cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Comparison of block characteristics of spinal anesthesia following intravenous dexmedetomidine and clonidine.

Background and Aims: Different routes of administration of α2 adrenergic receptor agonists have been found to prolong the duration of spinal block. Material and Methods: One hundred and twenty patients, aged 18-60 years, of ASA physical status I or II posted for elective fixation of fractures of lower limb under spinal anesthesia were selected. Spinal anesthesia was administered with 2.5 ml of 0.5% bupivacaine mixed with 10 μg fentanyl. The patients were randomized to receive intravenous (IV) dexmedetomidine 1 μg/kg/h for 15 min followed by infusion of 0.3 μg/kg/h (Group I), IV Clonidine 2 μg/kg/h for 15 min followed by infusion of 0.5 μg kg/h (Group II) or 15 ml of normal saline for 15 min followed by infusion at 50 ml/h (Group III). Motor and sensory blockade was evaluated using bromage score and pin prick method respectively. Results: The median block height in all groups was T8. Time to achieve block height was fastest in Group I. Time of regression of sensory block to T12/L1 dermatome was 230.75 ± 21.25 min (Group I), 196.25 ± 20.27 min (Group II) and 163.88 ± 15.46 min (Group III) respectively. Regression of motor blocks to Bromage 0/1 was 274 ± 21.25 min, 234.25 ± 32.41 min and 130.12 ± 20.70 min in Groups I, II and III respectively. Bradycardia was seen in one patient in Group I and two patients in Group II. Hypotension was seen in five patients in Group I and seven patients in Group II. First requirement for postoperative analgesic was after 353.13 ± 39.60 min, 314.38 ± 30.64 min and 193.25 ± 17.74 min in Groups I, II and III respectively. Conclusion: IV α2 agonists are useful adjuvants for prolongation of the duration of spinal block. IV dexmedetomidine produces a better clinical profile compared to clonidine.
Nothing to Hide: Aesthetic Customization of Hearing Aids and Cochlear Implants in an Online Community

Hearing aids and cochlear implants can improve accessibility and quality of life for people with hearing impairments. However, use of these devices may cause concern amongst some users due to sociocultural issues such as unwanted attention and perceived stigma. While some individuals may respond to these concerns by attempting to conceal their devices, or even abandoning their devices, others have responded by making their devices more visible through aesthetic customization, and some have begun to share these customizations online. In this paper, we describe community interactions in an online forum dedicated to customized hearing aids and cochlear implants. We found that community members discussed customization tools and techniques, shared their customizations, and provided each other with encouragement and support. Community members customized their devices as a means of self-expression that demonstrated the wearer's fashion sense, revealed favorite sports teams and characters, and marked holidays and personal milestones. Our findings may inform the design of assistive technologies that better support personalization, customization, and self-expression.
Automated microraft platform to identify and collect non-adherent cells successfully gene-edited with CRISPR-Cas9

Microraft arrays have been used to screen and then isolate adherent and non-adherent cells with very high efficiency and excellent viability; however, manual screening and isolation limits the throughput and utility of the technology. In this work, novel hardware and software were developed to automate the microraft array platform. The developed analysis software identified microrafts on the array with greater than 99% sensitivity and cells on the microrafts with 100% sensitivity. The software enabled time-lapse imaging and the use of temporally varying characteristics as sort criteria. The automated hardware released microrafts with 98% efficiency and collected released microrafts with 100% efficiency. The automated system was used to examine the temporal variation in EGFP expression in cells transfected with CRISPR-Cas9 components for gene editing. Of 11,499 microrafts possessing a single cell, 220 microrafts were identified as possessing temporally varying EGFP-expression. Candidate cells (n=172) were released and collected from the microraft array and screened for the targeted gene mutation. Two cell colonies were successfully gene edited demonstrating the desired mutation.
Troponoids Can Inhibit Growth of the Human Fungal Pathogen Cryptococcus neoformans.

Cryptococcus neoformans is a pathogen that is common in immunosuppressed patients. It can be treated with amphotericin B and fluconazole, but the mortality rate remains 15 to 30%. Thus, novel and more effective anticryptococcal therapies are needed. The troponoids are based on natural products isolated from western red cedar, and have a broad range of antimicrobial activities. Extracts of western red cedar inhibit the growth of several fungal species, but neither western red cedar extracts nor troponoid derivatives have been tested against C. neoformans We screened 56 troponoids for their ability to inhibit C. neoformans growth and to assess whether they may be attractive candidates for development into anticryptococcal drugs. We determined MICs at which the compounds inhibited 80% of cryptococcal growth relative to vehicle-treated controls and identified 12 compounds with MICs ranging from 0.2 to 15 μM. We screened compounds with MICs of ≤20 μM for cytotoxicity in liver hepatoma cells. Fifty percent cytotoxicity values (CC50s) ranged from 4 to >100 μM. The therapeutic indexes (TI, CC50/MIC) for most of the troponoids were fairly low, with most being 8, including a tropone with a TI of >300. These tropones are fungicidal and are not antagonistic when used in combination with fluconazole or amphotericin B. Inhibition by these two tropones remains unchanged under conditions favoring cryptococcal capsule formation. These data support the hypothesis that troponoids may be a productive scaffold for the development of novel anticryptococcal therapies.
Examining the relationship between encouragement and health-related quality of life among Muslims

ABSTRACTThis study examines the relationship between encouragement and health-related quality of life (HRQOL) among a sample of American Muslims, in tandem with the potential mediating effects of depression and spirituality. To conduct this cross-sectional study, a model was developed and tested using structural equation modeling (SEM) with a community sample of Muslims (N = 284). The results indicate that encouragement has a direct, positive effect on HRQOL. Neither depression nor spirituality mediated the relationship between encouragement and HRQOL. Rather, both variables exhibited a direct, independent effect on HRQOL. In addition, spirituality exhibited an indirect effect on HRQOL through attenuating depression. The findings underscore the importance of encouragement as a pathway to enhance HRQOL among Muslims in post-9/11 America. The results also suggest that spirituality can play a significant role in fostering HRQOL among Muslims, both directly and indirectly by reducing the effects of depression...
Post Purchase Search Engine Marketing

Although consumer behavior in response to search engine marketing has been studied extensively, few efforts have been made to understand how consumers search and respond to ads post purchase. Advertising to existing customers the same way as to prospective customers inevitably leads to wasteful and inefficient marketing. Employing a unique dataset that combines both search query and purchase data, we examine consumers' searching behavior and response to search engine marketing after purchase. We study large advertising campaigns for two popular technology products. We find that over half of the branded keyword searches come from consumers who already purchased the products, and that advertising response varies based on whether searchers are pre- or post-purchase. In general, post-purchase searchers are less likely to click on focal brand ads (i.e., they are less responsive to ads for products they already own). However, post-purchase searchers are still responsive to advertising and much more likely to click on ads for complementary products (i.e., they are more responsive to ads for relevant products other than the focal product).
A Comparison of Epithermal Neutron Beams for Nct: Effect of Beam Collimation on Therapy Parameters

Collimation of neutron beams has a large effect on a number of therapy parameters of interest in BNCT. The effects of collimation include changes in dose rate, thermal neutron penetration and the degree of dose uniformity throughout the patient volume. Whether or not collimation of a neutron beam will improve a given therapy parameter depends on the size of the beam relative to the size of the phantom. This paper describes the results of a computer simulation study undertaken to examine the dosimetric effects of collimating a number of different beam configurations; the result of the study is a series of guidelines to aid in both epithermal and thermal neutron beam design.
Domains of Attraction and Norming Constants

As in Chapter 0 suppose {X n , n ≥ 1} is an iid sequence of random variables with common distribution F(x). If G is an extreme value distribution then according to Proposition 0.3, G is of the for.
Substance Use Among Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Questioning Adolescents in the United States, 2015.

Objectives. To provide current national estimates of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and questioning (LGBQ) adolescents’ (grades 9–12) substance use risks.Methods. The 2015 national Youth Risk Behavior Sur...
History and Overview of Childhood Assessment

The history of childhood assessment began with the development of intelligence testing. Mental health-based assessments followed soon after; however, researchers found that the rates of child and adolescent psychopathology varied based on the scale used. To mitigate this issue, researchers and clinicians focused on using multiple measures of assessment across multiple informants. Other formal methods of assessment including structured interviews, observation, and checklists were also developed to aid in the assessment process. The development of assessment methods with accepted norms, reliability, and validity enhanced the standardization of the diagnostic process and played an important role in differential diagnosis. In this chapter, an overview of the methods of assessment, areas of assessment, and the implications of assessment on diagnosis are discussed in detail.
PSLSH: An Index Structure for Efficient Execution of Set Queries in High-Dimensional Spaces

Efficient implementations of range and nearest neighbor queries are critical in many large multimedia applications. Locality Sensitive Hashing (LSH) is a popular technique for performing approximate searches in high-dimensional multimedia, such as image or sensory data. Often times, these multimedia data are represented as a collection of important spatio-temporal features which are extracted by using localized feature extraction algorithms. When a user wants to search for a given entity (object, event, or observation), individual similarity search queries, which collectively form a set query, need to be performed on the features that represent the particular search entity. Existing LSH techniques require that users provide an accuracy guarantee for each query in the set query, instead of an overall guarantee for the entire set query, which can lead to misses or wasteful work. We propose a novel index structure, Point Set LSH (PSLSH), which is able to execute a similarity search for a given set of search points in the high-dimensional space with a user-provided guarantee for the entire set query. Experimental evaluation shows significant gains in efficiency and accuracy trade-offs for executing set queries in high-dimensional spaces.
Portojejunostomy in Split Liver Transplantation as a Rescue Technique for Challenging Biliary Reconstruction: A Case Report.

Abstract Cadaveric split liver transplantation (SLT) is a valid option to increase the pool of cadaveric organs, obtaining 2 functioning grafts from a single donor. Typically, SLT is performed for 1 adult and 1 pediatric recipient. However, on the heels of great results achieved in living donor liver transplantation, splitting cadaveric liver into full right graft and full left graft for 2 adults has become a feasible idea. The rate of biliary complications remains the “Achilles heel” in partial graft liver transplantation, either from cadaveric or living donors. In cases of biliary complications, interventional radiology and/or endoscopic procedures are the cornerstone of management. Surgical revision is left as the last option. When surgical revision fails, retransplantation becomes the only rescue option. Herein we describe the case of a cadaveric SLT, complicated by biliary leakage in the presence of multiple bile ducts. A duct-to-duct anastomosis was not feasible. Therefore, a hepaticojejunostomy was performed and resulted in a high-output biliary leak from different sources. Given the anatomy of the biliary tree, radiologic interventional measures were not feasible to address the leak. The idea of performing a portoenterostomy to restore bilioenteric continuity proved to be successful. Portoenterostomy should not be performed in lieu of other alternatives, but rather as the last option to avoid retransplantation in cases of complicated biliary reconstruction after partial graft liver transplant.
Monochromatic spatial imaging of the liquid sampling - Atmospheric pressure glow discharge: Effects of gas flow on spatial profiles of analyte and background species

Abstract The liquid sampling – atmospheric pressure glow discharge (LS-APGD) microplasma was paired with a monochromatic imaging spectrometer (MIS) to interrogate relevant plasma species/elements. The coupling of the LS-APGD source to the MIS allows for the generation of spatial emission profiles at specific analyte and background species' wavelengths. A major goal of this work was to utilize these emission profiles to gain an understanding of the species' location in the plasma as well as the effects of plasma gas flow on these emission profiles. It was found that as sheath gas and counter gas flow rates were increased, there were visible differences in intensity and distribution of emission from the monitored species in the plasma. Silver was used as the representative (test) analyte for this work due to its good sensitivity, wavelength positioning, and ability to provide continuity for comparison to previous works. The majority of analyte emission was found to occur at the tip of the solution electrode, where solutes are introduced to the plasma, whereas various background species emitted throughout the plasma. In addition to aiding in the understanding of plasma operation based on spatial emission characteristics, these studies also aided in optimizing the gas flow parameters for analyte emission intensity, signal-to-background (S/B), and signal-to-noise (S/N) values. The optimized gas flow parameters were found to be 0.7 and 0.1 L min−1 for the sheath and counter gas respectively.
Theorizing lip reading as interface design: the gadfly of the gaps

This article explores what lip reading can teach us about interface design. First, I define lip reading. Second, I challenge the idea that people can "read" lips---an idea that is deeply imbedded in the literate tradition described by Walter Ong (1982) in Orality and Literacy. Third, I frame lip reading as a complex rhetorical activity of filling in the "gaps" of communication. Fourth, I present a lip reading heuristic that can challenge those of us in communication related fields to remember how the invisible "gaps" of communication are sometimes more important than the visible "interfaces." And finally, I conclude with some reflections about how lip reading might "reimagine" disability studies for technical and professional communicators.
Using Motion-Activated Trail Cameras to Study Diet and Productivity of Cliff-Nesting Golden Eagles

Studies of cliff-nesting raptors can be challenging because direct observations of nest contents are difficult. Our goals were to develop a protocol for installing motion-activated trail cameras at Golden Eagle (Aquila chrysaetos) nests to record diet information and productivity, and to estimate prey detection probability using different diet study methods. In 2014 and 2015, we installed cameras at 12 Golden Eagle nests with 18–42-d-old nestlings. Following installation, we monitored adult behavior using direct observation and post-installation image review. At two nests, adult eagles did not return to nests or exhibited behaviors suggesting avoidance of the cameras, but returned to the nests after cameras were removed. We visited the 10 remaining nests every 4 d to collect prey remains and pellets to generate prey-specific detection estimates for both images, and prey remains and pellets. Compared to inspection of prey remains and pellets, cameras recorded twice the number of prey (622 vs. 316), were more likely to detect the smallest and largest prey, and cost half as much. Cameras recorded productivity, fledging dates, and in one case, a nestling death. Trail cameras may be a reliable and cost-effective option to address clearly defined research goals and obtain required information about eagle behavior and nest contents. However, cameras should be used judiciously because installation creates a persistent manipulation at the nest. Camera appearance should be minimized, and post-installation monitoring that allows for timely responses to nest-avoidance behavior by adult eagles is important to prevent adverse effects on nesting success.
Activity of cefepime/zidebactam (WCK 5222) against Enterobacteriaceae, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Acinetobacter baumannii endemic to New York City medical centres.

Background The combination of cefepime and zidebactam (WCK5222), a novel β-lactam enhancer, has demonstrated activity against a wide variety of Gram-negative pathogens and is currently under clinical evaluation. Objectives To examine the activity of cefepime/zidebactam against: (i) a contemporary collection of Gram-negative isolates from New York City; (ii) a collection of carbapenem-resistant clinical isolates; and (iii) a collection of isolates with characterized resistance mechanisms. Methods Susceptibility tests were performed using broth microdilution for cefepime, zidebactam and cefepime/zidebactam (1:1). Results More than 99% of a contemporary collection of Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae and Enterobacter spp. had cefepime/zidebactam MICs ≤2 mg/L, the susceptibility breakpoint for cefepime. For K. pneumoniae, the acquisition of blaKPC resulted in increased MICs, although MICs remained ≤2 mg/L for 90% of KPC-possessing isolates. Overall for Pseudomonas aeruginosa, 98% of isolates had MICs ≤8 mg/L and MICs were affected by increased expression of ampC. For carbapenem-resistant P. aeruginosa, 78% of isolates had cefepime/zidebactam MICs ≤8 mg/L. The activity of cefepime/zidebactam against Acinetobacter baumannii was lower, with 85% of all isolates and 34% of carbapenem-resistant isolates with MICs ≤8 mg/L (cefepime interpretative criteria). Conclusions Cefepime/zidebactam demonstrated excellent activity against Enterobacteriaceae and P. aeruginosa, although activity was reduced in carbapenem-non-susceptible isolates. The activity against A. baumannii was reduced and studies examining the therapeutic efficacy in strains with high cefepime/zidebactam MICs are warranted.
What Is the Work? and With Whom Are We Working? Relational Practices in the Intimate Partner Violence Field:

Feminist movements against domestic and intimate partner violence (DV and IPV) have long struggled with tensions around the professionalization of their work. This article uses qualitative intervie...
Ambient ammonia does not appear to inhibit the immune response to infectious bronchitis virus vaccination and protection from homologous challenge in broiler chickens.

Abstract Commercial broilers are commonly exposed to gaseous ammonia (NH3) originating from degradation of nitrogen-containing excreta in the litter during the grow-out period. Ammonia concentrations in the air are higher in poorly ventilated houses and appear to coincide with the elevated incidence of respiratory disease occurring during the winter months. This study examined the effect of NH3 on the immune response to infectious bronchitis virus (IBV) vaccination and protection against homologous serotype challenge in commercial broiler chickens. One-day-old chicks were administered IBV vaccine and exposed to 30–60 ppm of NH3. At 28 DOA, birds were challenged oculonasally with a pathogenic homologous IBV, and protection was measured by viral detection, clinical signs, ciliostasis, and presence of airsacculitis. IBV-specific serum IgG and lacrimal fluid IgA titers, as well as Harderian gland (HG) immune cell phenotypes, were evaluated. Ammonia exposure was associated with an increased incidence of airsacculitis among non-vaccinated, challenged birds. Vaccinated, NH3-exposed birds were completely protected from IBV challenge. Ammonia had subtle effects on cilia morphology and function but did not affect vaccine or challenge virus replication and clearance, clinical signs, ciliostasis, tracheal histopathology scores, or immune responses. In the HG of vaccinated birds, the percent of leukocytes, MHC I+/MHC IIhi expression, IgM+ expression, and CD8+ expression was increased, while mucosal IgA and serum IgG titers were nominal. Non-vaccinated, IBV-challenged birds exhibited an increased percent of leukocytes, MHC I+/MHC IIhi expression, and IgM+ expression in the HG at 5 dpc, followed by increased mucosal IgA and serum IgG titers and CD8+ expression at 10–14 dpc. In contrast, vaccinated, IBV-challenged birds had a minimal increase in MHC I+/MHC IIhi expression, and serum IgG antibody titers in vaccinated birds increased rapidly. The results indicate that commercial broilers exposed to moderate levels of ambient NH3 are equally protected against IBV challenge if appropriately vaccinated, and the absence of robust immune activation in vaccinated, challenged birds suggests that the challenge virus was efficiently neutralized before establishing infection. In contrast, ambient NH3 exposure was associated with a higher incidence of airsacculitis in non-vaccinated, challenged birds, despite the apparent lack of differences in the immune response between birds in the NH3-exposed and NH3 control groups.
The impact of mindfulness meditation on self-esteem and self-compassion among prisoners

AbstractThe impact of mindfulness meditation on self-esteem and self- compassion was examined among 56 inmates at a local jail. Participants were assigned to a 1 h weekly mindfulness meditation or ...
Evaluation of the Extended-Release/Long-Acting Opioid Prescribing Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy Program by the US Food and Drug Administration: A Review.

Importance Extended-release/long-acting (ER/LA) opioids have caused substantial morbidity and mortality in the United States, yet little is known about the efforts of the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and drug manufacturers to reduce adverse outcomes associated with inappropriate prescribing or use. This review of 9739 pages of FDA documents obtained through a Freedom of Information Act request aimed to investigate whether the FDA and ER/LA manufacturers were able to assess the effectiveness of the ER/LA Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy (REMS) program by evaluating manufacturer REMS assessments and FDA oversight of these assessments. Observations The REMS program was implemented largely as planned. The FDA’s goal was for 60% of ER/LA prescribers to take REMS-adherent continuing education (CE) between 2012 and 2016; 27.6% (88 316 of 320 000) of prescribers had done so by 2016. Audits of REMS programs indicated close adherence to FDA content guidelines except for financial disclosures. Nonrepresentative cross-sectional surveys of self-selected prescribers suggested modestly greater ER/LA knowledge among CE completers than noncompleters, and claims-based surveillance indicated slowly declining ER/LA prescribing, although the contribution of the REMS to these trends could not be assessed. The effectiveness of the REMS program for reducing adverse outcomes also could not be assessed because the analyses used nonrepresentative samples, lacked adequate controls for confounding, and did not link prescribing or clinical outcomes to prescribers’ receipt of CE training. Although the FDA had requested studies tracking adverse outcomes as a function of CE training, the FDA concluded that these studies had not been performed as of the 60-month report in 2017. Conclusions and Relevance Five years after initiation, the FDA and ER/LA manufacturers could not conclude whether the ER/LA REMS had reduced inappropriate prescribing or improved patient outcomes. Alternative observational study designs would have allowed for more rigorous estimates of the program’s effectiveness.
Role of Langerhans Cells in Cutaneous Immunological Reactions

The origin and function of Langerhans cells (LC) have been a matter of conjecture and theory ever since their discovery by Paul Langerhans in 1868. For many decades, attempts were made to fit the dendritic LCs into one of two already established systems of dendritic cells. One group of authors favored Langerhans’ suggestion that the dendritic “clear cells” he had discovered in the epidermis are neural in nature (Ferreira-Marques, 1951; Wiedmann, 1952; Niebauer, 1956; Richter, 1956), while the other group (Billingham and Medawar, 1953; Fan and Hunter, 1958; Fan et al., 1959) followed Masson’s view (1951) that these cells are worn out, i.e., “effete,” melanocytes.
El cognitio per primas intentiones en el Tractatus de secundis intentibus de Hervaeus Natalis (1250-1323)

The aim of this contribution is the study of the concept of primae intentiones according to the Breton tomist Hervaeus Natalis (1250–1323), through the analysis of his Tractatus de secundis intentionibus. In this text, the Breton inherits the theory of knowledge of Thomas Aquinas to re–elaborate it in the light of the concept of intentio, making the Tractatus the first work in which the theory of intentionality is exposed in a unitary way. This paper will examine the first part of this theory, in which Hervaeus theorizes the primae intentiones as a medium by which an object of the world is known and ‘passes’ into the intellect of a knowing subject, to analyse its originality.
Bone Marrow as a Critical Normal Tissue that Limits Drug Dose/Exposure in Preclinical Models and the Clinic

Mouse models of cancer have played an important role in the discovery and development of cytotoxic and targeted anticancer agents. Initially, discovery models used transplantable syngeneic tumors that were treated with doses maximally tolerated by the normal tissues of the mouse. Thus, experimental compounds were selected for development based on their selectivity for murine malignant tissue over murine normal tissue, and the discovery method assumed that a murine therapeutic index closely approximates a human therapeutic index for most compounds. When mouse modeling migrated to the use of xenografted human malignancies in order that drug efficacy assessment would be more relevant for clinical disease, there was not a corresponding transition to human normal tissue to determine the maximum tolerated dose (MTD) to use in treating the mouse. Consequently, drug discovery in these models has been based on selectivity for human malignant tissue over murine normal tissue. This “xeno-therapeutic index” has an unknown relationship either to a mouse or human therapeutic index – these latter ones being determined by efficacy against cancer at the maximum dose tolerated by normal tissues from the same species of origin as the cancer. The biological process of producing new blood cells is termed hematopoiesis, and this process is a frequent target of toxicity of anticancer drugs, including toxicity that limits dose. Two recently established methods in experimental hematology and hematotoxicology are useful for determining the MTD of human hematopoiesis in the mouse. The methods are suitable for implementation in the drug discovery setting, and therefore could be used to discover new anticancer compounds that exhibit selectivity for malignant human tissue over normal, human hematopoiesis in mouse models. This chapter provides background information on hematopoiesis, explains why it frequently limits the dose of anticancer drugs, describes the two methods, and then proposes ways in which the methods might contribute to mouse modeling of cancer therapy to improve predictive accuracy for clinical outcome.
The Nature of Residential Tikal: a Spatial Analysis

This study reports the results of the application of some methods of spatial analysis to the map of Tikal produced by the Tikal Project and published in 1961 (Carr and Hazard, 1961), in an attempt to gain a better understanding of the nature of residential Tikal in Classic times. As in Puleston (1973: 22-24), the following terms will be used in this paper. Epicentral Tikal will refer to the ceremonial core of the site and its assumed elite residences. North-south and east-west axes were drawn from the center of the Great Plaza; the limits of epi· central Tikal would extend 0.40 km on the south axis, 0.75 km on the west axis, 0.50 km on the cast axis, and 1 km on the north axis. The axes correspond to the sun·ey strips which Puleston mapped and studied. Residential Tikal extends from epicentral Tikal to the site boundaries, defined by Puleston as the line outside of which there are more than 2 has of cultivated land per residential structure coupled with the line of the defensive earthworks to the north and south of the center of Tikal (Puleston, 1973: 19; Puleston and Callender, 1967). The unmodified name Tikal will refer to a combination of residential and epicentral Tikal. Intersite areas are areas not continuously covered by remains of structures as between the boundaries of residential Tikal and Uaxactun, regardless of whether it may be demonstrated that these areas fall within the political jurisdiction of a particular site.
Parental Controls & Online Child Protection: A Survey of Tools & Methods

Debates continue to rage about how to shield kids from the potential negative effects of various types of media or communications technologies. Is government intervention and regulation really needed to quell concerns, or do parents have access to constructive tools to control what their child sees and hears? Those issues and much more are covered in this latest edition of the PFF special report, and explores the market for parental control tools, rating schemes, education efforts, and initiatives aimed at promoting online child safety. Parental controls and content management tools cataloged in this special report represent a better, less restrictive alternative to government regulation. There has never been a time in our nation's history when parents have had more tools and methods at their disposal to help them decide what constitutes acceptable media content in their homes and in the lives of their children. The current state of parental control tools and online child protection efforts also has a profound effect on the legal and regulatory status of many modern media providers or various types of speech and expression. The courts have largely foreclosed government censorship and placed responsibility over what enters the home squarely in the hands of parents. That is why parental control tools and methods are more important than ever before and need to be inventoried and evaluated as Thierer has done in his new book. Thierer is a Senior Fellow at PFF and Director of PFF's Center for Digital Media Freedom, and is also a member of the Internet Safety Technical Task Force, chaired by the Berkman Center for Internet & Society at Harvard Law School. Included in the appendix is a compilation of relevant legislation proposed in the 110th Congress that seek to promote online child safety or propose to regulate content on the Internet.
High performance, integrated 1T1R oxide-based oscillator: Stack engineering for low-power operation in neural network applications

Brain-inspired non-Boolean computing paradigms are gaining wide interest due to their error resilient nature and massive parallelism. This work explores oxide-based compact oscillators for oscillatory neural networks (ONN). We demonstrate for the first time, best in class high-frequency performance at 500 MHz and low power (< 200 µW). The superior figures of merit are achieved due to device engineering to give maximum swing at low power and integration as a 1T1R structure. We show frequency control over 2 orders of magnitude by varying the gate voltage and show its applicability to an ONN-based associative memory.
Executing major projects through Contractors

Thesis (S.M.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, System Design and Management Program, 2005.
Evaluation of the ability of mice to detect VOCs, using a positive operant reinforcement procedure

To examine the validity of a newly established "three-odor detection (TOD)" procedure using one of volatile organic compounds (VOCs), limonene, food-restricted male mice were used. Five animals each were assigned to either TOD or single-odor detection (SOD). TOD was composed of two trainings and one test (TEST) session. Mice were trained to discriminate an odor of coffee from no odor and odors of coffee and cheese from no odor in trainings 1 and 2, respectively. In TEST, mice were required to discriminate odors of coffee, cheese, and limonene from no odor. In SOD, mice were required to discriminate an odor of limonene from no odor. Each training or test was conducted once a day until animals achieved a learning criterion (75% correct response rate for 2 consecutive days), or until a maximum number of sessions (20 sessions) was completed. The number of sessions for reaching the learning criterion of animals in TEST (8.2 ± 0.8) was smaller than that of animals in SOD (19.2 ± 0.8). Results indicated that mice in TOD detected low levels of VOCs more rapidly than animals in SOD. I concluded that TOD is a useful procedure for detecting low levels of VOCs.
Methanol and formic acid oxidation on ad‐metal modified electrodes

This chapter describes modification of platinum and some other noble metal electrodes for enhanced catalytic oxidation of methanol and formic acid. The modification was carried out by electrochemical addition of submonolayer-to-monolayer quantities of noble metals to noble metal substrates, with the primary focus on the use of spontaneous deposition. In contrast to underpotential deposition (UPD), the term noble metal deposition on noble metal substrates (NM/NM) is introduced to cover high reactivity model and real electrodes for fuel cells. We begin with providing a brief description of the basic mechanistic pathways for methanol and formic acid oxidative decomposition on platinum. Subsequently, we review the modified electrodes utilized for the study of methanol oxidation, such as platinum/ruthenium, platinum/osmium (and ruthenium/platinum for enhanced CO tolerance), and palladium/platinum and gold/palladium electrodes for formic acid oxidation. The Pt/Ru electrodes are reviewed most comprehensively as the Pt/Ru mixed-metal materials are used as an anode in the direct oxidation methanol fuel cell. Despite progress recently made in the specific catalytic categories interrogated in this chapter, research is still needed to establish a solid and comprehensive base for preparation of new catalytic materials via the rational rather than trial and error principle; the latter has exhausted its utility many years ago. Keywords: methanol oxidation; DMFC; PEM; NM/NM; formic acid; platinum; gold; ruthenium; palladium; osmium
Peer Pressure: Distributed Recovery from Attacks in Peer-to-Peer Systems

Peer-to-peer systems such as Gnutella are resilient to failures at a single point in the network because of their decentralized nature. However an attack resulting in the removal of a small percentage of highly connected nodes could cripple such systems. We believe that distributed attack recovery is not simply a reactive process but requires proactive measures by the nodes in the system. We propose a distributed recovery method, where clients proactively detect attacks by monitoring the rate at which their first and second-degree neighbors leave the network and reconfigure themselves to form a topology that is more resilient to attacks when one has been detected. This topology is created and maintained through a new type of node discovery mechanism that is used during normal network operations. The recovery method is able to reconnect the network and deal with any ongoing attacks once one has started.
Police levels and crime rates revisited: A county-level analysis from Florida (1980–1998)

Abstract Research on the police–crime relationship generally shows police levels have little impact on crime rates. Two recent studies [Criminology 34 (1996) 609; American Economics Review 87 (1997) 270.] presented evidence that prior police–crime studies were methodologically flawed and found that increased police levels reduced crime. Using county-level data collected from Florida for the period 1980–1998 and a multiple time series (MTS) design, this study revisited the police–crime relationship. for a sample of large cities, the study found that increased police levels reduced most types of crime at the county level. Similar results have now been reported in three recent studies using similar research designs but different units of analysis and time periods. Due to this, prior research showing no relationship between police levels and crime should be reconsidered.
Cosmic ray studies of solar and heliospheric physics: Goals for the 1990's and beyond

A summary is presented of discussions by the splinter group on solar and heliospheric physics, which met as part of the workshop on ‘‘The NASA Cosmic Ray Program for the 1990’s and Beyond’’, held at the Goddard Space Flight Center on November 6–8, 1989. This group identified major science themes and discussed a complement of new missions to address these themes.
The Pastorian: a legacy of Louis Pasteur.

Publisher Summary This chapter focuses on the researches carried out by Andre Lwoff in the field of lysogeny and describes the way his work inspired Howard Temin and other scientists to understand retroviruses, and thus prepared the world to identify the cause of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). It mentions two experiments undertaken by Lwoff to extend the Wollmans' hypothesis—bacteriophages contained genetic instructions and—such instructions were inherited by lysogenic bacteria. The findings, coupled with the growing recognition that genetic information resides in DNA, permitted Lwoff to propose a simple and prophetic explanation of lysogeny. According to him, viral infection can either result in the massive production of new viruses and destruction of the bacterium or can lead to the perpetuation of the bacteriophage's genes inserted into the chromosome of the bacterium in an inactive form called a “prophage.” Howard Temin proposed ways in which the infection of an animal cell by a retrovirus resembled the establishment of the lysogenic state in bacteria. His highly unorthodox proposal that viral genes are converted from RNA to DNA during infection, stimulated him to seek and to find an enzyme capable of copying RNA to make DNA. This enzyme, now known as reverse transcriptase, is a distinctive component of all retroviruses and of a few other viruses; an important factor in current views of early evolution; an essential tool in the biotechnology industry; a sign by which human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), the AIDS virus, was detected and recognized as a retrovirus; and the target for the only drugs widely used against HIV.
The role of bisphosphonates in breast cancer: Actions of bisphosphonates in animal models of breast cancer

The skeleton is the most common site of breast cancer metastases. These bone metastases are usually osteolytic and cause significant morbidity. Bisphosphonates, potent inhibitors of bone resorption, reduce skeletal morbidity in breast cancer patients with bone metastases. Animal studies with bisphosphonates are crucial to understanding the mechanisms by which these compounds affect bone and tumor cells in vivo. Such animal models of breast cancer that are used to test the efficacy of bisphosphonates are discussed. These studies may offer insight into the treatment of other tumor types that frequently metastasize to bone.
An Empirical Test of the Gender-Linked Language Effect in a Public Speaking Setting.

This study tested the gender-linked language effect in a public speaking setting by having university students and older non-students rate transcripts of beginning public speaking students' first in-class speech. The resulting Speech Dialect Attitudinal Scale (SDAS) data were of high reliability and across rater groups yielded a consistent factor structure: Socio-Intellectual Status, Aesthetic Quality, and Dynamism. The significant MANOVA and planned comparisons provided support for the gender-linked language effect and showed its dimensional makeup. On the basis of their language alone, female speakers were in general rated higher on both Socio-Intellectual Status and Aesthetic Quality, the former finding established for the first time. Males were in general rated higher on Dynamism. These judgments were similar for raters of both age groups, and for male and female raters alike. Results are discussed in terms of their support for the gender-linked language effect and their implications for further research.
Mechanisms of Interleukin-1β Regulation of Nitric Oxide Synthase in Cardiac Myocytes

Abstract Cytokines and endotoxin stimulate inducible NO synthase (iNOS) in different types of cells; however, little is known about regulatory mechanisms. Using the Griess reagent for nitrite levels, Western blots for iNOS protein, Northern blots for iNOS mRNA, and transient transfection studies to monitor transcription, we determined potential mechanisms involved in interleukin-1β stimulation of iNOS in cultured neonatal ventricular myocytes. When myocytes were treated with interleukin-1β (5 ng/mL), nitrite levels increased, and this effect was inhibited 80% by the specific iNOS inhibitor aminoguanidine. Neither interferon gamma nor tumor necrosis factor–α alone stimulated nitrite production. Bacterial endotoxin alone stimulated nitrites and potentiated the effect of interleukin. To determine whether a tyrosine kinase–mediated signaling pathway was involved in interleukin action, we used the inhibitor genistein, which blocked interleukin-stimulated nitrites, iNOS protein, and iNOS mRNA. To determine the effect of activation of protein kinase C, we treated cells with the phorbol ester phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA). PMA decreased both interleukin-stimulated nitrites and iNOS protein by 40%. To determine the involvement of cyclic nucleotides, cells were treated with either dibutyryl cAMP or cGMP. cAMP (1 mmol/L) stimulated iNOS mRNA, protein, and nitrite production, whereas cGMP had no effect. To test for a direct effect of interleukin on transcription of the iNOS gene, we transfected the full-length mouse iNOS 5′ regulatory sequences (−1592 to +160) coupled to a luciferase reporter gene (−1592iNOSLuc). Interleukin stimulated luciferase activity 1.8±0.2-fold. To determine whether interleukin also affects iNOS mRNA stability, interleukin-stimulated iNOS mRNA was allowed to decay in the presence of the transcription inhibitor actinomycin D. iNOS mRNA t 1/2 (≈1 hour) was not affected by interleukin. Thus, our data suggest that (1) interleukin-1β is the primary cytokine in myocyte iNOS regulation and acts predominantly at the transcriptional level; (2) interleukin stimulation of iNOS mRNA and protein is coupled to a tyrosine kinase–mediated signaling pathway; and (3) protein kinase C and cAMP can modify interleukin signaling by decreasing and increasing iNOS, respectively.
The Variability in Skill of 72-hour Global-Scale NMC Forecasts

Abstract The variability in skill of NMC 72-h 500 mb forecasts during recent winter is examined. Root-mean-square error, anomaly correlation, and the Fisher z-transformation of the anomaly correlation are used as measures of skill. This latter score is appropriate for measuring variability because it produces nearly Gaussian distributions of scores. The annual mean skill of the forecasts improves throughout the period examined, but there is no trend in the variability of the z-transformed anomaly correlations. Thus model improvements do not seem to have improved forecast reliability. The temporal power spectrum of skill is red and the 1-day lag correlation of anomaly correlation scores is 0.60 during our sample period. Heights at 500 mb have a similar spectrum during the sampling period, so it may be that certain elements of the atmospheric flow can be used to predict the likely skill of a forecast. A few potential predictors are tested and some of these, e.g., the persistence of the flow and the spatial ...
Random mutagenesis of the M3 muscarinic acetylcholine receptor expressed in yeast. Identification of point mutations that "silence" a constitutively active mutant M3 receptor and greatly impair receptor/G protein coupling.

The M3 muscarinic receptor is a prototypical member of the class I family of G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs). To facilitate studies on the structural mechanisms governing M3 receptor activation, we generated an M3 receptor-expressing yeast strain (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) that requires agonist-dependent M3 receptor activation for cell growth. By using receptor random mutagenesis followed by a genetic screen in yeast, we initially identified a point mutation at the cytoplasmic end of transmembrane domain (TM) VI (Q490L) that led to robust agonist-independent M3 receptor signaling in both yeast and mammalian cells. To explore further the molecular mechanisms by which point mutations can render GPCRs constitutively active, we subjected a region of the Q490L mutant M3 receptor that included TM V–VII to random mutagenesis. We then applied a yeast genetic screen to identify second-site mutations that could suppress the activating effects of the Q490L mutation and restore wild-type receptor-like function to the Q490L mutant receptor. This analysis led to the identification of 12 point mutations that allowed the Q490L mutant receptor to function in a fashion similar to the wild-type receptor. These amino acid substitutions mapped to two distinct regions of the M3 receptor, the exofacial segments of TM V and VI and the cytoplasmic ends of TM V–VII. Strikingly, in the absence of the activating Q490L mutation, all recovered point mutations severely reduced the efficiency of receptor/G protein coupling, indicating that the targeted residues play important roles in receptor activation and/or receptor/G protein coupling. This strategy should be generally applicable to identify sites in GPCRs that are critically involved in receptor function.
EFFECTS OF ULTRAVIOLET LIGHT ON THE TEMPLATE PROPERTIES OF POLYCYTIDYLIC ACID.

When polycytidylate is irradiated with ultraviolet light, there is a loss of its characteristic ultraviolet absorbance which can be restored by raising the temperature. The incorporation of GTP directed by polycytidylate, and catalyzed by the RNA polymerase, is sensitive to ultraviolet light, but can be restored under conditions of dehydration or upon the addition of unlabeled ATP. Labeled ATP is incorporated in the presence of unlabeled GTP and irradiated polycytidylate. From nearest neighbor analysis, it is apparent that the ATP is directed into internucleotide linkage, and this incorporation can be reversed if the irradiated polycytidylate is heated to dehydration temperatures. An explanation is offered to account for this template transition induced by ultraviolet light.