cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Prenatal and Maternal Psychosocial Stress in Primates: Adaptive Plasticity or Vulnerability to Pathology?

In many species of vertebrates, prenatal and early postnatal stress can have long-lasting consequences for neuroanatomical, neuroendocrine, or behavioral development. In primates including humans, prenatal psychosocial stress and postnatal psychosocial stress induced by the mother’s behavior represent important sources of nongenetic maternal effects through which mothers can modify their offspring’s phenotype. Prenatal and maternal psychosocial stress are probably mediated by similar physiological mechanisms and primarily including the HPA axis. The biomedical/clinical view, the stress-inoculation model, and the adaptive calibration model make different assumptions and predictions concerning the adaptive or maladaptive developmental consequences of prenatal and maternal psychosocial stress. Studies of experimentally induced prenatal psychosocial stress in primates indicate that fetal programming occurs with characteristics similar to those observed in laboratory rodents and in humans. Studies of naturally occurring maternal psychosocial stress in primates have focused on maternal abuse and rejection of offspring. Although the developmental consequences of exposure to maternal abuse or high rates of maternal rejection are unlikely to be adaptive, exposure to moderate levels of rejection appears to result in physiological and behavioral changes that enhance resilience later in life. It is possible that some aspects of normal parenting in nonhuman primates and humans are designed to be stress inducing to prepare offspring to deal with the psychosocial stress that is an inevitable part of life in complex and competitive social environments.
Clinical Update on Nursing Home Medicine: 2016

This is the tenth clinical update. It covers chronic kidney disease, dementia, hypotension, polypharmacy, rapid geriatric assessment, and transitional care.
Characterization of the Reduction in Undrained Shear Strength in Fine-Grained Soils due to Cyclic Loading

AbstractTo evaluate the effect of plasticity characteristics and mineralogical composition on postcyclic shear strength degradation, 18 soils, prepared as different proportions of kaolinite, montmo...
First cranial endocasts of early Miocene sirenians (Dugongidae) from the West Indies

We report and describe the first sirenian endocranial casts from the West Indies based on three specimens collected from two quarries of the upper Oligocene–lower Miocene Colon Formation, in the pr...
The role of carotid body CO2 during ventilatory acclimatization to hypoxia in the goat.

During a prolonged exposure to hypoxia, ventilation ( VE ) increases in a time-dependent manner. Ventilatory acclimatization to hypoxia (VAH) is associated with an increase in carotid body (CB) hypoxic sensitivity (Engwall & Bisgard, 1990; Ryan et al, 1993). The increased hypoxic sensitivity has been demonstrated under both systemic isocapnic or poikilocapnic conditions (Engwall & Bisgard, 1990). However, carotid body (CB) hypocapnia has a fairly strong inhibitory influence on normoxic ventilation in the awake goat (Daristotle et al, 1990) and dog (Smith et al, 1995). The objective of this study was to determine whether the increase in CB hypoxic sensitivity is dependent on the level of CB CO2 pressure (PcbCO2) during the hypoxic exposure.
Determining Articulatory Automatization of Newly Learned Sounds

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the issues related to both promoting and estimating extra treatment performance for speakers who receive articulation training. Determining a speaker's typical articulatory performance outside of the clinical environment is often a difficult task. There are several possibilities for research and, of course, several problems associated with conducting research in this area. Although the results of the series of investigations using auditory masking to estimate articulatory automatization in children and adults are encouraging, they are far from conclusive and the procedure warrants continued study. It was demonstrated that adult speakers were able to achieve correct production of a new sound during relatively few training sessions. It may also be possible to demonstrate that speakers gradually achieve an acoustic target or demonstrate less variability in the spectral and temporal characteristics of a target sound across training sessions.
“Train-High Sleep-Low” Dietary Periodization Does Not Alter Ventilatory Strategies During Cycling Exercise

Objective: The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of “train-high sleep-low” (THSL) dietary periodization on ventilatory strategies during cycling exercise at submaximal and maxima...
Experimental measurements of flow mixing in cold leg of a pressurized water reactor

Abstract The main objective of OECD/NEA Cold Leg Mixing CFD-UQ Benchmark exercise is to evaluate the use of CFD simulations for safety issues related to mixing phenomena in the cold leg and downcomer of a Pressurized Water Reactor. An experimental facility has been designed and constructed to collect measurements of density-driven the flow mixing. Special techniques have been applied to simulate high density difference fluids while maintaining optical properties required to apply laser-based flow measurements techniques. Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV) was applied to determine the velocity field, combined with Laser Induced Fluorescence (LIF) to simultaneously capture the concentration of species. Pressure drop, cold front speed, and physical properties of the solutions have been presented. Results and measurement uncertainty are discussed. This article provides a unique set of data to support the advancement and the assessment of CFD codes in predicting mixing in buoyancy-driven flows in nuclear and non-nuclear applications.
Macroergonomics --- A Reappraisal:

A series of organizational design and management (ODAM) challenges have emerged in recent decades that call for a reappraisal of the field of macroergonomics. These challenges can be grouped into t...
Flash fiction: a study in temporality

Emerging writers often struggle with fictional time, beginning their stories too early, ending them too late, summarising key events, or putting inconsequential moments in scene. The result is freq...
Diphasic Worsening of Freezing of Gait in Parkinson's Disease.

Background The relationship between freezing of gait (FOG) and levodopa response is complex. Some patients respond, some have no response and in some patients levodopa causes FOG. We present 2 cases demonstrating a diphasic worsening of FOG after levodopa dosing. Cases Two PD patients with FOG were examined during the practically defined off state, the transition from off to on (15 and 22 minutes postdose), and in the full on state (45 and 60 minutes postdose). FOG was measured using Movement Disorder Society-Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale part III, item 11: freezing of gait. Both patients experienced worsening of FOG during the transition followed by improvement during the on state. Case 1 had serum levodopa levels measured. Videos are provided. Conclusions To our knowledge, this diphasic pattern of worsening of FOG has not been previously reported. The cause of this phenomenon is unknown but may relate to an inhibitory action of subthreshold levels of levodopa.
Sc(OTf)3 mediated one pot synthesis of 2,3-disubstituted quinolines from anilines and epoxides

Here, we report the first synthesis of 2,3-disubstituted quinolines from anilines and aromatic or aliphatic epoxides. This reaction utilizes Sc(OTf)3 as a Lewis acid and TEMPO as an oxygen scavenger. A wide variety of highly substituted quinolines were obtained with moderate to excellent yields (up to 96%).
Alien citizens: the state and religious minorities in Turkey and France

State policies toward religious minorities vary significantly across the world, ranging from very restrictive to very accommodationist. These policies are regularly contested and modified, in both ...
Testimonies in The Testaments by Margaret Atwood: Images of Food in Gilead

In The Testaments, Margaret Atwood takes readers deeper into her dystopian world of Gilead, also through the imagery of food and eating. The oppressive patriarchal regime enforces its power through dietary restrictions, reducing women into edibles. The Testaments (2019), moreover, creates the impression of a highly individual and authentic narratorial perspective. Thus, Atwood’s characters’ daily lives in a nightmarish theocracy are illustrated with images of dystopian food that reflect the limitations, constant control, and abuse of human rights in the Republic of Gilead. This article explores how Atwood employs the literary form of testimony to create fragments of individual lives in a dystopia brought closer to us through food metaphors and metaphors of cooking, or rendered shocking through metaphors of cannibalism. Since food (and lack of food) has emotional as well as political significance, it pervades the testimonial literature of oppressive regimes.
Wireless Power and Energy Harvesting Control in IoD by Deep Reinforcement Learning

Internet of Drones (IoD), which deploys several drones in the air to collect ground information and send them to the IoD gateway for further processing, can be applied in traffic surveillance and disaster rescue. The performance of IoD is greatly affected by drones’ battery capacities. We hence utilize the energy harvesting technology to charge the batteries and the wireless power control to adjust the drone wireless transmission power in order to address this challenge. In our work, we investigate the joint optimization of power control and energy harvesting control to determine each drone’s transmission power and the transmitted energy from the charging station in time-varying IoD networks. Our objective is to minimize the long-term average system energy cost constrained by the drones’ battery capacities and quality of service (QoS) requirements. A Markov Decision Process (MDP) is formulated to characterize the power and energy harvesting control process in time-varying IoD networks. A modified actor-critic reinforcement learning algorithm is then proposed to tackle our problem and its performance is demonstrated via extensive simulations.
On Capturing DDoS Traffic Footprints on the Internet

While distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks are easy to launch and are becoming more damaging, the defense against DDoS attacks often suffers from the lack of relevant knowledge of the DDoS traffic, including the paths the DDoS traffic has used, the source addresses (spoofed or not) that appear along each path, and the amount of traffic per path or per source. Though IP traceback and path inference approaches could be considered, they are either expensive and hard to deploy or inaccurate. We propose PathFinder, a service that a DDoS defense system can use to obtain the footprints of the DDoS traffic to the victim. PathFinder employs an architecture that is easy to implement and deploy on today's Internet, a PFTrie data structure that introduces multiple design features to log traffic at line rate, and streaming and zooming mechanisms that facilitates the storage and transmission of DDoS footprints more efficiently. Our evaluation shows that PathFinder can significantly improve the efficacy of a DDoS defense system, its PFTrie data structure is fast and has a manageable overhead, and its streaming and zooming mechanisms significantly reduce the delay and overhead in transmitting DDoS footprints.
A Scoping Review of Non-Communicable Diseases and Maternal and Child Health Needs of Venezuelan Migrants in South America.

# Background Migration of Venezuelan citizens to other South American countries has increased in recent years. While the prevalence, morbidity, and mortality of infectious diseases in Venezuelan migrants across South America appears to be well described, the non-communicable disease (NCD) and maternal and child health needs in this population is less clear. A scoping review of existing peer-reviewed primary research and grey literature describing the epidemiology of NCDs and maternal and child health needs in Venezuelan migrants in major South American host countries was performed in order to highlight important gaps in knowledge. # Methods A scoping review was performed of peer-reviewed research and grey literature for NCD and maternal and child health needs among Venezuelan migrants living in the following host South American countries with greater than 100,000 migrants: Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru. A total of 47 electronic databases were searched for primary research published between 2017 and 2020 in either English or Spanish. # Results Out of 1,098 initial articles retrieved, 17 records met inclusion criteria, with the majority identified from the grey literature. Most studies were published in 2019 and most were either primary reports published by non-governmental organizations within the grey literature search or cross-sectional qualitative studies. Studies came from Argentina, Chile, Colombia, and Peru, with three records offering a regional perspective. Most studies provided broad data on NCDs and maternal and child health needs but lacked granular statistics. Our analysis found the rate of chronic disease among Venezuelan migrants to range from 9-14% within countries who reported this data. Significant rates of psychiatric conditions such as depression and post-traumatic stress disorder were reported. Other conditions described were ophthalmologic diseases, diabetes, chronic pain, asthma, cough, dyslipidemia, hypertension, arthritis, malnutrition, and obstetric complications, although exact statistics were limited. Obstacles to care included lack of healthcare access and affordability. # Conclusions Existing reports discuss important needs related to NCDs and maternal and child health in Venezuelan migrants in South American countries, but there are significant gaps in knowledge. Further research must describe in greater detail the prevalence, morbidity, and mortality of NCDs and maternal and child health needs in Venezuelan migrants in this region in order to assist local governments and international humanitarian organizations with providing strategic and unified responses.
Twelve-month organizational study examining the associations among behavioral healthcare worker's perceptions of autonomy, decision-making power, organizational commitment, and burnout: Reconceptualizing the role of commitment in shaping staff member experiences of the work environment.

Previous research has demonstrated that behavioral healthcare workers' experiences of autonomy and decision-making power in the workplace are positively associated with their commitment to the organization and negatively associated with occupational burnout. Models examining the relationships between workplace climate and staff member well-being generally conceptualize workplace climates as predictors of individual commitment and burnout. However, the relationships among these constructs have primarily been explored in cross-sectional study designs. The current study adds to the existing literature by examining the relationships among perceived autonomy and decision-making power in the organizational climate, and individual levels of organizational commitment and burnout over a 12-month period (N = 43). The study was done in a public hospital's behavioral healthcare department in the Western New York region. Cross-lagged panel analyses were conducted to assess if time-one scores on perceived autonomy and decision-making power predicted time-two scores of organizational commitment and burnout. Findings indicate that, contrary to popular conceptualization, individual staff member's commitment to the organization predicted future states of perceived autonomy and decision-making power. Individual commitment to the organization may be a driving factor in how staff members experience and perceive the service environment.
Novel systemic treatments in atopic dermatitis: Are there sex differences?

Abstract Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a common inflammatory skin disease with a significant global disease burden. Several mechanisms underlie AD, such as epidermal barrier dysfunction and immune dysregulation, which have led to innovative systemic treatment options. Other inflammatory disorders, as well as innate and adaptive immune responses, have noted sex differences, but our article highlights a paucity of data on the impact of sex, gender, and gender identity on the pathophysiology and systemic treatments of AD.
What do Compressed Large Language Models Forget? Robustness Challenges in Model Compression.

Recent works have focused on compressing pre-trained language models (PLMs) like BERT where the major focus has been to improve the compressed model performance for downstream tasks. However, there has been no study in analyzing the impact of compression on the generalizability and robustness of these models. Towards this end, we study two popular model compression techniques including knowledge distillation and pruning and show that compressed models are significantly less robust than their PLM counterparts on adversarial test sets although they obtain similar performance on in-distribution development sets for a task. Further analysis indicates that the compressed models overfit on the easy samples and generalize poorly on the hard ones. We further leverage this observation to develop a regularization strategy for model compression based on sample uncertainty. Experimental results on several natural language understanding tasks demonstrate our mitigation framework to improve both the adversarial generalization as well as in-distribution task performance of the compressed models.
The 1958 Birth Cohort Study

Delinquency in a Birth Cohort (Wolfgang et al., 1972) remains the only large-scale birth cohort study undertaken in the United States based upon a generalizable population. The delinquency careers of all boys born in 1945 who lived in Philadelphia from their tenth to their eighteenth birthdays were described, and parametric estimates of their offense rates and recidivism and desistance probabilities were computed. It is important to note that this study developed baseline cohort rates from a data source unlike any other previously investigated in this country: first offense, recidivism, and offense switching rates; offense severity escalation, disposition probabilities, and subsequent offensive behavior. All of these statistics and others can be estimated with validity only from longitudinal, preferably cohort, data.
Effectiveness of Item Response Theory (IRT) Proficiency Estimation Methods Under Adaptive Multistage Testing

The purpose of this inquiry was to investigate the effectiveness of item response theory (IRT) proficiency estimators in terms of estimation bias and error under multistage testing (MST). We chose a 2-stage MST design in which 1 adaptation to the examinees' ability levels takes place. It includes 4 modules (1 at Stage 1, 3 at Stage 2) and 3 paths (low, middle, and high). When creating 2-stage MST panels (i.e., forms), we manipulated 2 assembly conditions in each module, such as difficulty level and module length, to see if any interaction existed between IRT estimation methods and MST panel designs. For each panel, we compared the accuracy of examinees' proficiency levels derived from 7 IRT proficiency estimators. We found that the choice of Bayesian (prior) and non-Bayesian (no prior) estimators was of more practical significance than the choice of number-correct versus item-pattern scoring. For the extreme proficiency levels, the decrease in standard error compensated for the increase in bias in the Bayesian estimates, resulting in smaller total error. Possible score changes caused by the use of different proficiency estimators would be nonnegligible, particularly for the extreme proficiency level examinees. The impact of misrouting at Stage 1 was minimal under the MST design used in this study.
A dynamic voltage-compensation technique for reducing charge time in lithium-ion batteries

Lithium-ion (Li-ion) battery charging systems typically use both constant-current and constant-voltage charge. By compensating the optimum charge voltage for the extra impedances in the battery charge path, the internal cell voltage can now be maintained closer to its rated value. This is beneficial because it allows delivery of optimal charge while reducing overall charge time to the theoretical full-charge capacity level.
Behind the Neutral: The Critical Role of Provider Institutions

In the last generation the “quiet revolution” in conflict resolution has spawned a vast array of organizations sponsoring or promoting the services of arbitrators and mediators. These “provider institutions” are often in a position, directly or indirectly, to exert significant influence on the lives and fortunes of individuals in all sectors of society. For this reason they have become increasingly visible, the focus of growing scrutiny and, in some cases, regulation. This article explores the roles of providers and the need for greater awareness of their impact.
Autism Spectrum Disorder: Sniffing Out a New Biomarker

Early intervention improves prognosis in autism spectrum disorder, yet diagnosis is very difficult in preverbal children. A new study demonstrates that the automatic adjustments in sniffing patterns to pleasant and unpleasant odors may provide a window into early diagnosis.
Mountains, Flatlands and Tenuous Meaning: Organizational Sociology in Administrative Sense-Making.

Purpose – Contingency and institutional theories of organizational development are used to describe and interpret the 100‐year history of a health science university and to then make a case for teaching organizational sociology in administrative preparation programs.Design/methodology/approach – Primary and secondary documents were analyzed to delineate the university's history.Findings – Results indicated that organizational development was the result of complex institutional commitments that were challenged by and reinterpreted in the face of controversial and unanticipated contingencies. Both contingency and institutional theories help explain organizational processes. Organizational sense‐making theories from Karl Weick explain conflicting findings related to the tensions between old and new, the known and unknown, and the set and novel environmental and organizational processes.Research limitations/implications – This research shows the usefulness of organizational theory in helping administrators de...
Modifying Datbase Queries and Error Constraints

In many cases, in order to satisfy constraints on a database query, the query needs to be modified. However, users' “manual” modification is an extra burden on users and, sometimes may not be correct when users lack knowledge about the database. In this paper, we discuss automated query modification techniques when modification of queries are accompanied by error constraints. We introduce an automated query modification mechanism based on superset/subset and sampling modification protocols.
Effects of Information Processing Requirements on Reaction Time of the Eye

Abstract : This experiment measured eye reaction time as a function of presence or absence of a central control task, type of command, and knowledge of target direction prior to command. It was found that eye reaction time was greater when a subject was involved in a central tracking task than when he was not; it was greater when the command was symbolic than when it was spatial; and it was longer when the target direction was unknown prior to command. These variables also interacted, so that the effect of unknown target direction was greater with a symbolic command. Results of this experiment also showed that subjects sometimes used an initial compensatory pattern of eye-head movements. There were large inter-subject differences, but use of compensation generally increased with complexity of centrally located information which required processing. It thus appears that reaction time of the eye responds to information processing variables in a manner similar to other motor response systems. (Author)
The Properties of Light

The mystery of light has formed the core of creation stories in every culture, and attracted the earnest attentions of philosophers since at least the fifth century BCE. Their questions have ranged from how and what we see, to the interaction of light with material bodies, and finally to the nature of light itself. This chapter begins with a brief intellectual history of light from ancient Greece to the end of the 19th century. After introducing the physical parameterization of light in terms of standard units, three concepts of light are introduced: light as a wave, light as a quantum particle, and light as a quantum field. After highlighting the distinctive characteristics of light beams from various sources – thermal radiation, luminescence from atoms and molecules, and synchrotron light sources – the distinctive physical characteristics of light beams are examined in some detail. The chapter concludes with a survey of the statistical and quantum-mechanical properties of light beams. In the appropriate limits, this treatment not only recovers the classical description of light waves and the semiclassical view of light as a stream of quanta, but also forms a consistent description of quantum phenomena – such as interference phenomena generated by single photons – that have no classical analogs.
RF power detector/monitor upgrade for the 500 MHz systems at the ALS

Several systems rely on the accurate and linear detection of 500 MHz signals, (the fundamental frequency of both the Booster Ring and Storage Ring) over a dynamic range in excess of 25 dB. Prior to this upgrade, the detector/monitor was diode based and though this type of detector could handle the dynamic range requirement it could not do so in an accurate and linear manner. In order to meet the requirements, (dynamic range greater than or equal to 25 dB, accurate and linear to /spl plusmn/0.25 dB over the range, and additional circuitry to interface to the legacy control system and interlocks) a new RF power detector/monitor has been developed using two AD8361, Analog Devices TruRMS Detectors and a fuzzy comparator, which extends the overall detector's range to twice that of the AD8361. Further information is available [www.analogedevices.com/]. Details of the design requirements and the detector/monitor's circuit as well as the performance of the detector will be presented.
Policy research and ‘damaged teachers’: towards an epistemologically respectful paradigm

This paper canvasses one of the most debilitating issues currently disfiguring schools - the absent voices of teachers in the policy reform of schooling. This is a phenomenon that has afflicted schooling around the world for more than three decades, and it is not without effects. The escalating levels of student disaffection, alienation, violence, disengagement and `dropping out' are not unconnected to the marginalisation of teachers and the disrespectful and distrustful ways in which they have been treated by policy makers, politicians and a largely hostile media. What is advanced in its place in this paper is a way of conducting research that restores trust through acknowledging and celebrating the distinctive repertoires of knowledge teachers and students possess, and points to the way in which a more respectful policy paradigm might be re-invented.
Mountain goats: ecology, behavior, and conservation of an alpine ungulate

Festa-Bianchet, Marco, and Steeve D. Cote. 2008. Mountain goats: ecology, behavior, and conservation of an alpine ungulate. Island Press, Washington, D.C. xii + 265 p. $90.00 (cloth), ISBN: 978-1-59726-170-8 (alk. paper); $45.00 (paper), ISBN: 978-1-59726-171-5 (alk. paper).
Development of a bundle measure for preventive service delivery to infants in primary care

RATIONALE, AIMS AND OBJECTIVES In the United States, paediatric patients receive only 41% of indicated preventive services. Past improvement efforts have not bundled preventive services to measure the reliability with which infants' physical, developmental and emotional needs are all addressed. We aimed to create a comprehensive bundle measure that reflects reliable delivery of preventive services during primary care visits, as well as overall preventive service status of a population of patients served by three primary care centres. METHOD Data were collected from electronic health records for cohorts of infants < 14 months old with at least one visit to one of three primary care centres. Immunizations, lead screening, developmental screening and screening for biopsychosocial risk factors (gestational age, parental depression, food insecurity) were chosen by local expert consensus for inclusion in the preventive services bundle measure. Monthly measures of preventive service status at 14 months of age were constructed. A visit-level bundle measure of preventive service delivery was also created. To obtain a baseline for improvement work, bundle completion rates were calculated for infants born in May 2011. Visit-level performance was measured for visits from July to August 2012. RESULTS Among 278 patients born in May 2011, 22% of patients received the entire bundle of preventive services by 14 months of age. On a visit level, patients received all indicated services at 58% of visits. CONCLUSION A novel bundle measure can be used to characterize delivery of preventive services and drive improvement at both an individual visit level and a population level.
The treatment of locally advanced colon cancer

Abstract Purpose: The results of therapy for 103 patients with locally advanced colon cancer who received radiotherapy, were analyzed to determine the outcome and tolerance of therapy. Methods and Materials: Between 1974 and 1994, 103 patietns received radiotherapy and maximal resection of locally advanced colon cancers. Following resection, 50 patients had no residual disease, 18 patients had microscopic residual disease, and 35 patients had gross residual disease. External beam radiotherapy was initiated 1 to 4 months following resection except in two patients who received preoperative radiotherapy. Treatment was delivered to the tumor bed and adjacent lymph nodes using 4 to 18 MV X-rays with doses ranging from 16.2 to 60 Gy. Intraoperative electron radiotherapy (IOERT) was also administered to 11 of the patients with doses ranging from 10 to 20 Gy. Chemotherapy was administered to 77 patients. Follow-up in survivors ranged from 0.5 to 17 years (median: 5.8 years). Results: The 5-year actuarial local failure rate was 10% for patients with no residual disease, 54% for patients with microscopic residual disease, and 79% for patients with gross residual disease ( p p = 0.02). The 5-year actuarial survival rate was 66% for patients with no residual disease, 47% for patients with microscopic residual disease, and 23% for patients with gross residual disease ( p = 0.0009). The 5-year survival rate in patients with residual disease was 76% for patients receiving IOERT and 26% for patients receiving external beam therapy alone ( p = 0.04).
A second look at religious orientation, social desirability, and prejudice

In this study, which used a variety of measures of religious orientation, social desirability, and prejudice, religious orientation was correlated with self-reports of racial intolerance, and slightly negative, nonsignificant, and positive associations were observed for intrinsic, interactional, and extrinsic scales, respectively. Analysis of religious types further revealed that the intrinsic (I) and the indiscriminately antirelgious (LA) subjects were similar in their reduced prejudice relative to the extrinsic (E) and the indiscriminately proreligious (IP) subjects, who in turn did not differ. These comparisons remained essentially unchanged when sex and social desirability factors were controlled. Some data also suggested that IPs may be especially sensitive to social desirability factors, whereas Is may actually be more desirable socially. An awareness of the contrasts between Is and IPs may be crucial in research attempting to clarfiy the link between prejudice and religious commitments.
Near-infrared surface-enhanced-Raman-scattering-mediated detection of single optically trapped bacterial spores.

A novel methodology has been developed for the investigation of bacterial spores. Specifically, this method has been used to probe the spore coat composition of two different Bacillus stearothermophilus variants. This technique may be useful in many applications; most notably, development of novel detection schemes toward potentially harmful bacteria. This method would also be useful as an ancillary environmental monitoring system where sterility is of importance (i.e., food preparation areas as well as invasive and minimally invasive medical applications). This unique detection scheme is based on the near-infrared (NIR) surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) from single, optically trapped, bacterial spores. The SERS spectra of bacterial spores in aqueous media have been measured using SERS substrates based on ~60-nm-diameter gold colloids bound to 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane derivatized glass. The light from a 787-nm laser diode was used to trap and manipulate as well as simultaneously excite the SERS of an individual bacterial spore. The collected SERS spectra were examined for uniqueness and the applicability of this technique for the strain discrimination of Bacillus stearothermophilus spores. Comparison of normal Raman and SERS spectra reveals not only an enhancement of the normal Raman spectral features but also the appearance of spectral features absent in the normal Raman spectrum.
A thin-layer multistrip agarose gel electrophoresis apparatus for Ferguson plot analysis at the sub-microgram load level

A method for the simultaneous horizontal agarose gel electrophoresis on thin layer strips of different gel concentrations was developed for the purpose of generating Ferguson plots at the sub-microgram load level. Seven independent gel strips on a common GelBond support formed by filling channels created by a comb-shaped spacer (polycarbonate) in a vertical multistrip cassette. Electrophoresis on a horizontal Peltier-cooled surface employed commercial apparatus (E-C Apparatus Corp.) with a modified cover which is airtight and holds anodic and cathodic voltage measurement probes for each strip. The application of the apparatus to Ferguson plot analysis in a single experiment wa exemplified on the RNA-containing turnip crinkle virus (TCV) at a load of 50 ng/gel strip, using an optimized silver staining method (a modification of a procedure of FMC Corp. BioProducts) for detection. Within the range of 3.5 to 12.5 V/cm, the plot was found to be independent of field strength. Mobility is also independent of the concentration of detergent (CHAPS) up to 10 mM.
A note on Tryon's measure of reliability

Two alternative formulas, based upon the analysis of variance, are given for Tryon's general form for the reliability coefficient.
The use of life-sustaining treatments in hospitalized persons aged 80 and older.

OBJECTIVES: To characterize the use of life-sustaining treatments in hospitalized patients aged 80 and older. DESIGN: A prospective cohort study. SETTING: Four teaching hospitals in the United States that participated in the Hospitalized Elderly Longitudinal Project (HELP). PARTICIPANTS: Hospitalized patients aged 80 and older. MEASUREMENTS: We report the rates of admissions to intensive and coronary care units and the rates of use of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), ventilators, right heart catheterization, artificial nutrition and hydration, surgical interventions, hemodialysis, and blood transfusions. RESULTS: Of the 1,266 patients enrolled in HELP, 72 died during the enrollment hospitalization. The median age of those who died was 86 (range 83–89). Of the patients who died, the median number of activities of daily living impairments was two (range 1–4) before hospitalization, and 70% reported their baseline quality of life as fair or poor. Most patients who died had stated that they did not want aggressive care; 70% wanted their care focused on comfort rather than prolonging life, and 80% had a do-not-resuscitate order. However, the majority (63%) of the patients received one or more life-sustaining treatments before they died. Fifty-four percent were admitted to intensive or coronary care units, 43% were on a ventilator, 18% received CPR, 18% received tube feeding, 17% underwent surgery, 15% had right heart catheterization, 14% received blood transfusions, and 6% had hemodialysis. Intensive care did not affect survival time. CONCLUSION: The use of life-sustaining treatments was prevalent in very old patients who died in the course of hospitalization, despite the fact that the majority had a preference for comfort care. This lack of congruence warrants further investigation and efforts to provide care that is more consistent with patients' preferences.
Sandhill Crane Abundance and Nesting Ecology at Grays Lake, Idaho

Abstract We examined population size and factors influencing nest survival of greater sandhill cranes (Grus canadensis tabida) at Grays Lake National Wildlife Refuge, Idaho, USA, during 1997–2000. Average local population of cranes from late April to early May, 1998–2000, was 735 cranes, 34% higher than that reported for May 1970–1971. We estimated 228 (SE = 30) nests in the basin core (excluding renests), 14% higher than a 1971 estimate. Apparent nest success in our study (x = 60%, n = 519 nests) was lower than reported for Grays Lake 30–50 years earlier. Daily survival rates (DSRs) of all nests averaged 0.9707 (41.2%). The best model explaining nest survival included year and water depth and their interaction. Nest survival was highest (DSR = 0.9827) in 1998 compared with other years (0.9698–0.9707). Nest survival changed little relative to water depth in 1998, when flooding was extensive and alternative prey (microtines) irrupted, but declined markedly with lower water levels in 2000, the driest year ...
Anatomy of the superior ophthalmic vein approach for direct endovascular access to vascular lesions of the orbit and cavernous sinus.

Objective The superior ophthalmic vein (SOV) provides an alternative venous access for the treatment of carotid-cavernous fistulae. Its direct surgical exposure and cannulation can be difficult. This study was performed to identify anatomic landmarks to facilitate localization and exposure of the SOV. Methods The vascular tree of 6 formalin-fixed human cadaveric heads was injected with colored silicone. The SOV was exposed using a periorbital incision. The diameter of the SOV, its distance to the inferior border of the incision, and the angle formed by the SOV and sagittal midpupillary line were measured. The tributaries of the SOV and its orbital anatomy and relationship to the supraorbital notch/foramen were evaluated. Results The SOV was located in the superomedial quadrant of the orbit. Its mean diameter was 2.2 mm (standard deviation, +/-1.2 mm). The mean distance from the SOV to the superior sulcus of the eyelid nasally was 5.9 mm (standard deviation, +/-2.0 mm). The mean angle formed by the SOV and the sagittal midpupillary line was 27.9 degrees (standard deviation, +/-5.4 degrees). The tributaries of the SOV were the angular vein and supraorbital vein (SPOV). The SPOV, identified in all 12 dissections, could be followed to the SOV within the orbit. The SPOV was always located inside the supraorbital notch/foramen when the latter was present. Conclusion The SOV is located at the superomedial quadrant of the orbit. The SPOV is a reliable reference during surgical exposure. A lid crease or subbrow incision centered over the supraorbital notch simplifies identification of the SOV.
Looks like an independently refereed journal? Don't be too sure

In medical publishing, the line between editorial and advertorial has become dangerously blurred, says Sheldon Krimsky
Detection of celiac axis and superior mesenteric artery occlusive disease with use of abdominal duplex scanning

Abstract Purpose: Detection of mesenteric arterial insufficiency is clinically difficult, and diagnosis frequently requires arteriography. Advances in duplex scanning make this an ideal technique to noninvasively screen patients for chronic mesenteric arterial occlusive disease. However, the accuracy of mesenteric duplex scanning compared with arteriography remains unclear. This study will clearly define the accuracy of abdominal duplex scanning for detection of mesenteric arterial insufficiency. Methods: The mesenteric duplex scans of 38 patients obtained over a 4-year period were reviewed and compared with lateral aortograms to clarify this issue. Optimal peak systolic frequency (PSF) for predicting less than 50% or 50% or greater stenoses of the superior mesenteric artery (SMA) and celiac axis (CA) were determined from receiver-operating characteristic curves. Results: In the SMA a PSF of 4.5 kHz was 96% sensitive (24/25), 92% specific (12/13), and 95% accurate (36/38) at predicting stenoses less than 50% or 50% or greater. For arteries with stenoses 50% to 99%, regression analysis demonstrated excellent linear correlation between percent stenosis and PSF ( r = 0.89). In the CA a PSF of 4.0 kHz had a sensitivity of 100% (30/30), a specificity of 88% (7/8), and an accuracy of 97% (37/38). Again, for arteries with stenoses 50% to 99%, an excellent linear correlation existed between PSF and percent stenosis ( r = 0.86). All total arterial occlusions (14) were correctly identified. In all, mesenteric arterial duplex scanning was 96% accurate for predicting SMA and CA stenoses/occlusions. Conclusions: Abdominal duplex scanning is a noninvasive technique that accurately detects total occlusions and objectively quantitates SMA and CA arterial stenoses. (J VASC SURG 1993;17:738-45.)
In vivo enhancement of dendritic cell function

Despite the apparent positive recognition of antigen by mucosal T cells after ingesting food, the default functional response in the gut is tolerance. Although dendritic cells (DCs) are classically defined as potent stimulatory antigen-presenting cells, we have previously shown that tolerance is enhanced in vivo in the presence of elevated numbers of DCs. In order to more closely investigate the mechanistic basis of tolerance induction, we have focused our subsequent studies on identifying features peculiar to mucosal dendritic cells and the functional involvement of mucosal DCs in driving the early T cell response to fed antigen. These studies have revealed a population of DCs in the mucosae that exhibit the plasmacytoid phenotype and secrete IFN-alpha following stimulation with CpG, and can drive differentiation of naive T cells into cells that exhibit regulatory properties. The activity of these DCs also failed to sustain robust T cell proliferation and, rather, functioned to enhance the suppressive efficacy of CD4(+)CD25(+) T regulatory cells. Given their significant presence in mucosal tissue, these DCs likely provide a mechanistic basis for the homeostatic regulation prominent in the gut, presumably by eliciting regulatory cell suppressor function and poorly supporting T helper cell proliferation. These studies further underscore the critical role for intestinal DCs in promoting tolerogenic antigen presentation at a site of high antigenic stimulation.
Economic Feasibility of a Municipal Food Waste Collection and Energy Generation Model

AbstractThis study analyzes the economic prospects for the utilization of food waste collected from a variety of sources as feedstock for a standalone waste-to-energy (WtE) business model in Toledo, Ohio. This analysis intends to add a practical perspective to the quickly growing body of literature focusing on technical aspects of the anaerobic digestion of food waste for hydrogen and methane creation. The study examines economic constraints and possible solutions to promote widespread adoption of food WtE in the United States. In addition, waste managers in other geographical entities may replicate the methods and analyses described in the article to provide valuable, relevant information to policymakers and other stakeholders. The study includes a description of the methodology used to estimate the initial costs, annual costs, and annual benefits of an anaerobic digestion (AD) system, including collection costs, facility and digestion costs, electricity sales, and tipping fee revenues.
Institutional affiliation of authors in selected criminal justice journals

Abstract Publication in professional journals provides both individual and institutional rewards, contributing to the prestige of authors and of colleges and universities with which they are affiliated. Faculty publications are often regarded as important factors in the creation and maintenance of institutional prestige. A survey of six criminal justice journals revealed that the majority of institutions with recognized criminal justice doctoral programs were represented by faculty publications. On the other hand, the list of academic institutions with which published authors were affiliated included many institutions without criminal justice doctoral programs. The data also revealed that slightly over one-quarter of the published material in the selected list of journals had been authored by individuals not affiliated with academic institutions.
Accelerating asynchronous programs through event sneak peek

Asynchronous or event-driven programming is now being used to develop a wide range of systems, including mobile and Web 2.0 applications, Internet-of-Things, and even distributed servers. We observe that these programs perform poorly on conventional processor architectures that are heavily optimized for the characteristics of synchronous programs. Execution characteristics of asynchronous programs significantly differ from synchronous programs as they interleave short events from varied tasks in a fine-grained manner. This paper proposes the Event Sneak Peek (ESP) architecture to mitigate microarchitectural bottlenecks in asynchronous programs. ESP exploits the fact that events are posted to an event queue before they get executed. By exposing this event queue to the processor, ESP gains knowledge of the future events. Instead of stalling on long latency cache misses, ESP jumps ahead to pre-execute future events and gathers useful information that later help initiate accurate instruction and data prefetches and correct branch mispredictions. We demonstrate that ESP improves the performance of popular asynchronous Web 2.0 applications including Amazon, Google maps, and Facebook, by an average of 16%.