cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Common Antiviral Agents Used in Women's and Children's Care, Part 2

Antiviral agents that act in the later phases of the viral reproductive cycle are used primarily against human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Combination therapy for HIV with drugs from different categories is more effective than monodrug therapy in slowing disease progression and improving survival. Antiviral treatment for all pregnant women with HIV is recommended for prevention of vertical transmission. Procedures are discussed for postexposure prophylaxis for health care providers exposed to HIV.
Roles for school psychologists in the challenging Indian education landscape

India has very few school psychologists and school psychology as a discipline is almost non-existent. Further, the educational system in India, which is in great flux, has many needs that could be ...
Exploring Energy Expenditure and Body Movement of Exergaming in Children of Different Weight Status

PURPOSE This study examined differences in energy expenditure and bodily movement among children of different weight status during exergames that varied in mode and intensity. METHODS Fifty-seven 8- to 12-year-old children including overweight/obesity (n = 28) and normal weight (n = 29) played three 10-minute interval Xbox One exergames (Fruit Ninja, Kung-Fu, and Shape Up) categorized based on predominantly upper-, whole-, or lower-limb movement, respectively. The authors measured bodily movement through accelerometry and obtained energy expenditure and metabolic equivalent (MET) via indirect calorimetry. RESULTS Energy expended during gameplay was the highest in Shape Up (P .05). Based on the MET cut-points, overweight/obese children spent more time at light intensity (<3 METs) for Fruit Ninja (P < .05) and Shape Up (P < .01), but less time at vigorous intensity (≥6 METs) for Kung-Fu (P < .01) and Shape Up (P < .01). Lower-limb movements during Shape Up were less in overweight/obese children (P = .03). CONCLUSION Although children in both groups expended similar energy relative to their body mass during gameplay, overweight/obese children spent more time at light intensity but less time at vigorous intensity with fewer movements especially while playing a lower limb-controlled exergame.
Infrahyoid wandering carotid arteries.

Abstract Knowledge of retropharyngeal carotid arteries in patients is important in order to avoid potential catastrophic injuries. Previous studies demonstrated that carotid arteries can change in position at or near the level of the hyoid bone on serial scans. We report the presence of wandering carotid arteries at the level of the cricoid cartilage and superiorly in the neck of a 74-year-old female patient over multiple months. The potential for carotid arteries to randomly change positions in the suprahyoid and infrahyoid neck should be known by clinicians to avoid misdiagnosing occult neck masses and to avoid potential arterial injury during neck surgery. Although the exact etiology for wandering carotid arteries remains uncertain, we propose that reduced axial tension on carotid arteries and increased body mass Index may play a causative role.
A framework for centering racial equity throughout the administrative data life cycle.

Introduction Data integration by local and state governments is undertaken for the public good to support the interconnected needs of families and communities. Though data infrastructure is a powerful tool to support equity-oriented reforms, racial equity is rarely centered or prioritized as a core goal for data integration. This raises fundamental concerns, as integrated data increasingly provide the raw materials for evaluation, research, and risk modeling. Generally, institutions have not adequately examined and acknowledged structural bias in their history, or the ways in which data reflect systemic racial inequities in the development and administration of policies and programs. Meanwhile, civic data users and the public are rarely consulted in the development and use of data systems. Objectives This paper presents a framework and site-based examples of "Work in Action" that were collaboratively generated by a civic data stakeholder workgroup from across the U.S. in 2019-2020. Methods Purposive sampling was used to curate a diverse 15-person workgroup that used participatory action research and public deliberation to co-create a framework of best practices. Results This framework aims to support agencies seeking to acknowledge and compensate for the harms and bias baked into data and practice. It is organized across six stages of the administrative data life cycle-planning, data collection, data access, use of algorithms/statistical tools, analysis, and reporting and dissemination. For each stage, the framework includes positive and problematic practices for centering racial equity, with site-based examples of "Work in Action" from across the U.S. Using this framework, the workgroup then developed a Toolkit for Centering Racial Equity Throughout Data Integration, a resource that has been broadly disseminated across the U.S. Conclusions Findings indicate that centering racial equity within data integration efforts is not a binary outcome, but rather a series of small steps towards more equitable practice. There are countless ways to center racial equity across the data life cycle, and this framework provides concrete strategies for organizations to begin to grow that work in practice.
On a Reaction-Diffusion System Modeling Infectious Diseases Without Life-time Immunity

In this paper we study a mathematical model for an infectious disease such as Cholera without life-time immunity. Due to the different mobility for susceptible, infected human and recovered human hosts, the diffusion coefficients are assumed to be different. The resulting system is governed by a strongly coupled reaction-diffusion system with different diffusion coefficients. Global existence and uniqueness are established under certain assumptions on known data. Moreover, global asymptotic behavior of the solution is obtained when some parameters satisfy certain conditions. These results extend the existing results in the literature. The main tool used in this paper comes from the delicate theory of elliptic and parabolic equations. Moreover, the energy method and Sobolev embedding are used in deriving {\em apriori} estimates. The analysis developed in this paper can be employed to study other epidemic models in biological and ecological systems.
Near real time passive acoustic monitoring in the Santa Barbara Channel

The coastal waters off Southern California are feeding grounds for a variety of baleen whale species including blue whales, fin whales, and humpback whales. The feeding grounds overlap with highly used shipping lanes in the Santa Barbara Channel (SBC), increasing the risk of ship-whale interactions. In November 2019, a buoy equipped with a digital acoustic monitoring (DMON) instrument was deployed in the SBC and has been actively recording sounds and transmitting detection information in near real time since then. Data are transmitted in fifteen-minute summary periods of detected pitch tracks, which are reviewed by an analyst onshore for blue, fin, and humpback whale calls. Humpback whales were the most prolific callers, with detection rates reaching 80% of daily summary periods, whereas fin and blue whales rarely exceeded 20%. Baleen whale detections were low in late fall, with humpback whale detections increasing throughout winter and in spring and blue whale detections peaking during the summer. As part of the Benioff Ocean Initiative project to reduce whale strikes, these data are combined with visual surveys in the SBC and habitat models to produce a whale presence metric. This metric can be used by regional stakeholders to guide policy decisions and enhance conservation efforts.
Predicting outcomes of mechanically ventilated premature infants using respiratory severity score.

Extremely low birth weight (ELBW) infants have significant morbidities and higher mortality. The major morbidities are bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD), intraventricular hemorrhage (IVH) and retino...
Differentiated Instruction further Realized through Teacher-Agent Teaming:

Teacher-agent teams have the potential to increase instructional effectiveness in diverse classrooms. The agent can be trained on previous student assessment data to create a model for assessing st...
Therapeutic Assessment of Combination Therapy with a Neprilysin Inhibitor and Angiotensin Type 1 Receptor Antagonist on Angiotensin II-Induced Atherosclerosis, Abdominal Aortic Aneurysms, and Hypertension.

Combined neprilysin (NEP) inhibition (sacubitril) and angiotensin type 1 receptor (AT1R) antagonism (valsartan) is used in the treatment of congestive heart failure and is gaining interest for other angiotensin II (AngII)-related cardiovascular diseases. In addition to heart failure, AngII promotes hypertension, atherosclerosis, and abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAAs). Similarly, NEP substrates or products have broad effects on the cardiovascular system. In this study, we examined NEP inhibition (with sacubitril) and AT1R antagonism (with valsartan) alone or in combination on AngII-induced hypertension, atherosclerosis, or AAAs in male low-density lipoprotein receptor–deficient mice. Preliminary studies assessed drug delivery via osmotic minipumps for simultaneous release of sacubitril and/or valsartan with AngII over 28 days. Mice were infused with AngII (1000 ng/kg per minute) in the absence (vehicle) or presence of sacubitril (1, 6, or 9 mg/kg per day), valsartan (0.3, 0.5, 1, 6, or 20 mg/kg per day), or the combination thereof (1 and 0.3, or 9 or 0.5 mg/kg per day of sacubitril and valsartan, respectively). Plasma AngII and renin concentrations increased 4-fold at higher valsartan doses, indicative of removal of AngII negative feedback on renin. Sacubitril doubled plasma AngII concentrations at lower doses (1 mg/kg per day). Valsartan dose-dependently decreased systolic blood pressure, aortic atherosclerosis, and AAAs of AngII-infused mice, whereas sacubitril had no effect on atherosclerosis or AAAs but reduced blood pressure of AngII-infused mice. Combination therapy with sacubitril and valsartan did not provide additive benefits. These results suggest limited effects of combination therapy with NEP inhibition and AT1R antagonism against AngII-induced hypertension, atherosclerosis, or AAAs. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT The combination of valsartan (angiotensin type 1 receptor antagonist) and sacubitril (neprilysin inhibitor) did not provide benefit above valsartan alone on AngII-induced hypertension, atherosclerosis, or abdominal aortic aneurysms in low-density lipoprotein receptor–deficient male mice. These results do not support this drug combination in therapy of these AngII-induced cardiovascular diseases.
Thoughts on Legal Writing from the Greatest of Them All: Fred Rodell

This series tells us what the greatest writing teachers tell us about legal writing. In this column we feature Fred Rodell.
Transfer learning improves outcome predictions for ASD from gene expression in blood

Background: Predicting outcomes on human genetic studies is difficult because the number of variables (genes) is often much larger than the number of observations (human subject tissue samples). We investigated means for improving model performance on the types of under-constrained problems that are typical in human genetics, where the number of genes (features) are strongly correlated but may exceed 10,000, and the number of study participants (observations) may be limited to under 1,000. Methods: We created 9train9, 9validate9 and 9test9 datasets from 240 microarray observations from 127 subjects diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and 113 9typically developing9 (TD) subjects (a.k.a., the 9naive9 model). We trained a neural network model (a.k.a., the 9naive9 model) on 10,422 genes using the 9train9 dataset, composed of 70 ASD and 65 TD subjects, and we restricted the model to one, fully-connected hidden layer to minimize the number of trainable parameters, including a drop-out layer to further thin the network. We experimented with alternative network architectures and tuned the hyperparameters using the 9validate9 dataset and performed a single, final evaluation using the hold-out 9test9 dataset. Next, we trained a neural network model using the identical architecture and identical genes to predict tissue type in GTEx data. We transferred that learning by replacing the top layer of the GTEx model with a layer to predict ASD outcome and we retrained on the ASD dataset, again using the identical 10,422 genes. Findings: The 9naive9 neural network model had AUROC=0.58 for the task of predicting ASD outcomes, which saw a statistically significant 7.8% improvement through the use of transfer learning. Interpretation: We demonstrated that neural network learning can be transferred from models trained on large RNA-Seq gene expression to a model trained on a small, microarray gene expression dataset with clinical utility for mitigating over-training on small sample sizes. Incidentally, we built a highly accurate classifier of tissue type with which to perform the transfer learning. Author Summary: Image recognition and natural language processing have enjoyed great success in reusing the computational efforts and data sources to overcome the problem of over-training a neural network on a limited dataset. Other domains using deep learning, including genomics and clinical applications, have been slower to benefit from transfer learning. Here we demonstrate data preparation and modeling techniques that allow genomics researchers to take advantage of transfer learning in order to increase the utility of limited clinical datasets. We show that a non-pretrained, 9naive9 model performance can be improved by 7.8% by transferring learning from a highly performant model trained on GTEx data to solve a similar problem.
Taxing Interstate Remote Workers After New Hampshire v. Massachusetts: The Current Status of the Debate

Under the dormant Commerce Clause, Massachusetts, New York and other states emulating them violate their constitutional duty to apportion when they tax the income nonresident telecommuters earn remotely working at their out-of-state homes. Also for Commerce Clause purposes, nonresident telecommuters lack substantial presence to their employer’s state when such nonresidents work at their out-of-state homes. New Hampshire thus argued correctly in New Hampshire v. Massachusetts that, for Due Process purposes, Massachusetts taxed extraterritorially and unconstitutionally when Massachusetts taxed income earned by nonresident telecommuters from their homes outside Massachusetts’ borders. This issue will now wind its way through the state courts and will hopefully reach the U.S. Supreme Court on the merits.When the Court does confront the constitutional substance of this debate, the Court’s Commerce Clause and Due Process precedents compel protection for nonresident telecommuters who earn income at home. On the days interstate remote workers work at their out-of-state homes, they should not be income taxed by the states in which their employers are located.
Deep Learning-Based Photoacoustic Visual Servoing: Using Outputs from Raw Sensor Data as Inputs to a Robot Controller

Tool tip visualization is an essential component of multiple robotic surgical and interventional procedures. In this paper, we introduce a real-time photoacoustic visual servoing system that processes information directly from raw acoustic sensor data, without requiring image formation or segmentation in order to make robot path planning decisions to track and maintain visualization of tool tips. The performance of this novel deep learning-based visual servoing system is compared to that of a visual servoing system which relies on image formation followed by segmentation to make and execute robot path planning decisions. Experiments were conducted with a plastisol phantom, ex vivo tissue, and a needle as the interventional tool. Needle tip tracking performance with the deep learning-based approach outperformed that of the image-based segmentation approach by 67.7% and 55.3% in phantom and ex vivo tissue, respectively. In addition, the deep learning-based system operated within the frame-rate-limiting 10 Hz laser pulse repetition frequency rate, with mean execution times of 75.2 ms and 73.9 ms per acquisition frame with phantom and ex vivo tissue, respectively. These results highlight the benefits of our new approach to integrate deep learning with robotic systems for improved automation and visual servoing of tool tips.
The Mechanism of 6-Deoxyhexose Synthesis III. PURIFICATION OF DEOXYTHYMIDINE DIPHOSPHATE-GLUCOSE OXIDOREDUCTASE

Abstract A method for the preparation of highly purified deoxythymidine diphosphate-d-glucose oxidoreductase is described. The purified enzyme gives a single band on disc gel electrophoresis, has a molecular weight of 78,000, and contains 1 mole of bound DPN per mole of enzyme. Spectral evidence is presented that is in accord with the formation of bound DPNH in the course of the reaction. The increase in fluorescence of the enzyme after substrate addition is inhibited by prior incubation with product and seems to represent a change in enzyme conformation rather than DPN reduction. DPN analogues with a modified pyridine ring are bound to the enzyme, but yield inactive enzyme, whereas, deamino-DPN and other analogues with a hypoxanthine ring do not bind tightly to the enzyme. Thus the tight binding of DPN is due in large part to the adenine portion of DPN.
System Design under Uncertainty: Evolutionary Optimization of the Gravity Probe-B Spacecraft

This paper discusses the application of evolutionary random-search algorithms (Simulated Annealing and Genetic Algorithms) to the problem of spacecraft design under performance uncertainty. Traditionally, spacecraft performance uncertainty has been measured by reliability. Published algorithms for reliability optimization are seldom used in practice because they oversimplify reality. The algorithm developed here uses random-search optimization to allow us to model the problem more realistically. Monte Carlo simulations are used to evaluate the objective function for each trial design solution. These methods have been applied to the Gravity Probe- B (GP-B) spacecraft being developed at Stanford University for launch in 1999. Results of the algorithm developed here for GP-B are shown, and their implications for design optimization by evolutionary algorithms are discussed.
Microthermopiles integrated with fluidic channels as calorimetric MEMS biosensors

This paper presents the fabrication and preliminary performance characteristics of a calorimetric MEMS biosensor. The sensor consists of freestanding microthermopiles integrated with polymeric microfluidic channels. The fabricated microthermopiles on a freestanding nitride-oxide-nitride membrane have a responsivity of 1.8 V/W and a time constant of less than 100 ms. Continuous flow testing was performed with hot water a evaluate the performance of the sensors. Measurements of the heat of reaction from the oxidation of glucose catalysed by glucose oxidase enzyme were performed using an open channel configuration. These measurements indicate that the up to 1 mM (1 nmole) sensitivity can be achieved using the sensor in open channel configuration.
Longitudinal Motions of Taut Moorings

A general theory of the dynamic response of taut, elastic line buoy moorings to ocean waves was developed including the external hydrodynamic damping. A method to estimate the coefficient of skin friction on mooring lines was also developed. The range of the coefficient for the common ocean moorings was determined to be from 0.007 to 0.018. From numerical calculations for a surface-following type buoy moored with nylon rope, it was determined that the hydrodynamic damping can completely suppress resonance. In the heavily damped condition produced by large waves for relatively deep water mooring, it was found that only the upper part of the mooring line is in motion; and the dynamic tension at the buoy becomes large and proportional to the wave frequency, the 3/2 power of the wave height, and the square root of the skin friction coefficient on the mooring line, but independent of the whole length of the mooring line.
Parallel pulse correlation and geolocation

The identification and location of ground-based radars via orbiting receivers require the correlation of pulses, the determination of time differences of arrival, and geolocation. Data rates in emitter-rich environments would swamp single-CPU processors performing this operation. The authors present an innovative parallel algorithm developed specifically for this application on massively parallel computers. The algorithm is based on the parallel computation and analysis of a matrix containing the differences in the time of arrival of all pulses received in a time window, and on the parallel proof/disproof of hypothesized emitter locations. Output contains the number of emitters and their location and PRI (pulse repetition interval) sequence. The algorithm was tested on a 16 K processor Connection Machine. >
TREATING CLIENTS FAIRLY

The equitable distribution of maintenance, or care, services derives principally from the decision-making activities of the line workers in a service program. When program rules and guidelines are relatively general and awards are specific, workers develop functions which relate client need to program benefit. However, among counties and offices within a county, these functions may differ, resulting in inequitable service awards to clients. An empirical study of the In-home Supportive Services program in California reveals office distributive functions and determines the consistency with which workers follow them. Through factor analysis and linear regression, the distributive rules are made explicit so that workers can determine how they may be unintentionally treating clients unfairly.
Epidemiologic evidence on cocaine use and panic attacks

Experienced drug takers and clinicians report that cocaine causes panic attacks. This claim is supported by laboratory evidence on the pharmacologic activity of the drug. In this paper, the authors have used an epidemiologic strategy to examine the suspected cocaine-panic association, with interview data from 5,896 adult household residents sampled in the early 1980s and followed prospectively for a collaborative multisite study of mental disorders in five US metropolitan areas: New Haven, Connecticut; Baltimore, Maryland; St. Louis, Missouri; Durham, North Carolina; and Los Angeles, California. The risk of panic attacks was observed to be greater for identified cocaine users in this sample, as compared with subjects who did not use cocaine during the follow-up interval. The cocaine-panic association remained strong after statistical adjustment for preexisting psychiatric conditions, use of alcohol and marijuana, and suspected sociodemographic risk factors for panic attacks. The risk was greatest among cocaine users who reported no marijuana use during the follow-up interval (estimated relative risk = 13.0, 95% confidence interval: 2.24-75.8). The study also identified other determinants for panic attack, including sex, marital status, employment status, job prestige, major depression, and heavy drinking.
An Intersectoral, International Policy Fellowship Experience as a Framework for Faculty Development: The Marshall Memorial Fellowship

This paper describes the experience of a faculty physician at a historically Black medical school who participated in the Marshall Memorial Fellowship, an intersectoral, international experience in which emerging leaders explore political, economic, social, and cultural institutions. The fellowship facilitates collaboration and sharing these experiences within academia and the community.
World heritage: constructing a universal cultural order

Abstract Since the late 1970s, the formal designation of world heritage sites has grown exponentially. Today, there are over 900 such designations bestowed upon national treasures from every corner of the globe, which are believed to have “outstanding universal value” for humanity. At the heart of this world heritage movement is the belief that certain natural and cultural wonders are the collective property and responsibility of all humanity, despite having vastly different historical and geographical origins. What is more, this movement has helped foster a unique feature of contemporary globalization—the recognition of a common, universal heritage to which all societies contribute. But, how did this notion of a “world” heritage come about? Overall, these developments have received little attention from global sociologists. To address this lacuna, we chart the rise of this phenomenon over the past century and a half utilizing a variety of empirical information and explain how key patterns of development reflect fundamental globalization processes—such as the expansion of an interconnected world polity, the diffusion of highly universalistic conceptions of humanity, and the valorization of rationalized techniques as the primary means of human progress. We conclude with suggestions for future research from a global, sociological perspective.
Distribution and Abundance of Amphibian Larvae within Two Temporary Ponds in Central Ohio, USA

ABSTRACT We investigated the distributions of amphibian larvae within two temporary ponds in central Ohio. Spring Peeper Pond had higher densities of all taxa than did Taylor-Ochs Pond. All amphibian larval distributions were significantly aggregated on all sampling dates in both ponds. Larval abundances changed over time in Spring Peeper Pond, but not in Taylor-Ochs Pond. In Spring Peeper Pond, spring peeper tadpole densities were highest in the shallows, leopard frog tadpole densities were negatively related to temperature, and American toad tadpole densities were not related to any factor. Larval densities were not correlated with any environmental factor in Taylor-Ochs Pond. In both ponds, spring peeper and American toad tadpole densities were positively correlated for some dates and for the overall pooled dataset. Salamander larvae and spring peeper tadpole abundances were positively correlated on one date in Taylor-Ochs Pond. Our study points out that the factors that can explain tadpole distributio...
Graduate software engineering across international boundaries (poster): the first courses

The combined influences funding education and the availability of international communication has brought distance education to the forefront of educational efforts. This report describes the integration of the fist Software Engineering course with an initial group project, and the subsequent management of quality across culture, time, and distance.
Homage to the red queen. I. Coevolution of predators and their victims.

Abstract In this paper we develop a model to describe the coevolution of a two-species predator-victim ecosystem. Evolution among the predators acts to displace the predators' zero growth isocline, J , to the left, whereas victim evolution has the opposite effect. More important, we show that for many such systems, there is a value of J , J ∗, at which the rate of predator evolution exactly equals the rate of victim evolution. This value of J turns out to be a coevolutionary steady state (CSS) which is stable to perturbations. It is suggested that this analysis permits qualitative understanding of why certain real world predator-prey systems oscillate, whereas others do not.
Changes in a murine leukemia virus (MLV) receptor encoded by an alphavirus vector during passage in cells expressing the MLV envelope.

We constructed alphavirus vectors encoding the ecotropic murine leukemia virus (MLV) receptor mCAT1. Cells electroporated with these vector RNAs expressed mCAT1 protein and fused with cells that expressed a fusogenic form of the MLV envelope on the cell surface. Electroporated cells also released submicron particles that were infectious in envelope-expressing cells. Infection resulted in giant syncytia that could be enumerated by plaque assay. Cell-free supernatants could be serially passaged and contained up to 10(4) infectious units/ml. To determine whether repeated passage would select for functional variants of the receptor, we analyzed mCAT1 amplified by RT-PCR after 12 serial passages. Several amino acid substitutions were identified that encoded functional receptor variants. In independent experiments, variants containing an isoleucine or a leucine instead of a phenylalanine at position 224 in the third extracellular domain of the receptor arose spontaneously and outgrew the parental vector, indicating that mutations at this site are highly selected in this system. This region of the receptor has previously been implicated in the envelope-receptor interaction. This alphavirus vector system provides a novel method for generating and selecting functional variants of viral receptors
Health aspects of chloroform--a review.

ABSTRACTFirst prepared in 1831, chloroform was initially employed as an “ideal” anesthetic. Chloroform was later found to cause heart and liver damage and, with the discovery of safer agents, lost importance as a medical anesthetic. Today chloroform is used primarily as a solvent in industry, in the production of antibiotics, as a cleaning agent, and as an ingredient in pharmaceutical and veterinary formulations. A recent report issued by the National Cancer Institute implicates chloroform as a carcinogen in laboratory rodents. These findings, in conjunction with enforcement of the Delaney Clause have generated renewed interest in chemicals such as chloroform which are not only used in a variety of industrial applications, but which are also available to the general public in a number of food and cosmetic products.
Video assessment of finger tapping for Parkinson's disease and other movement disorders

Functional motor impairment due to Parkinson's disease and other movement disorders are currently assessed with visual rating scales such as the Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS). These methods rely on the subjective judgment of a rater to assign scores representing the extent of impairment while subjects perform prescribed activities. We describe a new model-based framework that uses statistical video processing to automatically track movement during prescribed activities. This approach has many advantages over traditional clinical rating scales. It can completely characterize movement during prescribed tasks over time objectively and precisely using hardware that is inexpensive and readily available. We demonstrate the potential of this framework with a simple statistical model applied to a paced finger tapping test. This technology could be deployed in a natural home environment for frequent assessments. This technology could ultimately improve both clinical practice and clinical trials.
Convexity and exponent inequalities for conduction near percolation

The bulk conductivity ${\mathrm{\ensuremath{\sigma}}}^{\mathrm{*}}$(p) of the bond lattice in ${\mathit{openZ}}^{\mathit{d}}$ with a fraction p of conducting bonds is analyzed. Assuming a hierarchical node-link-blob (NLB) model of the conducting backbone, it is shown that ${\mathrm{\ensuremath{\sigma}}}^{\mathrm{*}}$(p) (for this model) is convex in p near the percolation threshold ${\mathit{p}}_{\mathit{c}}$, and that its critical exponent t obeys the inequalities 1\ensuremath{\le}t\ensuremath{\le}2 for d=2,3, while 2\ensuremath{\le}t\ensuremath{\le}3 for d\ensuremath{\ge}4. The upper bound t=2 in d=3, which is realizable in the NLB class, virtually coincides with two very recent numerical estimates obtained from simulation and series expansion.
Commercial CIGS Solar Cells for Concentrator Applications

We studied the effect of concentration on commercial CIGS solar cells. Measurement results indicate 23% improvement in efficiency can be achieved under 20X. Methods to optimize concentrator cells for higher irradiance levels are also discussed.
Bridging the gap between business objectives and parameters of data mining algorithms

Abstract Data mining is being touted as having potential for discovering information that will contribute toward resolving business problems or creating business opportunities. However, before this potential can be realized, one needs to be able to relate the strategic objectives of a business to the use of the data mining technology. In this paper we focus on one aspect of that requirement, the translation of managerial goals into parameters of the algorithm being used to analyze the data. The first step in the process is to define a mapping from managerial goals to the performance measures of the algorithm. We then propose and apply an experimental approach using a classification algorithm, Probabilistic Inductive Learning, to develop a mapping between the performance measures and the parameters of the algorithm. The experimental results are analyzed and guidelines are given for setting the bias of the algorithm to meet managerial goals. We conclude by recommending that an experimental analysis similar to what we proposed be conducted for all data mining algorithms and provided along with documentation as an aid to the user.
GERD: GERD and insomnia-first degree relatives or distant cousins?

Two population-based studies highlight the detrimental role of night-time GERD symptoms on sleep quality. The studies reinforce the observation that loss of sleep is associated with night-time GERD symptoms, and that sleep loss from GERD is associated with decreased work production, increased use of health-care resources, and an overall reduction in quality of life for patients.
Listening Walks and Singing Maps

The Listening Walk by Paul Showers and illustrated by Aliki, and It’s My City: A Singing Map by April Pulley Sayre with pictures by Denis Roche, provide two examples of texts that aid in building children’s phonological awareness for reading and music. The author describes each narrative and discusses its function as a springboard to composition lessons in a primary and an upper-elementary general music classroom. Visual aids and examples of student work are presented.
Photoreduction Sites for 2,6-Dichlorophenolindophenol in Chloroplasts

2,6-Dichlorophenolindophenol (DPIP) is one of the many commonly used electron acceptors for the light-induced reactions in chloroplasts (2). Until recently, it has generally been assumed that it accepts electrons from the short-wavelength pigment system 2 (PS2). Since the finding that indophenol reduction can be coupled with photophosphorylation [see review by Vernon and Avron (8)], the possibility olf its reduction by the long-wavelength pigment system 1 (PS1) has also been suggested. Recently Kok et al. (5) reported a fast photoreduction of D'PIP in chloroplasts by using pulse illunination. The fast reduction was completely absent in the Scenedesmuis mutant No. 8 which lacks the long-wavelength reaction center P700. Thi.s note shows that sby means of sensitive difference spectrophotometry, photoreduction of DPIP at sites belonging to the 2 pigment systems in chloroplasts can readily be demonstrated.
T-S Fuzzy Tracking Control of a 2-DOF Rehabilitation Robot Using System Identification

Achieving excellent tracking performance for a 2-DOF rehabilitation robot actuated by pneumatic artificial muscles (PAMs) is very difficult, due to the high nonlinearity and time-varying behavior associated with gas compression and the nonlinear elasticity of bladder containers. This paper proposes a Takagi-Sugeno (T-S) fuzzy model control to improve control performance and establish a 2nd order system model using a recursive least square method. The proposed approach decomposes the model of a nonlinear system into a set of linear subsystems. In this manner, the design of the controller in the T-S fuzzy model is capable of using simple linear control techniques to provide a systematic framework with which to design a state feedback controller. The analysis of stability is performed by using the Lyapunov direct method. We employed the powerful LMI Toolbox of MATLAB to solve linear matrix inequalities (LMIs) to determine controller gains. Experimental results verify that the proposed controller can achieve excellent tracking performance.
Adolescent intermittent ethanol exposure diminishes anhedonia during ethanol withdrawal in adulthood.

Abstract Adolescent alcohol use may interfere with neurodevelopment, increasing the likelihood of adult alcohol use disorders (AUDs). We investigated whether adolescent intermittent ethanol (AIE) exposure alters the adult reward response to ethanol. Adolescent rats were administered ethanol once (moderate exposure; Cohort 1) or three times per day (severe exposure; Cohort 2) in a 2 days on/2 days off pattern. In adulthood, subjects responded for electrical stimulation directed at the posterior lateral hypothalamus in a discrete-trial intracranial self-stimulation (ICSS) procedure that provides current-intensity thresholds as a measure of brain reward function. The effects of ethanol administration and withdrawal were assessed. Control rats showed dose-dependent threshold elevations after acute ethanol, indicating reward deficits. A majority of moderately AIE-exposed rats (Cohort 1) showed threshold lowering after ethanol, suggesting ethanol-induced reward enhancement in this sub-set of rats. Rats exposed to severe AIE (Cohort 2) showed no threshold elevation or lowering, suggesting a blunted affective ethanol response. Daily ethanol induced threshold elevations 24 h after administration in control rats but not in either group of AIE-exposed rats, suggesting decreased sensitivity to the negative affective state of ethanol withdrawal. Withdrawal from a 4-day ethanol binge produced robust and enduring threshold elevations in all rats, although threshold elevations were diminished in rats exposed to severe AIE. These results indicate that AIE exposure diminished reward deficits associated with ethanol intoxication and withdrawal and may have increased ethanol-induced reward enhancement in a sub-set of rats. In humans, enhanced ethanol reward accompanied by reduced withdrawal severity may contribute to the development of AUDs.
On the promise of general-purpose parallel computing

Abstract It has become generally accepted that continued improvements in high-performance scientific computation will be achieved only through the ‘exploitation of parallelism’. Despite the nebulous nature of this expression, enthusiasm for the potential of parallel computing has led to calls for improvements in computational performance of more than a thousand-fold in the next few years, or for what is sometimes referred to as a Teraflop (one trillion floating-point operations per second) Computer. Such a system is envisioned as a general-purpose tool for accelerating progress in such widely varied applications as astronomy, biochemistry, circuit analysis, computational fluid dynamics, global economic modeling, high energy physics, materials science, structural analysis, and weather prediction. Although parallel architectures appear to offer the greatest promise for significant improvements in overall computational performance, it is not yet clear whether a general-purpose parallel architecture can realize the large increases solicited by the scientific community. This note will take a practical look at the prospect for general-purpose parallel computation and will consider some of the potential limitations by using a simple parametric model of computational performance.
The effect of prostaglandins (PGE2 and PGF2α) on food intake in rats

Intracerebroventricular administration of PGF2 alpha and PGE2 suppressed food intake in several feeding models. PGF2 alpha (20 micrograms) and PGE2 (20 micrograms to 1 micrograms) suppressed food intake following a 24 hour starvation. PGF2 alpha (20 micrograms) and PGE2 (20 micrograms) suppressed food intake following central administration of the feeding induces norepinephrine and muscimol. These prostaglandins also suppressed stress induced eating using the tail pinch model at doses of 20 micrograms, 10 micrograms and 5 micrograms with eating returning to control levels at the 1 micrograms dose. D-Ala Methionine Enkephalin failed to alter the suppressive effects of PGF2 alpha and PGE2 at a dose of 1 microgram but successfully reversed the effect of PGF2 alpha at a 10 micrograms dose while still having no effect on PGE2 suppression of feeding.
COMPETITION OF ADENINE NUCLEOTIDES FOR A l,3‐[3H]‐DIPROPYL‐8‐CYCLOPENTYLXANTHINE BINDING SITE IN RAT VAS DEFERENS

1. The binding of 1,3-[3H]-dipropyl-8-cyclopentylxanthine ([3H]-DPCPX), a specific adenosine A1 receptor antagonist, was examined in rat vas deferens membrane preparations using radioligand binding techniques. 2. 1,3-[3H]-Dipropyl-8-cyclopentylxanthine bound to these preparations with a KD of 1.07 +/- 0.14 nmol/L (n = 6). The density of [3H]-DPCPX binding sites was 133.38 +/- 5.57 fmol/mg protein. 3. Computer analysis indicated that nucleosides competed for [3H]-DPCPX binding at two distinct sites. The rank order of potency at the higher affinity site corresponded to R-phenylisopropyladenosine (R-PIA) > or = 2-chloroadenosine (2-CIADO) > or = cyclopentyladenosine (CPA) > or = N-ethylcarboxamidoadenosine (NECA) > s-phenylisopropyladenosine (s-PIA). Ki values were in the low nmol/L range. The rank order of nucleoside potency at the lower affinity site corresponded to R-PIA > or = CPA > or = NECA > or = 2-CIADO > S-PIA. Ki values were in the low mumol/L range. 4. Nucleotides competed for [3H]-DPCPX binding at a single site only. The rank order of potency at this site corresponded to alpha, beta-methylene ATP > or = beta, gamma-methylene ATP > or = ATP. Ki values were in the high mumol/L range. The site seemed to correspond with one of the two binding sites predicted by nucleoside competition binding. 5. The ATP-regenerating compound myokinase did not significantly change the competition curve for ATP, indicating that the competition for [3H]-DPCPX binding observed in the presence of ATP was due to an effect of ATP per se and not to an action of a degradation product. 6. The results demonstrate that in rat vasa deferentia there exist two distinct binding sites for [3H]-DPCPX. One of these sites binds only nucleosides and may represent an adenosine A1 receptor, as usually defined. The other site binds both nucleosides and nucleotides and may represent an atypical adenosine A1 receptor, an atypical P2 or a P3 purinoceptor.
Utilization of a multicriteria least cost path model in an aquatic environment

A critical component of maintaining biodiversity in fragmented habitats is maintaining connectivity among the usable fragments. Least cost path (LCP) analysis is a tool that can be used for predicting the ability of an organism to move from one habitat patch to another, based on geographical features of the landscape and life history traits of the organism. While this analysis has been utilized for terrestrial habitats, it is rarely applied to aquatic environments. Aquatic hypoxic conditions occur when dissolved oxygen falls below 2 mg/L. These conditions can create barriers in the water column that can either force fish to leave a habitat, or avoid that habitat altogether. Using the lower St. Johns River (LSJR) estuary in Florida, USA, as a study system, the ability of an adult silver perch, Bairdiella chrysoura, to escape a large-scale hypoxic event was modeled using a multicriteria LCP approach. Criteria-specific cost grids were constructed based upon current speed, risk of predation, and whether oxyge...
Novel segmented cascade electroabsorption modulator with improved bandwidth-extinction product

A new configuration for electroabsorption modulators is presented and demonstrated. Compared to a conventional device of the same length, a three-stage cascaded modulator triples the RC-bandwidth while maintaining the same extinction and insertion loss.
Enveloping algebras satisfying a polynomial identity

In this paper we study ordinary and restricted enveloping algebras satisfying a polynomial identity. We first show how the Δ-methods of J. Bergen and D. S. Passman (J. Algebra, in press) can be used to handle U(L) in all characteristics and u(L) if the latter ring is prime. In particular, we offer a simpler proof of the result of Yu. A. Bachturin (J. Austral. Math. Soc. 18, 1974, 10–21) on ordinary enveloping algebras in characteristic p > 0. Our main theorem asserts that, in general, u(L) is p.i. if and only if L has a restricted subalgebra of finite codimension which is (essentially) commutative. These results are clearly the Lie algebra analogs of the p.i. group ring theorems of M. K. Smith (J. Algebra 18, 1971, 477–499) and D. S. Passman (Pacific J. Math. 36, 1971, 467–483).
Comparison of caregiver otitis media risk factor knowledge in suburban and urban primary care environments

Summary Objective: There are many risk factors for otitis media. Some of these, such as passive tobacco smoke exposure and childcare arrangements; have the potential to be modified. The purpose of this study is to assess caregiver knowledge deficits about risk factors associated with otitis media and their willingness to modify behaviors associated with those risks. Research design and methods: This study is a prospective survey study investigating knowledge deficits of parents or guardians of children ages 6–36 months about the risk factors of otitis media. The patients were consecutively drawn from a suburban and an urban pediatric practice. Any difference in survey results between these two groups was also assessed. Participants completed a survey of 21 questions with content including demographic and OM risk factor data. Results: A total of 401 caregivers completed surveys, with 213 from an urban pediatric practice and 188 from a suburban practice. There was a significant difference in the ethnic distributions of the two populations. The suburban population had a significantly greater family history of ear infections, number of ear infections in the past 12 months, and number of previous ventilation tubes placed. The urban population had a significantly greater number of smokers in the household and decreased knowledge about day care as a risk for OM. The urban population's question responses suggested a greater willingness to change day care arrangements to reduce the risk of otitis media. Conclusions: Both populations demonstrated knowledge deficits regarding risk factors associated with OM and both populations exhibited willingness to modify behaviors to reduce risk. These findings demonstrate that there are opportunities for improving education regarding OM risk factors and that this education could potentially reduce risk for OM and in turn reduce the incidence of OM in children.
Winter vs. Summer Half-Hedging of ‘Tifblue’ Rabbiteye Blueberry Plants

Abstract A field study was initiated in mid-July, 1988, to investigate the effects of removing growth taller than one meter on half from one side each within 2 years (half-hedging) in summer and winter on total yield, marketable yield, and fruit size of mature rabbiteye blueberry (Vaccinium ashei Reade) cv. Tifblue. Each plant was fully hedged in 2 years. In 1990, yields on summer-hedged plants were reduced 75% and on winter-hedged plants about 92% when compared with nonhedged plants. Fruit size increased 13% and 26% for summer- and winter-hedged plants in 1990, respectively. Total yields did not differ among treatments during 1991-1993 harvest. However, yields were lower in 1991 and 1992 than in 1989 and 1993. These lower yields were attributed to adverse weather conditions during vegetative bud break, growth, and flowering. Hedged plants did not yield more than nonhedged plants over the 5-year experimental period. However, winter hedging significantly decreased total yield. Although no significant diffe...