cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Knowledge of Pelvic Floor Disorders in Obstetrics.

OBJECTIVES The aim of this study was to investigate knowledge and demographic factors associated with a lack of knowledge proficiency about urinary incontinence (UI) and pelvic organ prolapse (POP) among pregnant and postpartum women. METHODS This was a cross-sectional survey of women receiving antepartum and postpartum care at 9 Connecticut sites. Knowledge was assessed using the validated Prolapse and Incontinence Knowledge Questionnaire. Lack of knowledge proficiency was defined as less than 80% and less than 50% correct responses on the Prolapse and Incontinence Knowledge Questionnaire UI and POP subscales. Logistic regression was used to evaluate unadjusted and adjusted odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). P < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. RESULTS Surveys from 399 diverse pregnant and postpartum women were analyzed. Three quarters showed a lack of knowledge proficiency about UI and POP (74.2%, 70.6%). After adjustment, increased odds of lacking UI knowledge proficiency were associated with primiparity versus nulliparity (OR, 4.73; 95% CI, 2.24-9.98), Hispanic versus white race (OR, 2.72; 95% CI, 1.18-6.01), and having a high school diploma/General Education Development/less (OR, 3.17; 95% CI, 1.34-7.48) or some college (OR, 2.55; 95% CI, 1.08-6.01) versus bachelor's degree; greater lack of POP knowledge proficiency was associated with having a high school diploma/General Education Development versus bachelor's degree (OR, 2.11; 95% CI, 1.05-4.26) and never seeing a urologist/urogynecologist versus those who had (OR, 0.30; 95% CI, 0.12-0.77). Women working in a medical field versus those who did not demonstrated decreased odds of lacking UI and POP knowledge proficiency (ORs, 0.26 [95% CI, 0.13-0.52] and 0.38 [95% CI, 0.21-0.70]). CONCLUSIONS Pregnant and postpartum women lack knowledge about UI and POP. Preconceptional counseling provides an opportunity for educational intervention.
South Asian Identity in the United States

This chapter is intended to provide a better understanding of the term “South Asian American.” This will include a description of each of the major South Asian American groups including those who come from India, Nepal, Pakistan, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and the Maldives (Shankar and Sikanth 1998). General characteristics of people from each of these areas will be described, including specific religious and traditional customs. Next, South Asian American identity will be discussed, providing research findings on navigating a bicultural identity, model minority myth, experiences of discrimination, and impact of gender role and career expectations.
The Preferred Preferences

In theory, customer preferences cannot justify discriminatory treatment by employers. The reality is more complicated. Built into the structure of federal employment discrimination law are several openings for customer preferences to provide employer defenses to what would otherwise likely be actionable discrimination. This Article explores when and which customer preferences can enter those openings. In particular, I focus on what I deem the “preferred preferences”: the customer preferences that have formed the basis of successful employer defenses to discrimination claims. I identify six such preferences, ranking them according to how much deference they receive: (1) aesthetic appeal; (2) physical privacy from employees of the opposite sex; (3) psychological comfort/affinity with employees of the same sex; (4) an English-speaking environment; (5) the desire not to be proselytized to/feel judged; and (6) convenience. I also analyze a potential seventh “preferred preference” — diversity — that courts have yet to consider. I show that each individual preferred preference is not just a one-off exception to the supposed irrelevance of customer preferences, but part of a collective body of doctrine that operates according to its own principles. Although courts are not explicit about this, these preferences intuitively strike courts as reasonable and natural, both because they do not seem invidiously discriminatory and because they align with ingrained social conventions and norms. As a result, courts either (1) consider them weightier than “mere preferences” and/or (2) view compliance with them as imposing only a minor burden on employees. The more that these two factors are satisfied, the more “preference deference” we see. But courts are not striking the right balance in their preference deference. This largely stems from the tension between the claim that customer preferences are irrelevant in antidiscrimination law and the reality that they sometimes do count. In order to reconcile this dissonance, courts elevate the preferred preferences into virtual needs or minimize how much they burden employees. In the process, biases and inconsistencies sneak in. Courts should begin by acknowledging that all of these preferences are indeed preferences rather than virtual necessities, and show greater awareness of the ways in which policies responding to these preferences can impose differential burdens — particularly with respect to the protected characteristics of sex, race, national origin, and/or religion — on employees. Although I do not argue that all customer preferences should be held invalid, I propose two important guideposts in analyzing these issues: (1) a context-specific look at whether the preference relates to the employee’s actual performance of the specific job and (2) a broad look at the extent to which the preference limits equal employment opportunity in the workplace. Applying these principles, I argue that a re-ordering of the current preference hierarchy is in order.
Genetic Engineering, Precautionary Ethics and Responsibility to the Future

“Precaution,” like “technological fix” and “magic bullet,” is a key term in the agricultural biotechnology debate. Discussions about precautionary ethics and precautionary principles are the result of changing attitudes about the notion of technological progress. Precautionary discourse is a response to concerns over scientific uncertainty and complex risks to human health and the environment associated with climate change and emerging technologies like GE. This chapter examines Hans Jonas’ precautionary ethics with the purpose of identifying philosophical insights capable of contributing to a narrative of sustainability. The first part of this chapter situates Jonas’ ethics for the future within a larger historical context. The second part discusses three of the main elements in his ethical theory: (1) comparative futurology, (2) casuistry of the imagination, and (3) the precautionary rule. The rest of the chapter examines a high profile debate between two important public intellectuals over precautionary ethics and biotechnology. The debate demonstrates “casuistry of the imagination” in deriving the moral principles we need to confront the dangers of powerful new biotechnologies.
Charge and thermal modeling of a semiconductor-based optical refrigerator

Despite multiple attempts to achieve optical refrigeration in very high (99.5%) external quantum efficiency (EQE) GaAs, no cooling has been observed to date. In this study, we investigate optical refrigeration in GaAs by numerically solving the transient drift-diffusion equation coupled to Poisson's equation. The charge carrier distributions we obtain, together with the heat diffusion equation, allow us to observe the spatial and temporal evolution of cooling/heating within GaAs. Our results indicate that maximum cooling occurs at a laser intensity different from that which maximizes EQE. An 11-fold difference in intensity exists with a corresponding 6-fold difference in cooling power. We ultimately find that samples suspended in vacuum using a 250 μm SiO2 fiber cool to 88 K, starting from room temperature. These results emphasize the critical importance of choosing an appropriate laser excitation intensity to achieve optical refrigeration along with minimizing the conductive heat load on the refrigerator. Furthermore, results of this study are applicable towards analyzing the optical response of other optoelectronic systems where accurate charge and/or heat diffusion modeling is critical.
Associations between population based voting trends during the 2016 US presidential election and adolescent vaccination rates

BACKGROUND Politics play a role in the dissemination of public health information, including immunization-related issues. We aim to describe relationships between HPV vaccination rates and state voting patterns during the 2016 US presidential election. METHODS We classified each of the 50 states as either "Red" or "Blue," based on whether a higher proportion of the state's casted votes were for the Republican or Democratic nominee during the 2016 US presidential election. State-specific HPV, Tdap, and meningococcal vaccination rates were obtained from the 2016-National Immunization Survey-Teen. State socio-demographic factors and HPV vaccine legislation were obtained from the US Census Bureau and National Conference of State Legislatures. Vaccination rates and socio-demographic variables were compared using independent t-tests. Multiple linear regression compared vaccination rates between "Red" and "Blue" states, adjusting for percentage of both uninsured children and educational attainment. RESULTS Compared to "Blue" states, "Red" states had significantly lower unadjusted HPV vaccine series initiation (56% vs 66%, p 0.05) and meningococcal (79% vs 83%, p > 0.05) vaccinations. After adjusting for potential confounders, the regression-adjusted mean rate for HPV vaccine initiation and completion remained significantly lower for "Red" states compared to "Blue" states (57% vs 65%, p < 0.05, and 41% vs 48%, p < 0.05, respectively). CONCLUSION HPV vaccination rates are associated with statewide-level voting patterns. Future interventions aimed at improving HPV vaccination rates should consider engaging local and national elected leaders to be proactive in disseminating accurate and authoritative immunization information.
Bloch surface wave excitation using a maximum length sequence grating structure

The study of Bloch surface waves (BSWs) in dielectric multilayers has been useful in many applications in the fields of optics, photonics, and bio-sensing. BSW mode excitation can be achieved by the addition of a grating on the top of dielectric multilayer which provides phase matching between incident light and BSWs. However, grating coupling only provides coupling over a narrow angular range for incident monochromatic radiation. This paper reports work on realizing broadband coupling using maximum length sequence (MLS) grating structures. An MLS grating contains all possible combinations of a binary sequence save one; thus a grating with an MLS profile contains a superposition of a broad range of periods. We hypothesize that such a surface structure will permit coupling of a broad angular range of monochromatic light or a wide spectral range of collimated light into Bloch surface wave on a multilayer. We investigate the comparative spectral characteristics of MLS grating coupling with other single period counterparts. We believe our investigation provides a method to achieve efficient coupling of a higher fraction of incident light into BSWs than a single period grating or by using prism coupling.
Does Increased Adenoma Detection Reduce the Risk of Colorectal Cancer, and How Good Do We Need to Be?

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is largely preventable with colonoscopy and other screening modalities. However, the effectiveness of screening and surveillance depends on the quality of the colonoscopy exam. Adenoma detection rate (ADR) is the best-validated metric by which we measure individual physicians’ performance. Recent evidence suggests that ADR benchmarks may be inappropriately low. There is proof that improving ADR leads to significant reductions in post-colonoscopy CRC (PCCRC). Two studies have demonstrated that when a colonoscopy is performed by physicians with higher ADRs, patients are less likely to have advanced adenomas on surveillance and less likely to develop or die from PCCRC. Finally, there is at least some evidence that higher ADRs do not lead to more cumulative surveillance exams. The ADR is a useful outcome measure that can provide individual endoscopists and their patients with information about the likelihood of developing PCCRC. To achieve the lowest possible PCCRC rate, we should be striving for higher ADRs. While strategies and innovations may help a bit in improving ADRs, our efforts should focus on ensuring a complete mucosal exam for each patient. Behavioral psychology theories may provide useful frameworks for studying motivating factors that drive a careful exam.
Expert Surgeons Can Smoothly Control Robotic Tools With a Discrete Control Interface

Objective assessment of surgical skill is gaining traction in a number of specialty fields. In robot-assisted surgery in particular, the availability of data from the operating console and patient-side robot offers the potential to derive objective metrics of performance based on tool movement kinematics. While these techniques are becoming established in the laparoscopic domain, current assessment techniques for robotic endovascular surgery are based primarily on observation, checklists, and grading scales. This work presents an objective and quantitative means of measuring technical competence based on analysis of the kinematics of endovascular tool tip motions controlled with a robotic interface. We designed an experiment that recorded catheter tip movement from 21 subjects performing fundamental endovascular robotic navigation tasks on a physical model. Motion-based measures of smoothness (spectral arc length and number of submovements) were computed and tested for correlation with subjective scores from a global rating scale assessment tool that has been validated for use when performing manual catheterization. Results show that the smoothness metrics that produced significant correlations with the global rating scale for manual catheterization show similar correlations for robotic catheterization. This finding is notable, since with the robotic interface, tool tip motion is commanded discretely via a control button interface, while in manual procedures the tools are controlled through continuous movements of the surgeon's hands. Logistic regression analysis using a single motion metric was capable of classifying subjects by expertise with better than 90% accuracy. These objective and quantitative metrics that capture movement quality could be incorporated into future training protocols to provide detailed feedback on trainee performance.
Revisional Surgery Data and Guidelines

The number of revisional bariatric operations performed has steadily increased from about 6% in 2012 to 14% in 2017. This chapter discusses the data currently available regarding the benefits of revisional bariatric surgery as well as morbidity and mortality associated with it. An algorithm for treating patients in need of reoperations is also presented.
Epigenetic biomarkers in personalized medicine

Abstract The influence of epigenetics on drug response and therapeutic outcomes is just starting to be elucidated, but this area already shows considerable promise as another facet to personalized medicine. This chapter summarizes current “pharmacoepigenetic” research findings in the two most researched disease areas (oncology and psychiatry), plus pertinent examples from other areas. The 18 drug molecules summarized in this chapter that have been paired with epigenetic response biomarkers belong to 11 drug classes and are indicated for 19 unique diseases. The strength of evidence in each case ranges from initial, promising research findings to clinically actionable biomarkers. For each disease area, we describe the drug mechanism of action followed by the function of the pharmacoepigenetic biomarkers and significant clinical findings where appropriate. Although still an emerging area, pharmacoepigenetics promises to deliver novel biomarkers with unique properties that complement our existing repertoire in genomic personalized medicine.
Learning From the Past: Distributed Cognition and Crisis Management Capabilities for Tackling COVID-19

The outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has presented an unprecedented public health crisis across the globe. Governments have developed different approaches to tackle the complex and intractable challenge, showing variations in their effectiveness and results. South Korea has achieved exceptional performance thus far: It has flattened the curve of new infections and brought the outbreak under control without imposing forceful measures such as lockdowns and travel ban. This commentary addresses the South Korean government’s response to COVID-19 and highlights distributed cognition and crisis management capabilities as critical factors. The authors discuss how the South Korean government has cultivated distributed cognition and three core capabilities—reflective-improvement, collaborative, and data-analytical capabilities—after its painful experience with 2015 Middle East respiratory syndrome-coronavirus (MERS-CoV). South Korea’s adaptive approaches and its learning path examined in this commentary provide practical implications for managing potential additional waves of COVID-19 and a future public health crisis.
Trolling Journalists and the Risks of Digital Publicity

The global phenomenon of trolling of journalists lays out the ambivalent consequences of news interactivity and the risks of digital publicity. The push for digital publicity made journalists more ...
Prenatal opioid exposure is associated with smaller brain volumes in multiple regions.

Background The impact of prenatal opioid exposure on brain development remains poorly understood. Methods We conducted a prospective study of term-born infants with and without prenatal opioid exposure. Structural brain MRI was performed between 40 and 48 weeks postmenstrual age. T2-weighted images were processed using the Developing Human Connectome Project structural pipeline. We compared 63 relative regional brain volumes between groups. Results Twenty-nine infants with prenatal opioid exposure and 42 unexposed controls were included. The groups had similar demographics, except exposed infants had lower birth weights, more maternal smoking and maternal Hepatitis C, fewer mothers with a college degree, and were more likely non-Hispanic White. After controlling for sex, postmenstrual age at scan, birth weight, and maternal education, exposed infants had significantly smaller relative volumes of the deep gray matter, bilateral thalamic ventrolateral nuclei, bilateral insular white matter, bilateral subthalamic nuclei, brainstem, and cerebrospinal fluid. Exposed infants had larger relative volumes of the right cingulate gyrus white matter and left occipital lobe white matter. Conclusions Infants with prenatal opioid exposure had smaller brain volumes in multiple regions compared to controls, with two regions larger in the opioid-exposed group. Further research should focus on the relative contributions of maternal opioids and other exposures. Impact Prenatal opioid exposure is associated with developmental and behavioral consequences, but the direct effects of opioids on the developing human brain are poorly understood. Prior small studies using MRI have shown smaller regional brain volumes in opioid-exposed infants and children. After controlling for covariates, infants with prenatal opioid exposure scanned at 40-48 weeks postmenstrual age had smaller brain volumes in multiple regions compared to controls, with two regions larger in the opioid-exposed group. This adds to the literature showing potential impact of prenatal opioid exposure on the developing brain.
Multifocal Myositis and Elevated CPK associated with the use of Ustekinumab for Hidradenitis Suppurativa

ustekinumab (UST) is a human interleukin (IL)-12/IL-23 monoclonal antibody that has been approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to treat moderate to severe plaque psoriasis, psoriatic arthritis, and Crohn's disease. Off-label use of UST has shown promising results for hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) in patients that have failed therapy with adalimumab, the only FDA approved treatment for HS.
Four Giant Steps Forward: A Tribute to Teresa Amabile and How She Transformed the Field of Creativity

Robert Sternberg provides an overview of the work by Teresa Amabile as it relates to creativity. He notes that Teresa’s work transformed the field of creativity, and discusses a number major contribution to the study of creativity. First, the new focus on the social psychology of creativity, and the integration of creativity into the wider field of social psychology. Second, the development of the componential model of creativity, which provided a theoretical model for the study of creativity. Third, her study of the role of intrinsic motivation in creative performance. Finally, the development of the consensual assessment technique, which allowed for the previous development in a scientifically rigorous way.
Anesthesia for Uterine Transplant Surgery

Uterine transplantation is an emerging procedure that has been proposed as a solution to women with absolute uterine factor infertility (AUFI). Uterine transplantation is currently considered an experimental procedure and is most appropriately performed inside IRB-approved research protocols. General anesthesia with endotracheal intubation utilizing a balanced anesthetic approach is the standard of care for uterine transplantation. Invasive blood pressure monitoring and infusion of vasoactive medications are often utilized to maintain a mean arterial pressure >65 mmHg or within 20% of baseline and during creation of the vascular anastomoses. Intraoperatively, the anesthesia team should be prepared for significant blood loss with adequate intravenous access, blood availability and autologous cell salvage equipment when available. While anesthetic complications have not been reported, recipients of uterus transplantation surgery are at risk for numerous postoperative complications including hemoperitoneum, venous or arterial graft thrombosis and infection resulting in graft necrosis requiring hysterectomy. This chapter outlines the unique aspects in the perioperative management of the recipients of uterine transplantation surgery including criteria for selection, preoperative testing related to anesthesia, intraoperative anesthetic management and events and postoperative challenges.
Butchers between archives: community history in early twentieth-century Delhi

This article analyses the Risālah-yi Banī Quṣṣa, a 1924 Urdu-language history aimed at Muslim butchers in Delhi, alongside archival records produced for the colonial state and municipality in the s...
Recent advances in modeling ionospheric stimulated electromagnetic emissions

There has been renewed interest over the past decade in Stimulated Electromagnetic Emissions (SEE) as a powerful diagnostic tool of the modified ionosphere during ground-based ionospheric heating experiments. The more recent observational advances in so-called Narrowband SEE (NSEE) have been accompanied by advances in modeling the plasma parametric processes that generate NSEE. This paper briefly summarizes some of these modeling advances and the applications to ionospheric diagnostics.
SU-E-T-11: A Cloud Based CT and LINAC QA Data Management System.

Purpose: The current status quo of QA data management consists of a mixture of paper-based forms and spreadsheets for recording the results of daily, monthly, and yearly QA tests for both CT scanners and LINACs. Unfortunately, such systems suffer from a host of problems as, (1) records can be easily lost or destroyed, (2) data is difficult to access — one must physically hunt down records, (3) poor or no means of historical data analysis, and (4) no remote monitoring of machine performance off-site. To address these issues, a cloud based QA data management system was developed and implemented. Methods: A responsive tablet interface that optimizes clinic workflow with an easy-to-navigate interface accessible from any web browser was implemented in HTML/javascript/CSS to allow user mobility when entering QA data. Automated image QA was performed using a phantom QA kit developed in Python that is applicable to any phantom and is currently being used with the Gammex ACR, Las Vegas, Leeds, and Catphan phantoms for performing automated CT, MV, kV, and CBCT QAs, respectively. A Python based resource management system was used to distribute and manage intensive CPU tasks such as QA phantom image analysis or LaTeX-to-PDF QA report generation to independent process threads or different servers such that website performance is not affected. Results: To date the cloud QA system has performed approximately 185 QA procedures. Approximately 200 QA parameters are being actively tracked by the system on a monthly basis. Electronic access to historical QA parameter information was successful in proactively identifying a Linac CBCT scanner’s performance degradation. Conclusion: A fully comprehensive cloud based QA data management system was successfully implemented for the first time. Potential machine performance issues were proactively identified that would have been otherwise missed by a paper or spreadsheet based QA system.
Disruption of a homolog of trithorax by 11q23 translocations: leukemogenic and transcriptional implications.

Based on cytogenetic studies, chromosome band 11q23 was predicted to contain an important gene, disruption of which was suspected to play a crucial role in leukemogenesis. Within the past 3 years, one of these disrupted genes, HRX (also known as Htrxl, MLL or ALL-1), and ten of its fusion partner genes have been cloned. Insights into the physiological role of the HRX protein and the leukemogenic consequences of its disruption are beginning to emerge from the observations that HRX is a homologue of the Drosophila homeotic regulator trithorax and may exert its effects through recognition and modification of chromatin structure.
Theory About Law: Jurisprudence for a Free Society

Theory about law was the center of Myres McDougal's intellectual enterprise. Each of his treatises and monographs, even his occasional papers and court pleadings, every dissertation, and, as many of you here know, every student paper done under his supervision, was and had to be an explicit and intentional application of his theory. Whether it was resource use and planning in the Connecticut Valley, in the oceans, or in outer space, whether it was the law of war or human rights, treaty interpretation or constitutional interpretation, each study tried to be an integrated application of the theory. From the beginning, theory about law was McDougal's primary interest. Fresh from Oxford, a newly minted Analytical Positivist, he arrived at Yale and told a bemused Dean Clark that he intended to teach jurisprudence. And he did. Whether his course was negotiable instruments, debtors' rights, property, or any of the areas of international law he addressed, he was always teaching one year-long seminar on jurisprudence, closely analyzing the theories of others while elaborating his own. With the exception of the theory of the constitutive process, the jurisprudence was essentially completed in manuscript by the late 1950s. Many of you here today studied jurisprudence with McDougal from different versions of that manuscript, then called Law, Science and Policy. For reasons biographers will explore, the manuscript was only published in 1992 in two volumes under the title of Jurisprudence for a Free Society: Studies in Law, Science and Policy.' It was co-authored by Harold Lasswell. A paperback student edition appeared in 1997. The dedication page of the volumes has three words: "To our students." To all of us here today. Many modern theories of law trace their origins to a single insight. H.L.A. Hart saw that Austin's notion that law was the command of a
Performance of Insulating Materials for Future Fusion Blankets

In all fusion reactors using the deuterium-tritium fuel cycle, a large fraction (~80%) of the fusion energy will be released as ~14 MeV neutrons. These neutrons must be slowed down in a relatively thick blanket surrounding the plasma and their kinetic energy converted to high temperature heat. This heat will be continuously removed from the blanket by a coolant system and either converted to electricity or used in a process to produce synthetic fuels, for example, the electrolysis of steam at high temperatures for the production of hydrogen and oxygen.
Message equivocality, media selection and manager performance: implications for information systems

A field study of middle- and upper-level managers was undertaken to explain managers' selection of communication media. The findings indicate that media vary in their capacity to convey information cues. Managers prefer rich media for ambiguous communications and less rich media for unequivocal communications. The data suggest that high performing managers are more sensitive to the relationship between message ambiguity and media richness than low performing managers. Implications for managers' use of information systems and electronic media are discussed.
Subacute sclerosing panencephalitis (SSPE) agent in hamsters. II. The neuropathology of acute and chronic infections.

Abstract A human subacute sclerosing panencephalitis (SSPE) virus adapted to the hamster central nervous system produced a chronic form of inclusion cell encephalitis when inoculated intracerebrally into immature hamsters. The pathology produced by this infection was focal, but otherwise had many of the characteristics of SSPE in man, including similar types of inclusion bodies. The same dose of virus produced acute, fatal, giant cell encephalitis in newborn hamsters and an inapparent inclusion cell encephalitis in adults. The pathology of the hamster infection was compared to the human disease and some other experimental animal studies of SSPE.
The PDGF‐Inducible ‘competence genes’: Intracellular Mediators of the Mitogenic Response

We have described a new gene family within mammalian cells. Transcription of this gene family is coordinately induced when BALB/c-3T3 cells are exposed to platelet-derived growth factor. At least two cellular proto-oncogenes (c-myc and c-fos) are members of this gene family, which we term 'competence'. At least one competence gene, c-myc, functions as an intracellular mediator of the mitogenic response to PDGF. Expression of the competence gene family may be a central component of the mitogenic response in fibroblasts, lymphocytes and regenerating liver.
Life after surgery for temporolimbic seizures.

Publisher Summary This chapter presents data in regard to postoperative outcome in terms of effect on seizures and on facets of the patient's life, including his self-evaluation, psychiatric symptoms, marital experiences, and functioning in the spheres of education and work. The neuropsychiatrist carried out Dr. Rayport's dedication by addressing the mechanisms of behavioral problems in terms of brain dysfunction interacting with the patient's life history and psychodynamics. This contrasts with the more frequent approach of neurological surgery epilepsy centers that emphasizes painstaking definition of the epileptic process and careful surgery, but accumulates behavioral data objectively, mainly from the neuropsychologist, who focuses almost exclusively on cognitive function. If behavioral responses are investigated, the methodology consists of limited interviews and/or questionnaires. Outcome is often reported after short periods of observation.
The role of feedback in preparation for future learning: a case study in learning by teaching environments

Past research on the timing and content of feedback on student learning in computer-based learning environments has shown that directed or corrective feedback helps with immediate learning, whereas guided and metacognitive feedback help in gaining deep understanding of the domain and developing the ability to transfer this knowledge. Feedback becomes important in discovery learning environments, where novice students are often over-whelmed by the cognitive load associated with learning and organizing new knowledge while at the same time monitoring their own learning progress. We focus on feedback mechanisms in Betty's Brain, a teachable agent system in the domain of river ecosystems. Our goal is to help improve students' abilities to monitor their agent, Betty's knowledge, and, in the process their own learning and understanding. Our studies demonstrate the effectiveness of guided metacognitive feedback in preparing students for future learning.
On a Network Generalization of the Minmax Theorem

We consider graphical games in which the edges are zero-sum games between the endpoints/players; the payoff of a player is the sum of the payoffs from each incident edge. Such games are arguably very broad and useful models of networked economic interactions. We give a simple reduction of such games to two-person zero-sum games; as a corollary, a mixed Nash equilibrium can be computed efficiently by solving a linear program and rounding off the results. Our results render polynomially efficient, and simplify considerably, the approach in [3].
Organic and inorganic correlations for Northwest Africa 852 by synchrotron‐based Fourier transform infrared microspectroscopy

Relationships between organic molecules and inorganic minerals are investigated in a single 34 μm diameter grain of the CR2 chondrite Northwest Africa 852 (NWA) 852 with submicron spatial resolution using synchrotron-based imaging micro-FTIR spectroscopy. Correlations based on absorption strength for the various constituents are determined using statistical correlation analysis. The silicate band is found to be correlated with the hydration band, and the latter is highly correlated with stretching modes of aliphatic hydrocarbons. Spatial distribution maps show that water+organic combination, silicate, OH, and C-H distributions overlap, suggesting a possible catalytic role of phyllosilicates in the formation of organics. In contrast, the carbonate band is anticorrelated with water+organic combination, however uncorrelated with any other spectral feature. The average ratio of asymmetric CH2 and CH3 band strengths (CH2/CH3 = 2.53) for NWA 852 is similar to the average ratio of interplanetary dust particles (~2.40) and Wild 2 cometary dust particles (2.50), but it significantly exceeds that of interstellar medium objects (~1.00) and several aqueously altered carbonaceous chondrites (~1.40). This suggests organics of similar length/branching, and perhaps similar formation regions, for NWA 852, Wild 2 dust particles, and interplanetary dust particles. The heterogeneous spatial distribution of ratio values indicates the presence of a mixture of aliphatic organic material with different length/branching, and thus a wide range of parent body processes, which occurred before the considered grain was formed.
The Anti‐Immigrant Fervor in Georgia: Return of the Nativist or Just Politics as Usual?

This paper provides a review of various literatures on immigration, immigration policy formation, and immigrant reception with a particular focus on the state of Georgia. Existing scholarship has largely failed to explain why immigration policy outcomes have varied from state to state or how underlying factors might influence immigrant assimilation or exclusion. In the case of Georgia, the legislative response to newcomers has become increasingly inhospitable. What factors may account for this culture of exclusion? What variables have influenced Georgia officials to take up the anti-immigrant cause? What has been the impact on the Hispanic community, and, finally, how may policy consequences influence future immigrant legislation in Georgia? Este articulo provee una revision de varias fuentes sobre inmigracion, formacion de politicas de inmigracion, y la recepcion de inmigrantes con un enfoque particular en el estado de Georgia. Las investigaciones academicas existentes en gran parte han omitido explicar por que los resultados de las politicas de inmigracion han variado de estado a estado o como los factores subyacentes podrian influir la asimilacion o exclusion del inmigrante. En el caso de Georgia, la respuesta legislativa a los recien llegados ha sido cada vez menos hospitalaria. ?Que factores pueden considerarse para esta cultura de exclusion? ?Que variables han influido en los oficiales de Georgia para hacer suya la causa anti-inmigrante? ?Que variables han impactado a la comunidad Hispana? y finalmente ?como pueden influir las consecuencias de las politicas en la futura legislacion sobre inmigrantes en Georgia?
Hairy-cell leukemia with inaugural joint manifestations.

Abstract Hairy-cell leukemia is a chronic B-cell malignancy seen in adults. The presenting manifestations consist of splenomegaly, pancytopenia, and characteristic monocyte depletion. The presence in peripheral blood or bone marrow of hairy cells exhibiting the CD19+ CD20+ CD25+ CD11c+ phenotype establishes the diagnosis. Rarely, patients present with inaugural joint manifestations related either to the hematological malignancy or to immune dysfunction. The resulting polymorphic polyarticular symptoms may cause diagnostic wanderings. Monocytopenia is a valuable diagnostic clue. The identification of hairy cells in the joint fluid establishes the diagnosis of leukemia-related arthritis. The treatment rests on purine analogs. One of the main differential diagnoses is Felty's syndrome, which combines rheumatoid arthritis, splenomegaly, and neutropenia. Felty's syndrome is usually caused by T-cell lymphoproliferative disorders. Among 27 patients with hairy-cell leukemia managed at our institution, 1 presented with joint manifestations. We describe this case.
Mono- and bis-cobalt complexes with carbonyl, nitrosyl, and monocarbollide ligands

Reaction of [Co(CO) 3 (NO)] with [2-NMe 3 - closo -2-CB 10 H 10 ] in refluxing CH 2 Cl 2 affords the mono- and di-cobalt complexes [1-NMe 3 -2-CO-2-NO- closo -2,1-CoCB 10 H 10 ] ( 3 ) and [2,7-{Co(CO)(NO)}-7-(μ-H)-1-NMe 3 -2-CO-2-NO- closo -2,1-CoCB 10 H 9 ] ( 4 ), respectively, of which 4 contains formally both Co(I) and Co(–I) centers. Compound 4 reacts with CO to give 3 , or with donor ligands L in the presence of Me 3 NO to afford simple substituted species, [1-NMe 3 -2-L-2-NO- closo -2,1-CoCB 10 H 10 ] (compounds 5 ; L = PEt 3 , PPh 3 , CNBu t ).
Geostrophic drag and heat transfer relations for the atmospheric boundary layer

The empirical determinations of the similarity functions of geostrophic drag and heat transfer relations by Zilitinkevich and Chalikov (1968) and by Clarke (1970a, b) indicate large disparities between their results, raising serious doubts on the universality of these relations. Some reasons for these large differences are investigated by reanalysing the available data from the two sites (O'Neill in Nebraska, U.S.A., and Hay in New South Wales, Australia) in the same format, using the best available flux-profile relations and reasonable criteria for the selection of suitable runs. Although there is still considerable (but, much less than in previous studies) scatter of data points, when plotted in the similarity framework, we find no significant differences in the results of two sites. Thus a large part of the above noted disparities must have been spurious, probably caused by different ways of determining surface fluxes and of defining external variables by the previous investigators. Our empirical results are compared with those obtained from recent theoretical models for both stable and unstable boundary layers. Having fitted some third degree polynomials through the same, nomograms are obtained for geostrophic drag and heat transfer coefficients and also for the surface cross-isobaric angle as functions of dimensionless parameters defined in terms of easily measured ‘external’ variables. These show expected trends with stability.
RABBIT EARS is a second-whorl repressor of AGAMOUS that maintains spatial boundaries in Arabidopsis flowers

Summary The RABBIT EARS (RBE) gene has been identified as a regulator of petal development in Arabidopsis thaliana. We find that second-whorl petals in rbe mutants can be replaced with staminoid organs, stamens or filaments and that some rbe flowers have increased numbers of sepals and exhibit fusion of sepals. We show that these rbe defects are due to AGAMOUS (AG) misexpression in the second whorl. Consistent with its role in maintaining the spatial boundary of AG expression, rbe enhanced the second-whorl defects present in ap2-1, lug-1 and clf-2 mutants. In the development of second-whorl organs, RBE acts in the same pathway and downstream of UNUSUAL FLORAL ORGANS (UFO). Enhanced first-whorl organ fusion in ap2-2 rbe-3, ant-4 rbe-3 and cuc2-1 rbe-3 double mutants supports an additional role for RBE in organ separation. RBE thus acts to maintain two different types of spatial boundaries in young flowers: boundaries between organ primordia within a whorl and boundaries of homeotic gene expression between whorls.
Planning, Designing, Operating, and Regulating a Geologic Sequestration Repository as an Underground Landfill—A Review

Geologic sequestration appears to be a technically feasible method of storing carbon dioxide in underground aquifers in order to lower greenhouse gas emissions into the atmosphere. The overall feasibility of geologic sequestration is still in question and as such, has been the focus of intense research over the past decade. Researchers have looked to the oil/gas industry and water well industry for lessons learned and technical knowledge, however, a better industry to emulate may well be the waste industry. Viewing geologic sequestration repositories as underground landfills has a great many benefits. First, there is a plethora of existing research and investigations that are directly analogous to geologic sequestration projects. Second, the regulatory framework is rather mature and can be easily adapted to serve geologic sequestration. This paper conducts an extensive literature search of the environmental, waste, and geologic sequestration literature to ascertain planning, design, and operational methodologies, lessons learned, and concepts that are directly useful for geologic sequestration to improve the technical and regulatory framework. Lastly, the paper uses a hypothetical underground landfill geologic sequestration site (ULGSS) in Florida, USA to discuss some of the findings and implications from the literature. It is concluded that there are a number of literature findings from the waste and environmental arena that should be adapted for geologic sequestration.
MetNetGE: interactive views of biological networks and ontologies

Background Linking high-throughput experimental data with biological networks is a key step for understanding complex biological systems. Currently, visualization tools for large metabolic networks often result in a dense web of connections that is difficult to interpret biologically. The MetNetGE application organizes and visualizes biological networks in a meaningful way to improve performance and biological interpretability.
Pediatric and Young Adult Patients and Oncofertility

With improving survival rates for pediatric and young adult cancer patients, considerations regarding the long-term effects of therapy have become more important. Cancer therapies are known to pose reproductive risks, though the effects may be unpredictable. All at-risk patients should have a discussion about potential treatment-related infertility before the onset of cancer therapy, and should be offered appropriate fertility preservation options. Embryo and sperm cryopreservation are considered standard therapy, though oocyte cryopreservation is gaining acceptance. Ovarian tissue cryopreservation, while still experimental, is showing great promise. It is the only option currently available to prepubertal girls. No fertility preservation options exist for prepubertal boys though some institutions may offer experimental testicular tissue cryopreservation.
Melt-intercalation nanocomposites with fluorinated polymers and a correlation for nanocomposite formation

Various fluorinated polymers were investigated to produce polymer nanocomposites with special clays. Natural and organically treated montmorillonite clays were melt-compounded with the polymers. Characterization by wide-angle X-ray scattering and transmission electron microscopy showed the separation of montmorillonite layers and the formation of polymer nanocomposites. Organically treated montmorillonite clay dispersed in poly(vinylidene fluoride) and various vinylidene fluoride copolymers and formed nanocomposites. Natural and organophilic clays were not well dispersed in other fluorinated copolymers and polyethylene. A correlation was developed for the formation of polymer–clay nanocomposite structures in chlorinated and fluorinated polymers in terms of the dielectric constant. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 92: 1061–1071, 2004
The association of microtubules with an acid phosphatase-containing tubular compartment in macrophages

Received for publication October 8, 1991 and in revised form January 10, 1992 Resident peritoneal murine macrophages typically have acid phosphatase (AcPase) activity in lysosomes which are spherical in shape and have a perinuclear distribution. Upon stimulation with certain phorbol esters there is a rapid and dramatic modification of the AcPase-containing compartment into tubular structures which are often interconnected. The formation and maintenance of these tubular structures are dependent upon the presence of an intact microtubule system. Treatment of cells with the microtubule-depolymerizing agent nocodazole blocks the formation of the tubular structures and causes these tubular compartments to collapse toward the nucleus when nocodazole is administered after they are formed. We have employed whole mount electron microscopy and enzyme cytochemistry to document the association of the phorbol ester-induced AcPase-containing compartment and cytoplasmic microtubules. This methodological approach has the advantage of increased resolution when compared to optical microscopy and of an improved vantage point for analysis when compared to conventional thin section electron microscopy.
Poster: large-scale computational epidemiology modeling using charm++

Preventing and controlling outbreaks of infectious diseases such as pandemic influenza is a top public health priority. EpiSimdemics is an implementation of a scalable parallel algorithm to simulate the spread of contagion, including disease, fear and information, in large ( 108individuals), realistic social contact networks using individual-based models. It also has a rich language for describing public policy and agent behavior. We describe CharmSimdemics and evaluate its performance on national scale populations. Charm++ is a machine independent parallel programming system, providing high-level mechanisms and strategies to facilitate the task of developing highly complex parallel applications. Our design includes mapping of application entities to tasks, leveraging the efficient and scalable communication, synchronization and load balancing strategies of Charm++. Our experimental results on a 768 core system show that the Charm++ version achieves up to a 3-fold increase in performance when compared to the MPI version.
Potentiation of the acute toxicity of several pesticides and herbicides in trout by carbaryl.

Abstract Coexposure of rainbow trout to a nonlethal concentration of carbaryl (Sevin) significantly increased the acute toxicity of 2,4-D n -butyl ester, dieldrin, rotenone, and pentachlorophenol. Arecoline, a direct acting cholinergic agent, was also capable of enhancing the toxicity of the compounds tested. Exposure to atropine before and during exposure to either carbaryl or arecoline prevented the potentiation seen with these latter compounds. Ganglionic and adrenergic blocking agents were incapable of preventing the effect of carbaryl. These studies indicate that the potentiation produced by carbaryl may be related to its muscarinic activity.