cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Perceptions of motivators and barriers to public prenatal care among first-time and follow-up adolescent patients and their providers.

Objectives: To compare perceptions of the motivators and barriers to obtaining public prenatal care from the perspectives of pregnant adolescents coming for first-time and follow-up appointments, as well as among those of their prenatal care providers. Method: The patient sample consisted of 250 consecutive, adolescent, public prenatal patients coming to one of the 5 prenatal clinics in one county in Arkansas. Patient responses were analyzed by appointment status (first-time vs. follow-up visitors). Sixteen providers at the same public prenatal clinics were also interviewed using the same survey instrument. Results: We observed striking differences between patients and providers with respect to their perceptions of both the motivators and barriers to prenatal care. Adolescents reported “concern over the health of their baby” as a primary motivation, while providers identified adolescents' “concern over their own health” as the most important reason. With regard to barriers, adolescents were more likely to identify system-related barriers (e.g., lack of finances and transportation, and waiting time for appointments), while providers were more likely to identify personal barriers (e.g., feeling depressed, fear of procedures, and needing time to deal with problems at home). Patients and providers agreed, however, that fear of procedures and not wanting to be pregnant were important barriers to care. Conclusions: The differences in perceptions between adolescents and their prenatal care providers suggest that poor patient–provider communication may represent one of the single most important nonfinancial barriers to care. Possible explanations for inadequate patient–provider communication as well as solutions to improve their clinic interactions are discussed.
Decision-feedback receiver for quasi-orthogonal space-time coded OFDM with correlative coding over fast fading channels

Orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) is robust against frequency selective fading, but it is very vulnerable to time selective fading. In quasi- orthogonal space-time coded OFDM (ST-OFDM) systems, channel variations cause not only inter-carrier interference among different subcarriers in one OFDM block, but also inter-transmit-antenna interference (ITAI). When applied in fast fading channels, common ST-ODFM receivers usually suffer from an irreducible error floor. In this letter, we apply frequency-domain correlative coding combined with a modified decision-feedback detection scheme to effectively suppress the error floor of quasi-orthogonal ST-OFDM over fast fading channels. The effectiveness of the proposed scheme in mitigating the effects of channel time selectivity is demonstrated through comparison with existing schemes such as zero-forcing, two-stage zero-forcing, and sequential decision feedback estimation.
Returning Prosecutions to the States: A Proposal for a Criminal Justice Restoration Act

The expensive and largely redundant Federal justice bureaucracy could be reduced to a fraction of its size by restoring to the states their traditional role of prosecuting crimes that fall under state jurisdiction. Returning criminal justice functions to the states would not only reduce the impact and effective reach of Federal power but would also achieve a surprisingly substantial decrease in Federal spending. A small change in the wording of an existing Federal statute could accomplish the restoration. This essay sets out and briefly analyses such a proposal.
Determination of Yield Pressures: A Method for Measuring Anal Sphincter Competence

Resting pressures recorded from the anal sphincter by the open-tip method seem to reflect the last pressure to which the catheter tip was exposed before it entered the sphincter, presumable because sphincter tissues "seal" the recording orifice and thereby "trap" pressure within the recording system. By injecting or infusing small increments of fluid into the system, one can measure a physiologically meaningful pressure--the pressure required to break the "seal." For the resting sphincter, this pressure has been termed the resting yield pressure; for the maximally tightened sphincter, the augmented yield pressure. By determining yield pressures before and during active contraction of the sphincter the involuntary and voluntary components of sphincter function can be separately assessed. Measurement of yield pressures can separate sphincters judged competent or incompetent on clinical grounds. Injection of microliter quantities of fluid into the recording catheter whose tip is in the sphincter causes a marked rise in pressure. Although "bleeders" or constant slow infusions of fluid do not affect pressures recorded from within a cavity, they do significantly alter pressures recorded from a sphincter zone.
Peculiar Velocities of Clusters of Galaxies from m

Investigations over the past 15 years have gradually led to the belief that clusters of galaxies partake of large peculiar motions1,2,3. For example, Gudehus1, using m* for several clusters as a standard candle, and radius-parameter for 362 cluster galaxies as a standard yardstick, found that Virgo was moving faster than its Hubble expansion velocity by 315 and 441 km s−1, respectively.
MEASUREMENTS OF KAONIC X-RAY SPECTRA AND THE CAPTURE OF KAONS ON NUCLEAR SURFACES

K−-mesons, when stopped in matter, are captured by nuclei into hydrogen-like systems that we call kaonic atoms. When kaonic atoms undergo de-excitation they emit characteristic x rays in the same manner as do muonic and pionic atoms. We have studied the x-ray emission of 29 elements ranging from Z = 3 to Z = 92(1) and conclude from the preliminary measure-ments on the medium and heavy elements that nuclear matter -- very probably neutrons -- extends to larger radii than the radii of the charge distributions ziven by the classic electron scattering experiments of Hofstadter(2) and the Stanford group.
Quantifying Riverine and Storm‐Surge Flood Risk by Single‐Family Residence: Application to Texas

The development of catastrophe models in recent years allows for assessment of the flood hazard much more effectively than when the federally run National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) was created in 1968. We propose and then demonstrate a methodological approach to determine pure premiums based on the entire distribution of possible flood events. We apply hazard, exposure, and vulnerability analyses to a sample of 300,000 single-family residences in two counties in Texas (Travis and Galveston) using state-of-the-art flood catastrophe models. Even in zones of similar flood risk classification by FEMA there is substantial variation in exposure between coastal and inland flood risk. For instance, homes in the designated moderate-risk X500/B zones in Galveston are exposed to a flood risk on average 2.5 times greater than residences in X500/B zones in Travis. The results also show very similar average annual loss (corrected for exposure) for a number of residences despite their being in different FEMA flood zones. We also find significant storm-surge exposure outside of the FEMA designated storm-surge risk zones. Taken together these findings highlight the importance of a microanalysis of flood exposure. The process of aggregating risk at a flood zone level-as currently undertaken by FEMA-provides a false sense of uniformity. As our analysis indicates, the technology to delineate the flood risks exists today.
A fast data collection and augmentation procedure for object recognition

When building an application that requires object class recognition, having enough data to learn from is critical for good performance, and can easily determine the success or failure of the system. However, it is typically extremely labor-intensive to collect data, as the process usually involves acquiring the image, then manual cropping and hand-labeling. Preparing large training sets for object recognition has already become one of the main bottlenecks for such emerging applications as mobile robotics and object recognition on the web. This paper focuses on a novel and practical solution to the dataset collection problem. Our method is based on using a green screen to rapidly collect example images; we then use a probabilistic model to rapidly synthesize a much larger training set that attempts to capture desired invariants in the object's foreground and background. We demonstrate this procedure on our own mobile robotics platform, where we achieve 135x savings in the time/effort needed to obtain a training set. Our data collection method is agnostic to the learning algorithm being used, and applies to any of a large class of standard object recognition methods. Given these results, we suggest that this method become a standard protocol for developing scalable object recognition systems. Further, we used our data to build reliable classifiers that enabled our robot to visually recognize an object in an office environment, and thereby fetch an object from an office in response to a verbal request.
Triclosan reactivity in chloraminated waters.

Triclosan, widely employed as an antimicrobial additive in many household personal care products, has recently been detected in wastewater treatment plant effluents and in source waters used for drinking water supplies. Chloramines used either as alternative disinfectants in drinking water treatment or formed during chlorination of nonnitrified wastewater effluents have the potential to react with triclosan. This study examined triclosan reactivity in chloraminated waters over the pH range of 6.5−10.5. Experimental and modeling results show that monochloramine directly reacts with the phenolate form of triclosan; however, the reaction is relatively slow as evinced by the second-order rate constant kArO-NH2Cl = 0.025 M-1 s-1. Kinetic modeling indicates that for pH values less than 9.5, reactions between triclosan and two monochloramine autodecomposition intermediates, hypochlorous acid (kArO-HOCl = 5.4 × 103 M-1 s-1) and dichloramine (kArO-NHCl2 = 60 M-1 s-1), are responsible for a significant percentage o...
Developmental specificity of recruitment of TBP to the TATA box of the human γ-globin gene

It is unclear whether the core promoter is involved in developmental regulation. To address this question, we mutated the TATA box of the human γ-globin gene, produced transgenic mice, and examined the effect of the mutation during the course of mouse development. In our test system, the γ-globin gene is expressed at similar levels in the embryonic and adult erythroid cells. The TATA box mutation dramatically reduced expression of the γ-globin gene in the adult but not in embryonic erythroid cells. In addition, the disruption of the γ TATA box significantly reduced the recruitment of TATA box-binding protein (TBP) in the adult cells, but not in embryonic cells, suggesting that the recruitment of TBP to the γ gene promoter is developmentally specific. Similarly, the recruitment of transcription factor II B and RNA polymerase II to the γ promoter was affected in the adult but not in embryonic cells. The distinct effects of the TATA mutation in the embryonic and adult developmental stages suggest that the basal transcription apparatus can be recruited to a core promoter in a developmental stage-dependent manner. The TATA mutation resulted in a shift of transcription initiation site 6 bp or longer upstream to the cap site both in the embryonic and adult erythrocytes. We conclude that the TATA box determines the initiation site but not the efficiency of transcription of the γ-globin gene.
Evaluation and Management of Nocturia in Older Men

Nocturia is defined as the need to wake at night one or more times to void, with each void preceded and followed by sleep. Although a substantial association between age and nocturia has been established in several epidemiologic studies, nocturia is an underreported condition. Therefore, the true extent of the problem in the population may be underestimated. Nocturia is one of the most bothersome lower urinary tract symptoms and is associated with significant morbidity and even mortality. Nocturia is a multifactorial condition, with nocturnal polyuria representing a highly prevalent and often unrecognized cause. Classification of the etiology of nocturia is greatly facilitated by the liberal use of frequency volume charts. Treatment centers around lifestyle modifications, attention to comorbidities, and judicious use of various targeted medical therapies.
The prominence-corona interface compared with the chromosphere-corona transition region

The intensities of 52 optically thin EUV emission lines formed at temperatures of 350,000 to 2.2 million K in nine hedgerow prominences observed at the limb are compared with the intensities of the same lines formed within network cells at the center of the solar disk in order to compare the prominence-corona interface (PC) with the chromosphere-corona transition region (CC). It is found for all nine prominences that the ratio of the intensity of a line measured in a cell to that in a prominence decreases with increasing temperature approximately as the -0.6 power of temperature. This ratio is used as the basis for comparing the PC with the CC in the framework of two different geometries wherein the prominence consists of one or more identical fully resolved slabs or threads in the line of sight or contains one or more identical unresolved cylindrical threads. It is concluded that three effects may contribute to the systematic difference between the PC and the CC: (1) the pressure within the PC might increase outward; (2) the temperature gradient within the PC might increase more slowly with temperature than in the CC; and (3) the unresolved internal geometry of a prominence can directly explain some, but not all, of the systematic difference.
Undergraduate Women's Reactions to Body Image and Eating Disorder Research

The purpose of the study was to determine college women's (N = 405) reactions to body image and eating disorder research as well as predictors of negative reactions. Results suggested that the majority of women (94%) did not experience negative reactions and reported benefits to participating. Regression analyses revealed that disordered eating and poorer body esteem were predictive of negative reactions to research participation. Additional analyses were conducted to better understand those participants (N = 26; 6%) who reported negative reactions. Overall, results indicated that body image and eating disorder research is not distressing for the vast majority of participants.
Building layered active services

The NodeOS and execution environment (EE) layers of the active network architectural framework are designed to offer a general purpose programming environment to active applications (AAs). However, the architecture suffers from the lack of higher-level APIs and services that would simplify AA code and could be shared by multiple AAs. We propose a modified architecture that introduces an Application Environment (AE) layer above the EE layer to fill the gap. The AE layer offers higher-level services to simplified User-define Processing Modules (UPMs). Together they replace the conventional AA and offer a higher-level API to code to. This paper discusses the issues that arise when breaking the existing AA layer into two layers, and presents our experiences implementing a concast service using the new architecture. We also present performance numbers for our concast service (running on the ASP EE) that show the additional overhead incurred is acceptable.
Anaplastic astrocytoma following radiation for a glomus jugulare tumor

Evaluation of radiation therapy for a given neoplasm includes consideration of possible treatment complications as well as potential benefit. A 43-year old male with a glomus jugulare tumor of the right middle ear had received 4480 rads to the right middle and inner ear and temporal bone. Eight years later, he developed an anaplastic astrocytoma of the right cerebellar hemisphere. At this time a third neoplasm, a left carotid body tumor, was demonstrated angiographically. Although radiation can be implicated in the genesis of the glial neoplasm, the presence of two neural crest derived tumors suggests that a lowered threshold for neoplastic transformation in neuroectodermal cells may have been an additional factor. Long-term follow-up of large numbers of patients with glomus jugulare tumors will be necessary to determine if multiple paragangliomas predispose to radiation-associated gliomas.
Propagation of elastic waves in honeycomb panels for application to rapid inspection techniques

This paper considers the properties of elastic waves guided by an aluminum plate bonded to a honeycomb core for application to rapid inspection of honeycomb panels. Current acoustic inspection techniques involve the transmission of a signal between a pair of small transducers located on opposite sides of the panel. Scanning the transducers in raster fashion results in a high resolution inspection of the panel, but is very time consuming. An alternative technique would simultaneously inspect all points along a line between two widely spaced transducers located on the same side of the panel. Scanning the pair once over the panel permits rapid inspection, although with decreased resolution. Studies presented here indicate that such a method of inspection is feasible and that the flexural mode is probably the most useful.
Ethoxylated Oleyl Sulfonates as Model Compounds for Enhanced Oil Recovery

Precisely ethoxylated oleyl sulfonates were prepared and studied as model surfactant candidates for enhanced oil recovery. They were found to yield low interfacial tensions, give high solubilzation parameters and have high electrolyte tolerance. Unfortunately, as a class of compounds they have a tendency to form liquid crystals (rather than microemulsions) which must be overcome by addition of cosolvents, elevated temperatures, or restriction to the maximally ethoxylated species. 18 references.
Routes to S-nitroso-hemoglobin formation with heme redox and preferential reactivity in the β subunits

Previous studies of the interactions of NO with human hemoglobin have implied the predominance of reaction channels that alternatively eliminate NO by converting it to nitrate, or tightly complex it on the α subunit ferrous hemes. Both channels could effectively quench NO bioactivity. More recent work has raised the idea that NO groups can efficiently transfer from the hemes to cysteine thiols within the β subunit (cysβ-93) to form bioactive nitrosothiols. The regulation of NO function, through its chemical position in the hemoglobin, is supported by response to oxygen and to redox agents that modulate the molecular and electronic structure of the protein. In this article, we focus on reactions in which Fe(III) hemes could provide the oxidative requirements of this NO-group transfer chemistry. We report a detailed investigation of the reductive nitrosylation of human met-Hb, in which we demonstrate the production of S-nitroso (SNO)-Hb through a heme-Fe(III)NO intermediate. The production of SNO-Hb is strongly favored (over nitrite) when NO is gradually introduced in limited total quantities; in this situation, moreover, heme nitrosylation occurs primarily within the β subunits of the hemoglobin tetramer. SNO-Hb can similarly be produced when Fe(II)NO hemes are subjected to mild oxidation. The reaction of deoxygenated hemoglobin with limited quantities of nitrite leads to the production of β subunit Fe(II)NO hemes, with SNO-Hb produced on subsequent oxygenation. The common theme of these reactions is the effective coupling of heme–iron and NO redox chemistries. Collectively, they establish a connectivity between hemes and thiols in Hb, through which NO is readily dislodged from storage on the heme to form bioactive SNO-Hb.
Unicorn: A Program for Transforming Data to Approximate Normality:

Unicorn, a BASIC computer program that automates the Box-Cox transformation, is described. Unicorn reads free field ASCII data files, is completely interactive, and is user friendly. Unicorn can handle files with or without missing data. Descriptive statistics and tests of normality are provided for each variable in untransformed format. Statistics include the first four moments of the distribution, the third and fourth L-moments, the Kolmogorov-Smirnov test, and D'Agostino et al.'s tests of normality. The user is then offered a choice of minimizing skewness or departures from normality overall. The optimal transformation is then found and descriptive statistics and tests of normality are provided for the transformed data. A new ASCII data file is written with transformed data. This new data file is then available for further analysis.
Kinetic considerations of the cytochrome c-cytochrome oxidase reaction

Abstract The influence of the formation of unreactive complexes between cytochrome c and cytochrome oxidase on the kinetics of the cytochrome c-cytoehrome oxidase reaction is considered. The influence of these complexes can be expressed as a function which relates the concentration of cytochrome c with the concentrations and number of unreactive complex species existing in the system and with the association constants for the various species of complexes. The kinetics of the reaction in certain systems transform exactly into Michaelis-Menten kinetics if this function reduces to 1. The conditions under which it may equal 1 are discussed, and estimates of two possible association constants are made. Certain problems relating to the interpretation of kinetic data from systems containing high concentrations of unreactive complexes are discussed.
Intergenerational Conflicts Among Latinos in Early Adulthood: Separating Values Conflicts With Parents From Acculturation Conflicts

An investigation of Latino and non-Latino college students sought to examine the ways in which perceived intergenerational conflicts with parents are related to acculturation, family dynamics, and psychosocial functioning. Participants reported the extent to which they experienced two types of intergenerational conflicts with parents: values/expectations conflicts and acculturation conflicts such as their parents’ perception that they are “too American”. First- and second-generation Latinos reported experiencing more acculturation conflicts than third-generation Latinos and European Americans or African Americans. Regression analyses within the Latino sample indicated that both types of conflicts with parents were predicted by acculturation variables, lower family cohesion, and increased family control. Both types of conflicts were significant predictors of depression and lower self-esteem, even after controlling for generation status and family variables.
A prototype earthquake warning system for strike-slip earthquakes

A prototype expert system has been developed to provide rapid warning of earthquakes while they are occurring. Warning times of up to 100 seconds will be possible. In the complete system, several accelerometers are distributed at intervals within a few kilometers of a known fault; data are telemetered to a central computer which implements the expert system. The expert system incorporates specific information about the type of fault to be monitored, and includes simple rules for estimating the fault slip, rupture length, and seismic moment, all in real time. If the seismic moment exceeds a preset value, an alarm may be issued. The prototype is designed for deployment on near-surface strike-slip faults such as the San Andreas and has been successfully tested with data from the 1979 Imperial Valley and 1984 Morgan Hill earthquakes. Crucial concepts have also been tested using synthetic data calculated for a model of the 1857 Fort Tejon earthquake. Parkfield, California, could be used as a test site.
Exploring the reusability of discrete-event simulation models: A case study of project challenges and issues of feasibility

Simulation model reuse has the potential to consume vast amounts of time, resources & money, and, result in poorly-tuned instruments completely inadequate for their intended applications. To avoid major pitfalls, it is important to conduct analyses of feasibility and alternative solutions to simulation model reuse and, optimally, involve a team of experts possessing broad skill sets. Consequent investigative activities encompass the following: Gaining familiarity with model parameters and construction; Identifying difficulties in the validation of development methods and model inputs; and, Justifying the time and cost of modifying existing models to new applications. Competencies to address these challenges include the application of project management techniques; the comprehension of the intricacies inherent in simulation modeling, programming and scripting language; the ability to transform data and design appropriate statistical experiments; and when appropriate, the capacity to conduct literature research and communicate findings in the form of written technical reports and in-person presentations. Defining the elements of these wide-ranging proficiencies forms the basis of this paper which chronicles the possible reuse of four discrete-event simulation models designed to compare internal patient queueing methods in a Veterans Administration Health System specialty cardiac clinic. Replete with generalizable examples, this six month case study illustrates a number of challenges, issues of feasibility, and practicalities involved in exploring reusability of existing simulation models.
Insulin-like growth factor binding proteins in human breast cancer cells: relationship to hIGFBP-2 and hIGFBP-3.

Human breast cancer cells (HBCC) secrete at least four different forms of IGFBPs. We have previously demonstrated that hIGFBP-1 is a minor component of IGFBPs secreted by Hs578T cells and is absent in CM from MCF-7 cells. In our present report, we describe the immunological and structural relationship of HBCC IGFBPs to hIGFBP-2 and hIGFBP-3. Analysis of conditioned media (CM) from Hs578T by Western ligand blotting revealed three IGFBPs of apparent Mr= 38K, 28K and 24K; CM from MCF-7 revealed only two IGFBPs, of apparent Mr=31K and 24K. Im- munoprecipitation studies with polyclonal antibodies raised Insulin-like growth factors (IGF-I and IGF-II) are known mi- togens for human breast cancer cells (HBCC) (1-2). BothlGF- I and IGF-II are associated with binding proteins (IGFBPs) that act as carriers, as well as modulators, of IGF actions (3- 6). Three major forms of human IGFBPs have been character- ized andsequenced: hIGFBP-1, hIGFBP-2 andhIGFBP-3, with core protein weights of 25K, 31Kand 29K, respectively (7-9). We have demonstrated that several HBCC (MCF-7, T-47D, MDA-231, and Hs578T) possess both type 1 and type 2 IGF receptors, and that at least four different forms of IGFBPs (Mr=24-38K) are secreted into CM from these cells (10). Analysis of these binding proteins demonstrated that a minor component of the IGFBPs secreted by Hs578T and MDA-231 cells is related to hIGFBP-1 (11). The major forms of IGFBPs secreted by HBCC appear, however, to be distinct from hIGFBP-1, and their precise identity remains unclear. To in- vestigate the relation of these HBCC IGFBPs to hIGFBP-2 and hIGFBP-3, we have further characterized them immunologi- cally and structurally.
Analysis of transformation models with censored data

SUMMARY In this paper we consider a class of semi-parametric transformation models, under which an unknown transformation of the survival time is linearly related to the covariates with various completely specified error distributions. This class of regression models includes the proportional hazards and proportional odds models. Inference procedures derived from a class of generalised estimating equations are proposed to examine the covariate effects with censored observations. Numerical studies are conducted to investigate the properties of our proposals for practical sample sizes. These transformation models, coupled with the new simple inference procedures, provide many useful alternatives to the Cox regression model in survival analysis.
THz Absorption Spectra of Fe Water Complexes Interacting with O 3 Calculated by Density Functional Theory

The need for better monitoring of water quality and levels of water contamination implies a need for determining the dielectric response properties of water contaminants with respect to electromagnetic wave excitation. In addition to monitoring contaminants, there is an associated need for monitoring chemical processes that are for deactivation or assistance in the removal of water contaminants. Iron and manganese are two naturally occurring water contaminants, where iron is in general at much higher concentrations. Correspondingly, a process that is highly effective for assisting filtration of water contaminants, including iron and manganese, is the addition in solution of Ozone, i.e., the preozonation process. The present study uses density functional theory (DFT) for the calculation of ground-state resonance structure associated with Fe water complexes interacting with Ozone in solution. The calculations presented are for excitation by electromagnetic waves at frequencies within the THz range. Dielectric response functions can provide for different types of analyses concerning water contaminants. In particular, dielectric response functions can provide quantitative initial estimates of spectral response features for subsequent adjustment with respect to additional information such as laboratory measurements and other types of theory-based calculations. In addition, with respect to qualitative analysis, DFT-calculated absorption spectra provide for molecular level interpretation of response structure. The DFT software GAUSSIAN was used for the calculations of ground-state resonance structure presented in this article.
Structural and functional interaction of fatty acids with human liver fatty acid‐binding protein (L‐FABP) T94A variant

The human liver fatty acid binding protein (L-FABP) T94A variant, the most common in the FABP family, has been associated with elevated liver triglyceride (TG) levels. How this amino acid substitution elicits these effects is not known. This issue was addressed with human recombinant wild-type (WT, T94T) and T94A variant L-FABP proteins as well as cultured primary human hepatocytes expressing the respective proteins (genotyped as TT, TC, and CC). T94A substitution did not or only slightly alter L-FABP binding affinities for saturated, monounsaturated, or polyunsaturated long chain fatty acids (LCFA), nor did it change the affinity for intermediates in TG synthesis. Nevertheless, T94A substitution markedly altered the secondary structural response of L-FABP induced by binding LCFA or intermediates of TG synthesis. Finally, T94A substitution markedly diminished polyunsaturated fatty acid, eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) or docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), induction of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor alpha (PPARα) - regulated proteins such as L-FABP, fatty acid transport protein 5 (FATP5), and PPARα itself in cultured primary human hepatocytes. Thus, while T94A substitution did not alter the affinity of human L-FABP for LCFAs, it significantly altered human L-FABP structure and stability as well as conformational and functional response to these ligands.
Beyond the Laboratory: Scientists as Political Activists in 1930s America

The debate over scientists' social responsibility is a topic of great controversy today. Peter J. Kuznick here traces the origin of that debate to the 1930s and places it in a context that forces a reevaluation of the relationship between science and politics in twentieth-century America. Kuznick reveals how an influential segment of the American scientific community during the Depression era underwent a profound transformation in its social values and political beliefs, replacing a once-pervasive conservatism and antipathy to political involvement with a new ethic of social reform.
Claire Philip's journal: From life to text, from text to life

Abstract Claire Philip's journal is described and compared to other personal journals of the terminally ill and to personal journals of later life. The distinctive qualities of this journal will be highlighted, including the journal's characterization of the dynamics of interpersonal relationships experienced by cancer patients and the internal dialectic of hope surrounding remission.
Retinal nerve fiber layer thickness measurements: uveitis, a major confounding factor.

Objective To evaluate optical coherence tomography (OCT) retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) measurements in patients with active and quiescent uveitis with and without glaucoma and compare results to the published age-adjusted normative data. Design Comparative, retrospective pilot study. Participants Consecutive patients with uveitis who underwent OCT RNFL measurements between December 2011 and October 2012 were identified: 76 uveitic eyes without glaucoma and 135 uveitic eyes with glaucoma. Intervention We conducted OCT of the RNFL. Main Outcome Measures Global and sectoral RNFL thickness measurements. Results In 19 nonglaucomatous, uveitic eyes with active inflammation, mean global and all sectoral RNFL measurements were greater than the normative 95th percentile. The mean global RNFL OCT measurement was 140.5 microns in such eyes compared with 107.8 microns in the 57 nonglaucomatous, quiescent, uveitic eyes ( P = 0.008). These measurements were significantly higher than the average of 95.3 microns reported in normal eyes ( P P = 0.002–0.05). In glaucomatous eyes with both quiescent and active uveitis, the mean global RNFL measurements on OCT were 92.3 and 95.7 microns, respectively. These measurements were significantly higher than the mean global RNFL thickness (65.3 microns) reported in eyes with the same stage (moderate) of nonuveitic glaucoma. Conclusions Uveitis is a major confounding factor in assessing the thickness of the RNFL. A significant thickening of the RNFL was found in patients with active uveitis and a greater RNFL thickness than anticipated in patients with uveitic glaucoma. These data raise concerns about the comparative value of RNFL scans as a method to detect and monitor glaucoma in uveitic eyes.
The effects of ownership structure on conditions at the top: The case of CEO pay raises

We examine how ownership configuration affects the determination of CEO pay raises. Based on a sample of 188 firms over a 5-year period, it was found that pay raises were based on distinctly different factors, depending on the ownership profile of the firm. In management-controlled firms—where no single major owner exists—results suggest an overarching pay philosophy: maximize CEO pay, subject to demonstration of face legitimacy of that pay. In externally-controlled firms—where a major (nonmanager) owner exists—results suggest a very different philosophy: minimize CEO pay, subject to the ability to attract/retain a satisfactory CEO.
Riverine Landscape Patch Heterogeneity Drives Riparian Ant Assemblages in the Scioto River Basin, USA

Although the principles of landscape ecology are increasingly extended to include riverine landscapes, explicit applications are few. We investigated associations between patch heterogeneity and riparian ant assemblages at 12 riverine landscapes of the Scioto River, Ohio, USA, that represent urban/developed, agricultural, and mixed (primarily forested, but also wetland, grassland/fallow, and exurban) land-use settings. Using remotely-sensed and ground-collected data, we delineated riverine landscape patch types (crop, grass/herbaceous, gravel, lawn, mudflat, open water, shrub, swamp, and woody vegetation), computed patch metrics (area, density, edge, richness, and shape), and conducted coordinated sampling of surface-active Formicidae assemblages. Ant density and species richness was lower in agricultural riverine landscapes than at mixed or developed reaches (measured using S [total number of species], but not using Menhinick’s Index [DM]), whereas ant diversity (using the Berger-Park Index [DBP]) was highest in agricultural reaches. We found no differences in ant density, richness, or diversity among internal riverine landscape patches. However, certain characteristics of patches influenced ant communities. Patch shape and density were significant predictors of richness (S: R2 = 0.72; DM: R2=0.57). Patch area, edge, and shape emerged as important predictors of DBP (R2 = 0.62) whereas patch area, edge, and density were strongly related to ant density (R2 = 0.65). Non-metric multidimensional scaling and analysis of similarities distinguished ant assemblage composition in grass and swamp patches from crop, gravel, lawn, and shrub as well as ant assemblages in woody vegetation patches from crop, lawn, and gravel (stress = 0.18, R2 = 0.64). These findings lend insight into the utility of landscape ecology to river science by providing evidence that spatial habitat patterns within riverine landscapes can influence assemblage characteristics of riparian arthropods.
Growth Differences Among Families Of The Lobster, Homarus americanus1

Results of a pilot study designed to estimate the variance of growth rates within and between full sibling families of the lobster Homarus americanus are presented. Progenies raised simultaneously for 100 days under optimal temperature (˜21 C) and diet (live, adult brine shrimp fed ad libitum) grow at significantly different rates. Pronounced environmental effects on growth are inferred from an inverse rank correlation (rS = -0.91) between progeny mean growth rates and the temporal sequence with which progenies were introduced into the experimental space. Differences in growth rates between siblings grown in two independent, experimental seawater tables are also significant in some cases. Family x table interaction is observed indicating that growth may not always be predictable from knowledge of genetic stock and quality of the rearing system alone. Implications for selective breeding of faster growing lobsters are discussed.
Metabolism of Coumarin by a Micro-organism

THE microbiological utilization of coumarin has not been examined extensively although coumarin is a natural constituent of many plants and, ultimately, therefore of soil. Bellis1, however, did isolate from soil two species of Penicillium moulds which grew slowly on coumarin ; but no derivatives could be identified in the external medium. In higher animals coumarin metabolism, prompted by reports of liver damage in the dog and rat2, has been investigated. Metabolic products identified in the urine when coumarin was fed to rabbits and rats have included 3-, 7-, and 8-hydroxycoumarins, melilotic, o-hydroxyphenyl-acetic and o-coumaric acids3,4. Similarly in the plant, Melilotus alba, degradation products of coumarin have been identified as melilotic acid and glucosides of melilotic, coumarinic and o-coumaric acids5,6.
Marijuana induced state-dependent verbal learning.

Human, male subjects from our light marijuana usage category were given paired associate learning under either placebo or marijuana intoxication. A 2×2 experimental design was used to test for dissociation effects. Marijuana intoxicated subjects needed significantly more trials to reach criterion learning than subjects under placebo. Testing of recall, ten days later, demonstrated a significant state-dependent effect. The results were discussed in terms of state-dependent theory and the effects of centrals nervous system active drugs on learning models.
Hardness of sputter deposited nanocrystalline Ni3Al thin films

Abstract Nanocrystalline thin films of nominal composition Ni–25 at.% Al have been sputter deposited from a target of the intermetallic compound Ni 3 Al using different sputtering conditions. Increase in the pressure of sputtering gas resulted in a substantial reduction in the grain size of these nanocrystalline films and a consequent enhancement in their hardness. While films deposited onto heated substrates exhibited larger grain sizes as compared to those deposited on unheated substrates at the same sputtering pressure, the hardness of the former films was substantially higher. The reason for this enhanced hardness is the long-range chemical ordering in films deposited on heated substrates and the formation of L1 2 –Ni 3 Al, the thermodynamically stable phase for this composition.
The Potential for an Androgen Male Contraceptive

The potential for using an exogenous androgen as a reversible male contraceptive has been evaluated in 20 healthy men, 17 of whom completed the study. The experimental design consisted of a 10-week control period, an initial 12-week period with weekly 200-mg injections of testosterone enanthate (TE), a 36-week period with 200-mg injections of TE every 3 weeks, and a 28-week recovery period. Serum concentrations of testosterone were increased approximately 50% during the initial treatment period, and gonadotropins became very low or undetectable and essentially unresponsive to LRH. Sperm density fell, and 11 of the 19 men evaluated at the end of the weekly injection period had ≤1 million sperm/ml semen. Serum FSH and LH and sperm density rose when TE was given every 3 weeks, and on this regimen only 1 man consistently had suppressed gonadotropins and sperm counts of ≤1 million/ml. Each man’s mean sperm count during the recovery period exceeded 25 million/ml, and 15 of the 17 men had average values which we...
Microstructural evolution of bulk nanocrystalline Ni during creep

Experiments were conducted on electrodeposited (ED) nanocrystalline (nc) Ni with an average initial grain size of about 20 nm at 393 K to study the shape of the creep curves. In addition, microstructure was examined by means of transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The results show that the creep curves are characterized by the presence of a well-defined steady-state stage. An examination of the microstructure indicates that while grain growth occurs during deformation, the grain size attains a constant value once steady state creep is approached. A comparison between grain size measurements obtained by the TEM technique and those obtained via the X-ray diffraction method shows that the use of the latter method may lead to an underestimation of the value of the average grain size.
Permeability of microcracked fibre-reinforced containment barriers

Abstract Cement-based containment barriers for waste landfills are at risk of cracking, thereby reducing effectiveness. Improved resistance to formation of permeable cracks will enhance the performance of cementitious hydraulic barriers exposed to excessive drying or to wet-dry cycles. Addition of fibre reinforcement was investigated as a potential means of improving crack resistance. Grout and soil cements with and without polypropylene fibres were subjected to different curing and exposure conditions and tested for initial and final permeability. Permeabilities under saturated flow conditions were compared to determine whether fibres could control permeable microcracking of subsurface containment barriers. Fibrillated polypropylene fibres reduced the relative change in permeability for grout and soil cement cured in water and subjected to wet-dry cycles, but did not show significant benefit for materials cured in soil and allowed to dry. Addition of monofilament fibres to barrier materials caused an increase in post-cracking permeability compared with unreinforced materials. This was attributed to increased flow paths created at failed fibre/matrix interfaces.
SHDOMPPDA: A Radiative Transfer Model for Cloudy Sky Data Assimilation

Abstract The spherical harmonics discrete ordinate method for plane-parallel data assimilation (SHDOMPPDA) model is an unpolarized plane-parallel radiative transfer forward model, with corresponding tangent linear and adjoint models, suitable for use in assimilating cloudy sky visible and infrared radiances. It is derived from the spherical harmonics discrete ordinate method plane-parallel (SHDOMPP, also described in this article) version of the spherical harmonics discrete ordinate method (SHDOM) model for three-dimensional atmospheric radiative transfer. The inputs to the SHDOMPPDA forward model are profiles of pressure, temperature, water vapor, and mass mixing ratio and number concentration for a number of hydrometeor species. Hydrometeor optical properties, including detailed phase functions, are determined from lookup tables as a function of mass mean radius. The SHDOMPP and SHDOMPPDA algorithms and construction of the tangent-linear and adjoint models are described. The SHDOMPPDA forward model is v...
Body mass index and all-cause mortality in a large prospective cohort of white and black U.S. Adults.

Remaining controversies on the association between body mass index (BMI) and mortality include the effects of smoking and prevalent disease on the association, whether overweight is associated with higher mortality rates, differences in associations by race and the optimal age at which BMI predicts mortality. To assess the relative risk (RR) of mortality by BMI in Whites and Blacks among subgroups defined by smoking, prevalent disease, and age, 891,572 White and 38,119 Black men and women provided height, weight and other information when enrolled in the Cancer Prevention Study II in 1982. Over 28 years of follow-up, there were 434,400 deaths in Whites and 18,702 deaths in Blacks. Cox proportional-hazards regression was used to estimate multivariable-adjusted relative risks (RR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI). Smoking and prevalent disease status significantly modified the BMI-mortality relationship in Whites and Blacks; higher BMI was most strongly associated with higher risk of mortality among never smokers without prevalent disease. All levels of overweight and obesity were associated with a statistically significantly higher risk of mortality compared to the reference category (BMI 22.5-24.9 kg/m2), except among Black women where risk was elevated but not statistically significant in the lower end of overweight. Although absolute mortality rates were higher in Blacks than Whites within each BMI category, relative risks (RRs) were similar between race groups for both men and women (p-heterogeneity by race = 0.20 for men and 0.23 for women). BMI was most strongly associated with mortality when reported before age 70 years. Results from this study demonstrate for the first time that the BMI-mortality relationship differs for men and women who smoke or have prevalent disease compared to healthy never-smokers. These findings further support recommendations for maintaining a BMI between 20-25 kg/m2 for optimal health and longevity.
Influence of filamentary and strand aspect ratios on AC loss in short, untwisted samples of HTSC and LTSC superconducting multifilamentary composites

Abstract Measurements of magnetization, M , vs. magnetic field strength, H , have been made on HTSC Bi:2223/Ag and LTSC NbTi/matrix multifilamentary tapes as a function of ramp rate. The integrated loss, Q tot , was extracted from these M – H loops, which had a maximum field amplitude of 17 kOe and ramp rates, d H /d t , ranging from 20 to 700 Oe/s. All measurements were taken at 4.2 K, with H directed normal and parallel, respectively, to the broad tape face. The samples were from 0.5 to 1.5 cm in length, and untwisted. The expressions needed to properly extract effective transverse matrix resistivities, ρ ⊥ , are discussed and applied. In general, these expressions indicate that transverse loss in untwisted strands grows linearly with the aspect ratio, in contrast to that in twisted strands, whose losses grow with the square of the aspect ratio. With low aspect-ratio LTSC tapes, our equations gave the expected values of ρ ⊥ . However, departures from the expected ρ ⊥ emerged with further flattening of the strands as the filamentary array itself became sparse and highly aspected, and the filaments themselves became flattened. A model attributing the anomalous ρ ⊥ to the effects of these features is proposed.