cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Risk factors for severe Meibomian gland atrophy in a young adult population: A cross-sectional study.

Author(s): Yeh, Thao N; Lin, Meng C | Abstract: PurposeAssess potential risk factors for severe Meibomian gland atrophy (SMGA) in a young adult population.MethodsCross-sectional study using medical history and ocular surface examination to evaluate relationships with study outcomes: SMGA, tear lipid layer (TLL) thickness, non-invasive (NITBUT) and fluorescein (FTBUT) tear breakup times, and symptoms using the Standard Patient Evaluation of Eye Dryness (SPEED) questionnaire.ResultsOne hundred one participants (101; 202 eyes; Age: mean±SD = 22.3±4.0 years) completed the study. Hormonal birth control (HBC) use was the only significant risk factor for SMGA (p = 0.028). Female HBC users had 4.8 times greater odds of having SMGA compared to female HBC non-users (p = 0.028), but the odds of having SMGA was similar between female HBC non-users and males (p = 0.885). Multivariable analysis suggested that the relationship between SMGA and TLL thickness was dependent on HBC use. Compared to female HBC non-users without SMGA, TLL thickness for HBC users was estimated to be 10 nm thinner if SMGA was absent (p = 0.007) and 21 nm thinner if SMGA was present (pl0.001). SMGA status had no significant impact on TLL thickness among female HBC non-users (p = 0.552). The effect of TLL thickness on FTBUT was small but significant (p = 0.026). TLL thickness was not significantly associated with NITBUT (p = 0.349). Neither FTBUT nor NITBUT was significantly associated with the SPEED score.ConclusionHBC use may be associated with SMGA, supporting the hypothesis that SMGA could lead to thinner TLL. However, less evidence was present to support that thin TLL could lead to clinically detectable tear film instability and subsequently to increased ocular dryness symptoms. Further investigation with a larger sample size is warranted to confirm these findings.
Build on the outer space treaty.

Fifty years on, the agreement is being pushed to its limits by changing geopolitics, technology and commercial interests, warns Joan Johnson-Freese.
EARLY DETECTION OF RIGHT VENTRICULAR DYSFUNCTION ASSESSED BY TWO-DIMENSIONAL SPECKLE-TRACKING ECHOCARDIOGRAPHY IN ADULT LYMPHOMA PATIENTS RECEIVING ANTHRACYCLINE-BASED CHEMOTHERAPY

Cardiotoxicity from anthracycline-based therapy leads to significant morbidity and mortality. Several studies have demonstrated the adverse effects of anthracyclines on left ventricular (LV) function, however limited data exists on right ventricular (RV) function. RV function has independent
Will reduced resident work hours improve the state of the art of healing

Residency programs should include a system composed of night float teams, wide cross-coverage, and effective communication at the time of patient hand-off in order to maintain an 80-hour work week. Virtual Mentor is a monthly bioethics journal published by the American Medical Association.
Sedation of the Pediatric Patient

Imaging pediatric patients provides many interesting challenges, not the least of which is keeping them motionless for the studies. Almost any imaging study is degraded, to a greater or lesser degree, by patient motion, and this can be particularly true for nuclear medicine studies where spatial resolution is an issue. Unfortunately, even the most cooperative child often cannot hold still for an imaging study of any length. This means that adequate sedation is one of the most important factors in performing high-quality imaging studies in children. This chapter discusses some of the basic concepts in pediatric sedation and suggests an approach to providing safe and effective sedation of children who are referred for PET scanning.
Chemistry of Snow from High Altitude, Mid/Low Latitude Glaciers

Glaciochemical records describing the spatial and temporal variation in the chemical content of snow and ice in HAM/LL glaciers allows us to improve our understanding of the distribution of chemical species in the atmosphere at these latitudes, and their variation over space and time. The resulting data base provides the framework for describing and understanding aspects of atmospheric chemistry and circulation, biogeochemical cycling, climate change, anthropogenic emissions to the atmosphere, glacial hydrology and evidence of volcanic events. Furthermore, records from glaciochemical investigations are especially important when direct observations and measurements of the atmosphere are either spatially and/or temporally lacking.
Regional and source differences in midsize newspapers reporting New York Times v. Sullivan

This study focuses on midsize newspaper coverage of the New York Times v. Sullivan case that strengthened press freedom. A content analysis of articles from 29 Northern, 25 Southern and six multist...
Defendants encountering victims in the courtroom: challenges and opportunities of allocution in capital trials for doing restorative justice

Allocution is when offenders plead for mercy and offer explanations in order to mitigate punishment. This paper explores the opportunities and challenges inherent in an attempt to do restorative ju...
A semiempirical effective Hamiltonian based approach for analyzing excited state wave functions and computing excited state absorption spectra using real-time dynamics.

We describe a new approach to extract information about an excited state wave function using a reduced orbital space molecular orbital decomposition approach for time-dependent density obtained from real-time dynamics. We also show how this information about the excited state wave function can be used to accelerate the convergence of real-time spectra and model excited state electron dynamics. We have combined this approach with our recent implementation of the real-time intermediate neglect of differential overlap for spectroscopy (INDO/S) to study the solvatochromic shift of Nile Red in acetone, ethanol, toluene and n-hexane solvents, and, for the first time, the excited state absorption spectra of coronene, 5,10,15,20-tetra(4-pyridyl)porphyrin (TPyP), zinc phthalocyanine, and nickel TPyP using a semiempirical Hamiltonian.We describe a new approach to extract information about an excited state wave function using a reduced orbital space molecular orbital decomposition approach for time-dependent density obtained from real-time dynamics. We also show how this information about the excited state wave function can be used to accelerate the convergence of real-time spectra and model excited state electron dynamics. We have combined this approach with our recent implementation of the real-time intermediate neglect of differential overlap for spectroscopy (INDO/S) to study the solvatochromic shift of Nile Red in acetone, ethanol, toluene and n-hexane solvents, and, for the first time, the excited state absorption spectra of coronene, 5,10,15,20-tetra(4-pyridyl)porphyrin (TPyP), zinc phthalocyanine, and nickel TPyP using a semiempirical Hamiltonian.
Chronic daily opioid exposure is associated with dysphagia, esophageal outflow obstruction, and disordered peristalsis.

BACKGROUND Opioid receptors are present in the esophagus, and chronic opioid therapy may be associated with esophageal dysfunction. Given the current opioid epidemic in the United States, the potential contribution of opioids to esophageal dysmotility is important from both public health and patient care perspectives. Therefore our aim is to investigate the potential contribution of opioids to dysphagia and the prevalence of major motor disorders in patients undergoing manometric evaluation. METHODS The anonymized electronic medical records of patients linked to their de-identified high-resolution manometry (HRM) studies were reviewed. The patients were grouped based on their opioid exposure history at the time of HRM: opioid-naive and chronic daily users. The oral morphine milligram equivalent daily dose (MMED) of opioids was computed. KEY RESULTS: 10% of patients referred for esophageal HRM were taking opioid analgesics on a chronic daily basis, and they had a significantly higher prevalence of dysphagia than their opioid-naive counterparts. The chronic daily opioid users displayed a significantly higher prevalence of achalasia type 3 (ACH3) and esophagogastric junction outflow obstruction (EGJOO) motility phenotypes. The MMED of opioids was a significant predictor of esophageal pressure metrics and motility diagnoses (P < 0.0001). CONCLUSIONS Chronic daily opioid intake is associated with impaired deglutitive LES relaxation and disorganized peristaltic sequence. While a minority of patients on chronic daily opioid therapy present with major esophageal motor disorders, they comprise nearly half of ACH3 and a third of EGJOO motility phenotypes.
Exact Unconditional Tests for Dichotomous Data When Comparing Multiple Treatments With a Single Control

In contemporary clinical trials, often evaluated simultaneously are multiple new treatments or the same treatment at multiple dose levels. These treatments are first compared with a control, and the best candidate with sufficient activity is then picked for the following trial for further investigation. When the primary outcome is binary, several testing procedures including Dunnett's test, have been proposed for the assessment of hypotheses. The sample size of each group is predetermined; thus, an unconditional exact approach is aligned with the study design. The exact unconditional approach based on maximization has been studied for comparing multiple treatments with a control. The newly developed exact unconditional approach based on estimation and maximization could possibly increase the effectiveness of exact approaches by smoothing the tail probability surface. We compare these 2 exact unconditional approaches based on 3 commonly used test statistics under various design settings. Based on results from numerical studies, we provide recommendations on the usage of these exact approaches. A real clinical trial to treat psoriasis is used to illustrate the application of the considered exact approaches.
Corruption as a Self-Reinforcing Trap: Implications for Reform Strategy

Corruption is widely believed to be a self-reinforcing phenomenon, in the sense that the incentive to engage in corrupt acts increases as corruption becomes more widespread. Some argue that corrupt...
Health Disparities in Patients with Congestive Heart Failure Exacerbations in Los Angeles County

Background 1.1.Congestive Heart Failure (CHF) is a leading cause of death in the USA, with over 500,000 new cases diagnosed each year. While rates of CHF exacerbation across all races and ethnicities decreased from 2005 to 2009, the number of Black patients with CHF exacerbation who present in Los Angeles (L. A.) County Emergency Departments (ED) remained the highest. We examine disparities in CHF exacerbation rates in L. A. County, and in Los Angeles Service Planning Area (SPA) 6, and compare CHF-related outcomes, and the disposition of these patients post-ED visit. Methods 1.2.This is a retrospective analysis using the Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development (OSHPD) Emergency Department, and Ambulatory Surgery Center database from 2005 to 2009. We used the following variables: congestive heart failure, ICD-9 code 428.0, age, gender, race/ethnicity, insurance status, and disposition. Univariate and descriptive statistics identified distributions of the study variables. There were a total of 13,766 in the study population. Results 1.3.SPA 6 had higher hospitalization rates across all races and ethnicities, compared to L.A. County as a whole. Blacks constitute 9.1% of the County population, but represented 32% of patients diagnosed with CHF in the ED. Only about 10% of L. A. County's population resides in SPA 6, yet over 22% of the entire County's CHF patients reside there. Conclusions 1.4.CHF continues to disproportionately affect Black individuals in L.A. County, and younger adults in SPA 6. Our results indicate that residing in this service planning area, in addition to race, can predict greater likelihood of presenting with CHF exacerbation in the ED, and greater likelihood of hospitalization. Future research on the association of CHF exacerbation with different sociodemographic measures among minority, underserved and disadvantaged patients is needed. These can identify and help mitigate inequities and weaknesses in our health care system, which are manifest through stark health disparities among different racial, ethnic and socioeconomic groups.
Voluntary and involuntary orienting of attention elicit similar lateralized changes in alpha activity and slow potential shifts over visual cortex

There is a common distinction between endogenous attention, which refers to the volitional orienting of spatial attention according to current task goals, and exogenous attention, which is the involuntary orienting to salient events regardless of current goals. Both types of attention can facilitate the sensory processing of information at an attended location, however, how they influence visual processing and whether they affect visual-cortical processing in similar or different ways is unknown. In the present study, we sought to directly test this question by comparing event-related potentials (ERPs) and alpha activity (~10Hz oscillations) over visual cortex during the cue-target interval of a series of audiovisual attentional cueing tasks. Across two within-subject experiments including healthy male and female participants, we varied the two main dimensions over which voluntary and involuntary attention tasks typically differ: cue format (centrally vs. peripherally presented) and cue informativity (spatially predictive vs. non-predictive). Our data demonstrate that all of these cues elicit lateralized ERPs over parietal-occipital cortex and also trigger decreases in occipital alpha activity over contralateral sites with respect to the cued location. Critically, the magnitude and time courses of these neural effects differ considerably based upon cue format and informativity, mirroring the time courses of previously reported behavioral effects. While peripheral cues elicit rapid changes in visual cortex, these changes are sustained only when a cue is informative as to a future targets location. Broadly, these data suggest that voluntary and involuntary spatial attention are supported by the same changes in visual-cortical processing, shifted in time. Significance StatementThe dichotomy between endogenous and exogenous attention is a pervasive concept in the attention literature, yet very few studies have directly compared whether and how they differ in terms of their neural effects on visual processing. Using a novel cross-modal cueing paradigm, we demonstrate that each of these types of attention elicits similar lateralized changes over visual cortex in response to the different attention cues, as evidenced in lateralized ERPs and oscillatory alpha (~10Hz) activity. Importantly, and consistent with previous behavioral results, the time course of these neural changes differs depending on cue format and cue informativity. Overall, this finding implicates changes in alpha activity and lateralized slow-waves of the ERP as universal indices of spatial attention.
Maya Potters’ Indigenous Knowledge: Cognition, Engagement, and Practice: by Dean E. Arnold, Boulder, Colorado, University of Colorado Press, 2018, 294 pp., US $78,00, ISBN 978-1-60732-655-7 (hardcover) ISBN 978-1-60732-656-4 (digital)

Dean E. Arnold’s latest book Maya Potters’ Indigenous Knowledge: Cognition, Engagement, and Practice is, in one volume, the compilation of decades of ethnoarchaeological research in Ticul, Yucatan,...
HYDROTHERMALLY ASSOCIATED ORGANIC MICROSPHERES FROM S. W. AFRICA AND ELSEWHERE

The bulk of the organic matter constituting the terrestrial carbosphere is present in a more or less finely divided state within water-deposited sediments. The oldest known sedimentary rocks, of some 3. 1 to 3.5 Bi. Y. Radiogenic Age, are from the Swaziland System of South Africa. Some structures in these sedimentary shales and cherts have been interpreted as possible micro-fossils (1), although the possibility that the particles in question may be inorganic microconcretions or organic artifices cannot be excluded. The small quantities of amino acids detected in the rocks (1) may be of ultimate pre-biological or biological origins, or they may be more recent contaminants.
Analysis of a survey results of iodine deficiency disorders in Sanmenxia city of Henan province in 2008

Objective To investigate the current situation of iodine deficiency disorders and the effect of control measures in Sanmenxia city of Henan province, and to formulate targeted control measures for iodine deficiency disorders. Methods In 2008, five villages(offices) were selected according to the east, west, south,north and center position in each county in 6 counties(cities, districts) of Lingbao, Shan, Hubin, Yima, Mianchi,and Lushi in Sanmenxia city. One primary school was selected in each village(office), fifty students aged 8 - 10 in each primary school were randomly selected to check thyroid and their urine and edible salt were collected to detect iodine. Thirty 5th-grade students in each school were selected to carry out the questionnaire survey of health education about iodine deficiency disorders. According to the east, west, south, north and center position, five potable water samples were selected to detect iodine in the village where the primary school was in. Questionnaire survey was also carried out among ten housewives in the village. Thyroid was examined by palpation;ammonium persulfate digestion-arsenic cerium catalytic spectrophotometry(WS/T 107-2006) was used to detect urinary iodine;direct titration(GB/T 13025-1999 ) was used to detect salt iodine;arsenic cerium catalytic spectrophotometry (GB/T 5750.5-2006) was used to detect water iodine. Results One thousand and five hundreds children aged 8 - 10 were analyzed in 6 counties(cities, districts), the rate of goiter was 3.30%(50/1500), the median of urinary iodine was 273.15 μg/L. One thousand and five hundreds salt samples were detected, the coverage rate of iodized salt was 99.93% (1499/1500), the qualified rate of iodized salt was 98.00% (1469/1499), the edible rate of qualified iodized salt was 97.93% (1469/1500), the coverage rate of non-iodized salt was 0.07% (1/1500), the median of salt iodine was 28.9 mg/kg. One hundred and fifty water samples were collected, the median of water iodine was 2.76 μg/L. The pass rate of the questionnaire survey of health education about iodine deficiency disorders was 97.11% (874/900) in students and 98.67% (296/300) in housewives, respectively. Conclusions The prevention and control of iodine deficiency disorders has achieved significant results and the monitoring indicators have reached the national standard for eliminating iodine deficiency disorders in Sanmenxia city. Key words: Iodine; Deficiency diseases; Goiter; Data collection
The Am(1) Q-system

We propose a Q-system for the Am(1) quantum integrable spin chain. We also find compact determinant expressions for all the Q-functions, both for the rational and trigonometric cases.
On n-Convergence of Filters

In this work, we have present a new form of sets named - open sets. We have study and described some of the properties and relationships between these sets. We have obtained some results and relationships between by the theories inferring through the style set (n-open). Furthermore, we presented an analysis of the classes of convergence in topological spaces. We called it a name n convergence of filters beneficiaries of the idea of -open sets and its possibilities of - cluster point of filters has been studied.
Sparkly Princess Shoes: A Case Study Examination of a Social Hierarchy Among Preschool Aged Girls

Young children are faced with the challenges of collaborating with others usually for the first time as they enter preschool. They must learn to think beyond their own needs and recognize the needs and wants of other children. Most educators soon realize that the naturally occurring interactions among the children tend to establish hierarchies. A qualitative case study completed over a span of five months examined a clique of five preschool aged girls who appeared to partially identify themselves by wearing what they titled, “sparkly princess shoes”. Methods of data collection include interview and observation. Implications for practice and strategies for adults working with preschool aged children are provided.
Brief Behavioral Treatment for Insomnia: A Meta-Analysis.

Purpose: The current study aims to quantify the effect of brief behavioral treatment for insomnia (BBTI) studies through meta-analysis. Method: Searches were performed from inception to February 2020, reporting on the effects of BBTI using randomized controlled trials (RCT) (adults aged 32 to 84). The main outcome measures were sleep onset latency (SOL), wake after sleep onset (WASO), sleep efficiency (SE%), and total sleep time (TST). Results: BBTI showed improved SOL compared with control group in mean difference at early (-15.42 [95% CI: -33.05 to -12.01; I2 =49%]) and late follow-up (-10.52 [95% CI: -1.12 to 0.54; I2=93%]). This was statistically significant at early follow-up, but not at late follow-up. The improvement of WASO by BBTI over the control group was shown at early follow-up (-17.47 [95% CI: -2.67 to 0.45; I2=90%]), and was statistically significant. For WASO, a non-statistically significant improvement of BBTI over the control group was shown at late follow-up (-12.77 [95% CI: -22.47 to -3.08; I2=0%]). SE% was shown improved statistically significant by BBTI over control group at early (4.47 [95% CI: -0.35 to 9.29; I2=98%]) and at late follow-up (6.52 [95% CI: -4.00 to 17.05; I2=89%]). The TST was shown no improvement by BBTI at early follow-up in mean difference (-2.97 [95% CI -38.83 to 32.90; I2=96%]). At late follow-up, TST was shown improvement in BBTI with mean difference (14.52 [95% CI: -31.64 to 60.68; I2=94%]) compared with the control group.Conclusion: Current evidence suggests that BBTI can be considered preliminarily efficacious and can be used for samples of middle-aged and older adults.
Supplemental Examination in Context: Risks, Alternatives, and Opportunities

The option to use supplemental examination to have information considered, reconsidered or corrected by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office provides patent owners with new strategic opportunities and challenges. Those opportunities and challenges are best analyzed by considering supplemental examination in context: in light of the law of inequitable as revised by Therasense and the available alternatives, including federal court litigation, reexamination and reissue. This detailed outline provides an overview of how supplemental examination will operate. It also illustrates how past “fraud” will apparently not bar or undermine the utility of supplemental examination for patent owners, identifies new litigation issues that supplemental examination will spawn, and discusses the key considerations that should guide patent owners who are considering whether to use supplemental examination or an alternative. It concludes by noting that supplemental examination may create new conflicts issues for owners and practitioners.
Pennies, Pricing, and Rounding: Is All The Relevant Analysis In?

In my earlier paper, I argued against analysis by anecdote and for a careful economic analysis of the costs and benefi ts which might be associated with the possible elimination of the penny. Robert Whaples has followed this lead and offered some welcome new evidence bearing on the question. As an economy evolves, the underlying dynamics driving prices and behavior affect estimates of costs and benefi ts, implying that periodic reassessments are a necessary element of sensible policy making. Whaples points out that the surge in zinc prices, along with the fact that the penny is comprised of about 97.5 percent zinc, implies that the previous seigniorage earned by the US Mint on the penny has disappeared; indeed, for fi scal year 2006, the Mint estimates the cost of producing and distributing a penny at about 1.23 cents. Assuming that the higher level of zinc prices persists, this development, along with the ongoing decline in the purchasing power of the penny which accompanies the increases in the overall price level, could well represent a necessary but not a suffi cient condition for eliminating the penny. The distinction between necessary and suffi cient conditions is important. First, the alloys used to produce the penny could be altered to lower production costs, as was the case in 1982, when the price of copper soared and the composition of the penny was changed from 95 percent copper to 97.5 percent of the then much less expensive zinc. Second, seigniorage is but one of an array of issues one must consider in estimating the net benefi ts or net costs of eliminating the penny. More specifi cally, the effects of eliminating the penny on pricing, including my earlier discussion of a “rounding tax” and more recent research bearing on “strategic pricing,” are crucial. To sharpen the point, the Mint estimates the cost of producing and distributing the nickel, as of July 2006 [Lebryk, 3], at approximately 7 cents; is anyone ready to argue we should eliminate the nickel and round to the nearest dime?
Towards an understanding of the generation problem

In this section, we examine Hermitian quark mass matrices for three generations and the Kobayashi-Maskawa mixing matrices which they produce. Our investigation is limited to mass matrices which depend on only three parameters. We find that the Fritzsch mass matrix is the unique matrix consisting of five nonzero elements. Then proceeding to classify physically distinct mass matrices having six or seven nonzero elements, we find that several produce mixing matrices that are in good agreement with experimental constraints.
Demonstration of broadband true-time delay with optical coherent transients

True time-delay of multi-gigabit per second signal was experimentally demonstrated using optical coherent transient (OCT) techniques. Delay accuracy of 1 picosecond and delay resolution of 7 picoseconds was achieved.
Lexis: A Legal Expert System for Improving Legislative Drafting

The prospective in which this research project has, in fact, developed, which we intend to illustrate here, is aimed at making a methodological contribution to the analysis and improvement of legislative drafting. The awareness that a very inadequate legislative corpus has serious repercussions on society as a whole has, over the last few years, encouraged and prompted research and experimentation directed towards creating better laws from both the substantive and formal point of view [1].
Abnormal Menstrual Cycles

Relevant for female athletes in general and especially in adolescent female athletes are the long-term consequences of insufficient energy intake that results in menstrual cycle disturbances and low bone mineral density. Prolonged exercise as practiced by elite athletes can lead to serious, long-term health problems if diet is not adjusted to compensate for energy expenditure. A good barometer of how energy intake matches energy expenditure in female athletes is menstrual function. Eumenorrhea is the term used to describe normal length, regular menstrual cycles. Oligomenorrhea refers to infrequent menses or menstrual cycles that occur inconsistently at intervals of 39–90 days. Amenorrhea is the absence of menstrual cycles in a nonpregnant, sexually mature woman. When menstrual cycles become disordered as a result of prolonged or excessive exercise, there very well may be an issue related to insufficient energy intake, and consultation of a health care provider knowledgeable in sports medicine is strongly advised to correct the situation. The standard curriculum for high school and college coaches of female athletes should include the health consequences of exercise-induced menstrual function and specific methods of prevention and treatment.
Changes in the Geometry and Volume of Rabots glaciär, Sweden, 2003–2011: Recent Accelerated Volume Loss Linked to More Negative Summer Balances

Terminus geometry, ice margins, and surface elevations on Rabots glaciar were measured using differential GPS during summer 2011 and compared with those similarly measured in 2003. Glacier length over the eight years decreased by ∼105 m corresponding to 13 m a−1, a rate consistent with ice recession over the last several decades. Measured changes in surface elevations show that between 2003 and 2011 the glacier's volume decreased by ∼27.6 ± 2.6 × 106 m3, or 3.5 ± 0.3 × 106 m3 a−1. This compares favorably with an estimate of −28.1 ± 2.6 × 106 m3 based on a mass-balance approach. The rate of volume loss appears, however, to have significantly increased after 2003, being substantially greater than rates determined for the intervals 1959–80, 1980–89, and 1989–2003. This increase corresponds to a sustained interval of more negative summer balances. Previous work suggests that as of 2003 Rabots glaciar had not yet completed its response to a ∼1°C warming that occurred c. 1900, and thus the current marked increase rate of ice loss might reflect the effect of recent, or accelerated regional warming that occurred during the last decade superimposed on its continued response to that earlier warming.
Macros as multi-stage computations: type-safe, generative, binding macros in MacroML

With few exceptions, macros have traditionally been viewed as operations on syntax trees or even on plain strings. This view makes macros seem ad hoc, and is at odds with two desirable features of contemporary typed functional languages: static typing and static scoping. At a deeper level, there is a need for a simple, usable semantics for macros. This paper argues that these problems can be addressed by formally viewing macros as multi-stage computations. This view eliminates the need for freshness conditions and tests on variable names, and provides a compositional interpretation that can serve as a basis for designing a sound type system for languages supporting macros, or even for compilation. To illustrate our approach, we develop and present MacroML, an extension of ML that supports inlining, recursive macros, and the definition of new binding constructs. The latter is subtle, and is the most novel addition in a statically typed setting. The semantics of a core subset of MacroML is given by an interpretation into MetaML, a statically-typed multi-stage programming language. It is then easy to show that MacroML is stage- and type-safe: macro expansion does not depend on runtime evaluation, and both stages do not "go wrong.
An approach to immunologic reactions associated with plasma exchange.

Immunologically mediated anaphylactic-type events are not uncommon with PE. The pathogenesis of these reactions is not well understood and demands further investigation. If a technique or equipment-related phenomenon can be identified, it should be addressed (e.g., replace the membrane for a more biocompatible membrane and use better rinsing procedures to eliminate ethylene oxide). Testing for specific relevant immunogen, either by in vivo or in vitro methods, if these methods are available, should be considered. If infusion of essential blood products is the most likely cause, then a premedication regimen may be helpful in preventing such reactions. As the risks and benefits of treatment are weighed, it is important to remember that every hive need not be eliminated. Instead, the goal is to prevent compromise to oxygenation and perfusion in both mother and fetus while comfort is maintained and drug-induced adverse effects are avoided.
Nested Arg-specific bifunctional crosslinkers for MS-based structural analysis of proteins and protein assemblies.

The combination of chemical probing and high-resolution mass spectrometry constitutes a powerful alternative for the structural elucidation of biomolecules possessing unfavorable size, solubility, and flexibility. We have developed nested Arg-specific bifunctional crosslinkers to obtain complementary information to typical Cys- and Lys-specific reagents available on the market. The structures of 1,4-phenyl-diglyoxal (PDG) and 4,4′-biphenyl-diglyoxal (BDG) include two identical 1,2-dicarbonyl functions capable of reacting with the guanido group of Arg residues in proteins, as well as the base-pairing face of guanine in nucleic acids. The reactive functions are separated by modular spacers consisting of one or two benzene rings, which confer greater rigidity to the crosslinker structure than it is afforded by typical aliphatic spacers. Analysis by electrospray ionization (ESI) Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance (FTICR) mass spectrometry has shown that the probes provide both mono- and bifunctional products with model protein substrates, which are stabilized by the formation of diester derivatives in the presence of borate buffer. The identification of crosslinked sites was accomplished by employing complementary proteolytic procedures and peptide mapping by ESI-FTICR. The results showed excellent correlation with the solvent accessibility and structural context of susceptible residues, and highlighted the significance of possible dynamic effects in determining the outcome of crosslinking reactions. The application of nested reagents with different spacing has provided a new tool for experimentally recognizing flexible regions that may be involved in prominent dynamics in solution. The development of new bifunctional crosslinkers with diverse target specificity and different bridging spans is expected to facilitate the structure elucidation of progressively larger biomolecular assemblies by increasing the number and diversity of spatial constraints available for triangulating the position of crosslinked structures in the three dimensions.
Contour analysis of masticatory jaw movements and muscle activity in Macaca mulatta

Frontal plane mandibular movements during mastication and the associated electromyographic (EMG) activity for left and right superficial masseter, posterior temporalis, anterior temporalis, and anterior belly of the digastric (ABD) were studied for two adult male Macaca mulatta by the new technique of “contour” analysis. Contour analysis allowed graphic and quantitative portrayal of multiple chew cycle patterns of mandibular movement and EMG activity during active mastication. A series of computer programs (ATS, ATSED, ATSXYZ) facilitated the collection, editing and definition, and finally processing of these masticatory data into contour plots. These preliminary data indicated the essential symmetry of mandibular movement patterns, high chew cycle variability inferior to occlusion, multiple centers of intense EMG activity for balancing-side superficial masseter, and no difference between working-side anterior and posterior temporalis EMG patterns. Maximum EMG amplitude was found in the area of buccal phase power stroke (BPS). Maximum EMG amplitude for ABD was located medial and inferior to occlusion; all other muscle maximum amplitudes were buccal and inferior to occlusion. The location of maximum EMG amplitudes for superficial masseter and ABD were closer to occlusion (more superior) during mastication of carrot than were maximum amplitudes during biscuit mastication. The absence of any detectable shift of EMG maximum amplitude location between biscuit and carrot for posterior and anterior temporalis suggested, along with the continuous EMG activity of working-side posterior temporalis, a secondary role for the temporalis (compensation for superficial masseter activity) during active mastication.
Induction of forward mutations at the thymidine kinase locus of mouse lymphoma cells: evidence for electrophilic and non-electrophilic mechanisms

Abstract A database of 209 chemicals tested for induction of forward mutations at the heterozygous thymidine kinase (TK ± ) locus in L5178Y mouse lymphoma cells was analyzed for structure–activity relationships using the MultiCASE expert system. Consistent with evidence of several contributing biological mechanisms, these studies suggest that such mutations may occur by more than one mechanism. As might be expected, there was evidence for a component involving direct electrophilic attack on the cellular DNA, in a manner previously established as causative in the induction of mutations in Salmonella. In addition, however, there was also strong evidence for another mechanism or mechanisms involving chromosome missegregation, cellular toxicity or an alternate site of action, such as the microtubules.
Resilient and Nonresilient Hispanic English Language Learners' Attitudes Toward Their Classroom Learning Environment in Mathematics

This study examines resilient and nonresilient characteristics in mathematics among Hispanic students in a major metropolitan city located in the south central region of the United States. The study examined data from semistructure interviews of 118 resilient and nonresilient English language learners (ELLs) in 4th and 5th grade. The interviews focused on a variety of factors including: (a) individual attributes (e.g., students’ motivation); (b) school and classroom factors (e.g., satisfaction, involvement, and affiliation); (c) family factors (e.g., parent involvement in academics); and (d) students’ use of time (e.g., doing homework). Additional indicators that were examined include help-seeking behaviors and skills that allow students to cope with academic difficulties. Overall, the findings indicate significant differences between resilient and nonresilient students on academic performance and their self-efficacy on perceived mathematical abilities. Significant differences were also found in the home ...
A heuristic solution for the empty container substitution problem

This paper studies substitution between empty containers of different types in an attempt to reduce the cost of empty container interchange. Since finding an optimal solution requires substantial computational efforts, a heuristic method is developed which yields an integer solution relatively fast. The developed methodology divides the problem into dependent and independent parts and applies a branch-and-bound procedure to the dependent part. Available data from the combined Los Angeles and Long Beach ports are used to evaluate the proposed technique. Computational tests are used to demonstrate the efficiency of the developed method in terms of computational time and solution quality.
Disorder and epitaxy: Cr on Al{001}

Abstract Deposition of small amounts (about 1 2 of a monolayer) of Cr onto a clean Al{001} surface completely destroys the long-range order in the top 4 or 5 layers of the substrate, as shown by the absence of low-energy electron diffraction (LEED) spots. However, prolonged deposition of Cr produces films which are epitaxial and probably also pseudomorphic with the Al substrate as indicated by quantitative LEED analysis. This observation shows that long-range order of the substrate is not necessary for epitaxial growth of ultrathin metal films.
Speech acts and God talk

Contemporary philosophers of religion have spent enormous amounts of energy and ink responding to the challenge brought against the meaningfulness of religious language by the use of the verification criterion of meaning first, by the members of the famed Vienna Circle and later by the other philosophers within what is now called 'the analytic tradition'. Responses have ranged from defenses of analogical language to attempts to construct unique logics of religious language. Amidst this flurry of activity, another challenge to the traditional analysis of the meaningfulness of religious language from within the analytic tradition has until quite recently been all but ignored. This second challenge arises from the "Oxford school of ordinary language philosophy" and more specifically from John Austin's theory of speech acts. In this paper I intend to explore the implications for religious language of Austin's theory of speech acts. First, however, I wish to suggest briefly what I take to be the crucial features of speech-act analysis and examine what it is about speech-act analysis which distinguishes it from other kinds of linguistic analysis, indeed, even from other forms of ordinary language philosophy.1 Essentialism was an essential feature of the positivism which arose from the Vienna Circle, as well as logical atomism. The claim that there is a unique and determinate meaning to every single proposition which describes some single determinate fact "in reality" is a philosophic notion that became so well entrenched within analytic philosophy that it has proven extremely difficult to displace. Even the early ordinary language philosophers themselves continued to speak of "the ordinary meaning" of a word, phrase or sentence. Such suggestions left the object of philosophical scrutiny on a notoriously
The relationship of estrogen and of pituitary hormones to the metabolic effects of progesterone.

WHEN progesterone is administered to men and women in a dosage approximating the quantity secreted during early pregnancy (50–100 mg. daily), it induces a mild to moderate acceleration of protein catabolism (1–4) and an increased excretion of urinary sodium and chloride (1, 2). The enhanced catabolism appears to be a metabolic effect of progesterone itself, but the salt-dissipating influence can be explained on the basis of an inhibition of salt-retaining adrenal corticoids at a renal level. In subjects with normal adrenals, the catabolic process seems less intense and the increase in the excretion of urinary sodium is distinctly smaller than the same effects induced in hormone-treated Addisonians. Furthermore, only in individuals with intact adrenal glands is the sodium loss promptly recovered after progesterone treatment is discontinued. Since the natriuresis and chloruresis induced by progesterone seem to be dependent upon a competitive reaction, the presence of adrenal hormones is required for this re...
Massive neutrinos in E(6) unified theory with harmless axion

Abstract Neutrino masses are discussed in the framework of a recently proposed E(6) theory. In a first approximation, the neutrinos ν μ and ν τ have degenerate non-zero masses and mix with five massless states which include ν e and four sterile (ex tional) neutrinos.
User Modelling for Interactive Optimization Using Neural Network

User modelling is one of the prominent research fields in information retrieval systems. In this paper, we model user's preferences and search criteria using an NN (Neural Network) to solve a multiobjective optimization problem specific to environmental planning systems. We argue that some NP hard problems cannot be solved alone either by a human or by a computer. Human participation in automated search is one way of combining human intuition with algorithmic search to solve such problems. However, even humans have some limitations for participation in that they cannot participate in search completely because of human fatigue. To overcome this, in our approach, an NN tries to model the user's rating criteria and preferences to help the user in rating large set of designs. Although training an NN with limited data is not always feasible, there are many situations where a simple modelling technique (e.g., linear/quadratic mapping) works better if the learning data set is small. In this paper we attempt to get more accuracy of the NN by generating data using other linear/non-linear techniques that fills the gap created by lack of sufficient training data. Also, we provided the architectural design of an HPC based framework we have proposed and compared the performance of the NN with fuzzy logic and other linear/non-linear user modelling techniques for the environmental resources optimization problem.
An estimate of the limiting speed of a propagating ductile crack

Abstract A steady state dynamic solution for a Dugdale crack propagating at a constant speed is obtained with the Sneddon-Radok formulation of the dynamic plane elasticity equations. The dynamic stress distribution and the Tresca yield condition are used to determine the limiting ductile crack propagation speed. It is shown that the limiting brittle crack speed criteria of Yoffe and of Craggs are satisfied as well. A simple relation between the flow stress and the crack speed based on observations of ductile crack propagation in steel foil is utilized in order to express the limiting speed in terms of the applied load and material properties. Calculated values of the limiting speed in steel and aluminium sheets are found to be not strongly dependent on the applied load and are about 0-1C 2 and 0-3C 2 , respectively.
Social workers in private practice: An update

This article presents a current portrait of social work private practitioners, based on data collected in 1992 from a randomly drawn national sample. It provides information on the demographic characteristics of practitioners, their fees, caseload characteristics, theoretical orientations and reflections on the rigors of independent practice in the 1990s.
Classroom instruction for children with Landau-Kleffner Syndrome:

Children with Landau-Kleffner Syndrome (LKS), a rare form of acquired childhood aphasia characterized by abnormal epileptiform activity in the speech cortex, present specific challenges to maximize language recovery and learning in the classroom. Two post surgical and two pharmacologically treated children with LKS were followed. Successful instructional methods were documented, as well as changes in language functioning.
Structure-activity relationships in the hydrolysis of acrylate and methacrylate esters by carboxylesterase in vitro.

Acrylate esters are important chemicals in the plastics industry, whose toxicity is theorized to involve alkylation of critical cellular nucleophiles via the Michael addition. Carboxylesterase-mediated hydrolysis of acrylates may be a detoxification mechanism as the unsaturated acid produced is not electrophilic under physiological conditions. Using purified porcine liver carboxylesterase, the enzymatic hydrolysis of several acrylate esters was characterized to determine Km and Vmax values for each ester. The Km (microM) and Vmax (nmol/min) values observed for ethyl acrylate were 134 +/- 16 (S.D.) and 8.9 +/- 2.0, respectively. While the Km for ethyl methacrylate was not significantly different, the Vmax 5.5 +/- 2.5, was significantly lower compared with the corresponding value for ethyl acrylate. The Km and Vmax for butyl acrylate were 33.3 +/- 8.5 microM and 1.49 +/- 0.83 nmol/min, respectively, and the corresponding values for its alpha-methyl analog were not significantly different. The Km and Vmax for tetraethyleneglycol dimethacrylate were 39 +/- 15 microM and 2.9 +/- 1.0 nmol/min, respectively. The Vmax for ethyleneglycol dimethacrylate, 6.9 +/- 2.4 nmol/min, was significantly higher than that of the larger bifunctional ester tetraethyleneglycol dimethacrylate, but the Km was not significantly different. These results indicate that alpha-methyl substitution appears to have a minor effect in the enzymatic hydrolysis of acrylates, and suggest that the relative toxicity of acrylates is not due to differences in carboxylesterase-mediated hydrolysis.
Can CARICOM countries replicate the Singapore experience

This article tries to ascertain whether CARICOM countries1 can replicate the economic success of Singapore, based on export‐oriented industrialisation. Whereas it is possible for CARICOM countries to increase exports of some manufactures to industrial countries, the article contends that export‐oriented policies, currently urged upon CARICOM countries, will not effect a replication of the Singapore experience in an age of growing protectionism, rapid technological change, an inadequate indigenous social infrastructure and existing labour relations in the region.