cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Phage Display Methods for Detection of Bacterial Pathogens

There exists a great need for detecting bacterial pathogens in food, water, environmental, and patient samples. Although significant developments are being made in nucleic acid-based detection, e.g., real time-PCR, there are advantages to detecting microbial antigens using a variety of assays such as enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), antibody arrays, fiber optics, and surface plasmon resonance. Immunological reagents used to detect microbial antigens have mostly consisted of antisera or monoclonal antibodies. However, over the past two decades new methods have been developed that use bacteriophages (phages), viruses of bacteria, as tools to express antibody fragments or random peptides that can detect microbes. The most widely used antibody fragment is the single chain F variable (scFv) portion that includes the antigen-binding regions of the heavy and light chains. The genes encoding antibodies can be obtained either from unimmunized animals or from animals immunized with the target antigen or microbe. scFv libraries are usually constructed in specialized plasmids called phagemids that create fusions of the antibody fragment to a phage coat protein. Phagemids must be packaged into phage particles by the use of helper phages during infection of E. coli hosts. Random peptides are usually constructed in phage genomes directly; hence, they do not require helper phages. DNA sequences encoding random peptides and antibodies are most often fused to the gIII gene of a filamentous phage such as M13 so that a hybrid pIII protein is expressed on the phage particle. Phage particles that display a fusion peptide that recognizes the desired antigen are selected from the library by a process called panning. Panning involves binding phages to the antigen, washing away unbound phages, eluting the specific phages, and amplification by infection of an E. coli host. A major advantage of phage display is that panning and screening of clones can be accomplished in only a few days, as opposed to months for antisera and monoclonal antibodies. Once a phage displaying an antibody fragment or random peptide of desired specificity is isolated, the gene encoding the binding peptide can be genetically manipulated. With scFvs, it is possible to have E. coli cells secrete the protein, rather than relying on the use of the phage particle displaying the scFv protein. This chapter reviews the literature on the use of phage display to detect bacteria in a variety of assays. There has been considerable success in the use of commercially available random peptide phage display libraries. Most reported success with scFv phage display has been from using libraries constructed from immunized animals. In addition to antibodies, other target-binding tools are under development, such as affibodies, anticalins, ankyrins, and trinectins. The ease, economy, rapidity, and genetic manipulability of phage display make it an effective tool for developing reagents to detect bacterial pathogens.
Complementary and Alternative Approaches for Chronic Pain

Chronic pain in children and adolescents can be diffi cult to treat. Many parents and children are turning to complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) to gain relief for conditions as varied as migraines, juvenile arthritis, sickle cell disease, and functional abdominal pain (FAP). This chapter highlights some of the more well-known, safe, and effi cacious CAM treatments for children and adolescents, including acupuncture, hypnotherapy, biofeedback, yoga, massage, and meditation. A review of the literature is presented, as well as guidelines for parents and clinicians who are interested in pursuing CAM for pain relief in young people.
1968: yesterday and today

What was “1968” and why is it still relevant today? The student and countercultural movements of the 1960s have had long cultural afterlives, even if their political significance has often been mis...
Considering Positionality: The Ethics of Conducting Research with Marginalized Groups

In this chapter, I outline the ethical concerns and potential methodological obstacles that can occur when conducting research with underrepresented, marginalized, or minoritized groups. Prioritizing the implications of conducting this research as a member of a dominant group and/or with privileged outsider status, I describe key methodological strategies to use when conducting social justice-oriented research to address or mitigate ethical concerns and methodological obstacles. Finally, I describe strategies for the ethical use and reporting of research findings by providing examples of existing and proposed social justice research projects.
Establishing deictic repertoires in autism

Abstract Derived relational responding is an increasingly researched topic in the behavioral sciences. Deictic frames, among other forms of relational responding, have been found to underlie complex behavior, including perspective-taking. Researchers have developed procedures for training children, with and without disabilities, to demonstrate relational responding. Recent extensions of these teaching procedures incorporated more naturalistic contexts as an avenue for establishing these repertoires, but the efficacy of these new procedures for children with disabilities and the degree to which these improvements generalize have not yet been explored. The purpose of this study was to determine if relational repertoires could be established using newer, more naturalistic teaching procedures in children diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder and to what degree improvements would generalize to another adult. Results indicated that all participants met criteria for mastery on all levels of relational complexity. Additionally, all three children demonstrated generalization of these repertoires to a novel adult following training to mastery. The results suggest that an intervention approach utilizing a Barnes-Holmes protocol in a story reading context was effective for establishing deictic repertoires in children diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder.
A CFAR Detector for Mismatched Eigenvalues of Training Sample Covariance Matrix

In this paper, an approach for the adaptive detection of a hypothesized signal in unknown multivariate Gaussian interference-plus-noise is considered under conditions where the set of signal space eigenvalues of the interference-plus-noise covariance matrix of the training samples and the test vector may be mismatched. The detector is required to have the constant false alarm rate (CFAR) property under these conditions. The proposed approach uses two sets of interference-plus-noise data: First, vectors from a reference set, typically from range cells in the vicinity of the test cell that have the same interference-plus-noise covariance matrix C as the test vector, and second, vectors from a training set that are used to compute the weights for interference suppression in the test vector and the reference vectors. Because the matrices C and Σ are unknown, the average power level of the residual interference in the test cell and reference cells after interference suppression is unknown. The adaptive matched filter statistic at the test cell is normalized by the sample mean of similar statistics for the reference cells to evaluate the detection statistic, which is shown to have the CFAR property. The detection performance of the CFAR detector is analyzed and the effect of mismatches in the eigenvalues of the covariance matrices C and Σ is shown to be characterized by a single random variable ρ, defined as the signal-to-interference-plus-noise ratio loss factor. Sample results are provided for purposes of illustration.
An SVM Based DDoS Attack Detection Method for Ryu SDN Controller

Software-Defined Networking (SDN) is a dynamic, and manageable network architecture which is more cost-effective than existing network architectures. The idea behind this architecture is to centralize intelligence from the network hardware and funnel this intelligence to the management system (controller) [2]-[4]. Since the centralized SDN controller controls the entire network and manages policies and the flow of the traffic throughout the network, it can be considered as the single point of failure [1]. It is important to find some ways to identify different types of attacks on the SDN controller [8]. Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attack is one of the most dangerous attacks on SDN controller. In this work, we implement DDoS attack on the Ryu controller in a tree network topology using Mininet emulator. Also, we use a machine learning method, Vector Machines (SVM) to detect DDoS attack. We propose to install flows in switches, and we consider time attack pattern of the DDoS attack for detection. Simulation results show the effects of DDoS attacks on the Ryu controller is reduced by 36% using our detection method.
Cycles of Obviousness

In 2007, the Supreme Court’s decision in KSR v. Teleflex echoed earlier vicissitudes in the history of patent law when the Court considerably expanded the circumstances in which a patent could be found obvious. Here, we conduct the first comprehensive empirical study of pre- and post-KSR district court and Federal Circuit decisions. Not surprisingly, following KSR, we find a substantial increase in findings of obviousness as well as a major shift in doctrine supporting these decisions. Although we find that the Federal Circuit substantially altered course following KSR, its shift was less robust than in the district courts. We speculate that these differences between the Federal Circuit and district courts, as well as the vacillating historical meanings of the nonobviousness requirement, reflect divergent views among judges regarding the appropriate role nonobviousness should play in promoting patent law’s fundamental aim of incentivizing innovation. As such, we predict continued shifts and cycles of this critical component of patentability.
Potential Impacts of Physics and Electronics on Enzyme-Based Analysis

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the potential impacts of physics and electronics on enzyme-based analysis. It explains that microprocessors are growing in power and availability. Their common occurrence is likely to stimulate research on problems previously considered conceptually sound; however, experimentally difficult. Microfabrication technology is intriguing because of its relation to the highly successful integrated electronics industry where small-scale sophisticated structures are made at low cost. A variety of these fabrication techniques can be borrowed to make transducers and sampling devices. In the case of transducers that can be important to the use of enzymes in analysis, the emergence of ion-selective field effect transistors (ISFETs) and related devices is very attractive. The chapter explains that mass spectrometers provide a sensor with programmable specificity for measurement of dissolved volatile compounds that can be the products of enzyme activity or of cells.
Identifying uncertainties in hydrologic fluxes and seasonality from hydrologic model components for climate change impact assessments

Abstract. Assessing impacts of climate change on hydrologic systems is critical for developing adaptation and mitigation strategies for water resource management, risk control, and ecosystem conservation practices. Such assessments are commonly accomplished using outputs from a hydrologic model forced with future precipitation and temperature projections. The algorithms used for the hydrologic model components (e.g., runoff generation) can introduce significant uncertainties into the simulated hydrologic variables. Here, a modeling framework was developed that integrates multiple runoff generation algorithms with a routing model and associated parameter optimizations. This framework is able to identify uncertainties from both hydrologic model components and climate forcings as well as associated parameterization. Three fundamentally different runoff generation approaches, runoff coefficient method (RCM, conceptual), variable infiltration capacity (VIC, physically based, infiltration excess), and simple-TOPMODEL (STP, physically based, saturation excess), were coupled with the Hillslope River Routing model to simulate surface/subsurface runoff and streamflow. A case study conducted in Santa Barbara County, California, reveals increased surface runoff in February and March but decreased runoff in other months, a delayed (3 d, median) and shortened (6 d, median) wet season, and increased daily discharge especially for the extremes (e.g., 100-year flood discharge, Q100 ). The Bayesian model averaging analysis indicates that the probability of such an increase can be up to 85 %. For projected changes in runoff and discharge, general circulation models (GCMs) and emission scenarios are two major uncertainty sources, accounting for about half of the total uncertainty. For the changes in seasonality, GCMs and hydrologic models are two major uncertainty contributors ( ∼35 %). In contrast, the contribution of hydrologic model parameters to the total uncertainty of changes in these hydrologic variables is relatively small ( %), limiting the impacts of hydrologic model parameter equifinality in climate change impact analysis. This study provides useful information for practices associated with water resources, risk control, and ecosystem conservation and for studies related to hydrologic model evaluation and climate change impact analysis for the study region as well as other Mediterranean regions.
Efficacy of a Brief Cognitive-Emotional Group Intervention for Patients with Borderline personality disorder

Abstract The objective of this study was to assess the efficacy of a short-term group intervention composed of four sessions and focused on emotion regulation with patients suffering from borderline personality disorder. Twenty-four patients hospitalised in a psychiatric ward with a diagnosis of borderline personality participated in this study. Twelve patients participated in group sessions focused on emotion regulation, while the other 12 patients underwent individual sessions of individual behavioural and cognitive therapy which focused on emotion regulation. The intensity of anxiety and depressive symptoms, alexithymia and impulsivity scores, emotion regulation difficulties, and adaptive as well as non-adaptive emotional regulation strategies were measured before the group intervention, as well as just after it and a month later. In both groups there was an improvement in depressive and anxious symptoms, emotion regulation difficulties, impulsivity and alexithymia scores. Nevertheless, for the participants experiencing the group intervention the effects were more significant and more stable over time, i.e., for one month after the intervention.
Pilot Study of an Overdose First Aid Program in Juvenile Detention

ObjectivesThe purpose of this study was to evaluate the feasibility and short-term impact of a brief opioid overdose prevention and mitigation training administered to detained youth at risk for wi...
COVID-19 Pandemic Highlights the Need for Teaching Health Communication to Public Health Students

The COVID-19 pandemic precipitated a deluge of scholarly publications and scientific outreach. Information about the novel coronavirus has spread rapidly through both traditional news and social me...
The Turn againsT LegaL reform

Carl Minzner is associate professor at Fordham Law School in New York, specializing in Chinese law and governance. He is the author of numerous works on judicial reform, citizen petitioning, and social un- rest in China, including "China's Turn Against Law," American Jour- nal of Comparative Law (2011). What will be the future of China's authoritarian political system? Many predicted that China's rapid development over the past sev- eral decades would inevitably lead to gradual liberalization. Economic growth was expected to generate a cascade of changes—first to soci- ety, then law, and eventually politics. Events appeared to confirm these projections. As Chinese authorities opened up the economy in the late twentieth century, they also launched sweeping reforms of the nation's legislative and judicial institutions. The events of the past decade, however, have called these assump- tions into question. From 2000 to 2011, per capita GDP in China more than quintupled, skyrocketing from US$949 to $5,445. But one-party rule remains intact under the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), and Chinese authorities have turned against many of the legal reforms that they themselves enacted back in the 1980s and 1990s. Lawyers have come under increased pressure. Political campaigns warning against rule-of-law norms have rippled through the courts. And under new policies making "stability maintenance" (weiwen) a top priority, central authorities have massively increased funding for extralegal institutions aimed at channeling, curtailing, and suppressing citizen discontent. These shifts have choked off institutions for venting dissatisfaction and redressing ills that are key to the CCP's continued resilience as an authoritarian regime. The changes have fueled social unrest, funneling citizen grievances into a rising tide of street protests instead of insti- tutionalized legal or political participation. And they have led to new
Anchored Team Formation Games

We propose Anchored Team Formation Games (ATFGs), a new class of hedonic game inspired by tabletop role playing games.We establish the NP-hardness of determining whether Nash stable coalition structures exist, and provide results for three heuristics for this problem. We highlight costs and benefits of each heuristic and provide evidence that all three are capable of finding Nash stable coalition structures, when they exist, much more quickly than a deterministic algorithm.
Delays in Diagnosis and Treatment of Bacterial Meningitis in NYC: Retrospective Cohort Analysis:

Community-acquired bacterial meningitis (CABM) morbidity and mortality remains high in those infected. Rapid diagnosis and treatment is paramount to reducing mortality and improving outcome. This r...
Assessing HDL Metabolism in Subjects with Elevated Levels of HDL Cholesterol and Coronary Artery Disease.

High-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) is thought to be atheroprotective yet some patients with elevated HDL-C levels develop cardiovascular disease, possibly due to the presence of dysfunctional HDL. We aimed to assess the metabolic fate of circulating HDL particles in patients with high HDL-C with and without coronary artery disease (CAD) using in vivo dual labeling of its cholesterol and protein moieties. We measured HDL apolipoprotein (apo) A-I, apoA-II, free cholesterol (FC), and cholesteryl ester (CE) kinetics using stable isotope-labeled tracers (D3-leucine and 13C2-acetate) as well as ex vivo cholesterol efflux to HDL in subjects with (n = 6) and without (n = 6) CAD that had HDL-C levels >90th percentile. Healthy controls with HDL-C within the normal range (n = 6) who underwent the same procedures were used as the reference. Subjects with high HDL-C with and without CAD had similar plasma lipid levels and similar apoA-I, apoA-II, HDL FC, and CE pool sizes with no significant differences in fractional clearance rates (FCRs) or production rates (PRs) of these components between groups. Subjects with high HDL-C with and without CAD also had similar basal and cAMP-stimulated ex vivo cholesterol efflux to HDL. When all subjects were considered (n = 18), unstimulated non-ABCA1-mediated efflux (but not ABCA1-specific efflux) was correlated positively with apoA-I production (r = 0.552, p = 0.017) and HDL FC and CE pool sizes, and negatively with the fractional clearance rate of FC (r = −0.759, p = 4.1 × 10−4) and CE (r = −0.652, p = 4.57 × 10−3). Our data are consistent with the concept that ex vivo non-ABCA1 efflux capacity may correlate with slower in vivo turnover of HDL cholesterol moieties. The use of a dual labeling protocol provided for the first time the opportunity to assess the association of ex vivo cholesterol efflux capacity with in vivo HDL cholesterol metabolic parameters.
NOTES ON PHILONOTIS (BARTRAMIACEAE, MUSCI). 10. PHILONOTIS FONTANA ADDED TO, AND P. THWAITESII EXCLUDED FROM SOUTH AMERICAN FLORA

Philonotis fontana (Hedw.) Brid. is newly recorded from South America and Bolivia. The voucher specimens of the records of P. thwaitesii Mitt. (P. revoluta Bosch & Sande Lac.) from Bolivia and Columbia represent other taxa, and accordingly this species is excluded from the South American moss fl ora.
Determinants of bilingualism among children: an econometric analysis

This paper analyzes the determinants of bilingualism (i.e., speaks a language other than English at home) among children age 5–18 years in the American Community Survey, 2005–2011. Two groups of children are considered: those born in the US (native born) and foreign-born children who immigrated prior to age 14 (the 1.5 generation). The analyses are conducted overall, within genders, and within racial and ethnic groups. Bilingualism is more prevalent if the parents are foreign born, less proficient in English, of the same ancestry (linguistic) group, and if the child lives in an ethnic (linguistic) concentration area. Although the effects are relatively smaller, a foreign-born grandparent living in the household increases child bilingualism, while a higher level of parental education tends to decrease it. Children of Asian and Hispanic origin are more likely to be bilingual than their white, non-Hispanic counterparts.
The Executive Compensation Puzzle: Theory and Evidence

I develop a theory of compensation contracts for the chief executive officers (CEOs) of firms and confront the theoretical predictions with CEO compensation data. My model has the following aspects: a board of directors that behaves strategically in designing the CEO's compensation contract, a financial market in which there are informed investors whose information is noisily incorporated into prices, and a Bayesian belief revision mechanism by which the CEO's past performance impacts his reputation. The theory predicts that the pay-for-performance sensitivity for the CEO is an increasing function of his perceived ability and the liquidity of the financial market. I then confront these cross-sectional predictions with CEO compensation data for the years 1987 to 1994. Using equity-based proxies for CEO reputation, I document a positive relationship between the pay-for-performance sensitivity and a CEO?s reputation. I also document a positive relationship between the pay-for-performance sensitivity and the measure of informed traders as proxied by the firm?s adverse selection component of the bid-ask spread.
Suboptimal Solutions for Multi-Disk Problems

In this paper we consider the solution of multi-objective H?-optimization problems, also referred to as multi-disk problems. We present an algorithm that enables us to compute an upper bound for linear two-disk problems and also a (suboptimal) controller that achieves this bound. This algorithm readily generalizes to incorporate multi-disk problems. One of the main features of this algorithm is that it enables us to graphically display the design tradeoffs inherent in multi-objective problems.
Enzymatic sulfation of steroids. XV. Studies differentiating between rat liver androgen, estrogen, bile acid, glucocorticoid and phenol sulfotransferases.

Abstract Earlier reports left the number of enzymes that catalyzed phenol, androgen, estrogen, bile acid and glucocorticoid sulfation obscure. Here, we have utilized chromatographic, immunochemical and endocrinologic methods to compare and differentiate these enzymes in rat liver. Sulfotransferases I, II, and III—which sulfate glucocorticoids-were used in this comparison. We found that phenols were sulfated by phenol sulfotransferases 1 and 2, which were unrelated to the other enzymes studied here. Large amounts of phenol sulfotransferase 1 were found in both sexes. Large amounts of phenol sulfotransferase 2 were restricted to males. By contrast, the small amount of androgen sulfation found in both sexes appeared to be mediated by sulfotransferase II, which preferred 3β-hydroxysteroids, but also sulfated estrogens and glucocorticoids to lesser extents. The sulfation of estrogens presented a more complex picture. Most estradiol sulfotransferase activity in both sexes was due to an enzyme that sulfated estrone poorly, and did not sulfate the other steroids tested. This specific estradiol sulfotransferase was unrelated to the other sulfotransferases described here. Smaller amounts of estrogen sulfotransferase activity that sulfated estradiol and estrone equally well were present at concentrations dependent on the sex of test animals. This enzyme activity appeared to be due to sulfotransferases I, Il and III. Most bile acid sulfotransferase activity eluted from DEAE-Sephadex A-50 columns with sulfotransferases I and II. However, data with males suggested that these enzymes were not responsible. Thus, phenols, androgens, estrogens and glucocorticoids were sulfated by six enzymes of differing substrate specificity: phenol sulfotransferases 1 and 2, specific estradiol sulfotransferase, and sulfotransferases I, II, and III Unique bile acid sulfotransferases also appeared probable.
Feelings and Sacrifices

There is a widespread belief that the willingness to sacrifice indicates altruism. In reality, altruism may itself be considered as a form of sacrifice. Examples of sacrificial thought show that only rarely are sacrifices made purely for the good of another person. Usually sacrifice is made in the name of an idea or for self-affirmation. Its meaning is almost always only symbolic. Sacrifice does not bring profit, but rather loss. Nevertheless, the readiness to sacrifice has always been regarded as one of the supreme qualities of human beings.
Dyslipidemia Induces Independent Mechanisms Regulating Skeletal Muscle Protein Metabolism and Glucose Balance in Human Obesity

We previously reported perturbed skeletal muscle protein (SMP) metabolism in obese individuals compared to lean controls. Although the precise cause was unclear as obesity is associated with severa...
Framework for integrating process and data logic: Connecting UML use cases and ER diagrams

In this paper we propose a novel framework for providing clear and consistent integration of the process and data logic in the analysis stage of information systems' development lifecycle. While our proposed approach is generally applicable across a variety of modeling schemas, we will discuss it in the concrete context of UML use cases for process modeling and Entity Relationship diagrams for data modeling. We illustrate our approach through an example of integrating a step-by-step process model and the corresponding data model at the attribute level detail. We discuss the potential benefits of this approach by illustrating its potential for providing better conceptual testing early in the analysis process, ensuring better semantic quality of both process and data models.
Empire of Extinction: Russians and the North Pacific's strange beasts of the sea, 1741–1867

In 1741, Russian explorers discovered Steller's sea cow, a slow-moving and exceptionally fatty species of manatee, in the waters off Bering and Copper islands in the North Pacific. Less than 30 yea...
Atomic structure of amorphous Al100-2xCoxCex (x=8, 9, and 10) and Al80Fe10Ce10 alloys: An XAFS study.

The local atomic structure of Co, Fe, and Ce in aluminum-rich amorphous alloys of ${\mathrm{Al}}_{100\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}2\mathit{x}}$${\mathrm{Co}}_{\mathit{x}}$${\mathrm{Ce}}_{\mathit{x}}$ (x=8, 9, and 10) and Ce in ${\mathrm{Al}}_{80}$${\mathrm{Fe}}_{10}$${\mathrm{Ce}}_{10}$ has been investigated by x-ray-absorption fine structure (XAFS) spectroscopy. The materials, 1- and 3-\ensuremath{\mu}m-thick films, were prepared by vapor quenching using the dc magnetron sputtering method. We show that the composition of the glass-forming region of these magnetron-sputtered alloys strictly follows the theoretical limit calculated on the basis of the atomic size criterion. From analyses of the XAFS data at the K edges of Co and Fe and the ${\mathit{L}}_{3}$ edge of Ce, the following conclusions with regard to local structure are made. The first coordination sphere of Co in ${\mathrm{Al}}_{100\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}2\mathit{x}}$${\mathrm{Co}}_{\mathit{x}}$${\mathrm{Ce}}_{\mathit{x}}$ (x=8, 9, and 10) consists of 5.8 to 6.4 Al atoms at a distance of 2.44 \AA{}. The local coordination sphere for Fe in ${\mathrm{Al}}_{80}$${\mathrm{Fe}}_{10}$${\mathrm{Ce}}_{10}$ consists of 6.4 Al atoms at a distance of 2.47 \AA{}. Ce in both systems appears to be coordinated with roughly 5 and 9 Al atoms at distances of 2.95 and 3.15 \AA{}, respectively. These results are discussed in light of the dense random packing (DRP) of hard spheres model. Both Co-Al and Fe-Al bond lengths are anomalously short (9 and 8 % contraction, respectively) with also anomalously low coordination numbers (45% reduction) from values based on the DRP model using the metallic state radii.These anomalous changes indicate a strong interaction between Co or Fe atoms and the Al atoms which perhaps may be a result of a covalently bonded environment. The Ce-Al distance in both the Al-Co-Ce and Al-Fe-Ce systems, on the other hand, is smaller by only 0.17 \AA{} (a contraction of only 5%) and the coordination number is reduced by only 13% from expected values based on the DRP model. The contraction in the distance and reduction in the coordination number for Ce are much smaller than those values of the Co or Fe and, hence, the local bonding for Ce is likely to be metallic in character.
Afrarealism and the Black Matrix

(2013). Afrarealism and the Black Matrix. The Black Scholar: Vol. 43, The Role of Black Philosophy, pp. 124-131.
Willing to wait?: The influence of patient wait time on satisfaction with primary care

This study examined the relationship between patient waiting time and willingness to return for care and patient satisfaction ratings with primary care physicians. Cross-sectional survey data on a convenience sample of 5,030 patients who rated their physicians on a web-based survey developed to collect detailed information on patient experiences with health care. The survey included self-reported information on wait times, time spent with doctor, and patient satisfaction. Longer waiting times were associated with lower patient satisfaction (p < 0.05), however, time spent with the physician was the strongest predictor of patient satisfaction. The decrement in satisfaction associated with long waiting times is substantially reduced with increased time spent with the physician (5 minutes or more). Importantly, the combination of long waiting time to see the doctor and having a short doctor visit is associated with very low overall patient satisfaction. The time spent with the physician is a stronger predictor of patient satisfaction than is the time spent in the waiting room. These results suggest that shortening patient waiting times at the expense of time spent with the patient to improve patient satisfaction scores would be counter-productive.
Chemical Activation of Ascospore Germination in Neurospora crassa.

In the red bread mold Neurospora crassa as in other pyrenomycetes the sexual spores, the ascospores, germinate only after the application of heat (Shear and Dodge, 1927; Goddard, 1935, 1938, 1939). When treated at a temperature of from 50 to 60 C for periods varying from 10 to 60 minutes the spores will germinate up to 100 per cent. Germination may occur without this treatment, the percentage depending on the condition of the spores and on the medium used. The spontaneous germination rate is usually higher on media fortified with malt and yeast extracts, hay infusion, etc., and may occasionally go as high as for treated spores. Recently, while a synthetic minimal medium was being used in which d-xylose was the carbon source, a consistently high percentage of spontaneous germination was observed. A number of experiments were then conducted in an attempt to determine the active agent involved. From these it appeared that xylose was much more effective after being autoclaved than after being filter sterilized. On the assumption that in the mineral solution (Fries no. 3, having a pH of 5.5) used in the medium and under the pressure and temperature of autoclaving there might be a slight conversion of the pentose into furfural (C4H80CHO), the latter was tried alone and proved very effective.
Effects of Dam Removal on Tule Fall Chinook salmon Spawning Habitat in the White Salmon River, Washington

Condit Dam is one of the largest hydroelectric dams ever removed in the USA. Breached in a single explosive event in October 2011, hundreds-of-thousands of cubic metres of sediment washed down the White Salmon River onto spawning grounds of a threatened species, Columbia River tule fall Chinook salmon Oncorhynchus tshawytscha. We investigated over a 3-year period (2010–2012) how dam breaching affected channel morphology, river hydraulics, sediment composition and tule fall Chinook salmon (hereafter ‘tule salmon’) spawning habitat in the lower 1.7 km of the White Salmon River (project area). As expected, dam breaching dramatically affected channel morphology and spawning habitat due to a large load of sediment released from Northwestern Lake. Forty-two per cent of the project area that was previously covered in water was converted into islands or new shoreline, while a large pool near the mouth filled with sediments and a delta formed at the mouth. A two-dimensional hydrodynamic model revealed that pool area decreased 68.7% in the project area, while glides and riffles increased 659% and 530%, respectively. A spatially explicit habitat model found the mean probability of spawning habitat increased 46.2% after dam breaching due to an increase in glides and riffles. Shifting channels and bank instability continue to negatively affect some spawning habitat as sediments continue to wash downstream from former Northwestern Lake, but 300 m of new spawning habitat (river kilometre 0.6 to 0.9) that formed immediately post-breach has persisted into 2015. Less than 10% of tule salmon have spawned upstream of the former dam site to date, but the run sizes appear healthy and stable. Published 2015. This article is a U.S. Government work and is in the public domain in the USA.
Hobbes and Rawls on Political Power

The social contract tradition of political legitimacy has a long and complex history. John Rawls believed himself to be working in this tradition of Locke, Rousseau and Kant, but not that of Hobbes whose Leviathan, he remarks, “raises special problems.” Rawls never specifies what these problems are but there are indeed very serious problems with Hobbes’ political theory. I argue that Hobbes’ theory is an ideology fashioned in a chaotic social environment where self-preservation was precarious at best. His theory is based on his belief that there were only two alternatives for political order given the human condition as he saw it at the time, chaos or absolute power. This false dichotomy was one that Rawls and most other theorists did not accept. Hobbes' theory conflicts with Rawls' conception of rights, the purpose of government, and the nature of the person. Hobbes' theory is a form of ethical foundationalism and is what Rawls calls a comprehensive doctrine unacceptable in Rawls' political liberalism.
Collective and single-electron interactions of electron beams with electromagnetic waves, and free-electron lasers

The field of radiation emission from electron beams is reviewed with special reference to work related to free-electron lasers. Different schemes of interaction in periodic structures, electromagnetic slow-wave structures, and in transverse confining force are distinguished. Various effects and devices such as traveling wave amplifiers, Smith-Purcell radiators, Cerenkov and bremsstrahlung-free electron lasers, cyclotron resonance masers, coherent bremsstrahlung and channeling radiation are discussed and the differences and relations among them are explained. A simple comprehensive model is developed to describe electron-beam interaction with an electromagnetic wave in periodic electromagnetic structures. The model is general enough to describe both collective and single-electron modes of interaction and quantum mechanical, classical and Fermi degenerate regimes. Simplified expressions are developed for the gain by stimulated emission of radiation and for gain conditions of the Smith-Purcell-Cerenkov type free-electron lasers under conditions of very thin electron beams and infinite interaction length.
Turbulent Prandtl Number in Neutrally Buoyant Turbulent Round Jet

A method which combines two nonintrusive imaging techniques, particle tracking velocimetry and laser induced fluorescence, was used to make simultaneous measurements of velocity and concentration in a neutrally buoyant turbulent round jet. The measurements were made at two different Reynolds numbers (R), 360 and 4,210, at a Schmidt number of 1,930. The mean velocity 〈u〉, mean concentration 〈c〉, Reynolds stress -〈u′v′〉, and turbulent scalar flux 〈v′c′〉 were obtained and the eddy viscosity, eddy diffusivity, and turbulent Prandtl number (Prt) calculated from these measurements. Both the low and high Reynolds number results show self-similar characteristics that are dependent on R with Prt a function of radial position. For the R=4,210 case, it was found that 0.7 0.12. For the R=360 case, it was found that Prt≈0.4 for 0.06<y/x<0.15 but significantly smaller at the center (approximatel...
Predicting Kindergarteners' Response to Early Reading Intervention: An Examination of Progress-Monitoring Measures.

This study examined the predictive validity of combinations of progress-monitoring measures: (a) curriculum-embedded phonemic awareness and alphabetic/decoding measures, and (b) Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills (DIBELS; Good & Kaminski, 2002) nonsense word fluency and phoneme segmentation fluency on reading outcomes of kindergarten students in a tier 2 intervention. Results of multiple-regression analyses indicated that curriculum-embedded mastery checks and DIBELS measures each explained a significant amount of variance on the outcome measure. However, curriculum-embedded measures explained statistically significantly more variance at each time point supporting their utility in documenting progress of kindergarten students receiving intervention.
#TwitterPlay: a case study of fan roleplaying online

Using the highly anticipated release of the film version of "The Hunger Games" series as a case study, this study explores online fan community practices that employ the technological affordances of Twitter. We examine roleplaying practices that extend the Hunger Games story for roleplayers and fans. We conducted a discourse analysis examining the practices of active roleplayers, who interact with thousands of other fans and fellow players to continue their experience of the story, and engage in what we term Twitter play. Our findings illustrate how roleplayers are able to use Twitter to expand their experience of media and story. By examining roleplayers' use of Twitter affordances, we find that these performers not only exhibit deep knowledge of their characters and the narrative, but also of Twitter, demonstrated by expanding the uses of the service's affordances to playfully connect the story with popular culture and current events.
Two aldehyde dehydrogenases from human liver. Isolation via affinity chromatography and characterization of the isozymes.

Abstract Human livre extracts show two major bands with aldehyde dehydrogenase (Aldehyde:NAD + oxidoreductase, EC 1.2.1.3) activity via starch gel electrophoresis at pH 7.0. Both bands have been purified to apparent homogeneity via classical chromatography combined with affinity chromatography on 5′-AMP-Sepharose 4B. The slower migratng band, enzyme 1, when assayed at pH 9.5 has a low K m for NAD (8 μM) and a high K m for acetaldehyde (approx. 0.1 mM). It is very strongly inhibited by disulfiram at pH 7.0 with a K i of 0.2 μM. The faster migrating band, enzyme 2, has a low K m for acetaldehyde, (2–3 μM at pH 9.5), a higher K m for NAD (70 μM at pH 9.5), and is not inhibited by disulfiram at pH 7.0. The two enzymes are very similar to the F1 and F2 isozymes of horse liver purified by Eckfeldt et al. (Eckfeldt, J., Mope, L., Takio, K. and Yonetani T. (1976) J. Biol. Chem. 251, 236–240) in molecular weight, subunit composition, amino acid composition and extinction coefficient. Preliminary kinetic characterizations of the enzyme are presented.
Gas exchange, hypercarbia and acid-base balance, paleoecology, and the evolutionary transition from water-breathing to air-breathing among vertebrates

The evolutionary transition from water-breathing to air-breathing among vertebrates was accompanied by a shift in acid-base status from a low-PCO2, low [HCO3−] acid-base status to a high-PCO2, high-[HCO3−] acid-base status. It has been hypothesized that this change occurred concomitant with the reduced ventilation rate associated with breathing O2-rich (relative to water) air, and that the integument was used in the initial stages of the transition as a primary site for CO2 elimination. Decoupling of O2 and CO2 exchange thereby avoided a respiratory acidosis that would be associated with the relative hypoventilation expected of protoamphibians while they were air-breathing. However, at least some primitive amphibians appear to have had integuments and body sizes that would make it unlikely that the skin could be a primary site for either O2 uptake or CO2 elimination, which casts doubt on any general theory that requires the skin to play a major role in acid-base balance in early amphibians. In this review, I survey the responses of lower vertebrates to hypercarbia and the role of their integument in gas exchange, and suggest that protoamphibians may have inhabited aquatic environments that were hypercarbic, and conclude that they therefore already may have had an acid-base status similar to terrestrial forms (i.e., high-PCO2, high [HCO3−]) before they emerged onto land, which would obviate the need for a gas-permeable integument.
Comparison of commercially available three-dimensional treatment planning algorithms for monitor unit calculations in the presence of heterogeneities

This study uses an anthropomorphic phantom and its computed tomography (CT) data set to evaluate monitor unit (MU) calculations using the CMS Focus Clarkson, the CMS Focus Multigrid Superposition Model, the CMS Focus FFT Convolution Model, and the ADAC Pinnacle3 Collapsed Cone Convolution Superposition Algorithms. Using heterogeneity corrections, a treatment plan and corresponding MU calculations were generated for several typical clinical situations. A diode detector, placed in an anthropomorphic phantom, was used to compare the treatment planning algorithms predicted doses with measured data. Differences between diode measurements and the algorithms calculations were within reasonable levels of acceptability as recommended by Van Dyk Int. J. Rad. Onc. Biol. Phys. 26, 261273 (1993), except for the CMS Clarkson algorithm, which predicted too few MU for delivery of the intended dose to chest wall fields. 2001 American College of Medical Physics.
The Bleaching Syndrome: As per Racism in the New Millenium.

The black white dichotomy has dictated conventional models of racism throughout the world. Persons of African descent are consistently portrayed as victims and those of European descent as perpetrators. In fact following conquest and or domination by Europeans, people of color act out racist behaiours having idealized European values for skin color. The result is self-denigration whereby those lighter-skinned in an effort to appease Europe have assumed the psychological demeanor of its people. The aftermath is validation of the Bleaching Syndrome as assimilation strategy. That Western racial lines continue to blur vis-a-vis skin color, Asian color will likely prevail as the most practical vehicle of racism in the new millennium.
Personal reflections of a family therapist.

In this informal paper I discuss my personal evolution as a family therapist, developments in the field, the politics of a systems approach in conventional settings, resistances to family and marital therapy by other professionals, some still puzzling aspects of family therapy, whether family or marital therapy works and what do we mean by working, directions my own work has taken, some comments about the nature of family life, the satisfactions and frustrations and stresses of being a family therapist, some hidden agendas of family therapy practices, how one's own personal family relationships affect and are affected by this kind of work, the casualties among family and marital therapists, and, finally, whether family therapists should have family therapy for themselves and their own families.
Nonparametric tests for edge detection in noise

Abstract In this paper we describe three statistically motivated techniques for detecting edges in gray-level images. Two similar methods based on linear rank sums are described; specifically, the Wilcoxon and median statistics are implemented in a modified form and are found to perform effectively on both noisy and uncontaminated sample images. A novel approach based on fitting order statistics to the image data is also advanced. Numerous examples are given and computational requirements are examined.
Location and clinical implications of high-degree atrioventricular block during dipyridamole infusion: a case report

We describe a patient with bifascicular block, who developed transient high-degree atrioventricular block during dipyridamole infusion. This patient was subsequently found to have significant His-Purkinje disease at electrophysiology study, and underwent permanent pacemaker implantation. Spontaneous atrioventricular block was documented during follow-up. This case report raises the issue of dipyridamole safety in patients with intraventricular conduction defects, and contributes an additional mechanism to the possible explanation of dipyridamole-induced atrioventricular block.
Language training with autistic children using four different modes of presentation

The purpose of this study was to determine (1) whether comprehension, production, and spontaneous use of language are greater following language training by sign-alone, speech-alone, simultaneous communication, or alternating between speech and sign; (2) whether high- and low-verbal imitators benefit from the same mode of treatment; and (3) whether retention of the language skills differs among the four training conditions. Subjects were 60 moderate to severe autistic children randomly assigned to one of four treatment conditions. Subjects were divided into high- and low-verbal imitators based on verbal imitation performances. The results indicated that the high-verbal imitators did equally well in all four treatment conditions, while the low-verbal imitators did poorest in the speech-alone condition. The high-verbal imitators performed better than did the low-verbal imitators in all of the treatment conditions. Words or signs learned were retained for three months after treatment regardless of the treatment condition or level of imitative ability. The results were discussed in terms of the efficacy of using sign language with autistic children.
Optimal multiple interval assignments in frequency assignment and traffic phasing

Abstract In this paper, we consider the optimal assignments of unions of intervals to the vertices of the compatibility graph G, which arises in connection with frequency assignment and traffic phasing problems. It is shown that the optimal multiple interval phasing numbers θJ≥rx(G) and θJ≥rxN(G), are optimal solutions to linear programming problems whose variables correspond to maximal cliques of G. Efficient algorithms are given for determining the first number, θJ≥rx(G), when G is a chordal graph or a transitively orientable graph.