cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Insulin resistance and chronic kidney disease progression, cardiovascular events, and death: findings from the chronic renal insufficiency cohort study

Insulin resistance contributes to the metabolic syndrome, which is associated with the development of kidney disease. However, it is unclear if insulin resistance independently contributes to an increased risk of chronic kidney disease (CKD) progression or CKD complications. Additionally, predisposing factors responsible for insulin resistance in the absence of diabetes in CKD are not well described. This study aimed to describe factors associated with insulin resistance and characterize the relationship of insulin resistance to CKD progression, cardiovascular events and death among a cohort of non-diabetics with CKD. Data was utilized from Chronic Renal Insufficiency Cohort Study participants without diabetes (N = 1883). Linear regression was used to assess associations with insulin resistance, defined using the Homeostasis Model Assessment of Insulin Resistance (HOMA-IR). The relationship of HOMA-IR, fasting glucose, hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c), and C-peptide with CKD progression, cardiovascular events, and all-cause mortality was examined with Cox proportional hazards models. Novel positive associations with HOMA-IR included serum albumin, uric acid, and hemoglobin A1c. After adjustment, HOMA-IR was not associated with CKD progression, cardiovascular events, or all-cause mortality. There was a notable positive association of one standard deviation increase in HbA1c with the cardiovascular endpoint (HR 1.16, 95% CI: 1.00–1.34). We describe potential determinants of HOMA-IR among a cohort of non-diabetics with mild-moderate CKD. HOMA-IR was not associated with renal or cardiovascular events, or all-cause mortality, which adds to the growing literature describing an inconsistent relationship of insulin resistance with CKD-related outcomes.
Genetic Analysis of Powassan virus Genotypes Circulating in North America [University of Findlay]

Powassan virus (POWV), a tick-borne flavivirus, is the only member of the tick-borne encephalitis serogroup found in North America. Two distinct lineages, prototype lineage (POWV, lineage I) and deer tick virus (DVT, lineage II) are maintained in enzootic transmission cycles by different tick species based on different geographical regions. In North America, Ixodes scapularis acts as the primary vector throughout the Northeast, and Ixodes cookei throughout the Midwest and much of Canada. Importantly, the incidence of human disease due to POWV has increased by 671% over the last 18 years; with DVT perhapes being the most worrisome genotype due to the wide spread range and prevalence of the vector species. The aim of this study is to assess the evolutionary dynamics of the POWV/DTV complex using the most current full-genome, envelope, and 3’UTR sequences available. Bayesian phylogenetic inferences support the two distinct, monophyletic lineages corresponding to POWV and DTV. Additional analysis were performed in order to quantify the degree to which viral phenotypic characters (such as geographic location, and host species utilization) are correlated with shared ancestry within the two different genotypes. The results of this phylogeny-trait correlation analysis suggest significant clustering of viral sequence by sample location. Such in situ evolution is compatible with the relatively limited distances traveled by most ticks and their prefered host species. Lastly, genetic recombination analysis shows no evidence of between genotype recombination, however further analysis needs to be conducted using within genotype recombination analysis as recombination events may be restricted to only closely genetically related viruses.
A System Coupling and Donoghue Classes of Herglotz–Nevanlinna Functions

We study the impedance functions of conservative L-systems with the unbounded main operators. In addition to the generalized Donoghue class $${\mathfrak {M}}_\kappa $$ of Herglotz–Nevanlinna functions considered by the authors earlier, we introduce “inverse” generalized Donoghue classes $${\mathfrak {M}}_\kappa ^{-1}$$ of functions satisfying a different normalization condition on the generating measure, with a criterion for the impedance function $$V_\Theta (z)$$ of an L-system $$\Theta $$ to belong to the class $${\mathfrak {M}}_\kappa ^{-1}$$ presented. In addition, we establish a connection between “geometrical” properties of two L-systems whose impedance functions belong to the classes $${\mathfrak {M}}_\kappa $$ and $${\mathfrak {M}}_\kappa ^{-1}$$ , respectively. In the second part of the paper we introduce a coupling of two L-system and show that if the impedance functions of two L-systems belong to the generalized Donoghue classes $${\mathfrak {M}}_{\kappa _1}$$ ( $${\mathfrak {M}}_{\kappa _1}^{-1}$$ ) and $${\mathfrak {M}}_{\kappa _2}$$ ( $${\mathfrak {M}}_{\kappa _2}^{-1}$$ ), then the impedance function of the coupling falls into the class $${\mathfrak {M}}_{\kappa _1\kappa _2}$$ . Consequently, we obtain that if an L-system whose impedance function belongs to the standard Donoghue class $${\mathfrak {M}}={\mathfrak {M}}_0$$ is coupled with any other L-system, the impedance function of the coupling belongs to $${\mathfrak {M}}$$ (the absorbtion property). Observing the result of coupling of n L-systems as n goes to infinity, we put forward the concept of a limit coupling which leads to the notion of the system attractor, two models of which (in the position and momentum representations) are presented. All major results are illustrated by various examples.
Factors Influencing the Effectiveness of Allopurinol in Achieving and Sustaining Target Serum Urate in a US Veterans Affairs Gout Cohort.

Objective To assess factors associated with the ability to achieve and maintain target serum urate (SU) with allopurinol in patients with gout. Methods We used National VA national databases from 2002-2012. Eligible patients had ≥1 inpatient or ≥2 outpatient visits with a diagnostic code for gout, filled a new index allopurinol prescription, had at least one post-treatment SU measured, and met 12-month observability rule. Treatment successes were defined as the achievement of post-index SU Results Of the 198,839 unique patients with allopurinol use, 41,153 unique patients (with 47,072 episodes) and 17,402 unique patients (with 18,323 episodes) were eligible for analyses for success 1 and success 2; 42% each achieved (success 1) or achieved and maintained post-index SU Conclusion We identified novel factors associated with maintaining SU
The Impact of Microsurgery on the Treatment of Ring Avulsion Injuries.

Background Treating ring avulsion injuries continues to challenge the reconstructive hand surgeon. The complex operation draws from plastic surgery and orthopedic surgery principles to provide soft-tissue coverage, skeletal fixation, tendon repair, and neurovascular reconstruction. Furthermore, the application of microsurgical techniques has enabled the revascularization and replantation of completely avulsed fingers. Methods A retrospective review of 22 consecutive ring avulsion injuries (seven amputations, five replantations, and 10 revascularizations) from 1987 to 2015 performed by a single senior surgeon (D.T.W.C.) was conducted. Results Of these 22 ring avulsions, 10 revascularizations, five replantations, and seven amputations (five because of clinical factors, and two because of patient request) were performed. None of the 15 replantations and revascularizations resulted in loss of the ring finger or necrosis of the revascularized tip. Conclusions With proper patient selection, appropriate level of injury identification, and meticulous surgical execution, the restoration of form and function to the hand is feasible in ring avulsion injuries. Clinical question/level of evidence Therapeutic, IV.
Adolescent and Parent Knowledge, Attitudes, and Perceptions of Harm of Household Controlled Medications

Introduction: Adolescents learn knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors from their parents, yet little is known about how these attributes are associated with management of household controlled prescri...
Death of a Robot: Social Media Reactions and Language Usage when a Robot Stops Operating

People take to social media to share their thoughts, joys, and sorrows. A recent popular trend has been to support and mourn people and pets that have died as well as other objects that have suffered catastrophic damage. As several popular robots have been discontinued, including the opportunity Rover, Jibo, and Kuri, we are interested in how language used to mourn these robots compares to that to mourn people, animals, and other objects. We performed a study in which we asked participants to categorize deidentified Twitter reactions as referencing the death of a person, an animal, a robot, or another object. Most reactions were labeled as being about humans, which suggests that people use similar language to describe feelings for animate and inanimate entities. We used a natural language toolkit to analyze language from a larger set of tweets. A majority of tweets about opportunity included second-person (you”) and gendered third-person pronouns (she/he versus it), but terms like “R.I. P” were reserved almost exclusively for humans and animals. Our findings suggest that people verbally mourn robots similarly to living things, but reserve some language for people. CCS Concepts • Human-centered computing $\rightarrow$ Empirical Studies in HCI ACM Reference Format: Elizabeth Jeanne Carter, Samantha Reig, Xiang Zhi Tan, Gierad Laput, Stephanie Rosenthal, and Aaron Steinfeld. 2020. Death of a Robot: Social Media Reactions and Language Usage when a Robot Stops Operating. In Proceedings of the 2020 ACM/IEEE International Conference on Human-Robot Interaction (HRI’20), March 23-26, 2020, Cambridge, United Kingdom. ACM, New York, NY, USA, 9 pages. https://doi.org/10.1145/3319502.3374794
Resistance and Endurance: Harriet, The Irishman, and Movies About Indigestible History

Two current biopic movies, Harriet and The Irishman, present the life stories of real people who have been involved with slavery and organized crime. These images contradict the virtuous image of A...
Flavor Constraints from Unitarity and Analyticity.

We use unitarity and analyticity of scattering amplitudes to constrain fermionic operators in the standard model effective field theory. For four-fermion operators at mass dimension 8, we scatter flavor superpositions in fixed standard model representations and find the Wilson coefficients to be constrained so that their contraction with any pair of pure density matrices is positive. These constraints imply that flavor-violating couplings are upper bounded by their flavor-conserving cousins. For instance, LEP data already appears to preclude certain operators in upcoming $\ensuremath{\mu}\ensuremath{\rightarrow}3e$ measurements.
Variation in Tree Growth along Soil Formation and Microtopographic Gradients in Riparian Forests

Policy makers are interested in managing forests to store carbon. Optimizing this strategy requires understanding how carbon storage varies across environmental gradients. We explored variation in tree growth rate, tree longevity, and surface soil organic matter across 135 Connecticut River riparian forest plots. Tree growth rate did not vary significantly with climate but rather increased with sediment accretion rate, soil pH and decreased with plot elevation, where elevation was measured relative to the stage of the 2-year flood. By contrast, surface soil organic matter was negatively related to pH and tree growth rate. Tree species longevities were greater at higher elevations with coarser soils. The faster growth rates at lower elevations allow for restoring forest structure rapidly, whereas flood intolerant but longer-lived tree species allow more durable carbon sequestration at higher elevations. The close associations of growth rate, sediment accretion, and pH suggest that riverine nutrient inputs are important to maintaining the exceptionally high productivity of floodplains. Environmental assessments of river dams should consider impacts of intercepting sediments and reducing flooding on downstream floodplain fertility and productivity. Restoration of riparian locations with high deposition of sediments and associated nutrients may be an opportunity to maximize both nutrient and carbon sequestration.
Technical and Policy Constraints on the Role of Chinese Hydropower in a Renewable Mekong Region

Southwestern China has an abundance of hydroelectricity thanks to favourable geography, hefty government investment, and skilled workers and professionals at all levels of the hydropower sector. Yet even as new dams are being built across the region, existing ones are often under-utilised due to grid bottlenecks, seasonal variations in runoff, and technologies that have developed faster than markets and policies. This chapter examines the reasons behind “wasted” hydropower in Yunnan and neighbouring provinces, as well as the potential for Chinese hydropower to serve as a cornerstone of a highly renewable electricity sector across the Mekong region that incorporates wind and solar, rather than simply every possible dam site on the Mekong and its tributaries. Specifically, hydropower’s suitability for balancing or “firming” intermittent renewables such as solar and wind leave Yunnan well-positioned to complement major solar installations downstream, particularly in sun-drenched Cambodia. Such a plan is not without hurdles, but may offer the best chance for a lower-carbon energy future in the Lower Mekong that does not jeopardise food security in the world’s richest inland fishery.
Estimation of sensor measurement errors in reactor coolant systems using multi-sensor fusion

Abstract A nuclear power plant is typically instrumented with a variety of sensors to continually monitor its variables, and their sensor’s measurements may be used to assess the plant state and initiate safety actions, if needed. Errors in sensor measurements, due to factors such as calibration drifts, critically affect such state assessments. We address a problem of estimating sensor errors using physics-informed machine learning methods that use measurements collected under known plant conditions. For a given sensor, we propose an information fusion method that uses measurements from other sensors to estimate its output assuming it is error-free and provides its difference from an actual measurement as an error estimate. We present the ensemble of trees and support vector machine fusers, and evaluate their performance using measurements collected over an emulated test loop of a pressurized water reactor. The plant variables are related to each other through the underlying physical laws under inertial constraints that place bounds on their derivatives, which analytically justify the applicability of machine learning methods for computing these fusers. Under twenty scenarios, we assess their sensor error estimates for pressure sensors of the heat exchanger of a reactor’s primary coolant system. Multiple types of errors are captured by both fusers under externally induced calibration drifts, blockages, minor leaks and air gaps in sensing lines, and electromagnetic interference; the root mean square error of the estimation of error is under 2.2% percent of the maximum measurement. We present generalization equations, in the framework of statistical learning theory, for these methods that characterize the confidence probability that the estimation error is bounded by a specified parameter in future test scenarios.
Core Body Temperatures in Collegiate Marching Band Artists During Rehearsals and Performances.

CONTEXT To our knowledge, no researchers have investigated thermoregulatory responses and exertional heat illness (EHI) risk factors in marching band (MB) artists performing physical activity in high environmental temperatures. OBJECTIVE To examine core temperature (Tc) and EHI risk factors in MB artists. DESIGN Descriptive epidemiology study. SETTING Three rehearsals and 2 football games for 2 National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I institution's MBs. PATIENTS OR OTHER PARTICIPANTS Nineteen volunteers (females = 13, males = 6; age = 20.5 ± 0.9 years, height = 165.1 ± 7.1 cm, mass = 75.0 ± 19.1 kg) completed the study. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S) We measured Tc, wet bulb globe temperature, and relative humidity preactivity, during activity, and postactivity. Other variables were activity time and intensity, body surface area, hydration characteristics (fluid volume, sweat rate, urine specific gravity, percentage of body mass loss), and medical history (eg, previous EHI, medications). The statistical analysis consisted of descriptive information (mean ± standard deviation), comparative analyses that determined differences within days, and correlations that identified variables significantly associated with Tc. RESULTS The mean time for rehearsals was 102.8 ± 19.8 minutes and for games was 260.5 ± 47.7 minutes. Mean maximum Tc was 39.1 ± 1.1°C for games and 38.4 ± 0.7°C for rehearsals; the highest Tc (41.2°C) occurred during a game. Fluid consumption did not match sweat rates (P < .001). Participants reported to games in a hypohydrated state 63.6% of the time. The maximum Tc correlated with the maximum wet bulb globe temperature (r = 0.618, P < .001) and was higher in individuals using mental health medications (rpb = -0.254, P = .022) and females (rpb = 0.330, P = .002). Body surface area (r = -0.449, P < .001) and instrument mass (r = -0.479, P < .001) were negatively correlated with Tc. CONCLUSIONS Marching band artists experienced high Tc during activity and should have access to athletic trainers who can implement EHI-prevention and -management strategies.
A robust high sensitivity scanning thermal probe for simultaneous microscale thermal and thermoelectric property mapping

Scanning Thermal Microscopy (SThM) provides efficient thermal property measurement with micro- or nanoscale spatial resolution. However, the sensitivity and accuracy of state-of-the-art thermal probes have been limited by excessive thermal contact resistance between the probe and sample. Introduced herein is a robust thermal microprobe that can increase the probe-sample contact force by more than two orders of magnitude, thereby reducing the probe-sample thermal contact resistance by as much as 96% and increasing measurement sensitivity by more than 240% compared to a commercial thermal probe with the same dimensions and measurement principle. The relationship between the probe-sample thermal contact resistance, thermal exchange radius, and sample thermal conductivity is determined experimentally. Simultaneous measurement of thermal conductivity and Seebeck coefficient with unprecedented sensitivity is demonstrated using the enhanced scanning thermal microprobe on samples of an extended range of thermal conductivity up to 18 W/m K, increasing the range of samples applicable to SThM when compared to the conventional commercial probe with diminished measurement sensitivity above ∼10 W/m K. The probe is further demonstrated by simultaneously mapping thermal conductivity and Seebeck coefficient as a function of depth from the irradiated surface of an ion-irradiated bulk nanostructured thermoelectric material. In addition to enabling microscale thermal conductivity and Seebeck coefficient measurement of materials previously not applicable to SThM, the probe can also facilitate high-throughput characterization of combinatorial materials to aid the rapid discovery of compositions and processing conditions that yield highly desired thermal and thermoelectric properties.
Efficiency changes due to use of doubled-haploids in recurrent selection methods.

Efficiency comparisons are made among standard recurrent selection methods and for the same methods modified by the inclusion of haploid and cloning techniques. These comparisons are made with respect to five different gene models representing different levels of heritability and also with respect to unrestricted versus restricted total plant numbers.
Banning Child Corporal Punishment

Recent research on the impact of spanking children indicates that spanking is a dangerous disciplinary practice. Scientific studies released in the past ten years in particular have demonstrated more clearly than ever before that physical assault on children as a child-rearing method may cause a variety of personal and societal ills, including an increase in the child's aggression level, decreased cognitive functioning, and increased psychological and physical ailments. Other countries have responded to this research by banning child corporal punishment altogether, including parental spanking in the privacy of one's home. This Article argues that America should follow the global trend to ban child spanking. Current American law supports violence against children by providing tort and criminal privileges for child corporal punishment. However, the policy supporting these privileges - the idea that corporal punishment is beneficial to children and helps them to become healthy, productive citizens - has been severely undermined by the recent scientific research indicating just the opposite. Therefore, the privileges should be abolished as obsolete. In addition, American child abuse jurisprudence employs a parent-motive-centered approach, which essentially divests the child of the protection potentially afforded by child abuse laws. Current child abuse jurisprudence should change and center on the harm to the child, not the parent's motive. In addition, child abuse jurisprudence should recognize the reality that severe emotional harm can result from subabusive corporal punishment in the absence of physical injury. These changes to American law collectively would result in heightened societal awareness of the dangers of child corporal punishment and ultimately lessen the amount of violence perpetrated against American children, leading to a less violent society.
MODELING THE KINETICS OF CARBON COAGULATION IN EXPLOSIVES DETONATION

A typical insensitive high explosive such as LX-17 has a large carbon content. The detonation behavior of these explosives is affected by a slow coagulation of carbon atoms by diffusion and their possible transformation from one chemical bonding type to another. We have used the Brenner bond order potential to compute the melting line of diamond at high pressure and high temperature by molecular dynamics and Monte Carlo simulations, with the goal to refine the potential for the study of the kinetics of the graphite–diamond transition. The slow diffusion-controlled kinetics of carbon clusters has been examined by including a time-dependent surface correction to the Gibbs free energy of these clusters in the nonequilibrium CHEQ code. We also propose a new explosive burn model which incorporates a partial release of the heat of detonation in a fast reaction zone, followed by a diffusion-limited release of the remaining energy. Hydrodynamic applications of the new burn model to LX-17 show that computed expansion and compression results both agree closely with experimental data.
Challenges and New Directions in the Rural Setting: Implementation of the "Focus on Kids" HIV Risk Reduction Program

ABSTRACT Although frequently not perceived as a rural problem, the prevalence of Human Immunodeficiency Virus/Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (HIV/AIDS) has been increasing in rural settings. Since the emergence of the AIDS epidemic in the United States, researchers and clinicians have been concerned about behaviors placing adolescent populations at risk for acquiring HIV and have sought to develop effective intervention programs. To date, most of these programs have targeted urban or suburban settings. Assessing the applicability of current adolescent risk reduction interventions in new settings is essential to the successful deployment of intervention programs on a wide scale basis. Previous rural research has identified factors suggesting that programs originally developed for urban areas may need to be altered to be applicable to rural settings. As part of our effort to adopt an urban adolescent HIV prevention program entitled “Focus on Kids” to a low-income rural setting, we explored the interpla...
Main memory database research directions

The state of MMDB research with respect to some of the many unsolved problems is investigated. For MMDB systems to realize their full performance potential, the issues raised here must be addressed. We hope that this discussion will increase interest in main memory systems and stimulate future research activities.
Ketone bodies in epilepsy

Seizures that are resistant to standard medications remain a major clinical problem. One underutilized option for patients with medication-resistant seizures is the high-fat, low-carbohydrate ketogenic diet. The diet received its name based on the observation that patients consuming this diet produce ketone bodies (e.g., acetoacetate, β-hydroxybutyrate, and acetone). Although the exact mechanisms of the diet are unknown, ketone bodies have been hypothesized to contribute to the anticonvulsant and antiepileptic effects. In this review, anticonvulsant properties of ketone bodies and the ketogenic diet are discussed (including GABAergic and glutamatergic effects). Because of the importance of ketone body metabolism in the early stages of life, the effects of ketone bodies on developing neurons in vitro also are discussed. Understanding how ketone bodies exert their effects will help optimize their use in treating epilepsy and other neurological disorders.
Alterations in cerebral cortical galanin concentrations following neurotransmitter-specific subcortical lesions in the rat

Galanin is associated with multiple projection neurons, and its immunoreactivity in the cerebral cortex may be derived from diverse sources. We investigated the effects of subcortical lesions on cerebral cortical galanin concentrations. Lesions of the anterior noradrenergic bundle (ANB) comparably reduced cerebral cortical galanin and norepinephrine (NE) concentrations. The effects of the ANB lesions on galanin were immediate and became most pronounced 1 week later. Extensive unilateral lesions of the nucleus basalis of Meynert (NBM) decreased galanin concentrations, although not as markedly as after ANB lesions. The NBM lesions had no additional effect in the presence of an ANB lesion. Decreases in cerebral cortical galanin concentrations depended upon the extent and the duration of the NBM lesion and were not as pronounced as the decreases in markers of cholinergic activity. Acute treatments with physostigmine, which inhibit cerebral cortical AChE, had no effect on galanin concentrations. The depletion of galanin following an NBM lesion was most pronounced within hours of the insult, while the depletion of ChAT following the same lesions required several days to develop. Cortical concentrations of galanin and 5-HT increased 1 hr after dorsal raphe nucleus (DRN) lesions and then decreased 7 d later. Six weeks later, galanin concentrations recovered in the cerebral cortex despite the continued depletion of 5-HT. These studies suggest that a substantial portion of cerebral cortical galanin may derive from noradrenergic neurons and may be modulated by cortically-projecting ACh and 5-HT neurons.
Ellipsoidal coverings and error-free search in maximum likelihood decoding

For general linear (n, k) codes, maximum likelihood decoding is performed by random search of error-free k-subsets. The lowest known complexity of soft-decision decoding is obtained.
Relationships Between Student, Teacher, and School Characteristics and Mathematics Achievement

A variety of factors contributes to student achievement in mathematics, including but not limited to student behaviors and student, teacher, and school characteristics. The purpose of this study was to explore which of these factors have an impact on student mathematics achievement. The target population for this study was North Carolina Algebra II students. Analyses of variance models were examined for group differences and a Three-level Hierarchical Linear Modeling method was employed to examine individual predictors of student achievement in mathematics. Statistically, significant differences were found between students of different ethnicities, socioeconomic statuses (SES), and parental education levels. No gender effects were statistically significant. All teacher-level variables investigated were found to be statistically significant, impacting student achievement in mathematics. School size and SES were not found to significantly contribute to student achievement. More research on the relationships between these factors shown to make statistically significant differences on mathematics achievement is needed to further explain several phenomena that this research reveals.
Evidence that β-Galactosidase of Sulfolobus solfataricus Is Only One of Several Activities of a Thermostable β-d-Glycosidase

Abstract A survey of Sulfolobus isolates showed all to contain thermostable enzyme activities hydrolyzing various glycosidic compounds. Of those not previously reported, the β-glucosidase activity of Sulfolobus solfataricus isolate P2 was chosen for further study and found to have the same kinetics of inactivation, apparent molecular weight, and many (though not all) other biochemical properties of the β-galactosidase also present in this strain. The two activities copurified approximately 850-fold to apparent homogeneity. The enzyme, whose subunit Mr was estimated to be 60,000 to 65,000 by gel permeation chromatography of the active enzyme and 70,000 by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis of the denatured form, hydrolyzed a variety of low-molecular-weight, β-linked glycosides and could account for most of the corresponding activities found in crude extract. Kinetic analyses indicated that chromogenic β-d-galactosides and β-d-glucosides are hydrolyzed at a common active site and that β-glucosides and β-fucosides represent the preferred substrates. The liberation of aglycone from aryl β-d-glucosides was stimulated by alcohols in a manner suggesting specific interaction between alcohol and enzyme.
Assessment of adolescent neurotoxicity: Rationale and methodological considerations

This introduction to the special issue of Neurotoxicology and Teratology on "Risk of neurobehavioral toxicity in adolescence" begins by broadly considering the ontogeny and phylogeny of adolescence, and the potential value of animal models of adolescence. Major findings from the emerging neuroscience of adolescence are then highlighted to establish the importance of studies of adolescent neurotoxicity. A variety of methodological issues that are of particular relevance to adolescent exposures are then discussed. These include consideration of pharmacokinetic factors, inclusion of other-aged comparison group(s), and issues involving timing, route of administration, and exposure-induced alterations in growth rate. Despite such methodological challenges, research to determine whether adolescence is a time of increased vulnerability (or greater resiliency) to specific drugs and environmental toxicants is progressing rapidly, as exemplified by the work presented in the articles of this special issue.
Normal discrimination of spatial frequency and contrast across visual hemifields in left-onset Parkinson's disease: evidence against perceptual hemifield biases.

Abstract Individuals with Parkinson’s disease (PD) with symptom onset on the left side of the body (LPD) show a mild type of left-sided visuospatial neglect, whereas those with right-onset (RPD) generally do not. The functional mechanisms underlying these observations are unknown. Two hypotheses are that the representation of left-space in LPD is either compressed or reduced in salience. We tested these hypotheses psychophysically. Participants were 31 non-demented adults with PD (15 LPD, 16 RPD) and 17 normal control adults (NC). The spatial compression hypothesis was tested by showing two sinusoidal gratings, side by side. One grating’s spatial frequency (SF) was varied across trials, following a staircase procedure, whereas the comparison grating was held at a constant SF. While fixating on a central target, participants estimated the point at which they perceived the two gratings to be equal in SF. The reduced salience hypothesis was tested in a similar way, but by manipulating the contrast of the test grating rather than its SF. There were no significant differences between groups in the degree of bias across hemifields for SF discrimination or for contrast discrimination. Results did not support either the spatial compression hypothesis or the reduced salience hypothesis. Instead, they suggest that at this perceptual level, LPD do not have a systematically biased way of representing space in the left hemifield that differs from healthy individuals, nor do they perceive stimuli on the left as less salient than stimuli on the right. Neglect-like syndrome in LPD instead presumably arises from dysfunction of higher-order attention.
RUTHENIUM(II) 1,10-PHENANTHROLINE SALTS AS MOBILE PHASE ADDITIVES FOR THE SEPARATION AND INDIRECT DETECTION OF FREE AMINO-ACIDS

Abstract Ruthenium (II) 1,10-phenanthroline, Ru(phen)2+ 3, salts are used as ion interaction reagents in a basic mobile phase for the retention, resolution, and indirect photometric detection (IPD) of free amino acids on a polystyrene divinylbenzene (Hamilton PRP-1) column. Mobile phase Ru(phen)2+ 3 concentration and pH and type and concentration of organic modifier and counteranion affect retention and IPD. Underivatized amino acid elution order is influenced by side chain structure typical of ion exchange processes. Detection limits for the separation and detection of free amino acids using an isocratic elution condition are about 0.1 nmole for lower retained amino acids and 0.25 nmole for higher retained amino acids for a 3:1 signal:noise ratio. Gradient elution is possible but at higher detection limits.
A simple image display application for windows

The purpose of this project was to develop a simple application for displaying low-to-moderate resolution digital images under the Windows operating environment. The display of scintigraphic images was of special interest, and for this reason the program was designed to show sequences of images and to account for broad ranges of pixel values. In order to function under a variety of Windows versions, the program was developed using the 16-bit Microsoft C++ compiler and targeted for Windows 3.1 enhanced. It was tested with Trionix images for nuclear medicine and Siemens for computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance (MR). The resulting application, calledSID, successfully read Magnetom, Somatom, Trionix, and Interfile images of dimension 512 or less on Intel-based Windows PCs with 256 color SVGA-compatible (Super Video Graphics Adapters) video hardware. Early applications of the program included remote monitoring of image studies, resident review of teaching cases, review of research images, and preparation of educational materials. This article describes the features, operation, and potential applications of SID.
Fractal renewal processes generate 1/f noise.

1/${\mathit{f}}^{\mathit{D}}$ noise occurs in an impressive variety of physical systems, and numerous complex theories have been proposed to explain it. We construct two relatively simple renewal processes whose power spectral densities vary as 1/${\mathit{f}}^{\mathit{D}}$: (i) a standard renewal point process, with 0D1, and (ii) a finite-valued alternating renewal process, with 0D2. The resulting event number statistics, coincidence rates, minimal coverings, and autocorrelation functions are shown also to follow power-law forms. These fractal characteristics derive from interevent-time probability density functions which themselves decay in a power-law fashion. A number of applications are considered: trapping in amorphous semiconductors, electronic burst noise, movement in systems with fractal boundaries, the digital generation of 1/${\mathit{f}}^{\mathit{D}}$ noise, and ionic currents in cell membranes.
Functional variation in the 3' untranslated region of the serotonin transporter in human and rhesus macaque.

The serotonin system underlies a wide variety of behavioral traits and its dysregulation is the cause of numerous neuropsychiatric disorders. Among genes involved in the system, the serotonin transporter (SERT) is integral and has been repeatedly shown to be associated with disease as well as being a primary drug target. In addition to promoter region variation, we identify here variation in a regulatory region in the 3′ untranslated region (UTR) of the SERT gene in both humans and rhesus macaques. We comprehensively survey the 3′ UTR of SLC6A4 in Indian-origin rhesus macaques to identify three single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) creating two haplotypes, both derived from an ancestral sequence, that represent the vast majority of the alleles in the population. Through the use of a luciferase reporter gene assay, we are able to show that not only do these alleles have differential effects on gene expression, modulated through changes in messenger RNA stability, but that different commonly occurring SNPs in the human 3′ UTR also have similar effects. This finding not only offers additional insight into the regulation, and thus dysregulation, of SERT expression, but also suggests the role of natural selection in maintaining both high and low SERT expression levels broadly across populations of multiple primate species.
Multi-layer boron thin-film detectors for neutrons

Abstract Intrinsic efficiencies of multi-layer boron-10 thin-film detectors were studied theoretically and experimentally. For multi-layer schemes based on an optimized single-layer film thickness, the practical efficiency is limited to about 42% for thermal neutrons. This is about half the efficiency of a moderated 3He detectors in commercial use for portal monitoring. The efficiency limitation is due to charged particle loss in the boron layers and substrates. The same loss mechanism will prevent all substrate-based boron detectors from ever reaching the intrinsic efficiencies of high-pressure 3He tubes, independent of substrate geometry and material composition. Experimental data also indicate that the multi-layer detector configuration can have an efficiency approaching the theoretical limit. Excellent n / γ discrimination has also been achieved using an ionization chamber.
Thymectomy modifies androgenizing effects of a testis transplant during critical period for neuroprogramming

Thymectomy simultaneous with transplantation of a syngeneic testis from a littermate to Fischer 344 rats ameliorated the androgenizing effects of the testis transplant on ovarian morphology at 90 days of age.
Real-time image analysis and control of the solid/liquid interface during zone-melting recrystallization of thin films

Thermal processing, a necessary step in the fabrication of most microelectronic devices, is used to improve the material quality of thin films. One example of thermal processing of thin films is Zone- Melting Recrystallization with a radiant line heat source. A line heater, situated above the film, heats a narrow region beyond its melt point creating a molten zone. As the line heater is moved slowly over the film, the material in the wake of the moving molten zone freezes in the form of a single crystal. The morphology of the solid/liquid interface strongly influences the resultant quality of the crystal. A planar morphology, in fact, produces a poor quality film which contains branching dislocations. A cellular morphology produces the highest quality films with limited point of line defects. In-situ observations of the crystalline quality can be made by examining the solid/liquid interface morphology. The real-time image analysis of the interface and the closed-loop control of the process are described in this paper.
The latent structure of landscape perception: A mean and covariance structure modeling approach

Abstract Mean and covariance structure (MACS) modeling is used to explore a central question in contemporary environmental psychology: “How should human environments be conceptualized?”. Specifically, an expanded version of the preference model of landscape perception proposed by S. and R. Kaplan is presented. The proposed model not only constitutes a respecification and deepening of the Kaplans’ model but also presents an integrative perspective that simultaneously considers the interrelations among cognitive, motivational, affective, evaluative, and behavioral tendencies in landscape perception. In a series of four studies, we develop and validate multi-item measures of various constructs, test the measure invariances, and the structural model. The findings reveal the crucial role of various constructs that originally were hypothesized by the Kaplans but never included in the model tests. In addition, positive and negative feelings induced by the landscape emerge as antecedents to landscape perception. The implications of these findings are discussed.
Electronically conductive polymers as chemically-selective layers for membrane-based separations

Abstract We show that electronically conductive polymers are promising new materials for membrane-based separations, including gas separations and pervaporation. The approach we have taken is to use interfacial polymerization to synthesize thin films of the desired electronically conductive polymer (e.g. polypyrrole, poly(N-methylpyrrole), polyaniline) onto the surfaces of microporous support membranes. These interfacial polymerizations yield thin film composite membranes in which the microporous support provides the requisite mechanical strength and the conductive polymer provides the chemical selectivity. Results of gas-transport and pervaporation experiments on such conductive polymer-based thin film composite membranes will be described.
Monoid Domain Constructions of Antimatter Domains

An integral domain without irreducible elements is called an antimatter domain. We give some monoid domain constructions of antimatter domains. Among other things, we show that if D is a GCD domain with quotient field K that is algebraically closed, real closed, or perfect of characteristic p > 0, then the monoid domain D[X; ℚ+] is an antimatter GCD domain. We also show that a GCD domain D is antimatter if and only if P−1 = D for each maximal t-ideal P of D.
Minimum uncertainty states for amplitude-squared squeezing: Hermite polynomial states.

The real and imaginary parts of the square of the field amplitude are the variables that describe amplitude-squared squeezing. These quantities obey an uncertainty relation. Here we find a particularly simple subset of the states that satisfy the uncertainty relation as an equality. These states are constructed by applying a squeeze operator to a state that consists of a Hermite polynomial, whose argument is the mode creation operator multiplied by a constant, acting on the vacuum. The squeezed vacuum is such a state. These states may or may not be squeezed in the normal sense, and may or may not have sub-Poissonian photon statistics.
On the absolute continuity of Schrödinger operators with spherically symmetric, long-range potentials, II

Abstract Let H = −Δ + V, where the potential V is spherically symmetric and can be decomposed as a sum of a short-range and a long-range term, V(r) = VS(r) + VL(r). Assume that for some r0, VL(r) ϵ C2k(r0, ∞) and that there exist μ > 0, δ > 0, such that ( d dr ) j V L (r) = O(r −μ−jδ ) as r → ∞, 1 ⩽ j ⩽ 2k . Assume further that min(2kμ, (2k − 1)δ + μ) > 1. Under this weak decay condition on VL(r) it is shown in this paper that the positive spectrum of H is absolutely continuous and that the absolutely continuous part of H is unitarily equivalent to −Δ, provided that the singularity of V at 0 is properly restricted. In particular, some oscillation of VL(r) at infinity is allowed.
Descriptive Epidemiology of Bovine Tuberculosis in Michigan (1975–2010): Lessons Learned

Despite ongoing eradication efforts, bovine tuberculosis (BTB) remains a challenge in Michigan livestock and wildlife. The objectives of this study were to (1) review the epidemiology of BTB in Michigan cattle, privately owned cervids, and wildlife between 1975 and 2010 and (2) identify important lessons learned from the review and eradication strategies. BTB information was accessed from the Michigan BTB Eradication Project agencies. Cattle herds (49), privately owned deer herds (4), and wild white-tailed deer (668) were found infected with BTB during the review period. BTB has occurred primarily in counties located at the northern portion of the state's Lower Peninsula. Currently used BTB eradication strategies have successfully controlled BTB spread. However additional changes in BTB surveillance, prevention, and eradication strategies could improve eradication efforts.
Effect of indomethacin on estrogen-induced luteolysis in the ewe.

Abstract Three groups of 6 ewes were laparotomized on day 9 of an estrous cycle (estrus = day 0) and the corpora lutea (CL) were marked with India ink. Indwelling cannulae were inserted into the uterine horn adjacent to the CL in groups 2 and 3. Group 1 was injected intramuscularly (i.m.) with corn oil twice daily on day 9. Group 2 received 750 ug 17β-estradiol (E 2 ) i.m. twice daily on day 9 plus intrauterine injections of indomethacin (INDO) vehicle on days 9 through 13. Group 3 received the same estrogen treatment plus the injection of 20 mg INDO twice daily on days 9 through 13. Jugular venous samples were taken once daily on days 9 through 14 progesterone analysis. At re-laparotmy on day 14, the ovaries were examined for new ovulations, and the ovary bearing the marked CL was removed. Results showed that E 2 induced premature luteal regression as indicated by decreased CL weights and plasma progesterone levels. INDO when given in conjuction with E 2 effectively blocked the luteolytic action of E 2 . These results suggest that the luteolytic action of E 2 is mediated via increased prostaglandin secretion and release from the uterus.
Neutron yields from interactions of GCR-like beams in stopping targets.

Abstract In order to accurately determine the radiation risk to astronauts from GCR, the nature of the secondary radiation field created by the fragmentation of GCR in shielding and tissue must be understood. Due to their high penetrabilities, neutrons are an important component of the secondary radiation field, especially for astronauts protected by thick shielding on lunar or Martian bases. Neutron yields from 435A MeV and 272A MeV Nb stopping in Nb and Al targets are presented, along with some preliminary analysis of neutron yields from 155A MeV C stopping in Al. Energy spectra and angular distributions are shown for neutron energies above 20 MeV. The data provides some information about the dependence of the neutron yield on projectile energy and target mass. Comparisons of the data with BUU calculations are also shown.
A Study of Human Serum Sickness

Twelve patients with bone marrow failure, who were undergoing therapy with daily intravenous infusions of horse antithymocyte globulin, were studied for the development of serum sickness. Eleven of 12 patients developed typical signs and symptoms of serum sickness 8-13 days after the initiation of treatment. These included fever, malaise, cutaneous eruptions, arthralgias, gastrointestinal disturbances, and lymphadenopathy. Eleven of 12 patients developed high levels of circulating immune complexes during serum sickness. All 12 patients also had concomitant decreases of serum C3 and C4 levels. In addition to urticarial and/or morbilliform eruptions, 8 of 11 patients also developed a serpiginous band of erythema along the sides of the fingers, hands, toes, or feet as an early cutaneous sign of serum sickness. Direct immunofluorescence of lesional skin biopsies during serum sickness revealed deposits of immunoglobulin or complement in the walls of small cutaneous blood vessels in 3 of 5 patients. These findings indicate that circulating immune complexes play a central role in the pathophysiology of human serum sickness.