of the Pb s band below the top of the valence band, setting up coupling and level repulsion at the L point. Furthermore, we find that the topology of the frustrated octahedral structure leads to the occurrence in the random alloy of two distinct bonds for each anion-cation pair and to the predicted stabilization of {ital bulk} ordered Pb{sub 2}STe CuPt-like phase. {copyright} {ital 1997} {ital The American Physical Society}
Correlating the Luminosity Parameters to Pulse Shape Discrimination

Monte Carlo simulations were used to investigate the correlation between luminosity parameters and pulse shape discrimination (PSD) and subsequently compared with experimental results from CsI:Tl. Luminosity intensity parameters Af, As (fast and slow initial luminosities) and temporal luminosity parameters τf, τs (fast and slow decay time constants) of a dual decay mode scintillator were applied to create a dynamic model with Crystal Ball simulation system. The simulated pulses were analyzed with charge comparison (CC) and constant time discrimination (CTD) PSD methods followed by quantification of the histogrammed pulse data with Figure of Merit (FoM) and spillover (pulse misclassification). Performance in terms of FoM and spillover is compared with that of fixed reference pulses set at (Af τf/As τs)γ = 1 and (Af τf/As τs)γ = 0.1. For the CC method, independent of the reference pulse characteristics [(Af τf/As τs)γ = 1 or = 0.1], τs is the most influential parameter for PSD as compared with Af, As, and τf. For the CTD method, Af and As are seen to have less influence over the PSD compared to τf and τs when (Af τf/As τs)γ = 1 and τf is the most influential parameter for both reference pulses. Using both methods with either reference pulse applied, the scintillator having luminosity parameters such that is classified as having poor PSD. Excellent correlation is observed between the simulation and the experimental results with CsI:Tl, which is known for very good α/β(γ) pulse shape discrimination. This study is useful for describing how the luminosity parameters affects PSD.
Controls for rhizosphere microorganisms to study effects of vesicular-arbuscular mycorrhizae on Artemisia tridentata

Seven treatments were set up to test the effects of vesicular-arbuscular (VA) mycorrhizal fungi and other rhizosphere microorganisms on the growth of Artemisia tridentata ssp. tridentata. Soil sievings had no significant effect on root or shoot mass. Spores and surface-sterile spores were a poor inoculum source, but roots and fresh soil caused 45–75% mycorrhizal infection. Whereas root-inoculated plants still had low growth responses by the end of the experiment, fresh soil inoculum caused the greatest response, and partial fresh inoculum caused a lesser response. These results suggest that fresh soil is an appropriate inoculum for this plant-fungal-soil system, and that the major effect on plant growth of the fresh soil inoculum is from the mycorrhizal fungi and not from the other microorganisms, because the sievings had no effect on plant growth. In addition, soil dilution plating of saprophytic fungi showed 85% species similarity between sterile and fresh soil inoculum by the end of the experiment. Since the effects of non-VA microorganisms are complex and varied, we suggest that researchers work out the type of mycorrhizal controls that best suit their system.
Medium range order and the radial distribution function

Abstract We have studied the subtle differences between the radial distribution functions g(r) of several models of disordered silicon, which contain differing amounts of paracrystalline medium range order. Due to the inherent averaging of diffraction data at medium range length scales r, the differences are indeed small. We find, however, that the residual function G(r) = r[g(r) − 1] exhibits an oscillatory decay, with discernibly different decay lengths. The decay lengths are found to be proportional to the radial extent of the medium range order in the model as determined by several other computational methods. Our results indicate that the extent of medium range order could be measured by diffraction experiments. However, to discern the nature of the ordering, fluctuation microscopy is needed, and for models, improved methods for modeling the oscillatory part of G(r) are essential.
Bioactive hydrogels based on Designer Collagens

Abstract Designer Collagens are based on streptococcal collagen-like (Scl) proteins that form a triple helix similar to mammalian collagens but that are non-platelet aggregating. In contrast to the numerous cell-binding sites on collagen, Scl2 from Streptococcus pyogenes serotype M28 does not contain any known cell-binding sites and thus provides a blank slate in terms of cellular interactions. In the current study, Scl2 protein was modified to include receptor binding motifs that interact with α1 and/or α2 integrin subunits. The modfied Scl2 proteins have been demonstrated to mediate differential endothelial cell (EC) and smooth muscle cell (SMC) adhesion via these integrins and to retain the non-platelet aggregating properties of the “parent” Scl2. Thromboresistant scaffolds which selectively bind ECs vs. SMCs would be desirable for vascular repair or replacement. Despite the potential of these Scl proteins in vascular applications, the utility of this recombinant protein family is currently limited to coatings due to the inability of Scl proteins to assemble into stable three-dimensional networks. To address this limitation, the Scl2 proteins were functionalized with photocrosslinking sites to enable incorporation into a hydrogel matrix. Characterization studies confirmed that the functionalization of the Scl2 proteins did not disrupt triple helix conformation, integrin binding or cell adhesion. Bioactive hydrogels were fabricated by combining the functionalized Scl2 proteins with poly(ethylene glycol) diacrylate (PEGDA) and photocrosslinking. EC and SMC adhesion studies confirmed cell-specific adhesion due to selective integrin binding to the two receptor binding motifs investigated. These results serve to highlight the potential of this novel biomaterial platform in the development of improved tissue engineered vascular grafts.
Educational programs and policies to care for our children

When I was first asked to sewe as guest editor for this special issue I sat down with the articles, to see where the common threads might lie. Upon first reading they seemed a diverse group parent support programs, undergraduate training for future child care workers and teachers of vulnerable childten, a parent swey on school age child care issues, an interpersonal skills-training program for at-risk mothers. As I kept reading I began to see not so much common threads as a common message, indeed a profoundly important one. These articles signal a shift in the burden of caregiving-of nurturing, protecting, socializing, and caring for others--in American society. Traditional sources of care and nurturance are no longer available or able to perform these functions. New sources am being envisioned, trained, and deployed, or in some cases involuntarily drafted, to address our society’s camgiving ntcds. Such shifts have occurted in the past. Some would argue that they occur continuously. But there is an ominous quality to the current state of caregiving in our society, a sense that the fabric has been so weakened that it may disintegrate even as we am trying to renew it. What makes 1990 any different from 1890 or 1930 or 1960? It is different because it seems more difficult than in any past period of our history to identify sources of support, guidance and protection for children and adults alike. It is different because American society has reached a degree of fragmentation, even polarization, that will be extraordinarily difficult to reverse. It is different because for the first time a segment of our societal community feels, and in fact is, completely detached from mainstream expectations, norms and opportunities.
Remark on the theorem of Stone

Abstract The Kakutani-Krein and Stone-Weierstrass theorems remain in force when the approximating family of functions satisfies more weak natural conditions. In the present note, these conditions are indicated.
The International Adoption Experience: Do They Live Happily Ever After?

This study presents the perspective of parents who adopted children internationally and their now adult adopted children regarding the impact of international adoption on their lives. Areas explored include adaptation of the child and family, challenges experienced along the way, influence on various aspects of their lives, parent-child relationship, rewards and regrets associated with the adoption experience, recommendations for those considering international adoptions, and an adjective that would describe their journey. The outcome illuminates the success of international adoptions and the life-changing bond that is formed when parents and children transcend all boundaries to form a family to call their own.
Intermittent intravenous cyclophosphamide arrests progression of the renal chronicity index in childhood systemic lupus erythematosus

Abstract Objective: To assess prospectively the safety and efficacy of a 36-month course of systematic bolus intravenous cyclophosphamide therapy (IVCY) for children with lupus nephritis. Study design: Sixteen children with lupus nephritis were treated with IVCY for 36 months. Renal biopsies performed before and after treatment were scored for activity and chronicity. SLEDAI scores, laboratory measures, and prednisone dosage were recorded at the time of each treatment. Results: After 36 months of IVCY therapy, the renal biopsy activity index decreased from 9 ± 4 to 1 ± 1 ( P 2 ( P P P P Conclusions: Thirty-six months of systematic IVCY therapy led to decreased renal biopsy activity without progression of chronicity, with excellent disease control and a greater than 50% reduction in mean corticosteroid dose. (J Pediatr 2000;136:243-7)
Comparison of disease resistance between diploid, induced-triploid, and intercross-triploid rainbow trout including trout selected for resistance to Flavobacterium psychrophilum

Abstract All-female triploid fish are advantageous in rainbow trout ( Oncorhynchus mykiss ) aquaculture due to sterility and the consequent superior filet quality, growth, and feed conversion achieved at reproductive size. Triploid fish are commonly produced by pressure or temperature shock of the zygote (induced-triploids, 3NP), but can also be produced by mating a tetraploid parent with a diploid (2N) parent (intercross-triploids, 3NC). Little is known about the disease resistance of 3NC fish. In this study, we measured post-challenge survival of genetically-related 2N, 3NP and 3NC families after exposure to Flavobacterium psychrophilum the etiological agent of bacterial cold water disease (BCWD). The families used in this study originated from either an unselected commercial stock or BCWD resistant or susceptible line of rainbow trout. The overall survival of 2N fish was slightly higher than the respective 3NP and 3NC fish. Although 3NC fish tended to show higher survival than 3NP fish, this response was not sufficiently consistent to promote intercross production of triploids for increasing disease resistance. The survival of ten sets of 3NP, 3NC and 2N families, created from BCWD resistant and susceptible line parents, demonstrated overall similar inherent relative survival differences among the ploidy types both among families and between lines, although family differences in response to triploidization and triploidization strategy were observed. In summary, minimal survival difference between 3NP and 3NC families following experimental challenge suggests that innate resistance to F. psychrophilum is not substantially altered by the triploidization strategy and progress in family-based selective breeding of diploid fish for BCWD resistance will substantially translate into improved survival when triploids are derived either by shock treatment or intercross breeding.
A hardware platform for efficient worm outbreak detection

Network Intrusion Detection Systems (NIDS) monitor network traffic to detect attacks or unauthorized activities. Traditional NIDSes search for patterns that match typical network compromise or remote hacking attempts. However, newer networking applications require finding the frequently repeated strings in a packet stream for further investigation of potential attack attempts. Finding frequently repeated strings within a given time frame of the packet stream has been quite efficient to detect polymorphic worm outbreaks. A novel real-time worm outbreak detection system using two-phase hashing and monitoring repeated common substrings is proposed in this article. We use the concept of shared counters to minimize the memory cost while efficiently sifting through suspicious strings. The worm outbreak system has been prototyped on Altera Stratix FPGA. We have tested the system for various settings and packet stream sizes. Experimental results verify that our system can support line speed of gigabit-rates with negligible false positive and negative rates.
Shestov : Faith Against Reason

According to Shestov, knowledge is incompatible with freedom which can be found only through faith because it establishes its truths through the principle of necessity and universality. In fact, the original sin lies in the desire to know, in which not only scientific knowledge is meant, but also knowledge of everyday life. The fall is biblically expressed as a desire to know good and evil. However, it seems that the domain of the moral dimension should not be beyond good and evil, as Shestov suggests, but beyond rationality. Contrasting faith and reason as strongly as Shestov does leads only to a schizophrenic concept of man : man has two faculties that are irreconcilable and even hostile toward one another. It seems that the image of Jerusalem and Athens should be replaced with the image of St. Paul and Minneapolis : different cities that are very close together, not in hostile relationship, but cooperating in a friendly arrangement. Also, Shestov allows for a most irrational expression of freedom. However, he hardly addresses the problem of practical consequences of such a view in social life.
Clostridium sordellii toxic shock syndrome: a case report and review of the literature.

Background: Since the 1980s, there have been isolated reports of a toxic shock syndrome associated with Clostridium sordellii necrotizing subcutaneous infections during the puerperium. Relatively localized fascial and muscle necrosis is noted at the surgical incision sites. However, circulating toxins produce marked edema, resulting in shock and cardiovascular collapse. Despite aggressive surgical and supportive therapy, all postpartum cases thus far have been fatal. Case: A 24-year-old primipara developed an episiotomy infection which progressed to involve the underlying fascia and muscle. Despite early and adequate debridement of the devitalized tissue, she developed anasarca, marked leukocytosis, refractory hypotension, hypothermia, and a persistent coagulopathy, and expired on postpartum day 5. The cultures from the excised tissue grew C. sordellii All blood cultures were negative. Conclusion: Treatment modalities aimed solely at the eradication of the microbe and removal of necrotic tissue, although essential components of therapy, have proved inadequate. Future efforts should be directed toward neutralization or elimination of the circulating exotoxins responsible for the systemic shock.
Semiautonomous Vehicular Control Using Driver Modeling

Threat assessment during semiautonomous driving is used to determine when correcting a driver's input is required. Since current semiautonomous systems perform threat assessment by predicting a vehicle's future state while treating the driver's input as a disturbance, autonomous controller intervention is limited to a restricted regime. Improving vehicle safety demands threat assessment that occurs over longer prediction horizons wherein a driver cannot be treated as a malicious agent. In this paper, we describe a real-time semiautonomous system that utilizes empirical observations of a driver's pose to inform an autonomous controller that corrects a driver's input when possible in a safe manner. We measure the performance of our system using several metrics that evaluate the informativeness of the prediction and the utility of the intervention procedure. A multisubject driving experiment illustrates the usefulness, with respect to these metrics, of incorporating the driver's pose while designing a semiautonomous system.
Student-Generated Higher Order Questioning as a Study Strategy

Abstract Although the benefits of teacher-generated, higher order questioning during instruction on student comprehension have been examined in a number of studies (Redfield & Rousseau, 1981; Samson, Strykowski, Weinstein, & Walberg, 1987; Winne, 1979), few researchers have studied the utility of student-generated, higher order questioning on learning. The effects of student-generated, higher order questioning as a study strategy were measured in this study, and an effort was made to overcome many of the threats to internal validity evident in past studies of this type (King, 1989, 1990, 1991). The results failed to identify any positive effect for student-generated, higher order questioning on comprehension. The implications of these findings and suggestions for future research are discussed.
Diurnal and seasonal variations of plasma adrenal steroid hormone in the white-throated sparrow, Zonotrichia albicollis

Abstract Plasma adrenal steroid hormone in male and female white-throated sparrows, Zonotrichia albicollis , was measured fluorometrically during winter, prenuptial molt, spring migration, and postnuptial molt periods. A diurnal rhythm was found at each period. However, the phase of the rhythm and shape of the curve changed during the course of the annual cycle. Seasonal variation in mean daily levels of plasma adrenal steroid was found also. Adrenal steroid levels were highest in winter and decreased linearly through prenuptial molt, spring migration, and postnuptial molt. These data support the concept that seasonal changes in the phase of diurnal rhythms of hormones are instrumental in regulating seasonal physiological and behavioral conditions.
Escape from Discrepancy: Self-Esteem and Quality of Life as Predictors of Current Suicidal Ideation Among Individuals with Schizophrenia.

While suicidal ideation represents an “early warning” sign for suicidal behavior, studies examining suicidal ideation have been limited and largely atheorethical among those with schizophrenia. Informed by the Escape Theory of Suicide, we investigated the relationship between discrepancy factors, in the form of self-esteem and quality of life (QoL), and suicidal ideation. In a sample of 162 individuals with Schizophrenia, hierarchical logistic regression was employed to examine the contribution of (1) demographic (2) clinical and (3) discrepancy factors to suicidal ideation. A mediation analysis was performed to determine if self-esteem mediated the relationship between QoL and suicidal ideation. While QoL (in social relationships) and self-esteem collectively added value to predicting suicidal ideation beyond other factors, only self-esteem remained significant in the final hierarchical model. Self-esteem was found to mediate the relationship between QoL and suicidal ideation. Findings support Escape Theory in schizophrenia, marking self-esteem and QoL as targets for intervention.
Altered Esterase Zymograms associated with Infection with Leukaemia Virus

THE study of leukaemia viruses was until recently greatly hampered by the lack of cell cultures capable of propagating such viruses, but several cultures have now been found which support the replication of murine leukaemia virus. One of these cultures (JLS V6) originated from a mixture of BALB/c mouse spleen and thymus cells. Exposure of this culture to a cell free extract of leukaemic spleen from mice infected with Rauscher leukaemia virus (RLV) has resulted in a chronically infected culture (JLS V5) which continually propagates Rauscher virus1. In our laboratory, gross cytopathic effects are seen in such infected cells2. The infected cultures (JLS V5) also show a marked increase in mucopolysaccharide and a concomitant loss of contact inhibition, which results in a transformed “criss-cross” growth pattern. Such infected transformed cells have an enhanced tumorigenicity when they are injected into newborn BALB/c mice. The resultant tumours are rich in mucopolysaccharide and are classified as myxofibrosarcomata3. Tests to detect the presence in the infected cultures of other murine viruses to which the observed alterations might be attributable have been negative3. Moreover, newborn mice from mothers immunized with formalized extracts of spleen infected with RLV are resistant to challenge with the transplantable myxofibrosarcoma cells, whereas newborn mice from mothers immunized with extracts of normal spleen tissue show no such resistance4. The uninfected control cells (JLS V6) do not show gross cytopathic effects or transformation and are much less tumorigenic. Furthermore, the tumours that do result from injection of non-infected control cells are classified as spindle-cell sarcomata3.
Surface umklapp effects and surface states on Ir(100)-(1×1), Ir(100)-(5×1) and Ir(111)☆

Abstract The (1×1)→(5×1) reconstruction of the Ir(100) surface has been observed to introduce final state surface umklapp scattering which significantly affects intensities of bulk interband transitions as well as secondary electron features observed in angle-resolved photoemission spectra. In particular, a strongly directional bulk interband transition observed in normal emission from the Ir(100)-(1×1) surface is found to be much weaker for the (5×1) reconstructed surface due to surface umklapp scattering. Previously, this emission feature had been attributed to surface state emission from Ir(100)-(1×1). For Ir(111)-(1×1) we find a Λ1 symmetry surface state at 0.4 eV below the Fermi level at the zone center Γ .
Optimization of Refrigeration Systems for High-Heat-Flux Microelectronics

Increasingly, military and civilian applications of electronics require extremely high heat fluxes, on the order of 1000 W/cm2 . Thermal management solutions for these severe operating conditions are subject to a number of constraints, including energy consumption, controllability, and the volume or size of the package. Calculations indicate that the only possible approach to meeting this heat flux condition, while maintaining the chip temperature below 50 °C, is to utilize refrigeration. Here we report an initial optimization of the refrigeration system design. Because the outlet quality of the fluid leaving the evaporator must be held to approximately less than 20%, in order to avoid reaching critical heat flux, the refrigeration system design is dramatically different from typical configurations for household applications. In short, a simple vapor-compression cycle will require excessive energy consumption, largely because of the superheat required to return the refrigerant to its vapor state before the compressor inlet. A better design is determined to be a “two-loop” cycle, in which the vapor-compression loop is coupled thermally to a primary loop that directly cools the high-heat-flux chip.Copyright © 2008 by ASME
Informal Social Support Interventions and their Role in Violence Prevention An Agenda for Future Evaluation

There is increasing interest among policymakers and practitioners in tapping the potential of family, friends, volunteers, peer support groups, and mutual aid organizations to help prevent violence. The popularity of these informal social support (ISS) interventions stems, in part, from their flexibility, responsiveness to individual needs, and perceived low cost. However, there is still limited understanding of whether and how ISS interventions can improve social support, reduce violence, or save money. Furthermore, mobilizing and sustaining ISS interventions appears to be difficult, particularly for families living in high-risk environments. Rigorous and creative evaluations of ISS interventions are needed to inform policy decisions and refine program development and implementation. Focusing on the field of child maltreatment, we describe different kinds of ISS interventions and outline an evaluation agenda that includes core research questions and evaluation challenges and strategies.