cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Public perspectives on firearm sales in the United States during the COVID‐19 pandemic

Objective Amidst the COVID-19 pandemic crisis, firearm sales surged to record-breaking levels in the United States. The purpose of this study was to conduct a national assessment of the views of Americans on the change in firearm sales, the perceived impact of the changes in sales, and how these perceptions differ by a recent purchase of a firearm. Methods A multi-item valid and reliable questionnaire was deployed online via mTurk and social media sites in the last week of May 2020 to recruit adult Americans in the general population across the United States. Results Among the total sample of study participants (n = 1432), almost a fifth (18%, n = 263) reported buying a firearm during the pandemic. Firearm buyers differed statistically significantly (P < 0.01) from non-buyers based on sex, age, ethnicity, marital status, education, having children at home, employment status, income, political orientation, location, and region of residence in the United States. Those who did not buy firearms during the pandemic were significantly (P < 0.01) more likely to believe that firearm sales and first-time ownership/buying of firearms had increased during the pandemic. Similarly, those who did not buy a firearm during the pandemic were significantly more likely to believe that the surge in firearm sales would result in increased firearm access for children, mentally ill, drug users, criminals, and older adults. In relation to perceived changes in selected public health outcomes attributed to the surge in firearm sales, firearm buyers were significantly less likely (P < 0.01) to believe that an increase in sales could result in adverse public health outcomes such as a higher number of suicides, homicides, mass shootings, and crimes in society. In multiple regression analyses, significant predictors of pandemic purchase of firearms were: having children at home, owning firearms before the pandemic, planning to buy firearms in the next year, knowing someone who was shot or killed with a firearm, and personally experiencing firearm violence in the past (ie, threatened or shot with a firearm). Conclusions This study delineated the characteristics of those who purchased a firearm during the pandemic and the reasons for such purchases during the COVID-19 pandemic. Additional research is needed to understand the long-term impact of firearm sales during the pandemic on public health.
Chapter 1 – Quantum neural computation of entanglement is robust to noise and decoherence

Measurement and witnesses of entanglement remain an important issue in quantum computing. Most witnesses will work for only a very restricted class of states, while measurements commonly require lengthy procedures. Quantum neural entanglement indicators are both more general and easier to implement. The neural network entanglement indicator can be used for a pure or a mixed state, and the system need not be “close” to any particular state; moreover, as the size of the system grows, the amount of additional training necessary diminishes. Here we show that the indicator is stable to noise and decoherence.
Analysis of Common Innovative Teaching Methods Used by Radiology Educators

Advances in technology have allowed radiology educators to use numerous innovative teaching tools and methods in their pedagogy. Commonly used methods such as audience response systems, flipped classroom techniques, active learning methods, and electronic media are explicated. Finally, the appropriate use of these techniques to fully optimize the educational experience is discussed.
The Impact of Targeted Education of American Urological Association Cryptorchidism Guidelines in a Rural State: Improvement Still Needed

Background The American Urological Association published guidelines in 2014 regarding management of undescended testicles (UDT). Despite these guidelines, prior studies have indicated discordance between guidelines and actual practice, especially in rural states. This study aims to identify if educating referring providers improves management of UDT. Methods Patients with UDT referred to our institution were divided into two groups: those referred prior to (Group 1) and after (Group 2) targeted education. A retrospective review was performed to compare the groups in terms of age at time of referral and surgery, laterality, specialty, and practice setting of referring provider, and whether or not ultrasound (US) was performed prior to referral. Results A total of 100 patients were identified in Group 1 and 168 in Group 2. No significant differences were noted between groups regarding age, variability of referring provider, or those receiving US prior to referral. Median age at referral was 20.7 months (range=0-194) and 33 months (range=0-205.1) in Groups 1 and 2, respectively (p=0.26). Sixty-two (37%) patients underwent surgical evaluation within 18 months of age or younger in Group 1 compared to 39 (39%) in Group 2 (p=0.73). Private practice pediatricians comprised the majority of referring providers in both cohorts. US was performed prior to referral in 41% of patients in Group 1 compared to 35.8% in Group 2 (p=0.51). The number of US ordered prior to referral significantly decreased from 10 (50%) to six (19%) following education among academic providers (p=0.02). No significant difference was found following education for private practice physicians (p=0.27). Conclusion Targeted education did not improve age at referral in the short-term, which may reflect suboptimal healthcare access. Additionally, more research is needed to evaluate whether more diverse targeted education provided on a regular basis to both physician and mid-level providers would have a meaningful impact.
360-degrees: Medicine Should Come Full Circle in Peer Assessment.

A financial analyst-turned-medical student believes feedback methods used in investment banking can be applied in medical education and practice. Virtual Mentor is a monthly bioethics journal published by the American Medical Association.
McDuff on the Mound

It wasn't much, a feeble blooper over second, call it luck, but it was enough to shake McDuff. He stepped weakly off the left side of the pitcher's mound, re lieved to see his catcher Gus take the job of moving down behind the slow run ner to back up the throw in to first. Fat Flynn galloped around the bag toward second, crouched apelike on the basepath, waggled him arms, then bounded back to first as the throw came in from short center. McDuff felt lightheaded. Flynn's soft blooper had provoked a total vision that iced his blood. Because the next batter up now was Blake: oh yes, man, it was all too clear. "Today's my day," McDuff told himself, as though taking on the cares of the world. He tucked his glove in his armpit briefly, wiped the sweat from his brow, resettled his cap, thrust his hand back into his glove. Gus jogged over to the mound before going back behind the plate, running splaylegged around the catcher's guard that padded his belly. McDuff took the toss from first, over Gus's head, stood staring dismally at Flynn, now edging flat footed away from the bag, his hands making floppy loosewristed swirls at the cuffs of his Mudville knickers. Gus spat, glanced back over his shoulder at first, then squinted up at McDuff. "Whatsa matter, kid?" McDuff shrugged, licked his dry lips. "I don't know, Gus. I tried to get him." He watched Flynn taunt, flapping his hands like donkey ears, thumbing his nose. The hoodoo. Rubbing it in. Did he know? He must. "I really tried." He remem bered this nightmare, running around basepaths, unable to stop. Gus grinned, though, ignoring the obvious: "Nuts, the bum was lucky. C'mon, kid, ya got this game in ya back pocket!" He punched McDuff lightly in the ribs with his stiff platter of a mitt, spat in encouragement, and joggled away in a widelegged trot toward home plate, head cocked warily toward first, where Flynn bounced insolently and made insulting noises. Settling then into his crouch, and before pulling his mask down, Gus jerked his head at the approaching batter and winked out at McDuff. Turkey Blake. Blake the cake. Nothing to it. A joke. Maybe Gus is innocent, McDuff thought. Maybe not. Now, in truth, McDuff was not, by any standard but his own, in real trouble. Here it was, the bottom of the ninth, two away, one more out and the game was over, and he had a fat two-run lead going for him. A lot of the hometown Mud ville fans had even given it up for lost and had started shuffling indifferently to ward the exits. Or was their shuffle a studied shuffle and itself a cunning
Autonomous robot dancing driven by beats and emotions of music

Many robot dances are preprogrammed by choreographers for a particular piece of music so that the motions can be smoothly executed and synchronized to the music. We are interested in automating the task of robot dance choreography to allow robots to dance without detailed human planning. Robot dance movements are synchronized to the beats and reflect the emotion of any music. Our work is made up of two parts: (1) The first algorithm plans a sequence of dance movements that is driven by the beats and the emotions detected through the preprocessing of selected dance music. (2) We also contribute a real-time synchronizing algorithm to minimize the error between the execution of the motions and the plan. Our work builds on previous research to extract beats and emotions from music audio. We created a library of parameterized motion primitives, whereby each motion primitive is composed of a set of keyframes and durations and generate the sequence of dance movements from this library. We demonstrate the feasibility of our algorithms on the NAO humanoid robot to show that the robot is capable of using the mappings defined to autonomously dance to any music. Although we present our work using a humanoid robot, our algorithm is applicable to other robots.
Partisan Bias and Information Discounting in Economic Judgments

Research shows that partisanship biases people's views about the economy. Yet, there is little understanding of the factors, if any, that might mitigate the influence of partisanship on these judgments or the effect of partisanship on metacognitive judgments. This study uses an experimental design to show that partisanship continues to bias economic judgments even when subjects receive direct and neutral information about specific aspects of the economy. Moreover, it extends our understanding of partisan bias by showing it has a direct effect on people's metacognitive assessments of their own attitudes—particularly the degree of uncertainty people have in their own economic judgments. However, it appears that people are aware of the conflict between their partisan-based judgment and economic information since we observe increases in economic uncertainty when information is counter to a subject's partisan predisposition. The results provide new insight into the extent of partisan bias and the difficulty of countering partisan-based judgments.
An Integrative Review of Expert Nursing Practice

Purpose: To review relevant literature on expert practice in nursing to assess common characteristics across the breadth of nursing specialties and work settings. Organizing Construct: An integrative literature search was conducted with inclusion criteria: (a) primary studies of how clinical staff nurses develop and demonstrate expert practice; (b) subjects from variety of specialties, employment settings, and countries of origin; and (c) studies of clinical staff nurses and not nurses in advanced practice roles. Methods: Literature published between 1996 and 2009 was reviewed using MEDLINE and the Cumulative Index of Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL) using the key words “nursing,”“expert,” and “practice.” Findings: The characteristics of expert practice as explicated across a variety of specialty areas of practice and international settings included the following: knowing the patient, intuitive knowledge, reflective practice, risk taking, and skilled know-how. Involvement and engagement of the expert nurse with her or his patients underpin these characteristics. Themes were illustrated in a star model of nursing expert practice surrounded by support and grounded in emotional involvement. Conclusions: Expert practice develops as nurses gain experience in a specialized practice setting, reflect on and learn from their experience, and develop meaningful relationships with their patients, families, and colleagues. Clinical Relevance: The findings provide an understanding of expert nursing practice that can serve as a foundation for efforts to transfer knowledge from expert nurses to less expert nurses in all practice settings to reduce the expertise gap that is now widening.
Reaction of thorium and ThCl4 with UO2 and (Th, U)O2 in fused chloride salts

Abstract An experimental and theoretical investigation of the reactions of thorium and ThCl 4 with UO 2 and (Th,U)O 2 in fused KCl-LiCl and NaCl-MgCl 2 eutectic salts has been carried out. The equilibrium ThCl 4 + ThO 2 ⇄ 2ThOCl 2 has been considered in some detail and the maximum solubility of ThOCl 2 as a function of the ThCl 4 concentration in KCl-LiCl calculated. The activity coefficient of ThOCl 2 was estimated from experimental data. Similar calculations were made for the solubility of UOCl 2 . The reaction of ThCl 4 with UO 2 involves three independent reactions. The equilibrium concentration of components in KCl-LiCl salt for the overall reaction Th + UO 2 → ThO 2 + U can be described in terms of two independent reactions and the experimental data are consistent with available thermodynamic data. The reduction of UO 2 and (Th,U)O 2 to produce uranium and ThO 2 has been demonstrated. Methods for separating the uranium from the ThO 2 precipitate are considered briefly.
Decidability and Undecidability of Equivalence for Linear Datalog with Applications to Normal-Form Optimizations

A variety of optimizations in logic databases [20] involve the transformation of safe, function-free (Datalog) logic programs to simpler, more efficiently evaluable programs. The essence of these transformations is the detection of program equivalence. Equivalence has been shown to be undecidable in [1, 17, 18, 19], but those results are unsatisfactory in that they involve highly nonlinear rules, or an unbounded number of linear recursive rules, and hence yield no insight into the behaviour of small, linear recursive programs. In this paper, we consider programs that consist of one nonrecursive linear rule, one linear recursive rule and one initialization rule. We provide a tight characterization of the decidability of program equivalence, proving it undecidable for such programs, and proving it decidable for a subclass that includes binary chain programs and programs with no repeated predicates in the rule body. We then apply these results to various normal-form optimizations [12, 18], including the detection of serializability, cornmutativity, basis-linearizability and rule redundancy.
The September 11 Attacks and Surviving Same-Sex Partners: Defining Family Through Tragedy

The September 11 relief efforts present a unique prism through which to view the status of same-sex relationships and to consider which families count when the United States is supposedly at its most generous, most united, and most injured. On a basic human level, would the nation grieve for Peggy Neff, who lost her partner of 18 years when Flight 77 crashed into the Pentagon, as it had for the widow of a fire fighter? Would Neff be eligible to file a claim with the multi-billion dollar federal September 11 Victim Compensation Fund, which Congress established to compensate victims and their "relatives"? Or, consistent with state probate law, would Neff be considered a 'mere stranger'? Would the Virginia state crime victim compensation board recognize Neff's claim as a surviving partner even though she did not otherwise qualify as a "spouse" or a dependent? And, what about the private charitable contributions, which within five weeks of the attacks exceeded $1 billion? Would such funds be distributed to surviving same-sex partners or would they, as Reverend Sheldon urged, be dispensed based on the "priority of one man and one woman in a marital relationship"? This Article examines the status of surviving same-sex partners under the federal September 11 Victim Compensation Fund, the Virginia, New York, and Pennsylvania state crime victims compensation boards, and the Red Cross disaster guidelines. Because many of the positions taken by the different assistance programs reference or replicate existing laws, Part II outlines the treatment of surviving same-sex partners in the three areas of law most directly relevant to the survivors of the victims of the September 11 attacks: probate law, employment-related survivor death benefits, and wrongful death actions. Part III discusses the federal Victim Compensation Fund. Part IV compares the disparate policies of the three state victim compensation boards with regard to the recognition of same-sex surviving partners. Part V describes the guidelines adopted by the Red Cross which embrace an expansive definition of family.
Phenomenology, logic and the philosophy of mathematics

Part I. Reason, Science, and Mathematics: 1. Science as a triumph of the human spirit and science in crisis: Husserl and the Fortunes of Reason 2. Mathematics and transcendental phenomenology Part II. Kurt Godel, Phenomenology and the Philosophy of Mathematics: 3. Kurt Godel and phenomenology 4. Godel's philosophical remarks on mathematics and logic 5. Godel's path from the incompleteness theorems (1931) to Phenomenology (1961) 6. Godel and the intuition of concepts 7. Godel and Quine on meaning and mathematics 8. Maddy on realism in mathematics 9. Penrose and the view that minds are not machines Part III. Constructivism, Fulfilled Intentions, and Origins: 10. Intuitionism, meaning theory and cognition 11. The philosophical background of Weyl's mathematical constructivism 12. What is a proof? 13. Phenomenology and mathematical knowledge 14. Logicism, impredicativity, formalism 15. The philosophy of arithmetic: Frege and Husserl.
OBSERVATIONS OF THE ELECTRON DENSITY SPECTRUM NEAR THE SUN DURING SPECTRAL BROADENING TRANSIENTS

We present high-time resolution spectral broadening data for several transients caused by propagating interplanetary disturbances observed inside 20 solar radii. The results show that the shape and level of the ambient near-sun electron density spectrum undergoes abrupt and substantial change during passage of the disturbance. The steepening of the spectrum to near the Kolmogorov value suggests fully-developed inertial-range turbulence in the wake of the interplanetary disturbance.
Ultrastructure of the deciduotrophoblastic interface of the mouse placenta.

Abstract Electron microscopic examination of deciduotrophoblastic interfaces of mouse placentas taken on Days 13, 16, and 19 of pregnancy reveals that electron-dense material, viz., fibrinoid, never effects a complete separation of fetal trophoblast giant cells from maternal decidual cells. At numerous sites along deciduotrophoblastic interfaces, viable fetal and maternal cells appear in direct, intimate contact. It thus appears that fibrinoid is not present in sufficient amount and extent to serve as a proposed antigen-trapping device for the prevention of maternal immunologic rejection of the fetoplacental allograft during pregnancy.
Role for chronic infections in atherosclerosis

To the Editor: The study by Espinola-Klein et al1 showed a significant association between infectious burden ( C pneumoniae, H pylori, cytomegalovirus, herpes simplex virus 2 ) and the extent of atherosclerosis; moreover, the risk for future death was increased by the number of infectious pathogens, especially in patients with advanced atherosclerosis. The specific IgG or IgA antibodies used in the study, however, do not necessarily distinguish between persistence of infections and only a previous contact. Other more sensitive markers of actual infections are available: specific IgG-containing immune complexes for C pneumoniae 2; the 13 …
Exploring the Relationship between Consent, Assumption of Risk, and Victim Negligence

This chapter analyzes the nature of consensual rationales for precluding tort liability, and explores the relationship between consent to an intentional tort, assumption of risk, and victim negligence. Is consent conceptually and normatively distinguishable from assumption of risk? Yes and no: they differ in some respects, but share a common core. Are they equally valid bases for precluding, and not merely reducing, recovery? Yes: court justifiably invoke consent more often than assumption of risk, not because the doctrines differ in principle, but because of factual differences between the most common scenarios in which each arises. In paradigm consent scenarios, the two parties mutually benefit from the interaction, or the alleged tort-feasor justifiably relies on the other’s assent, but these features are often absent in assumption of risk scenarios.
Variable switching rates of malaria virulence genes are associated with chromosomal position

Antigenic variation in Plasmodium falciparum malaria is mediated by transcriptional switches between different members of the multicopy var gene family. Each var gene encodes a member of a group of heterogeneous surface proteins collectively referred to as PfEMP1. Mutually exclusive expression ensures that an individual parasite only transcribes a single var gene at a time. In this work we studied var gene switching to determine if transcriptional switches favour expression of particular subgroups of var genes and if var gene activation within a clonal population of parasites follows a predetermined order. We show that in clonal parasite populations, expression of var genes located in the central regions of chromosomes is remarkably stable and that they rarely undergo transcriptional switches in the absence of selection. In contrast, parasites expressing subtelomerically located var genes readily switched to alternative var loci. We confirmed these observations by generating transgenic parasites carrying drug selectable markers in subtelomeric and central var loci and monitoring switching after release from selection. Our data show that different var genes have different intrinsic switching rates that correlate with chromosomal location, and that there is no predetermined order of expression.
Evaluation of X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy as a method for the rapid and direct determination of sodium in cheese

Cheese manufacturers indirectly determine Na in cheese by analysis of Cl using the Volhard method, assuming that all Cl came from NaCl. This method overestimates the actual Na content in cheeses when Na replacers (e.g., KCl) are used. A direct and rapid method for Na detection is needed. X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy (XRF), a mineral analysis technique used in the mining industry, was investigated as an alternative method of Na detection in cheese. An XRF method for the detection of Na in cheese was developed and compared with inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectroscopy (ICP-OES; the reference method for Na in cheese) and Cl analyzer. Sodium quantification was performed by multi-point calibration with cheese standards spiked with NaCl ranging from 0 to 4% Na (wt/wt). The Na concentration of each of the cheese standards (discs: 30 mm × 7 mm) was quantified by the 3 methods. A single laboratory method validation was performed; linearity, precision, limit of detection, and limit of quantification were determined. An additional calibration graph was created using cheese standards made from natural or process cheeses manufactured with different ratios of Na:K. Both Na and K calibration curves were linear for the cheese standards. Sodium was quantified in a variety of commercial cheese samples. The Na data obtained by XRF were in agreement with those from ICP-OES and Cl analyzer for most commercial natural cheeses. The XRF method did not accurately determine Na concentration for several process cheese samples, compared with ICP-OES, likely due to the use of unknown types of Na-based emulsifying salts (ES). When a calibration curve was created for process cheese with the specific types of ES used for this cheese, Na content was successfully predicted in the samples. For natural cheeses, the limit of detection and limit of quantification for Na that can be determined with an acceptable level of repeatability, precision, and trueness was 82 and 246 mg/100 g of cheese, respectively. Calibration graphs should be created with standards that reflect the concentration range, ratio, and salt type present in the cheeses. This XRF method can be successfully used for the rapid and direct measurement of Na content in a wide variety of natural cheeses. Commercial process cheese manufacturers use proprietary blends of ES. We did find that the XRF technique worked for process cheese when the calibration graphs were created with the specific types of ES actually used.
Does the addition of sublingual gland excision to submandibular duct relocation give better overall results in drooling control

Summary: Submandibular duct relocation plus or minus excision of the sublingual glands are relatively simple procedures with low morbidity. Between 1981 and 2005, 71 submandibular duct relocation and 29 submandibular duct relocation plus excision of the sublingual glands procedures were conducted. Objectives: To compare both procedures including operative time, length of hospital stay, postoperative complications, drooling scores and parental satisfaction. Study design: Prospective study. Setting: Paediatric tertiary referral centre. Participants: Patients referred with excessive drooling after failure of conservative methods. Exclusion criteria: patients with recurrent aspiration pneumonias or dental caries. Two patients were lost to follow up and excluded from the study. Results: Operative time and length of hospital stay were increased in the submandibular duct relocation plus sublingual gland excision group. Drooling scores and parental satisfaction results were excellent, 93% of parents in the submandibular duct relocation group and 89% of parents in the duct relocation plus sublingual glands excision were satisfied and would recommend the procedure. There was no statistical difference (P = 0.643) in drooling scores between the two procedures. Postoperative morbidity was higher with the addition of sublingual gland excision, with postoperative haemorrhage occurring in 13.7% and 36% of parents expressing concern over postoperative pain, compared with 3% postoperative haemorrhage rate with submandibular duct relocation and only 12% of parents expressing the same concerns. Conclusion: We conclude that both procedures are effective in drooling control, but the addition of sublingual gland excision increases morbidity and we are no longer excising these glands with submandibular duct relocation.
A BRCA1-Like, 25-Gene Assay Predicts for Anthracycline-Chemosensitivity in Sporadic Triple-Negative Breast Cancer.

Background Studies have shown higher chemosensitivity to anthracyclines in BRCA1-associated breast cancer (BABC) when compared to sporadic triple-negative breast cancers (TNBC), possibly due to differences in DNA repair function. We hypothesized that a subset of TNBC with acquired BRCA1 deficiency and defective DNA repair function will benefit most from DNA-damaging agents, such as anthracyclines. Methods We applied a previously published BRCA1 gene expression signature that differentiates BABC from sporadic TNBC to three datasets of sporadic TNBC from Baylor College of Medicine (BCM, n=68), GSE2034 (n=49), and the Netherlands Cancer Institute (NKI2, n=40). The signature separated the sporadic TNBC samples into those with a gene expression profile similar to BABC, or BRCA1-like, versus those with an expression pattern similar to sporadic TNBC, nonBRCA1-like. A list of 92 genes was obtained from the overlap of the most differentially expressed genes between the BRCA1-like samples and nonBRCA1-like samples in each of the three datasets. We then confirmed a subset of the 25 most differentially expressed genes by quantitative RTPCR. We validated the predictive value of this BRCA1-based, 25-gene assay in anthracycline response in three neoadjuvant studies of fluorouracil, epirubicin, and cyclophosphamide (FEC 6 cycles, n=53), doxorubicin and cyclophosphamide (AC 4 cycles, n=12), and T-FAC (paclitaxel-FAC, n=16). Results We determined gene expression of the 92 candidate genes by RT-PCR on 30 available samples of the BCM database. 25 genes were found to have the highest correlation between the microarray and RTQPCR gene expression. Gene expression profile using these 25-gene assay was obtained for three databases which included neoadjuvant anthracycline response data. The 25-gene assay predicted for anthracycline response in sporadic triple-negative breast cancers. In a neoadjuvant FEC study, this assay predicted for pathologic complete response (pCR) in 14/25 patients with BRCA1-like pattern, vs. 7/25 with sporadic-like pattern, p Citation Information: Cancer Res 2009;69(24 Suppl):Abstract nr 110.
Specific αv integrin receptors modulate K1735 murine melanoma cell behavior

Expression of β3 integrins is increased in invasive melanoma. In this study we show that K1735 cell proliferation is enhanced by the expression of either β3 or a constitutively active Src. We investigated possible modulators of FN matrix assembly and found that matrix metalloproteinase 2 (MMP2) was activated by αvβ3. αvβ3 integrin was localized to focal contacts whereas αvβ5 was peripherally distributed. MMP2 was also activated by expression of CASrc. MMP2 activation inversely correlated with FN matrix assembly, in that it dramatically reduced the organization of a FN matrix. K1735 cell migration on VN and invasion through a reconstituted basement membrane were decreased in the presence of anti-MMP2 antibodies. These results demonstrate that the expression of the αvβ3 complex modulates melanoma cell behavior including activation of Src, organization of the cytoskeleton, assembly of the extracellular matrix, cell motility, and activation of MMP2.
Re-examining High Abundance Sloan Digital Sky Survey Mass-Metallicity Outliers: High N/O, Evolved Wolf-Rayet Galaxies?

We present new MMT spectroscopic observations of four dwarf galaxies representative of a larger sample observed by the Sloan Digital Sky Survey and identified by Peeples et al. as low-mass, high oxygen abundance outliers from the mass-metallicity relation. Peeples showed that these four objects (with metallicity estimates of 8.5 ≤ 12 + log(O/H) ≤ 8.8) have oxygen abundance offsets of 0.4-0.6 dex from the MB luminosity-metallicity relation. Our new observations extend the wavelength coverage to include the [O II] λλ3726, 3729 doublet, which adds leverage in oxygen abundance estimates and allows measurements of N/O ratios. All four spectra are low excitation, with relatively high N/O ratios (N/O 0.10), each of which tend to bias estimates based on strong emission lines toward high oxygen abundances. These spectra all fall in a regime where the standard strong-line methods for metallicity determinations are not well calibrated either empirically or by photoionization modeling. By comparing our spectra directly to photoionization models, we estimate oxygen abundances in the range of 7.9 ≤ 12 + log (O/H) ≤ 8.4, consistent with the scatter of the mass-metallicity relation. We discuss the physical nature of these galaxies that leads to their unusual spectra (and previous classification as outliers), finding their low excitation, elevated N/O, and strong Balmer absorption are consistent with the properties expected from galaxies evolving past the Wolf-Rayet galaxy phase. We compare our results to the main sample of Peeples and conclude that they are outliers primarily due to enrichment of nitrogen relative to oxygen and not due to unusually high oxygen abundances for their masses or luminosities.
Chronic treatment with levodopa and/or selegiline does not affect behavioral recovery induced by fetal ventral mesencephalic grafts in unilaterally 6-hydroxydopamine-lesioned rats.

Abstract It has been suggested that levodopa ( l -dopa), a dopamine precursor used to treat Parkinson's disease, may be toxic to grafted fetal neuroblasts; if so, the use of the monoamine oxidase B inhibitor selegiline might prevent such toxicity. We randomly assigned 30 unilaterally 6-hydroxydopamine-lesioned male Sprague-Dawley rats, whose lesions were verified with low-dose apomorphine-induced rotations, to one of five treatment groups: (i) l -dopa methyl ester (125 mg/kg/day) with benserazide (a peripheral decarboxylase inhibitor; 25 mg/kg/day), (ii) l -dopa methyl ester with benserazide and selegiline ( l -deprenyl; 0.5 mg/kg/day), (iii) selegiline only, (iv) and (v) vehicle (ascorbate in normal saline) only. After 2 weeks of twice-daily ip injections, the rats received fetal ventral mesencephalic grafts into the lesioned striatum; one vehicle group received sham grafts. Drug therapy was continued for 2 1/2 months post grafting. At 1 month after grafting, and every 2 weeks thereafter, the rats were tested using low-dose apomorphine-induced rotation. A 70% decrease in rotations among all grafted groups, relative to the shams, was found. No statistical differences among groups receiving various drug therapies were seen in behavior or in counts or dimensions of tyrosine hydroxylase-positive cells. We therefore conclude that, in the unilaterally lesioned rat model of Parkinson's disease, there is no adverse effect of l -dopa nor any significant effect of selegiline, either alone or coadministered with l -dopa, on behavioral recovery induced by fetal ventral mesencephalic grafts.
Characteristic Study of Vector-controlled Doubly-fed Induction Generator in Stator-flux-oriented Frame

Abstract The doubly-fed induction generator (DFIG) is a “special” variable-speed induction machine that is widely utilized in modern large wind turbine generators. This article focuses on the DFIG characteristic study in the stator-flux-oriented frame. Compared to traditional approaches, the specific features of this article are (1) a DFIG steady-state model in the d-q reference frame, (2) simulation-based characteristic study under general d-q control strategies in the stator-flux-oriented frame, (3) a numerical iteration technique, (4) power simulation from both the stator and rotor paths, and (5) an integrated study that enables assessment of various DFIG parametric data simultaneously in an integrative environment. In addition, transient simulation using the MatLab SimPowerSystem is developed to validate the effectiveness of steady-state results and to further investigate a DFIG in a transient environment. Extensive simulation-based analysis is performed to inspect how DFIG characteristics are affecte...
Interspeaker influence in conversational interaction.

90 20-min. conversations, obtained on 3 different occasions, were used to examine the generalizability of previous findings which show a relation between the durations of utterances of interviewers and interviewees. The average durations of utterance of the conversationalists yielded significant Rs of .43, .60 and .44 for the three occasions. Direct utterance-by-utterance comparisons within 8 of the conversations yielded no significant coefficients.
Vaporization of (SN)x and TTF-TCNQ

Abstract The vaporization of (SN)x was studied by electron impact and chemical ionization mass spectrometry. Comparison of the spectra with those of S 4 N 4 suggests that vaporization generates an unstable, acyclic S 4 N 4 which subsequently fragments to a cyclic S 3 N 3 + and SN + ion in the mass spectrometer. Mass spectrometry may be used to analyze (SN)x for S 8 and cage S 4 N 4 . Vaporization of TTF-TCNQ produced the component donor and acceptor molecules.
Global Well-Posedness and Finite-Dimensional Global Attractor for a 3-D Planetary Geostrophic Viscous Model

In this paper we consider a three-dimensional planetary geostrophic viscous model of the gyre-scale mid-latitude ocean. We show the global existence and uniqueness of the weak and strong solutions to this model. Moreover, we establish the existence of a nite-dimensional global attractor to this dissipative evolution system. c 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Gauge internal symmetry in extended supergravity

Abstract Extended supergravity theories with global O(2) and SO(3) internal symmetry have recently been constructed, and a mechanism which implements local O(2) and SO(3) gauge invariance is given here. The introduction of a minimal gauge coupling automatically leads to a spin - 3 2 mass and a cosmological term in order to preserve local supersymmetry. Local internal symmetry for a spin - 3 2 field is related to spontaneous breakdown of global supersymmetry. Perturbation theory results which confirm the physical consistency of the system are given.
Applications Of Endoscopic Holography Through Fiber Optics

Holographic endoscopy or endoholography combines the features of endoscopy and holography. It can be utilized in holographic imaging or interferometry inside natural cavities of the body. In imaging, the ability to record a three-dimensional, large focal depth, high resolution image of internal organs and tissue may greatly enhance the detection of disease and abnormality. With contact recording endoholography it is possible to obtain high resolution holographic recordings which can be examined microscopically. In this technique, a specially designed endoscope uses a single-mode optical fiber for illumination where Denisyuk holograms are recorded on film at the endoscope's distal end. The holograms are viewed under a stereomicroscope with high magnification, allowing for the observation of individual cells. Specific dyes are used to enhance the contrast of the tissue prior to the recording of the holographic images. In endoholographic interferometry, the use of conventional multi-fiber imaging structures is sufficient to obtain an adequate recording of interference patterns. The use of conventional fiberoptic imaging structures for holographic investigations of displacement and vibration is demonstrated. Image-plane holograms are formed at the proximal output end of an imaging multifiber. Pairs of double-pulsed holograms of dynamic events are recorded, one through the multifiber, the other in a conventional manner as a standard of reference. The fringes of both holograms are practically identical. The ability to perform measurements in holographic interferometry through optical fibers should lead to further developments in medical as well as industrial applications.
Optical Coherence Tomography: The Intraoperative Assessment of Lymph Nodes in Breast Cancer

During breast-conserving surgeries, axillary lymph nodes draining from the primary tumor site are removed for disease staging. Although a high number of lymph nodes are often resected during sentinel and lymph-node dissections, only a relatively small percentage of nodes are found to be metastatic, a fact that must be weighed against potential complications such as lymphedema. Without a real-time in vivo or in situ intraoperative imaging tool to provide a microscopic assessment of the nodes, postoperative paraffin section histopathological analysis currently remains the gold standard in assessing the status of lymph nodes. This paper investigates the use of optical coherence tomography (OCT), a high-resolution real-time microscopic optical-imaging technique, for the intraoperative ex vivo imaging and assessment of axillary lymph nodes. Normal (13), reactive (1), and metastatic (3) lymph nodes from 17 human patients with breast cancer were imaged intraoperatively with OCT. These preliminary clinical studies have identified scattering changes in the cortex, relative to the capsule, which can be used to differentiate normal from reactive and metastatic nodes. These optical scattering changes are correlated with inflammatory and immunological changes observed in the follicles and germinal centers. These results suggest that intraoperative OCT has the potential to assess the real-time node status in situ, without having to physically resect and histologically process specimens to visualize microscopic features.
Evidence in Support of a Docking Model for the Release of the Transcription Factor σF from the Antisigma Factor SpoIIAB in Bacillus subtilis

Cell-specific activation of the transcription factor σF during the process of sporulation in Bacillus subtilis is governed by an antisigma factor SpoIIAB and an anti-antisigma factor SpoIIAA. SpoIIAB, which exists as a dimer, binds to σF in a complex of stoichiometry σF·SpoIIAB2. Escape from the complex is mediated by SpoIIAA, which reacts with the complex to cause the release of free σF. Previous evidence indicated that Arg-20 in SpoIIAB is a contact site for both σF and SpoIIAA and that contact with σF is mediated by Arg-20 on only one of the two subunits in the σF·SpoIIAB2 complex. Here we report the construction of heterodimers of SpoIIAB in which one subunit is wild type and the other subunit is a mutant for Arg-20. We show that the dissociation constant for the binding of σF to the heterodimer was similar to that for the wild type, a finding consistent with the idea that σF contacts Arg-20 on only one of the two subunits. Although SpoIIAA was highly effective in causing the release of σF from the wild type homodimer, the anti-antisigma factor had little effect on the release of σF from the heterodimer. This finding is consistent with a model in which SpoIIAA docks on the σF·SpoIIAB2 complex, making contact with the subunit in which Arg-20 is not in contact with σF. SpoIIAB is both an anti-σF factor and a protein kinase that phosphorylates and thereby inactivates SpoIIAA. We show that SpoIIAA effectively displaces σF from a complex of σF with a mutant (SpoIIABR105A) that is impaired in the kinase function of SpoIIAB. This result shows that SpoIIAA-mediated displacement of σF from SpoIIAB does not require concomitant phosphorylation of SpoIIAA.
Testicular dysfunction with amiodarone use

Amiodarone, an antiarrhythmic drug approved for use in patients who survive cardiac arrest, has been associated with infiltration of or inflammatory changes in various tissues. To date thyroid dysfunction has been the only endocrine disturbance noted. In an initial group of seven amiodarone-treated men undergoing evaluation for sexual dysfunction, an elevation in serum gonadotropin concentration was detected, suggesting testicular dysfunction. Because of this finding, gonadal function was prospectively evaluated in 44 men (18 who had been treated with amiodarone for greater than 1 year and 26 survivors of cardiac arrest who had been treated with antiarrhythmic drugs other than amiodarone). Amiodarone-treated men had higher serum follicle-stimulating hormone (41.8 +/- 22.8 vs. 14.4 +/- 10.4 mIU/ml, p less than 0.001) and luteinizing hormone (34.8 +/- 26.4 vs. 10.1 +/- 5.2 mIU/ml, p less than 0.001) concentrations compared with control subjects. Although serum total and free testosterone levels were comparable between the two patient groups, these levels were inversely correlated (r = -0.53, p less than 0.05; r = -0.62, p less than 0.01, respectively) with cumulative amiodarone dose. Hyperresponsiveness to the administration of gonadotropin-releasing hormone was noted in the 10 amiodarone-treated men evaluated by this diagnostic test. Sexual dysfunction was common in both groups (70% of control subjects and 82% of amiodarone-treated subjects), although atrophic testes were more commonly observed in amiodarone-treated men (p less than 0.05). Because of the elevated serum gonadotropin level, it is concluded that testicular dysfunction may result from prolonged amiodarone treatment.
The Relevance of U.S. Graduate Curricula in Agricultural Economics for the Training of Foreign Students

I am to discuss the relevance of U.S. graduate curricula in agricultural economics for foreign students. This is appropriate in commemorating the twenty-fifth anniversary of the Economics Institute, which has done so much to remedy background deficiencies in foreign agricultural economists coming to study in the United States. When inviting me, Ed Schuh said he wanted an independent view. Fortunately, this does not require me to ignore our 1974 Texas A&M meetings and its session on training and international agricultural economic development, the Agricultural Development Council report (Schertz, Stevenson, Weisblat), the recent AAEA study (Fienup and Riley 1980), and the sessions on teaching at the Banff meeting of the International Association of Agricultural Economists (Fienup and Riley 1981, Petit 1981, International Association of Agricultural Economists).
Antitumour activity of Ganoderma lucidum, an edible mushroom, on intraperitoneally implanted Lewis lung carcinoma in synergenic mice

The antitumour activity of Ganoderma lucidum, called ‘Ling-Zhi or holy mushroom’in Chinese traditional medicine, was investigated on intraperitoneally implanted Lewis lung carcinoma in syngeneic C57BL/6 mice. An aqueous extract of Ling-Zhi significantly increased the life span of tumour-implanted mice, when administered intraperitoneally alone or in combination with cytotoxic antitumour drugs (Adriamycin, fluorouracil, thioguanine, methotrexate, Cisplatin) or a synthetic immunomodulator (Imexon). The aqueous extract was not cytotoxic in cell cultures and the antitumour activity was abolished by pretreatment of mice with cyclosporine. The active principle(s) was found to be present predominantly in the ethanol precipitable fraction of the aqueous extract.
MO-D-351-03: A Unified Approach to Beam Angle Selection and Dose Optimization with High-Throughput Computing for IMRT

Purpose: To present a unified approach to solving the Beam Angle Selection (BAS) and DoseOptimization (DO) problems in radiation treatment planning using a Nested Partitions (NP) framework. Method and Materials: The NP framework is a powerful new optimization paradigm that combines adaptive global sampling with local heuristic search. It uses a flexible partitioning method to divide the search space into regions that can be analyzed individually and then coordinates the results to determine how to continue the search, that is, where to concentrate additional computational effort. This partitioning/sampling approach makes the NP framework uniquely well‐suited for high‐throughput computing. Beam angle space is partitioned and sampled. DO algorithms are incorporated during the evaluation of the quality of a selected angle set. After the execution of our proposed method, we not only obtain a set of beam, but also the optimized intensity for each beam in 3DCRT or “intensity maps” for each angle in IMRT.Results: Using a 3DCRT data set of a pancreas case, we demonstrated the following improvements in OAR dose relative to a equispaced beam set: cord, 66%; kidney, 78%; liver 36%. We also considered an IMRT head‐and‐neck case, and obtained a 28% reduction in dose to normal tissue as well as improvements in the right parotid dose with no significant changes in dose to other tissues.Conclusion: We have demonstrated that our framework provides an effective and automated approach to obtaining high‐quality solutions to the unified BAS and DO problems in both 3DCRT and IMRT. Relative to beam‐angle sets constructed via expert clinical judgment and other approaches, the beams and doses via NP with HTC showed significant reduction in the radiation delivered to non‐cancerous tissue near the tumors.