cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Predicting age from hearing test results with machine learning reveals the genetic and environmental factors underlying accelerated auditory aging

With the aging of the world population, age-related hearing loss (presbycusis) and other hearing disorders such as tinnitus become more prevalent, leading to reduced quality of life and social isolation. Unveiling the genetic and environmental factors leading to age-related auditory disorders could suggest lifestyle and therapeutic interventions to slow auditory aging. In the following, we built the first machine learning-based hearing age predictor by training models to predict chronological age from hearing test results (root mean squared error=7.10+/-0.07 years; R-Squared=31.4+/-0.8%). We defined hearing age as the prediction outputted by the model on unseen samples, and accelerated auditory aging as the difference between a participant9s hearing age and age. We then performed a genome wide association study [GWAS] and found that accelerated hearing aging is 14.1+/-0.4% GWAS-heritable. Specifically, accelerated auditory aging is associated with 662 single nucleotide polymorphisms in 243 genes (e.g OR2B4P, involved in smell perception). Similarly, it is associated with biomarkers (e.g cognitive tests), clinical phenotypes (e.g chest pain), diseases (e.g depression), environmental (e.g smoking, sleep) and socioeconomic (e.g income, education, social support) variables. The hearing age predictor could be used to evaluate the efficiency of emerging rejuvenation therapies on hearing.
Psychological and Cultural Factors in the use of Just-Below Pricing

Just-below pricing is the practice of setting a price so that it falls just below a round number, such as setting a price at $29.99 to fall just below $30.00. There is considerable evidence, both systematic and anecdotal, that just-below pricing is used, at least to some degree, in most of the world’s nations and cultures. However, there are also interesting cultural differences in how this retail pricing technique is used.
Laminated Composites in Compression: Free-edge Effects

This chapter excerpts material from a series of tests of thick laminated composites in compression.1 As illustrated in Fig. 7.1, the graphite/epoxy specimens were cut from thick-walled cylinders with two different stacking sequences (i.e., the sequence of fiber directions in successive plies of the laminate). They are called quasi-isotropic and cross-ply laminates. In-plane and interlaminar compression tests were conducted, with the compressive loads applied parallel and perpendicular to the plies, respectively. Note that the coordinate system maintains x perpendicular to the plies and y parallel to the plies. The loading fixture of Fig. 4.10 was used.
Intra-industry credit contagion : evidence from the credit default swap market and the stock market

Motivated by the observation of clustering and cascading of credit events, new generation credit risk models have increasingly recognized the importance of credit contagion. However, the empirical significance of credit contagion has not been assessed to date. To provide a solid empirical foundation for such models, I study the effects of a firm's credit event on the default risk of its industry counterparts, captured in the Credit Default Swaps (CDS) Market. I find that these effects are heterogeneous conditional on the nature of credit events. Industry credit contagion is strongest when a firm is struck by a credit spread shock. It is partially offset by competition effect in the event of Chapter 11 bankruptcies, and is dominated by competition effect around Chapter 7 filings. This finding is consistent with theories of counterparty risk and updating of beliefs. I further investigate drivers of contagion and competition effects within a unified framework incorporating macroeconomic, industry and firm-specific factors. Particularly I identify new factors that help explain the high default correlation during economic downturns. Furthermore, this paper uncovers evidence of pure contagion beyond macroeconomic and industry common factors. Finally, I find that credit contagion is captured in the CDS market in an earlier, cleaner and stronger way than in the stock market. The results can be used to improve credit risk models, and have rich implications for credit-sensitive portfolio management.
Competence, Schmompetence: Theoretical and Empirical Examinations of the Valence Dimension

Spatial theory accounts for the empirical effect of non-policy candidate characteristics in legislative elections by including a “valence” dimension. The valence dimension supposedly represents a set of characteristics over which voters might have monotonically increasing preferences, such as competence. However, competence has policy implications that spatial models have ignored, and if voters rationally consider the interaction between a candidate’s policy positions and legislative skill, they will sometimes prefer inept candidates to skilled candidates. Empirically, though, there is no evidence that voters consider legislative skill in any systematic way when evaluating their Members of Congress. When it does appear to impact evaluations, it does so in a way that suggests voters do not consider the policy implications of legislative skill. This undercuts the application of “competence” to spatial theory.
The Sentencing Judge as Immigration Judge

Non-citizens who commit crimes large and small work their way through two huge bureaucracies: the immigration enforcement and the criminal justice systems. When a non-citizen commits a crime, the event can result in a criminal conviction, which might then trigger removal from the country. However badly these two systems operate by themselves, they work even more poorly when they are haphazardly combined. These two systems duplicate many tasks, gathering many of the same facts about the non-citizen and employing two distinct sets of investigators and judges. Working together, they needlessly lengthen the time a non-citizen must sit in jail and postpone the date when the government can remove the person from the country. In this article, we ask whether a judge who sentences a non-citizen criminal offender should also determine whether to remove that individual from the country. There are reasons to believe that both the government and the deportable offender would benefit from the merger of these two decisions that now operate on largely separate tracks. In the current system, most non-citizens who are removable because of their criminal convictions are never removed. The government would benefit if the sentencing judge functioned as an immigration judge because the sentencing investigation would provide a reliable way to identify more deportable offenders. A merger of sentencing and immigration determinations would also yield less duplication of resources, quicker deportation, and lower detention costs. Deportable offenders would also benefit from quicker resolution of their claims, shorter detentions, the institutionalized use of prosecutorial discretion for immigration decisions, the presence of a truly neutral judge, and (most important) the provision of counsel and the other procedural protections of the criminal system. An intelligent merger of the criminal sentencing and immigration systems might bring out the best in both systems. The convergence of the two systems is happening now in a haphazard way that undermines liberty and wastes public resources. If convergence is going to happen anyway, perhaps it is best to get in front of the movement and to manage its direction.
Experiments on a Truss-Panel Structure

LIVE is a truss structure with slewable panels developed at the Ohio State University for experimentation on the coupling of rigid and flexible dynamics and control-structure interaction. The present version is based on a 3-D truss with two panels at the bottom. the panels can be rotated independently to induce truss vibrations. Vibration damping on the truss is to be accomplished with proof-mass actuators mounted on the truss. In this paper we discuss the setup, hardware, modeling issues and initial experiments.
Magic Spot Metabolism in an Escherichia coli Mutant Temperature Sensitive in Elongation Factor Ts

A temperature-sensitive mutant of Escherichia coli HAK88 which has been shown to have a lesion in elongation factor Ts (EFTs) was studied with repsect to its metabolism of guanosine 5′-diphosphate, 2′(3′)-diphosphate (ppGpp) and the associated failure of ribosomal ribonucleic acid (rRNA) accumulation at the nonpermissive temperature. Results reported here show that (i) when EFTs is nonfunctional, a full complement of charged transfer RNA (tRNA) cannot prevent accumulation of ppGpp (magic spot) and the stringent failure of rRNA accumulation; (ii) chloramphenicol prevents magic spot (MS) formation and the stringent response not by increasing the percentage of charged tRNA, but possibly by somehow interfering directly with the synthesis of MS; and (iii) tetracycline can lead to MS disappearance without resumption of RNA synthesis. Thus, the absence of MS and the presence of a functional RNA polymerase and charged tRNA are not sufficient to support rRNA accumulation in vivo. An additional element in the regulatory system is suggested.
Overview of Length-Tension Relationships in Isolated Tissue

This unit describes critical aspects of preparing isolated tissues for experiments to determine the response of specific receptors in the tissue to compounds in a surrounding fluid bath. The two most common methods of evaluating muscle function in pharmacological length-tension relationships experiments is through measuring isometric and isotonic contraction. In an isometric contraction, which occurs in muscles when they exert force without changing length, the contractile element shortens and the stress transmitted onto the series elastic component is measured in newtons or grams, reflecting the increase in total tension. Isotonic contraction is the shortening of a muscle under a constant load. A key factor in the sensitivity of an isolated tissue receptor system is the resting length under which the muscle is mounted. A discussion of important issues relating to resting length is included.
Mitochondrial DNA sequence variants in epithelial ovarian tumor subtypes and stages.

A majority of primary ovarian neoplasms arise from cell surface epithelium of the ovaries. Although old age and a positive family history are associated risk factors, the etiology of the epithelial ovarian tumors is not completely understood. Additionally, knowledge of factors involved in the histogenesis of the various subtypes of this tumor as well as those factors that promote progression to advanced stages of ovarian malignancy are largely unknown. Current evidence suggests that mitochondrial alterations involved in cellular signaling pathways may be associated with tumorigenesis.
Determining the thermal conductivity of liquids using the transient hot disk method. Part I: Establishing transient thermal-fluid constraints

Methods to determine the thermal conductivity of liquids have come under increased scrutiny recently due to their relative importance in determining the precise physical mechanisms responsible for heat flow in different materials and at multiple length scales. In transient-based systems, one important but often overlooked parameter is the onset of natural convection. In the first part of this study, the transient effects of natural convection are analyzed numerically for a relatively new transient thermal characterization system (transient hot disk) in order to determine when they begin to affect the calculation of a surrounding fluid’s thermal conductivity. A comprehensive analysis of the effect of a fluid’s pertinent thermophysical properties, Rayleigh number and Prandtl number on the sensor temperature response during testing is completed. Subsequently, a correlation is developed to determine the onset of natural convection during testing for fluids having a wide range of Prandtl numbers. The solution is verified using experimentation with multiple fluids having known, temperature-dependent volumetric heat capacities. The correlation is used as part of a new method to accurately calculate the thermal conductivity of different Newtonian fluids in Part II of this study, which is published separately.
Determination of Bromine and Iodine in U.S.G.S. Standard Marine Mud (MAG‐1)

The concentrations of bromine and iodine in USGS reference material MAG-1 were determined by standard addition with secondary-source x-ray fluorescence spectrometric detection. Three determinations of bromine in the same sample yielded 311, 309 and 346 μg Br/g solid. The iodine content was found to be 380 μg I/g solid. The determination of bromine in a second bottle of MAG-1 (266 ± 9 μg Br/g) indicated that a large variation in halogen concentration may exist between samples of this reference material.
MITOTIC STABILITY OF TRANSFORMING DNA IS DETERMINED BY ITS CHROMOSOMAL CONFIGURATION IN THE FUNGUS COCHLIOBOLUS HETEROSTROPHUS

Cochliobolus heterostrophus was transformed with a plasmid (pH1S) containing a bacterial gene (hygB), which confers resistance to the antibiotic hygromycin B when under control of an 838-bp fragment of promoter 1 from C. heterostrophus. The plasmid integrated at either homologous (52% single copy, 33% tandemly repeated copies) or ectopic (4% single copy, 11% tandemly repeated copies) sites on different chromosomes, resulting in four distinct configurations of integrated DNA. All four configurations were highly stable during mitotic growth; virtually no loss of integrated DNA was detected after five subcultures on nonselective medium or after seven cycles of pathogenesis on maize, the normal host of this fungus. However, deletion of integrated DNA was detected after eight or more disease cycles. The frequency of deletion depended on the configuration of the recombinant chromosome. A single copy of pH1S integrated at an homologous site was flanked by direct repeats of the target sequence and was least stable; up to 50% of the population lacked integrated DNA after 12 disease cycles. A single copy integrated at an ectopic site had no repeated DNA directly associated with it and was the most stable; no deletions were detected after 12 disease cycles. Tandemly repeated copies of pH1S integrated at either homologous or ectopic sites appeared to have intermediate stability; 2–18% of each population lost at least one copy after 12 disease cycles, although in no case were all copies deleted. Cytosine residues of integrated DNA were methylated during mitotic growth, but this had no apparent effect on the expression of hygB.
Gap junctional regulation of signal transduction in bone cells

The role of gap junctions, particularly that of connexin43 (Cx43), has become an area of increasing interest in bone physiology. An abundance of studies have shown that Cx43 influences the function of osteoblasts and osteocytes, which ultimately impacts bone mass acquisition and skeletal homeostasis. However, the molecular details underlying how Cx43 regulates bone are only coming into focus and have proven to be more complex than originally thought. In this review, we focus on the diverse molecular mechanisms by which Cx43 gap junctions and hemichannels regulate cell signaling pathways, gene expression, mechanotransduction and cell survival in bone cells. This review will highlight key signaling factors that have been identified as downstream effectors of Cx43 and the impact of these pathways on distinct osteoblast and osteocyte functions.
Neuromotor Functioning in Children With Tourette Syndrome With and Without Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder

Neuromotor function was assessed in 94 children of normal intelligence with Tourette syndrome, Tourette syndrome and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), or ADHD only, using the Physical and Neurological Examination of Subtle Signs (PANESS). Time to complete six motor movements was analyzed separately by side (left and right) and complexity (simple and patterned). All groups performed faster on their preferred, dominant side. Although all groups took longer to complete patterned versus simple movements, the group with ADHD had a larger discrepancy for complexity than the other two groups. The speed for simple and patterned tasks was at or faster than age expectations for 54% of tasks in the group with Tourette syndrome but only 15% of tasks in the other two groups. More children in the group with Tourette syndrome (76%) than the groups with Tourette syndrome with ADHD (54%) or ADHD (54%) or ADHD only (65%) performed movements within normal time limits for age. Findings suggest that Tourette syndrome is not associated with motor slowing.
Pair of oscillators interacting with a common heat bath

Here the problem considered is that of a pair of oscillators coupled to a common heat bath. Many, if not most, discussions of a single operator coupled to a bath have used the independent oscillator model of the bath. However, that model has no notion of separation, so the question of phenomena when the oscillators are near one another compared with when they are widely separated cannot be addressed. Here the Lamb model of an oscillator attached to a stretched string is generalized to illustrate some of these questions. The coupled Langevin equations for a pair of oscillators attached to the string at different points are derived and their limits for large and small separations obtained. Finally, as an illustration of a different phenomenon, the fluctuation force between a pair of masses attached to the string is calculated, with closed-form expressions for the force at small and large separations.
Characteristics of the first H-mode discharges in the national spherical torus experiment.

Summary. —In summary, we have induced H -modedischarges in NSTX, in which the energy conﬁnementtime increased transiently by between 100% 200%.These H modes had energy conﬁnement well above ELM-free H -mode scaling laws, and had a signiﬁcantly greaterthreshold power than predicted. Thus H modes in NSTXwill eventually help extend the conﬁnement and thresholdpower scalings to low aspect ratio. Finally, H modes havebroader pressure proﬁles than L modes (e.g., the pressurepeaking factor was reduced by 15%in NSTX), andbroad proﬁles generally have higher b limits in tokamaksdue to improved low- n kink stability, e.g., TFTR [20] andDIII-D [21]. Thus achievement of H modes is a potentialpath for achieving higher b in NSTX.This research was supported by the U.S. Departmentof Energy under Contract No. DE-AC05-00OR22725,No. DE-AC02-76CH03073, No. W-7405-ENG-36, andGrant No. DE-FG02-99ER54524. We gratefully acknowl-edge the contribution of the NSTX technical staff and neu-tral beam operations staff, as well as useful discussionswith R. Akers, M. Gryaznevich, and A. Sykes from theMAST team.
TESTING CENTRAL PLACE CONCEPTS IN WESTERN ARGENTINA

This paper tests the validity of general central place concepts in a two-province, government-organized planning region in western Argentina known as Cuyo. Results of trade area surveys for various hierarchical levels and patterns formed by shopping-trip behavior agree well with expectations based on similar central place research in the United States.
PREDICTION OF OBJECTIVE CHILD MOTIVATION TEST SCORES FROM PARENTS' REPORTS OF CHILD-REARING PRACTICES

The mothers and fathers of 310 junior high school children completed a child-rearing questionnaire and the children completed the School Motivation Analysis Test. The mothers' and fathers' data were factor analyzed separately and factor scores computed and employed as predictor variables in separate sets of multiple regression analyses employing the childrens' school motivation scores as criteria. Of the 40 possible full model R2s 29 were significant. The pattern of variable interrelationships is discussed, with some of the most consistent results being a significant positive relationship of the children's integrated and unintegrated assertiveness scores with the fathers' late authoritative discipline and the mothers' high family-adjustment scores. Among numerous other relationships discussed were significant positive relationships of fathers' low use of discipline and mothers' low physical punishment vs high use of reason with the childrens' integrated self-sentiment and superego.
Alternating current Josephson effect and resonant superconducting transport through vibrating Nb nanowires

In 1962, Josephson made a celebrated prediction: when a constant voltage is applied across a thin insulator separating two superconductors, it will generate an oscillating current. These oscillations are ubiquitous in superconducting weak links of various geometries, and analogues have been found in other macroscopic quantum systems, such as superfluids and gaseous Bose-Einstein condensates. The interplay between the oscillating current and external microwave radiation of matching frequency (Shapiro steps) or with internal electrodynamic resonances (Fiske effect) appear as changes in the current-voltage characteristics of superconducting tunnel junctions and provide further insight into the phenomenon. Here, we report measurements and theoretical studies suggesting that Josephson current oscillations interact with atomic-scale mechanical motion as well. We formed a niobium dimer nanowire that acts as a weak link between two superconducting (bulk) niobium electrodes. We find features in the differential conductance through the dimer which we believe correspond to excitations of the dimer vibrational modes by Josephson oscillations and support our results with theoretical simulations.
Sensitization phenomena in psychiatric illness: lessons from the kindling model.

Sensitization or “kindling-like” phenomena have been implicated in the pathophysiology of a number of psychiatric illnesses. A basic understanding of the prototypical sensitization phenomenon, the kindling model of epilepsy, is thus of increasing significance for the psychiatrist. This article presents a summary of the kindling model, with particular emphasis on glutamatergic mechanisms in general and plasticity of the N-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA) receptor in specific. Findings from the kindling model are then discussed in light of their potential relevance to psychiatric illness. Finally, a speculative model is proposed in which opposing molecular processes lead to NMDA receptor hyperfunction in kindling and hypofunction in schizophrenia.
Dimensions of the Ascending Aorta in Conotruncal Heart Defects

Dilatation of the ascending aorta is an important sequel in conotruncal anomalies, such as tetralogy of Fallot (TOF) or d-transposition of the great arteries (TGA). We measured dimensions and their progression at different levels of the ascending aorta in 80 patients. In TOF patients, mean z-score for aortic annulus was 1.65 (range −3.16–6.47), for sinus 1.93 (range −2.28–5.39), for st-junction 4.15 (range 0.0–8.18), and for ascending aorta 3.51 (range −1.23–6.36). Over time, annulus z-scores increased in the univariate analysis [0.07/year, 95 % confidence interval (CI) 0.01–0.14; p = 0.02], and this was unique to male patients (0.08/year, 95 % CI 0.00–0.15; p = 0.05). z-scores of the ascending aorta decreased (−0.1/year, 95 % CI −0.18 to −0.02; p = 0.02), and this was confined to patients without aortic regurgitation (AR; −0.09/year, 95 % CI −0.18 to −0.01; p = 0.04). In TGA, mean z-score for the aortic annulus was 2.13 (range −3.71–8.39), for sinus 1.77 (range −3.04–6.69), for st-junction 1.01 (range −5.44–6.71), and for ascending aorta 0.82 (range −4.91–6.46). In bivariate analysis, annulus z-scores decreased in females (−0.14/year, 95 % CI −0.25 to −0.03; p = 0.01) and in patients without AR (−0.07/year, 95 % CI −0.14–0.0; p = 0.03). z-scores of the ascending aorta increased significantly in males (0.08/year, 95 % CI 0.0 to 0.16; p = 0.05) and in patients with AR (0.12/year, 95 % CI 0.03–0.21; p = 0.01). In conclusion, TOF and TGA z-scores of the ascending aorta differ significantly from those of the normal population. Progression of z-scores over time is influenced by diagnosis, sex, and presence of AR.
Astrophysics: photons from a hotter hell.

Blazars are massive black holes sending out particle jets at close to the speed of light. Stupendously fast, intense bursts of highly energetic γ-rays indicate that the blazar environment is even more extreme than was thought.
Pharmacologic stress echocardiography for the assessment of organ suitability for heart transplantation: casting a broader net in search of donors.

doi:10.1016/j. Heart transplantation is the therapy proven to provide the greatest survival benefit for patients with end-stage heart failure. However, the use of this lifesaving therapy is constrained by the availability of suitable organs. According to U.S. Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network and Scientific Registry of Transplant Recipients data as of January 7, 2011, the number of heart transplantations in the United States in 2010 had decreased to 1,934, after having reached a plateau at approximately 2,100 to 2,200 per year for much of the previous decade. There are presently nearly 3,200 patients awaiting heart transplantation in the United States, of whom almost one third have been waiting for >2 years. Median waiting list times for United Network for Organ Sharing status 1 candidates (the most critically ill of patients awaiting heart transplantation) range from 50 to 80 days, depending on the severity of the patient’s status. Despite recent improvements in the survival time of patients awaiting heart transplantation, the ongoing shortage of suitable donor hearts still represents a significant barrier to the optimal care of patients with end-stage heart failure. Current recommendations for the selection of donor hearts advise echocardiography to exclude structural abnormalities, including moderate or greater degrees of left ventricular (LV) hypertrophy and significant valvular and congenital cardiac abnormalities. Additionally, screening coronary angiography for all male donors aged >45 years and for female donors aged >50 years is frequently performed; angiography may also be used in younger patients if there is a history of cocaine use or risk factors for coronary artery disease (CAD). It is advised that donor hearts aged >55 years be used only for the most critically ill recipients. However, at present, consensus guidelines for the exclusion of donor hearts do not exist, so practice varies somewhat among transplantation centers. Because of the ongoing critical need for donor hearts, it may be time to reevaluate both the type of donor who we consider for organ donation and the way we screen potential donors for occult cardiac disease. In this issue of the Journal of the American Society of Echocardiography, Bombardini et al. present a new strategy to increase the pool of donor hearts available for transplantation: pharmacologic stress echocardiography screening of marginal donors. Their analysis included 39 marginal donor hearts undergoing screening for transplantation suitability. A ‘‘marginal’’ donor was defined as >50 years old or <50 years old with risk factors for CAD, defined as a history of cocaine use or three or more classic coronary risk factors. Donors met standard neurologic and physiologic criteria for organ donation eligibility. Potential donors underwent standard resting transthoracic echocardiography.
Substrate Effects on The Growth of Oriented MgO Thin Films

MgO thin films were deposited onto SrTiO3 and LaAlO3 single crystal substrates using off-axis rf-magnetron sputtering. Films from 1000–3000A thick were grown in an Ar - 20%O2 atmosphere at temperatures between 200 and 700°C. X-ray measurements indicate MgO grows epitaxially on SrTiO3 at temperatures above 400°C. The microstructure of these films was smooth and dense. At deposition temperatures below 400°C, orientation is maintained, but a rough plate-like microstructure begins to take over. MgO films deposited on LaAlO3 grow with a high degree of preferred orientation. Film microstructure resembled MgO deposited on SrTiO3 at temperatures below 400°C. Variations in the quality of MgO films grown on LaAlO3were also observed which may be related to variations in steps on the substrate surfaces.
DEFLECTION-BASED ANALYSIS TECHNIQUES FOR JOINTED CONCRETE PAVEMENT SYSTEMS

Techniques are presented that are based on the dense-liquid foundation model for analyzing deflection data obtained at center slab, slab edge, and slab corner positions to provide indications of the quality and uniformity of support beneath jointed concrete slabs. Deflections obtained at central slab positions are used to quantify a baseline foundation k-value for each slab tested. Edge and corner deflection data are used to establish the foundation edge and corner k-values of each slab. Adjustments for slab size and temperature curling during testing are discussed. Slab support ratios are determined on a slab-by-slab basis using the ratio of edge and corner k-values to center-of-slab k-values, ke/ki, and ke/ki. When nonuniform support exists, the foundation support ratio will typically be less than 0.75. Example and field results are provided to illustrate the analysis techniques and the interpretations necessary to distinguish between poor support due to slab curling or foundation voids.
Predation on capped langurs (Presbytis pileata) by cooperatively hunting jackals (Canis aureus).

Predation attempts by cooperatively hunting jackals (Canis aureus) on capped langurs (Presbytis pileata) in moist deciduous forest in north-central Bangladesh are described. The incidents were observed during a 15-m field study of the ecology and behavior of capped langurs. Two attacks on langurs were made cooperatively by, in one instance, a pair and in a second instance a small pack of jackals. One of these attacks was successful. Although P. pileata is a highly arboreal species, both attacks took place in rare instances of ground travel by the langurs.
Apportioning sources of PM2.5 in St. Louis, MO using speciation trends network data

Abstract Positive matrix factorization (PMF) model was utilized along with wind direction and backward trajectory analyses, to identify and apportion local and regional sources to airborne PM 2.5 in the metropolitan St. Louis, MO, area using data from the US Environmental Protection Agency's Speciation Trends Network. Local non-ferrous metal smelting and steel processing factors were identified by combining PMF contributions and wind direction analysis. Mobile (gasoline and diesel) sources were also resolved. Secondary sulfate and secondary nitrate factors appeared to have regional source origins that are located in the Ohio River Valley and the Midwestern agricultural farm lands, respectively. The transport of agriculturally emitted ammonia appears to be a major contributing factor to secondary nitrate formation in the Midwest. Impacts of African dust transport to the Midwestern PM 2.5 were observed as well as transport of biomass burning aerosol from southern US area. This study presents an application of PMF and surface and upper air wind data to source identification of Midwestern fine aerosol.
The determination of absolute electron affinities of chlorobenzenes, chloronaphthalenes and chlorinated biphenyls from reduction potentials

Abstract The first reliable method for measuring relative electron affinities of organic compounds was the determination of reduction potentials in aprotic solvents. This technique remains very important because it is the only experimental method for obtaining electron affinities of some compounds such as those discussed in this article. The absolute electron affinity can be determined from reduction potentials by calibration with values measured in the gas phase. We have measured the absolute electron affinities of several chlorinated hydrocarbons in the gas phase by using the electron capture detector. Reduction potentials for a series of chlorinated benzenes, chlorinated naphthalenes, and chlorinated biphenyls measured using an interrupted sweep voltammetry procedure have been reported in the literature. From these data the electron affinities of all chlorobenzenes, 37 chloronaphthalenes and 31 chlorinated biphenyls have been determined. The chlorobenzene values range from −0.2 eV to 1.0 eV, while the chlorinated biphenyl values range from 0.2 eV to 0.9 eV and the chloronaphthalene values range from 0.3 eV to 1.4 eV.
Dynamic magnetization states of a spin valve in the presence of dc and ac currents : Synchronization, modification, and chaos

We present analytical and numerical calculations of dynamic magnetization states of a spin valve in the presence of dc and ac currents. Three distinct dynamic phases, synchronization, modification, and chaos, are identified within the experimental parameter space. A particularly interesting result is the appearance of the synchronization-chaos boundaries. In the region of synchronization, our results agree with experiments. In the modification and chaos regions, we predict experimentally observable power spectra.
Effects of chronic exposure to coal-derived oil on freshwater ecosystems: II. Experimental ponds

Ten 15-m3 outdoor ponds were treated daily for 8 weeks with a synthetic coal-derived crude oil; ecological effects were monitored for an additional 52 weeks. The experimental design included two replicate ponds at each of five oil input rates (from 1 to 16 ml/m3/d) plus two untreated controls. A gradient of responses was observed across the gradient of treatment levels. Cladoceran zooplankton populations and ecosystem metabolism (production/respiration) were affected at the lowest input rate, but the effects disappeared before the end of the oiling period and this exposure level (approximately 3% of the 48-h LC50 for Daphnia magna) was considered safe for this ecosystem. At the next higher treatment level, effects on zooplankton and ecosystem metabolism were greater and persisted until the oiling ended; reproduction of mosquitofish (Gambusia affmis) was also impaired. Major changes occurred throughout the ecosystem at higher treatment levels. The two highest treatment levels completely disrupted the pond community: The ponds recovered from the next-to-highest treatment but the effects of the highest treatment persisted for more than a year. Indirect effects occurred at all treatment levels and included changes in water quality, replacement of sensitive taxa by more tolerant competitors and changes in abundance of some species because of increases or decreases in their predators. The results of this experiment were qualitatively and quantitatively similar to those of a parallel experiment in pond-derived microcosms, and thus substantiated the ability of the microcosms to simulate larger, more natural ecosystems.
Evolution of -Cell Replacement Therapy in Diabetes Mellitus: Islet Cell Transplantation

Diabetes mellitus remains one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality worldwide. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, approximately 23.6 million people in the United States are affected. Of these individuals, 5 to 10% have been diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM), an autoimmune disease. Although it often appears in childhood, T1DM may manifest at any age, leading to significant morbidity and decreased quality of life. Since the 1960s, the surgical treatment for diabetes mellitus has evolved to become a viable alternative to insulin administration, beginning with pancreatic transplantation. While islet cell transplantation has emerged as another potential alternative, its role in the treatment of T1DM remains to be solidified as research continues to establish it as a truly viable alternative for achieving insulin independence. In this paper, the historical evolution, procurement, current status, benefits, risks, and ongoing research of islet cell transplantation are explored.
Rehabilitation Considerations of a Brachial Plexus Injury With Complete Avulsion of C5 and C6 Nerve Roots in a College Football Player: A Case Study:

Severe brachial plexus injuries are rare in sports, but they have catastrophic results with a significant loss of function in the involved upper extremity. Nerve root avulsions must be timely managed with prompt evaluation, accurate diagnosis, and surgical treatment to optimize the potential for a functional outcome. This case report describes the mechanism of injury, diagnostic evolution, surgical management, and rehabilitation of a college football player who sustained a traumatic complete nerve root avulsion of C5 and C6 (upper trunk of the brachial plexus). Diagnostics included clinical evaluation, magnetic resonance imaging, computed tomography myelogram, and electromyogram. Surgical planning included nerve grafting and neurotization (nerve transfer). Rehabilitation goals were to bring the hand to the face (active biceps function), to stabilize the shoulder for abduction and flexion, and to reduce neuropathic pain. Direct current stimulation, bracing, therapeutic exercise, and biofeedback were used to maximize the use of the athlete's upper extremity. Although the athlete could not return to sport or normal function by most standards, his results were satisfactory in that he regained an ability to perform many activities of daily living.
Varieties of healing. 1: medical pluralism in the United States.

Medicine has become interested in unconventional healing practices, ostensibly because of recent demographic research that reveals a thriving medical market of multiple options. This essay presents a historical overview of medical pluralism in the United States. Consistent evidence is examined suggesting that unconventional medicine has been a persistent presence in U.S. health care. Despite parallels with the past, the recent widespread interest in alternative medicine also represents a dramatic reconfiguration of medical pluralism-from historical antagonism to what might arguably be described as a topical acknowledgment of postmodern medical diversity. This recent shift may have less to do with acknowledging "new" survey data than with representing shifts in medicine's institutional authority in a consumer-driven health care environment. This essay is an introduction to a discussion of a taxonomy of contemporary U.S. medical pluralism, which also appears in this issue.
Needle liver biopsy: for the diagnosis of neoplasm.

1. Needle liver biopsy revealed the presence of hepatic neoplasm in 23 of 28 patients with neoplasm of the liver. 2. The biopsy confirmed the clinical impression of malignancy in 21 of 23 cases. In two cases the biopsy changed an incorrect to correct clinical diagnosis.
Mechanism of N-fluorobenzenesulfonimide promoted diamination and carboamination reactions: divergent reactivity of a Pd(IV) species.

The mechanism of the Pd-catalyzed diamination and carboamination of alkenes promoted by N-fluorobenzenesulfonimide (NFBS) was investigated. Stereochemical labeling experiments established that the diamination reaction proceeds via overall syn addition of the two nitrogen groups, whereas carboamination is the result of an anti addition of arene and nitrogen to the alkene. The intermediate Pd-alkyl complex arising from aminopalladation was observed, and an X-ray crystal structure of its 2,2′-bipyridine (bipy) complex was obtained, revealing strong chelation of the amide protecting group to palladium. Aminopalladation was shown to be an anti-selective process in both the presence and the absence of added ligands, proceeding via external attack of the nitrogen on a Pd-coordinated alkene. The intermediate Pd-alkyl complex was converted to diamination product upon exposure to NFBS with inversion of configuration via oxidative addition followed by dissociation of the benzenesulfonimide anion and SN2 displacement...
Efferent modulation of hair cell function.

Purpose of review This review covers the articles published between 2010 and early 2011 that presented new findings on inner-ear efferents and their ability to modulate hair cell function. Recent findings Studies published within the review period have increased our understanding of efferent mechanisms on hair cells in the cochlear and vestibular sensory epithelium and provide insights on efferent contributions to the plasticity of bilateral auditory processing. The central nervous system controls the sensitivity of hair cells to physiological stimuli by regulating the gain of hair cell electromechanical amplification and modulating the efficiency of hair cell-eighth nerve transmission. A notable advance in the last year has been animal and human studies that have examined the contribution of the olivocochlear efferents to sound localization, particularly in a noisy environment. Summary Acoustic activation of olivocochlear fibers provides a clinical test for the integrity of the peripheral auditory system and has provided new understanding about the function and limitations of the cochlear amplifier. Although similar tests may be possible in the efferent vestibular system, they have not yet been developed. The structural and functional similarities of the sensory epithelia in the inner ear offer hope that testing procedures may be developed that will allow reliable testing of the vestibular hair cell function.
John Stuart Mill and the Antagonistic Foundation of Liberal Politics

The agonistic critique of liberalism argues that liberal theory unwisely eliminates conflict from the design of liberal-democratic institutions and understandings of liberal citizenship. John Stuart Mill anticipates and resolves the agonistic critique by incorporating several theories of antagonism into his political theory. At the institutional level, Mill places two antagonisms at the center of his political theory: the tension between the popular and bureaucratic elements in representative government, on the one hand, and that between the democratic and aristocratic elements in modern society, on the other. These tensions guarantee the fluidity of the political sphere. At the experiential level, Mill's embrace of antagonism is even more complete, as he argues that even our objectively correct opinions must be ceaselessly contested to become properly ours. The theory that emerges is both agonistic and liberal; further, it calls into question current liberal attitudes concerning conflict and antagonism.
Immersive Projection Technology for Visual Data Mining

The PlatoCAVE, the MiniCAVE, and the C2 are immersive stereoscopic projectionbased virtual reality environments oriented toward group interactions. As such they are particularly suited to collaborative efforts in data analysis and visual data mining. In this article, we provide an overview of virtual reality in general, including immersive projection technology, and the use of stereoscopic displays for data visualization. We discuss design considerations for the construction of these immersive environments including one-wall versus four-wall implementations, augmented reality, stereoscopic placement, head tracking, the use of LCD devices, polarized light stereo, voice control, and image synchronization.
Architectural Considerations For A Post Focal Plane Programmable Signal Processor

This paper presents a discussion of some of the consideration in the development of an architecture for post focal plane signal processing using distributed programmable data processors. The resulting architecture employs a series of modules from which a signal processing system can be constructed based on the required sensor data rates. An analysis of a typical scenario is performed to show how a specific processing requirement can be defined using statistical modeling concepts. This analysis relates the number of memory/processing elements in the system to the number of objects in the field of view, the number of sensors and their format, and to the sampling rate of the sensor signal processing system.© (1981) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Obesity, diabetes, and exercise associated with sleep-related complaints in the American population.

Aim Previous studies have demonstrated relationships between sleep and both obesity and diabetes. Additionally, exercise may improve sleep and daytime function, in addition to weight and metabolic function. The present study extends these findings by examining how general sleep-related complaints are associated with body mass index (BMI), diabetes diagnosis, and exercise in a large, nationally representative sample.
Neuroscience: how neurons compute direction.

Certain retinal neurons fire specifically in response to stimuli moving in one direction. This apparently occurs when branches of an upstream nerve cell respond asymmetrically, and link asymmetrically to the firing retinal neuron.
Digitally-multiplexed nanoelectrospray ionization atmospheric pressure drift tube ion mobility spectrometry.

One of the shortcomings of atmospheric pressure drift tube ion mobility spectrometry (DTIMS) is its intrinsically low duty cycle (∼0.04−1%) caused by the rapid pulsing of the ion gate (25−400 μs) followed by a comparatively long drift time (25−100 ms), which translates into a loss of sensitivity. Multiplexing approaches via Hadamard and Fourier-type gating techniques have been reported for increasing the sensitivity of DTIMS. Here, we report an extended multiplexing approach which encompasses arbitrary binary ion injection waveforms with variable duty cycles ranging from 0.5 to 50%. In this approach, ion mobility spectra can be collected using conventional signal averaging, arbitrary, standard Hadamard and/or “extended” Hadamard operation modes. Initial results indicate signal-to-noise gains ranging from 2−7-fold for both arbitrary and “extended” Hadamard sequences. Standard Hadamard transform IMS provided increased sensitivity, with gains ranging from 9−12-fold, however, mobility spectra suffered from de...
Computerized Cognition Laboratory.

The Computerized Cognition Laboratory helps integrate the teaching of cognitive psychology and research methods. The software runs on IBM-compatible computers. The experiments allow students to examine short-term memory (memory-span and acoustic similarity effects), long-term memory (semantic similarity and elaboration effects), and decision making (framing effects and heuristics), thus providing illustrations of effects commonly cited in cognition textbooks and research literature. The software employs both between-groups and within-subjects designs and continuous and categorical dependent measures. Therefore, one may use the package to teach the application of several statistical procedures, including chi-square, correlation, t test, and ANOVA.
Ivermectin treatment of horses: effect on the distribution of lawns and roughs in horse pastures.

Abstract A study was carried out to assess the feasibility of determing the grazing patterns of horses bimonthly via aeiral survey and standard cartographic techniques. The grazing patterns in pastures with equivalent stocking rates of horses treated bimonthly with 200 μg of ivermectin kg −1 or 10 mg of oxibendazole kg −1 was assessed using aerial survey mapping performed three times during a grazing season. The distribution patters of lawns and roughs in pastures were similar at all times during the study. Aerial survey was determined to be a very efficient and objective method of determining the composition of pastures grazed by horses.