cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Long-term Outcomes for Children and Adolescents After International Adoption

Evidence suggests that most children who are adopted internationally fare well in their adoptive homes. However, there are a number of factors that contribute to the outcomes of these children, including genetic loading, prenatal environments and the pre-adoptive environments. Timing of and age at adoption play an important role in determining neurodevelopmental and behavioral outcomes of children adopted internationally. Children and adolescents who are adopted internationally are at increased risk of having difficulties with academic performance, psychiatric disorders, and identity development compared to non-adopted peers in their new home country. One role of the primary care provider is to assist adoptive parents in maintaining a healthy relationship with the adopted child and preventing adoption disruption.
Time-geographic density estimation for moving point objects

This research presents a time-geographic method of density estimation for moving point objects. The approach integrates traditional kernel density estimation (KDE) with techniques of time geography to generate a continuous intensity surface that characterises the spatial distribution of a moving object over a fixed time frame. This task is accomplished by computing density estimates as a function of a geo-ellipse generated for each consecutive pair of control points in the object's space-time path and summing those values at each location in a manner similar to KDE. The main advantages of this approach are: (1) that positive intensities are only assigned to locations within a moving object's potential path area and (2) that it avoids arbitrary parameter selection as the amount of smoothing is controlled by the object's maximum potential velocity. The time-geographic density estimation technique is illustrated with a sample dataset, and a discussion of limitations and future work is provided.
Racial Identity, Father Involvement, and Coparenting in Adolescent African American Mothers and Fathers

Adolescent childbearing is a major public policy concern in the United States, and father involvement is a particular focus for researchers and members of socioeconomically disadvantaged and minority populations. In the present study, 52 low-income, African American adolescent mothers and their children’s fathers were interviewed during the prenatal period about their relationships, social networks, and racial identity. Coparenting was found to be associated with racial identity in that mothers and fathers who reported pre-encounter racial identity attitudes reported lower levels of coparenting satisfaction than mothers and fathers in the more advanced stages of racial identity. No associations were found between racial identity and father involvement. This study extends the literature on coparenting, father involvement and racial identity to a community sample of understudied young parents at risk for negative outcomes.
The Effect of Peripherin/rds Haploinsufficiency on Rod and Cone Photoreceptors

Haploinsufficiency because of a null mutation in the gene encoding peripherin/rds has been thought to be the primary defect associated with the photoreceptor degeneration seen in the retinal degeneration slow (rds) mouse. We have compared the effects of this haploinsufficiency on rod and cone photoreceptors by measuring the levels of rod- and cone-specific gene expression, by determining the relative rates of rod and cone degeneration, and by electroretinography. These analyses were performed at ages before and after the onset of degeneration of the photoreceptor cells. The data were consistent in demonstrating that measures for cone photoreceptors are relatively spared in comparison to comparable measures for rod photoreceptors. Blue cones were retained in higher number than red/green cones for the first 3 months of the degeneration. Our results indicate that the haploinsufficiency present in rds/+ mice has a greater impact on the rod than on the cone photoreceptor, a finding that likely reflects the tight regulation of peripherin/rds and the need for two functional alleles to assemble the structure of the rod outer segment and/or differences between the ultrastructure of the rod and cone outer segments.
Visualization and Interpretation of Plant Isozymes

Gel electrophoresis of proteins has become a standard and powerful research tool for application in a multitude of biological disciplines. One form of protein electrophoresis, isozyme analysis, has become particularly prominent in systematic and evolutionary biology as well as agronomy (Tanksley and Orton, 1983). Isozymes, or multiple molecular forms of enzymes, are enzymes that share a common substrate but differ in electrophoretic mobility (Markert and Moller, 1959). They are revealed when tissue extracts are subjected to electrophoresis in various types of gels and subsequently submersed in solutions containing enzyme-specific stains. Genetic analysis may indicate that some of the variant electromorphs are encoded by alternate alleles at a single locus, in which case the allelic products are termed allozymes (Prakash et al., 1969). Data retrieved from electrophoretic gels consist of the number and relative mobilities of various enzyme products, which with appropriate genetic analyses become transformed into single or multilocus genotypes for each individual analyzed. Reasons are many for the popularity of electrophoretic data (Avise, 1975; Gottlieb, 1977; Crawford, 1983), but foremost among these is that isozymes provide a series of readily scored, single-gene markers.
Structural symmetry breaking

Symmetry breaking has been shown to be an important method to speed up the search in constraint satisfaction problems that contain symmetry. When breaking symmetry by dominance detection, a computationally efficient symmetry breaking scheme can be achieved if we can solve the dominance detection problem in polynomial time. We study the complexity of dominance detection when value and variable symmetry appear simultaneously in constraint satisfaction problems (CSPs) with single-valued variables and set-CSPs. We devise an efficient dominance detection algorithm for CSPs with single-valued variables that yields symmetry-free search trees and that is based on the abstraction to the actual, intuitive structure of a symmetric CSP.
Multiple-mist regions on glass fracture surfaces

Observations of the formation of multiple-mist regions on the fracture surfaces of soda-lime-silicate and fused silica glasses are reported. These regions occur only in high-strength specimens. The same empirical equationthat is applicable to the basic fracture mirror-primary mist also describes secondary and tertiary mist regions, although the proportionality constants increase as the order of the mist region increases. Results suggest that these mist radii constants may be related in specific ratios, which decrease with successive mist regions. Criteria of mist-region formation are reviewed with respect to additional restrictions imposed by the consideration of multiple mists. The authors suggest that an energy criterion is most applicable, and a schematic diagram is proposed.
The Effects of Human Immunodeficiency Virus in the Central Nervous System

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses various aspects of the central nervous system complications directly associated with HIV-1—in particular, that of HIV dementia (HIVD) also known as the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) dementia complex (ADC). This syndrome—which is characterized by progressive motor and cognitive loss—was recognized early in the course of this epidemic and is generally accepted to be because of HIV itself, and not related to infection with any opportunistic organism. One can speculate about several scenarios resulting from the continued presence of replication-competent HIV within brain. In the worst case, a smoldering infection of the nervous system could lead to neurological deterioration without reinfection of systemic immune cells. The epidemiological data indicating that HIVD is a disease primarily associated with immunodeficiency suggest that the systemic immune system plays a role in maintaining virus residing within the central nervous system (CNS) under control. Advances with combination antiviral therapy have successfully reduced plasma viral load in a high proportion of individuals, leading to the speculation (previously almost heretical) that it may be possible to eradicate HIV completely from the systemic immune system.
EFFECT OF TRAFFIC MIX, VOLUME, AND GEOMETRICS ON THE TRIP TIME OF PASSENGER CARS AND TRUCKS ON URBAN FREEWAYS

The objective of this paper is to investigate and quantify the relation between the average travel time per unit distance experienced by passenger cars, trucks, and other vehicles and the prevailing volumes of passenger cars and trucks on urban freeway sections. This macroscopic relation is examined for freeway sections exhibiting four types of geometric and operational characteristics (pipe, diverge, merge, and weave sections). The models are calibrated for each type of section using the FHWA 1982 data set on urban truck freeway characteristics, thereby providing the basis for the systematic testing of (a) the effect of geometrics on the relative effects of passenger cars and trucks on freeway performance, and (b) the relative sensitivity of the service quality experienced by passenger cars and trucks to the components of the traffic stream. These questions are of current practical interest to agencies contemplating truck-related highway improvements. The results indicate that the coefficients of the respective volume components vary significantly across section types, yielding volume effect truck passenger car equivalents (pces), in terms of impact on average travel time, which differ markedly from one type to another. This suggests that the undifferentiated treatment of pces for certain geometric and operational conditions may not be appropriate.
Running Android Applications without a Virtual Machine

Android has gained significant popularity in the smartphone market since its introduction in 2007. While Android applications are written in Java, Android uses its own virtual machine called Dalvik. Other smartphone platforms, most notably Apple’s iOS, do not permit the installation of any kind of virtual machine. App developers who want to publish their applications for different platforms are required to re-implement the application using the respective native SDK. In this paper we describe a cross-compilation approach, whereby Android applications are cross-compiled to portable C code. With this approach it is not necessary to have a Dalvik virtual machine deployed on the target platform. We describe different aspects of our cross-compiler, from byte code level cross-compilation, memory management, to API mapping. A prototype of our cross-compiler called XMLVM is available under an Open Source license.
Migraine and atopy.

SYNOPSIS The relation of migraine to atopy was studied. 89 cases of migraine and 27 muscle contraction headache has serum IgE levels determined. In addition, 504 patients were questioned about personal and family history of atopy. There were 73 muscle contraction headache, 55 cluster headache, 70 classical migraine, 189 common migraine and 117 mixed muscle contraction and migraine headache in this group. Elevated serum IgE levels were found in 5.7% of migraine and 3.7 % of muscle contraction headache patients. The incidence is not significantly different from non-atopic general population. The prevalence of atopic disorders in migraine patients and their relatives did not differ from that found in patients with muscle contraction headache. This study does not support the concept that migraine is an IgE-mediated hypersensitivity state.
Why Some Distance Education Programs Fail while Others Succeed in a Global Environment

Abstract Many universities increase their recruiting efforts to reach a larger and more diverse audience. Some universities also extend their reach with cross-border initiatives and seek international students in order to promote enrollment growth and global learning. The economic potential of distance education and academic globalization has attracted numerous higher education providers, many of which operate on a for-profit basis. The result is an increase in competition for students, which leads to added pressure on universities to control costs and rising tuition. Those online programs unable to successfully adapt to this competitive environment are at risk of failing. This article draws from the research literature and US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) filings to examine seven important factors that help determine the success or failure of online programs. These factors are planning, marketing and recruitment, financial management, quality assurance, student retention, faculty development, and online course design and pedagogy.
Development of metal allergy after Nuss procedure for repair of pectus excavatum despite preoperative negative skin test

Abstract Minimally invasive pectus excavatum repair (Nuss procedure, MIRPE) utilizes transthoracic implantation of metal bars for correction of chest wall deformity. Based on family or personal history, metal allergy testing is undertaken prior to operation, as rates of metal allergy in orthopedics are significant. If the patient is found to be allergic to one of the components of the dermal patch test, a titanium bar is used. Otherwise, a stainless steel bar is used. We report an adolescent boy who underwent Nuss procedure. He had neither history of drug allergies nor contact dermatitis. However, he did suffer from seasonal allergies. Preoperative patch test was negative. Twenty-seven days after Nuss procedure the patient noted a slight rash around his right and left chest incision sites. Signs and symptoms of local infection developed, with increases in erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR). Opening the wounds and oral antibiotics led to resolution, with only a rash remaining. Due to persistently elevated ESR values and new elevation of C-reactive protein (CRP), repeat allergy testing was performed. The repeat testing showed reaction to chromium, copper, and molybdenum, minor components of the steel bar. Resolution of his complaints was obtained only after removal of the implanted bars.
Computational Investigations of Carbenium Ion Reactions Relevant to Sterol Biosynthesis

Computational studies of carbenium ions relevant to sterol biosynthesis via lanosterol synthase were undertaken to determine fundamental energetics underlying cyclization steps. Ab initio B3LYP/6-31G*//B3LYP/6-31G* calculations were performed for the addition of 2-methyl-2-propyl cation and 2-methylpropene to represent a tertiary cation → tertiary cation cyclization. Solvent effects were included by Monte Carlo (MC) simulations in methylene chloride, methanol, and THF. The picture that emerges for a cation−olefin cyclization is one of barrierless collapse at short distance, while desolvation and conformational barriers are expected for initial separations beyond ca. 5 A. Thus, the cyclization that forms the sterol B ring likely proceeds in barrierless concert with A-ring formation in the preorganized environment of a cyclase enzyme. However, C-ring formation appears to involve a tertiary → secondary cation rearrangement. This was modeled by ab initio and MC calculations for the interconversion of the C11 ...
Immobilization of DNAzyme catalytic beacons on PMMA for Pb2+ detection

Due to the numerous toxicological effects of lead, its presence in the environment needs to be effectively monitored. Incorporating a biosensing element within a microfluidic platform enables rapid and reliable determinations of lead at trace levels. A microchip-based lead sensor is described here that employs a lead-specific DNAzyme (also called catalytic DNA or deoxyribozyme) as a recognition element that cleaves its complementary substrate DNA strand only in the presence of cationic lead (Pb2+). Fluorescent tags on the DNAzyme translate the cleavage events to measurable, optical signals proportional to Pb2+ concentration. The DNAzyme responds sensitively and selectively to Pb2+, and immobilizing DNAzyme in the sensor permits both sensor regeneration and localization of the detection zone. Here, the DNAzyme has been immobilized on a PMMA surface using the highly specific biotin–streptavidin interaction. The strategy includes using streptavidin physisorbed on a PMMA surface to immobilize DNAzyme both on planar PMMA and on the walls of a PMMA microfluidic device. The immobilized DNAzyme retains its Pb2+ detection activity in the microfluidic device and can be regenerated and reused. The DNAzyme shows no response to other common metal cations and the presence of these contaminants does not interfere with the lead-induced fluorescence signal. While prior work has shown lead-specific catalytic DNA can be used in its solubilized form and while attached to gold substrates to quantitate Pb2+ in solution, this is the first use of the DNAzyme immobilized within a microfluidic platform for real time Pb2+ detection.
An investigation of pulsatile flow past two cylinders as a model of blood flow in an artificial lung

Pulsatile flow across two circular cylinders with different geometric arrangements is studied experimentally using the particle image velocimetry method and numerically using the finite element method. This investigation is motivated the need to optimize gas transfer and fluid mechanical impedance for a total artificial lung, in which the right heart pumps blood across a bundle of hollow microfibers. Vortex formation was found to occur at lower Reynolds numbers in pulsatile flow than in steady flow, and the vortex structure depends strongly on the geometric arrangement of the cylinders and on the Reynolds and Stokes numbers.
Replacement of Marine Feedstuffs with Stabilized Poultry Protein Meal and Fat in Practical Diets for Sunshine Bass, Morone chrysops × M. saxatilis

We evaluated production performance and fillet composition of sunshine bass fed increasing levels of stabilized poultry protein meal (PM) and poultry fat (PO) to replace menhaden fish meal (FM) and/or oil (FO) in diets. The control diet included 200 g/kg (dry matter basis) FM and 98 g/kg FO. In eight treatment diets, 50% or 100% of the FM and/or FO were replaced with PM and PO. Each diet was fed to four replicate tanks of juvenile sunshine bass for 10 wks. Survival, food conversion ratio, and liposomatic index were unaffected by dietary treatment, although consumption, growth, and HSI were reduced with complete FM replacement. Fillet lipid content and athero- and thrombogenicity indices differed with lipid source; substitution of FO with PO resulted in marked increases in dietary and fillet monoenes and n-6 fatty acids. Consistent with this, dietary and fillet n-3 and highly unsaturated fatty acids were reduced in fish fed more PO. FM replacement similarly affected fillet fatty acid profile, though to a l...
A Fast Preconditioned Iterative Solver for Unsteady Incompressible Flow Problems

This paper is concerned with the solution of unsteady incompressible flow problems using Marker and Cell finite difference discretizations and preconditioned Krylov subspace methods. Our emphasis is on the preconditioner that can be thought of a new splitting of the discretized equations. The preconditioner we focus on is the variation from the Hermitian and Skew-Hermitian (HSS) Splitting preconditioner. Such an preconditioner for the unsteady Oseen (linearized Navier -- Stokes) problems in two or three dimensions are described and experimentally compared.
Spatial summation of neurometabolic coupling in the central visual pathway

Noninvasive neural imaging has become an important tool in both applied and theoretical applications. The hemodynamic properties that are measured in functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), for example, are generally used to infer neuronal characteristics. In an attempt to provide empirical data to connect the hemodynamic measurements with neural function, we have conducted previous studies in which neural activity and tissue oxygen metabolic functions are determined together in co-localized regions of the central visual pathway. A basic question in this procedure is whether oxygen responses are coupled linearly in space and time with neural activity. We have previously examined temporal factors, and in the current study, spatial characteristics are addressed. We have recorded from neurons in the lateral geniculate nucleus (LGN) and striate cortex in anesthetized cats. In both structures, there is a classical receptive field (CRF) within which a neuron can be activated. There is also a region outside the CRF from which stimulation cannot activate the cell directly but can influence the response elicited from the CRF. In this investigation we have used several specific spatial stimulus patterns presented to either the CRF or the surrounding region or to both areas together in order to determine spatial response patterns. Within the CRF, we find that neural and metabolic responses sum in a nonlinear fashion but changes in these two measurements are closely coupled. For stimuli that extend beyond the CRF, neural activity is generally reduced while oxygen response exhibits uncoupled changes.
FTV : a sonar for tracking macrozooplankton in three dimensions

Abstract A three-dimensional sonar imaging system, Fish TV (FTV), was developed to observe the three-dimensional trajectories of macrozooplankton in situ . Consisting of two arrays of eight transducers, the sonar uses one of the arrays as a projector and the other as a receiver. In this way, a combination of 8 × 8, or 64 beams, is constructed. Spatial resolution is approximately 2° by 2° and the range resolution is 3 cm. The sonar is capable of recording up to five images every second. The data is stored digitally in a three-dimensional matrix which can be postprocessed. Tests performed in the lab with both test targets and freshwater shrimp indicate that the system has the sensitivity and accuracy to track euphausiids in the ocean. The system was deployed at sea on an ROV (Remote Operational Vehicle) and the tracks of euphausiid sized objects were recorded.
Suppressing a motivationally-triggered action tendency engages a response control mechanism that prevents future provocation.

Abstract Reward-predicting stimuli can induce maladaptive behavior by provoking action tendencies that conflict with long-term goals. Earlier, we showed that when human participants were permitted to respond for a reward in the presence of a task-irrelevant, reward-predicting stimulus (i.e. goCS+ trials), the CS+ provoked an action tendency to respond compared to when a non-rewarding CS− stimulus was present (i.e. goCS− trials). However, when participants were not permitted to respond, response suppression was recruited to mitigate the action tendency that was triggered by the motivating CS+ stimulus (i.e. on nogoCS+ trials) ( Freeman et al., 2014 ). Here we tested the hypothesis that repeated response suppression over a motivationally-triggered action tendency would reduce subsequent CS+ provocation. We compared groups of participants who had different proportions of nogoCS+ trials, and we measured CS+ provocation on go trials via reaction time. Our results showed that CS+ provocation on go trials was reduced monotonically as the proportion of nogoCS+ trials increased. Further analysis showed that these group differences were best explained by reduced provocation on goCS+ trials that followed nogoCS+ (compared to nogoCS−) trials. Follow-up experiments using a neurophysiological index of motor activity replicated these effects and also suggested that, following nogoCS+ trials, a response suppression mechanism was in place to help prevent subsequent CS+ provocation. Thus, our results show that performing response suppression in the face of a motivating stimulus not only controls responding at that time, but also prevents provocation in the near future.
A primary-backup channel approach to dependable real-time communication in multihop networks

Many applications require communication services with guaranteed timeliness and fault tolerance at an acceptable level of overhead. We present a scheme for restoring real-time channels, each with guaranteed timeliness, from component failures in multihop networks. To ensure fast/guaranteed recovery, backup channels are set up a priori, in addition to each primary channel. That is, a dependable real-time connection consists of a primary channel and one or more backup channels. If a primary channel fails, one of its backup channels is activated to become a new primary channel. We propose a protocol which provides an Integrated solution for dependable real-time communication in multihop networks. We also present a resource sharing method that significantly reduces the overhead of backup channels. Good coverage (in recovering from failures) is shown to be achievable with about 30 percent degradation in network utilization under a reasonable failure condition. Moreover, the fault tolerance level of each dependable connection can be controlled, independently of other connections, to reflect its criticality.
Managing Special Needs and Treatment Approaches of Intercountry Adoptees and Families

This article examines the contemporary context of intercountry placement to the United States and the special needs of internationally adopted children. Families who adopt internationally may face tremendous challenges in meeting the needs of their children. Treatment models adapted for intercountry adoptees and their families are discussed. Finally, policy and practice recommendations are presented.
Cr-TiO 2 as an L-band maser material

The inverted susceptibility is used as a figure of merit to discuss the maser properties of Cr-TiO 2 at L -band frequencies. This material has the advantage of a high inversion ratio and narrow linewidth resulting in a gain per unit length 10 to 25 times larger than for ruby in the liquid helium temperature range. The optimum concentration of Cr3+is found to be around 0. 016 percent from measured data at 1.4 Gc/s. The gain calculated from the figure of merit agrees with measurements on an actual 1.4 Gc/s traveling-wave maser. The decrease in inversion ratio with increasing Cr3+concentration is an important factor which determines the behavior of the figure of merit. This variation is shown to be consistent with calculations based on a simplified spin-lattice relaxation model.
Orphism in the Poetry of Blaise Cendrars

The story of Orpheus has undergone numerous changes in religion and poetry throughout the ages. My essay on Blaise Cendrars is the first study of him in an orphie context. He does not transpose the Orpheus myth directly. Rather, Cendrars contributes to the story of modern orphie poetry by the personal expression he gives to certain orphie concepts and themes. His poetic vision consists of the exploration of his being, the primacy of subjectivity, and the autonomy of the thought processes. Although Cendrars is usually considered an avant-garde poet of the early twentieth century, this article demonstrates that he can be placed in the heritage of Symbolism by the particular use he makes of autonomous thought as a creative means. In this regard, references are made to poems of Mallarme. This article is available in Studies in 20th Century Literature: http://newprairiepress.org/sttcl/vol3/iss2/4 ORPHISM IN THE POETRY OF BLAISE CENDRARS HOWARD NITZBERG Monmouth College
Surgical Anatomy of the Lumbar Vessels: Implications for Retroperitoneal Surgery

The lumbar vessels in the retroperitoneum must be addressed during many urological and vascular procedures. Few studies have assessed the exact pattern of the lumbar vasculature, and most anatomical descriptions suggest the presence of a generally regular pattern. The number and location of the infrarenal lumbar arteries and veins were documented in 102 consecutive retroperitoneal lymph node dissections. Anomalies of the renal vessels were also noted. The lumbar arteries followed a fairly regular pattern and individual variation occurred mainly in the number of lumbar arteries exiting the aorta (range 2 to 4). Great variation existed among the lumbar veins. The most common pattern of lumbar arteries (60% of the cases) included 3 paired vessels exiting posteriorly at every third of the infrarenal aorta and coursing diagonally toward the lumbar foramina. There was great variation in the number and location of lumbar veins along the inferior vena cava. Commonly 3 lumbar veins entered on the left (44%) and 2 on the right (37%) sides. A lumbar vein entering the left renal vein was documented in 43% of the cases. Accessory renal arteries were found in 24 cases (24%). The number and course of the lumbar vessels are more variable than previously described in the medical literature. Knowledge of these anatomical variations is important for surgeons operating in the retroperitoneum. Several techniques to maintain control of the lumbar vessels are described.
Choosing for me or choosing for you: value in medial prefrontal cortex.

Our understanding of the neural mechanisms of value-based decision making has increased dramatically in the last decade. Much of this progress has been achieved with the adoption of formal mathematical models that can be used to explain the process by which we compute values for stimuli in the world and use those values to guide our choices (Montague et al., 1996; Glimcher and Rustichini, 2004; Daw et al., 2005). By mapping components of these mathematical models to neural activity (a technique called computational fMRI; O’Doherty et al., 2007), it has been possible not only to determine whether a region is engaged under a condition of interest, but also to make inferences about the nature of the computations being implemented. More recently, efforts have been made to expand the application of this method to choice problems with a social component (Hampton et al., 2008; Suzuki et al., 2012) These studies have reaffirmed the roles of key areas of prefrontal cortex such as dorsomedial prefrontal cortex (dmPFC), known previously to be engaged in tasks requiring social cognition (Amodio and Frith, 2006), and ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC), known to be involved in value-based choice (Hare et al., 2008). But, more importantly, such studies are beginning to yield insights into the specific components of the choice processes in which these areas are implicated. In a new study published in the current issue of Neuron, Nicolle et al. (2012) used computational fMRI to investigate whether the neural substrates of value are sensitive to the distinction between actions evaluated based on their direct value to the self and those evaluated based on their value to others.
Growth and developmental body composition of the cebus monkey (Cebus albifrons)

The carcasses of 37 Cebus albifrons, Colombia (19 male, 17 female, 1 unknown) with ages ranging from premature stillborn to 8 yr, were analyzed for body composition. The absolute content of water, protein, fat, and ash were determined by standard techniques and were analyzed as functions of carcass weight and age. The weight of the carcass was directly proportional to the whole body weight over the entire range of weights studied. All parameters but fat were linearly related to carcass weight; the relationships of protein and water to age were best described by exponential equations, whereas that of ash to age was linear. Variability in the fat content of the carcass precluded the fitting of predictive equations on the basis of either weight or age. Analysis of the relative (percent) composition of both the whole and fat-free carcass provided exponential equations to describe the pattern of development of protein, water, and their ratio. Using these mathematical models, it was calculated that chemical maturity, with regard to water and protein, probably occurred by 8 wk of age. Percent ash composition of whole carcass and fat-free carcass was described by linear equations. Longitudinal growth data from 89 male and 76 female C. albifrons, born and reared in the departmental breeding colony, were obtained over 12 yr. An exponential equation relating body weight to age (R2 = 0.999) described the patern of growth for the first 2 yr of life; thereafter, the pattern was more varied as the animals approached and reached sexual maturity.
Large asymmetrical temperature trends at Mount Wilson, California

We compiled and analyzed a daily time series of temperatures and precipitation totals from Mount Wilson, California from 1918 to 1998. Our results show a large decline in maximum temperature, no change or an upward trend in minimum temperature, and a substantial decline in the diurnal temperature range (DTR). The interannual variations in monthly maximum temperature and DTR are significantly correlated with monthly precipitation levels, sea-surface temperatures (SSTs) off the coast of Southern California, and the Southern Oscillation Index (SOI). El Nino periods and/or months with high SST anomalies tend to be wet with lower maximum temperatures and DTR while La Nina periods and/or months of lower SSTs are hotter and drier with higher DTR values. It is noteworthy that the SOI and SSTs have significant trends toward more El Nino-like conditions with higher SSTs off Southern California.
A study on multiple views for tree visualization

Different visual representations of a tree can provide different views of the same data, leading the viewer to obtain different information, and gain different knowledge. Any visual representation of a tree, therefore, may potentially obscure some important aspects of the data, or sometimes even mislead the user. We create Tree-Panels, a tree visualization system that provides four simultaneous visualizations of a tree. Our user study shows that different tree representations used in Tree-Panels can uncover different and complementary information about the data.
Characteristics of the Magnetic Attenuator at UHF

Certain ferromagnetic materials such as ferrites have considerable loss at frequencies in excess of 30 mc. This loss can be controlled by producing a magnetic field in the material by external means, such as an electromagnet. This principle is used in the small electrically controlled variable attenuator for coaxial lines which is described. The performance of the attenuator at ultra-high frequencies is given for a specific attenuator using a number of suitable materials. The design and applications of the attenuator are also discussed.
Tellurium bonding in amorphous Ge2Sb2Te4, Ge2Sb2Te5 and Ge2Sb2Te7: A 125Te NMR investigation

Abstract We have investigated the frequency-space nuclear magnetic resonance spectrum of 125Te in the amorphous forms of Ge2Sb2Tex (x = 4, 5, and 7). The results indicate that there is one distinct tellurium site in the a-Ge2Sb2Te4 and a-Ge2Sb2Te7 and two tellurium sites in the a-Ge2Sb2Te5. The width of the frequency-space spectra suggests that there is significant disorder about the average site for all cases. In light of recent extend X-ray absorption fine structure results, the a-Ge2Sb2Te4 and a-Ge2Sb2Te7 spectra may be the nuclear magnetic resonance fingerprint of three and twofold coordinated tellurium, respectively. The a-Ge2Sb2Te5 spectrum can be reproduced reasonably well with Gaussian components that are very similar to those components needed to model the a-Ge2Sb2Te4 and a-Ge2Sb2Te7 data. These consistencies in the modeling strongly suggest that the average Te structural units occurring in the latter two compounds are the most prominent Te sites in a-Ge2Sb2Te5.
Dynamically adapting training systems based on user interactions

Game-based simulation systems are increasingly being used to train users in several applications across government, industry, and academia. Designing game-based training systems that can measurably improve learning while providing an engaging training experience is a challenging problem. In this paper, we describe a novel framework that tightly integrates game-based training systems with instructional components using data analysis to address this problem. Intelligent training systems based on this framework dynamically adapt both the training and the instructional components to measurably improve learning in play sessions. We propose a three phase approach to automatically identify points in a play session to predict high-value future scenarios, validate predictions, and prescribe actions. A case study using the KDD Cup 2010 educational data set is described illustrating the effectiveness of the proposed approach.
Flicker Sensitivity and Apparent Brightness as a Function of Surround Luminance

Both brightness matching and sensitivity to sinusoidal flicker were measured for different contrasts using a 30′ test field surrounded by a 6° annulus. Test fields that produced 10 000-, 3000-, 1000-, 300-, 100-, and 30-td retinal illuminance were used. Matched brightness of the test field remained constant as surround luminance was increased from zero, then fell rapidly when the luminance of the surround was one tenth that of the test field. Flicker sensitivity followed a different function: It began to increase when the surround had one hundredth the luminance of the test field, reached a peak at one third, and then fell rapidly. The sensitivity enhancement was independent of flicker frequency. The results are attributed to spatial interactions in the visual system.
Supercapacitors Based on c‐Type Cytochromes Using Conductive Nanostructured Networks of Living Bacteria

Supercapacitors have attracted interest in energy storage because they have the potential to complement or replace batteries. Here, we report that c-type cytochromes, naturally immersed in a living, electrically conductive microbial biofilm, greatly enhance the device capacitance by over two orders of magnitude. We employ genetic engineering, protein unfolding and Nernstian modeling for in vivo demonstration of charge storage capacity of c-type cytochromes and perform electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, cyclic voltammetry and charge-discharge cycling to confirm the pseudocapacitive, redox nature of biofilm capacitance. The biofilms also show low self-discharge and good charge/discharge reversibility. The superior electrochemical performance of the biofilm is related to its high abundance of cytochromes, providing large electron storage capacity, its nanostructured network with metallic-like conductivity, and its porous architecture with hydrous nature, offering prospects for future low cost and environmentally sustainable energy storage devices.
Robust purchasing and information asymmetry in supply chains with a price-only contract

This article proves that information can be a double-edged sword in supply chains. A simple supply chain is studied that consists of one supplier and one retailer, interacting via a wholesale price contract, where one firm knows the probabilistic distribution of demand and the other only knows the mean and variance. The firm with limited distributional knowledge applies simple robust optimization techniques. It is proved that a firm’s informational advantage is not necessarily beneficial and can lead to a reduction of the firm’s profit, demonstrating the detriment of information. It is shown how the direction of asymmetry, demand variability, and product economics affect both firms’ profits. These results also provide an understanding of how asymmetric information impacts the double-marginalization effect for the cumulative profits of the supply chain in certain cases reducing the effect. The symmetric incomplete informational case, where both firms only know the mean and variance of demand, is also studi...
Quantum defect method applied to oscillator strengths

Abstract We use ideas from quantum defect theory to obtain approximate energy levels and oscillator strengths. The results are easily obtained, require little computer capability, and typically agree with detailed calculations to better than 5%. The method can be applied to cases where hydrogenic and scaling techniques are inappropriate.
A New Antagonist of Thiamine

4-AMINO-5-hydroxymethyl-2-methylthiopyrim-idine1,2 (I) is an inhibitory antagonist of the pyrimidine moiety of vitamin B1 (II)3. However, a thiamine-requiring mutant of Escherichia coli (strain M70–17) which can use II for growth will grow in the presence of I if the thiazole moiety of thiamine is also supplied. One possible explanation of this is that, under these conditions, the pyrimidine I is being converted to a functional thiamine-like compound. Consequently, it was decided to synthesize the thiamine analogue derived from I, which would differ from thiamine only in the nature of the 2-substituent, and which, on the basis of a recently proposed mechanism of thiamine action4, might be expected to have thiamine activity.
Use of laser fluorescence for the early detection of dental caries

Dental caries continues to be the most prevalent oral disease in spite of remarkable progress made during the past half- century to reduce its prevalence. Conventional procedures for caries detection are unable to detect the lesions until they are well advanced and involve about one-third of the thickness of enamel. Laboratory research on alternative caries detection methods based upon alterations in the conductance and optical properties associated with enamel demineralization has shown significant promise in recent years. Of these alternative measures, quantitative laser/light fluorescence appears to show the greatest promise for the detection of dental caries at a much earlier stage of development than is currently possible. A clinical trial was initiated in 150 children to evaluate, compare and validate several caries detection methods; in addition to the conventional diagnostic procedure, these detection methods involved quantitative light fluorescence, electrical conductivity, and direct digital radiography. Although the clinical trial is not yet complete, early results suggest the possibility for the earlier detection of dental caries with these alternative methods.
Horse preference for orientation during transport and the effect of orientation on balancing ability

Abstract The preferred orientation of horses when hauled in a 16 m long commercial straight-deck, topless trailer (16 wheels) was determined when horses were either: tied to the left side of the trailer (TL, n =12), tied to the right (TR, n =12), or loose (L, n =12). Four horses at a time were transported four laps around a 3.6 km rectangular course, reversing direction each lap, for a total of 14.4 km. The course had artificial bumps, one 90° turn, one 45° turn, one 135° turn, five straight-aways, and a hard stop at the end of each lap. The orientation (angle) of each horse and the number of seconds spent in that angle were recorded using overhead video cameras. The TL horses spent the greatest percentage of time (52%) facing away from the direction of travel between the 22° and 67°. The TR horses spent the greatest percentage of time (59%) facing the direction of travel between 112° and 157°. The loose horses spent the greatest percentage of time (57%) facing the direction of travel, between 22° to the left of, and 67° to the right of parallel. To investigate a horse's balancing ability when confined to different orientations within the trailer, four orientations were used with at least eight horses per orientation: Slanted 45° Forwards, Slanted 45° Backwards, Parallel Forwards, and Parallel Backwards. The Parallel Backwards treatment group slipped more than the Parallel Forwards, Slant Backwards, and Slant Forwards treatments ( p =0.03), but there were no other treatment effects ( p >0.10). Unshod horses had more foreleg movements than shod horses ( p =0.05), but only had a tendency for more hindleg movements and slipping ( p p >0.10). Overall, there was a slight preference for a 45° orientation, no preference for facing either away from or towards the direction of travel, and balancing ability was not meaningfully affected by the orientations evaluated in this study.
Inverse planning for functional image-guided intensity-modulated radiation therapy.

Radiation therapy is an image-guided process whose success critically depends on the imaging modality used for treatment planning and the level of integration of the available imaging information. In this work, we establish a dose optimization framework for incorporating metabolic information from functional imaging modalities into the intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) inverse planning process and to demonstrate the technical feasibility of planning deliberately non-uniform dose distributions in accordance with functional imaging data. For this purpose, a metabolic map from functional images is discretized into a number of abnormality levels (ALs) and then fused with CT images. To escalate dose to the metabolically abnormal regions, we assume, for a given spatial point, a linear relation between the AL and the prescribed dose. But the formalism developed here is independent of the assumption and any other relation between AL and prescription is applicable. For a given AL and prescription relation, it is only necessary to prescribe the dose to the lowest AL in the target and the desired doses to other regions with higher AL values are scaled accordingly. To accomplish differential sparing of a sensitive structure when its functional importance (FI) distribution is known, we individualize the tolerance doses of the voxels within the structure according to their FI levels. An iterative inverse planning algorithm in voxel domain is used to optimize the system with inhomogeneous dose prescription. To model intra-structural trade-off, a mechanism is introduced through the use of voxel-dependent weighting factors, in addition to the conventional structure specific weighting factors which model the inter-structural trade-off. The system is used to plan a phantom case with a few hypothetical functional distributions and a brain tumour treatment with incorporation of magnetic resonance spectroscopic imaging data. The results indicated that it is technically feasible to produce deliberately non-uniform dose distributions according to the functional imaging requirements. Integration of functional imaging information into radiation therapy dose optimization allows for consideration of patient-specific biologic information and provides a significant opportunity to truly individualize radiation treatment. This should enhance our capability to safely and intelligently escalate dose and lays the technical foundation for future clinical studies of the efficacy of functional imaging-guided IMRT.
The outpatient medical encounter and elderly patients.

Older Americans are more affected by the changing health care environment than any other population group. Older adults represent the fastest growing population segment of the United States, and their demand for health care services is increasing exponentially. As summarized by Beisecker; the average number of outpatient physician visits made by older people is already 150% higher than those made by the general population; the number of doctor visits for people 65 to 74 years of age is expected to double in the coming decades and the number of visits by those 75 years of age and older is expected to quadruple. Within this context, a fundamental concern of older people in the health care debate is how system changes might negatively effect and diminish patients’ relationships with their doctors. Although health care reform and new economies of service and practice promise societal benefit, they also pose new threats to the patient-physician relationship. The seriousness of these threats has been articulated by numerous authors with the common fear that communication may be curtailed by practice efficiencies and productivity requirements that pressure physicians to see more patients in shorter time periods. For Mechanic,29 the consequences of time pressures go to the very core of the doctor-patient relationship by undermining trust; inhibiting patients from revealing concerns, particularly those of a sensitive psychosocial nature; and inhibiting their doctors from responding appropri