cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
COVID-19 vaccination hesitancy among health care workers, communication, and policy-making.

Abstract Background Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccine hesitancy in healthcare workers (HCWs) contributes to personal and patient risk in contracting COVID-19. Reasons behind hesitancy and how best to improve vaccination rates in HCWs are not clear. Methods We adapted a survey using the Health Belief Model framework to evaluate HCW vaccine hesitancy and reasons for choosing for or against COVID-19 vaccination. The survey was sent to three large academic medical centers in the Chicagoland area between March and May 2021. Results We received 1974 completed responses with 85% of HCWs receiving or anticipating receiving COVID-19 vaccination. Multivariable logistic regression found HCWs were less likely to receive COVID-19 vaccination if they were Black (OR 0.34, 95% CI 0.15-0.80), Republican (OR 0.54, 95% CI 0.31-0.91), or allergic to any vaccine component (OR 0.27, 95% CI 0.10-0.70) and more likely to receive if they believed people close to them thought it was important for them to receive the vaccine (OR 5.2, 95% CI 3-8). Conclusions A sizable number of HCWs remain vaccine hesitant one year into the COVID-19 pandemic. As HCWs are positively influenced by colleagues who believe COVID-19 vaccination, development of improved communication across HCW departments and roles may improve vaccination rates.
Investigation of the catalytic behavior and chemical nature of alkali promoted copper and copper-cobalt-chromium oxide catalysts for the conversion of synthesis gas to methanol and higher alcohols

The effects of a variety of preparation parameters on the catalytic activity and selectivity for synthesis gas conversion to higher alcohols of potassium promoted copper-cobalt-chromium oxides catalysts have been investigated. Specifically, the effects of 1) the metal salts used as precursors, 2) the amount of citric acid used as a "complexant", 3) the amount of potassium promoter, and 4) catalyst calcination temperature have been studied. Alcohol selectivities as great as 70 wt % with a production yield of 0.12 g/g cat/hr were obtained. alcohols accounted for 50 to 60 wt % of the alcohols produced. It was found that special attention must be paid to calcination temperature and, to a lesser extent, the other parameters mentioned.
XCAT-C++: design and performance of a distributed CCA framework

In this paper we describe the design and implementation of a C++ based Common Component Architecture (CCA) framework, XCAT-C++. It can efficiently marshal and unmarshal large data sets, and provides the necessary modules and hooks in the framework to meet the requirements of distributed scientific applications. XCAT-C++ uses a high-performance multi-protocol library so that the appropriate communication protocol is employed for each pair of interacting components. Scientific applications can dynamically switch to a suitable communication protocol to maximize effective throughput. XCAT-C++ component layering imposes minimal overhead and application components can achieve highly efficient throughput for large data sets commonly used in scientific computing. It has a suite of tools to aid application developers including a flexible code generation toolkit and a python scripting interface. XCAT-C++ provides the means for application developers to leverage the efficacy of the CCA component model to manage the complexity of their distributed scientific simulations.
Sustained Handgrip in Boys and Girls: Variation and Correlation with Performance and Motivation to Train

Abstract Sustained handgrips at 40% of maximum grip strength were performed by 82 girls and boys, 13—17 years of age, at a summer camp. Test-retest reliability coefficient was .62. There was a significant negative correlation between grip time and maximum strength. Grip times were longer in girls (234 ± 59 secs.) than boys (185 ± 51 secs.), while mean maximum strength for boys was 51.6 kg, for girls 38.0 kg. Subjects with the longest grip times ran at nearly the same speed in 800 meter training and competitive runs, suggesting that grip time was a possible index of motivation to train. The day-to-day variability of grip times probably makes this measurement unsuitable for most studies, and grip times were of little or no value in predicting performance in track and field events.
Resistiveness to care during assistance with activities of daily living in non-institutionalized persons with dementia: associations with informal caregivers' stress and well-being

Objectives: Resistiveness to care (RTC) refers to behavior problems that co-occur during assistance with activities of daily living (ADL). RTC are considered challenging, but are mostly studied in institutions with implications for patients and formal caregivers. RTC is associated with agitation, but agitation is considered a separate construct. Detection of RTC may be left out of common assessments of persons with dementia in studies of informal caregiving (e.g. global assessments of dementia behavioral symptoms, standard assessments of ADL function). This study examines how RTC (frequency and caregivers’ stress appraisals of RTC) is related to caregivers’ well-being.Method: 234 caregivers of people with dementia reported care receivers’ ADL impairment (eating, bathing, dressing), RTC frequency (of eating, bathing dressing), and their stress appraisals of these behaviors (RTC appraisals). Caregivers also self-reported their role overload, role captivity, and depressive symptoms. Hierarchical linear regre...
The adjoint characteristics boundary conditions for the treatment of multi-block grid interface

Adjoint equations have been used for some time in optimal control theory. The adjoint method has played a prominent role in aerodynamic design due to the flexibility it offers in terms of choosing the flow physics model and cost functions. However, most of the applications in the literature are limited to simple geometries. This paper presents a methodology to deal with complex geometries when using adjoint based optimization technique. Complex geometries are meshed in a fashion such that the whole domain has been divided in multiple simple blocks so that each block is considered independently. The issue arises when the communication of the information at the interfaces of these blocks is considered. A method has been provided to ensure correct communication based on the direction of the propagation of information. The direction of propagation of information and the correction is determined based on the characteristics of the flow field.
LASCO and EIT Observations of Coronal Mass Ejections

We present a brief overview of LASCO and EIT observations of CMEs. We discuss CME energetics, the relation of CMEs to streamers and conclude with some insights into the source regions of CMEs.
The Effect of Increasing Ego Involvement on the Potency of the Potential for Self‐Evaluation

Harkins, White, & Utman (2000) found that when there is the potential for evaluation by an external source (i.e., the experimenter) and the self, concern over the potential for external evaluation superseded interest in the potential for self-evaluation. In the present research, we found that when ego involvement was increased, the potential for self-evaluation produced the same level of performance as did the potential for experimenter evaluation (Experiment 1). However, in Experiment 2, we found that even when ego involvement was high, concern over the potential for external evaluation superseded interest in self-evaluation. This research extends the range of conditions under which the potential for external evaluation has been shown to be more potent than the potential for self-evaluation.
Relationship of telomeres and p53 in aging bovine corneal endothelial cell cultures.

Purpose To demonstrate a relationship between telomere lengths and levels of p53 in cultured bovine corneal endothelial cells (CECs) during aging. Methods Bovine CECs were grown and aged as long-term cultures. Telomere lengths were determined directly on gels with 32P probes after treatment of isolated DNA with RsaI and HinfI. Protein p53 was determined using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent sandwich assay. Cellular aging and the development of replicative senescence were monitored by the appearance of senescent morphology and the beta-galactosidase assay. Results Bovine CEC telomeres lost 4 kb (from 12.8 to 8.8 kb) over 1 year (89 population doublings [PDs]). The p53 levels in bovine CECs were initially small (approximately 60 pg/million cells), but rose 3.5-fold by culture age of 260 days (64 PDs). On initiation, cultured bovine CECs did not stain for the senescent marker beta-galactosidase. However, these cells stained at 89 PDs and senescent morphology was observed in the cultures at 64 PDs. Conclusions The data indicate an inverse relationship between telomere lengths (decreasing) and levels of p53 (increasing) in bovine CECs during aging. These properties may influence the ability of these cells to divide as they enter into replicative senescence.
Function of IHF in λ DNA packaging. I: Identification of the strong binding site for integration host factor and the locus for intrinsic bending in cosB

Abstract Integration host factor (IHF) plays an accessory role in λ DNA packaging. IHF affects the interaction of the λ DNA packaging protein, terminase, with cos, the site on λ. DNA at which terminase binds and introduces staggered nicks to generate cohesive ends of mature λ chromosomes cos includes cosB, the terminase binding site and cosN, the adjacent nicking site cosB includes multiple binding sites for gpNul, the small subunit of terminase, and an IHF binding site, I1. I1 contains two overlapping sequences, called I1A and I1B, that closely match the consensus sequence for IHF binding sites. The I1A sequence was determined to be the site of IHF binding by hydroxyl radical footprinting experiments. Comparison of the pattern of IHF-induced enhancements and diminishments at I1 with published patterns for IHF binding sites at the λ attachment site identifies I1A as the IHF binding site at I1. The conclusion that I1A is the IHF binding site was confirmed by studies with DNA mutant in I1A. The I1A - mutation, consisting of three adjacent base-pair changes in I1A, abolished IHF binding. In contrast to the I1A - mutation, a mutation in I1B, also consisting of three adjacent base-pair changes, caused a reduction in the affinity of IHF for I1A, and caused a reduction in the magnitude of the net intrinsic bending of cos λ.
Made-from-Bone: Trickster Myths, Music, and History from the Amazon

Reviewed Medium: book Authors: Jonathan D. Hill Year: 2008 Pages: 192 Publisher: University of Illinois Press ISBN: 978-0-252-03373-5 (hard cover). Prices: $65.00 USD(hard cover).
The communications resource planning tool

In tactical environments where radio communications is critical to operational missions, the ability to predict connectivity is of primary importance. Success in closing radio links in these scenarios depends to a great degree on degradations to the link including obstructions that might obscure line of sight between transmitters and receivers. Jammers can also severely degrade communications performance. The effects of these factors must be taken into consideration in the planning and performance prediction of tactical wireless links. This paper describes a tool that can be used to plan communications links in the presence of degradations such as path obstructions or the effects of jammers. We describe the tool and its features. The equations for determining the impact of jammers are provided and an example is shown.
Perturbations of solitons and solitary waves

A direct perturbation method is developed to investigate the evolution of solitary waves in the presence of small perturbations. A uniformly valid first order solution is constructed. The method is applied to several nonlinear evolution equations which support solitons or solitary waves. Finally, the method is compared with other approaches in the literature.
Phycobilisomes in Blue-Green Algae

Fifteen species of freshwater blue-green algae, including unicellular, filamentous, and colonial forms, were subjected to a variety of fixatives, fixation conditions, and stains for comparison of the preservation of phycobilisomes. Absorption spectra of the corresponding in vivo and released photosynthetic pigments, in 10 of the species that were maintained in culture, demonstrated the presence of phycocyanin in all 10 species and phycoerythrin in only 2 of them. Spectroscope and electron microscope evidence was obtained for localization of phycobiliproteins in phycobilisomes of Nostoc muscorum. Phycobilisomes were observed in all species examined in situ, strenghening the hypothesis that phycobilisomes are common to all phycobiliprotein-containing photosynthetic blue-green algae.
Recent Advances in Bile Pigment Metabolism

Early in the course of evolution "open chain" tetrapyrrolic compounds played a central metabolic role. The accessory photosynthetic pigments of certain unicellular plant organisms are structurally related to the bile pigments and are formed by (enzymatic) metabolic pathways similar to those leading to the formation of bilirubin.1 Indeed, these plant "bile pigments" trap light for the photosynthetic evolution of oxygen more efficiently than does chlorophyll itselr.t In humans and other vertebrate species the process of bile pigment formation is "recalled" for significant, but less central metabolic processes. The bile pigmen~ are a waste product, the potentially toxic end-stage of the catabolism of hemoglobin and heme-containing enzymes. Nevertheless, despite this subsidiary role, bile pigment metabolism has continued to excite the imagination of biochemical and clinical investigators since the tum of the century. The past several years have been a period of especially intensive study. Techniques have been devised for radiolabeling bilirubin and many of its derivatives. The availability of these tracer materials has greatly facilitated the investigation of bile pigment formation and elimination. The biosynthesis of "early labeled" bilirubin,
Serum and Urine Soluble HLA Class I Antigen Concentrations are Increased in Patients with Hemorrhagic Fever with Renal Syndrome

OBJECTIVES In order to evaluate the association between the Hantaan virus-induced cellular-immune response and clinical severity in patients with hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS). METHODS We serially measured the serum (n = 16) and urine (n = 6) concentrations of soluble HLA class 1 antigen (sHLA-l) and clinical powameters in patients with HFRS. RESULTS Serum sHLA-I concentrations in patients with HFRS were significantly higher than those in controls throughout all clinical phases (p < 0.01). The highly elevated Serum sHLA-I concentrations peaked in the oliguric phase and declined gradually through the phases of HFRS. Serum sHLA-l concentrations in patients with hypotensive episode were higher than in those without the episode (5,85 +/-2,184 vs. 2,389 +/- 860 ng/ml in oliguric phase, 4.11 +/- 1,952 vs. 1,502 +/- 592 ng/ml in diuretic phase, p < 0.05), and serum sHLA-l levels showed a significant correlation with blood WBC count (r = 0.75 in the febrile and hypotensive phase, p < 0.01) and serum creatinine concentrations (r = 0.64 in the oliguric phase, p < 0.01), respectively, Urine sHLA-I levels in the oliguric phase were significantly higher than those in the diuretic phase (390 +/- 155 vs. 214 +/- 45 ng/mg Cr, p < 0.05) and urine sHLA-I levels are associated with severe illness in patients with HFRS. The higher serum sHLA-I are associated with severe illness in patients with HFRS. The persistent elevation of serum sHLA-I during all phases of HFRS might be related to increased production due to prolonged cellular immunologic stimulation by the Hantaan virus rather than decreased excretion of sHLA-I through the kidney. CONCLUSION We suggest that the serum and urine sHLA-I concentrations can be used as a stable and objective parameter for monitoring clinical severity and renal dysfunction in patients with HFRS.
Teaching the Ankle-Brachial Index in nursing: A new core competency

Nursing curricula have historically been designed to prepare student nurses for real-world practice. Whether in the classroom setting or through hospital in-service presentations, the newest and most recent procedures are explained and described, often with return demonstration. Anything from newly designed intravenous catheters to various forms of diagnostic equipment is regularly presented to keep nurses informed and nursing practice skills state of the art. Even the most basic of nursing interventions (eg, patient education) have become so formalized and valuable that nursing programs include patient education as part of their nursing curriculum and some offer individual courses in patient education. Patients are being educated not only on performing certain health care tests but also on interpreting the results on the basis of their medical diagnosis. Several decades ago it was unlikely to find blood pressure equipment or diabetic monitoring devices anywhere else other than in the hospital or in physician offices. Now, patients are taught to monitor their own blood pressure and blood glucose levels and are educated on what the results mean and what to do on the basis of those results. Nurses have been the primary teachers of such health information and will continue to be prepared to teach patients how to better care for their health because nurses are recognized as leaders in the development and implementation of patient education programs. Patient education programs are individualized, yet are also developed on the basis of societal needs and global demand. A national mandate has recently been published that emphasizes the need to now focus our attention on peripheral arterial disease (PAD). 1 The mandate calls for a national public health
Treatment of HSV-1 infection with immunoglobulin or acyclovir: comparison of their effects on viral spread, latency, and reactivation.

We compared immunoglobulin (IgG) and acyclovir (ACV) therapies on the establishment, maintenance, and reactivation from latency of HSV-1(McKrae) in a mouse ocular infection model. Mice were given one intraperitoneal (IP) dose of human IgG 24 h after infection (Day 1 p. i.) or ACV in the drinking water from Days 1 to 7 p.i. Both treatments allowed similar percentages of mice to survive the infection and decreased ocular virus shedding as compared with untreated controls. At most time points, there were no differences between IgG- and ACV-treated animals with respect to tissue virus titers or in the rates of virus reactivation during explant cocultivation. However, after ultraviolet exposure, HSV reactivated in 30% of ACV-treated mice compared with 90% of IgG-treated mice (P = 0.02). Also by quantitative PCR, we found more latent HSV-1 DNA copies in IgG-treated mice compared with those given ACV (P = 0.02). IgG treatment protects mice from HSV-1 infection essentially as well as ACV does. Nonetheless, it permits higher levels of latent infection and subsequent in vivo reactivation. These studies have implications for the mechanism by which IgG functions to attenuate HSV infections and for its potential value as a therapeutic agent in humans.
1H and 15N Dynamic Nuclear Polarization Studies of Carbazole

15N NMR experiments, combined with dynamic nuclear polarization (DNP), are reported on carbazole doped with the stable free radical 1,3 bisdiphenylene-2-phenylallyl (BDPA). Doping shortens the nuclear relaxation times and provides paramagnetic centers that can be used to enhance the nuclear signal by means of DNP so that 15N NMR experiments can be done in minutes. The factors were measured in a 1.4 T external field, using both unlabeled and 98% 15N labeled carbazole with doping levels varying between 0.65 and 5.0 wt % BDPA. A doping level of approximately 1 wt % produced optimal results. DNP enhancement factors of 35 and 930 were obtained for 1H and 15N, respectively making it possible to perform 15N DNP NMR experiments at the natural abundance level.
SWINGING: A REPLICATION AND TEST OF A THEORY

The purpose of this research is to update and add to the existing literature on comarital sex, commonly referred to as swinging. Following the lead of Smith and Smith (1970), swinging is defined here as the consensual exchange of marital partners for sexual purposes. Many investigators, using different methodologies and different samples, have reached similar conclusions with respect to many social and demographic characteristics of swingers. For example, they have been found to come mainly from the middle class (O'Neill & O'Neill, 1970); to be above average in education (Smith & Smith, 1970); to be predominantly white (Varni, 1974); to be less likely than most to have political party affiliations (Gilmartin, 1975); and, although there is a wide age range (Bartell, 1970), most swingers fall in the 28 to 45 category (Gilmartin, 1975). On other variables, such as political philosophy, there is less agreement. Whereas Bartell reported his sample to be somewhat conservative politically, Gilmartin's sample tended to be liberal. Accordingly, it is hypothesized that the majority of swingers in this sample identify with the middle class, have above average educations and incomes, are white, are low in religious and political affilation, and fall in the 28 to 45 age bracket. No specific hypothesis was offered about political ideology. A second, more important, purpose is to introduce a new dimension to the study of swinging. The perceptions that nonswingers have of swingers were examined and compared with the responses given by a sample of swingers. The specific theory employed here is labeling theory. According to Hughes (1945), when a person is considered to possess one deviant trait then that person is assumed by people to have other undesirable traits as well. Drawing upon Hughes' writings, Becker (1963) also argued that a person who is seen as deviating from the norms in one area will be seen as likely to deviate in other areas as well.l That person is thus viewed as being different from the rest of us; his or her deviance moves from being specific to being general. Thus, one can hypothesize that the specific act of deviance (in this case, swinging) will become generalized so that practically everything about that
Determining core acquisition quantities when products have long return lags

An important problem faced in closed-loop supply chains is ensuring a sufficient supply of reusable products (i.e., cores) to support reuse activities. Accurate forecasting of used product returns can assist in effectively managing the sourcing activities for cores. The application of existing forecasting models to actual data provided by an Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) remanufacturer resulted in the following challenges: (i) inherent difficulties in estimation due to long return lags in the data and (ii) required adjustments for initial conditions. This article develops methods to address these issues and illustrates the proposed approach using the data provided by the OEM remanufacturer. The cost implications of using the proposed method to source cores are also investigated. Results of the performed analysis showed that the proposed forecasting approach performed best when the product is in the maturity or decline stages of its life cycle, with the rate of product returns balanced with the dem...
Analysis and comparison of diurnal variations of cloud radiative forcing: Earth Radiation Budget Experiment and International Satellite Cloud Climatology Project results

Cloud radiative forcing (CRF) is the radiative impact of clouds on the Earth's radiation budget. This study examines the diurnal variations of CRF using the Earth Radiation Budget Experiment (ERBE) monthly hourly flux data and the flux data derived from the International Satellite Cloud Climatology Project (ISCCP) using the Goddard Institute for Space Studies general circulation model radiation code. The results for the months of April, July, and October 1985 and January 1986 are analyzed. We found that, in general, two data sets agreed. For longwave (LW) CRF the diurnal range over land is generally greater than that observed over oceans. For the 4-month averages the ERBE values are 15.8 W/sq m and 6.8 W/sq m for land and ocean, respectively, compared with the ISCCP calculated values of 18.4 W/sq m and 8.0 W/sq m, respectively. The land/ocean contrast is largely associated with changes in cloud amount and the temperature difference between surface and cloud top. It would be more important to note that the clear-sky flux (i.e., surface temperature) variabilities are shown to be a major contributor to the large variabilities over land. The maximum diurnal range is found to be in the summer hemisphere, and the minimum values in the winter hemisphere. It is also shown that the daytime maximum and the nighttime minimum are seen over large portions of land, whereas they occur at any local hour over most oceans. For shortwave (SW) CRF the daytime maximum values are about twice as large as monthly averages, and their highest frequency occurs at local noon, indicating that solar insolation is a primary factor for the diurnal variation of SW CRF. However, the comparison of the ERBE data with the ISCCP results demonstrated that the largest differences in the diurnal range and monthly mean of LW CRF were associated with tropical convergence zones, where clear-sky fluxes could be easily biased by persistent cloudiness and the inadequate treatment of the atmospheric water vapor.
Novel technologies for reverse osmosis concentrate treatment: A review

Global water shortages due to droughts and population growth have created increasing interest in water reuse and recycling and, concomitantly, development of effective water treatment processes. Pressured membrane processes, in particular reverse osmosis, have been adopted in water treatment industries and utilities despite the relatively high operational cost and energy consumption. However, emerging contaminants are present in reverse osmosis concentrate in higher concentrations than in the feed water, and have created challenges for treatment of the concentrate. Further, standards and guidelines for assessment and treatment of newly identified contaminants are currently lacking. Research is needed regarding the treatment and disposal of emerging contaminants of concern in reverse osmosis concentrate, in order to develop cost-effective methods for minimizing potential impacts on public health and the environment. This paper reviews treatment options for concentrate from membrane processes. Barriers to emerging treatment options are discussed and novel treatment processes are evaluated based on a literature review.
Water metabolism in free-ranging pine voles (Microtus pinetorum)

Abstract 1. 1. Rates of body water turnover in free-ranging pine voles exceeded those reported for a large number of similarly sized mammals. 2. 2. Concentrations of urine obtained from free-ranging pine voles were significantly lower than values published for other free-ranging mammals and also for laboratory-maintained members of this species. 3. 3. Rates of body water turnover in this species were not correlated with seasonal changes in soil temperatures.
Content of the collagen and elastin cross-links pyridinoline and the desmosines in the human uterus in various reproductive states

During pregnancy the collagen content of the human uterus increases sevenfold and the elastin content increases fourfold to fivefold. The stable pyridinoline cross-link is found in uterine collagen at a level of 0.11 mol per mole of collagen. The same ratio, or a higher one, is found at the end of pregnancy, indicating that pyridinoline synthesis keeps pace with the rapid synthesis of collagen. This cross-link would participate in the maintenance of high mechanical strength of the uterus needed during parturition. Uterine elastin contains 2.4 residues of desmosine plus isodesmosine in 1000 residues of amino acids. This value falls to 0.95 at term, indicating that synthesis of desmosines does not keep pace with the synthesis of elastin. Therefore, desmosine measurements do not provide an accurate index of elastin changes in pregnancy. Collagen and elastin contents in nongravid uteri increase with successive pregnancies; the cross-links remain constant during this change.
Ultrastructural and biochemical studies on the isolation of nucleolar chromatin from Novikoff hepatoma cell nucleoli.

Abstract Studies were made on the changes in the ultrastructure and template activity of nucleoli or residues during isolation of nucleolar chromatin. Extraction of nucleoli with 0.075 M NaCl, 0.025 M EDTA (pH 8.0) resulted in compaction, stickiness and formation of internucleolar confluent fibers. Further extraction with the same buffer resulted in more pronounced alteration of nucleolar ultrastructure. The combined extracts with this buffer contained approx. 4% of the total nucleolar polymerase I activity. However, about 20% of other proteins were extracted including some nucleolar RNP proteins and “informofer” proteins. Subsequent extractions with 0.01 M, pH 8.0 Tris-HCl resulted in the unfolding of the nucleolar residual nucleoproteins into linear arrays of approx. 30–40 nm in diameter. Most of the nucleolar RNA polymerase I activity extracted was found in 0.01 M Tris-HCl (pH 8.0) extracts. However, fewer major proteins were extracted than with 0.075 M NaCl 0.025 M EDTA (pH 8.0). Assays on the various fractions revealed that the nucleolar chromatin fraction retained only 23% of the template activity of intact isolated nucleoli.
Bone mass and anthropometric measurements in adult females

Bone mass and anthropometrics were measured in 342 adult female twins, aged 25-79 (mean = 44.1 years) for the purpose of: (1) identifying which anthropometric measurements were most strongly associated with bone mass at various skeletal sites, and (2) determining the accuracy of combinations of these measurements in the prediction of bone mass. Among the eight skinfolds measured, the subscapular site was more strongly correlated with all bone mass measurements than any other skinfold. Similarly, calf circumference (among four sites) and biacromial width (among five frame size measurements) provided the strongest correlations within these groups of anthropometrics with all bone sites. The somewhat surprising consistency of these results was then tested in multivariable models for the prediction of bone mass. For the entire study group, each of the anthropometric measurements (subscapular skinfold, calf circumference and biacromial width) were independent, significant predictors of bone mass, even when height, weight and age were included in the models. These data suggest that frame size, muscularity and adiposity have independent effects on the skeleton, and that single measurements of each of these anthropometric characteristics are associated with all skeletal sites.
Integrating professional issues into the technical curriculum: teaching students about the challenge of professionalism and ethics in an increasingly automated world living with sophisticated machines: workshop

In support of ACM's and the IEEE's commitment to professionalism, the ACM Committee on Professional Ethics, a technical co-sponsor of this conference, is presenting a workshop designed to help faculty provide students with tools to better understand and to better resolve their ethical challenges as professionals. This workshop will have a special focus on issues raised by robots, Google Glass, and other increasingly sophisticated devices. The workshop will use both lecture and small group activities to introduce and enhance participants' teaching skills in computer and engineering ethics. Leaders will present materials to be used in a complete professional ethics course, and that can also be integrated as examples and exercises into specific technical courses. The materials will include case studies, suggested course syllabi, and suggestions for creating and grading assignments. The workshop will feature demonstrations of several advanced devices, and how they can be used to teach about ethics, and to attract attention to ethical issues.
Plant Population and Row-Spacing Effects on Early Soybean Production Systems in the Mid-Atlantic USA

Limited information is available on early soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] production systems (ESPS) in the Mid-Atlantic USA. Furthermore, the effects of intermittent drought stress on the response of ESPS to plant population and row-spacing alterations have not been fully explored. The objective of this research was to determine if increasing plant population and decreasing row spacing could increase yield of ESPS in the Mid-Atlantic USA where intermittent drought is a major environmental limitation. Two maturity group (MG) III and two MG IV soybean cultivars were planted using row spacings of 23 and 46 cm and five populations ranging from 103 000 to 850 000 plants ha -1 at four locations that varied in levels of drought stress. With little drought stress, no response of soybean yield to plant population occurred. A population of 208 000 plants ha -1 was adequate for maximum yields at a site having only a brief period of stress; populations over 600000 plants ha -1 were required to maximize yield where drought stress limited leaf area production. Narrowing row spacing increased mean leaf area index (LAI) by 0.15 and 0.30 units and yield by 100 and 290 kg ha -1 in low and moderate stress environments, respectively. Maturity group IV cultivars were better able to compensate for moisture stress periods because the stress occurred during earlier development stages compared with MG III cultivars. This research indicated that increasing LAI in ESPS via increased plant populations or narrow row spacing may increase ESPS yield, especially in environments of early season intermittent drought stress.
Response to August 2000 Forum Article by Timothy Bates on Financing for the Development of Urban Minority Communities

Tim Bates focuses on the poor performance of Minority Enterprise Small Business Investment Companies (MESBICS) in the 1987-to-1994 period as a basis for criticizing the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), the Community Development Financial Institutions Fund, New Market Venture Capital, and other federal efforts at promoting capital formation in the inner city. MESBICS did indeed fail during that period, but so did a number of conventional Small Business Investment Companies (SBICs)—and mostly for the same reasons. The SBA made sweeping program changes in 1994 and 1995 that significantly improved the SBIC industry performance and dramatically increased participation of inner-city entrepreneurs. The SBA’s job is not to mitigate risk by avoiding financing gaps, but to take the risk that the private sector cannot or will not take—and develop effective ways to manage it. The process is necessarily iterative, and the key questions are as follows: What are the impediments we face now, and how do we overco...
Simulation of a neural network for decentralized detection of a signal in noise

The problem of distributed detection of a deterministic signal with unknown strength using a neural network approach is considered. Since the signal level Is not known there does not exist a uniformly powerful detection scheme for the problem. The neural network architecture used Is a two layer feedforward perceptron model with N Inputs M nodes In the hidden layer and two output nodes that correspond to the signal and noise hypotheses. The back propagation algorithm Is used to train the system with a known noise distribution. For fixed false alarm probabilities the performance of the trained network with regard to a set of test signals is estimated and compared to the performance of some known detection procedures such as Fisher''s method Tlppett''s method and the optimum test. Simulation results are presented for a network with two input nodes and three or four nodes In the hidden layer. When Laplace noise Is assumed the network performs better than the Tlppett method. For the detection of weak and moderate signals in Gaussian noise the network performs reasonably close to the optimum detection scheme. The decision regions for the neural network detection scheme is comparable to those of the Fisher''s and Tlppett''s methods. However unlike the Tippett''s method which has a fixed decision region regardless of the noise distribution the neural network''s decision region changes with the noise distribution. 1. SIGNAL DETECTION© (1991) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Identification of a phospholipase A1 in plasma membranes of rat liver.

Abstract 1. 1. A fraction rich in plasma membranes was isolated from the rat liver cell by zonal centrifugation, and the amounts of nitochondria, microsomes, and lysosomes in the fraction were determined by the use of marker enzymes for these organelles. Recovery of the marker enzymes indicated that 94% of the fraction was plasma membranes. 2. 2. The plasma membranes contain a phospholipase that hydrolyzes that 1-acyl ester of phosphatidylethanolamine. Activity of the enzyme is stimulated by Ca2+, and its pH optimum is near pH 9. 3. 3. The acylation reactions of phospholipids that occur in the plasma membranes, together with this report of a phospholipase, provide evidence for a monoacyl-diacyl phosphoglyceride cycle in the plasma membranes.
Effects of unsignaled delay of reinforcement on preference and resistance to change.

In Phase 1, pigeons were trained on a concurrent chain in which a 3-s unsignaled delay of reinforcement was imposed on responding in a terminal link in some conditions. Preference for that terminal link was always reduced in comparison with conditions in which there was no delay, substantially so for 3 of the 4 pigeons. In Phase 2, pigeons responded in a two-component multiple schedule. The scheduled rates of reinforcement were equal, but a 3-s unsignaled delay was imposed in one component. Resistance of responding to prefeeding and extinction was reduced in the delay component for the same 3 subjects for which the data had shown strong effects of delay on preference. Systematic observation revealed differences in response topography. In the delay component, subjects oriented more closely to the key and responses were less forceful compared with the no-delay component. Our results give further evidence that preference and resistance to change covary within subjects. However, they challenge the premise that the critical determiners of preference (i.e., terminal-link value) and resistance to change (behavioral mass) may be quantified purely in terms of stimulus—reinforcer relations.
I Listen, Therefore I Am: An Asian American Approach to Post-Materialist Living

: Consumerism is a cultural atmosphere that permeates societies when they are saturated with market-driven values at the expense of social values. It prioritizes personal needs over the common good and reduces even religion to a “brand” that people wear like an emblem. It simultaneously approaches the world itself as a resource to be managed, forgetful of the fact that all living beings are songs and stories worth hearing. As Christianity becomes a post-western religion, opportunities emerge for Christians to develop cross-cultural poetics that are conducive to post-materialist ways of living in the world. Poetics are not theologies, but rather outlooks on life or, perhaps more appropriately, ways of listening to the voices of people and other living beings. The purpose of this essay is to propose one such Asian American theology that can be a commitment to deep listening: that is, to dwelling musically in the world. This manner of dwelling can recognize that even the heart of the universe—even God—is a listening presence at the heart of the universe.
Wideband and noncontact characterization of the complex permittivity of liquids

The noncontact evaluation and characterization of liquids, especially chemically active reagents, is a problem for many industries, and currently there is no method available to characterize such liquid samples. In this paper, we present the results of the noncontact measurement and characterization of liquids and powders using a free-space system. It is already established that the characterization of solids and nonuniform samples is possible using the spot-focused free-space measurement system from 5 to 110 GHz. Since the measured 3 dB spot size of the focused beam is 4.37 cm×3.2 cm at 9.1 GHz, only small samples are required, and the inaccuracies in free-space measurement due to diffraction were minimized for samples of three times the spot size. The far-field focusing ability of the horn-lens antennas is helpful in designing a simple and noncontact wideband measurement system for the characterization of liquids. This noncontact method has the advantage of characterizing samples in high- and low-temperature environments, which should find wide applications in industry for in situ material characterization. This method is readily applicable to monitoring the curing of polymers and gels, as well as thick-film coating characterization in the wet state. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 30: 75–79, 2001.
Transition-state structure variation in the Diels-Alder reaction from secondary deuterium kinetic isotope effects. The reaction of nearly symmetrical dienes and dienophiles is nearly synchronous

Les effets isotopiques cinetiques sont determines avec les isoprenes (D 2 -4,4) et (D 4 -1,1,4,4) dans leurs reactions avec les acrylonitrile, fumaronitrile, ethylenedicarbonitrile-1,1 et cyno-3 acrylate de methyle dans le benzene
Transcranial Doppler Ultrasound Battery Reliably Identifies Severe Internal Carotid Artery Stenosis

Background and Purpose There is a clinical imperative for noninvasive tests for carotid disease that have high sensitivity. Previous studies have shown that transcranial Doppler ultrasound (TCD) can identify intracranial collateral flow patterns and other hemodynamic consequences of carotid occlusion. We hypothesized that a battery of such TCD findings would have a greater sensitivity than any one TCD finding alone and would have clinical utility in identifying carotid disease. Methods We determined the prevalence of seven TCD findings in patients with various degrees of carotid stenosis as measured by a blinded observer on 138 cerebral angiograms. We further determined the sensitivity and specificity of any one finding or any single abnormality in the TCD battery (the combination of all seven findings) for identifying severe (≥70%) carotid stenosis by angiography. Results The following four individual TCD findings were associated ( P <.001) with ≥70% carotid stenosis on cerebral angiography: ophthalmic and anterior cerebral artery flow reversal and low middle cerebral artery flow acceleration and pulsatility. The presence of any single abnormality in the TCD battery had a similar association ( P <.001) with ≥70% carotid stenosis. The individual TCD findings had sensitivities of 3% to 83% and specificities of 60% to 100% for identifying ≥70% carotid stenosis. The TCD battery had a sensitivity of 95% and specificity of 42% for identifying ≥70% carotid stenosis. Conclusions A battery of TCD findings that can be routinely measured reliably identified patients with ≥70% angiographic internal carotid artery stenosis with high sensitivity.
Building group capacity for problem solving and police–community partnerships through survey feedback and training: a randomized control trial within Chicago’s community policing program

To examine whether group capacity for problem solving and partnership building could be enhanced at police–community meetings by providing the results from community surveys and training for group facilitators. A randomized control trial was conducted in 51 police beats in Chicago’s community policing program, CAPS. Unlike control beats, results from web-based community surveys were provided at beat meetings in the feedback and training beats, with facilitators in training beats also receiving training and exercises to guide problem solving about survey results. Analysis included OLS and logistic regression of data from questionnaires administered to police and resident participants, as well as observations at beat meetings, which measured resident capacity, attitudes about the police–community partnership, and problem-solving activities. Support for hypothesized effects was found with greater resident confidence in their ability to achieve outcomes and solve local problems, as well as officers viewing their relationships with residents at beat meetings more favorably. Effects, however, were inconsistent and limited to the feedback group. While additional training and support provided in training beats indicated fuller engagement in problem solving, possible negative effects on attitudes were observed. Failure to find more effects is discussed in terms of implementation and resistance. Officer resistance to and a shift in organizational priorities away from community policing worked against achieving full program implementation. The beat meeting context provided a traditional framework for police–resident interactions that precluded more comprehensive use of community data and possibly heightened dissatisfaction with the level of problem solving that occurred.
A social learning perspective of gambling behaviour among college students at Iowa State University, USA

This study assesses the proportion of college students who gamble and the level of their gambling involvement (i.e. frequency, scope, expenditure). In addition, a better understanding is sought of why students gamble and the factors that contribute to their gambling behaviour. The data were collected in the autumn of 1996 from 797 undergraduate students. The main outcome measures included the students' gambling status, scope, frequency and expenditure. The predictor variables were gender, age, employment status, grade point average and gambling expenditure of the mother, father and best friend of the respondents. Frequency and cross-tabulation analyses were used to develop the respondents' demographic profile and to describe differences between characteristics of gamblers and non-gamblers. Gamma-statistics were used to test the strength of the relationship between predictors and outcome variables. Over half of the students gambled, and the two most frequently identified gambling activities were lottery and non-casino cards. The majority indicated that they gambled for entertainment. On average, the students gambled three times and staked an average of 33 per month on their gambling. However, about 19% of them gambled 3–6 times and staked over 66 a month on gambling. Student gambling was found to be positively related to the gambling of their parents and the gambling of their best friend.
Atypical electrocardiographic changes in severe hyperkalemia

The electrocardiogram is often used to gauge the severity of hyperkalemia. We present a case of severe hyperkalemia associated only with pseudonormalized T waves and sinoatrial exit block.