cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Effects of Prematurity, Prolonged Intubation, and Chronic Lung Disease on the Neonatal Airway

Over the past four decades, advances in neonatal intensive care have led to the survival of smaller and more immature infants. The improved survival of very low birth weight infants (VLBW) is associated with long-term respiratory morbidity, most commonly in the form of bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD). The preterm birth rate (less than 37 completed weeks of gestation) rose by more than one-third from 1981 to a peak in 2006 in the USA.
Self-financed candidates in congressional elections

Many Americans have asked this question in the face of skyrocketing campaign spending by candidates and parties. Then, in the 1990s, came a wave of wealthy individuals whose deep pockets seemed to be buying political offices across the country. Our worst suspicions were confirmed. Or were they? What effect do self-financers really have on electoral outcomes? Jennifer Steen's authoritative empirical study of self-financed candidates is a landmark in American politics. Steen thoroughly disproves the notion that self-funded candidates can buy a legislative seat, proving that the vast majority of self-financers do not win their elections. Instead, her book gives us a truer understanding of self-financers' actual influence on campaign competition and rhetoric.
Einstein observations of active galaxies

In this paper we present a detailed discussion of the Einstein observations of Centaurus A (NGC5128). We then briefly describe the Einstein imaging results on Seyfert galaxies. We conclude with a discussion of our observations of time variations in Seyfert galaxies and quasars.
Utilizing technology effectively to improve Millennials' educational performance: An exploratory look at business students' perceptions

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to discuss how technological tools, such as Web 2.0 and online learning management systems, can be utilized to improve Millennials' educational performance.Design/methodology/approach – An exploratory survey of Millennial business students was conducted to measure their self‐reported use and perceived effectiveness of a variety of hardware, traditional, and Web 2.0 tools.Findings – An exploratory study of business students finds that course websites and online assessments are the technological tools they report using most often. The technology tools that business students perceive as most effective include personal computers, laptop computers, course websites, discussion groups, message boards, and online assessments.Research limitations/implications – This exploratory study looked only at business students' self‐report use and perceived effectiveness of technology tools. Future research is needed to examine other college students beyond business, to measure actual u...
Fatigue of Bolted High Strength Structural Steel

Results of fatigue tests on bolted connections in high strength structural steel conducted at the University of Illinois are presented. The principal parameter varied was the bolt type; one additional variation was included also. Constant amplitude fatigue tests were conducted at various stress ratios, with particular emphasis on zero-to-tension testing. The results indicate improved fatigue strength for high strength structural steel (yield strength = 50.0 ksi) compared to A36 steel. Connections with A325 bolts exhibit approximately the same fatigue strength as those in which A490 bolts are used. A comparison of results of present study with those from other sources indicates that stress based on gross section area gives a better correlation with the number of load cycles to failure of steel in bolted connections than net section stress.
Sodium 1,1‐Difluoroethanesulfinate

[1422738-67-7] C2H3F2NaO2S (MW 152.10) InChI = 1S/C2H4F2O2S.Na/c1-2(3,4)7(5)6;/h1H3,(H,5,6);/q;+1/p-1 InChIKey = YAUVUSSCQUHHFC-UHFFFAOYSA-M (difluoroethylation of heteroarenes in a single step1) Alternate Names: CH3CF2SO2Na, DFES-Na. Physical Data: not fully characterized. Solubility: soluble in water, methanol, DMSO, acetone, ethanol. Form Supplied in: pearly white powder. Analysis of Reagent Purity: sodium 1,1-difluoroethanesulfinate (DFES-Na) has been characterized by elemental analysis, IR, and 1H, 19F, and 13C NMR.1 Preparative Methods: DFES-Na can be prepared in four steps on decagram scale starting from commercially available 2-mercaptopyridine. Treatment of diethyl (bromodifluoromethyl)phosphonate under basic conditions generates a difluoromethyl carbene, which is intercepted by 2-mercaptopyridine. Subsequent oxidation with ruthenium tetroxide provides the Hu reagent.2 Alkylation of the Hu reagent with methyl iodide followed by pyridine cleavage generates DFES-Na (eq 1).1-3 (1) It is important to note that the Hu reagent can be employed as a versatile intermediate to generate other congeners of DFES-Na.1, 3, 4 For example, the Hu reagent was used to synthesize DAAS-Na that is used as a linker for biological applications.4 Handling, Storage, and Precautions: DFES-Na is a bench-stable reagent and can be stored under air without any precautions. It is important to note that TBHP must be added slowly and the reaction temperature should be kept at 0 °C until completion of the addition of TBHP on medium- to large-scale reactions (see TBHP5).
Evolutionary history of the marsupials and an analysis of osteological characters: Problems in understanding metatherian evolution

… present writer has pointed out the probability that the aplacental condition of most Marsupials is actually primitive, and that the placental connection in Perameles, like a multitude of other characters in which Marsupials resemble Placentals, has been independently acquired; in other words, that it represents a convergent or homoplastic development . However this may be, we have the more definite fact that the marsupials and Placentals are collateral and, in a certain sense, equivalent groups of common parentage; and this conception may be welcomed as clearing the way for a better perception of the details of their secondary evolution or adaptive radiation . Bensley (1903, p. 85) Importance of determining the order of appearance of diagnostic characters. – The relative age of different characters should in all cases be a primary object of research. The historical method (although open to many pitfalls) when judiciously applied seems more likely to lead to lasting phylogenetic results than the time honored method of setting down resemblances and differences between two animals…” . Gregory (1910, p. 112) The simple well corroborated theme in this section that underlies the scrutiny of a few areas of marsupial biology is that answers without history are very incomplete. Yet, this history cannot be deciphered without considerable input from a most current understanding of causality (proximal as opposed to more distal) of sundry biological processes and mechanisms.
1 On the origins of behavior structure

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the origins of behavior structure. With the advent of Darwin's account of evolutionary process in terms of selection, both structure and function in biology came to be seen as derivatives of selection, each reciprocally constrained by the other. The chapter discusses the way in which discriminated operant classes are established by contingencies. It discusses not only what separates one class from another, in the speciation of behavior classes, but also what holds the responses within a single class together. Behavior classes are created by common contingencies. That fact has implications not only for arbitrary classes but also for classes that seem to be structurally constrained by sensory capacities and/or the properties of the environment. Both the former and the latter classes necessarily involve common contingencies and the evidence forces the conclusion that, as in the analogous Darwinian account, behavior structure is a derivative of selection. Behavior structure is inevitably determined by contingencies. It does not follow that contingencies are independent of environmental structure. To acknowledge that the contingencies that determine behavior structure depend on environmental structure is to acknowledge the central and vital role of contingencies.
Scientific Calculating Peripheral

A scientific calculating peripheral for small intelligent data acquisition and instrumentation systems and for distributed-task processing systems is established with a number-oriented microprocessor controlled by a single component universal peripheral interface microcontroller. A MOS/LSI number-oriented microprocessor provides the scientific calculating capability with Reverse Polish Notation data format. Master processor task definition storage, input data sequencing, computation processing, result reporting, and interface protocol is managed by a single component universal peripheral interface microcontroller.
A unit-cell model of textile composite beams for predicting stiffness properties

Flexural stiffness properties of a textile composite beam are obtained from a finite-element model of the unit cell. Three linearly independent deformations, namely, pure extension, pure bending and pure shear, are applied to the unit cell. The top and bottom surfaces of the beam are assumed to be traction free. Periodic boundary conditions on the lateral boundaries of the unit cell are enforced by multi-point constraint elements. From the forces acting on the unit cell, the flexural stiffness coefficients of the composite beam are obtained. The difficulties in determining the transverse shear stiffness are discussed, and a modified approach is presented. The methods are first verified by applying them to isotropic and bimaterial beams for which the results are known, and then illustrated for a simple plain-weave textile composite.
Convergent Transmission of RNAi Guide-Target Mismatch Information across Argonaute Internal Allosteric Network

In RNA interference, a guide strand derived from a short dsRNA such as a microRNA (miRNA) is loaded into Argonaute, the central protein in the RNA Induced Silencing Complex (RISC) that silences messenger RNAs on a sequence-specific basis. The positions of any mismatched base pairs in an miRNA determine which Argonaute subtype is used. Subsequently, the Argonaute-guide complex binds and silences complementary target mRNAs; certain Argonautes cleave the target. Mismatches between guide strand and the target mRNA decrease cleavage efficiency. Thus, loading and silencing both require that signals about the presence of a mismatched base pair are communicated from the mismatch site to effector sites. These effector sites include the active site, to prevent target cleavage; the binding groove, to modify nucleic acid binding affinity; and surface allosteric sites, to control recruitment of additional proteins to form the RISC. To examine how such signals may be propagated, we analyzed the network of internal allosteric pathways in Argonaute exhibited through correlations of residue-residue interactions. The emerging network can be described as a set of pathways emanating from the core of the protein near the active site, distributed into the bulk of the protein, and converging upon a distributed cluster of surface residues. Nucleotides in the guide strand "seed region" have a stronger relationship with the protein than other nucleotides, concordant with their importance in sequence selectivity. Finally, any of several seed region guide-target mismatches cause certain Argonaute residues to have modified correlations with the rest of the protein. This arises from the aggregation of relatively small interaction correlation changes distributed across a large subset of residues. These residues are in effector sites: the active site, binding groove, and surface, implying that direct functional consequences of guide-target mismatches are mediated through the cumulative effects of a large number of internal allosteric pathways.
FETAL ECHOCARDIOGRAPHY PREDICTS CLINICAL PRESENTATION AND OUTCOME IN TETRALOGY OF FALLOT WITH ABSENT PULMONARY VALVE: A MULTICENTER STUDY

Tetralogy of Fallot with absent pulmonary valve (TOF/APV) is associated with high rates of perinatal morbidity/mortality. This study aimed to identify fetal characteristics in TOF/APV associated with clinical presentation/outcome. Fetuses with TOF/APV from 2002-2012 were retrospectively identified
Base Sequence Context Effects on Nucleotide Excision Repair

Nucleotide excision repair (NER) plays a critical role in maintaining the integrity of the genome when damaged by bulky DNA lesions, since inefficient repair can cause mutations and human diseases notably cancer. The structural properties of DNA lesions that determine their relative susceptibilities to NER are therefore of great interest. As a model system, we have investigated the major mutagenic lesion derived from the environmental carcinogen benzo[a]pyrene (B[a]P), 10S (
Structural analysis of a 3‐deoxy‐D‐arabino‐heptulosonate 7‐phosphate synthase with an N‐terminal chorismate mutase‐like regulatory domain

3-Deoxy-D-arabino-heptulosonate 7-phosphate synthase (DAHPS) catalyzes the first step in the biosynthesis of a number of aromatic metabolites. Likely because this reaction is situated at a pivotal biosynthetic gateway, several DAHPS classes distinguished by distinct mechanisms of allosteric regulation have independently evolved. One class of DAHPSs contains a regulatory domain with sequence homology to chorismate mutase—an enzyme further downstream of DAHPS that catalyzes the first committed step in tyrosine/phenylalanine biosynthesis—and is inhibited by chorismate mutase substrate (chorismate) and product (prephenate). Described in this work, structures of the Listeria monocytogenes chorismate/prephenate regulated DAHPS in complex with Mn2+ and Mn2+ + phosphoenolpyruvate reveal an unusual quaternary architecture: DAHPS domains assemble as a tetramer, from either side of which chorismate mutase-like (CML) regulatory domains asymmetrically emerge to form a pair of dimers. This domain organization suggests that chorismate/prephenate binding promotes a stable interaction between the discrete regulatory and catalytic domains and supports a mechanism of allosteric inhibition similar to tyrosine/phenylalanine control of a related DAHPS class. We argue that the structural similarity of chorismate mutase enzyme and CML regulatory domain provides a unique opportunity for the design of a multitarget antibacterial.
The cardiovascular abnormalities associated with duplicated segments of chromosome 7

congenital heart disease is an integral part of many genetic syndromes such as the major trisomies 13, 18, and 21. Little information, however, is available with reference to the incidence of cardiac anomalies in the trisomy 7 syndromes. Two patients with partial trisomy 7q, one of whom had congenital heart disease, are presented. A reviews of the literature reveals incomplete description of the cardiovascular abnormalities in the majority of case reports of patients with this syndrome, however, when described it appears that there are no specific defects associated with trisomy 7p and 7q, but only an increased frequency of occurrence. Further clinical and postmortem data regarding details of the congenital heart defects associated with trisomy 7 is requried to confirm this preliminary observation.
Panelist Texture Preferences Affect Sensory Evaluation of Green Bean Cultivars (Phaseohs vulgaris L.)

The effects of textural preferences on sensory intensity and hedonic scores assigned by consumer panelists (50 preferred “soft” and 38 “crisp” beans) to green beans (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) of two cultivars cooked by 2 methods were studied. Boiled and 'Strike’beans were rated lighter than steamed and‘Mustang’beans.‘Mustang’beans were scored more acceptable for color, flavor, and overall likability. Soft textural preference panelists liked steamed beans less than boiled beans for texture, flavor, and overall likability. Hedonic scores assigned by panelists of crisp textural preference did not differ by preparation method. Selecting panelists without considering textural preferences may influence hedonic but not intensity scores.
ε-N-Methyl Lysine in Myosin

DURING studies on the primary structure of certain regions of rabbit skeletal muscle myosin, we have found that this protein contains an average of 5.9 moles of the unusual amino-acid, e-N-methyl lysine, per 500,000 g of myosin. In analysing myosin digestion products we observed a trailing edge after the lysine peak which could be resolved from lysine and histidine only by altering the elution programme and extending the basic column. The conditions which provided a satisfactory resolution of this peak, as well as of 3-methyl histidine, which has previously been found in actin and myosin1,2, are as follows.
Enhanced metabolic vasodilation secondary to diuretic therapy in decompensated congestive heart failure secondary to coronary artery disease

Abstract Since sodium and water retention have been implicated as major factors limiting maximal metabolic vasodilation in congestive heart failure (CHF), the effect of rigorous diuresis on maximal vasodilatory capacity was studied systematically in 9 subjects hospitalized with decompensated CHF. Peak reactive hyperemic blood flow, measured by straingauge plethysmography, was used as an index of maximal vasodilatory capacity. After 24 hours of diuresis and a 2.2-kg weight loss, maximal flow increased from 19.9 to 26.1 ml/min · 100 ml (p
Public Management in Intergovernmental Networks: Matching Structural Networks and Managerial Networking

While there is considerable consensus on the importance of intergovernmental management for the performance of many public programs, theoretical work has been slow to develop, and systematic empirical research on the topic has been rare. This article explores intergovernmental management in the field of public education by testing parts of a model developed in earlier work. In an examination of many school districts over a multiyear period, the study focuses in particular on how structural features of relevant intergovernmental networks and also the networking behavior of top managers influence an array of performance results. Managerial networking, managerial quality, and selected stabilizing features contribute positively to performance. A pattern of nonlinear interactions is also evident among intergovernmental structure, management, and environmental forces.
MiR-378 as a biomarker for response to anti-angiogenic treatment in ovarian cancer.

Abstract Objective To determine the role of miR-378 as a biomarker for anti-angiogenic therapy response in ovarian cancer. Methods Expression of miR-378 was analyzed in ovarian cancer cell lines and human tumors vs. normal ovarian epithelial cells by qRT-PCR. After miR-378 transfection in SKOV3 cells, dysregulated genes were identified using microarray. Data from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) was utilized to correlate miR-378 expression with progression-free survival (PFS) among patients treated with anti-angiogenic therapy by using Kaplan–Meier and Cox proportional hazards. Results MiR-378 was overexpressed in ovarian cancer cells and tumors vs. normal ovarian epithelial cells. Overexpressing miR-378 in ovarian cancer cells altered expression of genes associated with angiogenesis (ALCAM, EHD1, ELK3, TLN1), apoptosis (RPN2, HIPK3), and cell cycle regulation (SWAP-70, LSM14A, RDX). In the TCGA dataset, low vs. high miR-378 expression was associated with longer PFS in a subset of patients with recurrent ovarian cancer treated with bevacizumab (9.2 vs. 4.2months; p=0.04). On multivariate analysis, miR-378 expression was an independent predictor for PFS after anti-angiogenic treatment (HR=2.04, 95% CI: 1.12–3.72; p=0.02). Furthermore, expression levels of two miR-378 targets (ALCAM and EHD1) were associated with PFS in this subgroup of patients who received anti-angiogenic therapy (9.4 vs. 4.2months, p=0.04 for high vs. low ALCAM; 7.9 vs. 2.3months, p Conclusions Our data suggest that miR-378 is overexpressed in ovarian cancer cells and tumors vs. normal ovarian epithelial cells. MiR-378 and its downstream targets may serve as markers for response to anti-angiogenic therapy.
Covalent Functionalization of Surfactant-Wrapped Graphene Nanoribbons

Using diazonium chemistry, two different covalent functionalization methods for graphene nanoribbons (GNRs) were developed. In addition to direct diazonium salt addition, which has been reported previously for functionalization of graphene sheets and single-walled carbon nanotubes, an in situ route using an organic nitrite was successfully applied. This new method broadens the possibilities of functionality type since anilines can be used instead of preprepared diazonium salts. The resulting functionalized GNRs (f-GNRs) are readily soluble in organic solvents such as N,N-dimethylformamide and N-methyl-2-pyrrolidinone, which increases their solution processability. The f-GNRs were also found to be in a reduced state, with minimal sp2 carbon disruption, while keeping the ribbon shape. These organic-soluble ribbons might find applications in composites and thin film materials.
Detecting thermohaline circulation changes from ocean properties in a coupled model

[1] Significant changes of the thermohaline circulation (THC) are likely to cause abrupt climate change. Here we intend to find a simple measure to detect changes in THC through examining several factors proposed to control the THC variations using a coupled climate model. These factors are equatorial-South Atlantic upper ocean temperature, Southern Ocean freshening, inter-basin sea surface salinity contrast, and meridional steric height gradient. Three experiments are analyzed – a present-day control run, a freshwater hosing run and a 1% CO2 run. Results show that if freshwater flux is the primary cause, all examined factors can predict the THC changes. If both thermal and haline forcings are involved, only the Atlantic meridional steric height gradient gives a consistent measure of the THC variations. A new result presented here is that the inter-basin sea surface temperature contrast between North Atlantic and North Pacific is found to be an indicator of THC changes.
Effect of peptides of bovine myelin basic protein on dermal fibroblasts

Bovine basic protein (BP) was digested with purified bovine brain cathepsin D to produce well defined BP derived peptides 1-42, 43-88, 43-169, and 89-169. BP and these BP peptides were tested for their effects on cultured human dermal fibroblasts using a concentration range of 0.01-1,000 ng/ml. No effect was found on cellular proliferation, and neither total protein nor collagen synthesis was altered in the presence of these substances. Although preparations of brain which contain a fibroblast-growth factor also contain BP peptides, these results indicate that the purified BP peptides studied have no detectable biological effect on the growth of human dermal fibroblasts.
Callous-Unemotional Traits and Social Information Processing: Multiple Risk-Factor Models for Understanding Aggressive Behavior in Antisocial Youth

This study examined multiple risk factor models of links among callous-unemotional traits, aggression beliefs, social information processing, impulsivity, and aggressive behavior in a sample of 150 antisocial adolescents. Consistent with past research, results indicated that beliefs legitimizing aggression predicted social information processing biases and that social information processing biases mediated the effect of beliefs on aggressive behavior. Callous-unemotional traits accounted for unique variance in aggression above and beyond effects of more established risk factors of early onset of antisocial behavior, social information processing, and impulsivity. These findings add to recent research showing that callous-unemotional traits are a unique risk factor associated with aggression and criminal offending and suggest that targeting both affective and cognitive vulnerabilities may enhance clinical intervention with antisocial youth.
Sequential adaptive introgression of the mitochondrial genome in Drosophila yakuba and Drosophila santomea

Interspecific hybridization provides the unique opportunity for species to tap into genetic variation present in a closely related species and potentially take advantage of beneficial alleles. It has become increasingly clear that when hybridization occurs, mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) often crosses species boundaries, raising the possibility that it could serve as a recurrent target of natural selection and source of species' adaptations. Here we report the sequences of 46 complete mitochondrial genomes of Drosophila yakuba and Drosophila santomea, two sister species known to produce hybrids in nature (~3%). At least two independent events of mtDNA introgression are uncovered in this study, including an early invasion of the D. yakuba mitochondrial genome that fully replaced the D. santomea mtDNA native haplotypes and a more recent, ongoing event centred in the hybrid zone. Interestingly, this recent introgression event bears the signature of Darwinian natural selection, and the selective haplotype can be found at low frequency in Africa mainland populations of D. yakuba. We put forward the possibility that, because the effective population size of D. santomea is smaller than that of D. yakuba, the faster accumulation of mildly deleterious mutations associated with Muller's ratchet in the former species may have facilitated the replacement of the mutationally loaded mitochondrial genome of D. santomea by that of D. yakuba.
Differential assembly of polypeptides of the light-harvesting 2 complex encoded by distinct operons during acclimation of Rhodobacter sphaeroides to low light intensity

In order to obtain an improved understanding of the assembly of the bacterial photosynthetic apparatus, we have conducted a proteomic analysis of pigment-protein complexes isolated from the purple bacterium Rhodobacter sphaeroides undergoing acclimation to reduced incident light intensity. Photoheterotrophically growing cells were shifted from 1,100 to 100 W/m2 and intracytoplasmic membrane (ICM) vesicles isolated over 24-h were subjected to clear native polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Bands containing the LH2 and reaction center (RC)-LH1 complexes were excised and subjected to in-gel trypsin digestion followed by liquid chromatography (LC)-mass spectroscopy (MS)/MS. The results revealed that the LH2 band contained distinct levels of the LH2-α and -β polypeptides encoded by the two puc operons. Polypeptide subunits encoded by the puc2AB operon predominated under high light and in the early stages of acclimation to low light, while after 24 h, the puc1BAC components were most abundant. Surprisingly, the Puc2A polypeptide containing a 251 residue C-terminal extension not present in Puc1A, was a protein of major abundance. A predominance of Puc2A components in the LH2 complex formed at high light intensity is followed by a >2.5-fold enrichment in Puc1B levels between 3 and 24 h of acclimation, accompanied by a nearly twofold decrease in Puc2A levels. This indicates that the puc1BAC operon is under more stringent light control, thought to reflect differences in the puc1 upstream regulatory region. In contrast, elevated levels of Puc2 polypeptides were seen 48 h after the gratuitous induction of ICM formation at low aeration in the dark, while after 24 h of acclimation to low light, an absence of alterations in Puc polypeptide distributions was observed in the upper LH2-enriched gel band, despite an approximate twofold increase in overall LH2 levels. This is consistent with the origin of this band from a pool of LH2 laid down early in development that is distinct from subsequently assembled LH2-only domains, forming the LH2 gel band.
Pyrethroids and the economics of pest management

Pyrethroid insecticides effect excellent control of a wide range of insect pest species at low cost to the user. In outlets where a broad spectrum of pests occur, alternative compounds are often more expensive and frequently have to be combined to provide an acceptable spectrum of control. The benefits of the pyrethroids have led to their extensive and often exclusive use in many of these outlets around the world. However, such dependency on a single class of chemistry brings with it the attendant threat of resistance. Pyrethroid resistance has now been documented in many species of insect around the world and for several of these, changing to other insecticides has meant large increases in the cost of control programs. Analysis of the US insecticide market has shown that in 1987 the average insecticide cost to a mid-south cotton grower was $32 acre−1 (1 acre = 0-405 ha). A hypothetical case was examined where resistance to the pyrethroids occurred in one key pest, Heliothis virescens, the tobacco budworm. The level of resistance was defined such that 50 % of the normally pyrethroid-treated area was now treated with the most cost-effective alternative. Under these conditions, a mid-south grower would see the cost of insect control nearly double to $61-50 acre. Extrapolating such increases to the whole US cotton crop or to global cotton production would lead to increased insecticide costs of $230 × 106 and $1-4 × 109 per year, respectively. Making similar assumptions for all crops, the increased global costs of only a moderate amount of pyrethroid resistance could be as high as $2-4 × W9 annually. There is, thus, a very real need to maintain the pyrethroids as effective insect-control agents for as long as possible.
Spotting keywords and sensing topic changes in speech

Security concerns involved in dealing with sensitive information conveyed in human languages must be able to handle speech, which is the most basic, natural form of human communication and a huge amount of data are being generated daily. Dealing with such data is naturally associated with typical big-data problems in terms of both computational complexity and storage space. Unfortunately, compared with written texts, speech is inherently more difficult to browse, if no technical support is provided. In this paper we are interested in spotting keywords, which could reflect a security agent's information needs, and study its usefulness in helping automatically disclose topic changes (boundaries) in speech data under concern. Our results show that keyword spotting can help identify topics with a competitive performance.
Isotopic composition of lead from tektites

Abstract The isotopic composition of lead in three tektites and Libyan Desert glass is compared with that in known terrestrial and extra-terrestrial sources. The lead contained in the glasses is similar to modern terrestrial lead, particularly lead from modern oceanic sediments. The uranium, thorium and lead concentrations were determined for one of the glasses, an australite. Evidence is given which indicates that within the last tens of millions of years differentiation of uranium, thorium and lead occurred in the parent material of the australite. These results are difficult to explain in terms of any extra-terrestrial origin involving fusion of materials from the moon, meteorites or comets, but they are readily explained if tektites are of terrestrial origin involving fusion of argillaceous sediments in some unspecified way.
Predicting Performance on a Firefighter's Ability Test from Fitness Parameters

The purpose of this project was to identify the relationships between various fitness parameters such as upper body muscular endurance, upper and lower body strength, flexibility, body composition and performance on an ability test (AT) that included simulated firefighting tasks. A second intent was to create a regression model that would predict firefighter performance on the test. Thirty-eight experienced firefighters performed the AT and underwent assessments for the fitness parameters. Multiple regression analyses indicated that variation in the fitness parameters explained a significant, F(6, 36) = 6.31, p < .001, proportion (55%) of the variation observed in the AT. The results demonstrated that upper muscular strength and endurance as well as low body composition were significantly related (p < .01) to better performances on the simulated firefighting tasks. Variables such as low back and hamstring flexibility, upper and lower body strength, and body composition may contribute significantly to the ...
Gene-Coffee Interactions and Health

Coffee is one of the most widely consumed beverages in the world, and has been implicated in many health conditions. Coffee is a complex exposure with pleiotropic effects, and the physiological response to coffee varies among individuals. Epidemiological studies of gene-coffee interactions may inform causality, parse the constituents of coffee responsible for disease, and identify subgroups most likely to benefit from increasing or decreasing coffee consumption. Cancers, cardiovascular disease, Parkinson’s disease, and pregnancy outcomes have been the subject of gene-coffee interaction studies and have yielded promising preliminary results. Most studies have targeted the caffeine component of coffee and have examined only a limited number of genetic variants. Depending upon the disease of study, coffee appears to exert beneficial, adverse, or no effects, which may be more pronounced when accounting for genetics. With continued investment, studies of gene-coffee interactions promise to provide the necessary foundation for personalized coffee consumption recommendations.
Using rational idempotents to show Turyn's bound is sharp

Davis, Dillon, and Jedwab all showed the existence of difference sets in groups $${C_{2^{r+2}}\times C_{2^{r}}}$$ . Turyn's bound had previously shown that abelian 2-groups with higher exponents could not admit difference sets. We give a new construction technique that utilizes character values, rational idempotents, and tiling structures to produce Hadamard difference sets in the group $${C_{2^{r+2}}\times C_{2^{r}}}$$ to replicate the result.
σ Binding parameters in developing rats predict behavioral efficacy of a σ ligand

Abstract The relationship between σ binding and the behavioral efficacy of a selective σ ligand was examined in rats of varying ages (30,45,60,75,90, and 150 days old). Scatchard analyses of the binding of the σ radioligand [3H]1,3-di-o-tolyguanidine ([3H]DTG) to brain membranes revealed significant age-related differences in binding to both crude synaptosomal and microsomal fractions. The functional significance of these developmental changes in σ ligand binding was studied by determining the postural effects of rubral microinjections of DTG in age-matched littermates of rats used in the binding studies. The degree of dystonia produced by a single dose of DTG was significantly correlated with the amount of [3H]DTG bound to rat brain synaptosomal membranes at low but not at high concentrations. No significant correlation between binding to the microsomal fraction and drug efficacy was observed. These experimental results were in good agreement with predicted amounts bound as estimated from a Scatchard analysis of the data. The results suggest that σ binding sites found in brain synaptosomal membranes are functional receptors involved in the control of movement and posture.
Optimizing split/splitless injection port parameters for solid-phase microextraction

Desorption profiles of analytes using a conventional split/splitless injection port after solid-phase microextraction were determined in real-time by direct coupling of the injection port to a mass spectrometer. Desorption times for aromatic hydrocarbons increased with the analyte's boiling point, and decreased with injection port temperature. For example, naphthalene (b.p. 218°C) was efficiently desorbed in 60 s at 200°C, but only 15 s at 300°C. As expected, desorption profiles from a 7-μm poly(dinethylsiloxane) fiber were initially narrower than the 100-μm fiber; however, the profiles from the 7-μm fiber showed significantly more tailing indicating the presence of more available active sites (possibiy on the silica core) for thinner fiber coatings. All desorption profiles were wider than could be accepted for capillary GC, but good chromatographic peak shapes were obtained by cryigenic focusing in the GC column, increasing the GC column film thickness, and reducing the injection port liner volume from 1 ml to 0.25 ml.
Understanding algorithms through shared metaphors

User interface designers often face the problem of generating the appropriate metaphor to explain and facilitate unfamiliar, abstract processes. Determining what are the characteristics of metaphors that promote understanding abstract processes is difficult. My doctoral research studies this question by exploring what metaphors undergraduate-students use in understanding abstract processes, specifically computer algorithms, and what are the characteristics of those metaphors.I am also studying how these metaphors are used in a collaborative learning situation using a collaboration tool I am building. This tool helps students learn collaboratively through communicating their understanding with self-generated representations. This system will capture what metaphors the students are using, their communication concerning these metaphors and their ratings of each other's metaphors.
Radon transport in the earth: A tool for uranium exploration and earthquake prediction

ABSTRACT The222Rn concentration in the ground near the surface of the earth provides a sensitive signal for recognizing subterrestrial flow of fluids. Such flows can indicate the existence of regions of enriched222Rn and hence the presence of subsurface uranium ore. If such flows are caused by stress buildup prior to earthquakes, they can give premonitory signals. Systematic variations in near-surface radon have been observed near ore deposits and in earthquake zones, and are ascribed to subterrestrial flow of fluids. Changes in radon concentration have been seen that are not ascribable to earthquake-related effects. Temperature, pressure, moisture, and prevailing winds have been considered but do not correlate with the radon changes. Earth tidal triggering of these events is the only known possibility that presently cannot be ruled out; it is being assessed. Earthquake related changes in radon concentration have been measured at considerable distances from the hypocenters of earthquakes. A simple dislocation model leads to estimates of distance that increase to hundreds of kilometers at earthquake magnitudes of five and above. The essential components of the theory are that the stress from a dislocation loop varies at large distances × as x−3, while the stress value increases with the magnitude of the earthquake represented. A threshold sensitivity is inferred from our radon measurements associated with earthquakes near Blue Mountain Lake, New York. A global 222Rn-monitoring network is desirable for earthquake prediction.
n-Consistent robust integration-based estimation

We propose a new robust estimator of the regression coefficients in a linear regression model. The proposed estimator is the only robust estimator based on integration rather than optimization. It allows for dependence between errors and regressors, is n-consistent, and asymptotically normal. Moreover, it has the best achievable breakdown point of regression invariant estimators, has bounded gross error sensitivity, is both affine invariant and regression invariant, and the number of operations required for its computation is linear in n. An extension would result in bounded local shift sensitivity, also.
“They're Tryin' to Wash Us Away”: New Orleans Musicians Surviving Katrina

There has been a lot of post-Katrina talk about making Randy Newman's satirical ballad on the flooding of the Mississippi River, "Louisiana 1927," the new state song, and my title is taken from its refrain. "They're Tryin' to Wash Us Away" sums up the state of mind of many New Orleans residents these days, especially musicians. Those hard feel ings are related to slow government relief efforts, statements by self-appointed pundits that the city does not "deserve" to be rebuilt, perceptions of racism tied to mismanage ment of resources before and after the storm, and accusations that the city's levee systems were so faulty that the Federal Bureau of Investigation (fbi) is looking into possible corruption in their design, construction, and maintenance. Under such circumstances, the current state anthem, Governor Jimmie H. Davis's "You Are My Sunshine," seems bizarre and strangely inappropriate for the foreseeable future. But Davis's tune is actually much closer in spirit to the usual New Orleans musician's response to disaster; there has long been an inclination to use music to mitigate the harsh realities endemic to a city that finds itself perennially in harm's way. One can learn much about New Orleans by looking at how musicians respond to disaster and inquiring into how repertoire, the ex perience of exile, and the urban cultural environment have been affected by cataclysmic events, now and in the past. Catastrophe inevitably changes lives and forces individuals to adapt to unexpected and often painful realities, but it also affords opportunities for growth and discovery. Tradition, which always looms large in New Orleans culture, pro vides guidance and comfort, yet it remains dynamic. The drummer Johnny Vidacovich speaks for the city when he states: "Tradition can be a verb. It isn't over yet. It hasn't become history yet."1 An analysis of repertoire illustrates how New Orleans jazz musicians have indulged a predilection for escapism over the years. Unlike their Delta blues counterparts, they have steadfastly avoided topical songs about disaster. In 1938 Jelly Roll Morton talked to Alan Lomax at the Library of Congress about the Robert Charles riot (a murderous white ram page against the city's African American population in July 1900), but he never wrote a song about it. "Milneburg Joys," which evokes the relaxed ambience of picnics along Lake Pontchartrain, is characteristic of his penchant for themes reflecting joie de vivre. Most New Orleans composers fixate on the city's pleasure zones or on the behaviors associated
THE ASSOCIATION OF CRITICAL CARE TRAINING PROGRAMS WITH PEDIATRIC INTENSIVE CARE UNIT (PICU) MORTALITY. † 817

THE ASSOCIATION OF CRITICAL CARE TRAINING PROGRAMS WITH PEDIATRIC INTENSIVE CARE UNIT (PICU) MORTALITY. † 817
Study of complex hemodynamic fluctuations in the human brain by simultaneous near-infrared spectro-imaging and functional magnetic resonance imaging

In this paper we discuss temporal and spatial patterns of brain hemodynamics under rest and motor stimulation conditions obtained by functional magnetic resonance imaging and simultaneous fast multi-channel near-infrared spectro-imaging in the human motor cortex. Our data indicate that the main difference between the brain hemodynamics under the repetitive stimulation and the rest conditions is not in the appearance of hemoglobin concentration changes during the stimulations (since fluctuations occur at rest as well), but in their more regular, i.e. phase-synchronous with the stimulation behavior.
Ethical Issues in Split Versus Whole Liver Transplantation

Technologic advances in split liver transplantation have resulted in an ethical dilemma. Although splitting a liver maximizes the number of patients receiving an organ transplant, it may increase the morbidity and mortality for the individual patient receiving the split liver. This essay explores the ethical issues involved in the allocation of split livers, and proposes general policy guidelines for the allocation of split versus whole liver transplants.
Sensory deprivation vs. sensory stimulation during early development: a comment on Berkowitz's study.

The findings reported by Berkowitz (1) -are extremely interesting, informative, and consistent with theoretical formulations and experimental results relating sensory deprivation to stimulus-seeking behaviors, (4, 5, 6, 7, 9, 10). It is the intention of this comment to suggest that Berkowitz's conclusion (1, p. 192) that "The results as a whole do not support optimal-arousal theory; nor do they fall under the exclusive domain of any other extant theory of the phenomena" is not entirely correct and that his remarks "while the present data favor a deficit-oriented more than an optimal-arousal stance, unilateral application of the former to the infantile experience and/or sensory reinforcement areas is premature" (1, p. 194) is, in fact, not consistent with the early deprivation and stimulation literature. In the references listed above a theoretical formulation has been offered that sensory deprivation during early development leads to stimulus-seeking behaviors that are related to the sensory system that has been deprived; further, that hyperactivity, hyperreactivity, and increased violent-aggressive behaviors commonly reported following maternal-social deprivation in mammals represent forms of stimulus-seeking behaviors which are attributable to somatosensory deprivation and not to deprivation of the other sensory systems. With respect to underlying mediating neural mechanisms, this writer has extended and emphasized the relevance of Cannon's Law of Denervation Supersensitivity (10) in accounting for the neural-behavior effects of early sensory deprivation, as initially observed by Riesen (14). Riesen (11, 12, 13, 14, 15) can be constructively consulted for a thorough analysis of the many aspects of early sensory deprivation upon neural-behavioral ontogeny. Additionally, Cannon and Rosenbleuth (2), Stavraky (17), and Sharpless (16) may be consulted for a thorough and systematic treatment of denervation supersensitivity phenomena. It is the contention of this writer that early experimental
Genetic Aspects of Reproduction in Sheep

Maintenance of high levels of realized fertility (defined as the percentage of ewes that lamb) and appropriate levels of fecundity are critical for efficient sheep production. The optimal level of fecundity in most situations is well below the maximum attainable level and can be targeted by combining selection among and within breeds with use of an expanding array of single-gene mutations affecting ovulation rate and litter size. The heritability of litter size is approximately 0.10, allowing changes of up to 2%/year from simple mass selection. Mutations in several genes associated with the transforming growth factor beta superfamily (BMPRIB, GDF9 and sex-linked BMP15) can increase ovulation rates by 0.7-1.5 ova in heterozygous ewes. However, ewes that are homozygous for BMP15 or GDF9 mutations are sterile, so use of these mutations requires carefully structured breeding programmes. Improvements in fertility may be critical for autumn lambing or programmes that aspire to lamb throughout the year. Selection to improve fertility in spring matings has been successful; selected adult ewes have lambing rates of 80-85% in October and early November. The selected ewes have a dramatically reduced seasonal anestrus, and many ewes continue to cycle during spring and summer. Major genes affecting seasonal breeding have not been identified in sheep. Polymorphisms in the melatonin receptor 1a gene appear to be associated with seasonal breeding in some, but not all breeds. However, functional genomic studies of genes associated with circadian and circannual rhythms have potential to reveal additional candidate genes involved in seasonal breeding.