cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
GENDER DIFFERENCES IN CAUSAL ATTRIBUTIONS BY COLLEGE STUDENTS OF PERFORMANCE ON COURSE EXAMINATIONS

Gender differences in causal attributions and emotions for imagined success and failure on examinations were investigated. Males made stronger ability attributions for success than females, whereas females emphasized the importance of studying and paying attention. Males more than females attributed failure to a lack of studying and low interest, but females were more likely than males to blame an F on a lack of ability. Females experienced stronger emotions than did males; they felt happier than males did after success but felt more like a failure than did males after imagining receiving an F on an examination. Some of the gender differences in causal attributions, especially for ability attributions, depended on the gender-type of the subject matter of the examinations. The implications of these findings are discussed.
Rich dynamics of a hepatitis B viral infection model with logistic hepatocyte growth.

Chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is a major cause of human suffering, and a number of mathematical models have examined within-host dynamics of the disease. Most previous HBV infection models have assumed that: (a) hepatocytes regenerate at a constant rate from a source outside the liver; and/or (b) the infection takes place via a mass action process. Assumption (a) contradicts experimental data showing that healthy hepatocytes proliferate at a rate that depends on current liver size relative to some equilibrium mass, while assumption (b) produces a problematic basic reproduction number. Here we replace the constant infusion of healthy hepatocytes with a logistic growth term and the mass action infection term by a standard incidence function; these modifications enrich the dynamics of a well-studied model of HBV pathogenesis. In particular, in addition to disease free and endemic steady states, the system also allows a stable periodic orbit and a steady state at the origin. Since the system is not differentiable at the origin, we use a ratio-dependent transformation to show that there is a region in parameter space where the origin is globally stable. When the basic reproduction number, R0, is less than 1, the disease free steady state is stable. When R0 > 1 the system can either converge to the chronic steady state, experience sustained oscillations, or approach the origin. We characterize parameter regions for all three situations, identify a Hopf and a homoclinic bifurcation point, and show how they depend on the basic reproduction number and the intrinsic growth rate of hepatocytes.
Ryanodine receptor phosphorylation at Serine 2030, 2808 and 2814 in rat cardiomyocytes

Abstract The cardiac ryanodine receptor (RyR) controls Ca2+ release from the sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) during excitation–contraction coupling. Three phosphorylation sites have been identified: Serine-(S)2808, S2814 and recently S2030. We measured phosphorylation with at least two different antibodies per site and demonstrate that for S2808 results were highly antibody-dependent and two out of three S2808 antibodies did not accurately report phosphorylation level. The RyR was substantially phosphorylated in quiescent rat cardiomyocytes at S2808 and less so at S2814, but appeared to be unphosphorylated at S2030. Basal phosphorylation at S2808/S2814 was maintained by a Ca2+ dependent kinase other than Ca2+/Calmodulin-dependent kinase (CaMKII). During stimulation with Isoproterenol S2808 was phosphorylated by protein kinase A (PKA) and S2814 was phosphorylated by CaMKII. Phosphatase 1 appears to be the main phosphatase dephosphorylating S2808/S2814, but phosphatase 2a may also dephosphorylate S2814. RyR phosphorylation is complex, but important in understanding RyR functional modulation.
Analysis of the AXAF HRMA+ACIS effective area measurements from the XRCF

We describe the analysis of effective area measurements for the AXAF High Resolution Mirror Assembly (HRMA) and the AXAF CCD Imaging Spectrometer (ACIS). The measurements were obtained at the X-ray Calibration Facility (XRCF) in Huntsville, AL, during April 1997. Measurements obtained with two frontside-illuminated (FI) charge-coupled devices (CCDs) in the imaging array and the backside-illuminated (BI) CCD located on-axis in the spectroscopic array are considered. We compare the XRCF effective area measurements to independent, semi-empirical model predictions constructed using the product of the efficiencies of the AXAF components. The XRCF measurements, in general, confirm the reliability of the model at most energies, but only after correcting the data for several effects related to event pileup. However, after applying the corrections, the uncertainties in the XRCF measurements remain uncomfortably large. We suggest several future avenues of investigation that should improve our knowledge of the HRMA + ACIS effective area.
Synthesis and structural characterization of a [Ag4]4+ cluster stabilized by a mixed-donor N-heterocyclic carbene linked cyclophane and the first reported synthesis of a N-heterocyclic carbene complex in water

Abstract The synthesis of the tetranuclear Ag44+ cluster stabilized by a N-heterocyclic carbene macrocycle (3)[PF6]4. Decomposition of the tetranuclear cluster (3)[PF6]4 in light forms the dimeric species (2)[PF6]2. In situ synthesis of the dimeric silver N-hetrocyclic carbene complex (2)[Br]2 in water.
Autonomous identification, categorization and generalization of policies based on task type

A life-long learning agent must have the ability to learn new tasks, adapt the policies of already learned tasks, and extract and reuse knowledge from previous tasks for future use. To do the latter, it needs methods that can autonomously identify, categorize and generalize control and representational knowledge. This paper presents a novel approach to achieve this by combining the policy homomorphism framework with a utility criterion to autonomously identify task types, categorize situation-specific policy instances into these types, and generalize the policies into a single abstract policy for each identified task type. The capabilities of this approach to identify, categorize, and generalize skills, as well as the potential benefit of reuse of the abstracted policies for the learning of new tasks is demonstrated in a grid world domain.
Progesterone induction of lysozyme and peptidase activities in the porcine uterus.

Abstract When nonpregnant ovariectomized gilts were treated daily for 15 days with progesterone or progesterone plus estradiol, there was a tenfold increase in the amount of secreted protein that could be flushed from their uteri compared with control animals administered either no steroid or only estradiol. This increase was due to the appearance of a number of new proteins not present in the controls. In addition to a purple-colored protein with acid phosphatase activity, which has been described previously, there were large increases in lysozyme and leucine aminopeptidase activity. All three enzymes appeared to be induced by progesterone. By continuing the progesterone treatments for periods up to 60 days, it was possible to recover very high levels of each of these enzymes from the uterine flushings of the pigs. Cathepsin activities (B1, D, and E) were also found to increase as progesterone treatment was prolonged. The levels of the peptidases does not seem to be coordinated since their activities change relative to each other when different animals are examined. Acid phosphatase (due entirely to the purple protein), lysozyme, and leucine aminopeptidase activities are also detectable in allantoic fluid after Day 30 of pregnancy and reach a maximum between Days 60 and 80. It is suggested that these enzymes may be maternal in origin.
The development of a short Money Ethic Scale: Attitudes toward money and pay satisfaction revisited

Abstract In order to measure people's attitudes toward money, a 12-item Money Ethic Scale (MES) was developed based on a sample of 740 subjects. Three factors were identified: Success, Budget, and Evil. Attitudes toward money as related to people's demographic variables, personality variables, and job satisfaction were examined. Those who scored high on the Money Ethic Scale (the overall Money score) tended to have high economic values, low religious values, high Type A behavior pattern, to be older, to have low pay satisfaction, and high political values. Implications related to compensation management are discussed.
Source water quality effects on monochloramine inactivation of adenovirus, coxsackievirus, echovirus, and murine norovirus

There is a need for more information regarding monochloramine disinfection efficacy for viruses in water. In this study, monochloramine disinfection efficacy was investigated for coxsackievirus B5 (CVB5), echovirus 11 (E11), murine norovirus (MNV), and human adenovirus 2 (HAdV2) in one untreated ground water and two partially treated surface waters. Duplicate disinfection experiments were completed at pH 7 and 8 in source water at concentrations of 1 and 3 mg/L monochloramine at 5 and 15 °C. The Efficiency Factor Hom (EFH) model was used to calculate CT values (mg-min/L) required to achieve 2-, 3-, and 4-log(10) reductions in viral titers. In all water types, monochloramine disinfection was most effective for MNV, with 3-log(10) CT values at 5 °C ranging from 27 to 110. Monochloramine disinfection was least effective for HAdV2 and E11, depending on water type, with 3-log(10) CT values at 5 °C ranging from 1200 to 3300 and 810 to 2300, respectively. Overall, disinfection proceeded faster at 15 °C and pH 7 for all water types. Inactivation of the study viruses was significantly different between water types, but there was no indication that overall disinfection efficacy was enhanced or inhibited in any one water type. CT values for HAdV2 in two types of source water exceeded federal CT value recommendations in the US. The results of this study demonstrate that water quality impacts the inactivation of viruses and should be considered when developing chloramination plans.
Modeling spatially explicit fire impact on gross primary production in interior Alaska using satellite images coupled with eddy covariance

Abstract In interior Alaska, wildfires change gross primary production (GPP) after the initial disturbance. The impact of fires on GPP is spatially heterogeneous, which is difficult to evaluate by limited point-based comparisons or is insufficient to assess by satellite vegetation index. The direct prefire and postfire comparison is widely used, but the recovery identification may become biased due to interannual climate variability. The objective of this study is to propose a method to quantify the spatially explicit GPP change caused by fires and succession. We collected three Landsat images acquired on 13 July 2004, 5 August 2004, and 6 September 2004 to examine the GPP recovery of burned area from 1987 to 2004. A prefire Landsat image acquired in 1986 was used to reconstruct satellite images assuming that the fires of 1987–2004 had not occurred. We used a light-use efficiency model to estimate the GPP. This model was driven by maximum light-use efficiency (Emax) and fraction of photosynthetically active radiation absorbed by vegetation (FPAR). We applied this model to two scenarios (i.e., an actual postfire scenario and an assuming-no-fire scenario), where the changes in Emax and FPAR were taken into account. The changes in Emax were represented by the change in land cover of evergreen needleleaf forest, deciduous broadleaf forest, and shrub/grass mixed, whose Emax was determined from three fire chronosequence flux towers as 1.1556, 1.3336, and 0.5098 gC/MJ PAR. The changes in FPAR were inferred from NDVI change between the actual postfire NDVI and the reconstructed NDVI. After GPP quantification for July, August, and September 2004, we calculated the difference between the two scenarios in absolute and percent GPP changes. Our results showed rapid recovery of GPP post-fire with a 24% recovery immediately after burning and 43% one year later. For the fire scars with an age range of 2–17 years, the recovery rate ranged from 54% to 95%. In addition to the averaging, our approach further revealed the spatial heterogeneity of fire impact on GPP, allowing one to examine the spatially explicit GPP change caused by fires.
The Role of Redox Cycling versus Arylation in Quinone-Induced Mitochondrial Dysfunction: A Mechanistic Approach in Classifying Reactive Toxicants

Abstract In an attempt to distinguish between the mechanisms by which electrophilic and redox cycling quinones induce the cyclosporine A (CyA)-sensitive mitochondrial membrane permeability transition, the ability of a series of quinones that span a broad range of electrophilic and redox cycling reactivities has been examined. The order of potency of quinone-induced Ca2+ release was 1,4-naphthoquinone (NQ) > 1,4-benzoquinone (BQ) > 2-methyl-1,4-naphthoquinone (MQ) > 2,3-dimethoxy-1,4-naphthoquinone (DiOMeNQ) > 2,3-dimethyl-1,4-naphthoquinone (DiMeNQ). Quinones with predominantly redox cycling reactivity, NQ (≤ 4 μM), MQ, DiOMeNQ and DiMeNQ, induced the CyA-sensitive membrane permeability transition. In contrast, NQ (> 4 μM) and BQ, induced rapid and complete Ca2+ release and membrane depolarization, but not swelling. Furthermore, BQ and NQ (> 4 μM)-induced effects were not prevented by CyA. Therefore, we maintain that, unlike MQ, DiOMeNQ, DiMeNQ and NQ (≤ 4μM), effects of BQ and NQ(> 4μM) on calcium flux a...
Main determinants for III–V metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistors (invited)

Lacking a suitable gate insulator, practical GaAs metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistors (MOSFETs) have remained all but a dream for more than four decades. The physics and chemistry of III–V compound semiconductor surfaces or interfaces are problems so complex that our understanding is still limited even after enormous research efforts. Most research is focused on surface pretreatments, oxide formation, and dielectric materials; less attention is paid to the III–V substrate itself. The purpose of this article is to show that device physics more related to III–V substrates is as important as surface chemistry for realizing high-performance III–V MOSFETs. The history and present status of III–V MOSFET research are briefly reviewed. A model based on the charge neutrality level is proposed to explain all experimental work he performed on III–V MOSFETs using ex situ atomic-layer-deposited high-k dielectrics. This model can also explain all reported experimental observations on III–V MOSFETs using ...
Adoption of information communication technology by teacher educators: one-on-one coaching

Abstract Research evidence suggests teacher educators who role model the use of information communication technology (ICT) in their practice help their students build confidence and competence as ICT users. This research finding is also supported by feedback from Louisiana Tech University students in teacher education. Research also indicates that a number of factors impact the adoption of ICT in the practice of teacher educators. This research has examined one of these factors, namely the benefits of one-on-one coaching for teacher educators by technology coaches as they worked together to learn to use technology. Participants included 33 teacher educators from Louisiana Tech University and 14 pre-service teachers. The pre-service teachers served as technology coaches and worked with the teacher educators in their offices and classrooms as they learned to use technology for their personal benefit and to integrate technology into their teaching. Interviews and observations indicated that coaches as well a...
Evaluating Evidence and Grading Recommendations: The SIS/IDSA Guidelines for the Treatment of Complicated Intra-Abdominal Infections

Abstract Background: Guidelines for the management and treatment of complicated intra-abdominal infections have been generated by a joint effort of the Surgical Infection Society and the Infectious Diseases Society of America. Continued review is needed of the process of these guideline development efforts, the evidence collected, and the recommendations developed by this collaboration. Methods: The literature employed in the development of these guidelines and the process for the development of the recommendations was reviewed. Results: The process for the development of the guidelines required providing answers to questions surrounding the type of evidence, the quality of that evidence, and whether the data used were generated from clinical trials with investigators blinded to the randomization scheme. The recommendations most commonly follow randomized comparative trials, with observational reports and expert opinions assuming a lesser role. Sources of bias and conflict of interest considerations also ...
Validation of Criterion-Referenced Standards for Tests of Arm and Shoulder Girdle Strength and Endurance

Abstract The purpose of this study was to establish criterion-referenced standards for selected tests of arm and shoulder girdle strength and endurance for college females. Several popular tests of arm and shoulder girdle strength and endurance were administered to equal numbers of trained and untrained college females (N = 92) to generate data for the analysis. The contrasting groups method (Berk, 1976; Safrit & Wood, 1990) yielded the following criterion cutoff scores that classified college females as trained or untrained on the basis of regular upper arm and shoulder girdle resistance training: pull-ups = .5 repetitions (reps), 90° push-ups = 16 reps, flexed arm hang = 5s, seated chest press = 24.5 kg, seated biceps curl = 16.4 kg, seated lat pull (latissmus dorsi pull-down) = 38.2 kg, absolute strength index = 86.4 kg, and relative strength index = .6 kg per kg of body weight. Cross-validation of the standards on an independent sample of college females (N = 112) suggested stability of the cutoff sco...
Fast transient behavior of thermoelectric coolers with high current pulse and finite cold junction

Abstract Experimental, high speed temperature response data were taken on a single stage thermoelectric cooler as it was subjected to a high current, short duration, rectangular d.c. pulse. The pulse was imposed on the cooler as it was operating in its optimum, steady-state, cooled-down condition. After the cooler attained steady-state temperatures of about −40°C with the hot junction at 27°C, pulse cooling down to about −65°C was obtained with many combinations of current and pulse duration. Typical pulse current and duration were 10 A for 30 msec. The pulse could be repeated about every 15 sec. Average figure-of-merit of the cooler materials, bismuth and antimony tellurides, was 2.69 × 10−3 K−1 at 3°C. The cooler was of a practical, common size and configuration, being two elements, standing side-by-side, connected at the top with a very thin silver bus bar. Element cross-sectional area was 0.0089 cm2 and element height was 0.5 cm. Every effort was made to reduce the mass of the bus bar, solder, and thermocouple which was used to measure the temperature. Good correlation was obtained between the experimental data and a computer model solution by the Network Thermal Analyzer (NETHAN) program simulating the experimental conditions. Computer solutions of temperature were carried out for a wide range of cooler sizes, including the experimental model size, an approximately one-tenth size of the experimental model and sizes larger than the experimental model.
Effect of Biaxial Stress on Solid Phase Epitaxy of Silicon

The effect of biaxial stress on solid phase epitaxial growth (SPEG) rate of crystalline Si(100) into self-implanted amorphous surface layer has been measured. Biaxial stresses in the crystalline and amorphous phases were generated by bending the silicon wafer using the residual stresses in Ge films deposited on the back side of the wafer. Stresses were determined at SPEG temperatures by optical measurements of wafer bending curvatures. Tensile stresses up to 13 MPa in the crystalline phase and 34 MPa in the amorphous phasewere achieved during SPEG at 530°C. An optical system based on the time-resolved reflectivity (TRR) technique was devised to measure the growth rates of two adjacent samples during a single SPEG run. This enables a direct comparison of the growth rates under different stress conditions without concern for run-to-run temperature variations. We found that the growth kinetics in all the samples were retarded as the c/a interface approached the free surface. However, the extent of this rateretardation was reducedin the stressed samples, leading to stress-enhanced growth kinetics. We speculate that the application of the biaxial tensile stresses might slow down the incorporation of hydrogen into the amorphous phase, a mechanism for the rate-retardation.
Reliability and validity of a visual analog scale for acute abdominal pain in the ED

The objective of the study was to assess the validity and reliability of the visual analog scale (VAS) in the measurement of acute abdominal pain, and to identify the minimum clinically significant difference in VAS scores among patients with acute abdominal pain. The study was undertaken in preparation for a randomized clinical trial of opioid use in acute abdominal pain. A prospective, observational cohort study of a convenience sample of patients presenting to 2 urban EDs with the chief complaint of acute abdominal pain was conducted. At time 0 and 1 minute later each subject indicated pain severity on a 100mm VAS. This was repeated every 30 minutes for 2 hours. Patients were also asked to contrast their current pain severity with their pain in the preceding 30 minutes using one of 5 graded verbal descriptors: "much less pain," "little less pain," "the same pain," "little more pain," and "much more pain." Validity was assessed by performing an analysis of variance for linear trend on the association between the 5 categorical pain descriptors and change in VAS scores. Reliability was assessed using the intra-class correlation coefficient (ICC) between VAS scores taken 1 minute apart, supplemented by a Bland-Altman analysis. The minimum clinically significant difference in pain was defined as the mean difference between sequential VAS scores obtained 30 minutes apart when the patient noted a "little less" or "little more" pain. Differences in VAS scores increased linearly as pain descriptors escalated from "much less" to "much more" pain (P <.001). Reliability was high, ICC = 0.99 [95%CI 0.989 to 0.992] for 0 and 1 minute VAS scores. The minimum clinically significant difference in acute abdominal pain was 16 mm (95% CI 13, 18 mm). VAS measures of acute abdominal pain are valid and reliable. The 95% CI surrounding the minimum clinically significant difference of approximately 16 mm overlaps with the 95% CI of minimum clinically significant difference of approximately 13 mm reported previously in traumatic and other types of acute pain. We conclude that the VAS is a methodologically sound instrument for quantitative assessment of acute abdominal pain and for detecting clinically important changes in such pain.
Editorial: HDAC inhibition begets more MDSCs

Discussion on HDAC inhibition-mediated immune-regulation and generating MDSCs with greater efficiency, both in vitro and in vivo.
Plagioclase-free andesites from Zitácuaro (Michoacán), Mexico: petrology and experimental constraints

Approximately 150 km west of Mexico City in the central part of the Mexican Volcanic Belt (MVB) near Zitacuaro, Mexico, young volcanism has produced shield volcanoes, large volume silicic deposits, and fault-related basalt and andesite lava flows and cinder cones. This paper concerns a small cluster of Pleistocene andesite cones and flows which can be separated into two distinct groups: high-magnesium andesites (>6% MgO, 57–59% SiO2), conveniently called basaltic andesites, with phenocrysts of orthopyroxene and augite, or augite and olivine; and andesites (60–62% SiO2, 3 wt%) at pressures of about 1 kbar. Compared to basaltic andesites of western Mexico, the Zitacuaro basaltic andesites have ∼2 wt% lower Al2O3 concentrations, which causes plagioclase to precipitate at significantly lower temperatures, and it therefore follows the crystallization sequence: olivine, augite, and orthopyroxene. Based on ubiquitous quartz xenocrysts, with glassy rhyolitic inclusions, a reasonable conclusion is that substantial mixing of a quartz-bearing rhyolitic magma with a parental basaltic andesite has occurred at low pressure (shallow depth), and this would account for the low Al2O3 concentrations in the Zitacuaro basaltic andesites. Whatever the mechanism of incorporation, the quartz xenocrysts are evidence of contamination of basaltic magma with more siliceous material, thus making it difficult to use these magmas as indicators of mantle melting processes.
Experimental Verification of Resistance Control, Semi-Active Damping

SUMMARY Electronically controlled vehicle suspensions offer substantial improvements in performance over conventional, passive suspensions but with the price of power, complexity, and actuating bandwidth. Low-bandwidth, semi-active damping addresses the problems of power and bandwidth by using low power modulation of controllable dampers at the frequency of the isolated mass. Resistance controlled, semi-active damping is experimentally verified to better sprung mass isolation while reducing suspension stroke, something that a passive system cannot do. It is also shown to compare reasonably well with computer simulation results. The experimental implementation is a 1/30 scale, two degree-of-freedom test bed that represents the standard quarter vehicle model.
The use of a factor-analytic procedure for assessing the validity of an employee safety climate model

This paper assesses the validity of a safety climate measure proposed by Zohar (Safety climate in industrial organizations: Theoretical and applied implications. J. Appl. Psychol. 65(1), 96-101, 1980.) on an American sample of production workers. Using LISREL, confirmatory factor analyses were carried out to test the hypothesis of similar variance-covariance structures (validation of the proposed model). The originally proposed climate model was not supported by the data. An exploratory factor analytic algorithm is then discussed as a means of refining the climate model. A smaller safety climate model was then extracted from the data, and comparisons were made for two groups of employees (accidents versus no accidents). Factorial invariance tests were conducted to test the hypotheses of similar factor patterns, equal units of measurement, equal accuracy of measurement, and equal covariance across factors, between the two groups. The results indicated that the climate structures did not differ between the two groups of interest, subsequently providing a valid and reliable climate measure across the groups. Groups were then compared on climate scores, with differences in climate perception being detected between the groups.
Lipid Peroxidation and atherosclerosis

Atherosclerosis and its clinical sequelae are among the most important of human cardiovascular diseases. Abnormal amounts of lipid are usually present in the thickened intima of atherosclerotic arteries. The notion that lipid peroxidation and polymerization occur in these lipid deposits is based largely on the fact that ceroid pigments have been demonstrated in atherosclerotic plaques. The detection of cholesteryl hydroxyoctadecadienoic acids in lipids of atheromas is suggestive evidence of lipoperoxidation; detection of lipoperoxides as such is technically difficult and the results to date are inconclusive. Studies of arteries from man and animals indicate that ceroid pigments occur late in the disease process and are not likely to be initiators of atherosclerosis. It is possible that hydroperoxides or intermediate free radiclals participate in the early stages of atherogenesis, but this theory is without conclusive support. Ceroid has been implicated as an inflammatory or sclerosing agent in arteries, p...
A method for evaluating antiscalant retardation of crystal nucleation and growth on RO membranes

Abstract An experimental method was developed for quantifying mineral scale nucleation and growth on RO membranes enabling comparison of the effectiveness of antiscalants in retarding mineral scale formation. Mineral scale growth and inhibition was evaluated, for calcium sulfate dihydrate (gypsum) as a model scalant, from direct visual observations of crystal growth on the membrane surface in a plate-and-frame RO cell. Comparison of membrane scaling with and without the use of antiscalants was carried out based on RO scaling tests conducted under identical operating conditions with respect to the initial flux and crossflow velocity, at identical initial concentration fields within the RO membrane channel and at the membrane surface. The range of gypsum saturation index (SIg) at the membrane surface was 1.3–2.3 enabling determination of gypsum scaling for the above SIg range from a single RO scaling test, given direct observation of crystal nucleation and growth on the membrane surface. The present work demonstrates that it is possible to distinguish antiscalants modes of scale inhibition and corresponding scale suppression effectiveness, over a reasonable range of solution supersaturation. The current approach introduces antiscalant crystal nucleation and growth retardation factors that can aid in the development, selection and dose optimization of antiscalants for use in RO desalination.
Untangling the relative contribution of maltreatment severity and frequency to type of behavioral outcome in foster youth

Within maltreatment research, type, frequency, and severity of abuse are often confounded and not always specifically documented. The result is samples that are often heterogeneous in regard to maltreatment experience, and the role of the different components of maltreatment in predicting outcome is unclear. The purpose of the present study was to identify and test the potential unique role of type, frequency, and severity of maltreatment to elucidate each variable's role in predicting outcome behavior. Data from 309 youth in foster care (ages 8-22) and their caregivers were collected using the Modified Maltreatment Classification System and the Behavioral Assessment System for Children, 2nd Edition (BASC2), to measure maltreatment exposure and behavioral outcome respectively. A measurement model of the BASC2 was completed to determine model fit within the sample data. A second confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was completed to determine the unique contributions of frequency and severity of maltreatment across four types of abuse to externalizing, internalizing, and adaptive behavior. The result of the CFA determined good fit of the BASC2 to the sample data after a few modifications. The result of the second CFA indicated that the paths from severity to externalizing behavior and adaptive behavior (reverse loading) were significant. Paths from frequency of abuse were not predictive of behavioral outcome. Maltreatment is a complex construct and researchers are encouraged to examine components of abuse that may be differentially related to outcome behavior for youth. Untangling the multifaceted nature of abuse is important and may have implications for identifying specific outcomes for youth exposed to maltreatment.
Ti-6Al-4V with micro- and macropores produced by powder sintering and electrochemical dissolution of steel wires

Abstract Ti–6Al–4V powder preforms containing parallel layers of steel wire meshes are sintered into composites. Elongated macropores are created by electrochemical dissolution of the steel wires, and equiaxed micropores by partial powder densification. The macropore diameter and fraction is tailored by the creation of a Fe-containing diffusion zone in the Ti–6Al–4V matrix, which is removed electrochemically together with the wires. Ti–6Al–4V with 21–41% porosity shows compressive stiffness and strength attractive for biomedical implants.
Accelerated Partial Breast Irradiation for Early-Stage Breast Cancer: Controversies and Current Indications for Use

Radiation therapy options for early-stage breast cancer have evolved during the past 40 years. Several choices are currently available to certain patient subsets that allow radiation oncologists to individualize care. Multiple phase II and several phase III trials have been published that support the safety and efficacy of accelerated partial breast irradiation (APBI) as part of breast conservation in selected patients. In contrast, a recent large retrospective analysis of patients aged 67 or older who received brachytherapy for APBI has raised concerns about its effectiveness. As the radiation community awaits results from NSABP B-39/RTOG 0413, the largest randomized trial of whole breast radiation therapy (WBRT) versus APBI, to provide more conclusive data, many academic and private radiation oncology practices are utilizing APBI off-protocol to treat early-stage breast cancer patients. Because of this, the American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) published a consensus statement in 2009 to aid in proper patient selection (Table 1). Until more definitive data is garnered, we advocate strict adherence to these selection criteria to ensure optimal outcomes. Specifically, we caution against the use of APBI in lymph node-positive disease outside of a clinical trial. There is a paucity of comparative data to guide oncologists in selection of the best APBI delivery method. The current NSABP B-39/RTOG 0413 trial allows any of the three most common forms of delivery to be utilized (multicatheter interstitial brachytherapy, balloon intracavitary brachytherapy, and external beam 3D conformal therapy) and will be instrumental to compare outcome differences between these methods.
Modeling of Coal-Biomass Fluidization Using Computational Fluid Dynamics

In an effort to assess the fluidization characteristics of coal-biomass mixtures, computational fluid dynamics (CFD) was used and validated. The gas and solids phases were modeled using an Eulerian-Eulerian approach to efficiently simulate the physics. The computational platform Multiphase Flow with Interphase eXchanges (MFIX) was employed to simulate the particle-particle interactions of coal-biomass mixtures and compare the predictions with experimental data. The coal-biomass mixtures included sub-bituminous coal and hybrid poplar wood. Particles properties of both materials fall within the Geldart A classification. Of particular interest to this study was predicting particle mixing in fluidized beds and biomass hydrodynamics. Both materials and two mass ratio mixtures were studied and pressure drop across the bed for various gas inlet velocities and bed height were analyzed and compared to the experiments.Copyright © 2013 by ASME
The dynamics and trend of global peak vegetation activities in the past two decades

The NOAA/NASA Pathfinder AVHRR Land (PAL) product is one of important data products for studying global vegetation. It contains global NDVI time series derived from NOAA-AVHRR at 8-km and10-day resolutions for the past two decades. Many studies have used the PAL product to analyze the global vegetation dynamics and trends in the past two decades with an assumption that either PAL has no systematic temporal errors or the errors are much smaller than the signals of the global vegetation changes. However, this study finds the significant systematic temporal errors in PAL due to the orbital drifting of NOAA POES satellites that increases the global NDVI value with aging of a satellite. Another source of NDVI errors is the volcanic aerosols, which have large negative effects on global NDVI value in the product. The aerosols brought into atmosphere by June 1991 eruption of Mt. Pinatubo reduced the means of the annual global maximum NDVI by 0.03, 0.067, and 0.027, for 1991, 1992, 1993, respectively. The aerosols from the eruption of El Chichon in 1982 reduced the mean of global maximum NDVI 0.016 NDVI unit for 1982 and 0.022 for 1983. Those errors are larger than signals of global vegetation change due to the climate change. After removing the errors by a statistics-based algorithm, it is found the mean of the annual global maximum NDVI increases at the rate less than 0.005 NDVI units per year.
Augmented Lagrangian algorithms for linear programming

We introduce new augmented Lagrangian algorithms for linear programming which provide faster global convergence rates than the augmented algorithm of Polyak and Treti'akov. Our algorithm shares the same properties as the Polyak-Treti'akov algorithm in that it terminates in finitely many iterations and obtains both primal and dual optimal solutions. We present an implementable version of the algorithm which requires only approximate minimization at each iteration. We provide a global convergence rate for this version of the algorithm and show that the primal and dual points generated by the algorithm converge to the primal and dual optimal set, respectively.
Globalisation, mobile phones and forbidden romance in Morocco

Globalisation in the form of must-have mobile phones affects gender and generational relations in the Middle East and North Africa. As this new form of communication technology spreads to secondary and university students, it impacts the traditionally strong institution of the Middle Eastern family. In Morocco, gender relations and generational dynamics are changing as this technology breaks down traditional spatial and associational boundaries between young men and women. Membership in a global citizenry offers young Moroccans both status and western patterns of romance. This study demonstrates that young women and young men utilise mobile phones for different purposes. Mobile phones facilitate behaviour that young people know violates Moroccan social norms, but which are permitted by the western mores conveyed through global media. Our research in Morocco may have resonance in the rest of the Middle East but differs from what research reports in Europe.
Invasive scopulariopsis in the immunocompromised host

Opportunistic infections with fungal organisms have been well described in patients undergoing intensive chemotherapy and bone marrow transplantation. In two patients, invasive infections with the saprophyte Scopulariopsis developed either following intensive chemotherapy or bone marrow transplant. Fungal disease persisted in both patients despite resection of the primary focus and prolonged treatment with the usual antifungal agents, and contributed to the death of one patient.
The influence of concordant xenografts on the humoral and cell-mediated immune responses to subsequent allografts in primates☆☆☆★★★♢

The humoral and cell-mediated immune responses to subsequent allografts were determined in primate recipients after concordant xenotransplantation as a bridge to allotransplantation. Heterotopic heart transplants (n = 4) were performed from cynomolgus monkeys into ABH type-matched olive baboons followed 2 weeks later by allotransplantation from ABH type-matched baboon donors. Allografts were explanted at 8 weeks. All recipients underwent splenectomy at the time of xenotransplantation and received immunosuppression with cyclosporine, azathioprine, and methylprednisolone. Concordant xenotransplantation in these primates did not induce humoral or cell-mediated immune responses that jeopardized subsequent allografts. The degree of xenospecific immune reactivity, as determined by specific cytotoxicity of recipient T-cell lines derived from the xenograft and extent of histologic xenograft rejection, did not predict the severity of subsequent allograft rejection. In two of the four recipients, xenotransplantation induced an alloreactive humoral response against antigens expressed by the B cells of more than 50% of members from a panel of 12 unrelated baboons. In all recipients, priming with xenogeneic splenocytes in vitro induced an accelerated proliferative T-cell response to allogeneic lymphocytes from 16% of this panel. This study affirms the role of concordant xenografts as appropriate biologic bridges to human allotransplantation. However, our results suggest that xenoreactive baboon memory CD4 T cells may recognize major histocompatibility complex class II--like structures shared between the xenogeneic and allogeneic targets. The potential allorecognition induced by a xenograft may affect the process of subsequent allograft donor selection.
Robot path planning for space-truss assembly

Construction, repair, and maintenance of space-based structures will require extensive planning of operations in order to effectively carry out these tasks. The path planning algorithm described here is a general approach to generating paths that guarantee collision avoidance for a single chain nonredundant or redundant robot. The algorithm uses a graph search of feasible points in position space, followed by a local potential field method that guarantees collision avoidance among objects, structures, and the robot arm as well as conformance to joint limit constraints. This algorithm is novel in its computation of goal attractive potential fields in Cartesian space, and computation of obstacle repulsive fields in robot joint space. These effects are combined to generate robot motion. Computation is efficiently implemented through the computation of the robot arm Jacobian and not the full inverse arm kinematics. These planning algorithms have been implemented and evaluated using existing space-truss designs, and are being integrated into the RPI-CIRSSE Testbed environment.
Movement patterns of a group of free-ranging mountain gorillas (Gorilla gorilla beringei) and their relation to food availability.

Relationships between the movement patterns of free-ranging mountain gorillas (Gorilla gorilla beringei) and the abundance and distribution of foods in their home range were examined. During an 18-month field study, the ranging of one group of G. gorilla beringei was recorded on a 250 × 250 m grid system, from which measurements of frequency and duration of use, travel rate, and rate of revisitation of each quadrangle by the group were derived. Food items were sampled in selected quadrangles throughout the home range and various measures of food abundance, frequency and diversity were calculated. Analyses based on both spatial and temporal variation in food availability give supporting evidence for the prediction that mountain gorilla ranging patterns are influenced by the distribution and abundance of foods. Quality of food appears to be an important factor, as shown in analyses of yearly patterns and monthly changes in ranging. The gorillas studied spent more time in the higher quality areas of their home range, responded to a correlate of decreasing food abundance by increasing their rate of travel and area used, and revisited regions more frequently when the renewal rate of foods was clearly greater. Each of their foraging tactics can be explained as serving to increase the efficiency of harvesting foods.
Antagonistic characteristics are positively associated with inflammatory markers independently of trait negative emotionality.

Recent evidence suggests that individuals with certain personality traits are at elevated risk for chronic systemic inflammation. To date, this literature has focused on the related traits of hostility and negative affect (NA). In this study, we examine the covariation of trait measures of hostility and NA with the inflammatory mediators interleukin-6 and C-reactive protein. We also explore whether observed associations reflect independent contributions of cognitive, affective and behavioral components of hostile dispositions or shared trait variance with global negative affectivity. Subjects were a diverse sample of 855 relatively healthy middle-aged community volunteers (50% male) from the Adult Health and Behavior Project. The Buss and Perry Aggression Questionnaire (BPAQ) and an Abbreviated Cook–Medley Hostility Scale (ACM) were used to measure dimensions of hostility, and the Multidimensional Personality Questionnaire was used to measure trait NA. Regression analyses accounting for demographic characteristics and medical covariates showed a positive relationship of all components of hostility and trait NA with both IL-6 and CRP. After controlling for trait NA, only the behavioral component of hostility was independently associated with the inflammatory markers. The relationships of cognitive and affective components of hostility with inflammatory markers were largely explained by lifestyle factors, particularly body mass index and smoking. In contrast, lifestyle factors did not explain the covariation of hostile behavioral tendencies and inflammation. These findings suggest that unique attributes of aggressive behavioral tendencies account for much of the variability in inflammation associated with hostility and negative emotions, raising the possibility that individuals high in aggression are at increased risk of inflammatory disease.
The latent structure of generalized anxiety disorder in midlife adults

Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) is identified as a discrete disorder in the DSM-5, but evidence suggests that GAD and the related construct of pathological worry possesses a dimensional latent structure. The objective of this study was to ascertain the latent structure of GAD using taxometric methods. A subsample of adults (N=2061) from the Midlife in the United States Study, a national sample of Americans, provided the data. Additional data from individuals who were re-interviewed 10 year later (n=1228) were also analyzed. Items corresponding to the DSM-IV-TR diagnostic criteria for GAD were used to generate indicators for the taxometric analyses. Multiple taxometric procedures provided no evidence that GAD has a categorical or taxonic latent structure. Instead, the results were more consistent with the proposition that GAD exists on a continuum. Evidence that GAD is dimensional suggests that dichotomizing individuals into GAD versus non-GAD groups will typically result in decreased statistical power. They also suggest that any diagnostic thresholds for identifying GAD are likely to be arbitrary. The findings are consistent with models that locate GAD within the framework of extant dimensional models of personality and with research that emphasizes a multifactorial etiology for GAD.
Proleptic Composition in the Republic, or Why Book 1 was Never a Separate Dialogue

Old scholarly myths die hard. It was K. F. Hermann, the discoverer of the ‘Socratic period’ in Plato's development, who first proposed (in 1839) that Book 1 of the Republic must originally have been an earlier, independent dialogue on justice, parallel to the Laches on courage, the Euthyphro on piety, and the Charmides on temperance. Hermann also introduced the separatist enterprise of analysing the rest of the Republic into three or four distinct compositional stages. Analytical proposals of this sort were then formulated by a number of other scholars, including Krohn, Usener, and Rohde. The notion of an earlier, partial publication seemed to be supported by two bits of external evidence: a statement in Aulus Gellius that ‘about two books’ (duo fere libri) of Plato's Republic were the first to appear; and a number of striking parallels on the community of women between Republic 5 and Aristophanes' Ekklesiazousai, produced c. 392 B.C.