cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Randomization-Based Statistical Inference: A Resampling and Simulation Infrastructure

Statistical inference involves drawing scientifically-based conclusions describing natural processes or observable phenomena from datasets with intrinsic random variation. There are parametric and non-parametric approaches for studying the data or sampling distributions, yet few resources are available to provide integrated views of data (observed or simulated), theoretical concepts, computational mechanisms and hands-on utilization via flexible graphical user interfaces. We designed, implemented and validated a new portable randomization-based statistical inference infrastructure (http://socr.umich.edu/HTML5/Resampling_Webapp) that blends research-driven data analytics and interactive learning, and provides a backend computational library for managing large amounts of simulated or user-provided data. The core of this framework is a modern randomization webapp, which may be invoked on any device supporting a JavaScript-enabled web-browser. We demonstrate the use of these resources to analyze proportion, mean, and other statistics using simulated (virtual experiments) and observed (e.g., Acute Myocardial Infarction, Job Rankings) data. Finally, we draw parallels between parametric inference methods and their distribution-free alternatives. The Randomization and Resampling webapp can be used for data analytics, as well as for formal, in-class and informal, out-of-the-classroom learning and teaching of different scientific concepts. Such concepts include sampling, random variation, computational statistical inference and data-driven analytics. The entire scientific community may utilize, test, expand, modify or embed these resources (data, source-code, learning activity, webapp) without any restrictions.
Incorporating impact of hazardous and toxic environments on the guidance of mobile sensor networks used for the cooperative estimation of spatially distributed processes

This work incorporates the effects that hazardous environments have on sensing devices, in the guidance of mobile platforms with onboard sensors. Mobile sensors are utilized in the state reconstruction of spatiotemporally varying processes, often described by advection-diffusion PDEs. A typical sensor guidance policy is based on a gradient ascent scheme which repositions the sensors to spatial regions that have larger state estimation errors. If the cumulative measurements of the spatial process are used as a means to represent the effects of hazardous environments on the sensors, then the sensors are considered inoperable the instance the cumulative measurements exceed a device-specific tolerance level. A binary guidance policy considered earlier repositioned the sensors to regions of larger values of the state estimation errors thus implementing an information-sensitive policy. The policy switched to an information-averse guidance the instance the cumulative effects exceeded a certain tolerance level. Such a binary policy switches the sensor velocity abruptly from a positive to a negative value. To alleviate these discontinuity effects, a ternary guidance policy is considered and which inserts a third guidance policy, the information-neutral policy, that smooths out the transitions from information-sensitive to information-averse guidance. A novelty in this ternary guidance has to do with the level-set approach which changes from a guidance towards large values of the state estimation error towards level sets of the state estimation error and eventually towards reduced values of the state estimation error. An example on an advection-diffusion PDE in 2D employing a single interior mobile sensor using both the binary and ternary guidance policies is used to demonstrate the effects of hazardous environments on both the sensor life expectancy and the performance of the state estimator.
COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKERS REDUCE REHOSPITALIZATIONS AND EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT VISITS FOR LOW-SOCIOECONOMIC URBAN PATIENTS WITH HEART FAILURE

Despite improvements in treatments for heart failure in the last 30 years, significant barriers exist for underserved populations including access to care, nonadherence to prescribed treatments, and lack of support for self-management. Community health workers (CHW) are specially trained lay-people
Abstract P004: Activity-Aware Medication Prompting and Bluetooth Pillbox Usability and Acceptability With Adults

Purpose/Aims: To examine usability (e.g., efficiency, learnability) and acceptability (e.g., user experience, perceived control) of the activity-aware medication prompting application and pillbox i...
Numerical Modeling of 3-D Environmental Variability

Abstract : The goals of this work were multi-faceted, consistent with the various efforts supported by this work. Particular focus was placed on analysis of the scattering from rough ocean surfaces and comparison with experimental data. In collaboration with Prof. Mohsen Badiey of the University of Delaware, modeling efforts were expanded to include dynamic rough surface interface and near-surface bubble scattering. By continuing to expand and improve the capabilities of the numerical modeling methods, the long-term goal of this effort is to provide a useful tool for understanding the physical phenomena leading to variability in the acoustic propagation. The overall objective of this work was to study the response of the acoustic field in the presence of environmental variability, and to examine the relative effects of rough surfaces, volumetric perturbations (e.g., nonlinear internal waves, near-surface bubbles), and bottom topography.
California Constitutional Conundrums -- State Constitutional Quirks Exposed by the Same-Sex Marriage Experience

While constitutional law professors and commentators tend to devote their energy primarily, if not exclusively, to analyzing the Constitution of the United States, state constitutions also provide many learning opportunities. Just as there is a so-called laboratory value of federalism with respect to state and local statutory and administrative policies, features of and innovations in state constitutionalism should be looked at by other states — and at times the federal government — for possible emulation. California’s recent (and ongoing) state constitutional experience with gay marriage and the state initiative process provide cases in point. There are numerous respects in which California’s state constitutional treatment of the same-sex marriage question may be informed by, and would profit from, a deeper awareness of the federal constitutional landscape. This essay explores some of the lessons that California and other states could learn from the federal government and Constitution. It also discusses ways in which states, by operating as laboratories, can influence the federal government and courts.
IRT scoring procedures for TIMSS data.

Abstract In large-scale international assessment programs, results for mathematics proficiency are typically reported for jurisdictions such as provinces or countries. An overall score is provided along with subscores based on content subdomains defined in the test specifications. In this paper, an alternative method for obtaining empirical subscores is described, where the empirical subscores are based on an exploratory item response theory (IRT) factor solution. This alternative scoring is intended to augment rather than to replace traditional scoring procedures. The IRT scoring method is applied to the mathematics achievement data from the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS). A brief overview of the method is given, and additional material is given for validation of the empirical subscores. The ultimate goal of scoring is to provide diagnostic feedback in the form of naturally occurring item clustering. This provides useful information in addition to traditional subscores based on test specifications. As shown by Camilli and Dossey (2019), the achievement ranks of countries may change depending on which empirical subscore of mathematics is considered. Traditional subscores are highly correlated and tend to provide similar rank orders. • The methods takes advantage of the TIMSS sampling design, specifically pairs of jackknife zones, to aggregate categorical to higher-order sampling units for IRT factor analysis. • Once factor scores are estimated for sampling units and interpreted, they are aggregated to the jurisdiction level (countries, states, provinces) using sampling weights. The procedure for obtaining standard errors of jurisdictional level scores combines cross-sampling-unit variance and Monte Carlo sampling variation. • Full technical details of the IRT factoring procedures are given in Camilli and Fox (2015). Fox (2010) provides additional background for Bayesian item response modeling techniques. The estimation algorithm is based on stochastic approximation expectation-maximization (SAEM).
Intersystem Subpopulation Charge Transfer and Conformational Relaxation Preceding in Situ Conductivity in Electrochemically Doped Poly(3-hexylthiophene) Electrodes

Organic semiconductors are increasingly employed in electrochemical devices for energy conversion and storage and chemical sensing. In these systems, the conductivity can be modulated with electroc...
Considering All of the Data on Digital-Media Use and Depressive Symptoms: Response to Ophir, Lipshits-Braziler, and Rosenberg (2020):

We have documented increases since 2012 in depressive symptoms, suicide-related outcomes, and suicide and identified associations between digital-media use and depressive symptoms and suicide-relat...
‘No! I’m going to school, I need to speak English!’: Who makes family language policies?

Schools in the United States have historically conducted language policing in favor of standardized American English. The current study examines links between language policies in eight immigrant f...
Orthopaedic Application of Cryotherapy: A Comprehensive Review of the History, Basic Science, Methods, and Clinical Effectiveness.

» Cold therapy, also known as cryotherapy, includes the use of bagged ice, ice packs, compressive cryotherapy devices, or whole-body cryotherapy chambers. Cryotherapy is commonly used in postoperative care for both arthroscopic and open orthopaedic procedures. » Cryotherapy is associated with an analgesic effect caused by microvasculature alterations that decrease the production of inflammatory mediators, decrease local edema, disrupt the overall inflammatory response, and reduce nerve conduction velocity. » Postoperative cryotherapy using bagged ice, ice packs, or continuous cryotherapy devices reduced visual analog scale pain scores and analgesic consumption in approximately half of research studies in which these outcomes were compared with no cryotherapy (11 [44%] of 25 studies on pain and 11 [48%] of 23 studies on opioids). However, an effect was less frequently reported for increasing range of motion (3 [19%] of 16) or decreasing swelling (2 [22%] of 9). » Continuous cryotherapy devices demonstrated the best outcome in orthopaedic patients after knee arthroscopy procedures, compared with all other procedures and body locations, in terms of showing a significant reduction in pain, swelling, and analgesic consumption and increase in range of motion, compared with bagged ice or ice packs. » There is no consensus as to whether the use of continuous cryotherapy devices leads to superior outcomes when compared with treatment with bagged ice or ice packs. However, complications from cryotherapy, including skin irritation, frostbite, perniosis, and peripheral nerve injuries, can be avoided through patient education and reducing the duration of application. » Future Level-I or II studies are needed to compare both the clinical and cost benefits of continuous cryotherapy devices to bagged ice or ice pack treatment before continuous cryotherapy devices can be recommended as a standard of care in orthopaedic surgery following injury or surgery.
U.S. Infant Mortality Rates: An Exploration of Black/White Disparities, Current Trends, and Social Inequalities

The purpose of this paper is to explore 10-year trends in infant mortality rates (IMRs) from 2007 to 2016 for non-Hispanic (NH) blacks and NH whites by levels of sociodemographic characteristics such as maternal age, marital status, education, and access to prenatal care. Using data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Wonder Online database, descriptive statistics were performed, and a measure of disparity was calculated to illustrate racial differences in IMRs. Between 2007 and 2016, IMRs for NH blacks have declined at a faster rate (15.8%) compared to NH whites (13.5%). As for the selected sociodemographic indicators, reductions were observed for both racial groups for most age categories assessed, married and unmarried women, and for women with early or no access to prenatal care. For educational attainment levels, declines were observed for both racial groups for all levels except for high school graduate or GED and some college, in which increases were observed for NH white women. The measure of disparity illustrates the large racial gap in IMRs persists between NH blacks and NH whites. More structural and systemic mechanisms, including research and policies, are needed to address the disparities in IMRs.
Contrast agent-based perfusion MRI methods

Abstract Arguably the most common methods for evaluating cerebral perfusion in the clinic are contrast agent-based perfusion MRI methods, consisting of dynamic susceptibility contrast (DSC) and dynamic contrast enhanced (DCE) methods. Decades of research and recent multi-institutional clinical trials have shown that these methods are able to facilitate and enhance clinical decision making by non-invasively providing hemodynamic and vascular parameters for various neurological diseases. This chapter focuses on the development of conventional DSC and DCE perfusion parameters by providing key mathematical models, commonly accepted analysis steps, and acquisition recommendations. Additionally, confusion regarding post-processing is often a hindrance to perfusion imaging, and this chapter aims to overcome this confusion by illustrating these theories and analysis steps with a worked example.
Chapter 12 – Introducing Xen

Publisher Summary Xen is an open-source VMM, or hypervisor, for both 32- and 64-bit processors architectures. It is run as software executing on a host operating system that enables one to run several guest operating systems on top of the host on the same computer hardware at the same time. The virtual machines are executed securely and efficiently with near-native performance. Xen offers a powerful set of enterprise-class functionality, making it as suitable for larger implementations running mission-critical applications as it is for small and medium-sized businesses. These features include, virtual machines with near-native performance, full support on x86 (32-bit), x86 (32-bit) with physical address extension (pae), and x86 with 64-bit extensions, support for almost all hardware with linux drivers available, multiple vcpus supported in each guest machine (Windows and Linux), up to 32-way, etc. Xen has been developed as a viable and capable virtual machine monitor for the x86 architecture, taking advantage of paravirtualization and full virtualization. Xen currently supports a wide complement of hardware and operating systems. Xen also supports the hardware virtualization features provided by the latest processors for Intel and AMD, supporting Intel-VT and AMD-V, respectively. While similar in function to other VMMs, Xen has a unique system structure that is broken down into the underlying hardware, VMM (or hypervisor), a control region, and the virtual machines themselves. Memory virtualization is probably the most difficult task that a VMM must perform.
Child Abuse as an Employment Dispute

Child abuse has traditionally been viewed as the exclusive province of the child welfare system and the police. But when child abuse accusations are made against an employee, such as a teacher or a childcare worker, it is also an employment law problem. The employer must decide how to respond to the accusations and whether to retain the employee accused of abuse. The employer's role becomes especially important when the child welfare system declines to take action following a report of abuse, or when the alleged conduct is insufficiently abusive to trigger a mandated report to the state.Ignoring the employment law dimension of child abuse and mistreatment has proven problematic for employers, the accused employees, and the children in their care. Courts and labor arbitrators often inadvertently discourage employers from adopting better internal processes for preventing and mitigating child abuse and mistreatment. Employers who naively defer to child welfare determinations in their contracts and policies can find themselves hamstrung when they later find it necessary to discipline an employee notwithstanding state inaction. Passive employers also harm their employees by failing to provide notice and training on acceptable forms of workplace conduct.A regulatory system that encourages employers to play a more active role could benefit children and their parents. Workplace-specific policies and practices can be crafted and updated in consultation with the preferences of their constituent parents. Children may be less likely to be harmed where an employer implements robust processes for preventing and addressing abuse and mistreatment.
CONTROL OVER THE STRUCTURE OF CLUSTERS GENERATED IN SUPERSONIC FLOW

Clusters of a variety of volatile substances have been generated in flow with carrier gases through a miniature Laval nozzle. Cluster structures were investigated by electron diffraction and found to be liquid-like in some cases, crystalline in others. Solid clusters tended to occur in experiments with substances exhibiting plastic crystalline phases. In a. number of examples the cluster structure could be controlled by the flow conditions. Factors governing the type of cluster formed are discussed.
Temperature-programmed reaction and in situ infrared study of CO adsorbed on RhSiO2 and AgRhSiO2 catalysts

Abstract The temperature-programmed reaction (TPR) technique coupled with infrared (IR) spectroscopy has been employed to study the reactivity of adsorbed CO towards hydrogen. The combination of the two techniques provides information on the structure and reactivity of adsorbates, activation energy and kinetic data for the CO hydrogenation reaction. CO adsorption on Rh SiO 2 at 298 K produced mainly linear and bridged CO on the surface. Linear CO appears to be more reactive than bridged CO in the formation of methane during TPR over Rh SiO 2 . The addition of silver to Rh SiO 2 promotes the formation of gem-dicarbonyl CO and suppresses the formation of bridged CO during CO adsorption at 298 K. The disproportionation of gem-dicarbonyl CO and the reduction of Rh + by oxidation of the CO ligand of Rh + (CO) 2 produce CO, CO 2 , and surface carbon on the Ag  Rh SiO 2 catalyst at temperatures above 310 K. Hydrogenation of surface carbon begins at 390 K leading to methane formation. The methane peak temperature was observed at 442 K on the Ag  Rh SiO 2 and at 420 K on Rh SiO 2 . The higher hydrogenation temperature of adsorbed CO and surface carbon over Ag  Rh SiO 2 as compared to Rh SiO 2 is attributed to the suppression of hydrogenation by Ag.
Clinical experience with zonisamide monotherapy and adjunctive therapy in children with epilepsy at a tertiary care referral center.

We evaluated our clinical experience with zonisamide, a broad-spectrum antiepileptic drug, in a group of children with predominantly medically refractory epilepsy. A retrospective chart review was ...
Acylation of the lymphoma transmembrane glycoprotein, GP85, may be required for GP85-ankyrin interaction.

The lymphoma plasma membrane glycoprotein, GP85, is a transmembrane glycoprotein that binds directly to ankyrin, a molecule known to link the plasma membrane with the underlying cytoskeleton. In this study, we have demonstrated that palmitic acid is incorporated into GP85 in vivo and that the amount of palmitic acid incorporated is greatly stimulated during lymphoma cap formation. The majority of the incorporated palmitic acid appears to be strongly linked to GP85 since it is not dissociated by strong detergents (e.g. sodium dodecyl sulfate) or by chloroform/methanol extraction, but is labile to alkaline or acid hydrolysis. Furthermore, we have established that deacylation of GP85 (i.e. removal of the palmitic acid moiety from GP85 by 1 M hydroxylamine treatment) significantly reduces the binding affinity between GP85 and ankyrin, and reacylation of GP85 restores the binding affinity. These findings suggest that fatty acid acylation of GP85 by palmitic acid may be required for the stable attachment of the cytoskeleton to the lymphoma plasma membrane.
BBGD: an online database for blueberry genomic data

Blueberry is a member of the Ericaceae family, which also includes closely related cranberry and more distantly related rhododendron, azalea, and mountain laurel. Blueberry is a major berry crop in the United States, and one that has great nutritional and economical value. Extreme low temperatures, however, reduce crop yield and cause major losses to US farmers. A better understanding of the genes and biochemical pathways that are up- or down-regulated during cold acclimation is needed to produce blueberry cultivars with enhanced cold hardiness. To that end, the blueberry genomics database (BBDG) was developed. Along with the analysis tools and web-based query interfaces, the database serves both the broader Ericaceae research community and the blueberry research community specifically by making available ESTs and gene expression data in searchable formats and in elucidating the underlying mechanisms of cold acclimation and freeze tolerance in blueberry. BBGD is the world's first database for blueberry genomics. BBGD is both a sequence and gene expression database. It stores both EST and microarray data and allows scientists to correlate expression profiles with gene function. BBGD is a public online database. Presently, the main focus of the database is the identification of genes in blueberry that are significantly induced or suppressed after low temperature exposure. By using the database, researchers have developed EST-based markers for mapping and have identified a number of "candidate" cold tolerance genes that are highly expressed in blueberry flower buds after exposure to low temperatures.
Evidence for a new activator of rat liver phosphofructokinase.

Abstract A low molecular weight compound that activates purified rat liver phosphofructokinase has been isolated and partially purified from rat hepatocyte extracts. It can be separated from both fructose bisphosphate and AMP on DEAE-Sephadex. Incubation of rat hepatocytes with glucagon lowers the level of this activator, and this accounts for the inhibition of phosphofructokinase that was observed in hepatocyte extracts (S. Pilkis, et al. (1979) Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun. 88 , 960–967). Other characteristics of this activator are described which suggest that it is not any of the known effectors of rat liver phosphofructokinase.
Reinforcement and prior information in the judgment of others’ attitudes

Either pro or anti attitudinal responses were reinforced with “good” under three conditions of prior information regarding the reinforcing agents’ (interviewers’) attitudes on the issues. For all prior information conditions, the interviewer was viewed as holding a relatively pro attitude when he reinforced pro responses and a relatively anti attitude when he reinforced anti responses.
A Taxonomy of Manpower -- Educational Planning Models.

Abstract In the last decade the literature has recorded several works concerned with the applications of network flow-like models to the area of manpower planning, and specifically the management manpower training program to assure that supply will meet the demand. Because the system which these models attempt to describe and/or decisions which they prescribe are rather complex in the real world, each of these models has imbedded in them certain simplifying assumptions. On the other hand, each incorporates different aspects of what is real. This paper develops a taxonomy of the landmark developments in this area. The taxonomical schema is then used to unify the models in consideration of the decision factors used. The schema envisions a general model containing all the factors which are explicitly or implicitly considered in the existing literature as being germane. The schema lends itself to both the identifying of those models which might be of interest and not available in the literature on the one hand and it shows in bold relief the similarities and differences between existing models.
Toward the development of a general chiral auxiliary 2. Evaluation of camphor lactam imide auxiliaries for asymmetric aldol reactions

Two camphor derived lactams 1 and 2 have been examined as to their utility as chiral auxiliaries for use in asymmetric aldol reactions. The results show good to excellent selectivities can be achieved with 2 in most cases employing diethyl boron enolates. These enolates proved less reactive than anticipated and exhibited a sensitivity to the steric size of the ligands on boron. A model which rationalizes the sense of diastereoselection is presented.
Pierre Bourdieu as a Post-cultural Theorist:

Pierre Bourdieu is without doubt one of the main figures in the sociological study of culture today. Yet, for a theorist so central to the subject matter of cultural studies, it is clear that there is no coherent account of Bourdieu stance in relation to the ‘concept of culture’ among current commentators. More importantly, in the sister-discipline of anthropology, Bourdieu is thought of as a central figure precisely because he helped move contemporary anthropological theory away from the centrality of the culture concept. This paper reviews this peculiar double reception of Bourdieu’s anthropological and sociological work, closely examining these unacknowledged strands of Bourdieu’s thinking on culture. The basic argument is that the anthropological reception of Bourdieu’s work is more faithful to the outlines of his late-career intellectual development while the sociological portrayal — Bourdieu as a Sausserean culture theorist with a ‘Weberian power twist’— is fundamentally misleading. I close by outli...
Two studies of visual search for word targets with controlled rates of presentation

The two studies reported involve the visual search of word lists for a target item when the rate of presentation is controlled and the words are presented tachistoscopically. In the first study, the target is differentiated physically from the filler items by being capitalized. When the target is the last item in a list, it is readily identified at all presentation rates, but when it is the first word or is embedded in a list, recognition accuracy is inversely related to presentation rate. In the second study, the differentiation between target and filler items is in terms of the presence or absence of category membership. All Ss at all presentation rates do significantly better on lists with an animal word as a target and a set of unrelated words as filler items than on the converse arrangement.
Prioritizing comparative-effectiveness research topics via stakeholder involvement: an application in COPD.

A major priority for funding agencies and researchers involved in comparative-effectiveness research (CER) is to ensure that research questions will produce findings that are relevant and feasible to implement. In this article, we describe a process for involving experts and stakeholders in identifying and prioritizing CER studies, as illustrated by our experience in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Clinical Pharmacology & Therapeutics (2011); 90 6, 888–892. doi:10.1038/clpt.2011.237
Iatrogenic microphallus secondary to circumcision

Three cases of apparent microphallus secondary to overzealous circumcision are presented. Proper diagnosis avoids unnecessary diagnostic studies. Moreover, a good functional and cosmetic result is virtually assured with appropriate resurfacing and thick split thickness skin grafting of the penile shaft. The best treatment would appear to be prevention of the complication by adequate instruction to personnel doing routine circumcisions.
Response to Kenneth Liberman

Any writer would be appreciative of an attentive reader, above all of one whose criticisms transcend listing typos and mundane inaccuracies, aiming instead at a critique of the merits of the argument itself. But one appreciates a reader even more when the inevitable criticism (this is philosophy, after all) hits on a set of problems or concerns that the author in fact shares, even if they had not been the focus in the work itself. In this vein I very much appreciate Professor Liberman's perceptive comments on my attempt to understand better the argument of HusserPs Crisis of the European Sciences, and I welcome the opportunity to share a few of my own thoughts on the matters that he raises. I should emphasize that my strategy in writing Crisis and Reflection was to inhabit, as much as I could based upon my understanding of Husserl, the conceptual world that is both articulated and presupposed by the Crisis. I endeavored to leave intact, though not without also highlighting (which Liberman notes throughout his remarks), the prejudices and tensions that mark Husserl' s late philosophy. As I see it, there are three fundamental such prejudices and tensions that Liberman has emphasized: (1) the ambiguity and insufficiency of Husserl's treatment of the "social" in his account of subjectivity and world; (2) Husserl's thesis of the "primacy of the I" in the subjective constitution of meaning, especially in texts such as the "Origin of Geometry"; and finally (3) the emphasis on the "theoretical" perspective on the problem of meaning, to the expense of more "concrete," praxis oriented analytical perspectives. These three prejudices and tensions are of course related, and I would like to offer a few comments to each in turn. My general intent here will be to express my agreement with Liberman on his uncertainty with respect to all of them; but I would also like to suggest that one of the things that makes Husserl so interesting is the fact
High Conductivity FIB Deposited Metal

The ion beam induced metal deposition processes now employed by commercial focused ion beam (FIB) tools all demonstrate less than optimal characteristics for use in circuit repair, a major application of these tools. In particular, the processes have low efficiencies, the metals produced have poor conductivity, and some form of clean up is generally required to remove excess material surrounding the repair site. The gold deposition process developed for x-ray mask repair, in contrast, exhibits efficiencies 10-50 times higher with significantly less material deposited in unwanted areas. Unfortunately, the conductivity of the gold is even poorer than that of materials now used for FIB circuit repair. In this paper, an annealing step which improves the conductivity of FIB deposited Au is described. Results are presented demonstrating resistivities of 5-15 μΩ-cm while maintaining the high efficiency of the gold deposition process. The suitability of the process for use in FIB circuit repair is discussed.
The FlyBar: administering alcohol to flies.

Fruit flies (Drosophila melanogaster) are an established model for both alcohol research and circadian biology. Recently, we showed that the circadian clock modulates alcohol sensitivity, but not the formation of tolerance. Here, we describe our protocol in detail. Alcohol is administered to the flies using the FlyBar. In this setup, saturated alcohol vapor is mixed with humidified air in set proportions, and administered to the flies in four tubes simultaneously. Flies are reared under standardized conditions in order to minimize variation between the replicates. Three-day old flies of different genotypes or treatments are used for the experiments, preferably by matching flies of two different time points (e.g., CT 5 and CT 17) making direct comparisons possible. During the experiment, flies are exposed for 1 hr to the pre-determined percentage of alcohol vapor and the number of flies that exhibit the Loss of Righting reflex (LoRR) or sedation are counted every 5 min. The data can be analyzed using three different statistical approaches. The first is to determine the time at which 50% of the flies have lost their righting reflex and use an Analysis of the Variance (ANOVA) to determine whether significant differences exist between time points. The second is to determine the percentage flies that show LoRR after a specified number of minutes, followed by an ANOVA analysis. The last method is to analyze the whole times series using multivariate statistics. The protocol can also be used for non-circadian experiments or comparisons between genotypes.
A rapid staining technique for fibers and cells in rat brain.

Abstract The technique described is a rapid method for processing and staining sections of whole rat brain to allow accurate identification of brain structures. Following removal of the brain, frozen sections are cut, fixed and stained with luxol fast blue and Cresylecht violet. The entire procedure, from the time of removal of the brain to the finished slide, can be accomplished within an hour.
Streaming audio with synchronized transcripts utilizing SMIL.

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to describe developmental work with SMIL (Synchronized Multimedia Integration Language) to synchronize transcript captions with streaming audio.Design/methodology/approach – This paper provides an evaluation of the hardware/software required to digitally record oral histories and the methods developed at WSU to customize the presentation of streaming audio and text.Findings – Though providing users with streaming media content is not excessively expensive, the multifaceted work‐flow of organizing an oral history project, utilizing digital recording equipment, preparing transcripts, and synchronizing those transcripts with their corresponding audio files, is a complex, labor‐intensive undertaking.Practical implications – This is an extremely common‐sense discussion of the time and work involved in planning digital projects that involve streaming media with captions.Originality/value – As many libraries enhance digital collections with streaming media, this article pro...
The role of sticking efficiencies in hydrogen gas adsorption on metal organic frameworks

Abstract In this study, the adsorption of hydrogen gas on 17 MOFs was compared. The majority of the MOFs contained carboxylate type linkers and metal centers such as Cu and Zn. A new parameter denoted sticking efficiency was used to compare the adsorption behaviors of the 17 MOFs. Results showed that a better correlation exists between sticking efficiency and hydrogen adsorption capacity than between surface area and adsorption capacity. However, when only MOFs containing similar types of linkers were included in the comparison, the surface area correlated somewhat better with adsorption capacity than did sticking efficiency. Since a direct correlation was also found between the sticking efficiency and the adsorption enthalpy it appears that sticking efficiency is a measure of the binding energies of the MOFs.
The effect of health information technology implementation in Veterans Health Administration hospitals on patient outcomes.

Abstract Background The impact of health information technology (HIT) in hospitals is dependent in large part on how it is used by nurses. This study examines the impact of HIT on the quality of care in hospitals in the Veterans Health Administration (VA), focusing on nurse-sensitive outcomes from 1995 to 2005. Methods Data were obtained from VA databases and original data collection. Fixed-effects Poisson regression was used, with the dependent variables measured using the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality Inpatient Quality Indicators and Patient Safety Indicators software. Dummy variables indicated when each facility began and completed implementation of each type of HIT. Other explanatory variables included hospital volume, patient characteristics, nurse characteristics, and a quadratic time trend. Results The start of computerized patient record implementation was associated with significantly lower mortality for two diagnoses but significantly higher pressure ulcer rates, and full implementation was associated with significantly more hospital-acquired infections. The start of bar-code medication administration implementation was linked to significantly lower mortality for one diagnosis, but full implementation was not linked to any change in patient outcomes. Conclusions The commencement of HIT implementation had mixed effects on patient outcomes, and the completion of implementation had little or no effect on outcomes. Implications This longitudinal study provides little support for the perception of VA staff and leaders that HIT has improved mortality rates or nurse-sensitive patient outcomes. Future research should examine patient outcomes associated with specific care processes affected by HIT.
Nonlinear isobologram and superadditive withdrawal from cocaine:cannabinoid combinations in planarians

Elucidation of interactions between drugs used in polydrug abuse is especially important. However, the necessary experimental conditions for precise quantitative analysis are difficult to establish. Because withdrawal effects of cocaine and the cannabinoid receptor agonist WIN 55212-2 are easily quantified in planarians, demonstration of synergistic effects (P < 0.01) of certain ratios of this combination was possible. This synergy, here analyzed with the latest (nonlinear) isobolographic methodology, is now quantitatively established for the first time.
Ultrathin metal films on a metal oxide surface: Growth of Au on TiO 2 (110)

We have studied the growth of ultrathin Au films on the ${\mathrm{TiO}}_{2}$ (110) surface using low-energy ion scattering (LEIS), x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and low-energy electron diffraction (LEED). For substrate temperatures of 160 and 300 K, for fractional monolayer Au coverages, Au evaporated under UHV conditions appears to grow initially on the stoichiometric ${\mathrm{TiO}}_{2}$ (110) surface in a quasi-two-dimensional (2D) form. As the average Au coverage increases to one monolayer (1 ML) and higher, Au forms three-dimensional (3D) islands. The coverage at which 3D islands become apparent in LEIS data decreases as the surface temperature increases. No evidence of significant chemical interactions has been found between the Au and ${\mathrm{TiO}}_{2}$ substrate. By annealing ${\mathrm{A}\mathrm{u}/\mathrm{T}\mathrm{i}\mathrm{O}}_{2}$ to temperatures up to 775 K, the Au islands continue to grow; encapsulation of the Au islands by Ti suboxides is not observed. There is little or no CO adsorption on small Au clusters at 300 K (upper limit of \ensuremath{\sim}0.05 ML), based on sensitive LEIS measurements.
Injectable Clostridium Histolyticum Collagenase as a Potential Treatment for Uterine Fibroids

Purified Clostridium histolyticum collagenase (CHC), an Food and Drug Administration-approved drug that does not affect nerves or blood vessels, was assessed as a potential treatment for fibroids in this proof-of-principle study. Fibroids (1-4 cm, capsules intact) and myometrial specimens from 5 patients were injected posthysterectomy with CHC or vehicle containing methylene blue and incubated for 24 hours. Percentage of collagen-stained area was estimated using Masson-Trichrome-stained slides. Collagen fibers were observed with picrosirius staining. Tissue stiffness was objectively measured by rheometry (complex shear modulus [Pa]). Injected materials spread within and beyond fibroids as visualized by methylene blue. Of the 8 treated fibroids, 7 were softened and some contained liquefied centers. Relative percentage of collagen-stained area (mean ± standard deviation) in treated fibroids (38 ± 12%; n = 7) was less than that in control fibroids (66 ± 17%; n = 5). Treated myometrium (40 ± 30% collagen; n = 3) was similar to control myometrium (53 ± 8%; n = 2). Picrosirius staining demonstrated loss of collagen fibers in treated fibroids. Treated fibroids were less stiff (3630 ± 2410 Pa; n = 4) than controls (5930 ± 830 Pa; n = 4). Treated and control myometrium had similar stiffness (2149 ± 927 Pa; n = 3 and 3314 ± 494 Pa; n = 2, respectively) and were never liquefied. In conclusion, injections of CHC into encapsulated fibroids are feasible and effective. Heterogeneity of collagen types and quantities within individual fibroids may contribute to varied responses and need additional investigation. Further study of collateral effects on myometrium is indicated. Injected CHC has potential for treatment of fibroids.
Effects of hydrogen in Ni(100) submonolayer homoepitaxy

The effects of hydrogen in Ni(100) submonolayer homoepitaxy have been investigated by classical-potential total-energy calculations with semiclassical hydrogen zero-point-energy corrections. The fast diffusion of H on a flat Ni(100) surface is found to persist even when the surface is decorated with various intrinsic defects such as Ni adatoms, islands, and steps created during epitaxial growth. On the other hand, the presence of H significantly enhances the mobility of both Ni adatoms and Ni islands, resulting in a decrease in the Ni island density and a corresponding increase in the average island size. These results suggest that hydrogen will function as an antisurfactant in Ni(100) homoepitaxy. Connections to available experiments are made. {copyright} {ital 1997} {ital The American Physical Society}
Sponsoring Violence: A Typology of Constituent Support for Terrorist Organizations

Terrorist organizations rely on support from their constituencies to survive. Constituent support can be categorized by constituents' behavior (active or passive) and the inducement strategy used by terrorist organizations to obtain it (enticements or coercion). These two dimensions overlap, producing a typology of constituent support for terrorist organizations. Four types of support are thus identified: impelled (active and enticed), auspicious (passive and enticed), compelled (active and coerced), and deterred (passive and coerced). Although types often co-exist and transform from one to another over time, each is a distinct lens to view constituent support and can improve upon state counterterrorism strategies.
A cell strain cultured from porcine kidney increases cyclic AMP content upon exposure to calcitonin or vasopressin.

Abstract Cells originally dispersed from whole juvenile male Hampshire pig kidney and maintained in monolayer culture, increased cyclic AMP content in response to incubation with salmon calcitonin or antidiuretic hormone. Parathyroid hormone and epinephrine did not affect cyclic AMP content. The apparent K m for arginine vasopressin in the porcine cells was 3.0 nM which is similar to the value obtained in single segments of rabbit kidney tubule. The apparent K m for salmon calcitonin of 2.7 nM is higher than that reported for the rabbit nephron segments, but comparable to the K m obtained in rat kidney homogenates. Exposure of the porcine cells to exogenous prostaglandin E 2 did not affect cyclic AMP responses to other hormones. In the cultured porcine kidney cells the pattern of hormone response is similar to that observed in nephron segments prepared from the medullary portion of the thick ascending limb of the loop of Henle, and these findings suggest that the porcine cells may be related to cells present in the medullary region of the kidney tubule.
The Response of Coho Salmon and Guppies to 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) in Water

Abstract TCDD exposure for 96 hours at 0.54 ng/g (amount of TCDD in test container per gram of wet body weight) had no effect on food consumption, weight gain, or survival of young coho salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch) during a 60-day postexposure period in a static-water toxicity test. Growth and survival 114 days after exposure to 5.4 ng/g TCDD were reduced, and the reductions were greater after 24 hours than after 12 hours exposure to TCDD. These effects were first observed 56 days after exposure. The body burden of TCDD in young coho salmon 114 days after exposure increased with both the level and duration of exposure. The half-life of the whole-body TCDD residues was at least 109 days after fish were placed in clean water. Guppies (Poecilia reticulata) exposed to 0.8 ng TCDD/g developed fin disease 42 days after exposure. There was a significant decrease in the diseased fin condition between 42 to 69 days after exposure. Guppies had no increase in fin disease after exposure to 0.08 ng/g TCDD.
Kikuchi's Disease: A Rare Cause of Fever and Lymphadenopathy

Kikuchi's disease is a benign condition that occurs in women. A young woman presented to the hospital with fevers and cervical lymphadenopathy. Infectious work-up was negative except for streptococcus pharyngitis. Imaging studies revealed the presence of diffuse cervical and axillary lymphadenopathy. The fevers persisted and she underwent excisional cervical lymph node biopsy that revealed histiocytic necrotizing lymphadenitis corresponding to a benign diagnosis of Kikuchi's disease. Three months later, the patient was afebrile and there was complete resolution of the cervical lymphadenopathy.
Photospheric Magnetic Field Rotation: Rigid and Differential

Photospheric magnetic field direction autocorrelation showing differential and rigid rotation properties at various heliographic latitudes
A simple and fast liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry method for measurement of underivatized L-arginine, symmetric dimethylarginine, and asymmetric dimethylarginine and establishment of the reference ranges.

Asymmetric dimethylarginine (ADMA) is an endogenous inhibitor of nitric oxide synthase and an established biomarker for endothelial function, while symmetric dimethylarginine (SDMA), an emerging biomarker for renal function, has been shown to outperform creatinine-based equations for estimated glomerular filtration rate. In order to study these analytes for clinical research, a fast and simple method for measuring arginine (ARG), SDMA, and ADMA in plasma by liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) has been developed. Plasma (50 μL) was mixed with 50 μL of internal standard of 13C-arginine and d7-ADMA followed by protein precipitation with methanol containing 1% ammonium acetate (300 μL). After centrifugation, the supernatant (100 μL) was mixed with 300 μL of acetonitrile with 1% formic acid, and the mixture was injected onto a silica column monitored by a mass spectrometer. The analytical cycle time was 5.0 min. The method was linear from 5.7 to 489.7 μM for ARG, 0.06 to 5.15 μM for SDMA, and from 0.34 to 5.65 μM for ADMA, with an accuracy of 99.0–120.0%. Total coefficients of variation for all analytes ranged from 2.7% to 7.7% for three concentration levels. The effects of hemolysis, lipemia, uremia, icterus, specimen tube types, storage at different temperature, and freeze/thaw were thoroughly investigated. Reference ranges were established using 51 well-defined reference subjects (12 men and 39 women, age 19–64 years): 53.1–129.7 μM for ARG, 0.32–0.65 μM for SDMA, and 0.36–0.67 μM for ADMA. In conclusion, the validated LC-MS/MS method described here offers a fast and reliable ARG, SDMA, and ADMA quantitation in plasma with minimum sample preparation.
Comparison of Experimental and ab initio Line Strengths for H 2 O and HDO

An ab initio dipole moment function is used to predict line strengths for v1, v2, v3, and 2v2 bands of H2O and for the v1 band of HDO. Except for lines in the v1 band of H2O, ab initio and observed line intensities are in reasonable agreement.
In vitro Culture of Pyrodinium

Water from Puerto Rico's Phosphorescent Bay, when enriched with vitamin B12, thiamine, biotin, yeast autolysate, and bay-mud acid hydrolysate, has been found to support vigorous in vitro growth of the luminescent dinoflagellate Pyrodinium bahamense. Cultures of Pyrodinium are being maintained through serial passage.