cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Distinguishing Anuran species by high-resolution melting analysis of the COI barcode (COI-HRM)

Taxonomic identification can be difficult when two or more species appear morphologically similar. DNA barcoding based on the sequence of the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase 1 gene (COI) is now widely used in identifying animal species. High-resolution melting analysis (HRM) provides an alternative method for detecting sequence variations among amplicons without having to perform DNA sequencing. The purpose of this study was to determine whether HRM of the COI barcode can be used to distinguish animal species. Using anurans as a model, we found distinct COI melting profiles among three congeners of both Lithobates spp. and Hyla spp. Sequence variations within species shifted the melting temperature of one or more melting domains slightly but do not affect the distinctness of the melting profiles for each species. An NMDS ordination plot comparing melting peak profiles among eight Anuran species showed overlapping profiles for Lithobates sphenocephala and Gastrophryne carolinensis. The COI amplicon for both species contained two melting domains with melting temperatures that were similar between the two species. The two species belong to two different families, highlighting the fact that COI melting profiles do not reveal phylogenetic relationships but simply reflect DNA sequence differences among stretches of DNA within amplicons. This study suggests that high-resolution melting analysis of COI barcodes (COI-HRM) may be useful as a simple and rapid method to distinguish animal species that appear morphologically similar.
Staying Alert: Incorporating Human Fatigue in Risk Management:

This paper addresses the role of human fatigue in workplace safety and risk management. It is well known that fatigue can increase the likelihood of workplace injuries, but the systematic applicati...
InstaHisto: Utilizing Instagram as a Medium for Disseminating Visual Educational Resources

Applying active recall during studying vexes medical students. The integration of social media into medical education is rapidly expanding; however, there is minimal use of Instagram in medical education. Histology is a visually dominant subject and pairs well with Instagram. We sought to create a standardized process for medical educators to establish Instagram as a study tool for histology. An Instagram account accessible to MS1s was created. Histology images in the course syllabus along with questions and explanations for each image were organized and posted to Instagram in a question and answer format. Instagram analytics on student engagement were gathered along with student survey responses. Seventy-four percent (141/190) of the class followed the account. Images had an average of 442 total views. Images had an average of 3.5 views per user (VPUs), ranging from 2.6 to 4.3 VPUs, suggesting that students are viewing images multiple times. Ninety-eight percent of survey responders found the account easy to use. Ninety-five percent said studying the account increased their confidence when answering histology questions on exams, and 75% said the account led to decreased stress when studying histology. Instagram is a platform that the majority of our medical students are already using daily. There was strong evidence of student engagement via Instagram analytics. Once a database of images with questions and answers is established, content can readily be posted to Instagram for students to study. Once established, this process can be applied to other visual content, such as anatomy, radiology, pathology, and microbiology.
Soft surfaces and enhanced nonlinearity enabled via epsilon-near-zero media doped with zero-area perfect electric conductor inclusions.

Introducing a dielectric inclusion inside an epsilon-near-zero (ENZ) host has been shown to dramatically affect the effective permeability of the host for a TM-polarized incident wave, a concept coined as photonic doping [Science355, 1058 (2017)SCIEAS0036-807510.1126/science.aal2672]. Here, we theoretically study the prospect of doping the ENZ host with infinitesimally thin perfect electric conductor (PEC) inclusions, which we call “zero-area” PEC dopants. First, we theoretically demonstrate that zero-area PEC dopants enable the design of soft surfaces with an arbitrary cross-sectional geometry. Second, we illustrate the possibility of engineering the PEC dopants with the goal of transforming the electric field distribution inside the ENZ while maintaining a spatially invariant magnetic field. We exploit this property to enhance the effective nonlinearity of the ENZ host.
Abrupt Discontinuation of Long-term Opioid Therapy Among Medicare Beneficiaries, 2012-2017.

With mounting pressure to reduce opioid use, concerns exist about abrupt withdrawal of treatment for the millions of Americans using long-term opioid therapy (LTOT). However, little is known about how patients are tapered from LTOT nationally. Measure national patterns of LTOT discontinuation and adherence to recommended tapering speed. Observational study of Medicare Part D from 2012 to 2017. Using claims for a 20% sample of Medicare beneficiaries, we included patients on LTOT for 1 year or more, defined as those with ≥ 4 consecutive quarters with > 60 days of opioids supplied in each quarter. Our primary outcome was discontinuation of LTOT, defined as at least 60 consecutive days without opioids supplied. We additionally examined whether discontinuation of LTOT was “tapered” or “abrupt” by comparing LTOT users’ daily MME dose in the last month of therapy to their average daily dose in a baseline period of 7 to 12 months before discontinuation. By the last month of therapy, patients with “abrupt” discontinuation had a 90 MME, 5.3% to 7.7%, p < 0.001). The majority of LTOT discontinuations were stopped abruptly, and increased over time (70.1% to 81.2%, 2012–2017, p < 0.001). Medicare beneficiaries on LTOT were increasingly likely to have their therapy discontinued from 2012 to 2017. The vast majority of discontinuing users, even those on high doses, had less than 50% reduction in dose, which is inconsistent with existing guidelines.
The Letters in the Story: Narrative-Epistolary Fiction from Aphra Behn to the Victorians

The long tradition of mixta-genera fiction, particularly favoured by women novelists, which combined fully-transcribed letters and third-person narrative has been largely overlooked in literary criticism. Working with recognized formal conventions and typical thematic concerns, Tavor Bannet demonstrates how narrative-epistolary novels opposed the real, situated, transactional and instrumental character of letters, with their multi-lateral relationships and temporally shifting readings, to merely documentary uses of letters in history and law. Analyzing issues of reading and misreading, knowledge and ignorance, communication and credulity, this study investigates how novelists adapted familiar romance plots centred on mysteries of identity to test the viability of empiricism's new culture of fact and challenge positivism's later all-pervading regime of truth. Close reading of narrative-epistolary novels by authors ranging from Aphra Behn and Charlotte Lennox to Frances Burney and Wilkie Collins tracks transgenerational debates, bringing to light both what Victorians took from their eighteenth-century forbears and what they changed.
Cultural Beliefs Related to Intimate Partner Violence Help-Seeking among African College Women

Male to female intimate partner violence (IPV) among college students (dating violence) is a significant problem in the United States. Most of the previous research in this area has been based upon...
Is there a subset of patients with recurrent cancer in the vagina who are not candidates for interstitial brachytherapy that can be treated with multichannel vaginal brachytherapy using graphic optimization

Purpose To evaluate recurrent vaginal cancer treated with vaginal brachytherapy (VBT) using graphic optimization in patients not amenable to surgery and interstitial brachytherapy (ISBT).
Trading Votes for Reasoning: Covering in Judicial Opinions

Several studies report that judges on panels together with at least one judge of a different political party (a "mixed panel") tend to moderate their votes, particularly on politically charged subject matter cases. We examine whether this observed moderation in voting is the product of bargaining among mixed panel judges, where authoring judges, who might otherwise face a dissenting vote (or find themselves in dissent), trade their votes for the ability to craft a unanimous majority opinion closer to their own policy preferences and thereby affect the opinion's precedential value. Using judicial citation patterns within individual opinions as a proxy for how judges reason, we report that authoring judges on mixed panels are more likely to employ partisan reasoning for opinions relating to salient subject matter areas. Partisan reasoning in top salient areas is higher where the authoring judges have more bargaining leverage over opposite party judges on the same panel. Finally, partisanship in top salient areas is greater for authoring judges who have greater skill at writing influential opinions. The overall pattern is consistent with judges engaging in covering: moderating their voting when associated with an opposite party judge on the same panel, a highly visible activity, but adjusting the judicial reasoning in the opinion to tilt the decision back toward the authoring judge's own preferred ideological position, a less visible activity done under the cover of the more visible, moderated vote.
Load balancing for regular meshes on SMPs with MPI

Domain decomposition for regular meshes on parallel computers has traditionally been performed by attempting to exactly partition the work among the available processors (now cores). However, these strategies often do not consider the inherent system noise which can hinder MPI application scalability to emerging peta-scale machines with 10000+ nodes. In this work, we suggest a solution that uses a tunable hybrid static/dynamic scheduling strategy that can be incorporated into current MPI implementations of mesh codes. By applying this strategy to a 3D jacobi algorithm, we achieve performance gains of at least 16% for 64 SMP nodes.
Therapeutic Approach to the Management of Pediatric Demyelinating Disease: Multiple Sclerosis and Acute Disseminated Encephalomyelitis.

Acquired pediatric demyelinating diseases manifest acutely with optic neuritis, transverse myelitis, acute disseminated encephalomyelitis, or with various other acute deficits in focal or polyfocal areas of the central nervous system. Patients may experience a monophasic illness (as in the case of acute disseminated encephalomyelitis) or one that may manifest as a chronic, relapsing disease [e.g., multiple sclerosis (MS)]. The diagnosis of pediatric MS and other demyelinating disorders of childhood has been facilitated by consensus statements regarding diagnostic definitions. Treatment of pediatric MS has been modeled after data obtained from clinical trials in adult-onset MS. There are now an increasing number of new therapeutic agents for MS, and many will be formally studied for use in pediatric patients. There are important efficacy and safety concerns regarding the use of these therapies in children and young adults. This review will discuss acute management as well as chronic immunotherapies in acquired pediatric demyelination.
Global River Carbon Biogeochemistry

The fluxes of dissolved and particulate carbon from land through fluvial systems to the oceans and to the atmosphere represent important pathways in the global carbon cycle. The processes controlling the distributions of solute species in river waters are established initially by weathering within the watershed, and physical transport via runoff. Superimposed on the underlying geochemical and physical processes is production and mineralization by terrestrial and aquatic biota. These factors play out differentially across the world's river basins, producing chemical signatures that vary from river to river. As a global aggregate, there would appear to be a net sink (between continental sedimentation and marine sedimentation and dissolution) of ∼1 to 1.5 Pg year−1. These sinks are partially compensated for by the outgassing. These processes are geographically very dispersed, with the continental sedimentation occurring in northern temperate regions, and much of the marine sedimentation and outgassing occurring in more tropical regions. Keywords: rivers; carbon; hydrology; landscape; production; weathering; mineralization; outgassing
Establishing a German Root System by computer

The productivity of root combinations is a key feature of the semantic system of most Indo-Europeanlanguages. Root combinations, in fact, account for many thousands of words in the vocabulary of a given language. The computer has contributed to the study of the root system in two ways: 1) it has greatly facilitated the handling of enormous amounts of data, and 2) it has added a new possibility to the study of the root structure of a language by permitting statistical analyses of an entire corpus of linguistic data. In the first area the computer plays the role of an extremely fast and efficient helper in a task that could also be accomplished by hand. In the second area, the computer adds a new dimension to the analysis of semantic pattern, since coding of prefixes, roots, and suffixes, their tabulation, and their comparison with a hypothetical maximally efficient system would be impossible by hand. In this study I want to detail the ways in which the computer can best be used to generate a German root system. The choice of corpus, data, storage system, and presentation format all play an important role in obtaining a finished product that is both useful as a reference work and efficient as a starting point for further statistical research. I then intend to outline the uses of such a computerized corpus in establishing a German-English Root Dictionary (GERD) and in formulating a system of entropy for measuring the efficiency of the German root system as a subset of the German semantic system. German and Russian are two Indo-European languages that are especially noted for the productivity of their preposition-plus-root combinations. Some 30 basic prepositions can combine with several hundred common roots to produce several thousand words of high frequency. One individual root (e.g. German TRAG or Russian Nos, NES) can produce scores of combinations that may differ widely from the original root meaning (in this case, 'carry, bear'). Of the two languages, Russian has a larger number of published root studies,' including a computerized study of 104,000 words that comprise the Russian root and derivational system.2 For German, there is little published work of this
Simultaneous determination of glucosamine and glucosamine 4-phosphate in Lipid A with high-performance anion-exchange chromatography (HPAEC).

Abstract A method for simultaneous determination of glucosamine (GlcN) and glucosamine 4-phosphate (GlcN-4-P) in Lipid A with high-performance anion-exchange chromatography (HPAEC) is described. Lipid A is hydrolyzed with 4 M HCl for 16 h at 100 °C, and the peaks of glucosamine and glucosamine 4-phosphate were measured. The true GlcN value can be computed from the GlcN value after correction for the incomplete hydrolysis of GlcN-4-P, or by the combined yield of GlcN and GlcN-4-P. 2
Shuffle languages, Petri nets, and context-sensitive grammars

Flow expressions have been proposed as an extension of the regular expressions designed to model concurrency. We examine a simplification of these flow expressions which we call shuffle expressions. We introduce two types of machines to aid in recognizing shuffle languages and show that one such machine may be equivalent to a Petri Net. In addition, closure and containment properties of the related language classes are investigated, and we show that one machine type recognizes at least a restricted class of shuffle languages. Finally, grammars for all shuffle languages are generated, and the shuffle languages are shown to be context-sensitive.
An Investigation of Localization as an Element of Cognitive Fit in Accounting Model Representations

Cognitive fit, a correspondence between task and data representation format, has been demonstrated to lead to superior task performance by individual users and has been posited as an explanation for performance differences among users of various problem representations such as tables, graphs, maps, and schematic faces. The current study extends cognitive fit to accounting models and integrates cognitive fit theory with the concept of localization to provide additional evidence for how cognitive fit works. Two accounting model representations are compared in this study, the traditional DCA (Debit-Credit-Account) accounting model and the REA (Resources-Events-Agents) accounting model. Results indicate that the localization of relevant objects or linkages is important in establishing cognitive fit.
A Comparative Study of the Influence of Different Means of Turbine Cooling on Gas Turbine Performance

A comparative study of the influence of different means of turbine cooling on the thermodynamic efficiency and specific work of gas turbines is presented. A common general model of a simple open cycle gas turbine is used to compare the performance of turbines using different types of cooling; internal convection and impingement by air, film cooling by air, internal convection and impingement by steam, film cooling by steam and closed loop cooling by water. The results are also compared to the previously published results of the analysis of open loop water cooled gas turbines. The model evaluates the efficiency and specific work of simple cycle gas turbines as it is influenced by mixing losses of coolant with combustion gases, pumping work of coolant and heat transfer from the expanding gas. The study is performed in terms of dimensionless variables in order to achieve generality and to provide useful design guidelines and insights. Blades internally cooled by convection and impingement are treated as heat exchangers operating at constant metal temperature and the coolant exit temperature is simply expressed as a function of a heat exchanger effectiveness, an independent parameter which is normally a function of the intricacy of the layout of the cooling passages. The coolant requirements and heat transfer with film cooling are determined using a dimensionless correlation derived experimentally at M.I.T. Sample calculations give the optimum turbine inlet temperature of thermodynamic efficiency and specific work for different pressure ratios and typical dimensionless numbers. The data on specific work are significant because they can be readily used in evaluations of a given type of gas turbine in a combined cycle. The sensitivity of the efficiency and specific work to each key input parameter is reported.The use of superheated steam as a coolant can provide some performance advantages since the steam raised in a waste heat boiler expands with the combustion gases, increases the turbine mass flow and also provides a certain amount of heat regeneration. Performance results are also reported for this steam cooled gas turbine operating with mixed working fluid.Copyright © 1983 by ASME
Carboxylate Ions Are Strong Allosteric Ligands for the HisB10 Sites of the R-State Insulin Hexamer

The insulin hexamer is an allosteric protein which displays positive and negative cooperativity and half-site reactivity that is modulated by strong homotropic and heterotropic ligand binding interactions at two different loci. These loci consist of phenolic pockets situated on the dimer−dimer interfaces of T−R and R−R subunit pairs and of anion sites comprising the HisB10 metal ion sites of the R3 units of the T3R3 and R6 states. In this study, we show that suitably tailored organic carboxylates are strong allosteric effectors with relatively high affinities for the R-state HisB10 metal sites. Methods of quantifying the relative affinities of ligands for these sites in both Co(II)- and Zn(II)-substituted insulin hexamers are presented. These analyses show that, in addition to the electron density on the ion, the carboxylate affinity is influenced by polar, nonpolar, and hydrophobic interactions between substituents on the carboxylate and the amphipathic protein surface of the narrow tunnel which controls...
RACE, HOMICIDE SEVERITY, AND APPLICATION OF THE DEATH PENALTY: A CONSIDERATION OF THE BARNETT SCALE*

This study uses the Barnett scale of homicide severity to analyze the capital sentencing process in Kentucky. In his analysis of Georgia cases, Barnett found that whites were disproportionately the victims of homicides that the scale considered as most serious. This conclusion was cited as an explanation for racial disparity in capital sentencing. When the scale is applied to Kentucky data and the level of seriousness of the murder is controlled, however, we Jind that prosecutors were more likely to seek the death penalty in cases in which blacks killed whites and that juries were more likely to sentence to death blacks who killed whites.
Temperature dependence of the fraction of re-emitted positrons and of the positron work function for Cu(111) + S

A beam of 1-keV positrons incident on a Cu(111)+S surface has been used to study the dependence on temperature of the positron work function (phi/sub +/), the yield of re-emitted positrons (Y) and of the positronium (Ps) fraction. A positive dependence of the slow-positron yield on temperature is found which is attributed in part to a reduction in the magnitude of phi/sub +/ (approx.25%) at 50 K relative to its value at 300 K. A similar, though weaker, positive dependence on temperature was seen for the Ps fraction down to 40 K.
Systematic evaluation of cracking behavior in specimens containing single flaws under uniaxial compression

Abstract This paper presents the results of an experimental study in which molded gypsum and Carrara Marble specimens containing a pre-existing flaw were tested in uniaxial compression. The main purpose of this study was to observe and characterize the cracks that emanate from a single pre-existing flaw. Seven different crack types were identified based on their geometry and propagation mechanism (tensile/shear). Specifically, they include three types of tensile cracks, three types of shear cracks, and one type of mixed tensile–shear crack. In addition to the geometry and mechanism, it was also possible to determine the temporal sequence of different crack types. These observations form the basis for a re-evaluation of cracking processes reported in the literature. It is possible to apply the classification obtained in the present research to previously conducted experiments by others. This eliminates much of the confusion that has existed when comparing different research results.
Preliminary Investigation on Generating an Explicit GD&T Scheme From a Process Plan

Geometric Dimensioning and Tolerancing (GDT converting plus/minus tolerances to appropriate geometric tolerances; and dealing with transient features — which are features that do not exist on the finished part used for GDT specs by the designer. We propose a new data structure, PCTF (process oriented constraint tolerance feature graph) to facilitate mapping between design and manufacturing tolerances.Copyright © 2013 by ASME
NEIGHBORHOOD APPROACH FOR QUANTIFYING INTERSPECIFIC COMPETITION IN COASTAL OREGON FORESTS

We examine use of the neighborhood approach for quantifying interspecific competition around Douglas-fir seedlings that were planted in early-successional forest vegetation. We manipulated woody and herbaceous vegetation in the neighborhoods of >685 trees on four sites in the Oregon Coast Range for five years. We sought the best neighborhood expression of interspecific competition by systematically examining the influence of various measures of woody-neighbor abundance, height, distance, and spatial arrangement in regression models that predict the annual basal area and height growth of Douglas-fir. We identified the optimum neighborhood height and radius for each year. Visual estimates of shrub species cover provided the best assessment of neighbor abundance. Stratifying the neighborhood by the height of shrubs relative to the height of the Douglas-fir improved regression models and quantified patterns of competitive asymmetry. Differences in the response of Douglas-fir height and basal area to neighborhood height suggested that neighbor influences on height growth were asymmetric, while effects on basal area growth were symmetric. Shrub neighbors whose crowns intermingled with that of the Douglas-fir had the greatest influence on Douglas-fir growth and defined the optimum neighborhood radius. The competitive influence of neighboring shrubs decreased rapidly as their distance increased beyond the optimum neighborhood radius. Accounting for neighbor spatial arrangement using two measures of angular dispersion did not improve the models. The best neighborhood dimensions for Douglas-fir seedlings changed with time, apparently with the dynamics of vertical structure in the plant community. The neighborhood approach was effective for (1) evaluating various approaches forest managers might use to quantify competing vegetation, (2) examining the dynamics of competitive effects, (3) quantifying asymmeteric competition, (4) determining the relative competitive effects of woody and herbaceous vegetation, and (5) documenting the differing response of tree height and basal area growth to neighboring plants.
In-process gage frequency response measurement

Abstract This paper describes a method for determining the frequency response characteristics of in-process measurement systems. Determination of the frequency response extends the usefulness of such mechanical systems by allowing proper detection and interpretation of out-of-roundness information on the surface of a workpiece. The excitation and analysis methodology using established signal processing techniques is presented in detail with appropriate references. The experimental setup is discussed in detail including a brief introduction to the piezoelectric system used for excitation and the signal processing hardware and software used for analysis. Results are shown for both internal and external LVDT based in-process gages used primarily by manufacturers to improve the precision of the internal and external grinding process. The discussion includes analysis of both the frequency domain and with respect to the maximum number of undulations per revolution that the gage is expected to detect. The work presented introduces a commercially available technique that can be adopted by industry for the purpose of gathering additional information from existing in-process measurement systems during a process.
Automated finishing of steel castings

The task of metal removal from steel castings may often be repetitive, and has to be carried out in the unpleasant environment of cleaning rooms. To achieve improved productivity in metal removal, an automation concept has been developed and a machine designed to implement that concept.
Receptor tyrosine kinase signaling and primordial germ cell development.

Germ cells of an animal are a distinct cell population set aside to ensure transmission of genetic information from one generation to the next. These cells are in a sense immortal as the germ cell lineage is passed from generation to generation, raising questions of how they are maintained and their development controlled. During animal development, primordial germ cells (PGCs) are specified early during embryogenesis either by maternally inherited cytoplasmic determinants or by inductive events via cell-cell interactions. PGCs are usually morphologically distinct from the somatic cells and are more motile, as they have to travel from their place of origin along and through other tissues to eventually colonize in the site of the gonad (reviewed by refs. 1–4) Interestingly, in spite of their uniqueness, PGCs share certain behavioral properties with metastasizing cancer cells. Both types of cells are able to proliferate, invade other tissues, survive in the new environment, and aggregate to form a tissue mass. Thus Drosophila primordial germ cells provide an excellent model system to genetically dissect the mechanisms underlying the complex behavioral patterns of cell migration.
Complex restoration challenges: Weeds, seeds, and roads in a forested Wildland Urban Interface

Federal policies in the US strongly emphasize reducing hazardous fuels at the Wildland Urban Interface (WUI). However, these areas present restoration challenges as they often have exotic weeds, frequent human disturbance, and the presence of roads. Understanding seed banks is important in planning for desirable post-disturbance community conditions, developing integrated weed management programs, and complying with State and Federal regulations. We characterized the aboveground vegetation and seed bank in a WUI composed of mixed age dry-mixed conifer forest stands in central Washington State, and examined patterns and relationships between aboveground vegetation and seed bank germinant abundance in relation to distance to road, seed bank layer, and herbicide treatments. Noxious weed frequency, as well as exotic weed and annual native forb cover, significantly decreased with distance from road, while native graminoid cover increased, declining beyond 20 m. Herbicides did not affect composition of the aboveground community in the short term. Six hundred and thirty seeds germinated from litter and mineral soil samples over a 5 month trial, and 43 species were identified. Most germinants (77%) and species (36 species) emerged from the litter layer compared to mineral soil, and the majority were annual forbs, followed by perennial forbs, native graminoids and exotic species. Little similarity was found between the extant vegetation and seed bank floras. Fourteen percent of germinants were exotic species, and were found in similar abundances regardless of proximity to road or herbicide treatment. Findings from our study suggest that (1) roads strongly influenced aboveground vegetative cover and species composition; (2) seed bank contributions to desirable post-disturbance understory development may be relatively low, especially if activities remove the litter layer; (3) weed populations were largely confined to near road environments, but the weed seed bank, which is a substantial part of the total seed bank, was not; and (4) herbicide treatments were ineffective and did not impact seed banks in the short term.
The structure sensitivity and insensitivity of catalytic reactions in light of the adsorbate induced dynamic restructuring of surfaces

The classification of catalytic reactions to structure sensitive and structure insensitive types has stood up well to the tests of experiments over the past two decades. Model studies using metal single crystal surfaces explored the relationship between the reaction kinetics and the atomic surface structure. These investigations uncovered the adsorbate induced dynamic restructuring of metal surfaces on the timescales of chemisorption, catalytic reactions and on longer times controlled by mass transport. The causes of reaction structure sensitivity and insensitivity are reinterpreted in view of the dynamic restructuring of the metal catalysts.
Accepting self, accepting others, and rating peers generously

Summary.-After participating for more than 20 hr. in 58 small groups, 487 undergraduates rated own and each other's within-group behavior separately for acceptance versus rejection of others and of self. Individuals' ratings by pooled group peers and self agreed substantially, although more strongly for self-accepting than for otheraccepting conduct. Despite moderate positive correlations between self-acceptance and acceptance of others, how favorably one rated one's group peers correlated appreciably, consistently, and positively only with acceptance of others, not with acceptance of self. Theorists such as Gibb (1964), Rogers (1951), and M. Rosenberg (1979) associated self-acceptance with high regard for others, although empirical findings (J. Brown, 1986; Hurley, 1976b) have challenged this view. The present study explored this issue through round-robin ratings of interpersonal conduct in small, continuing groups. These ratings were on measures of interpersonal behavior's two principal dimensions, consistent with Conte and Plutchik's (1981) conclusion that "for interpersonal personality data, however, any factors after the first two account for very little of the total variance" (p. 707). In accord with Adams (1964), Foa (1961), and Hurley (1976a), these dimensions were labeled acceptance versus rejection of self and acceptance versus rejection of others, although they have also been denoted status and love (R. Brown, 1965), dominance and affiliativeness (Wiggins, 1982), and so forth.
Polymer-dispersed liquid crystal monolayers

The first examples of two-dimensional polymer-dispersed liquid crystals (PDLCs) have been prepared via the Langmuir−Blodgett technique and analyzed using tapping mode atomic force microscopy (TMAFM). Characterization of the thermodynamics, polymerization kinetics, and topology of mixtures of 2-pentadecylaniline (2PDA) and a ferroelectric liquid crystal termed 10PPB2 was investigated. Systematic pressure versus area isotherms indicate that the mixed monomer/liquid crystal exists as a phase-separated monolayer after the evaporation of the spreading solvent, typical of a solution-induced phase separation (SIPS). Interfacial polymerization of the monomer in the presence of the liquid crystal has been accomplished. Langmuir−Blodgett−Kuhn (LBK) films obtained by transferring the polymer/liquid crystal system on freshly cleaved mica surfaces revealed a polymer-dispersed liquid crystalline system with circular liquid crystalline domains trapped within a poly(alkylaniline) matrix. Statistical characterization of d...
The influence of anticonvulsants on fasting plasma ammonia and amino acid levels.

We examined fasting levels of plasma ammonia, glutamine, glycine, and ornithine in patients taking three anticonvulsants — phenobarbital, carbamazepine and valproic acid. Contrary to previous reports no striking abnormalities were seen.
Comparing movement of four butterfly species in experimental grassland strips

In contrast to many studies on the habitat quality of road verges for butterflies in relation to management regimes, little is known about whether road verges also function as corridors linking frag- mented grassland habitats. We experimentally com- pared movements of four model species, two small blues and two medium browns, with one habitat specialist and one habitat generalist in each size and phylogenetic category. A total of 425 individual but- terflies were caught and translocated to an experi- mental arena with three 2 · 30 m grassland strips that approximated road verges; one with adult feeding resources, one sheltered from the wind, and one without food and shelter. Movements in grassland strips were compared to movements in continuous grassland habitat. Results indicated that (1) individu- als did not use the low-quality strip, (2) only spe- cialists used strips but not in the same way according to their size and phylogenic category, and (3) strip use could not be predicted from habitat selection. This finding supports the idea that corridors of intermedi- ate quality are the most efficient to promote dispersal rates in fragmented landscapes. Road verges cover 250,000 ha in Sweden, which is nearly the total amount of seminatural grasslands. Our results suggest that, to benefit butterfly dispersal among grassland patches, road verges should be managed to create a more favourable microclimate (e.g. sheltered from wind, high temperatures).
A State‐Space Approach for Deriving Bridge Displacement from Acceleration

: The dynamic response (i.e., acceleration and displacement) of a bridge under vehicular load is an important component of design and evaluation. Field measurement of girder displacement, however, is generally nontrivial. Traditional sensors often require a stationary reference such as temporary scaffolds or a suspended cable. In either form, there are added costs, restrictions, and labor. As a result, there are both economic and practical incentives for developing methods that can use an accelerometer to measure both acceleration and displacement. One difficulty of this, however, is the presence of small low-frequency errors in the measured signal, which become sufficiently large through successive integrations and lead to a significantly distorted displacement profile. The objective of this article is to examine an analytical model based on the state-space approach for minimizing such errors and to compare results with two time domain correction methods. Field measurements from a three-span continuous bridge are used to assess the accuracy of each routine.
176: Lithium intake during pregnancy leading to large goiter and subclinical hypothyroidism in a prematurely born baby

A premature baby with a large goiter was born from a mother treated during the whole gestation with lithium (750 mg/d). Tracheal compression was visible on a lateral neck x-ray. Skeletal maturation was retarded and a hyperbilirubinemia prolonged. On the second day plasma TSH was elevated to 118 uU/ml and total thyroxin was 12,5 ug %. 100 ug of TRH i.v. increased plasma TSH at 30 and 60' above 200 uU/ml. After two weeks treatment with L-thyroxin basal TSH was still elevated. After a further two weeks plasma TSH response to TRH was suppressed and the size of the goiter reduced. Somatic and psychomotor development was slightly retarded. In order to decide on the necessity of continuation of therapy a TRH-test was repeated at the age of 6 months. Substitution was therefore interrupted for 2 weeks and resumed immediately after TRH stimulation until laboratory results were available. As T4, T3 and the pattern of TSH were euthyroid therapy was definitively withdrawn A TRH-test in the mother revealed a borderline hypothyroidism: basal T4 at lower limit of normal TSH rise exaggerated. It is concluded that lithium intake during pregnancy can induce hypothyroidism. TRH-stimulation is a sensitive parameter for borderline hypothyroidism. The test is useful for the decision for withdrawal of replacement therapy started as a preventive measure in suspected cases of hypothyroidism in newborns.
Diagnosis and management of hypertensive emergencies.

Abstract It has been estimated that approximately 600, 000 to 800, 000 Americans will develop a hypertensive crisis ( Calhoun and Oparil, 1990 ). Although such numbers represent only about 1% of the estimated 60 million Americans with hypertension, hypertensive crisis often constitutes a major medical emergency, necessitating a focused, assertive, and reasoned therapeutic intervention. When such patients are seen in the emergency department or in a physician's office with a critical elevation in blood pressure (BP), appropriate and efficacious management is essential to avoid catastrophic injury to vital target organs, including the central nervous system, the heart, and the kidneys. Delays in initiating effective therapy or, equally important, overzealous therapy leading to a too-rapid reduction in BP can produce severe complications involving these target organs. This article reviews the spectrum of clinical syndromes that comprise hypertensive emergencies, highlighting 2 to illustrate the complexities of clinical presentation and management. The newly advocated treatment guidelines based on the category of acute severe hypertension (including asymptomatic hypertensive urgencies) are also considered, as are therapeutic strategies utilizing currently available antihypertensive agents.
Stability of pUB110 and pUB110-derived plasmids in Bacillus sphaericus 2362

The segregational and structural stability of pUB110 and four derivatives of various insert size and location was examined in the mosquito pathogen Bacillus sphaericus 2362 grown under conditions relevant to use of the bacterium as a larval control agent. Plasmids pUB110 (4.5 kb), pLDT103 (7.6 kb), and pTST130 (6.5 kb) exhibited 95–100% segregational stability at growth temperatures of 28° C and 38° C and at generation times of 42 and 108 min during 40 generations in a chemostat. Plasmids pLDT117 (9.7 kb) and pTST112 (6.5 kb), which had deletions in the BA4 membrane-binding site of the plasmids, were almost as stable (92–99%) unter these conditions. However, under growth conditions that allowed sporulation in mosquito larval cadavers, in batch culture or in the chemostat, plasmids with BA4-region deletions exhibited only 77–88% (pLDT117) or 66–81% stability in the resulting spores. Whereas segregational instability was associated with interruption of the BA4 region of these plasmids, this instability was primarily associated with the sporulation phase of development rather than with vegetative growth. Structural instability was not detected.
Spectroscopic verification of zinc absorption and distribution in the desert plant Prosopis juliflora-velutina (velvet mesquite) treated with ZnO nanoparticles.

The impact of metal nanoparticles (NPs) on biological systems, especially plants, is still not well understood. The aim of this research was to determine the effects of zinc oxide (ZnO) NPs in velvet mesquite (Prosopis juliflora-velutina). Mesquite seedlings were grown for 15 days in hydroponics with ZnO NPs (10 nm) at concentrations varying from 500 to 4000 mg L−1. Zinc concentrations in roots, stems and leaves were determined by inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectroscopy (ICP-OES). Plant stress was examined by the specific activity of catalase (CAT) and ascorbate peroxidase (APOX); while the biotransformation of ZnO NPs and Zn distribution in tissues was determined by X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) and micro X-ray fluorescence (μXRF), respectively. ICP-OES results showed that Zn concentrations in tissues (2102 ± 87, 1135 ± 56, and 628 ± 130 mg kg−1 d wt in roots, stems, and leaves, respectively) were found at 2000 mg ZnO NPs L−1. Stress tests showed that ZnO NPs increased CAT in roots, stems, and leaves, while APOX increased only in stems and leaves. XANES spectra demonstrated that ZnO NPs were not present in mesquite tissues, while Zn was found as Zn(II), resembling the spectra of Zn(NO3)2. The μXRF analysis confirmed the presence of Zn in the vascular system of roots and leaves in ZnO NP treated plants.
Simplified generation of all mechanical assembly sequences

Bourjault has presented a method which will generate all valid assembly sequences for the set of parts that constitute an assembly. A modification of Bourjault's method is presented which makes practical the application of this technique of assembly analysis to assemblies with greatly increased part count. The salient difference between the two methods is in the form and number of the questions whose answers yield the relations that allow algorithmic generation of assembly sequences. Bourjault's method requires 2l^{2} questions plus an often-large number of subsequent questions whose existence depends on answers to part of the former question set; all have yes or no answers. (Here l is the number of relations between parts.) The modified method requires 2l questions that are answered in a precedence-logical form; the questions are similar to those asked by an engineer contemplating assembly of a set of parts. Applications and techniques for use are presented, and examples are shown for l as great as 18.
Aqueous humor outflow effects of partial thickness channel created by a femtosecond laser in ex-vivo human eyes

The reduced outflow rate caused by the increased resistance through trabecular meshwork (TM) has been thought to be the main reason for elevated intraocular pressure (IOP). It has been demonstrated that femtosecond laser pulses tuned to 1.7 μm wavelength can create the partial thickness channel in the sclera in ex vivo human eyes [1] and aqueous outflow can be increased by these channels in porcine eyes [2]. It was also shown that the outflow rate is reduced over time in ex vivo human eyes [3]. Therefore, the control experiment without laser treatment at the same condition was conducted and showed that outflow was reduced by 1.5 ± 0.8 μl/min at 15mmHg and 1.8 ± 1.0 μl/min at 25mmHg. However, the outflow rate increased by 0.26 μl/min at 15mmHg and 0.15 μl/min at 25mmHg after the partial thickness channel was created, meaning the amount of increased outflow rate might be more than measured considering the outflow reduction in control experiment. We suggest that the femtosecond laser created partial thickness channel can increase the outflow rate and delay the progression of glaucoma.
Strategic management and evaluation: Rivals, partners, or just fellow travellers?

Abstract The evolution of strategic management closely parallels that of evaluation in several respects. Each seeks to improve the quality of policy decisions, and the practitioners of each have sought to incorporate both hypothetico-deductive and holistic-inductive methods. Mutual cooperation could enhance prospects for the utilization of evaluation and implementation of strategy, but differences, especially in assumptions about the nature of leadership, could cause conflict. Strategic management theory should be understood if its applications are to be evaluated appropriately.
Congestion control for asynchronous parallel computing on workstation networks

Asynchronous parallel computing can result in high message generation rates, thus triggering network congestion. We characterize the communication requirements of a large class of supercomputing applications falling under the category of fixed-point problems amenable to solution by parallel iterative methods. In particular, we concentrate on asynchronous iterative algorithms whose communication/computation ratio is especially high resulting in degraded effective throughput if communication is not managed properly. Second, we show the effects of network contention and asynchrony on application performance in a local-area network environment and investigate methods of solution. Our approach is based on a congestion control algorithm called ‘warp control’ whose adaptive properties are exploited to yield significant performance enhancements when network contention is high. Although tested in a LAN environment for experimental control purposes, our solution follows the end-to-end paradigm and refrains from exploiting special MAC-layer properties to achieve applicability to general WAN environments. Third, we provide a framework wherein efficient congestion control can be facilitated, encompassing methods acting at the application layer as well as the transport/network layer, with emphasis on application-driven control. We conclude with a discussion of our experimental results and special issues arising in high-bandwidth ATM networks.
Increased in-hospital complications after primary posterior versus primary anterior cervical fusion.

Background Although anterior (ACDF) and posterior cervical fusion (PCDF) are relatively common procedures and both are associated with certain complications, the relative frequency and severity of these complications is unclear. Since for some patients either approach might be reasonable it is important to know the relative perioperative risks for decision-making.
Depolarization and hysteresis loop asymmetry in PZT thin films with self polarization

Abstract In the present paper, we have investigated ferroelectric polarization switching, self polarization, (Pself), rapid depolarization, which we call AP, and the asymmetry of hysteresis loops in thin lead-zirconate-titanate (PZT) films prepared by a solution technique. For comparison we have used bulk PZT ceramics, whose ferroelectric switching behavior is well understood, to demonstrate the measurement principal.