cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Treatment Integrity Failures during Timeout from Play

Timeout is an effective behavior-reduction strategy with considerable generality. However, little is known about how timeout is implemented under natural conditions, or how errors in implementation impact effectiveness. During Experiment 1, we observed teachers implementing timeout during play to evaluate how frequently the teachers implemented timeout following target behavior (omission errors) and other behaviors (commission errors) for four children. Teachers rarely implemented timeout; thus, omission errors were frequent, but commission errors rarely occurred. During Experiment 2, we used a reversal design to compare timeout implemented with 0% omission integrity, 100% integrity, and the level of omission integrity observed to occur during Experiment 1 for two of the participants. Timeout implemented with reduced-integrity decreased problem behavior relative to baseline, suggesting that infrequent teacher implementation of timeout may have been sufficient to reduce problem behavior.
Effects of Diet on Human Gut Microbiome and Subsequent Influence on Host Physiology and Metabolism

The gut microbiome is defined as the complex ecosystem of microorganisms that live in the gastrointestinal tract of humans and animals; it is composed of bacteria, viruses, fungi, and even archaea, though it primarily consists of bacteria. It plays a vital role in host physiology and metabolism, from immune function to organ development. The gut microbiome has been implicated as a factor in many diseases and has a hand in brain function, behavior, and mental health. Several factors contribute to the composition of the gut microbiome, including host genetics, diet, and environment, with early-life diet seeming to have a more permanent impact than diet later in life. Not only can diet alter an individual’s health through its influence on the gut microbiome, but also it can even impact future generations. This chapter will outline the ways in which specific foods, food groups, and diets impact the human gut microbiome and their subsequent effects on human health.
Rats Genetically Selected for High Aerobic Exercise Capacity Have Elevated Plasma Bilirubin by Upregulation of Hepatic Biliverdin Reductase-A (BVRA) and Suppression of UGT1A1.

Exercise in humans and animals increases plasma bilirubin levels, but the mechanism by which this occurs is unknown. In the present study, we utilized rats genetically selected for high capacity running (HCR) and low capacity running (LCR) to determine pathways in the liver that aerobic exercise modifies to control plasma bilirubin. The HCR rats, compared to the LCR, exhibited significantly higher levels of plasma bilirubin and the hepatic enzyme that produces it, biliverdin reductase-A (BVRA). The HCR also had reduced expression of the glucuronyl hepatic enzyme UGT1A1, which lowers plasma bilirubin. Recently, bilirubin has been shown to activate the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-α (PPARα), a ligand-induced transcription factor, and the higher bilirubin HCR rats had significantly increased PPARα-target genes Fgf21, Abcd3, and Gys2. These are known to promote liver function and glycogen storage, which we found by Periodic acid–Schiff (PAS) staining that hepatic glycogen content was higher in the HCR versus the LCR. Our results demonstrate that exercise stimulates pathways that raise plasma bilirubin through alterations in hepatic enzymes involved in bilirubin synthesis and metabolism, improving liver function, and glycogen content. These mechanisms may explain the beneficial effects of exercise on plasma bilirubin levels and health in humans.
Application of the Transfer Matrix Method to Anti-reflective Coating Rendering

Thin-film coating is a common practice to modify the appearance of materials. In optics for example, coating is often used on mirrors or lenses to modify their reflectance and transmittance properties. To achieve high transmittance optics or wavelength selective filters for sensors, multilayer coatings are required. Thin-film coating is an active area of research. In this paper we introduce to the rendering community the transfer matrix method to calculate the Fresnel coefficients for multilayer thin-film coating. This method, commonly used in optics, provides an easy way to calculate reflectance and transmittance coefficients for an arbitrary number of thin-film layers. Unlike previous methods [10], which relied on the infinite Airy summation, this method is based on the multiplication of \(2\times 2\) matrices which allows handling more general cases. We apply this method to simulate physically based anti-reflective coating where a single layer of thin-film coating is often not enough to obtain a good performance over the full visible spectrum.
Propagation of Acupuncture Research Findings: Creating Teams of Clinicians and Scientists to Achieve the Next Level

Nascent research is beginning to link reduced opioid prescribing and increased well-being with acupuncture. While pain is the most common reason patients see physicians, acupuncture is often recommended to treat it. Due to lack of a common nomenclature around acupuncture treatment protocols, it can be difficult for clinicians to replicate research findings. This article discusses communication of ideas about how the National Institutes of Health (NIH) could help propagate meaningful research findings to practicing acupuncturists. While communication strategies can increase uptake of acupuncture in primary care and pain practices, the NIH could: (1) describe priorities in developing algorithmic acupuncture protocols; (2) require some grant applications to include both clinical and basic science outcomes; (3) develop a "dating service" to match clinical acupuncture researchers and those with the capability and interest to test mechanisms; and (4) initiating fellowships for young investigators that prioritize bringing together the art and science of acupuncture.
Survival and Complications After Placement of Central Venous Access Ports for Palliative Chemotherapy: A Single-Institution Retrospective Analysis.

Background:Given the lack of empiric recommendations for vascular access for palliative chemotherapy, we aimed to analyze survival and complications after placement of central venous access ports f...
Graphene—Conjugated polymer matrix composites

Abstract When we say “nanocomposite” or “matrix composite,” most of us think of a blend of nano/micro-scale filler materials and a host polymer to which we want to add some new properties. Usually, the properties that you get in such a matrix [nano]composite are determined by the rule of mixtures plus the architecture of the filler within the volume of the host. For instance, consider the example of trying to make poly methyl methacrylate (PMMA) electrically conductive by adding carbon nanotubes (CNTs). Start blending very few nanotubes into a volume of PMMA. Allow it to set and measure the conductivity. At very low loadings of carbon nanotubes in the PMMA (often measured in % by weight of added mass), the conductivity is zero. The CNTs are far apart and scattered throughout the volume, so they do not help to carry current. As more CNTs are added, the nanotubes begin to touch each other, known as the percolation threshold, and the materials become conductive, passing current through the volume by carrier hopping from CNT to CNT. But surely, the level of CNT loading at which this happens (~ 1% wt.) depends on whether or not the nanotubes spread out evenly within the polymer or if they all bunch together in small clusters.
Risk Premia in the Term Structure of Crude Oil Futures: Long-Run and Short-Run Volatility Components

This paper studies how volatility affects the risk premium in crude oil futures through a discrete-time term structure model with long-run and short-run GARCH-type volatility components. Estimated using WTI crude oil futures data from January 1990 to July 2016, our model simultaneously matches futures prices and volatilities for the nearest twelve maturities. We document a significant positive relation between volatility and futures risk premia before May 2005, but a significant negative relation after that time period. The dynamic changes of the risk-return relationship concur with the structural changes, specifically the financialization, in the commodity markets. Risk premia decomposition indicates that the short-run volatility component represents the most important contribution to futures risk premia, both before and after the structural change.
High Turnover NAD Regeneration in the Coupled Dehydrogenase Conversion of Sorbitol to Fructose

Significant progress has recently been made in the commercial application of a limited number of enzyme processes. However, it is important to note that none of these applications involve enzymes with dissociable cofactors. Since four of the six classes of enzymes require cofactors, the absence of efficient and economic methods for cofactor-requiring enzymatic processes has presented a major obstacle to reaching the full potential of enzyme technology. Cofactor-requiring enzymatic processes of considerable interest include the transformation of glucose to a variety of chemicals, the conversion of lignin by-products to amino acids, enzymatic synthesis of pharmaceuticals such as chenodeoxycholate and bacitracin, the capture of solar energy through biophotolysis, stereo-specific steroid transformations, epoxidation of fatty acids and many others.
Binding of the Folate Substrate to 5-Methyltetrahydropteroyltriglutamate-Homocysteine Transmethylase

Abstract Binding studies of the 14C-folate substrate to the purified 5-methyltetrahydropteroyltriglutamate-homocysteine transmethylase have been undertaken to elucidate the enzymatic mechanism of action. Investigations of the binding of dl5-methyl-14C-tetrahydropteroyltriglutamate to the transmethylase reveal that one isomer of the intact folate substrate is bound to the enzyme in a reversible reaction at 0° or 25°. Eighty per cent of the radioactivity in the isolated enzyme-14C complex is converted to methionine on the addition of homocysteine. The maximum amount of binding observed is equivalent to 0.76 mole of 5-methyl-14C-tetrahydropteroyltriglutamate per mole of enzyme. The dissociation equilibrium constant of the enzyme-substrate complex has been calculated to be 4.5 x 10-7m in Tris buffer, and there is 0.96 substrate-binding site per molecule of enzyme. Evidence is presented that the binding of the folate substrate to the transmethylase occurs at the catalytic site of the enzyme or at a site with similar characteristics. The substrate specificity of the binding reaction is also consistent with that of the catalytic reaction. 5-Methyl-14C-tetrahydropteroyl-α-glutamylglutamate binds to the transmethylase 13 times less effectively than the triglutamate substrate, and 5-methyl-14C-tetrahydropteroylglutamate binds less effectively than the α-diglutamate derivative of the substrate. Furthermore, it has been concluded that the simultaneous removal of the methyl group on nitrogen atom 5 and oxidation of the 5, 6, 7, and 8 positions of the 5-methyltetrahydropteridine ring do not affect the binding of a folate compound to the enzyme. It has also been determined that the pteroate acid and glutamate moieties are essential for the binding of a folate compound to the transmethylase.
Loss of Retinoic Acid Receptor β gene expression is linked to aberrant histone H3 acetylation in lung cancer cell lines

Most lung cancer cell lines do not express retinoic acid receptor (RAR)-β in response to all- trans retinoic acid (RA) because of a defect in RARβ gene transcription(RA-refractory cells). Here we investigated mechanisms of RA refractoriness in 14 lung cancer cell lines. Eleven cell lines were found to be RA refractory, and in the other three cell lines, RARβ levels increased with RA treatment (RA-responsive cells). We observed RARβ promoter methylation in 7 of 11 RA-refractory cell lines (64%) and in 0 of the 3 RA-responsive cell lines. Treatment with 5-aza-2′-deoxycytidine restored RA response in two of the seven cell lines with RARβ promoter methylation (29%). RA treatment increased acetylation of histones H3 and H4 on chromatin of the RARβ promoter in RA-responsive cells. Only histone H4 acetylation increased in RA-refractory cells, including refractory cells with and without evidence of promoter methylation. Thus, loss of histone H3 acetylation consistently correlated with RA refractoriness in lung cancer cell lines. RA refractoriness and aberrant histone acetylation were attributable to RARβ promoter methylation in some cell lines but not in others, suggesting that multiple mechanisms contribute to this transcriptional defect in lung cancer cells.
The N–Δ weak axial-vector form factor C5A(0)

Abstract The form factor C5A(0) present in the weak N–Δ axial-vector transition amplitude 〈Δ|Aπμ|N〉—important in describing lepton-induced Δ production processes—is calculated using a broken symmetry algebraic approach to QCD without using the hypothesis of partial conservation of axial-vector currents and without using unbroken symmetry models such as SU(6).
A440 Steel Joints Connected by A490 Bolts

THIS REPORT PRESENTS DATA FROM EIGHT STATIC TENSION TESTS OF FULL-SIZED BOLTED BUTT JOINTS FABRICATED FROM 1-IN. PLIES OF A440 STEEL PLATE AND CONNECTED BY 7/8-IN. ASTM A490 HIGH- STRENGTH BOLTS. IN ADDITION, THIS REPORT INCLUDES THE RESULTS OF A THEORETICAL ANALYSIS OF A440 STEEL JOINTS FASTENED WITH EITHER A490 BOLTS OR A502-GRADE 2 HIGH- STRENGTH RIVETS. BOTH THE THEORETICAL AND EXPERIMENTAL STUDIES WERE DESIGNED TO SHOW THE EFFECTS OF SPECIFIC VARIABLES ON THE ULTIMATE JOINT STRENGTH, INCLUDING VARIATIONS IN PITCH, JOINT LENGTH, AND CHANGES IN THE RATIO OF NET PLATE AREA A/N/ TO THE TOTAL FASTENER SHEAR AREA A/S/ THE THEORETICAL STUDIES SHOW THAT THE AVERAGE SHEAR STRENGTH DECREASES WITH INCREASING JOINT LENGTH. FASTENER PITCH HAD A MINOR EFFECT ON THE SHEAR STRENGTH. TOTAL JOINT LENGTH HAD THE MOST IMPORTANT EFFECT ON THE AVERAGE SHEAR STRENGTH AT ULTIMATE JOINT LOAD FOR A GIVEN A/N'A/S/ RATIO. VARIATIONS IN THE A/N/'A/S/ RATIO PRODUCED MAJOR CHANGES IN AVERAGE SHEAR STRENGTH. THE MAXIMUM DEVIATION BETWEEN THE THEORETICAL SOLUTION AND TEST RESULTS WAS 7%. EXPERIMENTAL DATA SHOW THAT THE PRESENT SLIP COEFFICIENT OF 0.35 USED IN THE RCRBSJ SPECIFICATION IS REASONABLE. /AUTHOR/
Exchange Rate Regimes: Does What Countries Say Matter?

Traditionally, the IMF's Annual Report on Exchange Arrangements and Exchange Restrictions has been the main source of information about the exchange rate policies pursued by member countries. The classification contained therein has been used to document the evolution of exchange rate regimes over time as well as to study the relationship between economic performance and the choice of exchange rate system. Recently, a number of authors have challenged the results of these studies on the grounds that countries may not always be following the exchange rate policy that they have announced. New classifications have thus been created, designed to represent countries' actual exchange rate policy as opposed to their declared policy. It is sometimes claimed that the new so-called de facto classifications are superior to the older de jure classifications. In this paper we argue that neither the officially declared exchange rate regime nor the de facto regime tells the full story about exchange rate policy. Both contain useful information and need to be taken into account. In addition we argue that countries that claim to be floating but in fact have relatively stable exchange rates are not necessarily breaking any commitment, as sometimes has been suggested. Exchange rate stability may be the result of optimally chosen monetary policies. Furthermore, countries that use monetary policy instruments actively to stabilize their exchange rate may rationally not want to announce and commit to a fixed exchange rate because of a fear of being subject to speculative attacks. We present some empirical evidence consistent with this interpretation. Copyright 2005, International Monetary Fund
A 2.0-Å structure of the blue copper protein (cupredoxin) from Alcaligenes faecalis S-6

The structure of a blue copper protein, cupredoxin, from the potent denitrifying bacterium Alcaligenes faecalis S-6, has been determined and refined against 2 A x-ray diffraction data. The agreement between observed and calculated structure factors is 0.159, and estimated errors in coordinates are 0.09-0.15 A. The protein folds in a beta sandwich similar to plastocyanin and azurin and includes features such as a "kink" and a "tyrosine loop" which have been noted previously for these proteins as well as immunoglobulins. The copper is bound by four ligands, in a distorted tetrahedral arrangement, with Cu-S gamma = 2.07 A (Cys-78), Cu-N delta 1 = 2.10 and 2.21 for His-40 and His-81, and Cu-S delta = 2.69 A (Met-86). Two of the ligands are further oriented by hydrogen bonds either to other side chains (Asn-9 to His-40), backbone atoms (NH...S) or a water molecule (to His-40). The methionine ligand has no extra constraints. The C-terminal loop containing three of the ligands is hydrogen-bonded to the strand containing His-40 by hydrogen bonds between the conserved residues Thr-79 and Asn-41. The pronounced dichroism of the crystal is a result of the orientation of the normal to the C beta-S gamma-Cu plane parallel to the crystallographic 6-fold axis.
CO Observations of High Redshift Galaxies with the Owens Valley Millimeter Array

The peaking of quasar density at z ∼ 2 as well as the stellar population analysis of galaxies in the local universe suggest that galaxies were formed near or prior to the redshift of 2. The identification of IRAS FSC 10214+4724 with a z = 2.3 galaxy (Rowan-Robinson et al. 1991) and the detection of CO emission (Brown & Vanden Bout 1991, Solomon et al. 1992) have substantiated the hypothesized existence of luminous gas-rich galaxies in the early epochs forming stars at prodigious rates. Given that there has been reasonable heavy element production, CO rotational transitions are excellent probes of cold interstellar medium in very distant galaxies. For objects of constant intrinsic CO brightness temperature, the observed line flux is almost independent of redshift at z = 1-6 due to the factor (1 + z)2 in angular size distance. These molecular transitions are also unambiguous tracers of cold, dense molecular gas where stars are forming.
New product technology decisions in the US multi-market firm

Decision-making processes regarding new product technology in multiproduct organizations have been examined from three different perspectives: the chief executive officer (CEO), the chief operating officer (COO), and the chief technology officer (CTO). The study is a follow-on to initial exploratory research in this area and is based on data from 150 Fortune 500 companies that where selected because they listed their R&D spending in the firm's annual report and the SEC's 10 K. Three related, but different, questionnaires were sent to the CEO, the COO, and the CTO of these firms. The research hypothesis is that technically educated CEOs and COOs play a greater role in new product technology decision making in their firms and that these firms consider themselves technology leaders or at least strong technology followers. It is further hypothesized that the role of the CTO differs depending on the educational background of the CEO and COO. In addition, the use of a science advisory committee in such firms is explored. The findings are presented and discussed in detail. >
Methylnaltrexone for Opioid-Induced Constipation in Children and Adolescents and Young Adults with Progressive Incurable Cancer at the End of Life

Abstract Background: Opioid-induced constipation (OIC) is common among children and adolescents and young adults (AYA) with progressive incurable cancer. Although methylnaltrexone is a successful treatment for OIC in adult cancer patients, no case series has established its safety and efficacy in pediatric cancer patients. Objectives: The aim of the study was to describe the safety and efficacy of methylnaltrexone use for OIC in children and AYA with progressive incurable cancer at the end of life in the inpatient and outpatient settings. Methods: We conducted a retrospective review of medical records of children and AYA with progressive incurable cancer who received methylnaltrexone at our institution from May 2008 to June 2013. Pharmacy data were reviewed for each patient and a chart review was performed for documentation of laxation and side effects. Results: Of the 9 patients (age range: 17 months to 21 years) with progressive incurable cancer who developed OIC, 7 (78%) had laxation after methylnaltre...
Contrasting responses of forest ecosystems to rising atmospheric CO2: Implications for the global C cycle

[1] In two parallel but independent experiments, Free Air CO2 Enrichment (FACE) technology was used to expose plots within contrasting evergreen loblolly pine (Pinus taeda L.) and deciduous sweetgum (Liquidambar styraciflua L.) forests to the level of CO2 anticipated in 2050. Net primary production (NPP) and net ecosystem production (NEP) increased in both forests. In the year 2000, after exposing pine and sweetgum to elevated CO2 for approximately 5 and 3 years, a complete budget calculation revealed increases in net ecosystem production (NEP) of 41% and 44% in the pine forest and sweetgum forest, respectively, representing the storage of an additional 174 gC m−2 and 128 gC m−2 in these forests. The stimulation of NPP without corresponding increases in leaf area index or light absorption in either forest resulted in 23–27% stimulation in radiation-use efficiency, defined as NPP per unit absorbed photosynthetically active radiation. Greater plant respiration contributed to lower NPP in the loblolly pine forest than in the sweetgum forest, and these forests responded differently to CO2 enrichment. Where the pine forest added C primarily to long-lived woody tissues, exposure to elevated CO2 caused a large increase in the production of labile fine roots in the sweetgum forest. Greater allocation to more labile tissues may cause more rapid cycling of C back to the atmosphere in the sweetgum forest compared to the pine forest. Imbalances in the N cycle may reduce the response of these forests to experimental exposure to elevated CO2 in the future, but even at the current stimulation observed for these forests, the effect of changes in land use on C sequestration are likely to be larger than the effect of CO2-induced growth stimulation.
A Phytotoxic Glycopeptide from Potato Plants Infected with Corynebacterium sepedonicum

Abstract A phytotoxic glycopeptide was isolated from cultures of Corynebacterium sepedonicum and from potato plants infected by this pathogen. The glycopeptides from both sources were identical with respect to their mobility by paper and acrylamide gel electrophoresis, optical rotation, infrared spectra, x-ray diffraction patterns, sugar, organic acid and amino acid content, molecular weight as judged by their elution volumes from Sephadex G-200 columns, serological reactivity, and reaction with ninhydrin. The glycopeptide was present in infected plants in quantities large enough to account for symptom production in biological assay tests. The compound meets the requirements of a "vivotoxin." The purified bacterial glycopeptide has its isoelectric point at about pH 2.1. The specific optical rotation of the compound is [α]30d = +32.0°. Alanine and glycine occur in a 3:2 ratio as NH2-terminal amino acids. The amino acid composition of the peptide portion of the molecule is: Asp1, Thr1, Ser1, Gly1, Lys1, Ala1, Met1, Glu2, and His1. The peptide makes up about 4.4% of the weight of the toxin molecule. The sugar composition of the toxin is 48% glucose, 13% mannose, and approximately 1% l-fucose. 2-Keto-3-deoxygluconic acid contributes to the acidic nature of the toxin. A high titered antiserum has been prepared to the toxic bacterial glycopeptide.
Microbial Biotechnology: The World of “Omics”: Genomics, Transcriptomics, Proteomics, and Metabolomics

GENOMICS SEQUENCING OF GENOMES As mentioned in Chapter 3, we now know the complete nucleotide sequences of genomes of many organisms. The availability of this large amount of data at an unprecedented scale now allows us, and indeed forces us, to think “globally,” that is, on the scale of whole organisms, or even an assemblage of organisms, rather than of individual genes and enzymes. Here we describe very briefly how the genome sequences are determined. Genome sequencing of viruses began in the late 1970s. The basic technique involved, the random sequencing of fragments by the Sanger dideoxy termination method, was proposed and applied successfully by Fred Sanger and associates to the complete sequencing of bacteriophage DNAs, notably that of phage λ in 1980 (see Figure 4.1 for the principle of the random shotgun method). Historically, the first attempt to obtain a complete genome sequence of a cellular organism was geared toward Escherichia coli , the best studied organism outside of humans. This project started in 1989 and used a “directed” approach. Because a fairly detailed genetic map of E. coli was available thanks to the efforts of bacterial geneticists, it was possible to first produce a set of λ-based clones, each containing up to 20 kb DNA, with overlapping ends. The sequencing from here on represented the shotgun phase. The inserted segments in the λ vector were then randomly cut into much smaller fragments of a few kilobases, they were cloned into an M13 vector and were sequenced (for sequencing reactions, see Box 4.1), and the sequences were assembled by looking for overlaps.
Monte-Carlo Tree Search and Computer Go

The difficulty in positional evaluation and the large branching factor have made Go the most challenging board game for AI research. The classic full-board game-tree search paradigm has been powerless on Go even though this classic paradigm has produced programs with expert level performances in many other games. Three decades of research on knowledge and search did not push computer Go above intermediate amateur level. The emerging Monte-Carlo Tree Search (MCTS) paradigm is bringing an exciting breakthrough in computer Go toward challenging human experts, especially on smaller Go boards. This chapter gives an overview of both classical and MCTS approaches to computer Go.
Three-dimensional machining of carbon nanotube forests using water-assisted scanning electron microscope processing

We demonstrate that vertically aligned carbon nanotubes (CNTs) can be precisely machined in a low pressure water vapor ambient using the electron beam of an environmental scanning electron microscope. The electron beam locally damages the irradiated regions of the CNT forest and also dissociates the water vapor molecules into reactive species including hydroxyl radicals. These species then locally oxidize the damaged region of the CNTs. The technique offers material removal capabilities ranging from selected CNTs to hundreds of cubic microns. We study how the material removal rate is influenced by the acceleration voltage, beam current, dwell time, operating pressure, and CNT orientation. Milled cuts with depths between 0–100 microns are generated, corresponding to a material removal rate of up to 20.1 μm3/min. The technique produces little carbon residue and does not disturb the native morphology of the CNT network. Finally, we demonstrate direct machining of pyramidal surfaces and re-entrant cuts to cre...
Can Resting Indices Obviate the Need for Hyperemia and Promote the Routine Use of Physiologically Guided Revascularization

This article assesses the data from contemporary human studies to address some of the common assumptions regarding hyperemic and baseline physiology in the context of the baseline pressure-derived index of instant wave-free ratio and the hyperemic index of fractional flow reserve. The article aims to determine if the available evidence supports the continued investigation, development, and use of baseline indices.
Parents Know Best: Revising Our Approach to Parental Custody Agreements

Historically, parents have not been able to determine custody of their children prior to marriage in the form of a prenuptial agreement. Although parents are able to enter into such agreements, courts normally have a great deal of latitude in ignoring these agreements. A majority of states merely consider the agreement as one factor in determining what is in the child's best interest, while the majority of the rest presume the agreement is in the best interest of the child unless the judge finds otherwise. Only two states defer to the parental agreement unless it would be harmful to the child. This Article maintains that this "parental deference standard" is the best of the three standards for three reasons. First, this standard would lead to better decision-making because it would remove the decision from the hands of judges. Second, this standard would significantly improve the child-custody process. Third, this standard best respects the parents' fundamental right to make parenting decisions for their children.
Blind decorrelation and deconvolution algorithm for multiple-input multiple-output system: II. Analysis and simulation

For single-input multiple-output (SIMO) systems blind deconvolution based on second-order statistics has been shown promising given that the sources and channels meet certain assumptions. In our previous paper we extend the work to multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) systems by introducing a blind deconvolution algorithm to remove all channel dispersion followed by a blind decorrelation algorithm to separate different sources from their instantaneous mixture. In this paper we first explore more details embedded in our algorithm. Then we present simulation results to show that our algorithm is applicable to MIMO systems excited by a broad class of signals such as speech, music and digitally modulated symbols.
A model for cardiomyocyte cell death: Insights into mechanisms of oncosis

It is now known that there are at least two basic patterns of cell injury progressing to cell death: cell injury with swelling, known as oncosis, and cell injury with shrinkage, known as apoptosis. Both types of cell death are "programmed" in the sense that the genetic information and many of the enzymes and other factors pre-exist in the cell. Previous investigation has pointed to cardiomyocyte ischemic injury evolving as the oncotic pattern of injury, although apoptosis has also been implicated. This study was designed, using a unique cell model system, to gain insight into the molecular events of anticancer agent-induced cardiomyocyte injury. Cardiomyocytes exposed for 2 h to 1.5 μg/ml sanguinarine consistently displayed the morphology of apoptosis in over 80% of cells, whereas a higher dose of 25 μg/ml at 2 h yielded the pattern of oncosis in over 90% of cells. Microarray analysis revealed altered expression of 2514 probes in sanguinarine-induced oncosis and 1643 probes in apoptosis at a level of significance of p<0.001. Some of the inductions such as perforin were found to be higher than 11-fold in oncosis. When perforin was blocked by perforin-specific siRNA we found a reduction in oncotic cell death. These results strengthen the notion that oncosis is not representative of nonspecific necrosis, but constitutes a genetically controlled form of "programmed cell death"; and also that oncosis might represent a pathogenetic mechanism of cardiomyocyte injury. This is also the first demonstration of the involvement of perforin in cardiomyocyte oncosis.
Large‐ion lithophile element fractionation during the early differentiation of Mars and the composition of the martian primitive mantle

Basaltic shergottites display a systematic decrease in K/Th, K/U, and K/La ratios with increasing K content. These trends are interpreted as mixing lines between relatively young martian magmas derived from highly depleted mantle sources and an ancient large-ion lithophile (LIL) element-enriched crustal component. One implication of this is that a substantial fractionation of these ratios occurs during the early crustal differentiation on Mars. Isotopic evidence from SNC meteorites and compositional data from Pathfinder and orbital gamma ray spectroscopy suggest that in excess of 50% of the LIL element complement of Mars resides in the crustal reservoir. If so, the primitive mantle of Mars is significantly more volatile-depleted (i.e., lower K/Th, K/U, K/La) than previously thought but probably (though not necessarily) still less volatile-depleted than the primitive mantle of the Earth. The La/Th ratios of virtually all SNC meteorites are subchondritic, including those with the most severe LREE-depletion. Extrapolation of the basaltic shergottite trend suggests that both the depleted mantle end member and the enriched crustal end member have subchondritic La/Th ratios. This is in contrast with the Earth where basalts from LIL element-depleted sources such as MORB have superchondritic La/Th ratios, complementary to the subchondritic ratios of the continental crust. Accordingly, assuming that the refractory elements are in chondritic proportions for the Mars primitive mantle, an additional major geochemical reservoir must exist on Mars that may not yet have been sampled.
ANALYSIS OF PARTIAL-WAVE DISPERSION RELATIONS

Questions of existence and uniqueness of solutions of partial-wave dispersion relations are studied, with particular attention to the N/D method. The interaction, assumed to be given, is represented by (i) the strengths and locations of unphysical singularities and (ii) the inelastic partial-wave cross section. A generalization of the N/D method to include part (ii) of the interaction leads to a nonsingular integral equation for ImD. This equation is amenable to the Fredholm theory only if there is a correlation between items (i) and (ii) of the interaction, and only if the increase of inelastic processes at high energies is not too rapid. Certain Cauchy integrals associated with (i) and (ii) must be nonzero at threshold if there is to exist a solution with the normal threshold momentum dependence. Thus, there is no solution for any model in which (i) is constructed from a few partial waves in the two crossed channels. For certain interactions the real part of the phase shift approaches a multiple of pi at large energy, just as in potential scattering. The Castillejo-DalitzDyson (CDD) ambiguity is analyzed in some detail. A uniqueness theorem is proved which asserts that if a solution of a particular type exists, itmore » is the only solution of the problem within the class usually considered. Thus the CDD ambiguity is partially bypassed. In certain cases tue unique solution is found by the ordinary N/D method without subtractions. Some useful results on principal value integrals are obtained. The discussion is carried out for the example of pion- nucleon scattering in the complex plane of w, the certer-of-mass energy. The behavior of the amplitude near w = plus or minus (M-m) is derived from crossing symmetry. (auth)« less
The possible role of metabolites in therapeutic response to chlorpromazine treatment.

Eight male adult schizophrenic patients undergoing chronic treatment with chlorpromazine were investigated. Clinical assessments were made weekly by a psychiatrist who was unaware of the biochemical findings. Blood samples were drawn 3 h after the first daily dose and the plasma concentrations of chlorpromazine and 11 of its metabolites were assessed by a direct scan technique employing quantitative thin layer chromatography.
Sub-Poisson light generation by selective deletion from cascaded atomic emissions

Abstract We discuss the generation of stationary sub-Poisson light by selective deletion from cascaded atomic emissions. As a particular example we show that, under appropriate conditions, the green/violet cascade from an atomic beam of Ca can be made to produce low-flux violet light that is weakly sub-Poisson. In principle, the technique can be applied to other two-photon processes such as positron annihilation radiation.
From sex to sexuality: exposing the heterosexual script on primetime network television.

Although it is widely recognized that sexual content pervades television, research rarely examines how television's sexual messages are gendered and occur in a relational context. This study describes the development and implementation of a new coding scheme to evaluate sexual content from a feminist perspective. Merging scripting theory (Simon and Gagnon, 1986) with the theory of compulsory heterosexuality (Rich, 1980), we explicate a heteronormative and dominant sexual script, the Heterosexual Script, and assessed its presence in the 25 primetime television programs viewed most frequently by adolescents. Our codes captured depictions of boys/men and girls/women thinking, feeling, and behaving in relational and sexual encounters in ways that sustain power inequalities between men and women. Male characters most frequently enacted the Heterosexual Script by actively and aggressively pursuing sex. Less frequently but still at high rates were depictions of female characters willingly objectifying themselves...
The Complete, Temperature Resolved Experimental Spectrum of Methanol (CH3OH) between 560 and 654 GHz

The complete spectrum of methanol (CH{sub 3}OH) has been characterized over a range of astrophysically significant temperatures in the 560.4-654.0 GHz spectral region. Absolute intensity calibration and analysis of 166 experimental spectra recorded over a slow 248-398 K temperature ramp provide a means for the simulation of the complete spectrum of methanol as a function of temperature. These results include contributions from v{sub t} = 3 and other higher states that are difficult to model via quantum mechanical (QM) techniques. They also contain contributions from the {sup 13}C isotopologue in terrestrial abundance. In contrast to our earlier work on semi-rigid species, such as ethyl cyanide and vinyl cyanide, significant intensity differences between these experimental values and those calculated by QM methods were found for many of the lines. Analysis of these differences shows the difficulty of the calculation of dipole matrix elements in the context of the internal rotation of the methanol molecule. These results are used to both provide catalogs in the usual line frequency, linestrength, and lower state energy format, as well as in a frequency point-by-point catalog that is particularly well suited for the characterization of blended lines.
Diffusive Exchange of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons across the Air−Water Interface of the Patapsco River, an Urbanized Subestuary of the Chesapeake Bay

Air−water exchange fluxes of 13 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) were determined along a transect in the Patapsco River from the Inner Harbor of Baltimore, MD, to the mainstem of the northern Chesapeake Bay. Sampling took place at six sites during three sampling intensives (June 1996, February 1997, and July 1997) and at one site every ninth day between March 1997 and March 1998 to measure spatial, daily, and annual variability in the fluxes. The direction and magnitude of the daily fluxes of individual PAHs were strongly influenced by the wind speed and direction, by the air temperature, and by the highly variable PAH concentrations in the gas and dissolved phases. Individual fluxes ranged from 14 200 ng m-2 day-1 net volatilization of fluorene during high winds to 11 400 ng m-2 day-1 net absorption of phenanthrene when prevailing winds blowing from the northwest across the city of Baltimore elevated gaseous PAH concentrations over the water. The largest PAH volatilization fluxes occurred adjacent...
Molybdate inhibition of corrosion fatigue crack propagation in precipitation hardened Al–Cu–Li

Abstract Addition of molybdate ( MoO 4 2 - ) to aqueous chloride solution effectively inhibits environmental fatigue crack propagation (EFCP) in peak aged Al–2.6Cu–1.6Li (wt pct, C47A-T86) which also exhibits alloy-induced inhibition in pure chloride solution. MoO 4 2 - inhibits EFCP at frequencies below an upper bound and eliminates the effect of environment at sufficiently low loading frequencies by yielding crack growth rates equivalent to those for fatigue in ultra-high vacuum. Ion-assisted inhibition is attributed to MoO 4 2 - stabilizing a crack tip passive film which reduces H production and uptake due to a diffusion barrier film, reduced crack acidification by hydrolysis, and buffered pH. Inhibition is governed by the balance between passive film rupture by crack tip strain and repassivation. As such, inhibition is promoted by reduced loading frequency and potentials at or anodic to free corrosion; each of which favors passivity over film rupture. Alloy-induced inhibition is destabilized by addition of molybdate. This is likely due to molybdate inhibiting localized corrosion of Al2CuLi precipitates in the crack wake which otherwise leads to Cu enrichment required for alloy-induced EFCP inhibition in C47A-T86. The inhibiting effect of molybdate for this Al–Cu–Li alloy parallels chromate and molybdate inhibition of EFCP in 7075-T651, establishing molybdate as a viable chromate replacement inhibitor.
Playing Online Interactive Games for Health Education: Evaluating Their Effectiveness

Approximately 10 years ago, LSU Health Shreveport library faculty members developed the consumer health Web portal healthelinks to offer consumers a way to locate trustworthy sources of online heal...
Recent developments in family behavioral marital therapy

This paper reviews recent developments in the area of behavioral marital therapy (BMT). New information is summarized regarding the long-term efficacy of BMT and the identification of predictors of positive response to treatment and to relapse. Finally, new applications of BMT techniques are reviewed (e.g., spouse-involved therapies as the sole treatment for presenting problems in which marital distress is not the primary focus such as anxiety and affective disorders).
Speech nonlinearities, modulations, and energy operators

An AM-FM model for representing modulations in speech resonances is investigated. Specifically, an FM model is proposed for the time-varying formants whose amplitude varies as the envelope of an AM signal. To detect the modulations the energy operator Psi ( chi ) and its discrete counterpart are applied. It is found that Psi can approximately track the envelope of AM signals, the instantaneous frequency of FM signals, and the product of these two functions in the general case of AM-FM signals. Several experiments on the application of this AM-FM modeling to speech signals, band pass filtered via Gabor filters are reported. >
Is surgical workforce diversity increasing

Background We sought to determine the extent to which recent increases in levels of gender and racial diversity in the overall resident-physician workforce were evident among core-surgical specialty resident workforces. Study design Chi-square tests for trend assessed the importance of changes from 1996 to 2004 in proportions of women and African Americans in the surgery-resident workforce. Surgery-resident trends were compared with overall resident workforce trends using two-tailed t -tests to compare regression slopes that quantified rates of change over time. Chi-square tests assessed differences between proportions of women and African Americans in the current overall board-certified workforce and their proportions in the surgery board-certified workforce. Results From 1996 to 2004, proportions of women increased in all seven surgical specialties studied. Compared with the overall trend toward increasing proportions of women in the resident workforce, the trend in one surgical specialty was larger (obstetrics/gynecology, p 0.05), and two were smaller (each p 0.05). Proportions of African Americans decreased in three specialties (each p Conclusions Many demographic disparities between the surgery-resident and overall-resident workforces have persisted since 1996 and will likely perpetuate ongoing surgery board-certified workforce disparities.
SNAP II versus BIS VISTA monitor comparison during general anesthesia

Effectively monitoring the level of consciousness during general anesthesia is clinically beneficial to both the patient and the physician. An electroencephalogram (EEG)-based level-of-consciousness monitor can help minimize intraoperative awareness as well as the effects of over-sedation. In this study, we compared the SNAP II (Stryker Instruments, Kalamazoo, MI USA) and BIS VISTA (Aspect Medical Systems, Newton, MA USA) monitors’ primary metrics (SI and BIS, respectively) in terms of correlation, agreement and responsiveness to return to preoperative baseline in surgical cases involving general anesthesia. With institutional approval and written informed consent, 33 patients received general anesthesia with isoflurane while undergoing abdominal surgery. We attached both the SNAP II and BIS VISTA electrodes to each patient. We collected data from each monitor simultaneously and continuously, beginning just prior to induction and ending after extubation. Each monitor’s level-of-consciousness index is a unit less metric that ranges from 0 to 100, with 100 indicating full consciousness. We performed a Bland–Altman and parameter difference analyses on the data. We calculated the time it took for each monitor to return to preoperative baseline level following cessation of anesthesia. We established an equivalence between the two indices over their entire range for our particular clinical scenario. The indices were correlated (r = 0.736, P < 0.0001, N = 3,706 data point pairs). There was an overall difference between the two indices (median = 16.0, 25th/75th%ile = 10.0/21.1) with BIS lower than SI. A 40-60 BIS range (the typical target range during general anesthesia) was approximately equivalent to a 54–74 SI range. In all 33 subjects, SI reached baseline before BIS at the end of the case (median = 3.3 min, 25th/75th%ile = 1.6 min/8.2 min versus median = 8.9 min, 25th/75th = 3.7 min/14.5 min, P = 0.0200), even though both metrics were equal at the beginning of the case. Although the SI and BIS both can assess a patient’s level of consciousness and are correlated, they are not in agreement with each other numerically and therefore are not interchangeable. It is difficult to assess each monitor’s true responsiveness to acute changes in consciousness level from our study design. The differences between the metrics we observed in this study are most likely due to differences in signal processing methodologies, EEG frequencies employed and signal filtering utilized in the monitors.
An Integrated Model of Training Evaluation and Effectiveness

A decade of training evaluation and training effectiveness research was reviewed to construct an integrated model of training evaluation and effectiveness. This model integrates four prior evaluati...
Instability dynamics in three-dimensional fracture: An atomistic simulation

Abstract We are simulating the dynamical failure of three-dimensional notched solids under tension at the atomistic level using classical molecular dynamics and system sizes from 10 to more than 100 millions atoms. We find that a rare-gas solid (e.g. xenon) may begin cleaving brittley at failure. When the crack velocity approaches one third of the Rayleigh sound speed, the crack tip begins to roughen on the atomic scale. This is immediately followed by a “dynamic brittle-to-ductile” transition where plasticity becomes dominant through the prolific emission of loop dislocations and the arrest of the crack motion. The atomic roughening is consistent with the onset of the brittle fracture instability suggested by experiment and seen in our earlier two-dimensional fracture simulations of rare-gas films, lending support to the notion that this instability is a general feature of the rapid brittle fracture process.
Self-assembly on (111)-oriented III-V surfaces

We demonstrate the self-assembly of tensile strained GaP into three-dimensional dots on GaAs(111)A. Size and areal density of the dislocation-free GaP dots are readily tunable with both substrate temperature and deposition thickness. GaP dot growth obeys island scaling theory, allowing us to predict dot size distributions a priori.