cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Alcohol use and client-perpetrated sexual violence against female sex workers in China.

The global literature suggests that female sex workers (FSWs) experience high rates of sexual violence perpetrated by their clients, especially when FSWs are under the influence of alcohol. However, such data are limited in China. The current study is aimed to fill in the literature gap by examining the association between alcohol use by FSWs and client-perpetrated sexual violence against FSWs in China. A total of 1022 FSWs were recruited through community outreach in Guangxi, China. Female sex workers completed a self-administered survey on their demographic information, alcohol use, and sexual violence perpetrated by clients. Multivariable regression was employed to assess the relationship between alcohol use and client-perpetrated sexual violence among FSWs while controlling for possible confounders. Results indicated that alcohol use was positively associated with the experience of sexual violence in both bivariate and multivariable analyses. Women who were at a higher risk level of alcohol use were m...
Performance Management Applied at the Performer Level.

According to Kissler (1991), performance management begins by determining why it should take place at all. He believes that performance management helps organizations sustain or improve performance, promote greater consistency in performance evaluation, and provide high-quality feedback. Performance management helps organizations link evaluations to employee development and to a merit-based compensation plan. Moreover, it forms a basis for coaching and mentoring, permits individual input during the evaluation process, and allows for a blend of qualitative and quantitative evaluations. Performance management is a process that helps manage employee expectations of job demands and factors that reveal how well the job is done.
The Ethics of William Carlos Williams's Poetry

At the outset of The Ethics of William Carlos Williams's Poetry, Ian D. Copestake argues that Williams's “poetry and his conception of himself as an artist” were rooted in the poet's early experien...
The application of two-dimensional nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy in computer-assisted structure elucidation

Abstract One of the most powerful tools for the determination of an unknown organic structure is two dimensional NMR spectroscopy. In some cases, this information quickly leads to a unique structure, but in many cases there remains a larger number of structural possibilities. A linked system of computer programs has been developed which uses several types of 2-D NMR data and generates all possible topological structures consistent with these data and user-input constraints. When symmetry is present, algorithms based on group theory limit the structures to those consistent with all the different symmetries that are possible. Applications of these programs to problems described in the literature, in which 2-D NMR was used to determine the structures of natural products, are described.
Recombinant Subunits of Mammalian Elongation Factor 1 Expressed in Escherichia coli SUBUNIT INTERACTIONS, ELONGATION ACTIVITY, AND PHOSPHORYLATION BY PROTEIN KINASE CKII

The first step in elongation requires two different activities; elongation factor (EF)-1alpha transfers aminoacyl-tRNA to the ribosome and is released upon hydrolysis of GTP, EF-1betagammadelta catalyzes exchange of GDP on EF-1alpha with GTP. To analyze the role of the individual subunits of EF-1 in elongation, the cDNAs for the beta, gamma, and delta subunits of EF-1 from rabbit were cloned, and proteins of 225, 437, and 280 amino acids, respectively, were expressed in Escherichia coli. The purified recombinant beta subunit migrates as a dimer and the gamma subunit as a trimer upon gel filtration, whereas the delta subunit forms a large aggregate. Complexes of betagamma, gammadelta and betagammadelta were formed by self-association and eluted with a molecular mass of approximately 160, 530, and 670 kDa, respectively; no interaction was observed between beta and delta. The activity of the recombinant subunits was determined with native EF-1alpha by measuring stimulation of the rate of elongation by poly(U)-directed polyphenylalanine synthesis. Recombinant beta and delta alone stimulated the rate of elongation by 10-fold, with a ratio of 5alpha:2beta or delta. The betagammadelta complex stimulated EF-1alpha activity up to 10-fold with a ratio of 20alpha to 1betagammadelta. Phosphorylation of the beta and delta subunits alone or in betagammadelta by protein kinase CKII had no effect on the rate of elongation.
The Relationship between Infringements on the Freedom to Research and Teach and Poor Sociological Practice.

Infringements upon the freedom to research and teach may be experienced as pressures to attend to particular topics of research to the exclusion of others, to conduct research using false parameters and inappropriate methodologies, to reach conclusions acceptable to funders, to apply “sexy” theoretical explanations while ignoring other perspectives, and to respond favorably to consumeristic university student admission and retention policies. Although there is no empirical evidence to support a causal relationship between infringements and poor research and teaching, I am suggesting that the presence of infringements can detract from effective teaching and unbiased research. The literature suggests that at least a portion of scholars are aware of infringements and their negative consequences, yet formal complaints about infringements are rare. Sociologists may permit these infringements out of confusion over the possible outcomes of infringements (in other words, uncertainty about the standards of good and poor practice), out of fear of being punished for noncompliance with the infringements, or because they do not recognize the infringements for what they are. Sociologists may be able to reconstruct the infringements as pressures of the job and the outcomes as acceptable sociological practice.
Orientation-Resolved Chemical Kinetics: Using Microfabrication to Unravel the Complicated Chemistry of KOH/Si Etching

Microfabricated test patterns are used to measure the orientation-dependent rates of KOH/silicon etching of 180 surfaces in the Si[110] zone. The concentration and temperature dependence of the reaction is quantified, and a pronounced kinetic isotope effect is observed for all orientations. Although the kinetics of the KOH etching of silicon are complicated, the magnitude of the kinetic isotope effect, the morphology of the macrosteps on vicinal Si(111) surfaces, the pronounced hydrophobicity and H-termination of the etched surfaces are all consistent with a chemical mechanism that is rate-limited by cleavage of a Si−H bond by OH-. There is no evidence of a gross change in chemical mechanism with surface orientation. Silicon surfaces in the [110] zone can be divided into four regions of similar reactivity: vicinal Si(100), vicinal Si(110), and two types of vicinal Si(111) surfaces. Within each region, all surfaces display remarkably similar chemical kinetics. These regions are separated by morphological ...
The use of children's literature and toys in the teaching of child development to medical students in the preclinical years.

With the growth of psychiatry and our increased awareness of the importance of the study of human behavior for the physician, many medical school curricula now include courses such as Human Behavior, Normal Personality Development, in the preclinical years. Normal child development invariably comprises a sizable portion of the subject matter of these courses. The customary teaching format for the basic medical curriculum in the preclinical years is that of a lecture to the entire class, followed by smaller laboratory sections where the lecture material is demonstrated, experienced, or observed. In this way, theoretical concepts of the lecture are directly linked with experiential factors of the laboratory, thus complementing and reinforcing the intellectual learning experience with data actually observed or readily inferred. This additional influx of stimuli is often quite dramatic in its own right-as with cadavers, anatomical models, and physiological live preparations. More and more, medical educators recognize the necessity to make learning an active rather than passive experience for the student. Students are encour-
Control Implications in Tracking Moving Objects Using Time-Varying Perspective-Projective Imagery

Control implications which arise when tracking moving objects contained in time-varying perspective-projective imagery are studied. First, a transformation is derived to relate pan/tilt camera mount movement to image plane perturbations. Ramifications of this model, particularly with respect to magnification ratio, noncentered targets and camera mount angular magnitudes are illustrated. A pan/tilt control algorithm is then developed using this transformation and a large magnification ratio assumption. Experimental results with real imagery are shown to confirm the approach validity.
Mystery Case: Eyelid myoclonia with absences in an adult patient

A 28-year-old man presented to the epilepsy monitoring unit (EMU) with frequent “eye fluttering” episodes since he was 3 years old (video on the Neurology ® Web site at [www.neurology.org][1]). He was diagnosed with epilepsy as a teenager after he developed generalized convulsions at age 12. His convulsions were well-controlled with antiepileptic drug therapy. His neurologic examination was normal. [1]: http://www.neurology.org/
Medical and minimally invasive therapies for the treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia

Over the last decade, management of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) has changed with a substantial decrease in the use of transurethral prostatectomy (TURP) and a simultaneous increase in the use of medical therapy and minimally invasive surgical therapy (MIST). The goal of management of this chronic progressive condition is not only to provide relief of lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) but also to reduce the lifetime risk of adverse outcomes. Recent clinical evidence has demonstrated a clear role for medical therapy, particularly with 5-alpha-reductase inhibitors (5ARIs) either alone or in combination with alpha-blockers, to reduce the risk of acute urinary retention and need for surgery and provide symptom relief. Clinical data on MISTs also indicate a more pronounced short-term effect; however, the long-term durability of these therapies remains uncertain. Minimally invasive surgical therapies confer treatment benefits in a single 1-h treatment session under local anesthesia. Recovery times and adverse events are improved compared with TURP, but issues such as hematuria, prolonged catheterization, urinary tract infection and retreatment remain commonly reported issues. Today, urologists are faced with the challenge of identifying the most appropriate treatment option for the long-term management of BPH. The initial choice for any given patient will depend on his presenting circumstances and the influence of treatment risks on these circumstances. Providing patients with informed treatment decisions is a key element of management.
Clinical applications of surgical adhesives and sealants

In the United States and Europe, the number of topical adhesives, surgical sealants, and hemostats approved for use in the surgical setting is ever expanding although no single device fills all medical and surgical needs to replace sutures. As more surgical procedures are performed through laparoscopic and robotic approaches, these devices are becoming more important, and current research is focused on solving the limitations of conventional wound treatments. This review article discusses clinical applications of various biologically derived and synthetic products that are currently available to surgeons and those that are in development.
Multiple channel surface orientation from texture

This paper studies the computation of surface orientation by analyzing the responses of multiple spatio-spectrally localized channel filters. Images containing textures that encode information about local surface orientation are decomposed into narrowband sub-images possessing characteristic radial frequency and orientation properties. By analyzing the spatial variation in the filter responses, information about the spatial variation in the pattern I texture can be elucidated and subsequently used to estimate surface orientation. The channel filters used are Gaborfunctions, which have previously been applied successfully to related problems in texture analysis, segmentation, and characterization. The Gabor functions are plausible approximations to the responses of the highly oriented simple cells in mammalian striate cortex. They also possess important properties for the local isolation and characterization of textures. In our approach, texture gradients are modeled as giving rise to pattern frequency gradients that can be exiracted on a highly localized basis. A variational optimization procedure for estimating the pattern frequency variation is implemented via a discrete relaxation procedure that is suitable for a massively parallel computation. The result of the optimization procedure is a stable dense map describing the localized image frequency content. The computed image frequency characteristics are then used to define a texture density measure used in a planar-surface approximation procedure, yielding slant/tilt estimates describing the surface orientation. Experimental results support the theoretical derivations.
Differentiation of deep-water lake charr Salvelinus namaycush in North American lakes

Deep-water morphs of lake charr, Salvelinus namaycush, are found, with one exception, in four of the largest lakes in the world: lakes Superior and Mistassini (QC) and Great Bear and Slave lakes. This paper advances a hypothesis for resource polymorphisms involving two types of deep-water morph, one of which is characteristic of the humper and the other of the siscowet charrs of Lake Superior. My hypothesis states that, first, the humper, or a humper-like morph, diverged postglacially in sympatry from the ancestral common (shallow-water) lake charr and became a feeding specialist on Mysis relicta. Second, in at least two of the four lakes the siscowet, or a siscowet-like charr, diverged as a feeding specialist on postglacially derived forms of deep-water ciscoes. In Lake Superior a successional process may have resulted in dominance of the siscowet at the expense of the humper charr. I concur with a previous inference that the one occurrence of a deep-water charr in a small lake (the above exception) represents emigration from Lake Superior. I further infer that this event involved an early humper charr, which implies that this morphotype had differentiated in Lake Superior in less than 1,900 year. I suggest that innate differences in plasticity, breeding behavior and assortive mating, and philopatry account for why Arctic charr isolate readily in small lakes whereas lake charr do not. My hypothesis assumes divergence of deep-water morphs occurred postglacially, an idea consistent with genetic and biogeographical evidence.
Working Women and Perceived Barriers to Weight Control/Maintenance

Abstract LEARNING OUTCOME: To examine barriers to weight control experienced by working women, ages 25-34 years. The purpose of this study was to discern barriers to weight control/maintenance that working women experience. A 28-item, self -administered survey was distributed to 93 urban working women, ages 25-34 years. Survey questions were based upon a review of literature as well as results of a focus group, expert panel, and pilot study. A majority of subjects agreed that they control their weight, and mean BMI indicated most were within their ideal weight range. Barriers to weight control included marriage, childbearing, and full-time work. The work environment was a barrier to weight control in terms of long workdays, sedentary jobs, high-fat business lunches, and lack of worksite exercise facilities. Although subjects disagreed that they lacked time to prepare meals or exercise, fatigue was seen as a barrier to proper eating habits and exercise. Worksite exercise programs and a shift towards activity-centered social events may help women overcome barriers to weight maintenance. A 5-point Likert scale was used to measure the perceived barriers (l=Completely Agree; 5=Completely Disagree. Marriage was viewed as a barrier to weight control by 67% of 47 respondents (M=2.27). 55% of 93 respondents agreed that it is more difficult to control weight now than before they began to work full time (M=2.59). While 47% of 92 respondents disagreed with the statement "I have no time to exercise", 52% of 93 respondents agreed with the statement "I am too tired after work to exercise" (M=2.51).
Optically pumped vapor phase Bi2 laser

Abstract Laser emission, attributed to Bi 2 molecules, has been observed between 650 and 710 nm, the region of Bi 2 A—X emission. Bismuth vapor was optically pumped, using a flashlamp pumped dye laser, in the AX absorption bands between 540 and 580 nm. A 0.2% efficiency of this laser was found.
Tamoxifen prevents the skeletal effects of ovarian hormone deficiency in rats

To determine whether the nonsteroidal antiestrogen tamoxifen behaves as either an agonist or antagonist of estrogen on bone, the effects of ovariectomy, 17 beta-estradiol, and tamoxifen were compared on radial growth at the tibial diaphysis in young adult female rats. Ovariectomy and 17 beta-estradiol did not alter serum calcium, phosphate, or 25-hydroxyvitamin D. Ovariectomy increased serum 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D in one experiment but not in the other. Tamoxifen increased the serum calcium and phosphate by itself and did not change serum 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D in ovariectomized rats. Ovariectomy produced significant increases in medullary area, periosteal bone formation rate, and periosteal bone apposition rate compared to values in sham-operated animals and did not change endosteal bone formation rate. The increase in medullary area resulted from an increase in osteoclast number and resorbing surface length. Although endosteal forming surface length decreased, this was compensated for by an increase in the apposition rate. 17 beta-estradiol and tamoxifen each prevented the increases in bone formation rate and medullary area in ovariectomized rats. Tamoxifen reduced the length of the resorbing surface and osteoclast number to values observed in sham-operated animals. The findings demonstrate that in the rat, tamoxifen acts as an estrogen agonist by preventing the skeletal alterations that result from ovarian hormone deficiency.
Parallel simulation today

This paper surveys topics that presently define the state of the art in parallel simulation. Included in the tutorial are discussions on new protocols, mathematical performance analysis, time parallelism, hardware support for parallel simulation, load balancing algorithms, and dynamic memory management for optimistic synchronization.
Synthesis of an orange anthrathiophene pigment isolated from a Japanese bryozoan.

A short, regiospecific synthesis of the naturally occurring anthrathiophene 1 from naphthazarin (7) is described.
Comparison of 2 Clostridium difficile surveillance methods: National Healthcare Safety Network's laboratory-identified event reporting module versus clinical infection surveillance.

Objective. To determine whether the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Healthcare Safety Network (NHSN) laboratory-identified (LabID) event reporting module for Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) is an adequate proxy measure of clinical CDI for public reporting purposes by comparing the 2 surveillance methods.Design. Validation study.Setting. Thirty New York State acute care hospitals.Methods. Six months of data were collected by 30 facilities using a clinical infection surveillance definition while also submitting the NHSN LabID event for CDI. The data sets were matched and compared to determine whether the assigned clinical case status matched the LabID case status. A subset of mismatches was evaluated further, and reasons for the mismatches were quantified. Infection rates determined using the 2 definitions were compared.Results. A total of 3,301 CDI cases were reported. Analysis of the original data yielded a 67.3% (2,223/3,301) overall case status match. After review and validat...
Localized response reductions in wide-band random vibration of uniform structures

When a lightly damped uniform structure is excited by a broad band random source, there is a tendency for the mean-square velocity to be uniformly distributed over the structure as the number of responding modes increases. Localized zones or lanes of intensified response have been noted in one-dimensional and certain symmetrical two-dimensional structures. The present paper shows that under some circumstances there can also be localized zones or lanes of reduced response. The circumstances include asymmetric boundary conditions, excitation by a pair of sources with negative correlation, and excitation by a single source in a square structure with uniform boundary conditions when the source acts on the midline of the square.
Physiological overshoot and the compound action potential

The sensitivity of the compound action potential (CAP) of the auditory nerve of the Mongolian gerbil (Meriones unguiculatus) to an added signal was studied as a function of the state of adaptation to a masker. The masker consisted of a train of tone bursts. A signal was added to one of the bursts and the threshold for detecting the signal was determined using a two-interval forced-choice technique. With a signal at the same frequency as the masker, there was little or no change in threshold with increasing adaptation to the masker, i.e., with the signal applied at masker onset or later on in the train. With a signal at a different frequency, considerably higher thresholds were obtained in the unadapted state than in the adapted state, a situation that appeared to resemble psychophysical overshoot phenomena. However, the interpretation of this result was complicated by the observation that the CAP response to a two-frequency stimulus is a sum of two slightly desynchronized waveforms arising from different cochlear regions. Synchronizing the two waveforms reduced the 'overshoot', but still resulted in higher thresholds in the unadapted state. The differences in threshold are accounted for by considering the changing signal-to-noise ratios at different states of adaptation. Possible relationships to psychophysically observed overshoot are discussed.
Stimulation of ion release from liposomes by the polyene antibiotic, filipin.

Abstract The effect of the polyene antibiotic, filipin, upon release of the ions Ca2+, Sr2+, SO42− and phosphate out of phospholipid and phospholipid-cholesterol liposomal vesicles was studied. The addition of filipin at concentrations stoichiometrically comparable to the cholesterol concentration in the liposomes, resulted in 2–10 × stimulation of the rate of release of all of these ions. The filipin mediated stimulation of release of ions from liposomes was dependent upon the presence of cholesterol. The relative effectiveness of filipin increased when the mole percent of cholesterol incorporated into the liposomes increased from 10 to 50% and when the molar filipin:cholesterol ratio increased from 0.2 to 1.0. It has been previously shown that there is a 1:1 stoichiometry of interaction between filipin and cholesterol [Biochem. Biophys. Acta339, 57 (1974)]. The present studies suggest that this 1:1 stoichiometric interaction may also be responsible for the increased release of entrapped ions. A possible mechanism of action of polyene antibiotics is discussed which suggests that the rearrangement of membrane constituents occurring upon interaction of filipin with cholesterol is the basis for the enhancement of ion release. This would imply that the ion specificity observed upon interaction of polyene antibiotics with membranes would not only be determined by the polyene antibiotic itself, but also by the intrinsic properties of the membrane.
The association between congestive heart failure and cognitive performance in a primary care population of elderly adults: the Steel Valley Seniors Survey.

Background: Evidence suggests an association between congestive heart failure (CHF) and cognitive function, particularly in heart transplant patients and patients hospitalized for CHF. We examined the association between CHF and cognitive performance in stable outpatients recruited from primary care. Methods: This is a cross-sectional secondary data analysis of the Steel Valley Seniors Survey, an epidemiological study of elderly primary care outpatients. Participants aged ≥ 65 years were recruited in primary care clinics. The study cohort (n = 354) is a subgroup, composed of subjects with Mini-mental State Examination score < 25, and a random sample of the remaining, who underwent a baseline assessment in the home. The assessment included demographics, comorbid illnesses, depressive symptoms, functional status, a neurological examination and a neuropsychological battery. CHF is defined by self-report and/or chart review, and stable CHF as not being hospitalized in the year prior to the assessment. The associations between CHF and specific cognitive tests were examined by bivariate analysis and logistic regression, controlling for demographic variables. Results: Subjects with CHF performed worse on tests of visual memory [10.1 (S.D. 5.4) vs. 12.7 (S.D. 5.2), p = 0.007], Trailmaking B [0.1 (0.1) vs. 0.2 (0.1), p = 0.002], category fluency [11.1 (4.4) vs. 13.4 (4.5), p = 0.008], and clock drawing [5.6 (1.9) vs. 6.7 (1.4), p < 0.001] compared to subjects without CHF, after adjustment for relevant demographic variables. Conclusion: CHF is associated with lower cognitive functioning in a population of patients with stable heart failure in primary care settings.
An extraordinary relationship involving MIF-1 and other peptides

In commemoration of Abba J. Kastin's exceptional service as the founding editor for the international journal Peptides, I review our collaborative work on how neuropeptides are involved in depression and other neuropsychiatric behavior. A special focus is on MIF-1 (prolyl-leucyl-glycinamide) that was discovered in the Kastin laboratory and shown effective to treat human depression with greater efficacy and faster onset of action than traditional antidepressants at the time of clinical trial. My personal reflection of the evolving changes of translational research on neuropeptides will hopefully provide some insight to young investigators.
Encoding qubits into the spatial distribution of single photons and entangled photon pairs

We discuss an approach to encoding qubits in the spatial distribution of single photons and entangled-photon pairs based on utilizing the spatial parity of the photon wave fronts. Using simple optical components, that do not require nonlinearities or moving parts, we discuss implementing rotations in the Hilbert space of spatial parity and measurement of the state of parity. Using entangled photon pairs, we use spatial parity to demonstrate quantum nonlocality by violating a Bell inequality using an EPR state. We also discuss generalizations of this scheme that may allow for a larger number of qubits to be encoded per photon.
Child abuse and neglect--usefulness of the animal data: comment on Maestripieri and Carroll (1998)

Issues related to definition, epidemiology, and etiology in the human literature are examined to explore possible contributions that D. Maestripieri and K. A. Carroll's (1998) discussion of nonhuman primate research can make to an understanding of child maltreatment. Similarities and differences between maltreatment in nonhuman primates and humans are discussed, and recommendations are proffered that could be useful in advancing research on child abuse and neglect in both monkeys and humans. Language: en
Reliability and validity of the tritrac-R3D accelerometer during backpacking: a case study.

This study investigated the utility of the Tritrac-R3D accelerometer as a reliable and valid instrument in the quantification of physical activity while backpacking in the field and to evaluate heart-rate responses and oxygen consumption to assess the feasibility of using the Tritrac-R3D to estimate caloric expenditure. Two 7-day backpacking expeditions were conducted in two consecutive years by a single subject at Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona. The average hiking heart rate ranged from 60% to 77% HEmax during the expeditions. The average rate of estimated caloric cost ranged from 6.8 to 11.7 kcals · min.−1 (equivalent to 408 to 702 kcals · hr.−1), indicating a relatively moderate to high level of exertion. The Tritrac had adequate consistency and reliability in the field between the two expeditions in recorded activity counts. The Tritrac underestimated caloric expenditure during backpacking with changes in terrain, and hiking speed contributed to even greater disparity in accuracy
Chromatin immunoprecipitation in postmortem brain.

Abstract Methylation and other covalent modifications of nucleosome core histones are key regulators of chromatin structure and function, including epigenetic control of gene expression. For the human brain, however, very little is known about the regulation of histone modifications at specific genomic loci. Furthermore, chromatin immunoprecipitation protocols applicable to postmortem tissue are lacking, and the impact of potential confounds such as autolysis time or tissue pH is unknown. We treated cerebral cortex from human postmortem brain and mice by micrococcal nuclease digestion or, alternatively, by formaldehyde-crosslinking and sonication. We show that the bulk of nucleosomal DNA remains attached to histones during the first 30 h after death. Immunoprecipitation with antibodies against methylated histones was at least 10-fold more effective in unfixed, micrococcal nuclease-digested samples, in comparison to extracts prepared by fixation and sonication. Histone methylation differences across various genomic sites were maintained within a wide range of autolysis times and tissue pH. Therefore, immunoprecipitation of micrococcal nuclease-digested tissue extracts is a feasible approach to profile histone methylation at defined genomic loci in postmortem brain.
EXAMINATION OF THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN BIRTHWEIGHT, CIGARETTE SMOKING DURING PREGNANCY AND MATERNAL WEIGHT GAIN

Summary There has been no reported systematic exploration of the hypothesis that the low birthweight of infants whose mothers smoke in pregnancy is mediated by depressed caloric intake. Using gestational weight gain as an index of energy balance, we have studied this question among 162 mothers and their liveborn singleton infants, in a poor, black, urban American community. Smoking mothers had lower mean weekly weight gain (0.73 versus 0.90 pounds per week; t=2.63; p<0.01), and a strong and highly significant gradient of decreasing weight gain with increased amount smoked (0.017 fewer pounds per week gained per additional cigarette per day; F=12.45; p<0.005). Women who stopped smoking before delivery had higher weight gain than those who continued; the difference was not significant, but numbers were small. Regression analyses were performed in order to quantitate the unique and joint contributions of smoking and change in maternal weight to birthweight. At least half, and usually closer to three-quarters, of the effect of smoking on birthweight was jointly shared with maternal weight change. Smoking is in all likelihood depressing fetal growth, in large part, by depression of caloric intake, reflected by lower maternal weight gain. No other examined differences between smokers and non-smokers accounted for these differences.
Stochastic models and variable returns to scales in data envelopment analysis

Stochastic Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) models were developed by taking random disturbances into account for the possibility of variations in input-output data structure. The stochastic efficiency measure of a Decision Making Unit (DMU) is defined via joint probabilistic comparisons of inputs and outputs with other DMUs, and can be characterized by solving a chance constrained programming problem. Deterministic equivalents are derived for both situations of multivariate symmetric random disturbances and a single random factor in the production relationships. An analysis of stochastic variable returns to scale is developed.
Effects of some antibiotics on the growth of human diploid skin fibroblasts in cell culture.

During serial subcultures 50 μg per ml gentamicin and penicillin (100 U per ml)-streptomycin (100 μg per ml) depressed cell growth significantly 2 weeks after the addition of the antibiotics; gentamicin, but not penicillin-streptomycin, stimulated cell growth before it became inhibitory. Removal of the antibiotics resulted in the cell yield returning to normal. The results show that these antibiotics can be harmful to cells even at concentrations thought to be safe.
Child and adolescent suicide attempts: An opportunity for emergency departments to provide injury prevention education☆

The study objectives were to ascertain whether caretakers of suicidal children and adolescents received emergency department (ED) injury prevention education and to determine if injury prevention education and the medical outcome after a drug overdose are associated with caretakers restricting access to means of suicide. Participants were adult caretakers of children and adolescents who deliberately ingested a drug and received ED evaluation. Information was obtained by poison center chart review and phone interview. Fourteen percent of caretaker reported receiving injury prevention education concerning restriction of access to potential means of suicide at home. ED injury prevention education is significantly associated with caretakers restricting access to suicidal means, even when controlling for medical outcome from the attempt. Because parents are less likely to restrict access to means of suicide without education, injury prevention education about restricting access to means of suicide should be given in the ED.
The View from the Other Side — Patients, Doctors, and the Power of a Camera

Dr. Gretchen Berland gave video cameras to volunteers in wheelchairs in order to understand the experience of being disabled. She writes that the project taught her to see the world in ways she had never imagined. Dr. Gretchen Berland and J. Galen Buckwalter discuss life in a wheelchair, interactions between physicians and patients with disabilities, and videotape as a tool for studying the doctor-patient relationship.
Acute cardiovascular and pulmonary effects of intravenous and aerosolized amiloride in the dog

Abstract Active Na + absorption by the epithelia that line the airways can drive volume from the airway surface. Exposure of the lumenfacing surface of airway epithelia to amiloride inhibits Na + transport. Consequently, aerosolized amiloride may help hydrate the desiccated surface liquid that characterizes lung diseases such as cystic fibrosis. We studied the acute cardiovascular and pulmonary effects of amiloride in anesthetized dogs. Intravenous amiloride reduced blood pressure and increased ventilation frequency and airways resistance of the dog. The effects were dose-related (ED50 = 1.3 × 10 −6 mol/kg), resembled those of injected histamine, and were antagonized by methapyrilene. These results were compatible with the release of endogenous histamine by amiloride, but the graded dose-effect relationship for amiloride differed from the quantal relationship induced by the prototypical releaser, 48 80 . Aerosolization of a Ringer's solution that was nearly saturated with amiloride deposited, in upper airway surface liquid, drug concentrations which, in previous studies, were sufficient to inhibit Na + transport by canine airways (ED50 ∼ 10 −6 m ). Cardiovascular function, airways resistance, and indices of pulmonary tissue water, gas exchange, and perfusion were not affected. Since circulating amiloride after aerosolization was estimated to fall below the concentration that induced vasodepression and correct circled bronchoconstriction after intravenous injection, we conclude that the potency of aerosolized amiloride to induce acute effects in tissues other than airway epithelia is no greater than that of intravenous drug.
Nurture and Neurodevelopment

Certain key environmental interactions may be crucial to early stages of neural development. One way to examine these influences is to study children reared in institutions. Relative to children reared in a home environment, children raised in institutions experience a wide range of developmental
Identifying perceived personal barriers to public policy advocacy within psychology.

Public policy advocacy within the profession of psychology appears to be limited and in its infancy. Various hypothesized barriers to advocacy within the field are analyzed in this study. Findings indicate that those who advocate do so regardless of whether the issue is specific to the profession of psychology or specific to another field. Furthermore, several components, including disinterest, uncertainty, and unawareness, were identified as barriers to advocacy. However, all barriers were subsumed by a lack of awareness of public policy issues. By identifying barriers to advocacy in psychology, programs promoting advocacy could be fine-tuned to address the lack of knowledge, which inhibits students, professionals, and clinicians from engaging in the essential role of public policy advocacy.
Assessment of RQL Trapped Vortex Combustor for Stationary Gas Turbines

This paper describes the evaluation of an alternative combustion approach to achieve low emissions for a wide range of fuel-types. This approach combines the potential advantages of a staged Rich-burn, Quick-mix, Lean-burn (RQL) combustor with the revolutionary Trapped Vortex Combustor (TVC) concept. Although RQL combustors have been proposed for low-BTU fuels, this paper considers the application of an RQL combustor for high-BTU natural gas applications. This paper will describe the RQL/TVC concept and experimental results conducted at 10 atmospheres (1013 kPa or 147 psia) and an inlet-air temperature of 644K (700°F). The results from a simple network reactor model using detailed kinetics are compared to the experimental observations. Neglecting mixing limitations, the simplified model suggests that NOx and CO performance below 10 parts-per-million could be achieved in an RQL approach. The CO levels predicted by the model are reasonably close to the experimental results over a wide range of operating conditions. The predicted NOx levels are reasonably close for some operating conditions, however, as the rich-stage equivalence ratio increases, the discrepancy between the experiment and the model increases. Mixing limitations are critical in any RQL combustor, and the mixing limitations for this RQL/TVC design are discussed.Copyright © 2003 by ASME
Development, evaluation and selection of methods for elliptic partial differential equations

We present a framework within which to evaluate and compare computational methods to solve elliptic partial differential equations. We then report on the results of comparisons of some classical methods as well as a new one presented here. Our main motivation is the belief that the standard finite difference methods are almost always inferior for solving elliptic problems and our results are strong evidence that this is true. The superior methods are higher order (fourth or more instead of second) and we describe a new collocation finite element method which we believe is more efficient and flexible than the other well known methods, e.g., fourth order finite differences, fourth order finite element methods of Galerkin, Rayleigh-Ritz or least squares type. Our comparisons are in the context of the relatively complicated problems that arise in realistic applications. Our conclusion does not hold for simple model problems (e.g., Laplaces equation on a rectangle) where very specialized methods are superior to the generally applicable methods that we consider. The accurate and relatively simple treatment of boundary conditions involving curves and derivations is a feature of our collocation method.
Transport via the regulated secretory pathway in semi-intact PC12 cells: role of intra-cisternal calcium and pH in the transport and sorting of secretogranin II

To gain insight into the mechanisms governing protein sorting, we have developed a system that reconstitutes both the formation of immature secretory granules and their fusion with the plasma membrane. Semi-intact PC12 cells were incubated with ATP and cytosol for 15 min to allow immature granules to form, and then in a buffer containing 30 microM [Ca2+]free to induce exocytosis. Transport via the regulated pathway, as assayed by the release of secretogranin II (SgII) labeled in the TGN, was inhibited by depletion of ATP, or by the inclusion of 100 microM GTP gamma S, 50 microM AlF3-5 or 5 micrograms/ml BFA. When added after immature granules had formed, GTP gamma S stimulated rather than inhibited exocytosis. Thus, exocytosis of immature granules in this system resembles the characteristics of fully matured granules. Transport of SgII via the regulated pathway occurred at a fourfold higher efficiency than glycosaminoglycan chains, indicating that SgII is sorted to some extent upon exit from the TGN. Addition of A23187 to release Ca2+ from the TGN had no significant effect on sorting of SgII into immature granules. In contrast, depletion of lumenal calcium inhibited the endoproteolytic cleavage of POMC and proinsulin. These results establish the importance of intra-cisternal Ca2+ in prohormone processing, but raise the question whether lumenal calcium is required for proper sorting of SgII into immature granules. Disruption of organelle pH gradients with an ionophore or a weak base resulted in the inhibition of transport via both the constitutive and the regulated pathways.
Detection of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) retrovirus antibody by lymphadenopathy-associated virus (LAV) enzyme immunoassay in low- and high-risk populations.

: Antibody to the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) retrovirus was evaluated by an lymphadenopathy-associated (LAV) enzyme immunosorbent assay (EIA) and compared with the standard human T-cell lymphotropic virus, Type III (HTLV-III) screening test in two groups of people. The first group consisted of those at low risk for AIDS, including 1352 random volunteer donors, 1140 of whom were prospective donors and 212 of whom were retrospective donors, repeatedly reactive by HTLV-III EIA. The second group was composed of those at high risk for AIDS, including 54 hemophiliacs, one of whom had AIDS, seven AIDS-related complex (ARC), and one immune thrombocytopenia (ITP). Of the 1140 prospective donors, one was repeatedly reactive by LAV EIA and four by HTLV-III EIA; none was positive by Western blot. Of the 212 retrospective donors, six were repeatedly reactive by LAV EIA and 212 by HTLV-III EIA; only six (the six LAV EIA positive) were positive by Western blot. Of the 54 hemophiliacs, 46 were repeatedly reactive by both LAV EIA and HTLV-III EIA, and all 46 were positive by Western blot. Both LAV EIA and HTLV-III EIA were positive in all hemophiliacs with AIDS, ARC, and ITP. The marked reduction in HTLV-III EIA repeatedly reactive, Western blot nonreactive samples by the LAV EIA system suggests that this assay may be as sensitive but more specific than the standard HTLV-III EIA in low-risk populations. The strong correlation between the LAV EIA and the Western blot assay further suggests that this assay may provide an efficient screening test for AIDS antibody in the donor population.
Digital Microfluidic Logic Gates and Their Application to Built-in Self-Test of Lab-on-Chip

Dependability is an important system attribute for microfluidic lab-on-chip. Robust testing methods are therefore needed to ensure correct results. Previously proposed techniques for reading test outcomes and for pulse-sequence analysis are cumbersome and error prone. We present a built-in self-test (BIST) method for digital microfluidic lab-on-chip. This method utilizes digital microfluidic logic gates to implement the BIST architecture; AND, OR and NOT gates are used to compress multiple test-outcome droplets into a single droplet to facilitate detection with low overhead. These approaches obviate the need for capacitive sensing test-outcome circuits for analysis. We also apply the BIST architecture to a pin-constrained biochip design. A multiplexed bioassay protocol is used to evaluate the effectiveness of the proposed test method.
Setting a Course: Congressional Foreign Policy Entrepreneurs In Post-World War II U.S. Foreign Policy

“Congressional foreign policy entrepreneurs” are those legislators who initiate their own foreign policy agendas. These individuals seek to frame policy discussions and mobilize public and interest group interest; to direct congressional agendas toward specific foreign policy issues; to structure and influence the formulation of foreign policies by the executive branch; to revise, refocus, or reformulate foreign policies; to generate alternative and replacement foreign policies; and to fill policy vacuums with their own preferred foreign policies. This paper examines the evolution and impact of such entrepreneurs across the periods of the Cold War Consensus (1946–1967), the Cold War Dissensus (1968–1989), and the Post-Cold War (1990–2000). The paper first provides an overview of the concept of foreign policy entrepreneurs. It then turns to case studies of entrepreneurial initiatives from three prolific entrepreneurs whose careers span the post-World War II era: Senators Jacob Javits, Edward Kennedy, and Christopher Dodd. Together, the overview and cases shed light on the different avenues and activities that entrepreneurs use to address their preferred issues and the impact entrepreneurs have on policy, as well as highlight changes in both over time.
Ensemble Clustering using Semidefinite Programming

We consider the ensemble clustering problem where the task is to 'aggregate' multiple clustering solutions into a single consolidated clustering that maximizes the shared information among given clustering solutions. We obtain several new results for this problem. First, we note that the notion of agreement under such circumstances can be better captured using an agreement measure based on a 2D string encoding rather than voting strategy based methods proposed in literature. Using this generalization, we first derive a nonlinear optimization model to maximize the new agreement measure. We then show that our optimization problem can be transformed into a strict 0-1 Semidefinite Program (SDP) via novel convexification techniques which can subsequently be relaxed to a polynomial time solvable SDP. Our experiments indicate improvements not only in terms of the proposed agreement measure but also the existing agreement measures based on voting strategies. We discuss evaluations on clustering and image segmentation databases.