cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Underwater acoustics and ocean engineering at the University of Rhode Island

Underwater acoustics is one of the primary areas of emphasis in the Ocean Engineering Department at the University of Rhode Island, the first Ocean Engineering program in the United States. The program offers Bachelors, Masters (thesis and non-thesis options) and Ph.D. degrees in Ocean Engineering. These programs are based at the Narragansett Bay campus, providing access to a living laboratory for student learning. Some key facilities of the program are an acoustics tank, a 100-foot-long wave tank, and currently the R/V Endeavor, a UNOLS oceanographic research vessel operated by the University of Rhode Island. A new Regional Class vessel is anticipated in 2021. At the graduate level, students are actively involved in research focused in areas such as acoustical oceanography, propagation modeling, acoustic positioning and navigation, geoacoustic inversion, marine mammal acoustics, ocean acoustic instrumentation, and transducers. An overview of classroom learning and ongoing research will be provided, along with information regarding the requirements of entry into the program.
The capability/vulnerability paradox and military revolutions: Implications for computing, cyber, and the onset of war

ABSTRACTThe Information Revolution, or the rise in computing power, allowed states to leverage digital capabilities to exert conventional military dominance. But does it also create vulnerabilities...
It’s the Economic Message, Stupid: The Campaign and the Economic Vote

Do partisan campaigns affect the strength of the economic vote? Against the conventional expectation that political candidates have little influence over when and to what extent economic voting occurs, I argue that political communications systematically condition the strength of the economy-vote link. I evaluate these competing claims through analysis of the 2006 Mexican presidential election. The results show that political communications profoundly affect the economic vote. In 2006, economic messages primed economic considerations and proved decisive in determining the election outcome, altering the final vote tally by 8 points. More broadly, the results demonstrate the power of political campaigns to overcome structural conditions thought to advantage or disadvantage incumbent-party candidates. This begins to explain the seemingly anomalous victories of challengers in economic booms and reelection of incumbents in busts.
Solid-Phase Extraction, Preservation, Storage, Transport, and Analysis of Trace Contaminants for Water Quality Monitoring of Heavy Metals.

Accurate quantification of trace contaminants currently requires collection, preservation, and transportation of large volumes (250–1000 mL) of water to centralized laboratories, which impedes moni...
Interrupting Microaggressions in Health Care Settings: A Guide for Teaching Medical Students.

Introduction Microaggressions are connected to broader conceptualizations of the impact of implicit bias and systems of inequity. The body of evidence supporting the need for more-open discussions ...
Relationships Between Sleep, Activity, and Burnout in Ophthalmology Residents.

Objective To objectively measure sleep and activity levels and examine their relationship to burnout, depression, anxiety, and stress in ophthalmology residents. Design A cohort study of ophthalmology residents at the University of Washington from July 1, 2017 to June 30, 2018. Setting Single-center academic institution. Participants Fourteen ophthalmology residents at the University of Washington enrolled between July 1, 2017 and June 30, 2018. Results Data were collected from 14 residents, ages 27 to 34. Wrist actigraphy allowed for objective measurement of resident sleep and activity, though adherence to wrist actigraphy usage dropped significantly over time. Residents recorded significantly less sleep on call compared to when they were off call, with mean (SD) 3.6 (2.0) hours on primary call, 5.6 (1.8) hours on secondary call, and 6.7 (1.4) hours off call. Lower average sleep on call was associated with higher emotional exhaustion (r = −0.69, p = 0.04), lower personal accomplishment (r = 0.82, p = 0.007), higher anxiety (r = −0.90, p = 0.001), and higher stress (r = −0.75, p = 0.02). Higher daily activity was associated with higher sense of personal accomplishment (r = 0.57, p = 0.04). Average nightly sleep, average sleep while not on call, and daily sedentary time was not associated with any subset of burnout. Conclusions The association between objectively measured sleep while on call and burnout, depression, and anxiety are consistent with findings from prior studies which relied on subjective measures of sleep. The direction of causality – whether poor sleep caused burnout, burnout caused poor sleep, or both – could not be assessed in the present study. However, these results are consistent with the hypothesis that poor sleep on call contributes to resident burnout and that physical activity may reduce aspects of burnout. The use of wrist actigraphy to objectively measure sleep and activity patterns may help focus and evaluate interventions aimed at decreasing resident burnout.
Diversity of Idea Flows and Economic Growth

What role does access to diverse ideas play in economic growth? New forms of geo-located communications and economic data allow measurement of human interaction patterns and prediction of economic outcomes for individuals, communities, and nations at a fine granularity, with the strongest predictors of income, productivity, and growth being measures of diversity and frequency of physical interaction between communities (clusters of interaction). This finding provides both new investment opportunities and new methods of risk assessment. Access and use of these data raise privacy and security risks, and the final section of the paper describes how these challenges can be controlled.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Anxiety Disorders: Outcomes From a Multi-State, Multi-Site Primary Care Practice.

Abstract Background Anxiety disorders are among the most common mental health conditions. Individuals with anxiety typically seek services in primary, rather than specialty, care. While there is significant evidence supporting the efficacy and effectiveness of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) for anxiety disorders, there have been no naturalistic studies reporting anxiety-specific treatment outcomes in primary care. Methods Participants (N = 1,589) were recruited from a multi-state, multi-site primary care practice, with 491 participants endorsing moderate to severe anxiety at baseline and engaging in at least one CBT session. Data was drawn from a psychotherapy tracking database. Results Among participants with moderate to severe anxiety who engaged in CBT, a significant decrease in anxiety and depression symptoms was observed over the course of psychotherapy (p .001, d = 0.57-0.95). Rates of reliable change, response, and remission varied across diagnostic categories. The use of CBT interventions also varied across diagnoses in line with evidence-based treatment recommendations. Discussion Short-term CBT delivered in primary care is associated with significant improvements in anxiety and depression symptoms among participants with anxiety disorders. These findings support the use of a population-based approach to anxiety disorders treatment and suggest that evidence-based CBT can be implemented in the real-world setting.
Regularization Methods on Almost Ideal Demand System

Almost Ideal Demand System (AIDS) has a flexible functional form that can first order approximate any sets of demand functions derived from utility maximizing behavior. This flexibility, however, comes with a cost of estimating numerously many parameters, hindering practical use of this model. In this paper, I suggest to use regularization methods on AIDS model to circumvent this curse of dimensionality. Monte Carlo simulation experiments, following Buse (1994), show that elastic net performs reasonably well under multicollinearity and sparsity environments.
Comparison of Anticancer Medication Use and Spending Under US Oncology Parity Laws With and Without Out-of-Pocket Spending Caps

Importance By 2020, nearly all states had adopted oncology parity laws in the US, ensuring that patients in fully insured private health plans pay no more for orally administered anticancer medications (OAMs) than infused therapies. Between 2013 and mid-2017, 11 states implemented parity with out-of-pocket spending caps, which may further reduce patient out-of-pocket spending. Objective To compare OAM uptake and out-of-pocket and health plan spending on OAMs in states with parity with and without spending caps, as well as to assess out-of-pocket spending for caps that apply predeductible vs postdeductible. Design, Setting, and Participants This cohort study analyzed OAM users enrolled in commercial health plans offered by Aetna, Humana, and United Healthcare in the US from 2011 to 2017, aggregated by the Health Care Cost Institute, using difference-in-difference-in-differences (DDD) analysis. Data analysis was conducted between June and August 2020. Exposures Time (before vs after parity), whether the state parity law included an out-of-pocket spending cap, and whether the plan was fully insured (subject to parity) or self-funded (not subject to parity). Among states with caps, out-of-pocket spending was also compared by whether the cap was applied predeductible and postdeductible vs only postdeductible. Main Outcomes and Measures Monthly OAM prescription fills per 100 000 enrollees, per-OAM prescription-fill out-of-pocket spending, and annual per-user health plan spending on OAMs. Results In this study of 23 states (11 with caps and 12 without) and 207 579 OAM prescription fills, caps were associated with a modest increase in OAM use (DDD, 7.40 [95% CI, 3.41-11.39] per 100 000 enrollees). There was no difference in mean out-of-pocket spending comparing fully insured and self-funded enrollees in states with vs without caps (DDD, −$17 [95% CI, −$57 to $24), but caps were associated with lower spending among OAM users in the 95th percentile of out-of-pocket spending by $831 (95% CI, −$871 to −$791) per OAM prescription fill. Caps applied predeductible were associated with greater out-of-pocket savings relative to caps applied only postdeductible. This included per-OAM prescription-fill savings at the 75th, 90th, and 95th percentiles. Postparity, mean annual spending on OAMs among users was $113 589 in states without caps and $102 252 in states with caps, with no differences between groups (DDD, $9799 [95% CI, −$4230 to $23 829). Conclusions and Relevance In this cohort study, among states adopting oncology parity laws between 2013 and 2017, mean out-of-pocket spending per OAM prescription fill and mean health plan spending among OAM users was similar in states with and without caps. However, enrollees in states with parity plus out-of-pocket caps had greater reductions in out-of-pocket spending among the highest spenders. Caps may offer improved financial protection for the highest spenders without increasing mean health plan spending on OAMs.
Stern Flap Powering Performance Prediction for the Coast Guard 110-Foot WPB Island Class Patrol Boat

The United States Coast Guard, in supporting and executing its growing list of missions, employs the 110 ft. WPB Coastal Patrol Boat as a multipurpose platform. Recently, the internal conflicts in Haiti which resulted in the mass exodus of people required extensive use of 110 ft. WPBs. These Coastal Patrol Boats are being deployed for longer periods of time with longer on-scene time than before. But with this growing list of missions and recent developments, the Coast Guard's budget has not increased. The Coast Guard has had to do more with less. In order to do this, one must look at ways of reducing the operating costs of the cutters. Analytical analysis of a 110 ft. WPB Coastal Patrol Boat is used to show that retrofitting these vessels with a stern flap will lead to an effective energy enhancement with application to the entire 110 ft. WPB Coastal Patrol Boat fleet. The projected energy savings per cutter per year is over $5165. With a fleet of 49, the projected fleet savings per year is $253,085. The payback period for the installation costs would be just over one year.
Deictic Referencing in VMT

Centered on a case study of a synchronous online interchange, this chapter discusses the use of the VMT graphical referencing tool in coordination with text chat to achieve a group orientation to a particular mathematical object in a shared whiteboard. Deictic referencing is seen to be a critical foundation of intersubjective cognitive processes that index objects of shared attention. The case study suggests that cognitive tools to support group referencing can be important to supporting group alignment, intentionality and cognition in online communities such as VMT.
Robust Stability of Feedback Control Systems with Uncertain Parameters and Unmodelled Dynamics

A number of authors have recently provided results on a generalization of Kharitonov's interval polynomial problem. This more general formulation includes linearly dependent perturbations in the coefficients of a polynomial and the main objective is to provide computationally tractable criteria for robust stability. In this paper, provide robust stability criteria are provided in an even more general setting?one which also accommodates unmodelled dynamics.
DNA Polymerase in the Core of the Human Hepatitis B Virus Candidate

Experiments were done to show that the human hepatitis B antigen (HBAg)-associated DNA polymerase is a component of Dane particles and their antigenically distinct cores prepared by Nonidet P-40 detergent treatment of Dane particles. Before detergent treatment, the DNA polymerase was precipitated by serum containing anti-HB surface antigen (anti-HB(s)) but not with serum containing anti-HB core antigen (anti-HB(c)). After detergent treatment, the enzyme was precipitated by anti-HB(c)- and not by anti-HB(s)-containing serum. Highly purified 16- to 25-nm HBAg particles blocked only the precipitation of DNA polymerase in untreated HBAg preparations. The 110S structure with which the DNA reaction product remains associated in Nonidet P-40-treated preparations was identified as Dane particle core by immunoprecipitation with serum containing anti-HB(c). The DNA polymerase and the radioactive DNA reaction product were used as markers for core in immunoprecipitation tests for anticore. In such assays, 8 of 11 human sera with anti-HB(s) activity and all of 10 sera from chronic HBAg carriers were found to contain anti-HB(c) activity.
Herpes and human ribonucleotide reductases: Inhibition by 2-acetylpyridine 5-[(2-chloroanilino)-thiocarbonyl]-thiocarbonohydrazone (348U87)

Abstract The mode of inactivation of herpes simplex virus type 1 and human ribonucleotide reductases by 2-acetylpyridine 5-[(2-chloroanillino)-thiocarbonyl]-thiocarbonohydrazone (348U87) was determined and compared to that described previously [Porter et al. Biochem Pharmacol39: 639–646, 1990] for 2-acetylpyridine 5-[(dimethylamino)thiocarbonyl]-thiocarbonohdrazone (A1110U). 348U87 inactivated herpes ribonucleotide reductase faster than did A1110U. Moreover, iron-complexed 348U87 was a considerably more potent inactivator than iron-complexed A1110U. It appeared to efficiently form an initial complex with the viral enzyme prior to rapid enzyme inactivation. The combination of 348U87 and iron-complexed 348U87 inactivated with a rate constant that was slightly greater than the sum of their individual rate constant of inactivation. The corresponding combination of A1110U species inactivated with a rate constant that was much greater than the sum of the individual rate constants of inactivation. Herpes ribonucleotide reductase that had been inactivated by either species of 348U87 was reactivated by diluting the enzyme and inactivators into assay medium containing excess iron. 348U87 was also an effective inactivator of herpes simplex virus type 2 and varicella zoster virus ribonucleotide reductases. The iron-complexed forms of 348U87 and A1110U exhibited very different modes of inactivation of human ribonucleotide reductase. Iron-complexed 348U87 was a tight-binding inactivator, whereas iron-complexed A1110U was only a weak, non-inactivating, inhibitor. Furthermore, the inactivation by iron-complexed 348U87 was not stimulated by either 348U87 or A1110U, whereas the weak inhibition by iron-complexed A1110U was converted to rapid inactivation by A1110U. Excess iron prevented the inactivation by iron-complexed 348U87. Uncomplexed 348U87 was similar to uncomplexed A1110U in that it was not an inhibitor of the human enzyme.
Selection intensity in genetic algorithms with generation gaps

This paper presents calculations of the selection intensity of common selection and replacement methods used in genetic algorithms (GAs) with generation gaps. The selection intensity measures the increase of the average fitness of the population after selection, and it can be used to predict the number of steps until the population converges to a unique solution. The theory may help to explain the fast convergence of some algorithms with small generation gaps. The accuracy of the calculations was verified experimentally with a simple test function. The results facilitate comparisons between different algorithms, and provide a tool to adjust the selection pressure, which is indispensable to obtain robust algorithms.
Interaction of Colicins with Bacterial Cells IV. Immunity Breakdown Studied with Colicins Ia and Ib

Colicinogenic cells are immune to the lethal effect of the colicin which they produce. In the presence of very high concentrations of colicin, however, colicinogenic cells are no longer immune to the homologous colicin. This phenomenon, immunity breakdown, was studied with colicins Ia and Ib. The biochemical effects of colicin Ib on Escherichia coli were studied with a standard noncolicinogenic strain. At multiplicities of about 10 or higher, colicin Ib inhibited incorporation of leucine into protein and incorporation of 32P-inorganic phosphate into deoxyribonucleic acid and ribonucleic acid by more than 95%. Under the same conditions, 32P incorporation into phospholipid and nucleotide fractions was inhibited only partially (about 80 and 60%, respectively). Inhibition of 32P incorporation into the terminal phosphorus of adenosine triphosphate was also considerably less than that of macromolecular synthesis (50 to 60%). 32P incorporation into the nonnucleotide organic phosphate fraction was not inhibited. Respiration was not affected. Colicin Ia showed the same biochemical effects as colicin Ib. A mutant of an Ib-colicinogenic E. coli strain selected for resistance to low concentrations of colicin Ia was shown to be resistant to high concentrations of homologous colicin Ib, whereas the parent Ib-colicinogenic strain is sensitive to high concentrations of colicin Ib. This mutant lost its specific receptors for colicin Ib. Moreover, the biochemical effects of high concentrations of colicin Ib on Ib-colicinogenic cells during immunity breakdown were similar to the effects found in sensitive cells exposed to low concentrations of the same colicin. It is concluded that the killing of colicinogenic cells in the presence of high concentrations of homologous colicin is indeed caused by the homologous colicin molecules.
Aligning ICCP Certification With The IS2002 Model Curriculum: A New International Standard

This is a progress report on actions to align vendor neutral certification for computing and Information Systems professionals with academic standards as codified by the IS2002 Model Curriculum.
Destruction mechanism and destruction detection technique for multilayer ceramic actuators

The destruction process of piezoelectric actuators under bipolar driving was studied using acoustic emission (AE) monitoring and induced-displacement measurement. The effect of floating electrode over the internal electrode's end was also investigated. Floating electrodes can suppress the field concentration and cracking in the actuator.
Rape victims: Post-traumatic stress responses and their treatment:: A review of the literature

Abstract The literature regarding the immediate and long term reactions of victims of rape is reviewed. Anxiety, as well as depression, is commonly observed. The latter response declines within a three month period for most victims, whereas fear reactions appear to be more persistent. Social and sexual functioning are substantially disrupted immediately following the rape and tend to return to pre-rape levels after a few months, although sexual satisfaction remains low up to 18 months later. Implications of these findings regarding theoretical questions and treatment planning are discussed. Few predictions of response to rape have been identified; among these are history of psychiatric treatment of victimization and of recent life stresses, as well as inadequate social support. With respect to treatment, several cognitive/behavioral procedures and combinations of procedures have been found effective, including desensitization, cognitive therapy, and stress inoculation training. Flooding appears to be a promising treatment for rape victims, but has not yet been evaluated in a controlled study. Suggestions for future research are offered with respect to methodology, the search for predictors, and treatment comparisons.
An efficient model of dynamic task scheduling for distributed systems

The authors propose a distributed task scheduling model using a simple processor architecture and a heuristic scheduling algorithm based on small message exchanges between nearest neighbors. An extensive simulation study was used to analyze the proposed model by taking into account a wide range of practical issues. Comparison with other schemes reported in the literature reveals the superiority of the proposed model in terms of various performance measures. The scheduling algorithm supported by some software components improves the response time to a great extent by trying to keep the network nodes equally busy. The exchange of load status information has low complexity. An interesting trade-off between periodic update and non-periodic information update is exhibited. The performance of the proposed algorithms does not degrade when no transfer limit is used. The communication rate of the network has a major influence on the performance but it is shown that further reduction in response time cannot be achieved after a certain increase in communication rate. Simulation experiments on various network topologies showed the adaptive nature of the proposed algorithms. >
A Mixed Approach to Risk Aggregation

Risk aggregation is the roll-up of low-level risks or sub-risks to higher levels. Risk management for banks or insurance institutions involves risk measurement and risk control at the individual risk level, including market risk, credit risk, and operational risks and also the aggregated risk of these individual risks. To determine the total enterprise risk for a financial institution, all risks must be aggregated. An accurate estimation of the total risk is necessary to control and manage the risk. Risk aggregation is a challenge because it requires an aggregated view of various levels of reporting risks, with differences in metrics, and differences in data sources, etc. It is especially complex to aggregate risk when the joint dependence between all the individual risks has to be specified. Indeed, a common view of the dependence between all individual risks may not be available. It is well known that the copula approach provides a way of isolating the marginal behavior of individual risks from the description of their dependence structure. Further, allowing a mixed approach to specify copula dependence between individual risks allows that risk dependence to be specified step by step. That is, decomposed in partial sums which are more easily understood. Mixed copula aggregation does not fully specify the joint distribution but rather provides the minimum amount of information to determine the aggregate risk. This approach allows users to specify different dependence characteristics as is needed and the model complexity can be adjusted to the complexity required by the aggregation.
A Preliminary Study of Energy Recovery in Vehicles by Using Regenerative Magnetic Shock Absorbers

Road vehicles can expend a significant amount of energy in undesirable vertical motions that are induced by road bumps, and much of that is dissipated in conventional shock absorbers as they dampen the vertical motions. Presented in this paper are some of the results of a study aimed at determining the effectiveness of efficiently transforming that energy into electrical power by using optimally designed regenerative electromagnetic shock absorbers. In turn, the electrical power can be used to recharge batteries or other efficient energy storage devices (e.g., flywheels) rather than be dissipated. The results of the study are encouraging - they suggest that a significant amount of the vertical motion energy can be recovered and stored.
Manufacturing information systems reengineering

Manufacturing process planning, analysis and control information systems must be periodically reengineered as an integral part of any enterprise-wide continuous improvement strategy. An annual business planning approach and associated object transformation process macro-modeling methodology is recommended to satisfy this manufacturing enterprise improvement requirement.
Helping foster youth find a job: a random-assignment evaluation of an employment assistance programme for emancipating youth

A primary task for youth aging out of foster care is finding and maintaining a job. In recognition of the challenges that foster youth face, employment assistance has become an important part of child welfare agencies' efforts to prepare youth for emancipation. The current study uses random assignment to evaluate the impact of an employment assistance programme for foster youth on the rate of employment, income and other self-sufficiency outcomes among a group of adolescents in substitute care in Kern County, California. Data were collected via multi-wave, in-person interviews of 254 foster youth. At the second follow-up interview, only two-fifths of the sample report being employed. However, three-quarters of the sample are either working or attending school, and a quarter reports both working and attending school. Nevertheless, significant minorities report experiencing financial hardships and receiving financial assistance. No statistically significant impacts of the evaluated programme are found on any measured employment or self-sufficiency outcome. Implications for child welfare policy are discussed.
Experimental investigation of chamber-dependent radical sources

While environmental chamber data have been widely used to generate and validate computer models of the chemistry occurring in polluted atmospheres, the effects of the chambers on the gas-phase chemistry being studied have been poorly characterized. In order to investigate such chamber effects, a series of NOx—air irradiations, with trace levels of organics present to monitor OH radical concentrations, have been carried out in four different environmental chambers (ranging in volume from ∼100 to 40,000 L) at varying temperatures, humidities, pressures, and reaction conditions. In addition, a number of control experiments have been carried out to validate the technique for measuring OH radical levels in these irradiations. The data show that unknown sources of OH radicals are present in all of the chambers studied. The data are consistent with the presence of two distinct radical sources: (1) the photolysis of initially present HONO, whose importance increases with increasing NO2/NO concentration ratios, but which is a minor contributor to the overall radical flux after 30–60 min of irradiation, and (2) a constant (for these NOx—air irradiations) radical source which dominates beyond approximately the first 60 min of irradiation. The radical input rates, after the first ∽30–60 min of irradiation, are independent of the NO concentration, increase with increasing temperature, humidity, and NO2 concentration, are proportional to light intensity, and are dependent on the chamber employed. Although the exact nature of this radical source is still undetermined, results of experiments reported here allow a number of possible mechanisms to be ruled, out, and these are discussed.
A Computational Temperature Analysis for Induction Heating of Welded Pipes

Recent approaches to controlling stress corrosion cracking in welded 304 stainless steel pipes have been based on various types of controlled heating procedures. When applied properly, the heating procedure introduces high compressive stresses in region of observed cracking. The compressive stresses are believed to be effective in deterring stress corrosion cracking. One procedure for applying controlled heating to the pipe employs induction heating and is called Induction Heating for Stress Improvement or IHSI. The effective utilization of induction heating requires an understanding of how the induction heating parameters are related to the resulting residual stresses. This paper describes the development of a computational model directed at evaluating the heat densities and temperature distributions for Induction Heating for Stress Improvement (IHSI). The basic mechanism of inducting differs from that of a welding arc in that induction heating produces a distribution of heat sources within the pipe wall while in weld arc heating, the heat source is confined to the surface. Thus the computational model requires two parts. The first part evaluates the induced electrical current and determines the density of heat sources in the pipe wall. The second part of the model uses these heating densities to evaluate the temperature distribution. Temperature dependent properties were found to be important in representing the induction heating phenomenon. However, including temperature dependent properties in the model leads to nonlinear equations which require iterative solution methods for each part of the model. The nonlinear characteristics of the equations also require iterations between the two parts of the model. The model includes the important parameters of the induction heating process and has shown good agreement with temperature data for two different pipe sizes. Because of the inherent nonlinearities in the model and the iterative methods required for general solutions, extensions of the model to improve the algorithimic efficiency are discussed.
Reactions of (Me3ECH2)3ZrSi(SiMe3)3 (E = C, Si) with 2,6-Dimethylphenyl Isocyanide. Preferential Isocyanide Insertion into Zr−Silyl Bonds

The reactions of alkyl silyl complexes (Me3ECH2)3ZrSi(SiMe3)3 [E = C (1), Si (2)] with 2,6-dimethylphenyl isocyanide (ArNC) have been investigated. The first ArNC was found to insert exclusively into the Zr−Si bond, and the second and third ArNC into the Zr−C bonds in 1 and 2. 1 and 2 react with up to 3 equiv of ArNC to give (Me3ECH2)3Zr{η2-C[Si(SiMe3)3]NAr} [E = C (3), Si (4)], (Me3ECH2)2Zr[η2-C(CH2EMe3)NAr]{η2-C[Si(SiMe3)3]NAr} [E = C (5), Si (6)], and (Me3ECH2)Zr[η2-C(CH2EMe3)NAr]2{η2-C[Si(SiMe3)3]NAr} [E = C (7), Si (8)]. The tri-insertion complexes 7 and 8 are inert to excess ArNC. The structures of 3 and 7 have been determined by X-ray crystallography. In the structure of 3, the α-hydrogen atoms on one neopentyl ligand lie in close contact (av 2.41 A) with the metal center giving rise to Zr−C−Hα bond angles of 90 and 92°. The crystal structure of the precursor 1 has also been determined.
Aboveground Responses of Cool-Season Lawn Species to Nitrogen Rates and Application Timings

Lawns are the largest managed turf acreage in the USA. This large acreage of fertilized turf has generated public concern regarding nitrogen (N) fertilizer misuse. This 2-yr fi eld study evaluated the effects of eight N programs that varied by N amount, 0 to 196 kg N ha −1 yr −1 , and seasonal application timing on the aboveground plant responses of three cool-season lawn species: Kentucky bluegrass (Poa pratensis L.; KBG), perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.; PRG), and turf-type tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea Schreb.; TTTF). Signifi cant cumulative species dry matter yield differences were measured for the study, with 9426, 7750, and 7011 kg ha −1 for TTTF, KBG, and PRG, respectively. Kentucky bluegrass generally possessed the greenest canopy when averaged across all N programs, followed by TTTF and PRG. Annual turfgrass quality (TQ) was highest and most seasonally consistent for TTTF, followed by KBG and PRG. Although, KBG overall TQ was lower than TTTF, primarily due to slow spring green-up, KBG was superior to TTTF on many ratings during active growth. Perennial ryegrass produced the low- est TQ compared with TTTF and KBG. This was due to summer disease in both years and substantial turf cover losses, 24 to 81% in 2005. If the goal in lawn management is to maximize turfgrass response with the fewest N inputs, the species that met this goal was TTTF, which provided acceptable TQ and color, and had less disease at relatively low, 73 to 123 kg ha −1 yr −1 , N levels.
Call my bluff

Poker used to be the card game of choice for hard men late at night in smoke-filled rooms. Now online poker is bidding for respectability and a site on the home computer. Phil Woodward gives us the straight dope.
PRESERVATION OF THE ANTERIOR URETHRAL LIGAMENTOUS ATTACHMENTS IN MAINTAINING POST-PROSTATECTOMY URINARY CONTINENCE: A COMPARATIVE STUDY

AbstractPurpose: The impact was determined on post-prostatectomy urinary incontinence of a technique preserving the anterior attachments of the proximal urethra to the posterior pubis by comparison to the results of other surgical methods.Materials and Methods: Urinary continence in 51 patients undergoing preservation of the anterior urethral attachments was compared to that of 70 patients undergoing an anatomical prostatectomy with resection of the bladder neck, 55 patients with preservation of the bladder neck and 14 patients undergoing a dorsal vein gathering procedure. Comparisons were made for rate of total continence, time to return of continence, incidence of extra organ disease and operative blood loss.Results: Total continence at 1 year was 84.3%, 85.7% and 100% respectively. Immediate total continence after catheter removal was seen in 25.5% after preservation of the anterior urethral attachments, 80.4% at 3 months compared to 41.4%, 50.9% and 50% at 3 months for anatomical prostatectomy with bl...
Serum glucose, glucose tolerance, corticosterone and free fatty acids during aging in energy restricted mice

Energy restriction, the only method known to increase maximum life span in laboratory animals, was used as a tool to test hypotheses regarding possible mechanisms of aging. Serum glucose and corticosterone (CS) concentrations in mice of a long-lived hybrid mouse strain, aged 7, 17, and 29 months, and on 50%, 80%, and 100% of ad libitum intake, were measured. Serum glucose and CS concentrations were also measured in response to intraperitoneal (i.p.) glucose challenge in mice at ages 7 and 29 months. Serum glucose and CS concentrations were also measured at several time points over 36 h, to assess their diurnal variation. There were no differences in single fasting glucose concentrations in 7- and 29-month-old mice at the same degree of energy restriction, but energy restriction decreased glucose concentrations. Serum CS concentrations were generally increased restricted animals with respect to fully fed ones. Average serum glucose concentrations were found to be significantly decreased by dietary restriction. Glucose tolerance curves were unchanged by age in ad libitum fed or 50% restricted animals, but in 80% ad libitum groups, older animals showed evidence of decreased glucose tolerance with respect to young animals. For each age, peak serum glucose concentrations after i.p. glucose loading varied with degree of energy restriction, with more severely restricted animals showing less glucose tolerance. Average serum CS concentrations were elevated at 7 months by restriction, especially at night and long after feeding, but we found no differences with age or diet in average CS concentrations. Our serum glucose results support the hypothesis that nonenzymatic glycation is mechanistically involved in normal aging. Our serum CS results do not support the hypothesis that CS contributes significantly to the pathophysiology of normal aging in mice.
REPRODUCTIVE BIOLOGY OF MIXED-SPECIES POPULATIONS OF GOODYERA (ORCHIDACEAE) IN NORTHERN MICHIGAN'

The reproductive biology ofGoodyera oblongifolia, G. repens var.ophioides andG. tesselata is discussed with emphasis on the reproductive isolating mechanisms operating in mixed-species populations. Cytology, phenology and pollination of the above three species were studied. Artificial hybridizations were made of these three species and ofG. pubescens. Results show that within mixed-species populations,G. oblongifolia,G. repens var.ophioides andG. tesselata are not completely isolated reproductively, and hybridization does occur. The deleterious effects of the loss of gametes to interspecific crosses are reduced by seasonal isolation, perennial growth and geitonogamous seed production which is encouraged by self-compatibility and clonal growth. Thus, hybridization in mixed-species populations is apparently kept to levels low enough to allow the species to maintain their identities.
Unpacking Dietary Acculturation Among New Americans: Results from Formative Research with African Refugees

Epidemiological studies focusing on Latino immigrant health have found links between acculturation (time and language competency), weight gain, and disease risk. Since time and language competency are not mechanisms by which diets and activities change, associations between acculturation and weight change offer little to public health professionals who aim to develop nutrition and health interventions. We present a conceptual model and use a mixed-methods biocultural approach to address the fine-grained details of diet and activity choice for new arrivals to the USA. The results of our anthropological work with Liberian and Somali Bantu refugees indicate that, in addition to standard surveys (individual-level characteristics, socioeconomic status, employment, and acculturation), epidemiological research would benefit from the data generated from ethnography and more nuanced behavioral studies. A focus on the lived experiences of new Americans and the explicit examination of institutional support, peer support, and interactions between children and caretakers might offer points of intervention for immigrant health which is a growing public health concern.
Advancing Public Reporting Through A New ‘Aggregator’ To Standardize Data Collection On Providers’ Cost And Quality

Advocates for consumer-friendly public reporting on the performance of health care providers anticipate that, at some point, well-vetted and standardized measures will be widely available to help patients choose clinicians who provide the best care. However, achieving that goal would require assembling standardized data from many sources. Such an effort would raise concerns, including privacy considerations about having a single massive data repository; questions of how such an effort would be funded; and potential misuse of the data. This paper proposes creating a public-private data aggregator that would receive patient and provider data from payers that are deidentified in such a way as to remain useful for consumer-reporting and research purposes. The aggregator could be funded through fees charged to commercial users. Meanwhile, registered researchers putting their methods and findings in the public domain could access the data aggregator for free.
Fatigue Analysis of Plates Used for Fracture Stabilization in Small Dogs and Cats

Objective— To evaluate the fatigue life of stacked and single, veterinary cuttable plates (VCP) and small, limited contact, dynamic compression plates (LC-DCP). Study Design— In vitro biomechanical study. Methods— Fracture models (constructs; n=8) were assembled for each of 6 groups all with 8-hole plates: 2.0 mm LC-DCP; 2.4 mm LC-DCP; single 1.5/2.0 mm VCP; stacked 1.5/2.0 mm VCP; single 2.0/2.7 mm VCP; and stacked 2.0/2.7 mm VCP. Plate(s) were secured to 2 polyvinylchloride pipe lengths, mounted in a testing system with a custom jig, and subjected to axial loading (10–100 N) for 1,000,000 cycles at 10 Hz or until failure. Differences in number of cycles to failure among groups were compared. Failure mode was determined. Results— All LC-DCP and single VCP constructs failed before 1,000,000 cycles. Stacked 2.0/2.7 mm VCP constructs withstood 1,000,000 cycles without failure. ANOVA and Fisher's least significant difference tests demonstrated significantly more cycles to failure for the stacked 1.5/2.0 mm VCP and stacked 2.0/2.7 mm VCP compared with the single 1.5/2.0 mm VCP, single 2.0/2.7 mm VCP, 2.0 mm LC-DCP, or 2.4 mm LC-DCP. Constructs that failed did so through a screw hole adjacent to the gap. Conclusion— Stacked VCP constructs have greater fatigue lives than comparably sized LC-DCP or single VCP constructs. Plates with 2.4 mm screws were not significantly different from the comparable construct with 2.0 mm screws. Clinical Relevance— Although these data reveal that stacked VCP create a superior construct with respect to cyclic fatigue, surgeons must decide whether this is a clinical advantage on a case-by-case basis.
Biochemical and functional characterization of the human zona pellucida.

A successful interaction between spermatozoa and the zona pellucida is critical for fertilization. This biological step reflects multiple sperm functions, including the acquisition and completion of capacitation, recognition and binding to specific zona pellucida receptors, and induction of the physiological acrosome reaction. The recognition of carbohydrate sequences by complimentary receptors has been demonstrated in gamete interaction in different animal species. It has been proposed that, in the human, sperm binding to the zona pellucida requires a ‘selectin-like’ interaction. The hemizona assay (a unique internally controlled bioassay that evaluates tight binding of human spermatozoa to the homologous zona pellucida) and advanced methods of carbohydrate analysis have been used to test this hypothesis. Compelling evidence exists to demonstrate that oligosaccharide recognition is also required for specific, tight human gamete binding. The induction of the acrosome reaction using the physiological inducers, i.e. the zona pellucida and progesterone, was also examined. It has also been demonstrated that there is a priming effect of the steroid on the acrosome reaction inducing capacity of the zona pellucida. These studies may allow for a better understanding of human gamete interaction in physiological and pathological situations.
“Listening to Maybach in My Maybach”: Evolution of Product Mention in Music Across the Millennium's First Decade

A content analysis of 2004 and 2010 song lyrics from popular music genres was conducted to identify the extent of product mention in music as well as the nature of the mentions. Overall, product mention in music increased from 2004 to 2010. Likewise, incidence of product mention was most prevalent in rap across both time periods. Additionally, vehicles and fashion top the references with luxury brands dominating rap. Country mentions consistently centered around nonluxury brands.
The fate of thecal smooth muscle cells in postovulatory hamster follicles

Smooth muscles cells (SMC) have been identified in the theca externa of preovulatory follicles in several mammals. The function of these cells is not clear. It has been suggested that they are involved in ovulation and may play a role in the collapse of ruptured follicles and their transformation into corpora lutea (CL). In this study we used transmission electron microscopy (TEM) to examine the ultrastructure of SMC at the base of hamster follicles during the formation and regression of CL. For the first three days following ovulation, the CL are surrounded by a distinct theca externa composed of 1–3 layers of spindle-shaped cells. The cells were identified as SMC by the masses of filaments in the cytoplasm, dense attachment plaques and caveolae along the plasma membrane and an external lamina surrounding each cell. On the fourth day after ovulation, the theca externa is fragmented and TEM observations suggest the following three fates for theca externa cells: (1) many cells degenerate, (2) some cells persist as SMC, (3) some cells possess few or no filaments and appear similar to fibroblasts. The significance of these results is discussed in regard to ovarian contractions, the fate of CL, and the recycling of ovarian tissues.
A Cladistic Analysis of Mitochondrial Ribosomal DNA from the Bovidae

Abstract There is a huge data base of genetic information for the domestic artiodactyl speciesBos taurus(cow),Ovis aries(sheep), andCapra hircus(goat). However, the phylogenetic relationships of these economically critical taxa and their close relatives, family Bovidae, remain for the most part unresolved. In this report, we aligned new mitochondrial (mt) 12S and 16S ribosomal (r) DNA sequences from 26 bovid taxa with published sequences. Phylogenetic analyses of the more than 64 kilobases of mt rDNA from 57 taxa support a basal division in the Bovidae that separatesBosand its close relatives fromCapra, Ovis,and their kin. As suggested by previous molecular and morphological studies, “antelopes” are a paraphyletic assemblage. Caprinae (sheep, goats, goat antelopes, and musk oxen) groups consistently with hippotragine and alcelaphine antelopes, while Bovini (cattle and buffaloes) clusters with tragelaphine and boselaphine antelopes. The traditional tribal subdivisions of Bovidae are supported in most cases, but there are exceptions within Caprinae and Antilopinae (gazelles and close relatives). The rDNA data consistently place the enigmatic generaPelea, Pantholops,andSaiga,but the origin ofAepyceros,the impala, remains obscure. Combined phylogenetic analyses of the rDNA data with the skeletal characters of Gentry (1992) were used to assess the stability of the molecular results.
Contributions of the study of disordered speech to speech production models

Abstract Acoustic and perceptual data have been obtained from the speech of individuals with several types of disorders. For two groups of individuals, the deviant speech arises from anatomical changes: surgical modification of the configuration of the nasal passages in one case, and the presence of nodules on the vocal folds in the other. Two other groups exhibited deviant motor control of speech: severely hearing-impaired children, and adults with neurogenic disorders. In each of these groups, the disordered speech exhibited ranges of acoustic or articulatory characteristics that were beyond the normal ranges. Perceptual evaluations of these utterances have helped to delineate the ranges that might be considered normal, and the results of these studies have contributed to the refinement of speech-production models.