cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Adult Tourniquet for Use in School-Age Emergencies.

BACKGROUND: Gunshot injuries are a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in the pediatric population. The Pediatric Trauma Society supports the use of tourniquets for exsanguinating hemorrhage in severe extremity trauma. The Combat Application Tourniquet (CAT) used with success in adults has not been prospectively tested in children. Our objective with this study was to determine if the CAT is successful in arresting extremity arterial blood flow in school-aged children. METHODS: Sixty school-aged volunteers (ages 6–16 years) recruited by age cohort had the CAT applied to an upper arm and thigh while peripheral pulse was monitored by Doppler. The number of windlass turns (maximum allowed: 3 [1080°]) required to arrest arterial pulse was recorded. Success was analyzed by BMI percentile for age and extremity circumference. RESULTS: The CAT was successful in occluding arterial blood flow as detected by Doppler pulse in all 60 (100%) of the upper extremities tested. In the lower extremity, 56 (93%) had successful occlusion. The 3-turn maximum allowed by the protocol was not adequate in some obese, older subjects (BMI >30). In both the upper and lower extremity, the number of turns required to occlude blood flow gradually increased with an increase in arm and thigh circumference. CONCLUSIONS: Prospective testing of a cohort of school-aged children 6 to 16 years revealed the CAT tourniquet to be suitable for use in both the upper and lower extremity.
RESTler: stateful REST API fuzzing

This paper introduces RESTler, the first stateful REST API fuzzer. RESTler analyzes the API specification of a cloud service and generates sequences of requests that automatically test the service through its API. RESTler generates test sequences by (1) inferring producer-consumer dependencies among request types declared in the specification (e.g., inferring that "a request B should be executed after request A" because B takes as an input a resource-id x produced by A) and by (2) analyzing dynamic feedback from responses observed during prior test executions in order to generate new tests (e.g., learning that "a request C after a request sequence A;B is refused by the service" and therefore avoiding this combination in the future). We present experimental results showing that these two techniques are necessary to thoroughly exercise a service under test while pruning the large search space of possible request sequences. We used RESTler to test GitLab, an open-source Git service, as well as several Microsoft Azure and Office365 cloud services. RESTler found 28 bugs in GitLab and several bugs in each of the Azure and Office365 cloud services tested so far. These bugs have been confirmed and fixed by the service owners.
Genomic Data Reveal Conserved Female Heterogamety in Giant Salamanders with Gigantic Nuclear Genomes

Systems of genetic sex determination and the homology of sex chromosomes in different taxa vary greatly across vertebrates. Much progress remains to be made in understanding systems of genetic sex determination in non-model organisms, especially those with homomorphic sex chromosomes and/or large genomes. We used reduced representation genome sequencing to investigate genetic sex determination systems in the salamander family Cryptobranchidae (genera Cryptobranchus and Andrias), which typifies both of these inherent difficulties. We tested hypotheses of male- or female-heterogamety by sequencing hundreds of thousands of anonymous genomic regions in a panel of known-sex cryptobranchids and characterized patterns of presence/absence, inferred zygosity, and depth of coverage to identify sex-linked regions of these 56 gigabase genomes. Our results strongly support the hypothesis that all cryptobranchid species possess homologous systems of female heterogamety, despite maintenance of homomorphic sex chromosomes over nearly 60 million years. Additionally, we report a robust, non-invasive genetic assay for sex diagnosis in Cryptobranchus and Andrias which may have great utility for conservation efforts with these endangered salamanders. Co-amplification of these W-linked markers in both cryptobranchid genera provides evidence for long-term sex chromosome stasis in one of the most divergent salamander lineages. These findings inform hypotheses about the ancestral mode of sex determination in salamanders, but suggest that comparative data from other salamander families are needed. Our results further demonstrate that massive genomes are not necessarily a barrier to effective genome-wide sequencing and that the resulting data can be highly informative about sex determination systems in taxa with homomorphic sex chromosomes.
High-Resolution 3D Printing of Stretchable Hydrogel Structures Using Optical Projection Lithography.

Double-network (DN) hydrogels, with their unique combination of mechanical strength and toughness, have emerged as promising materials for soft robotics and tissue engineering. In the past decade, ...
NIMBLE for Bayesian Disease Mapping

This tutorial describes the basic implementation of Bayesian hierarchical models for spatial health data using the R package nimble. To quote the nimble R description: A system for writing hierarchical statistical models largely compatible with 'BUGS' and 'JAGS', writing nimbleFunctions to operate models and do basic R-style math, and compiling both models and nimbleFunctions via custom-generated C++. 'NIMBLE' includes default methods for MCMC, particle filtering, Monte Carlo Expectation Maximization, and some other tools. The nimbleFunction system makes it easy to do things like implement new MCMC samplers from R, customize the assignment of samplers to different parts of a model from R, and compile the new samplers automatically via C++ alongside the samplers 'NIMBLE' provides. Examples of the use of the package for a small range of Bayesian Disease Mapping (BDM) models is explored and focus on different approaches to model fitting and analysis are discussed. Examples of publicly available small area health data is used throughout.
Cliteracy for him: effectiveness of bibliotherapy for heterosexual men’s sexual functioning

The current study examined whether reading the chapter titled “Cliteracy for Him” from the book Becoming Cliterate is an effective intervention for increasing young heterosexual men’s sexual functi...
Demarcation as a classroom response to creationism: a critical examination of the National Academy of Sciences’ Science, Evolution, and Creationism (2008)

Teaching materials frequently answer objections to evolution by demarcating science from religion. Because definitions of science shaped by demarcation tend to magnify its empirical features, they weaken students’ understanding of science’s theoretical dimension. Demarcation fails to answer creationism for the opposite reason; by insisting that the observable world is the exclusive domain of science, it undermines the core Abrahamic assumption that nature can make meaningful reference to a divine creator. After exploring how demarcation is employed in a booklet designed to guide educators who address evolution and creationism, the National Academy of Sciences’ Science, Evolution, and Creationism (2008), I conclude by proposing a more balanced approach for teaching about NOS and creationism.
Prospective assessment of catheter-associated bacteriuria in nursing home residents: clinical presentation, epidemiology, and colonization dynamics

Background: Long-term catheterization facilitates continuous bacteriuria, for which the clinical significance is unclear. The objectives of this study were to determine the clinical presentation, epidemiology, and dynamics of bacteriuria in a cohort of catheterized nursing home residents. Methods: Prospective weekly urine collection, culture, urinalysis, chart review, and assessment of possible signs and symptoms of infection for 19 study participants over 260 weeks. All bacteria ≥103 cfu/ml were isolated, identified, and subjected to select antimicrobial testing. Results: From 234 urine samples, 1,092 bacteria were isolated and 286 (26%) were resistant to a tested antimicrobial. 226 urines were polymicrobial (97%), with an average of 4.7 isolates per weekly specimen. 233 urines (99%) exhibited >103 CFU/ml, 220 (94%) exhibited abnormal urinalysis, 77 (33%) were associated with at least one sign or symptom of infection, 51 (22%) met a standardized definition of CAUTI, and 3 (1%) had a corresponding caregiver diagnosis of CAUTI. Bacteriuria composition was remarkably stable, but catheter changes and antimicrobial treatment resulted in a net increase of 1.9 and 0.3 isolates per participant, respectively, and represented a source of new acquisition of antimicrobial resistant bacteria. Conclusions: Catheterized individuals exhibit a high baseline prevalence of bacteriuria involving pathogenic bacteria and potential indicators of infection. Bacteriuria composition is largely polymicrobial and stable, and includes organisms previously considered to be urine culture contaminants. However, catheter changes and antimicrobial treatment may do more harm than good in this patient population. Funding: This work was supported by the NIH (R00 DK105205, R01 DK123158, UL1 TR001412)
Utilizing Agents to Explore Urban Shrinkage: A Case Study of Detroit

While the world’s total urban population continues to grow, this growth is not equal. Some cities are declining, resulting in urban shrinkage which is now a global phenomenon. Many problems emerge due to urban shrinkage including population loss, economic depression, vacant properties and the contraction of housing markets. To explore this issue, this paper presents an agent-based model stylized on spatially explicit data of Detroit Tri-county area, an area witnessing urban shrinkage. Specifically, the model examines how micro-level housing trades impact urban shrinkage by capturing interactions between sellers and buyers within different sub-housing markets. The stylized model results highlight not only how we can simulate housing transactions but the aggregate market conditions relating to urban shrinkage (i.e., the contraction of housing markets). To this end, the paper demonstrates the potential of simulation to explore urban shrinkage and potentially offers a means to test polices to alleviate this issue.
Clinical efficacy of popular oral hair growth supplement ingredients.

Hair supplements are a vast and growing industry. Patients often turn to oral supplements to address hair concerns as they are easily accessible. There are numerous products on the market, many with thousands of reviews (both positive and negative). Nutritional supplements are regulated by the FDA as foods instead of drugs, meaning they do not have to prove their efficacy and safety before becoming available to consumers. While some oral supplements have strong evidence supporting their use for hair growth, many ingredients have not been tested in clinical trials, have only in vitro evidence for hair growth, or have only been tested in animals. Given these industry characteristics, it is important for dermatologists to be aware of the safety and utility of these ingredients to provide appropriate counseling to their patients. The goal of this review is to evaluate the efficacy of popular hair growth oral supplement ingredients and formulations. This review does not address the topical formulations of these ingredients and their effects on hair growth.
Helium retention, bubble superlattice formation and surface blistering in helium-irradiated tungsten

Abstract The microstructural evolution and helium retention in polycrystalline tungsten (W) implanted with 100 keV helium ions at different temperatures to a wide range of different fluences were studied. Rutherford backscattering spectrometry (RBS) shows that helium atoms were well retained in tungsten, and no loss of helium occurred before surface blistering/flaking occurred. Within certain windows of fluence and temperature, ordered bubble superlattices form. A minimum fluence and sufficiently high irradiation temperature are necessary to establish a bubble superlattice, but continued introduction eventually destroys the order via bubble linkage and crack nucleation occurring at the depth of peak helium deposition. Scanning electron microscopy showed that typical sizes of flakes were roughly the same, independent of helium fluence. With increasing fluence, the number of flakes increased, and often linked together, forming a massive peeled off region. Using RBS-measured helium retention and TEM-measured bubble density, we obtained an interfacial energy of 2.53±0.72 J/m2. There is no observation of bubble denuded zones at grain boundaries, suggesting that bubbles represent a stronger defect sink than grain boundaries or cracked grain boundaries.
YouTube and Men's Health: A Review of the Current Literature.

Abstract Introduction YouTube is the most used social media website, and there is a growing body of literature examining the reliability of healthcare information on this platform. Patients seeking men’s health information may be more likely to use YouTube owing to the sensitivity of these issues. Objectives The objective of this study is to review the literature for studies related to the reliability of YouTube videos about men’s health topics. Methods A literature review was conducted using PubMed and Google Scholar for publications related to the reliability of YouTube videos about men’s health as of July 1, 2020. Results There were 17 studies related to YouTube and Men’s Health. Most videos were found to be unreliable, and videos uploaded by physicians or healthcare organizations were usually more reliable. However, there were no studies in which more reliable videos had higher metrics of user engagement (views, likes, comments) than unreliable videos and there were several studies where unreliable videos had higher metrics of user engagement. In addition, the methods used to evaluate YouTube videos are not uniform across studies including the way that terms are searched (filtering by relevance vs view count) and the way in which reliability is assessed. For example, some studies create custom evaluation forms based on clinical guidelines, whereas others use validated questionnaires. The only validated questionnaire used across multiple studies was the DISCERN score criterion. Conclusions Most information on YouTube about men’s health is unreliable. Videos created by physicians and healthcare organizations are more reliable, and videos that are advertisements are less reliable. Physicians and healthcare systems should continue to upload educational YouTube videos but work to increase their views and user engagement. It may benefit patients if physician organizations could work with YouTube to create verified videos disseminating healthcare information that are favored in the search algorithm. Warren CJ, Sawhney R, Shah T, et al. YouTube and Men's Health: A Review of the Current Literature. Sex Med Rev 2021;9:280–288.
A Scoping Review of Sensors, Wearables, and Remote Monitoring For Behavioral Health: Uses, Outcomes, Clinical Competencies, and Research Directions

Sensors and wearables measure physiological and behavioral data in real time for behavioral health, using a variety of methods, interventions, and outcomes. A six-stage scoping review of 10 literature databases focused on keywords in four concept areas: (1) mobile technologies; (2) sensors, wearables, and remote monitoring; (3) mood and anxiety disorders, as well as stress; and (4) behavioral health care. Two authors independently screened results based on titles and abstracts, reviewed the full-text articles, and used inclusion/exclusion criteria to find research that studied self-report or management of symptoms and interventions. Out of a total of 5468 potential references, 76 papers were selected and an additional 16 studies were discovered in references. Of the 92 studies, 54 (58.7%) focused on mood (depressive, N = 28; bipolar, N = 26), 18 (19.6%) on anxiety disorders, and 20 (21.7%) on psychological stress/stress disorders. There were 7 (7.6%) randomized controlled trials, and 31 (33.7%) comparison studies. Research is shifting toward standardized methods, interventions, and evaluation measures, with longitudinal correlation, prediction, and/or biomarking/digital phenotyping of patients’ outcomes. These technologies pose several challenges for users, clinicians (e.g., selection, training, skills), healthcare systems (e.g., technology, integration into workflow, privacy), and organizations (e.g., training, creating a professional e-culture, change). Future research is needed on clinical health outcomes; human–computer interaction; medico-legal, professional, and privacy policy issues; models of service delivery; and effectiveness at a population level, across cultures, and related to economic costs. Clinician and institutional competencies could ensure quality of care, integration of missions, and institutional change.
Tiered Intermediation in Business Groups and Targeted SME Supports

Using business registry data from China, we show that internal capital markets in business groups can play the role of financial intermediary and propagate corporate shareholders’ credit supply shocks to their subsidiaries. An average of 16.7% local bank credit growth where corporate shareholders are located would increase subsidiaries investment by 1% of their tangible fixed asset value, which accounts for 71% (7%) of the median (average) investment rate among these firms. We argue that equity exchanges is one channel through which corporate shareholders transmit bank credit supply shocks to the subsidiaries and provide evidence to support the channel.
Las perspectivas de tutela aplicables ante la publicidad engañosa en el derecho chileno (The Protection Perspectives Applicable to Deceptive Advertising in Chilean Law)

Spanish Abstract: El presente articulo tiene por proposito indagar las diferentes perspectivas de tutela de la publicidad enganosa en el derecho chileno a partir de un examen de la Ley sobre proteccion de los derechos de los consumidores, de la Ley sobre composicion nutricional de los alimentos y su publicidad, del codigo civil, de la Ley sobre Competencia Desleal, de la Ley sobre Propiedad Intelectual y de la Ley sobre Propiedad Industrial, evidenciando un eventual concurso entre ellas y determinando si este puede solucionarse a traves del principio de especialidad o de la eleccion que realice el afectado por ella segun su propio interes. English Abstract: The purpose of this article is to tackle the different perspectives for the protection of Deceptive Advertising in Chilean Law. The research will be made by examining the Consumer Protection Rights Law, the Nutritional Composition of Food and its Advertising Law, the Unfair Competition Law, the Copyright Law and the Industrial Property Law in order to highlight any concurrence between them and determine if this might be resolved through the principle of specialty or by the choice made by the affected by it according to their own interest.
Spatial Patterns of Canopy Disturbance and Shortleaf Pine in a Mixedwood Forest

The spatial structure of forest ecosystems is dominated by the horizontal and vertical distribution of trees and their attributes across space. Canopy disturbance is a primary regulator of forest spatial structure. Although the importance of tree spatial pattern is widely acknowledged as it affects important ecosystem processes such as regeneration and recruitment into the overstory, quantitative reference spatial conditions to inform silvicultural systems are lacking. This is especially true for mixedwood forests, defined as those that contain hardwoods and softwoods in the canopy. We used data from a preexisting network of plots in a complex-stage mixedwood stand to investigate the influence of canopy disturbance on stand and neighborhood-scale spatial patterns. We reconstructed canopy disturbance history and linked detected stand-wide and gap-scale disturbance events to establishment and spatial patterns of shortleaf pine. The majority of shortleaf pine establishment coincided with stand-wide or gap-scale disturbance. Shortleaf pine was clustered at the stand scale but was randomly distributed at the neighborhood scale (i.e. five tree clusters), which was a legacy of the historical disturbance regime. These results may be used to improve natural disturbance-based silvicultural systems to restore and maintain mixedwood forests for enhanced resilience and provisioning of ecosystem goods and services.
Color and Flavor Perception

Color is a critical element in how people perceive products and can affect the decision-making process, and it is also known to be an element that influences the perception of taste and flavor. People associate colors with flavors; therefore, natural color can be an indicator of food flavors. Our experiments began several years ago with children and adults within the context of snack packaging. In this study, we removed the context of food packaging and children as audience members, focusing only on color itself within an adult population.
Sorption-enhanced mixed-gas transport in amine functionalized polymers of intrinsic microporosity (PIMs)

Pure-gas transport performance rarely matches mixed-gas performance for industrially relevant membrane applications. While significant effort has focused on studying the adverse effects of plasticization, an additional phenomenon known as competitive sorption can be used to improve performance, resulting in mixed-gas permselectivities that far exceed pure-gas predictions. Such findings are rare, but recent synthetic discoveries of functional polymers of intrinsic microporosity (PIMs) now provide a platform to investigate if competitive sorption effects can improve separation performance in complex mixtures by offsetting the adverse effects of plasticization. In this work, we report high-pressure and mixed-gas transport properties for six PIMs with identical benzodioxane backbones and a diverse set of backbone functionalities. Low-pressure mixed-gas tests revealed a relationship between CO2 sorption affinity of the PIMs and improvements in CO2/CH4 and CO2/N2 mixed-gas permselectivity compared to pure-gas scenarios. The amine-functionalized PIM-1 (PIM-NH2) showed an unprecedented 140% and 250% increase in equimolar CO2/CH4 and CO2/N2 mixed-gas permselectivity, respectively, compared to that of pure-gas tests at 2 atm. Additionally, PIM-NH2 retained high CO2/CH4 mixed-gas permselectivity (>20) up to pressures of 26 atm in 50/50 CO2/CH4 mixtures, demonstrating a resistance to plasticization. Pure-gas sorption and mixed-gas permeation for the six PIMs were compared to elucidate structure–property relationships. Results demonstrate the remarkable potential of primary amine functionalization for developing highly sorption-selective and plasticization-resistant membranes for gas separations.
A Case Study of Overselling Psychotherapy: An ACT Intervention for Diabetes Management

There have been numerous indications that the scientific literature regarding treatment safety and effectiveness can be biased. In this case study, we examine several reports relevant to an acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) intervention attempting to improve diabetes self-management. The analysis indicated that several key negative results found in the original research—a dissertation—were not reported in the subsequent journal publication. Further, descriptions by some of the original authors in other peer-reviewed publications did not accurately portray the actual results reported in the dissertation. Also, subsequently a diabetes management self-help book was published by the same authors, that contained claims that this intervention is supported by the dissertation results although the dissertation only studied group face-to-face contact. Questions are raised regarding whether professionals and consumers are being misled about data that allegedly support claims about the efficacy of this intervention and serious methodological shortcomings of the original dissertation, that were not reported in the subsequent journal publication, are noted that add to the concern that the ACT intervention is being oversold.
A new Monte Carlo model for predicting the mechanical properties of fiber yarns

Abstract Understanding the complicated failure mechanisms of hierarchical composites such as fiber yarns is essential for advanced materials design. In this study, we developed a new Monte Carlo model for predicting the mechanical properties of fiber yarns that includes statistical variation in fiber strength. Furthermore, a statistical shear load transfer law based on the shear lag analysis was derived and implemented to simulate the interactions between adjacent fibers and provide a more accurate tensile stress distribution along the overlap distance. Simulations on two types of yarns, made from different raw materials and based on distinct processing approaches, predict yarn strength values that compare favorably with experimental measurements. Furthermore, the model identified very distinct dominant failure mechanisms for the two materials, providing important insights into design features that can improve yarn strength.
Thermal expansion of molten Fe2SiO4 at high pressure

The density of molten Fe2SiO4 has been bracketed at 1573,1673,1773, and 1873K in the pressure range 1.1 to 1.6 GPa by observing sinking and floating ruby buoyancy markers in piston-cylinder experiments. From these data a coefficient of thermal expansion K−1 was calculated from the relationship: where dρ/dP=0.09±0.01 g cm−3 GPa−1 [Agee, 1992]. The high pressure thermal expansion result for molten Fe2SiO4 reported here is in excellent agreement with the coefficient of thermal expansion (α=7.13×10−5 K−1) from Shiraishi et al. [1978] done at 105 Pa by the double-bob Archimedean method using iron crucibles in a stream of argon, and the ultrasonically derived (∂α/∂P)T=− 1.8×10−5 K−1 GPa−1 from Rivers and Carmichael [1987].
Effect of a Family Based Intervention on Biomarkers of Diet Quality/Endogenous Metabolism and change in BMI z-score

The objective was to assess the effect of a family-based weight management intervention on biomarkers of diet quality/endogenous metabolism and cardiometabolic risk in children (7-12 years; N=309) with baseline BMI z-score (BMIz) >85th percentile. Families were randomized to a control (receiving standard care) or an experimental group (receiving targeted diet/physical activity strategies). Biomarkers were measured using GC or HPLC. After 1 year, significant decreases in BMIz (-7%), LDL-C (-3%) and liver enzymes (-3%) and increases in HDL-C (2.3%) were observed in both groups, thus groups were subsequently combined. Among the dietary biomarkers, there were significant decreases in total trans (-13%) and lutein (-3%), and increases in omega-3 fatty acids (18:3n-3, 26%; 20:5n-3, 16%; 22:5n-3, 9%; 22:6n-3, 7%). Using multivariate logistic regression (odds ratios per 10% increment in biomarker [95% CI]), total trans (1.2 [1.0-1.4]), partially-hydrogenated fat biomarker, lutein (1.1 [1.03-1.13]) and lycopene (1...
Autoscheduling in a Distributed Shared-Memory Environment

The ease of programming and compiling for the shared memory multiprocessor model, coupled with the scalability and cost advantages of distributed memory computers, give an obvious appeal to distributed shared memory architectures. In this paper we discuss the design and implementation issues of a dynamic data management and scheduling environment for distributed shared memory architectures. In contrast to the predominantly static approaches used on distributed and message passing machines, we advocate the advantages of dynamic resource allocation, especially in the case of multi-user environments. We propose hybrid data and work distribution techniques that adjust to variations in the physical partition and achieve better load balance than purely static schemes. We present the architecture of our execution environment and discuss implementation details of some of the critical components. Preliminary results using benchmarks of representative execution profiles support our main thesis: With minimal contrl, the load balancing and resource utilization advantages offered by dynamic methods often outweigh the disadvantage of increased memory latency stemming from slightly compromised data locality, and perhaps additional run-time overhead.
pH Measurement Problems Affecting Assay of Carcinoembryonic Antigen

Measurement with combination pH electrodes of the pH of the dilute buffers used in a commercial kit (CEA-Roche) for assay of carcinoembryonic antigen resulted in pH values 0.1 to 0.3 unit lower than pH values measured on an electrode system with a capillary junction. If the pH values of these buffers were adjusted, based on such measurements, an error in the assay of 0.2 to 0.6 ng/ml in the 1.5-3.0 ng/ml range would result. We recommend that the pH of dialyzed samples and of the working ethylenediaminetetraacetate and ammonium acetate-acetic acid buffers be monitored with pH electrodes that have a capillary junction between sample and saturated KCl, as is true of most blood-pH instruments. We also recommend use of a 1 mol/liter rather than 2.5 mol/liter stock ammonium acetate-acetic acid buffer, because of the closer similarity of the pH of buffers at this molarity to those at 0.01 mol/liter.
Abstract Weyl Groups

In this chapter, we will associate a Weyl group with an abstract root system, and develop some of its properties.
Picosecond pulse amplification in isotopic CO2 active medium.

Using a high-pressure carbon-dioxide laser amplifier enriched with the oxygen-18 isotope, we produced a 5-ps, 10-µm pulse of the 1 TW peak power without splitting, which otherwise occurs due to spectral modulation by the rotation structure of the CO2 amplification band.
The Impact of Market Structure on Audit Price and Quality

We examine the association between U.S. audit market structure and both audit price and quality. The significant consolidation of the largest audit firms and its effect on market structure has raised international concern among policy makers. We address this concern by examining the association between equality of Big4 market shares at the U.S. national-industry level and both audit fees and audit quality. Our results suggest that greater national-industry Big4 market equality is associated with lower audit fees and higher audit quality measured by client restatements. We extend the analysis to the city level and find equality associated with higher fees but little association with quality. We incorporate market concentration as another measure of market structure and find equality better captures the association between market structure and audit fees. National-industry equality also continues to be positively associated with quality despite a significant association between city level concentration and quality. Our results suggest that the equality of audit firm market shares is associated with important market outcomes even in the highly concentrated audit market, and that alternative levels of market aggregation such as the national-industry and city levels provide different insights into the effects of market structure.
Changes in Production of Ethanol, Acids and H2 from Glucose by the Fecal Flora of a 16- to 158-d-Old Breast-Fed Infant

Microbes in the adult human colon ferment dietary substrates chiefly to acetic, propionic and butyric acids and CO 2 , H 2 and CH 4 . How this fermentation evolves after microbial colonization of the neonate is unknown. We examined the fermentation of glucose by fecal suspensions of a breast-fed infant from d 16 to 158 and found that the fermentation changed with age. Acetate, ethanol, succinate, lactate, formate and H 2 were formed up to 117 d of age. Production of succinate, lactate, formate and H 2 ceased after 117 d and acetate production increased. Butyrate and propionate were minor products up to 117 d. Afterwards, there was a slight increase in propionate production with no change in butyrate formation. Acetate was always the major product of glucose fermentation by the fecal suspensions. Approximately the same amounts of ethanol were formed throughout the study period. The fermentations were similar to fermentations of Escherichia coli and streptococci through 117 d. Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) analysis of the acetate formed from 1- 13 C- and 3- 13 C-glucose showed that the dominant fermentation pathway used by the colonic microbes switched from the Embden-Meyerhof-Parnas pathway at 16 d of age to the Bifidobacterium pathway at 158 d of age. An increase in the contribution of the Bifidobacterium fermentation to the overall colonic fermentation after 117 d would account for the increase in the formation of acetate from glucose. Chemical and NMR analyses of products of fecal fermentations from two other breast-fed infants <1 mo old were similar to those of the infant examined between 16 and 158 d.
Pediculosis in rats kept on a riboflavin-deficient diet.

SummaryChronic riboflavin deficiency in rats is often accompanied by pediculosis. This disease has never been observed in rats manifesting symptoms of a deficiency of other factors of the vitamin B2 complex. Administration of riboflavin by mouth has a curative effect on this type of pediculosis in rats.
Poly(glycoamidoamine)s: Cationic glycopolymers for DNA delivery

Polymer science is playing an exciting role in inspiring and advancing novel discoveries in the area of genetic drug delivery. Polymeric materials can be synthesized and chemically tailored to bind and compact nucleic acids into viral-like nanoparticles termed polyplexes that can deliver genetic materials into cells. This article highlights our work in this area to synthesize and study a novel class of cationic glycopolymers that we have termed poly(glycoamidoamine)s (PGAAs). The design of these materials has been inspired by many previous works in the literature. Carbohydrate comonomers have been incorporated into these structures to lower the toxicity of the delivery vehicle, and oligoamine moieties have been added to yield a cationic backbone that facilitates strong DNA binding, compaction, cellular uptake, and delivery of genetic material. PGAAs have been designed to vary in the carbohydrate size, the hydroxyl number and stereochemistry, the amine number, and the presence or absence of heterocyclic groups. Through structure-bioactivity studies, we have discovered that these materials are highly biocompatible, and each specific feature plays a large role in the observed delivery efficacy. Such structure-property studies are important for increasing our understanding of how the polymer chemistry affects the biological activity for the clinical development of polymer-based therapeutics.
Appreciating Organization Development: A Comparative Essay on Divergent Perspectives

Organization development (OD) applies social science knowledge to help organizations change and improve themselves. From its beginnings over 70 years ago in group dynamics, action research, and humanistic psychology, the field has expanded enormously to include a diversity of theories and practices aimed at developing organizations at different levels, from jobs, teams, and organizations to interorganization alliances and societal change. Along with this expansive evolution, however, has come increasing confusion and disagreement in defining the field's conceptual boundaries, change interventions, and underlying values. This raises fundamental questions about the nature and consequences of OD, which can impede the field's further progress conceptually, empirically, and practically. We clarify some of the major ambiguities and differences in the field today and suggest solutions for moving forward by comparing four pairs of divergent perspectives: (a) development versus change, (b) episodic versus continuous change, (c) planned versus emergent change, and (d) diagnostic versus dialogic OD. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
The effect of anisotropic reflectance on imaging spectroscopy of snow properties

Abstract How does snow's anisotropic directional reflectance affect the mapping of snow properties from imaging spectrometer data? This sensitivity study applies two spectroscopy models to synthetic images of the spectral hemispherical–directional reflectance factor (HDRF) with prescribed snow-covered area and snow grain size. The MEMSCAG model determines both sub-pixel snow-covered area and the grain size of the fractional snow cover. The Nolin/Dozier model analyzes the ice absorption feature that spans wavelength λ ≅1.03 μm to estimate snow grain radius when the pixel is fully snow-covered. Retrievals of subpixel snow-covered area with MEMSCAG are progressively more sensitive to the HDRF as grain size decreases, solar zenith angle increases, and fractional snow cover increases. The model overestimates snow cover in the forward reflectance angles by up to +20% and underestimates it in the backward reflectance angles by as much as −15%. Grain size retrievals from both MEMSCAG and Nolin/Dozier are more sensitive to anisotropy as grain size and solar zenith angle increase. MEMSCAG retrievals of grain size are insensitive to snow-covered area. The largest inferred grain sizes occur around a peak in the backward reflectance angles and the smallest generally occur at the largest view angles in the forward direction. Retrievals of albedo from MEMSCAG and Nolin/Dozier are similarly sensitive to anisotropy, with albedo errors up to 5% for a 30° solar zenith angle and up to 10% at 60°. The albedo differences between the two models are less than 0.015 for all grain sizes and solar zenith angles.
Efficient harmonic generation of second, third, and fourth orders from Fourier-transform-limited CO2 laser beam at 10.6 μm in GaSe crystals

Second, 3rd, and 4th order harmonics from a Fourier-transform-limited nanosecond CO2 laser beam at 10.6 μm were efficiently generated within one or two GaSe crystals. The peak output powers were determined to be 443, 23, and 2 W, respectively, corresponding to conversion efficiencies of 3.0%, 0.13% and 0.0093%, which were significantly improved, compared with all the previous results. The linewidths of the harmonic beams were estimated to be 80, 104, and 116 MHz, respectively.
Urinary excretion of cytomegaloviruses by children with generalized neoplastic disease

Summary To explore the role of latent viruses as possible causes of complicating infections in the terminal phases of illness due to neoplastic disease, a study was made of the occurrence of viruria, with particular reference to the cytomegaloviruses, in a group of 50 children with leukemia, lymphoma, or Hodgkin's disease. Cytomegalovirus was isolated two or more times from the urine of 3 patients with leukemia and of one with Hodgkin's disease. One of these patients had recurrent respiratory symptoms; at necropsy cytomegalic inclusion disease of the lungs was demonstrated. On the other hand, in 2 of the viral excretors followed to autopsy, no postmortem morphologic evidence of activity could be found. Of interest was the fact that one leukemic patient over a period of several weeks concurrently excreted two viruses in the urine, an adenovirus and a cytomegalovirus.
Reversal of an ancient sex chromosome to an autosome in Drosophila

Although transitions of sex-determination mechanisms are frequent in species with homomorphic sex chromosomes, heteromorphic sex chromosomes are thought to represent a terminal evolutionary stage owing to chromosome-specific adaptations such as dosage compensation or an accumulation of sex-specific mutations. Here we show that an autosome of Drosophila, the dot chromosome, was ancestrally a differentiated X chromosome. We analyse the whole genome of true fruitflies (Tephritidae), flesh flies (Sarcophagidae) and soldier flies (Stratiomyidae) to show that genes located on the dot chromosome of Drosophila are X-linked in outgroup species, whereas Drosophila X-linked genes are autosomal. We date this chromosomal transition to early drosophilid evolution by sequencing the genome of other Drosophilidae. Our results reveal several puzzling aspects of Drosophila dot chromosome biology to be possible remnants of its former life as a sex chromosome, such as its minor feminizing role in sex determination or its targeting by a chromosome-specific regulatory mechanism. We also show that patterns of biased gene expression of the dot chromosome during early embryogenesis, oogenesis and spermatogenesis resemble that of the current X chromosome. Thus, although sex chromosomes are not necessarily evolutionary end points and can revert back to an autosomal inheritance, the highly specialized genome architecture of this former X chromosome suggests that severe fitness costs must be overcome for such a turnover to occur.
Notch and presenilins in vertebrates and invertebrates: implications for neuronal development and degeneration.

Abstract Recent progress in elucidating the biology of Notch and presenilin has revealed a close functional relationship between these two proteins during cell fate determination in worms, flies and humans. Presenilins are required for the putatively intramembranous proteolysis of Notch to release its intracellular domain to the nucleus. This finding establishes a specific biochemical role for presenilins in Notch signaling and interfaces with emerging evidence about how frizzled, disheveled and numerous other genes regulate the highly complex Notch pathway. Advances in understanding Notch and presenilin functions in the differentiation of neurons and non-neural cells have important implications not only for development but also for late-life degenerative disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease.
Recently attended masks are less effective

Much work has been done to investigate participants’ ability to detect repeated targets, but the present study examined the influence of recently attended stimuli on target masking. Participants performed a target identification task in which the item that masked the target was either a recently attended item or a novel item. When it was identical to a previously attended stimulus, the mask was rendered considerably less effective. We have termed this effect a repeated mask reduction (RMR). This simple manipulation resulted in a large, reliable effect on the efficacy of visual masking in a single-target identification paradigm. In Experiments 1, 2, and 3, we demonstrated the basic effect and noted that the RMR increased as task difficulty increased. Experiments 4 and 5 suggested that attention to the first instance of the mask was crucial to this effect by showing that the magnitude of the RMR was unaffected by repetition of nonmask distractors and that the magnitude of the effect was reduced when less attention was paid to the first instance of the mask.
The geometry of paradise

The Viewpoint column offers mathematicians the opportunity to write about any issue of interest to the international mathematical community. Disagreement and controversy are welcome. The views and opinions expressed here, however, are exclusively those of the author, and neither the publisher nor the editor-in-chief endorses or accepts responsibility for them. Viewpoint should be submitted to the editor-in-chief, Chandler Davis.
A conditional numerical discrimination based on qualitatively different reinforcers

Abstract An animal able to count but unable to conditionalize its count on some other cue would not possess a useful sense of number because numerical discriminations are often conditional ones. Accordingly, we examined here in two runway investigations the ability of rats to learn a conditional numerical discrimination of the form: count this many S s and that many Y s, the X s and Y s being qualitatively different food items which in the normal environment would correspond to different prey items. In each investigation, the rat learned the conditional numerical discrimination, running slowly on nonreinforced trials which were signaled by different numbers of successively presented food reinforcements, running being rapid to food items. In Experiment 1, nonreinforcement was signaled by two successive food events of one type, e.g., Noyes sucrose pellets, and a single food event of another type, e.g., Noyes plain pellets. In Experiment 2, nonreinforcement was signaled by two successive food events of one type and three such events of another type. That rats were able to conditionalize their count on type of food item indicates that their numerical capacity is far from primitive and may be complex. But further tests are required to determine how complex the numerical capacity of rats may be.
Taste Preference for Brussels Sprouts: An Informal Look

An inquiry of the taste preference of 442 business students for brussels sprouts showed about a 50% dislike of the vegetable, 40% indifference, and a 10% like. Some implications of the findings are suggested.
Relationships for Nozzle Performance Coefficients

The relationships between the performance coefficients for flow, kinetic energy, and thrust are developed for the irreversible adiabatic flow through a choked nozzle. The basis of the development is maximum flowrate per unit area and an exit pressure greater than or equal to the exhaust pressure. The relationships cannot be presented in explicit mathematical form. However, from the application of linearizing techniques, linear relationships have been developed, which are accurate to within 0.1 percent. The relationships allow one to determine two performance coefficients from empirical data for a single coefficient. The relationships also allow one to predict difficult to measure flow properties such as the exit plane pressure for a choked nozzle. The applicability of the development to supersonic and unchoked nozzles is discussed.Copyright © 1979 by ASME
The Impact of Recruitment-Generated Bias on Qualitative Research Interviews With Foster Children

In a public child welfare agency, 6 children were recruited for a pilot qualitative study about foster children's transitions from birth homes to out-of-home care. Recruitment was protracted and in-depth and involved contact with children, birth parents, and foster parents.While conducting qualitative research interviews with the children, knowledge was gained about the impact of recruitment-generated bias on such interviews, a topic about which there appears to be no prior literature. Detailed vignettes illustrate how such bias can constrict the researcher's ability to understand foster children's communications. The impact of recruitment-generated bias on the researcher's professional relationships is identified. Suggestions to help researchers counter recruitment-generated bias and ideas for further study of recruitment-generated bias are offered.
Mapping local optical densities of states in silicon photonic structures with nanoscale electron spectroscopy

Relativistic electrons in a structured medium generate radiative losses such as Cherenkov and transition radiation that act as a virtual light source, coupling to the photonic densities of states. The effect is most pronounced when the imaginary part of the dielectric function is zero, a regime where in a nonretarded treatment no loss or coupling can occur. Maps of the resultant energy losses as a sub-5 nm electron probe scans across finite waveguide structures reveal spatial distributions of optical modes in a spectral domain ranging from near infrared to far ultraviolet.
DISTRIBUTED MPC STRATEGIES FOR AUTOMATIC GENERATION CONTROL

Abstract The paper considers distributed model predictive control (MPC) strategies that are appropriate for controlling large-scale systems such as power systems. The overall system is decomposed into subsystems, each with its own MPC controller. To achieve performance equivalent to centralized MPC, these distributed regulators must work iteratively and cooperatively towards satisfying a common, systemwide control objective. Automatic generator control (AGC) provides a practical example for contrasting the performance of centralized and decentralized controllers.