cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Daily symptoms, distress and interaction quality among couples coping with type 2 diabetes

In this electronic diary study (N = 127 couples), we examined how a diabetic partner’s symptoms and distress are associated with relationship interactions over 24 days. Using dyadic multilevel models, we examined the effects of patients’ daily diabetes symptom severity and diabetes-specific distress on each partner’s evaluations of their daily interaction enjoyment and tension. For both patients and spouses, diabetes symptoms were associated with a decrease in enjoyment and an increase in tension. For spouses, but not for patients, daily diabetes distress was marginally associated with an increase in tension. Among spouses whose patients’ diabetes was of longer duration, the negative association of symptoms and spouses’ enjoyment was stronger. These findings suggest that the stress of patients’ disease and distress affects both partners on a daily basis.
Estimation of a "radiatively correct" black carbon specific absorption during the Mexico City Metropolitan Area (MCMA) 2003 field campaign

During the Mexico City Metropolitan Area (MCMA) field campaign of 2003, measurements of the shortwave radiation field allowed the inference of the black carbon (BC) specific absorption, α λ , defined as the monochromatic absorption cross section per unit mass (with units of m 2 /g). The averaged values of α λ derived from the method here are either 8.9 m 2 /g or 8.2 m 2 /g at 500 nm, depending upon the physical and optical parameters assumed for BC. These results are reasonably consistent with those of Schuster et al. (2005), 9.5 m 2 /g, and Baumgartner et al. (2002), 7.0 m 2 /g, both measured at 550 nm. The α λ values reported in this paper should only be considered effective, "radiatively correct" values because when used in radiative transfer calculations the calculated irradiances match the measured irradiances at 500 nm. The specific absorption so defined can assume a wide range of values, depending upon: (1) the assumptions made prior to the retrieval (e.g., shell/core aerosol configuration), and (2) values chosen for BC density and refractive index. The range of possible values is large, corresponding to a "worst case" uncertainty of about ±70%, assuming that all errors are additive and of the same sign so that no error cancellation occurs.
Lessons Learned from Designing a Programming System to Support Middle School Girls Creating Animated Stories

Traditional approaches to teaching computer science are often unsuccessful in attracting girls into the discipline. Our hypothesis is that presenting computer programming as a means to the end of storytelling will help motivate girls to learn to program, a traditional gateway to computer science. In this paper, we present a case study in designing a version of the Alice programming system to support storytelling. We present lessons we learned about what supports are necessary to enable girls to program animated movies and describe the kinds of programming tasks that arise in girls stories.
Growing Up with a Developmentally Challenged Brother or Sister: A Model for Engaging Siblings Based on Mentalizing

Growing up with a developmentally challenged child presents distinct psychological challenges, as well as potential opportunities, for the siblings. Questions about siblings' adjustment and successful psychosocial adaptation may become matters of clinical concern. In a previous research review on the vulnerabilities and strengths of siblings of affected children, the author found accumulating evidence that the siblings may benefit when their psychosocial adaptations are included in the purview of clinicians working with affected children and their families. The underlying concern is that family dynamics, including most importantly the focus on addressing the needs of the affected child, can and do interfere with addressing the needs of other siblings; clinical planning for the primary patient must guard against marginalizing the siblings' experience. This article presents a model for engaging siblings in time-limited, focused conversations about living with developmentally challenged brothers or sisters. It is designed to contribute proactively and preventively to siblings' overall relatedness to the affected children, and to enable siblings to overcome difficulties of being entrenched in negative interactions in mutually helpful ways by enhancing siblings' capacities to mentalize their experience. The model utilizes mentalizing questions adapted from Bateman and Fonagy's guidelines for adults. It covers several domains of the sibling experience, both within and outside the family context, including peer relationships. Difficulties of mentalization and the potential for enhancing resilience are discussed. Common concerns include parental differential treatment, impact on friendships, personal health, and future obligations. This model may be used in individual and group interviews, as shown in case illustrations. Current limitations of the model are reviewed.
On Transgression, Moral Education, and Education as a Practice of Freedom

INTRODUCTION The moral demand to transgress boundaries is integral to education as a practice of freedom and is the subject of this essay. Education as a practice of freedom presupposes that some ways of transgressing, indeed of being “bad” from certain perspectives, are the right thing to do from the point of view of liberation. These transgressions are required in the “labor for freedom” invoked by bell hooks if classrooms are to become sites for the self-realization and self-determination of students and teachers alike. Moreover, the task of freedom in the classroom reflects particular moral and political necessities associated with the larger social arena in which liberation struggle occurs, and thus our capacity for transgression in the cloistered rooms of academe may extend our capacities in those domains of conflict where the forces of liberation face their fiercest opposition. If liberatory power in the classroom is not fundamentally linked to the struggle to transform society toward greater justice for all, that power betrays itself and becomes just as domesticating as the forms of education that uncritically reinscribe dominant ideologies and social relations.
Radioimmunotherapy as a novel treatment regimen: 125I-labeled monoclonal antibody 425 in the treatment of high-grade brain gliomas.

Abstract A Phase I/II clinical trial was undertaken between January 29, 1987 and January 25, 1997 to assess the efficacy of 125 I-labeled monoclonal antibody 425 ( 125 I-MAb 425) in controlling high-grade brain gliomas. A total of 180 patients diagnosed with glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) and astrocytoma with anaplastic foci (AAF) were administered 125 I-MAb 425 as an adjuvant treatment. All underwent initial surgery followed by postoperative external beam radiation therapy and a cumulative dose of 140 mCi of 125 I-MAb 425. Biodistribution of radioactivity after antibody administration showed increased uptake in brain tumor cells due to enhanced expression of epidermal growth factor receptors. A longer half-life of 125 I-MAb 425 in brain tumor cells compared to blood was observed. All patients were followed up for at least 5 years. Overall actuarial survival range for GBM and AAF patients showed 4-150 and 4-270 months, respectively. GBM and AAF patients under age 40 years with a Karnofsky performance status >70 had an actuarial median survival of 22.5 and 65 months, respectively. This adjuvant therapy demonstrates a significant increase in median survival and should be considered in the management of high-grade brain gliomas.
Understanding the mindset of the abusive insider: An examination of insiders' causal reasoning following internal security changes

Employees can have a profound, detrimental influence on information security that costs organizations billions of U.S. dollars annually. As a result, organizations implement stringent security controls, which can inadvertently foster the behaviors that they are designed to deter. This research attempts to understand this phenomenon of increased internal computer abuses by applying causal reasoning theory to explain employees' causal-search process following the implementation of information security measures. Our findings show how interpersonal and environmental factors influence insiders' beliefs that the organization trusts them (i.e., attributed trust) and how low attributed trust perceptions drive computer abuse incidents subsequent to security changes. We also highlight the need for both managers and security researchers to assess the frequency with which employees encounter information security changes within dynamic, organizational environments.
Cutaneous Mastocytosis and Mucinosis with Gross Deformity in a Shar pei Dog

Abstract— An 8-year-old Chinese Shar pei dog was examined because of gross deformity of the hind limbs. The deforming soft tissue swellings were associated with mucinosis and mastocytosis. Resume— Un Shar Pei de 8 ans a ete examine pour une deformation au niveau des membres posterieurs. Les epaissiessements des deformations des tissus mous etaient associes a une mucinose et une mastocytose. Zusammenfassung— Ein 8 Jahre alter Chinesischer Shar Pei wurde wegen makroskopischer Verformung der Hintergliedmasen untersucht. Die deformierenden Weichteilschwellungen standen in Zusammenhang mit einer Muzinose und Mastozytose. Resumen Un perro Shar pei de 8 anos de edad se examino, debido a la presencia de vastas deformidades de los cuartos traseros. La deformidad de los tejidos blandos se asocio con mastocitosis y mucinosis.
A Meta-analysis of Greater Sage-grouse Centrocercus urophasianus Nesting and Brood-rearing Habitats

cover (d++ 5 0.39; 95% C.I.: 0.19-0.54) and grass height (d++5 0.28; 95% C.I.: 0.13-0.42) were greater at nest sites than at random locations. Vegetatio na t brood areas had less sagebrush cover (d++ 5 -0.17; 95% C.I.: -0.44 - +0.18), significantly taller grasses (d++ 5 0.31; 95% C.I.: 0.14-0.45), greater forb (d++ 5 0.48; 95% C.I.: 0.30-0.67) and grass cover (d++5 0.17; 95% C.I.: 0.080.27) than at random locations. These patterns were especially evident when we examined early (, 6 weeks post hatching) and late brood-rearing habitats separately. The overall estimates of nest and brood area vegetation variables were consistent with those provided in published guidelines for the management of greater sage-grouse.
Jonathan Edwards' Conception of the Church

As the pioneer of the New England Awakening and its literary defender, Edwards has long been associated with revivalism and sectarianism in American Protestantism. Several writers have noted that his Faithful Narrative (1737) of the 1734 Northampton revival, with its many translations and reprints, not only stimulated the Great Awakening of 1740 and later revivals but helped set the pattern of conversion experience in its more “enthusiastic” features. Attention has been called to his involvement in the “hell-fire” preaching of the revival, its emotional excesses, its distorted conception of childhood religion, and its pietistic individualism.
Capabilities and Contributions of Unwed Fathers

Summary Young, minority, and poorly educated fathers in fragile families have little capacity to support their children financially and are hard-pressed to maintain stability in raising those children. In this article, Robert Lerman examines the capabilities and contributions of unwed fathers, how their capabilities and contributions fall short of those of married fathers, how those capabilities and contributions differ by the kind of relationship the fathers have with their child’s mother, and how they change as infants grow into toddlers and kindergartners. Unwed fathers’ employment and earnings vary widely among groups but generally rise over time. At the child’s birth, cohabiting fathers earn nearly 20 percent more than noncohabiting unwed fathers, and the gap widens over time. Still, five years after an unwed birth, the typi cal unwed father is working full time for the full year. Although most unwed fathers spend considerable time with their children in the years soon after birth, explains Lerman, over time their involvement erodes. Men who lose touch with their children are likely to see their earnings stagnate, provide less financial support, and often face new obligations when they father children with another partner. By contrast, the unwed fathers who marry or cohabit with their child’s mother earn considerably higher wages and work substantially more than unwed fathers who do not marry or cohabit. These results suggest that unwed fathers’ earnings are affected by family relationships as well as their education and work experience. Lerman notes that several factors influence the extent to which unwed fathers stay involved with their children. Better-educated fathers, those who most identify with the father’s role, and those with good relationships with the child’s mother, are most likely to sustain a relationship with their children. Some studies even find that strong child support enforcement increases father involvement. For many years, policy makers approached the problem of noncustodial, unwed fathers on a single track—by trying to increase their child support payments. Today’s policy makers are recognizing the limits of that strategy. New programs focus on improving the relationship and communication skills of unwed fathers. In addition, targeted training programs, such as apprenticeships, enable unwed fathers to earn a salary while they learn skills.
Volunteering as Linkage in the Three Sectors

The public, the for-profit market, and the nonprofit sectors are often viewed as separate and somewhat competitive segments of society. Voluntary efforts are most commonly associated exclusively with the nonprofit sector. This paper argues that it is not useful to view the three sectors as inviolately separate, nor as competitive. Rather, the author suggests that the sectors are linked in a variety of ways. In particular, the activities of volunteers in all three sectors link them. These voluntary activities also help to reduce competition between the three sectors. Several distinct types of volunteer activities are discussed in support of this argument. First, the author examines the wide range of volunteer activities that occur outside the nonprofit sector. Volunteer activities occur in the public sector, related to cam paigns, policy planning, policy implementation, and policy evaluation. Volunteer activities also occur in the for-profit market sector, often in connection with paid work roles. Voluntee...
Purkinje cell vulnerability to developmental Ethanol exposure in the rat cerebellum

Background: Ethanol cxposure is a consistent and reliable producer of neuronal toxicity, especially during periods of enhanced neuronal vulnerability. For rat cerebellar Purkinje cells, the postnatal period during the time of the brain growth spurt exhibits the greatest vulnerability to ethanol. Analyses of studies completed over more than 20 years provides sufficient detail to allow for the determination of the specific vulnerable window for ethanol-induced loss of Purkinje cells. Methods: Data reporting Purkinje cell counts after ethanol exposure were compiled from 18 studies published since 1975. We conducted linear regression analysis between peak blood ethanol concentration (BEC) and percent reduction in Purkinje cells for the following individual postnatal (PN) days: PN4, PN5, PN6, PN7, and PN8 or beyond (+). The slope of the regression and the coefficients of determination (r2) were the primary factors of interest. Analysis of variance of the regressions was conducted to identify whether the slopes were significantly different from zero, or from each other. Results: Exposures involving the PN4-6 period demonstrated the greatest significance in the relationship between BEC and reduction of Purkinje cell number. No significant differences were identified between different ethanol exposure techniques or for different Purkinje cell counting techniques. In addition, the initial day of exposure and the duration of exposure were not identified as critical variables. Conclusions: The literature database, developed over the past 20 years is clear in its direction that studies designed to identify the ethanol-specific mechanisms of Purkinje cell death are best designed to involve ethanol exposure during the vulnerable window of postnatal days 4-6.
Measurement of octupole induced decoherence at CESR

The Landau damping of the transverse oscillations of a relativistic bunch can be enhanced by creating an amplitude-dependent betatron tune spread in the bunch. This tune spread can be created by introducing octupole magnets into the lattice. In order to further the understanding of this mechanism, the authors conducted experiments in the Cornell Electron Storage Ring (CESR) where the tune spread of the beam has been measured via measurements of the damping of the centroid motion of the beam after the beam has been kicked. The turn-by-turn transient response of the transverse motion to excitation by injection kickers was measured as a function of octupole current and excitation amplitude. The experimental data are shown to be in good agreement with particle tracking results and the theory of octupole-induced decoherence. >
Student Collaboration and Teacher-Directed Classroom Dynamic Assessment: A Complementary Pairing

This article examines collaboration during small-group tasks with young language learners studying Spanish. After five days of classroom dynamic assessment (DA) targeting WH-question formation, students worked in small groups on a collaborative writing task. This research sought to determine whether learners were able to mediate their peers during this task and if so, whether this mediation might be traced back to participation in classroom DA. Findings revealed that students drew upon collective knowledge to complete the task. While the learners did not appropriate forms of mediation used during DA, characteristics such as repetition and first language usage appeared in peer scaffolding. We conclude that classroom DA can be supplemented by small-group tasks and that assistance, albeit in different forms, emerged in these two contexts.
A worldsheet description of large Nc quantum field theory

Abstract The N c →∞ limit of a matrix quantum field theory is equivalent to summing only planar Feynman diagrams. The possibility of interpreting this sum as some kind worldsheet theory has been in the air ever since 't Hooft's original paper. We establish here just such a worldsheet description for a scalar quantum field with interaction term g Tr φ 3 / N c , and we indicate how the approach might be extended to more general field theories.
An Integrated Routing and Scheduling Approach for Persistent Vehicle Communication in Mobile WiMAX Mesh Networks

The U.S. military has recently announced plans to evaluate the IEEE 802.16e Mobile WiMAX technology's potentials as a fast deployable solution for building a broadband tactical communication network. Specifically, the technology's provisions of mesh mode operation and terminal mobility allow a tactical network to be quickly deployed among mobile base stations and mobile battle units. The technology provides essential support for mesh connectivity and fast handover, while an overall deployment strategy and higher layer protocols remain to be established. This paper presents a practical network organization scheme and an integrated routing and link scheduling approach to enable persistent communication of fast moving ground vehicles over a mesh-mode Mobile WiMAX tactical backbone network. The solution exploits the mobile units' mobility pattern and the Mobile WiMAX handover modes to optimize persistent communication with minimal disruption and signaling overheads. Simulations are conducted in ns-2 to assess the efficacy of the proposed methods.
Certainty Equivalent Planning for Multi-Product Batch Differentiation: Analysis and Bounds

We consider a multi-period planning problem faced by a firm that must coordinate the production and allocations of batches to end products for multiple markets. Motivated by a problem faced by a biopharmaceutical firm, we model this as a discrete-time inventory planning problem where in each period the firm must decide how many batches to produce and how to differentiate batches to meet demands for different end products. This is a challenging problem to solve optimally, so we derive a theoretical bound on the performance of a Certainty Equivalent (CE) control for this model, in which all random variables are replaced by their expected values and the corresponding deterministic optimization problem is solved. This is a variant of an approach that is widely used in practice. We show that while a CE control can perform very poorly in certain instances, a simple re-optimization of the CE control in each period can substantially improve both the theoretical and computational performance of the heuristic, and we bound the performance of this re-optimization. To address the limitations of CE control and provide guidance for heuristic design, we also derive performance bounds for two additional heuristic controls -- (1) Re-optimized Stochastic Programming (RSP), which utilizes full demand distribution but limits the adaptive nature of decision dynamics, and (2) Multi-Point Approximation (MPA), which uses limited demand information to model uncertainty but fully capture the adaptive nature of decision dynamics. We show that although RSP in general outperforms the re-optimized CE control, the improvement is limited. On the other hand, with a carefully chosen demand approximation in each period, MPA can significantly outperform RSP. This suggests that, in our setting, explicitly capturing decision dynamics adds more value than simply capturing full demand information.
Free Contracting in Bankruptcy

This Comment argues for free bargaining in bankruptcy reorganizations and the enforcement of waivers of Chapter 11. Bankruptcy opt-outs would permit the parties to adopt risk- sharing strategies denied them by Chapter 11. This would correct a misincentive problem identified by Alan Schwartz, and would do so more effectively than Schwartz claims. More importantly, bankruptcy opt-outs would permit the parties to transfer control of the firm to creditors on default. Governance strategies of this kind police management misbehavior more effectively than the risk-sharing theories proposed by Schwartz and others.
We’re All in This (Game) Together Transactive Memory Systems, Social Presence, and Team Structure in Multiplayer Online Battle Arenas

This study applies theories of computer-mediated communication and human-computer interaction to the study of transactive memory systems (TMS; how small groups coordinate expertise, for which communication is the central mechanism) in video game teams. A large-scale survey (N = 18,627) of players from the small group video game League of Legends (LoL) combined with server-side data provided by Riot Games (the creators of LoL) was conducted to look at the relationship between TMS and win/loss outcome as well as the role of team size and past team member acquaintanceship on the formation of TMS, using social presence as a mediator. Results found that TMS was highly predictive of the likelihood of a team winning a game, and that while past team member acquaintanceship predicted TMS, team size did not. Furthermore, only two dimensions of social presence, copresence and perceived comprehension, were related to TMS. These two dimensions fully mediated the relationship between past team member acquaintanceship a...
Angular Rate Encoding in Haltere Feedback for Flight Stabilization of Dipteran Insects

The halteres of Dipteran insects represent a unique natural solution to inertial rate measurement. Halteres have been observed to influence both flight stability and optical stabilization of the insect’s head. Unlike manmade vibrating structure gyroscopes, halteres have very large amplitudes, with each haltere responding to two inertial rate components simultaneously. The means by which the physical response of the haltere allows the two components to be decoupled was the subject of a previous paper. This study describes another unique aspect of the haltere physiology; how the sensory response is encoded in a field of binary, unidirectional strain sensors and then decoded directly by the force generating mechanisms of the winged insect. The conventional engineering design process would involve building a processor to decode the signals and then to apply them to the motor function. Nature skips this step and has evolved a motor mechanism that by combination of nervous response, muscular configuration, wing kinematics, and bilateral symmetry, efficiently performs the equivalent of the mathematical operations necessary to decode the signal and generate stabilizing control responses. The result represents a robust means of generating a stabilizing control response. The intent of this paper is to describe results of open and closed-loop models that demonstrate the techniques nature has used to adapt the two rear wings of insects into a 3 degree-of-freedom vibrating structure gyroscope.
Trajectories of relationship stress and inflammatory processes in adolescence

Researchers have identified cross-sectional links between interpersonal stress and inflammation. Little is known, however, about how these dynamics unfold over time, what underlying immune pathways might exist, or whether moderators such as race could alter the strength of the connection between interpersonal stress and inflammatory processes. We examined whether adolescent girls whose relationship trajectories were characterized by chronic stress would exhibit a proinflammatory phenotype marked by systemic inflammation, heightened cytokine responses to bacterial challenges, and resistance to the anti-inflammatory properties of cortisol. Significant Stress × Race interactions revealed that family stress trajectories predicted glucocorticoid sensitivity and peer stress trajectories predicted cytokine production for White but not Asian girls. Relationship stress trajectories were not associated with systemic inflammation, however. These findings suggest that particular subgroups of adolescent girls who face chronic and elevated stress in their close relationships may be at risk for disruptions to the immune system.
Scaling in Wall Turbulence: Scale Separation and Interaction

High Reynolds number pipe flow data are used to demonstrate the importance of several conditions related to scale separation that are either assumed in the classical theories or may be used in light of recent results in wall turbulence to infer a minimum Reynolds number condition above which scaling results may be suitable for extrapolation. Results from the Princeton Superpipe have suggested Reτ > 5000 as the minimum Reynolds number for which key properties of pipe flow reach a “fully-developed” condition, based on observations of streamwise mean and turbulent velocity structure. Additional values related to finer constraints on the structural development are also discussed. A “skeleton” of wall turbulence is introduced, based on structural components identified as having a dominant role in the dynamics of near-wall turbulence in recent experiments by a variety of authors. Possible interaction mechanisms between these components are described alongside some outstanding questions concerning scale separation and interaction.
Explosion Prevention Methods in the Magnesium Powder Production Process and the Problems Existed

There exists high risk of fire and explosion in the magnesium powder producing process.Explosion prevention metods are com- pared and analyzed in two aspects,explosion prevention and mitigation.Problems existed are analyzed in three as pects,inperfect theory on ignition process,insufficient data bank on explosion parameters and insufficient test validation.The inerging are analyzed particuarly and the orientation of strengthening magnesium powder explosion preventionresearch is also pointed out.
Temporal Lobe Epilepsy: Electroclinical Features

Results of video-EEG, PET, MRI, and pathological findings in 14 children aged 16 months to 12 years who were seizure-free after temporal lobectomy are reported in a multicenter, international study at Cleveland, Singapore, Naples, and Helsinki.
POPULATION CYTOGENETICS OF THE PLETHODONTID SALAMANDER EURYCEA WILDERAE

The family Plethodontidae is the largest and most diverse salamander family (Wake, 1966). Nevertheless, as in other groups of salamanders, divergent lineages show few if any differences in chromosome number and morphology (Morescalchi,1975; Sessions and Kezer, 1987, 1991). Approximately 90% of plethodontid species have uniformly biarmed chromosomes despite pronounced genetic differentiation both within and between genera, representing tens of millions of years of divergence time (Larson et al., 1984; Sessions and Kezer, 1987). This information has led to the conclusion that salamanders show exceptionally slow rates of karyological evolution in comparison to other vertebrates (Maxson and Wilson, 1979). It is not known whether this karyological “stasis” reflects intrinsic constraints on chromosomal rearrangement or the absence of the kinds of genomic and population structures that can generate and maintain chromosomal variants. This question may be resolved by examining exceptions to the chromosomal stasis within the Plethodontidae.
C’est LAVi: What Left Atrial Dilatation Tells Us About Diastolic Function in Aortic Stenosis

Calcific degenerative aortic valve stenosis (AS) is the most common acquired form of heart valve disease that afflicts the elderly population1 and usually comes to attention when an echocardiogram is ordered to evaluate a systolic murmur in an older subject. As is evident to anyone practicing cardiology these days, the advent of transcatheter aortic valve replacement has focused much attention on the evaluation and optimal treatment of patients with AS. AS often has a long latency period in which symptoms are absent, and, importantly, sudden unexpected cardiac death is rare.2,3 With symptom onset, survival is markedly reduced without intervention.4–6 For symptomatic patients with severe AS and normal flow-high gradient characteristics and normal left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) (stage D1), aortic valve replacement (AVR) is a class 1 indication. Similarly, for asymptomatic patients with severe AS and LVEF <50% not because of another cause (stage C2), AVR also is indicated. See Article by Christensen et al Among truly asymptomatic patients with severe AS and normal LVEF, the management can be much more challenging. In this subset of patients, a strategy of watchful waiting or active surveillance is most often used until symptom onset occurs. When close clinical follow-up can be provided along with encouragement of prompt reporting of symptoms by the patient, AVR can be performed with low risk and good long-term results, and we now know that, approximately two thirds of patients will develop symptoms within 5 years.2 Thus, a balance must be struck between the low risk of sudden death during this watchful waiting period and the morbidity and mortality associated with AVR. In this connection, the cautionary words of Dr Braunwald7 remain as true today as they were a quarter century ago: “The most common cause of sudden death …
Stereo- and regioselective halogenation of norbornenes directed by neighboring group participation

Abstract Directing the outcome of electrophilic addition reactions of norbornenes could be a challenging task. We have found that the ionic addition of bromine to dichloro-norbornene 2 is accompanied with the formation of a bromonium cation followed by anchimeric assistance of juxtaposed chlorine to give five-membered chloronium cation, which upon reacting with bromide gives norbornane 4 in >90% yield. At higher temperatures, however, the radical addition of Br2 dominates so that dibromo compound 3 appears as the principal reaction product (72%). Stereo- and regioselective rearrangements of norbornenes, reported herein, could be of interest for the syntheses of complex haloalkanes.
Degrees of freedom of a class of non-layered two unicast wireless networks

Previous work showed that the fully connected layered 2L interference channel, i.e., the multihop interference network formed by concatenation of L − 1 2-user interference channels, achieves the min-cut outer bound value of 2 DoF. In this paper, we study the effects of non-layered cross-layer links on the fully connected layered 2L networks. In particular, we consider the 24 interference channel with arbitrary cross-layer connectivity. We show that the min-cut outer bound value of 2 DoF can be always achieved (almost surely) except if there is a direct link from a source to its interfering destination. In this case, the DoF collapse to 1.
Effects of male apparent length on female preference for absolute body size in Xiphophorus helleri

Female green swordtails (Xiphophorus helleri) prefer males of longer body and sword lengths, which may reflect perceptual constraints. Larger males project a larger image onto the female’s retina at a given viewing distance, which may elicit greater stimulation of the visual system and a stronger behavioral response. This study investigates the effects of male apparent size, as affected by proximity and sword length, on female preference for absolute body size in X. helleri. Females were presented pairs of dummy males in ten treatments organized into six categories: (1) the Actual Length Control where identically sized males were held at different viewing distances from the female; (2) the Sword Compensation Treatment in which viewing distance and apparent length (body + sword) were held constant, pairing sworded with swordless dummies of equal total length; (3) the Body Length Preference Treatment where male distance from the female was held constant, while varying body size; (4) the Apparent (Sword) Length Preference Treatments where male distance from the female was held constant, while varying sword length; (5) the Apparent Length Controls where body length, sword length, and viewing distances varied while holding apparent length constant; and (6) the Experimental Treatment in which the smaller-sworded male of the pair appeared larger. In each of the Actual Length Control, Body, and Sword Length Treatments, females preferred the closer, larger-bodied, and longer-sworded males, respectively. However, females exhibited preferences in neither any of the Apparent Size Control treatments nor any of the Sword Compensation Treatment. Additionally, females in the Experimental Treatment preferred the apparently longer-sworded dummy to the male whose sword was actually longer. These results suggest that female preference for male body and sword length is based on the male’s apparent rather than actual size.
Hydroseeding increases ecosystem nitrogen retention but inhibits natural vegetation regeneration after two years of chaparral post-fire recovery

Abstract Fire is a natural disturbance in many ecosystems such as semi-arid chaparral shrublands, but rates of vegetation regeneration may be slow after intense fires. Thus, land managers may resort to practices such as mulching or seeding in areas that are prone to soil erosion and nutrient loss. These practices, in particular seeding with annual grasses, are controversial because they may inhibit rates of natural vegetation regeneration, introduce exotic species, and be ineffective at soil and/or nutrient retention. We assessed how hydroseeding affected rates of chaparral vegetation regrowth and ecosystem nitrogen (N) storage during the first 2 years of post-fire recovery. We selected three north-facing slopes that were within 500 m of each other: one slope was unburned while the other slopes burned during the “Cocos” fire in May 2014 and were either hydroseeded with a mix of native grasses and suffrutescent shrubs (seeded) or left to naturally regenerate (control). We hypothesized that seeding would reduce native woody shrub cover and production but that ecosystem N storage would be higher in the seeded stand. Seeding significantly reduced woody shrub cover, aboveground biomass, shrub and total species richness, and rates of shrub growth. However, herbaceous biomass, dominated by grasses that were absent on the naturally regenerating slope, was significantly higher in the seeded areas, causing significantly higher total vegetation cover in the seeded area. The higher herbaceous cover led to an increase in plant N storage and a reduction in soil extractable NO3. Hydroseeding also caused a reduction in potential N mineralization, and during the growing season, an increase in soil microbial biomass. Our results suggest that seeding recently burned chaparral slopes reduces nutrient loss but at the expense of native plant abundance and diversity. While the long-term effects of seeding on vegetation composition are unknown, changes in vegetation from a shrub- to a grass-dominated system may fundamentally alter future fire regimes.
The Empirical Study of Ethical Issues in Survey Participation

I first met Peter Schmidt in the late eighties or early nineties, probably in connection with a research project he was engaged in with a mutual friend, Gerda Lede- rer. Later, while on the Advisory Board of what was then called ZUMA (Zent- rum fuer Umfragen, Methoden und Analysen) at the University of Mannheim, I visited Peter in the castle in which he then lived, and still later he and some colleagues and my husband and I visited a jazz club in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Even though we have seen each other rarely, if at all, since then, we have kept in touch with each other’s work. I admire Peter not only for the elegance of his research, which applies sophisticated methodology to a wide variety of sociological problems, but also for his personal and professional integrity and his warmth as a human being.
Mixed Fixed-Ratio Schedules: Priming and the Pre-Ratio Pause

2 pigeons were trained to key peck on mixed fixed-ratio (FR) 100 FR 10 schedules. FR 10 frequency was controlled by a superimposed fixed-interval contingency which specified that FR 10 would occur following the first FR 100 completed after the interval elapsed. FR 100s following FR 10s were preceded by long pauses and contained few primes, a run of responses approximately equal to the smaller ratio, followed by a pause. FR 100s following FR 100s were characterized by priming and were preceded by short pauses. These short pauses were approximately equal to the pause preceding the FR 10. The fact that primes, as in the FR 10, consisted of a run of approximately 10 responses preceded by a short pause suggests that primes resulted from the development of the FR 10 as a unit of behavior.
Crystalline lens dislocation secondary to bacterial endogenous endophthalmitis.

Abstract Purpose To present an unusual case of endogenous endophthalmitis secondary to Group A streptococcus (GAS) that resulted in dislocation of the crystalline lens. Observations An immunocompetent 51-year-old man presented to the emergency room (ER) with upper respiratory infection (URI) symptoms and painful right eye. He was diagnosed with URI and viral conjunctivitis and discharged on oral azithromycin and polytrim eyedrops. He returned to the ER 30 h later with sepsis and findings consistent with endophthalmitis, including light perception only vision. Ophthalmology was consulted at this time and an emergent vitreous tap and injection was performed. Both blood and vitreous cultures grew an atypical non-hemolytic variant of GAS ( Streptococcus pyogenes ). The primary source of infection was presumed to be secondary to pharyngitis or cutaneous dissemination. Final vision in the affected eye was no light perception, likely from a combination of anterior segment scarring, posterior segment damage, and hypotony. Interestingly, head computed tomography (CT) at the initial ER presentation showed normal lens position, but repeat CT at re-presentation revealed posterior dislocation of the lens. Conclusions and importance Endophthalmitis secondary to GAS has been sparsely reported in the literature, and this case highlights a unique clinical presentation. We suspect that this atypical non-hemolytic strain may have evaded detection on initial pharyngeal cultures. Additionally, we hypothesize that GAS-mediated protease release resulted in breakdown of the zonular fibers and subsequent lens dislocation. Ophthalmologists should be aware of GAS and its devastating intraocular manifestations.
A Sheep in Wolves’ Clothing? Nystagmoid Eye Movements

Nystagmoid eye movements are involuntary eye movements that are not pure forms of nystagmus. Nystagmus, by definition, is involuntary eye movements off of fixation that are initiated by a slow phas...
Genetic diversity and association mapping of mineral element concentrations in spinach leaves

Spinach is a useful source of dietary vitamins and mineral elements. Breeding new spinach cultivars with high nutritional value is one of the main goals in spinach breeding programs worldwide, and identification of single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers for mineral element concentrations is necessary to support spinach molecular breeding. The purpose of this study was to conduct a genome-wide association study (GWAS) and to identify SNP markers associated with mineral elements in the USDA-GRIN spinach germplasm collection. A total of 14 mineral elements: boron (B), calcium (Ca), cobalt (Co), copper (Cu), iron (Fe), potassium (K), magnesium (Mg), manganese (Mn), molybdenum (Mo), sodium (Na), nickel (Ni), phosphorus (P), sulfur (S), and zinc (Zn) were evaluated in 292 spinach accessions originally collected from 29 countries. Significant genetic variations were found among the tested genotypes as evidenced by the 2 to 42 times difference in mineral concentrations. A total of 2402 SNPs identified from genotyping by sequencing (GBS) approach were used for genetic diversity and GWAS. Six statistical methods were used for association analysis. Forty-five SNP markers were identified to be strongly associated with the concentrations of 13 mineral elements. Only two weakly associated SNP markers were associated with K concentration. Co-localized SNPs for different elemental concentrations were discovered in this research. Three SNP markers, AYZV02017731_40, AYZV02094133_57, and AYZV02281036_185 were identified to be associated with concentrations of four mineral components, Co, Mn, S, and Zn. There is a high validating correlation coefficient with r > 0.7 among concentrations of the four elements. Thirty-one spinach accessions, which rank in the top three highest concentrations in each of the 14 mineral elements, were identified as potential parents for spinach breeding programs in the future. The 45 SNP markers strongly associated with the concentrations of the 13 mineral elements: B, Ca, Co, Cu, Fe, Mg, Mn, Mo, Na, Ni, P, S, and Zn could be used in breeding programs to improve the nutritional quality of spinach through marker-assisted selection (MAS). The 31 spinach accessions with high concentrations of one to several mineral elements can be used as potential parents for spinach breeding programs.
Endovascular Catheter-Based Management of Chylous Effusions

Chylous effusions are the accumulation of chyle in the body cavities, which present as milky exudates high in lymphocytes and triglyceride content. The characteristics of the chylous effusion can vary depending on nutritional status, enteral intake, and comorbidities. Thoracic duct embolization (TDE) is a percutaneous minimally invasive alternative to open surgical ligation of the thoracic duct (TD) for treating chylothorax of any etiology. The originally described procedure involves bilateral pedal lymphangiography to opacify the lymphatic system followed by transabdominal catheterization of the TD and embolization of TD with glue and coils. A recently described US-guided intranodal lymphangiogram, which is less technically challenging than pedal lymphangiogram, facilitated wide dissemination of TDE worldwide. TDE was reported to be successful in over 70% of patients with chylothorax without appreciable morbidity or mortality.
Developing Sustainable Models of Arsenic-Mitigation Technologies in the Middle-Ganga Plain in India

This study seeks to understand factors that guide the decision-making process to adopt and implement the available arsenic-mitigation technologies in rural areas in the middle-Ganga Plain in India. A total of 340 households comprising 2500 people were surveyed. Socio-economic and demographic factors, water and sanitation status, time spent and distance travelled to collect water, arsenic awareness, willingness to pay (WTP) for arsenic-free water, people's trust in others and in institutions, social capital in communities, and preferences for sustainable arsenic-mitigation options were investigated. Arsenic treatment units (filters) and piped water supply systems were the most preferred sustainable arsenic-mitigation options in the surveyed villages. Less preferred arsenic-mitigation options include deep tube wells, dug wells, and rainwater harvesting systems. Binary logistic regression models for each arsenic-mitigation option were produced. Arsenic awareness, WTP, trust in agencies, trust in institutions and social capital were found to be the most significant factors for decision-making for preferring one arsenic-mitigation technology over the others. We recommend a mixed model of two arsenic-mitigation options for the studied individuals, which could be a sustainable arsenic-mitigation option for them, considering their socio-economic and demographic conditions. Existing institutions should be strengthened, agencies empowered, and communities enlightened about arsenic problems.
Double jeopardy: the challenge of providing mental health services to older persons.

The provision of mental health care to older Americans poses a unique set of challenges to service providers. Barriers to the provision of care exist at both system and individual levels. Changes in political ideology from the Reagan through the Clinton administrations brought spending cuts and increasing uncertainty about the future of social welfare programs. Faced with frequent funding changes at the federal level, state and local governments must plan services in a framework of uncertainty. This uncertain political atmosphere puts the provision of mental health care to older persons in jeopardy. Medicare reimbursement rates for mental health care are low—about one half the usual and
Meta-Analysis of the Impact of Strut Thickness on Outcomes in Patients With Drug-Eluting Stents in a Coronary Artery.

The aim of this network meta-analysis is to assess the impact of strut thickness on clinical outcomes in patients who underwent percutaneous coronary intervention. We searched Medline/PubMed and performed a Bayesian network meta-analysis to compare outcomes of patients who underwent percutaneous coronary intervention with drug-eluting stents (DES) of different strut thicknesses (ultrathin 60 to 80 μm; thin 81 to 100 μm; intermediate 101 to 120 μm; thick ≥120 μm). Studies comparing DES with similar strut thickness, bare metal stents, and fully bioresorbable scaffolds were excluded. Odds ratios with credible intervals (OR [CrIs]) were generated with random-effects models to compare outcomes. Our primary end point was stent thrombosis (ST). We identified 69 RCTs including 80,885 patients (ultrathin group = 10,219; thin group = 36,575; intermediate group = 11,399; thick group = 22,692). Mean age was 64 ± 11 years and 75% were male gender. When compared with thick-strut DES, ultrathin struts had significant less ST and myocardial infarction (OR 0.43 [CrI 0.27 to 0.68]; and OR 0.73 [CrI 0.62 to 0.92], respectively). Sensitivity analysis including only studies with permanent polymer DES gave similar results. Improvement in DES technology with thinner struts is associated with significant reduction in ST and myocardial infarction compared with thicker struts.
The Consistency of MJO Teleconnection Patterns: An Explanation Using Linear Rossby Wave Theory

AbstractThe Madden–Julian oscillation (MJO) excites strong variations in extratropical atmospheric circulations that have important implications for subseasonal-to-seasonal (S2S) prediction. A prev...