cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Consumer responses to interactive restaurant self-service technology (IRSST): The role of gadget-loving propensity

Abstract Employing Mehrabian and Russell's stimulus–organism–response framework, this study examines how consumers’ perceived quality of interactive restaurant self-service technology (IRSST) attributes affects their cognitive and affective states and their subsequent behavioral intentions. The survey sample is 568 consumers who had experienced IRSST. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was used to test the proposed model and hypotheses. The results revealed that the functionality and customization (utilitarian-related stimuli) of IRSST enhance the consumers’ perceived values and positive emotional responses, whereas its design and enjoyment (hedonic-related stimuli) had neither a fully nor a partially significant impact on their cognitive and affective states. Regarding the moderating role of a gadget-loving propensity, while the perceived value has a greater impact on the approach behavior towards IRSST service for consumers with a high gadget-loving propensity, the affective state has a greater impact on the approach behavior towards IRSST service for consumers with a low gadget-loving propensity.
Toward Zero Road Death Vision Assessment the Role Auto-Dependency, Public Health, and Active Transportation Modes

2nd Highest Scoring Abstract: Early Career/Post-doctoral Background One of the most significant costs associated with automobile travel in the US is the number of road accidents and fatalities that this type of transportation incurs. To control these costs, in 2015, the USDOT announced that “zero road deaths” is the official policy of the US federal government transportation safety. This policy envisions zero deaths as the ultimate road safety goal. To achieve this ambition, we need a consistent understanding of all potential determinants of road safety in the national level. Accordingly, this research provides a framework to investigate the impact of a wide range of variables on traffic fatality rates (defined as deaths per 100,000 people). We particularly examine the effect of auto-dependency indicators, public health factors, and active transportation modes on the road safety outcomes. Methods For this purpose, a previously developed conceptual framework has been used which classified road safety contributing factors into seven separate sets: exposure, travel behavior, socio-economics, infrastructure and urban form, safety policies, and mitigating factors such as health care. This framework is tested using series of panel data models. These models investigate both spatial and temporal variations in safety patterns for the fifty states, along with DC, using annual data from 1997 to 2014. A complimentary analysis is conducted to assess the impact of factors which just available for few years of analysis like walking and biking variables. Results The results of our panel models illustrate that two variables Vehicle Miles Traveled and Vehicles per Capita , representing the level of auto-dependency, have the strongest impact on traffic fatalities. The elasticity analysis reveals that a 10% increase in VMT per vehicle is associated with 8.6% increase in road fatalities. Likewise, a 10% increase in vehicle ownership rate results in a 8.0% increase in road fatalities. This is closely followed by Infant Mortality Rates, the proxy that we used to represent the public health care. The results of complimentary analysis show that states with higher urban density, more walking, and more cycling are associated with lower traffic fatality rates. Conclusions Our findings suggest that if additional progress is to be made in reducing traffic fatalities, emphasis needs to move beyond simply focusing on policies such as seat belt laws. This research provides an order of factors influencing road fatalities, this order can help American policy makers to provide a more efficient road map for progress towards zero road death target.
Information-Theoretic based feature selection for multi-voxel pattern analysis of fMRI data

Multi-voxel pattern analysis (MVPA) of functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) data is an emerging approach for probing the neural correlates of cognition. MVPA allows cognitive representations and processing to be modeled as distributed patterns of neural activity, which can be used to build a classification model to partition activity patterns according to stimulus conditions. In machine learning, MVPA is a very challenging classification problem because the number of voxels (features) greatly exceeds the number of data instances. Thus, there is a need to select informative voxels before building a classification model. We introduce a feature selection method based on mutual information (MI), which is used to quantify the statistical dependency between features and stimulus conditions. To evaluate the utility of our approach, we employed several linear classification algorithms on a publicly available fMRI data set that has been widely used to benchmark MVPA performance [1]. The computational results suggest that feature selection based on the MI ranking can drastically improve the classification accuracy. Additionally, high-ranked features provide meaningful insights into the functional-anatomic relationship of neural activity and the associated tasks.
Audience Failure Index

In the summer of 1977, I saw the film Star Wars more than once. I will spare myself the public embarrassment of disclosing exactly how many times. Consider my x ≥ 2. The writer Jonathan Lethem has divulged his x = 21. At one of these solitary viewings he made a discovery, described thus:
Thymoma: Radiation and Chemotherapy

The initial treatment of choice for all thymomas, with the exception of rare cases presenting with grossly unresectable local disease or diffuse metastases, is complete tumor resection. Surgical considerations are discussed elsewhere in this volume [1]. While various investigators have suggested that histological morphology [2–5] and flow cytometric assessment [6] may have prognostic implications, the primary determinants of clinical outcome are surgicopathologic staging and the related extent of surgical resection [7–10], which then form the basis for selection of adjuvant radiation and/or chemotherapy.
Breast cancer screening discussions for women in their forties

Studies of the effectiveness of breast cancer screening for women in their forties show that the probabil- ity of benefit is relatively small and, for some women, may be outweighed by the probability of harm. Thus, screening for breast cancer in this age group is a "close call" on which reasonable women may disagree. Many women in their forties, however, are being screened. We suggest that few truly understand the issues involved in this decision. In this paper, we examine the potential benefits and harms of breast cancer screening for women ages 40-49 and consider a strategy for helping women make informed decisions about screening: shared decision making. Shared decision making involves framing breast cancer screening as a decision that could reasonably be decided either for or against screening; giving the patient evidence-based information about the decision in an understandable format; and assisting the pa- tient to use her values to close on a decision. We believe that this approach will eventually become the standard of care not only for breast cancer screening for women in their forties, but for older women (and other issues), as well.
Vacuum Reflow Process Characterization for Void-Less Soldering Process in Semiconductor Package

Semiconductor packaging's solder void criteria is getting tighter overtime due to involvement of high usage in automotive industry. Semiconductor packaging component maker starts to strengthen the solder joint quality and electrical power conductivity by tighten the solder void requirement through seeking a solution in controlling the maximum solder void size reduction from 10-15% original fraction to 5% or below over die size. Vacuum reflow is introduced to overcome this challenge. Critical process parameters in vacuum reflow process including temperature and pressure were characterized for void reduction and compared to that of conventional reflow process. Promising results show that high temperature, fast depressurize rate and long pressure dwell time in low pressurized environment as well as solder paste volume increment are critical factors in providing minimum solder void sizes that successfully meet the new industry criteria.
Extensional Strain Hardening in Highly Entangled Molecular Bottlebrushes.

The highly strained conformation in dense molecular bottlebrushes (DB) has profound effects on the dynamics of these type of macromolecules. Understanding of such effects in both their linear and nonlinear viscoelastic responses is crucial for their design and processing. The nonlinear response of poly(1-octadecene), a highly entangled $\ensuremath{\alpha}$-olefin DB with linear side chains sixteen carbons long, is studied here and compared to the nonlinear response of a linear polyolefin (polypropylene) with equivalent linear viscoelastic response. We found that the DB shows remarkably larger extensional strain hardening (SH) and extensibility than the linear polyolefin. The strong SH is attributed to a strain-induced increase in friction drag between adjacent chains resulting from side-chain interdigitation and alignment perpendicular to the flow. The higher extensibility of DBs compared to linear counterparts has been predicted previously [Daniel et al., Nat. Mater. 15, 183 (2015)] and confirmed here for the first time in DB melts.
A Novel Application of Modular Multi-Level Converters for Partially Shaded PV Systems

This paper proposes a novel application of a modular multi-level converter (MMC) for photovoltaic (PV) generation system to maximize the efficiency in partial shading conditions. A DC/DC boost converter is placed between each sub-module (SM) of the MMC and the PV array to extract the maximum PV power. Furthermore, the proposed topology is enhanced with an independent active/reactive power control strategy for demand response purposes. The effect of circulating currents is also minimized using a proportional resonance (PR) controller. The proposed system is validated using time-domain simulations via MATLAB/Simscape power system toolbox on a 10 MW three-phase grid-connected MMC system.
Effects of lithium addition in AB2 metal hydride alloy by solid-state diffusion

Abstract In this study, microstructures and electrochemical properties of a Zr-based AB2-type metal hydride alloy (Ti12.1Zr21.3V10.5Cr7.5Mn8.1Co8.0Ni31.7Al0.8) doped with 6 wt% LiH by solid-state diffusion at different temperatures were investigated and compared with those of the base alloy sintered at the same conditions. Structural study by x-ray diffraction analysis exhibited a lattice expansion in the main C14 phase of the Li-doped alloys with a relatively low sintering temperature, indicating that Li incorporated into the C14 Laves phase but was evaporated at higher sintering temperatures. Addition of Li deteriorated both the electrochemical capacity and activation easiness; however, it improved the high-rate dischargeability (HRD). The benefit of Li addition on HRD can be associated with the increase in amount of metallic nickel clusters embedded in the surface oxide (estimated by the saturated magnetic susceptibility) and was a strong function of sintering temperature. As the sintering temperature increased, HRD increased due to the increase in amount of surface catalytic metallic nickel.
DREAM Interrupted: Severing MuvB from DREAM’s pocket protein inCaenorhabditis elegansimpairs gene repression but not DREAM chromatin assembly

The mammalian pocket protein family, which includes the Retinoblastoma protein (pRb) and Rb-like pocket proteins p107 and p130, regulates entry into and exit from the cell cycle by repressing cell cycle gene expression. Although pRb plays a dominant role in mammalian systems, p107 and p130 represent the ancestral pocket proteins. The Rb-like pocket proteins interact with the highly conserved 5-subunit MuvB complex and an E2F-DP transcription factor heterodimer, forming the DREAM (for Dp, Rb-like, E2F, and MuvB) complex. DREAM complex formation on chromatin culminates in direct repression of target genes mediated by the MuvB subcomplex. Here, we examined how the Rb-like pocket protein contributes to DREAM formation by disrupting the interaction between the sole Caenorhabditis elegans pocket protein LIN-35 and the MuvB subunit LIN-52 using CRISPR/Cas9 targeted mutagenesis. Disrupting the LIN-35-MuvB association did not affect DREAM chromatin occupancy but did cause a highly penetrant synthetic multivulval (SynMuv) phenotype, indicating that blocking DREAM assembly impairs MuvB function. Some DREAM target genes became derepressed, indicating that for those genes MuvB chromatin binding alone is not sufficient for gene repression and that direct LIN-35-MuvB association potentiates MuvB9s innate repressive activity. In a previous study we showed that in worms lacking LIN-35, E2F-DP and MuvB chromatin occupancy is reduced genome-wide. With LIN-35 present, this study demonstrates that the E2F-DP-LIN-35 interaction promotes E2F-DP9s chromatin localization, which we hypothesize supports MuvB chromatin occupancy indirectly through DNA. Altogether, this study highlights how the pocket protein family may recruit regulatory factors like MuvB to chromatin through E2F-DP to facilitate their transcriptional activity.
Untangling parameters: A formalized framework for identifying overlapping design parameters between two disciplines for creating an interdisciplinary parametric model

Abstract Employing an interdisciplinary approach in design is an important part of the future of architecture. Therefore, taking a step toward better understanding the overlaps between disciplines, and formalizing the process of integration between disciplines accelerates progress in the field. In examining an interdisciplinary design approach using computational design and simulation tools, while considering shell structures as a special case for spanning large-span roofs, structural and daylighting discipline are considered. The aim is to understand what are the design parameters that co-exist in the structural and daylighting design disciplines, and how may these parameters be implemented in a parametric model created by designers. The parametric model that includes discipline specific parameters can later be used for interdisciplinary performance-based design. Implementing design parameters calls for an understanding of the ways in which parameters affect design and performance. This research considers the application of parametric design methods at the early stages of design for designing high-performance buildings.
4H-SiC epitaxial Schottky detectors: deep-level transient spectroscopy (DLTS) and pulse height spectroscopy (PHS) measurements

Schottky barrier radiation detectors have been fabricated on n-type 4H-SiC epitaxial layers (Eg = 3.27 eV at 300 K) grown on low-resistive n-type 4H-SiC bulk substrates. Current-voltage (I-V) and capacitance-voltage (C-V) measurements were carried out, and using a thermionic emission model, Schottky barrier height of ~1.42 eV was obtained. Capacitance mode deep level transient spectroscopy (DLTS) revealed the presence of deep levels along with two shallow level defects related to titanium impurities (Ti(c)) and an unidentified deep electron trap located at 1.42 eV below the conduction band minimum. The concentration of the lifetime killer Z1/2 defect was found to be ~1013 cm-3. A 0.1 μCi 241Am radiation source was used to investigate the detector performance including charge collection efficiency (CCE) by pulse height spectroscopy (PHS), and an energy resolution of ~ 0.38% full-width half maxima (FWHM) was observed for alpha particles at ~ 5447 keV. The average diffusion length (Ld) of holes (minority carriers) were calculated to be ~ 13.6 μm using a drift-diffusion model and MATLAB code. An electronic noise analysis of front-end readout electronics in terms of equivalent noise charge revealed that the white series noise due to the detector capacitance has substantial effect on their spectroscopic detection performance.
Safety of Concurrent Endoscopic Browlift and Blepharoplasty.

The objective of the study was to evaluate the clinical safety of endoscopic browlift alone or in combination with blepharoplasty as a treatment for the aging face. This is a retrospective comparative study from 2007 to 2016 at a single tertiary care center. A consecutive sample of patients undergoing surgery for aging of the upper face was included in the study. Surgeries deemed to be inclusive were endoscopic browlift, upper blepharoplasty, and lower blepharoplasty. In total, 46 patients undergoing endoscopic browlift with concurrent blepharoplasty were included. Patient demographics, past medical history, follow-up, and any complications related to their surgery were studied up to 90 months postoperatively. Combination of endoscopic browlift with blepharoplasty did not increase the risk of complications on univariate analysis (p = 0.735). There were no differences in complication rates on univariate analysis of patients with a smoking history, diabetes, or autoimmune disease (p = 0.111, p = 0.575, p > 0.999, respectively). Furthermore, there was no difference between groups in complication rates, smoking history, diabetes, or autoimmune disease (p = 0.735, p = 0.181, p = 0.310, p = 0.218, respectively). Smoking had an insignificant increased risk of complication as compared with nonsmokers on multivariate analysis (odds ratio [OR] = 4.526; p = 0.073). Increasing age was slightly associated with fewer complications on multivariate analysis in this patient cohort (OR = 0.939; p = 0.048). By combining endoscopic browlift with a concomitant blepharoplasty, the goals of the patient and the standards of the surgeon can be effectively and safely achieved. Analysis of complications from 46 combined cases at our institution asserts that this is a safe operation. Smoking status was the only observed predictor for postoperative complications. This was a level of evidence 3, retrospective comparative study.
Dissociating the Clinical Role and Economic Value of Intranasal Esketamine

DISCLOSURES: No funding supported the writing of this commentary. The author has nothing to disclose.
Gender parity at scale: Examining correlations of country-level female participation in education and work with measures of men's and women's survival

Abstract Background Past research has demonstrated the relationship between women's educational levels and other measures of social development with maternal and child health outcomes. This study examines the relationship between gender parity in education and work, achieved through greater female participation in both spheres, with survival in both women and men. Methods Utilizing cross-sectional indicators from United Nations agencies, we constructed global indices of gender parity in education and work for international comparison. Multivariable regression was performed to assess relationships between gender parity index scores and national mortality rates or life expectancy indicators. Findings Gender parity in both arenas was significantly associated with improved health outcomes after controlling for country health expenditures and other characteristics. A 10% higher country educational parity index score was associated with 59·5 fewer maternal deaths per 100 000 live births, a 2·1-year increase in female life expectancy, and almost a 1-year increase in male life expectancy at birth. Similarly, a 10% higher work parity index score was significantly associated with 14·6 fewer maternal deaths per 100 000 live births and a 0·9-year increase in female life expectancy at birth, with no deleterious relationship to male life expectancy. Interpretation This study extends past research by examining actionable areas of gender equality and their impact on both male and female survival. While longitudinal research is needed to examine both causality and mechanisms, our findings suggest longevity gains for both women and men, and for all children through reduced maternal mortality, where greater parity in school and work is exhibited. Funding No funding source directly supported the work in this manuscript. We are deeply indebted to the Conrad N Hilton Foundation for its support of Adva Gadoth as a Hilton Scholar.
PEGR: a management platform for ChIP-based next generation sequencing pipelines

There has been a rapid development in genome sequencing, including high-throughput next generation sequencing (NGS) technologies, automation in biological experiments, new bioinformatics tools and utilization of high-performance computing and cloud computing. ChIP-based NGS technologies, e.g. ChIP-seq and ChIP-exo, are widely used to detect the binding sites of DNA-interacting proteins in the genome and help us to have a deeper mechanistic understanding of genomic regulation. As sequencing data is generated at an unprecedented pace from the ChIP-based NGS pipelines, there is an urgent need for a metadata management system. To meet this need, we developed the Platform for Eukaryotic Genomic Regulation (PEGR), a web service platform that logs metadata for samples and sequencing experiments, manages the data processing workflows, and provides reporting and visualization. PEGR links together people, samples, protocols, DNA sequencers and bioinformatics computation. With the help of PEGR, scientists can have a more integrated understanding of the sequencing data and better understand the scientific mechanisms of genomic regulation. In this paper, we present the architecture and the major functionalities of PEGR. We also share our experience in developing this application and discuss the future directions.
Short-Range Forecasting of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) During Early Onset at Various Levels of Geographic Granularity Using Seven Different Methods (preprint)

Background: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) spread rapidly across the world since its appearance in Wuhan city, Hubei province, China in December 2019. We explore the effectiveness of forecasting methods during early onset for COVID-19 case counts over the upcoming seven-days at the county, health district, and state levels. Our goal is to assess which forecasting methods can aid decision makers about anticipated one-, three-, and seven-day case growth. Methods: We apply forecasting methods across VA’s counties and independent cities, its health districts, and the state using data reported by the The New York Times. We forecast one-, three-, and seven-days forward using: (1) a naive approach; (2) Holt-Winters exponential smoothing (HW); (3) growth rate (Growth); (4) moving average (MA); (5) autoregressive (AR); (6) autoregressive moving average (ARMA); and (7) autoregressive integrated moving average (ARIMA). Using Median Absolute Error (MdAE) and Median Absolute Percentage Error (MdAPE), we compare the resulting 216698 forecasts to VA’s historical data through April 22, 2020. Findings: Single-day MA forecast with three-day lookback obtains the lowest MdAE and is statistically significantly different than 66 percent of evaluated alternatives at each geographic level. Furthermore, methods assuming stationary means of prior days’ case counts outperform methods with assumptions of weak- or non-stationarity. Finally, for an individual forecasting method, MdAPE evaluation reveals in most cases statistically significant differences across geographic levels demonstrating that there is not a one-size-fits-all solution to short-term COVID-19 forecasting. Interpretation: For decision makers applying short-term forecasts of COVID-19: (1) MA is an effective option for forecasting cumulative case counts one-, three-, and seven-days forward; (2) methods assuming stationarity of means in prior-observations are more effective than methods assuming weak- or non-stationary means; and (3) the intended level of geographic resolution should be a factor in selecting the appropriate forecasting method. Funding Statement: This work received no external funding. Declaration of Interests: All authors declare no competing interests.
Microbubble-Facilitated Ultrasound Catheter Ablation Causes Microvascular Damage and Fibrosis

High-intensity ultrasound (US) ablation produces deeper myocardial lesions than radiofrequency ablation. The presence of intravascular microbubble (MB) contrast agents enhances pulsed-wave US ablation via cavitation-related histotripsy, potentially facilitating ablation in persistently perfused/conducting myocardium. US ablation catheters were developed and tested in the presence of MBs using ex vivo and in vivo models. High-frame-rate videomicroscopy and US imaging of gel phantom models confirmed MB destruction by inertial cavitation. MB-facilitated US ablation in an ex vivo perfused myocardium model generated shallow (2 mm) lesions and, in an in vivo murine hindlimb model, reduced perfusion by 42% with perivascular hemorrhage and inflammation, but no myonecrosis.
Responses of Polylepis birds to patch and landscape attributes in the High Andes

Habitat loss and fragmentation can devastate biodiversity, especially at regional and global scales. However, generalizing to individual species is challenging given the wide variety of intrinsic a...
Physician Perspectives on the Effect of Topical Steroid Costs on Patients and Proposed Solutions.

Importance Rising costs of topical steroids have increased overall health care and patient out-of-pocket costs while increasing administrative burden on dermatologists and office staff. Objective To explore factors affecting the decision-making process for dermatologists around topical steroid prescriptions, determine the association of insurance coverage and cost, and assess willingness to implement solutions to decrease out-of-pocket topical steroid costs for patients. Design, Setting, and Participants This qualitative study was conducted from June to November 2020 and used semistructured interviews of 16 dermatologists who reflected a mix of physicians in academic, nonacademic, and private practice until thematic saturation was reached. Each interview was independently coded by 2 researchers. Code frequency and interrater reliability were determined using NVIVO software. Data analysis was conducted from November 2020 to March 2021. Main Outcomes and Measures Factors influencing dermatologist decision-making around topical steroid selection, outcomes of unaffordable medications on patients, solution recommendations, and perspectives on a system to automatically substitute topical steroid for cheaper alternatives of the same class and vehicle. Results Of the 16 dermatologists, 8 (50.0%) were women, 8 (50.0%) were men, 1 (6.3%) was Asian, 2 (12.5%) were Latinx, and 12 (75.0%) were White. The interrater reliability ranged from κ = 0.86 to κ = 0.98, indicating excellent agreement. Most physicians (13 [81%]) thought about costs regularly when making choices about topical steroids. All physicians identified a scenario in which patients could not obtain medication based on cost. In these cases, 15 (94%) reported that they try to find an alternative medication by calling the pharmacist or insurance company. Despite a desire to consider cost at the time of prescribing, physicians reported not knowing medication costs before prescribing because of the variability of insurance coverage (15 [94%]), lack of transparency (12 [75%]), and fluctuating drug prices (12 [75%]). In addition to affecting patients, 14 physicians (88%) reported that a patient’s inability to afford medications increases administrative burden. Physicians suggested that they were open to solutions that focused on increased cost transparency (10 [63%]) and improved electronic health record technologies. Furthermore, 14 (88%) were willing to use a system to allow the substitution of one topical steroid for another of the same class and vehicle. Conclusions and Relevance The results of this qualitative study suggest that opacity around drug costs reduces access for patients and is followed by administrative stress for physicians and staff. Dermatologists are receptive to systems that provide greater transparency for drug costs or automate substitution of equivalent cheaper drugs for patients.
Interstellar Grains in the Solar System

It is likely that presolar interstellar grains are preserved inside comets and asteroids. If these particles can be collected, identified and properly analyzed in the laboratory, they could provide a vital link between the study of the early solar system and the interstellar materials that preceded it. Abundant isotopic evidence from meteorites indicates that interstellar components have survived in asteroids although it is not evident that unaltered individual grains survived. Continued work on meteorites, interplanetary dust and samples directly retrieved from comets will likely lead to new insight into interstellar and circum-stellar grain properties and processes and provide constraints on grain models.
On Stanford Law’s Religious Liberty Clinic and Ideology

I comment on Stanford Law's new Religious Liberty Clinic in a short essay addressing the ideas of religious liberty, ideology and political justice.
Temporally persistent patterns of incidence and abundance in a pollinator guild at annual and decadal scales: the bees of Larrea tridentata

A recent alternative model to conventional coevolution, the geographic mosaic theory of coevolution, posits that reciprocal selection is episodic and local, rather than persistent and spatially extensive. However, little empirical evidence addresses this model's tenets, in particular the temporal stability of local plant–pollinator interactions. We evaluated this tenet using the richly diverse guild of bees at creosote bush (Larrea tridentata), a generalist plant that hosts many specialist bees. We systematically resampled over 2–5 years at 11 sites across the south-western USA. Incidence and abundance also were compared for survey sites sampled 20 ± 2 years earlier. Average Morisita-Horn faunal similarities of local bee guilds was 87% for sequential years and 36% after 20 years. Similarities in taxonomic composition of resampled local bee guilds could be statistically represented as a random assemblage drawn from the regional source pool of 54–68 bee species that could be expected at Larrea, weighted by regional abundance. At every site, only the minority of abundant bee species was typically persistent in local guilds, even after > 20 years. Most bee species in the Larrea guild were chronically uncommon, geographically sporadic and temporally unpredictable, attributes that render them numerically inconsequential as pollinators in their local guild. Persistence among abundant bee species in local pollinator assemblages satisfies one condition by which reciprocal selection could act locally. The well-being of these more abundant core species, and not bee diversity per se, may better characterize the health of such plant–pollinator associations. © 2005 The Linnean Society of London, Biological Journal of the Linnean Society, 2005, 85, 319–329.
Lunar gravitational field estimation and the effects of mismodeling upon lunar satellite orbit prediction

Lunar spherical harmonic gravity coefficients are estimated from simulated observations of a near-circular low altitude polar orbiter disturbed by lunar mascons. Lunar gravity sensing missions using earth-based nearside observations with and without satellite-based far-side observations are simulated and least squares maximum likelihood estimates are developed for spherical harmonic expansion fit models. Simulations and parameter estimations are performed by a modified version of the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory's Planetary Ephemeris Program. Two different lunar spacecraft mission phases are simulated to evaluate the estimated fit models. Results for predicting state covariances one orbit ahead are presented along with the state errors resulting from the mismodeled gravity field. The position errors from planning a lunar landing maneuver with a mismodeled gravity field are also presented. These simulations clearly demonstrate the need to include observations of satellite motion over the far side in estimating the lunar gravity field. The simulations also illustrate that the eighth degree and order expansions used in the simulated fits were unable to adequately model lunar mascons.
THE SHAPING OF MORAL THEOLOGY: VERITATIS SPLENDOR AND THE DEBATE ON THE NATURE OF ROMAN CATHOLIC MORAL THEOLOGY

Moral theology explores the sources of the moral teaching in several religions. It is the branch of theology that analyzes the scriptural, rational, and ministerial bases of moral teaching on various issues in Christian living. Moral theology in the Catholic Church has been undergoing rapid development since the Second Vatican Council. This essay presents the encyclical Veritatis Splendor as providing an important perspective on fundamental issues in moral theology. In Veritatis Splendor , Pope John Paul II gave the response of the church magisterium to the issues raised for decades in moral theology. This essay also evaluates the Catholic moral theologians responses to the encyclical. The theologians are categorized into two groups: the theologians who support the encyclical and the ones who view the encyclical in a critical way as misrepresenting their ideas. The essay recommends the encyclical Veritatis Splendor for renewing interest in fundamental issues in moral theology.
Oligomerization of deoxyguanosine 5'-phosphoro-2-methylimidazolide on a polycytidylate template

The oligomerization of deoxyguanosine 5'-phosphoro-2-methylimidazolide on a polycytidylate template is much less efficient than the oligomerization of the corresponding activated ribonucleotide. Nonetheless oligomers containing up to eight nucleotide residues are detected. The products are 3'-5'-linked oligodeoxyribonucleotides capped at the 5'-terminus with a pyrophosphate-linked monomer.
ISSUES IN LARGE-SCALE GLOBAL MOLECULAR OPTIMIZATION

We discuss the formulation of optimization problems that arise in the study of distance geometry, ionic systems, and molecular clusters. We show that continuation techniques based on global smoothing are applicable to these molecular optimization problems, and we outline the issues that must be resolved in the solution of large-scale molecular optimization problems.
Making Statistical Inferences from Samples

This chapter covers various concepts and methods dealing with statistical inference, namely point estimation, interval or confidence interval estimation, hypothesis testing and significance testing. These methods are used to infer point and interval estimates about a population from sample data using knowledge of probability and probability distributions. Classical univariate and multivariate techniques as well as non-parametric and Bayesian methods are presented. Further, various types of sampling methods are also described, which is followed by a discussion on estimators and their desirable properties. Finally, resampling methods are treated which, though computer intensive, are conceptually simple, versatile, and allow robust point and interval estimation.
Correlates of Greenberg and Jenkins' S-Scale Across Languages.

Mean scale values of ratings of effort in subvocalizing CCVCs from Greenberg and Jenkins' (1964) List 1 were obtained for 5 groups of Ss (ns = 17, 21, 23, 18, 22). Their native languages were not English. The hypothesis was that the scale values would correlate substantially and consistently with the S values of the CCVCs as is the case for 25 Ss whose native tongue is English. The hypothesis remains tenable. Another prediction was that phonetic contrast and strangeness values based on associations in Dutch to the CCVCs would not correlate subtantially with S values of the CCVCs for American English. The prediction was confirmed. A factor analysis yielded one S scale factor and one for associations in Dutch.
Study of the 22Ne(α, n)25Mg reaction: a possible source of stellar neutronS

Abstract The 22 Ne(α, n) 25 Mg reaction was studied at bombarding energies 1.9 to 4.7 MeV, using pulsed beam time-of-flight spectroscopy. Angular distributions of the neutrons were taken at energy intervals of 60–100 keV. Simultaneously the gamma yield from the excited states in 25 Mg was detected. The cross sections for the various final states in 25 Mg, as well as the total cross section for the reaction, were obtained. The reaction is shown to proceed mainly through resonances in the compound system. Twelve resonances are identified, of which seven are also assigned spins and parities. The reaction is shown to be a possible major neutron source for the sprocess in massive stars.
Sketch-map variables as predictors of way-finding performance

Abstract In a study of way-finding problem solving ability, 45 participants were individually taken to and given a tour of the downtown business area of a small town. Twenty buildings were pointed out in the course of the tour. Following the tour, participants drew sketch maps of the downtown area including as many of the buildings as they could remember. A performance task in which they had to find eight of the buildings then followed. Individual difference measures including self-efficacy, visualization, orientation, and sense-of-direction were administered. Sketch map variables were the best predictors of way-finding performance with the adjacent building score, a measure of topological accuracy of sketch map accuracy the best predictor.
Impulsivity and cigarette smoking: delay discounting in current, never, and ex-smokers.

Rationale: Impulsivity is implicated in drug dependence. Recent studies show problems with alcohol and opioid dependence are associated with rapid discounting of the value of delayed outcomes. Furthermore, discounting may be particularly steep for the drug of dependence. Objectives: We determined if these findings could be extended to the behavior of cigarette smokers. In particular, we compared the discounting of hypothetical monetary outcomes by current, never, and ex-smokers of cigarettes. We also examined discounting of delayed hypothetical cigarettes by current smokers. Methods: Current cigarette smokers (n=23), never-smokers (n=22) and ex-smokers (n=21) indicated preference for immediate versus delayed money in a titration procedure that determined indifference points at various delays. The titration procedure was repeated with cigarettes for smokers. The degree to which the delayed outcomes were discounted was estimated with two non-linear decay models: an exponential model and a hyperbolic model. Results: Current smokers discounted the value of delayed money more than did the comparison groups. Never- and ex-smokers did not differ in their discounting of money. For current smokers, delayed cigarettes lost subjective value more rapidly than delayed money. The hyperbolic equation provided better fits to the data than did the exponential equation for 74 out of 89 comparisons. Conclusions: Cigarette smoking, like other forms of drug dependence, is characterized by rapid loss of subjective value for delayed outcomes, particularly for the drug of dependence. Never- and ex-smokers could discount similarly because cigarette smoking is associated with a reversible increase in discounting or due to selection bias.
Platelet MAO concentration and molecular activity: II. Comparison of normal and schizophrenic populations.

Abstract Platelet monoamine oxidase (MAO B) in 59 normal and 57 RDC- diagnosed medicated and unmedicated schizophrenic subjects was analyzed for whole platelet and extracted activities, specific concentration, and molecular activity. A novel radioimmunoassay using a monoclonal antibody elicited to human platelet MAO was used. Female schizophrenics showed no differences from female normals in MAO measures; however, these data could not be clearly evaluated because of confounding effects of age and drugs. Male schizophrenics treated with neuroleptics expressed significantly reduced whole platelet MAO activity, compared to untreated male patients. Compared with normal males, male schizophrenics showed significantly lowered molecular activities, along with elevated specific concentrations, which did not appear to be explained solely by drug usage. Additional mechanisms explaining the diminished molecular activity in male schizophrenics may be the presence of an endogenous irreversible inhibitor or a genetically determined, possibly structural, variant of MAO B.
Delayed appearance of metastases from carcinoma of the breast.

Two patients with breast carcinoma treated by radical mastectomy survived for periods of thirty and thirty-four years respectively before metastases were found in the clavicle and chest wall. Other cases of long delayed metastases are cited.
Effects of the D(3) dopamine receptor antagonist, U99194A, on brain stimulation and d-amphetamine reward, motor activity, and c-fos expression in ad libitum fed and food-restricted rats.

Rationale. Previous studies indicate that the D3 dopamine (DA) receptor is preferentially expressed in limbic forebrain DA terminal areas and may mediate functional effects opposite those of the D1 and D2 receptor types. However, the locations of the D3 receptors that regulate behavior, and the range of behavioral functions regulated, are not clear.
Vitamin B12 absorption following oral administration in tumor-bearing rats.

Abstract Rats bearing Walker 256 carcinosarcoma for 7 days retained less and excreted more vitamin B 12 -CO 57 following oral administration of a dose within physiological limits. There was a correlation between tumor weight and percentage of the administered B 12 -CO 57 retained in the tumor. There was a significant decrease in the vitamin B 12 -Co 57 retained per gram of liver, kidney, spleen, and tumor between the rats bearing tumor for 2 1 2 hours, and for 7 days. This decrease was not apparent in rats bearing tumor for 3 days.
Recent developments for making gastric evacuation and daily ration determinations

Gastric evacuation rate estimates often suffer from an important bias caused by fitting experimentally-derived data distributions that are inherently constricted by the X-axis (Y = 0). Monte Carlo simulations were used to evaluate the bias. Truncating constricted distributions prior to curve fitting was suggested as a means to circumvent the problem. A food consumption model developed by D.S. Robson was presented. It employs the integral of the function fit to percentage gastric evacuation data, and does not require an a priori assumption of exponential gastric evacuation. The methods were illustrated using experimental gastric evacuation data and stomach contents data for fishery-caught yellowfin tuna, Thunnus albacares.
Textual prompts as an antecedent cue self-management strategy for persons with mild disabilities.

Providing learners written task analyses to be used as textual prompts was examined as a self-management strategy for persons with mild disabilities. Initially, modeling, corrective verbal feedback...
Nonfluoroscopic localization of intracardiac electrode-catheters combined with noncontact electrical-anatomical imaging.

We recently combined noncontact mapping and intracardiac echocardiography (ICE) in a single catheter-system that permitted 3D electrical–anatomical imaging of the heart. The objective of the present study was to develop a nonfluoroscopic method to localize standard, navigational electrode-catheters, which also operated in conjunction with noncontact electrical–anatomical imaging. Accordingly, electrode-catheters were fixed at the endocardium in the LV of three dogs and in the RA of two other dogs. A catheter-system was placed inside the heart cavity, and consisted of a 9-F sheath carrying a coaxial noncontact 64-electrode lumen-probe on the outside (diameter = 7 mm), and a central ICE catheter on the inside (9 MHz). To reconstruct the endocardial anatomy, the ICE catheter was pulled back inside the sheath and multiple 2D tomographic images were acquired. The noncontact probe was then advanced over the sheath and into the heart cavity. Current pulses were injected into the endocardial contact electrodes and all probe electrodes sensed corresponding potentials. Measured probe potentials localized the endocardial electrodes based on the least squares numeric method, and was verified by ICE. We found that the 3D endocardial geometry reconstructed by ICE depicted important anatomical details. All endocardial electrodes were identified by ICE and were correctly matched with corresponding endocardial anatomy. The difference in computed electrode locations compared to ICE was 5.4 ± 2.4 mm (n=10). In conclusion, nonfluoroscopic localization of standard navigational electrode-catheters within true and detailed 3D images of cardiac anatomy is feasible. Integrating this approach with noncontact electrical–anatomical imaging could facilitate diagnosing arrhythmias and advancing their therapy.
Myocardial ischemic protection in natural mammalian hibernation

Hibernating myocardium is an important clinical syndrome protecting the heart with chronic myocardial ischemia, named for its assumed resemblance to hibernating mammals in winter. However, the effects of myocardial ischemic protection have never been studied in true mammalian hibernation, which is a unique strategy for surviving extreme winter environmental stress. The goal of this investigation was to test the hypothesis that ischemic stress may also be protected in woodchucks as they hibernate in winter. Myocardial infarction was induced by coronary occlusion followed by reperfusion in naturally hibernating woodchucks in winter with and without hibernation and in summer, when not hibernating. The ischemic area at risk was similar among groups. Myocardial infarction was significantly less in woodchucks in winter, whether hibernating or not, compared with summer, and was similar to that resulting after ischemic preconditioning. Whereas several genes were up or downregulated in both hibernating woodchuck and with ischemic preconditioning, one mechanism was unique to hibernation, i.e., activation of cAMP-response element binding protein (CREB). When CREB was upregulated in summer, it induced protection similar to that observed in the woodchuck heart in winter. The cardioprotection in hibernation was also mediated by endothelial nitric oxide synthase, rather than inducible nitric oxide synthase. Thus, the hibernating woodchuck heart is a novel model to study cardioprotection for two major reasons: (1) powerful cardioprotection occurs naturally in winter months in the absence of any preconditioning stimuli, and (2) it resembles ischemic preconditioning, but with novel mechanisms, making this model potentially useful for clinical translation.
Effect of azaserine (o-diazoacetyl-L-serine) on the pyridine nucleotide levels of mouse liver.

THE amount of diphosphopyridine nucleotide in mouse liver has been shown to increase upon the intraperitoneal injection of a number of pyridine derivatives1,2; nicotinamide is the most effective, raising the level 8–10 times. Although nicotinic acid is as effective as many of the analogues, it appears to inhibit the synthesis when administered with nicotinamide, as compared with nicotinamide alone. Inhibition of synthesis from nicotinamide injection has also been reported with the administration of the purine antagonists 6-mercaptopurine and thioguanine1,3. These inhibitions appear to affect only the level of diphosphopyridine nucleotide attained from nicotinamide injection and the rate of its subsequent return to the normal level, but do not appear to affect the basal level normally found in the liver.