cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Multiple Screens and Devices in an Information-rich Environment:

A future trend is the of adoption of a multiscreen and multiple device approach to cope with distractions and multiple tasks. Although this may seem counterintuitive, more screens and possibly more devices may help focus one’s attention rather than serve as a distraction, making multiple tasks viewable at a glance across multiple device screens (Thompson, 2014). Potential benefits of multiscreen and multiple device environments were assessed using three different computing environments. A single factor, within-subject study was conducted with 18 engineering students in a laboratory experiment. Three levels for the computing environment factor included one with a desktop computer with a single monitor (control, condition A); one with a desktop with dual monitors, as well as a single tablet computer (condition B); and one with a desktop with a single monitor, as well as two tablet computers (condition C). There was no statistically significant difference in efficiency when completing scenarios for the three...
A Microdevice Platform Recapitulating Hypoxic Tumor Microenvironments.

Hypoxia plays a central role in cancer progression and resistance to therapy. We have engineered a microdevice platform to recapitulate the intratumor oxygen gradients that drive the heterogeneous hypoxic landscapes in solid tumors. Our design features a “tumor section”-like culture by incorporating a cell layer between two diffusion barriers, where an oxygen gradient is established by cellular metabolism and physical constraints. We confirmed the oxygen gradient by numerical simulation and imaging-based oxygen sensor measurement. We also demonstrated spatially-resolved hypoxic signaling in cancer cells through immunostaining, gene expression assay, and hypoxia-targeted drug treatment. Our platform can accurately generate and control oxygen gradients, eliminates complex microfluidic handling, allows for incorporation of additional tumor components, and is compatible with high-content imaging and high-throughput applications. It is well suited for understanding hypoxia-mediated mechanisms in cancer disease and other biological processes, and discovery of new therapeutics.
Low Birth Weight in Human Immunodeficiency Virus-Exposed Uninfected Infants in Bronx, New York

Background Prevention of mother-to-child transmission of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) with antiretroviral therapy (ART) has been highly successful. However, HIV-exposed uninfected (HIV-EU) infants might be at increased risk for low birth weight and/or preterm birth. We compared the birth weights and gestational ages of HIV-EU infants to those of HIV-unexposed control infants in Bronx, New York, an epicenter of the HIV epidemic in the United States. Methods This study was performed with a retrospective cohort of HIV-EU infants born at Montefiore Medical Center between 2008 and 2012 and HIV-unexposed control infants. Each HIV-EU infant was matched according to year of birth with 5 HIV-unexposed controls from the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene birth certificate database. We used regression models to assess the association between HIV exposure and birth weight while controlling for potential confounders. A secondary analysis was performed to determine the association of maternal protease inhibitor-based ART use and birth weight among HIV-EU infants. Results We included 155 HIV-EU infants born between 2008 and 2012 (51% female, 61% black, 32% Hispanic) and 775 HIV-unexposed infants. The mean (± standard deviation) unadjusted birth weights were 2971 ± 616 g (HIV-EU infants) and 3163 ± 644 g (HIV-unexposed infants) (P < .01). Multivariable regression revealed significantly lower birth weight for the HIV-EU infants (difference, -101.5 g [95% confidence interval, -181.4 to -21.6]). We found no difference in mean birth weight or gestational age with maternal protease inhibitor-based ART use when compared to the use of other regimens. Conclusions We found significantly lower birth weight among HIV-EU infants. Long-term prospective studies are necessary to determine the implications of this finding on infant growth and development.
Variability in Treatment for Patients with Cervical Spine Fracture and Dislocation: An Analysis of 107,152 Patients.

Background Cervical spine injuries are a common cause of morbidity and mortality; however, the optimal treatment of many of these injuries is debated, and previous studies have shown substantial variation in treatment. We sought to examined treatment variation in arthrodesis and halo/tong placement in cervical spine injury patients over a 12-year period. Methods Data from the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project National Inpatient Sample, from 2000 to 2011, were used for this study. Patients were identified with a cervical vertebral facture or dislocation based on the International Classification of Diseases, 9th Revision codes. Using χ2 analysis, spinal arthrodesis rates and halo/tong placement rates were compared between hospitals based on teaching status for patients with and without spinal cord injury (SCI). Results The records of 107,152 patients with cervical fractures were examined. From 2000 to 2011, the overall arthrodesis rates fell from 25.2% to 20.6% (P Conclusions Arthrodesis rates for cervical fracture patients significantly decreased, and arthrodesis rates for cervical dislocation and SCI patients increased from 2000 to 2011, with variability in treatment based on hospital teaching status. Rates of halo/tong placement rapidly decreased for cervical spine trauma at both teaching and nonteaching hospitals. Individual hospital treatment variation also decreased over the study period. Further clinical studies examining the optimal treatment for spine trauma may lead to continued decreases in treatment variability.
Perceived listener effort as an outcome measure for disordered speech.

Abstract Purpose Perceived listening effort is a perceptual dimension used to identify the amount of work necessary to understand disordered speech. The purpose of this study was to investigate the utility of perceived listening effort to provide unique information about disordered speech. The relationships between perceived listening effort and two current outcome measures (speech acceptability, intelligibility) were examined for listeners rating electrolaryngeal speech, along with their reliability and intra-rater agreement. Methods Ten healthy male speakers read low-context sentences using an electrolarynx. Twenty-five inexperienced listeners orthographically transcribed and rated the stimuli for perceived listening effort and speech acceptability using a visual analog scale. Strict reliability and agreement criteria were set. Results Perceived listening effort was moderately to strongly correlated with intelligibility (r = −0.76) and acceptability (r = −0.80), each of which contributed uniquely to ratings of perceived listening effort. However, only 17 listeners met stringent reliability and agreement criteria. Conclusions Ratings of perceived listening effort may provide unique information about the communicative success of individuals with communication disorders. There is great variability, however, among inexperienced listeners’ perceptual ratings of electrolaryngeal speech. Future research should investigate variables that may affect perceived listening effort specifically and auditory-perceptual ratings in general.
Weighted zero-inflated Poisson mixed model with an application to Medicaid utilization data

In medical or public health research, it is common to encounter clustered or longitudinal count data that exhibit excess zeros. For example, health care utilization data often have a multi-modal distribution with excess zeroes as well as a multilevel structure where patients are nested within physicians and hospitals. To analyze this type of data, zero-inflated count models with mixed effects have been developed where a count response variable is assumed to be distributed as a mixture of a Poisson or negative binomial and a distribution with a point mass of zeros that include random effects. However, no study has considered a situation where data are also censored due to the finite nature of the observation period or follow-up. In this paper, we present a weighted version of zero-inflated Poisson model with random effects accounting for variable individual follow-up times. We suggested two different types of weight function. The performance of the proposed model is evaluated and compared to a standard zero-inflated mixed model through simulation studies. This approach is then applied to Medicaid data analysis.
Benthic Superheroes: Living Foraminifera from Three Bays in the Mission-Aransas National Estuarine Research Reserve, USA

Studies of living foraminiferal assemblages provide much information about their roles in present environments and a perspective on interpreting the past. Along modern coasts, benthic Foraminifera act as ecological indicators in their responses to different natural and anthropogenic conditions, such as food availability, oxygen concentrations, salinity, and trace metal concentrations. A detailed survey of foraminiferal populations was undertaken in the Mission-Aransas National Estuarine Research Reserve, Texas, close to the time of its establishment in 2006. The purpose was to gauge the overall status of populations and provide baseline data for future comparison. The arid south Texas Gulf Coast is a variable and often harsh environment where biota are subject to multiple anthropogenic stressors. Despite these rigors, living Foraminifera were prolific in the Reserve. This paper discusses the results from Mesquite (July 2008), Copano (May 2006), and Mission Bays (June 2006). Populations were robust in each bay, with Ammonia parkinsoniana, Ammotium salsum, and Elphidium excavatum being most abundant. Highest numbers corresponded mainly to areas of greater circulation. In Mission Bay, elemental analysis of shells, prompted by the presence of sulfur grains in sediments and by yellow tests, detected elevated levels of barium, strontium, and iron. Most sediment samples were black and sulfidic, and ubiquitous framboidal pyrite in sediment and shells suggests that forams were frequently subject to low-oxygen conditions. Abundant living numbers, tolerance of low-oxygen conditions, and the ability to cycle trace metals emphasize the resilience of Foraminifera in taxing environments and their integral position as lower trophic level members.
Artificial immune systems perform valuable work when detecting epistasis in human genetic datasets

We implement an Artificial Immune System (AIS) for epistasis detection in human genetic datasets. Our AIS outperforms previous attempts to solve the same problem by Penrod et al. by a factor of over 2.4 and performs at 81% of the power of the field standard exhaustive search, Multifactor Dimensionality Reduction (MDR). We show that the immune system performs best when 'paring down' large antibodies to more specific and accurate classifiers. This is promising as it shows that the AIS is doing valuable work, and needs not rely on a near-perfect antibody showing up by chance. We perform a receiver operator characteristic (ROC) analysis to further examine this property.
Exploration of 3D printing to create zero-waste sustainable fashion notions and jewelry

This research followed design as a research paradigm to apply zero-waste principles to 3D printing in efforts to ensure sustainable applications of 3D technology in the apparel and fashion industry. Researchers used Rhinoceros 5, Tinkercad, MakerBot Replicator 2 desktop 3D printer, and polylactic acid filament to create elaborate designs. This design research is the first successful attempt at 3D printing for biodegradable zero-waste fashion notions and accessories. The researcher employed design thinking and strategies to create objects without the use of rafts and supporters removing waste creation. Multiple attempts resulted in an acceptable outcome of five pendant designs for necklaces, two earring designs, and nine layer-designed buttons. The buttons were attached to a draped cape design utilizing 95% of the fabric. There is a considerable potential to use this disruptive technology in designing and creating fashions that are unique, sustainable (zero-waste), and made on demand.
Tea in a China Cup: Tea and Memories

Tea in a China Cup is analyzed through theories of collective memory in family and community. Key in this analysis is an exploration of education in the maintenance of a respectable Protestant identity. In this chapter, the importance of the Orange Order, the silences of the women, and the questioning of children become the focus to analyze how families teach their children bigotry and intransigence through everyday interactions. The analysis of the play is followed by a discussion of the performances of the play at the Lyric Theatre, Belfast; Riverside Studios, London; and on tour.
The 13-modular character table of 2.Suz.2

AbstractWe compute the 13-modular character table of the bicyclic extension 2.Suz.2 given in the Atlas. This completes the last unknown modular character table of a bicyclic extension of the sporad...
Maximizing International Students’ Service-Learning and Community Engagement Experience: A Case Study of Student Voices on the Benefits and Barriers

The purpose of this study was to identify actual and perceived barriers and benefits of engaging in service-learning and volunteering activities as identified from the unique perspective of international students. Through the identification of barriers and benefits, we can provide more informed training to international students and provide a foundation for best practices to the community-based organizations that host them as volunteers and service-learners. We gathered data through focus groups and short online surveys of both the study population and community partner-based organizations. The findings of this study providing the authentic experiences and perspectives of international students, can assist service-learning institutions and organizations worldwide to better prepare international students for a service-learning experience and reduce the number of barriers faced. Practices and services are recommended to help international students complete their volunteer/service-learning endeavors, and to provide a more welcoming atmosphere for this student population to engage in their communities through service-learning.
The Word Problem

Novikov, Boone, and Britton proved, independently, that there is a finitely presented group ℬ for which no computer can ever exist that can decide whether an arbitrary word on the generators of ℬ is 1. We shall prove this remarkable result in this chapter.
Lightning-fast chemistry.

When lightning strikes, Bruce C. Gibb reminds us that not only do sparks fly, but there’s also some chemistry going on too.
Predicting Group Performance Using Process Data in a Collaborative Assessment

Technology-based assessments that involve collaboration among students offer many sources of process data, although it remains unclear which aspects of these data are most meaningful for making inferences about students’ collaborative skills. Recent research has focused mainly on theory-based rubrics for qualitative coding of process data (e.g., text from chat dialogues, click-stream data), but many reliability and validity issues arise in the application of such rubrics. In this research, we take a more data-driven approach to the problem. Data were collected from 122 dyads who interacted over online chat to complete a twelfth-grade mathematics assessment. We focus on features of chat and click-stream that can be extracted automatically, including the extent to which chat dialogue contained content from assessment materials; chat-based cues of affective tone and mirroring; and temporal synchronization in task-related activities. Using a block-wise linear regression, we show that process features of chat and click-stream accounted for 30.5% of the variation in group performance, after controlling for group members math proficiency and the total number of words in the chat dialogue. The full model explained 61% of the variation in group performance. Implications for the design and scoring of collaborative assessments are discussed.
Transient Global Amnesia

Transient global amnesia (TGA) is a rare but characteristic event, lasting no longer than 24 h, where a patient suddenly loses the ability to make new memories. There are several more serious conditions that can present similarly, so knowing the key features of TGA is paramount to correct diagnosis and treatment. The underlying cause of TGA remains a mystery and continues to be debated by researchers and physicians.
Electronic Structures of Rhenium(II) β-Diketiminates Probed by EPR Spectroscopy: Direct Comparison of an Acceptor-Free Complex to Its Dinitrogen, Isocyanide, and Carbon Monoxide Adducts.

Electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) studies of the rhenium(II) complex Re(η5-Cp)(BDI) (1; BDI = N,N′-bis(2,6-diisopropylphenyl)-3,5-dimethyl-β-diketiminate) have revealed that this species revers...
There Is No Unity, Only Politics: A Reply to Kurtz:

Jeff Kurtz offers a substantive response to my essay, “Sport and the Quest for Unity.” Although he takes seriously my claims that “unity” is too often used within sports as a rhetorical means for e...
Introduction of Two Simultaneous Mutations By Genome Editing Greatly Enhances the Accumulation of the Endogenous Fetal Hemoglobin in Human Normal Erythroid Cells

Abstract Thalassemia or sickle cell patients with increased fetal hemoglobin have an ameliorated clinical picture up to transfusion independency. Genome editing with targeted nucleases of the γ-globin silencer BCL11a or of the HBG promoter has been shown to reenact an HPFH-like phenotype by significantly increasing the endogenous fetal globin (HbF) expression. In order to achieve higher efficiency in HbF reactivation we developed an innovative approach, mediated through a highly customizable helper dependent-adenoviral vector (HD-Ad5/35++) with nuclease activity. This vector bares the Cas9 gene and two sequential gRNAs, permitting simultaneous targeting of two different DNA loci, specifically, the erythroid enhancer of BCL11a and the HBG promoter to recreate the -114 to -102 HPFH deletion. This double targeting vector was compared to the respective single gRNA vectors. We observed that disruption of the BCL11a-enhancer increased Gγ globin, whereas disruption of the HBG promoter had a greater impact on the Αγ globin expression. Simultaneous disruption of both loci in human erythroid progenitors increased the overall HbF expression from less than 1% in the control to more than 20%, through a possibly synergistic effect of the two mutations (HbF:2.2% in BCL11a-enhancer only knock-out, 10.8% in HBG-only knock out) by affecting both gamma globin chains. The editing efficiency per locus was similar between the single gRNA and double gRNA vectors. Erythroid cell morphology and phenotypic profile of the double knock-out cells did not differ compared to the single knock-out cells. In addition to our in vitro experiments, we observed that mobilized peripheral blood CD34+ cells transduced and edited by the double gRNA vector, can efficiently engraft in NSG mice. Furthermore, the engrafted edited cells after erythroid differentiation expressed significantly higher levels of gamma globin compared to the control. This strategy has the potential to induce higher levels of HbF reactivation with a clinical benefit in patients with beta globin disorders. Disclosures No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.
Probing lipid membrane bending mechanics using gold nanorod tracking

Lipid bilayer membranes undergo rapid bending undulations with wavelengths from tens of nanometers to tens of microns due to thermal fluctuations. Here, we probe such undulations and the membranes' mechanics by measuring the time-varying orientation of single gold nanorods (GNRs) adhered to the membrane, using high-speed dark field microscopy. In a lipid vesicle, such measurements allow the determination of the membrane's viscosity, bending rigidity and tension as well as the friction coefficient for sliding of the monolayers over one another. The in-plane rotation of the GNR is hindered by undulations in a membrane tension dependent manner, consistent with simulations. The motion of single GNRs adhered to the plasma membrane of living cultured cells similarly reveals that membrane's complex physics and coupling to the cell's actomyosin cortex.
From equality to hierarchy.

As an old Scottish proverb says, “give a Dog an ill Name, and he’ll soon be hanged.” Even when the signal has little to do with underlying reality, endorsement—or contempt—can produce lasting consequences for a person’s social position. The ease with which such pieces of folk wisdom translate across both time and species suggests that there is a general, and even perhaps universal, logic to hierarchies and how they form. Kawakatsu et al. (1) make an important advance in the quest for this kind of understanding, providing a general model for how subtle differences in individual-level decision-making can lead to hard-to-miss consequences for society as a whole. Their work (1) reveals two distinct regimes—one egalitarian, one hierarchical—that emerge from shifts in individual-level judgment. These lead to statistical methods that researchers can use to reverse engineer observed hierarchies, and understand how signaling systems work when prestige and power are in play. The results make a singular contribution at the intersection of two distinct traditions of research into social power: the mechanistic (how hierarchies get made) and the functional (the adaptive roles they can play in society). Hierarchies were first understood mechanistically, as pecking orders that were the cumulative consequence of individual aggressive acts (2). Researchers focused on how to translate aggression (e.g., physical harm) or endorsement (e.g., signals of submission) into rank. Ideally, aggression and rank should be consistent. If A ranked above B, one wanted no aggressive acts from B to A, or submissive acts from A to B. Cycles frustrated this goal (A might aggress against B, B against C, and C against A), and so a next step adjusted the final ranks to minimize both the number and the strength of the inconsistencies (3). These methods produced holistic assessments: The relative rank of A and B depended, … [↵][1]1To whom correspondence may be addressed. Email: sdedeo{at}andrew.cmu.edu. [1]: #xref-corresp-1-1
Inventing the New Art World: On Art Institutions and Their Audience

Howard S. Becker (2005 [1982]) and Vera L. Zolberg (1990) suggested the advent of new audiences to be one of the main common motors of change in artistic practice, where art institutions play an important role in delivering both aesthetic and educational experiences, but can also be criticized for persistent exclusivity and for how they create a participatory environment. The aim of this article is to examine the present-day relationship of art museums and galleries with their audiences while taking into account the role played by the advent of a new sociology of art, museum sociology, and the audience development, with all of them questioning the role of museums as socio-cultural institutions focused on the democratization of culture. By employing empirical research conducted in selected art institutions in the Czech Republic and Poland, I will examine how young visitors view art institutions in light of their recent quest for becoming the inclusive platforms of gaining knowledge about art, which promote and facilitate active participation rather than passive consumption.
Aspirin effects on platelet gene expression are associated with a paradoxical, increase in platelet function.

Aspirin has known effects beyond inhibiting platelet cyclooxygenase-1 (COX1) that have been incompletely characterized. Transcriptomics can comprehensively characterize the on- and off-target effects of medications. We used a systems pharmacogenomics approach of aspirin exposure in volunteers coupled with serial platelet function and purified platelet mRNA sequencing to test the hypothesis that aspirin's effects on the platelet transcriptome are associated with platelet function. We prospectively recruited 74 adult volunteers for a randomized cross over study of 81- vs. 325 mg/day, each for 4 weeks. Using mRNA sequencing of purified platelets collected before and after each 4-week exposure, we identified 208 aspirin-responsive genes with no evidence for dosage effects. In independent cohorts of healthy volunteers and patients with diabetes we validated aspirin's effects on five genes: EIF2S3, CHRNB1, EPAS1, SLC9A3R2, and HLA-DRA. Functional characterization of the effects of aspirin on mRNA as well as platelet ribosomal RNA demonstrated that aspirin may act as an inhibitor of protein synthesis. Database searches for small molecules that mimicked the effects of aspirin on platelet gene expression in vitro identified aspirin but no other molecules that share aspirin's known mechanisms of action. The effects of aspirin on platelet mRNA were correlated with higher levels of platelet function both at baseline and after aspirin exposure - an effect that counteracts aspirin's known antiplatelet effect. In summary, this work collectively demonstrates a dose-independent effect of aspirin on the platelet transcriptome that counteracts the well-known antiplatelet effects of aspirin.
Cooperative multi-robot control for target tracking with onboard sensing1

We consider the cooperative control of a team of robots to estimate the position of a moving target using onboard sensing. In this setting, robots are required to estimate their positions using relative onboard sensing while concurrently tracking the target. Our probabilistic localization and control method takes into account the motion and sensing capabilities of the individual robots to minimize the expected future uncertainty of the target position. Two measures of uncertainty are extensively evaluated and compared: mutual information and the trace of the extended Kalman filter covariance. Our approach reasons about multiple possible sensing topologies and incorporates an efficient topology switching technique to generate locally optimal controls in polynomial time complexity. Simulations illustrate the performance of our approach and prove its flexibility in finding suitable sensing topologies depending on the limited sensing capabilities of the robots and the movements of the target. Furthermore, we demonstrate the applicability of our method in various experiments with single and multiple quadrotor robots tracking a ground vehicle in an indoor environment.
Spectroscopic Properties and Electron Transfer Dynamics of Reaction Centers

With the elucidation of the crystal structures of reaction centers from several species of bacteria [1–3], we no longer need to depend on spectroscopic properties for hints on the positions and orientations of the pigments. Nor do we have to be content with fitting the electron transfer kinetics to phenomenological expressions with freely adjustable parameters. Instead, we can reverse these challenges. Is it possible now to start with a crystal structure and to calculate the reaction center’s absorption, CD and linear dichroism spectra and the spectroscopic effects of external fields? And can we predict how rapidly an electron will move from one component of the reaction center to another? If so, we can look forward to a clearer understanding of the mechanism of the primary electron transfer reaction, and to having a sharpened set of tools for exploring other complexes that still resist crystalization.
Membrane complement receptors specific for bound fragments of C3.

Publisher Summary Even though it has been long recognized that the major function of complement receptors was clearance of bacteria by way of opsonization, there are many unknown features about the functions of phagocyte complement receptors. The characterization of the function of complement receptors represents one of the final frontiers of complement research that has detailed the functions of the plasma complement components. Both afferent and efferent limbs of the inflammatory process are dependent upon this coordinating function of complement. The organization of host cell responses by complement is achieved through the interaction of cell membrane receptors with activation products of serum complement proteins. Although a number of different complement components are involved in this complex process, C3l plays a pivotal role. During complement activation, C3-derived fragments are both liberated into the fluid phase and covalently bound to the substrate. The fluid-phase C3 fragments function to induce leukocytosis , increase vascular permeability, and suppress antibody synthesis, whereas the bound C3 fragments participate in assembly of convertase enzymes that amplify C3 activation and further progression of the complement cascade. This chapter focuses on the membrane receptors for bound fragments of C3. The chapter reviews mechanisms for generation and degradation of C3-receptor ligands via the classical and alternative pathways and discusses the abnormalities of expression and/or function that have both clinical relevance and contribute to an understanding of the function of complement receptors in vivo .
A Note on Certain 2-Groups with Hadamard Difference Sets

Nontrivial difference sets in 2-groups are part of the family of Hadamard difference sets. An abelian group of order 2^{2d+2} has a difference set if and only if the exponent of the group is less than or equal to 2^{d+2}. We provide an exponent bound for a more general type of 2-group which has a Hadamard difference set. A recent construction due to Davis and Iiams shows that we can attain this bound in at least half of the cases.
Role of Design Teams in the Integration of Stakeholder Considerations

Given the importance of stakeholder considerations to the aircraft’s overall mission and lifecycle performance, this work examines how stakeholder requirements are currently incorporated into the aircraft design process. A case study within an aircraft design firm found that human factors specialists are designated to address specific stakeholder considerations within the design process. This research explores how the perspectives of these specialists are integrated into aircraft design teams. Accounts from 25 semistructured interviews were analyzed using qualitative data analysis techniques. The results identify differences between the integration of stakeholder considerations within the pilot compartment group compared to other design groups. These differences can be described through six conditions related to group structure and goals, approaches to cross-disciplinary work, and shared language and mediums of translation among disciplines. These results highlight how to promote the integration of stakeh...
GeoCLEF text retrieval and manual expansion approaches

In this paper we will describe the Berkeley approaches to the GeoCLEF tasks for CLEF 2006. This year we used two separate systems for different tasks. Although of the systems both use versions of the same primary retrieval algorithm they differ in the supporting text pre-processing tools used.
From leaf explants to hanging rooted plantlets in a mist reactor

A mist bioreactor using a disposable bag as a culture chamber was used to propagate single nodal explants of Artemisia annua into rooted plantlets that were ready for soil using a single batch (one-step) culture. To vertically scale plant growth inside the mist reactor, poly-l-lysine (PLL)-coated 70 µm nylon mesh and solid polypropylene sheeting were used for explant attachment. Both manually chopped and blender-chopped (blenderized) shoot tissues were attached to PLL-coated substrates. Compared to blenderized shoots, manually chopped tissues were larger with better attachment to PLL-coated substrates. Regardless of substrates or explant preparation method, 80–95 % of initially attached shoot tissues remained attached to PLL-coated surfaces after being misted with culture medium for 24 h. New shoot proliferation increased about tenfold as the size of blenderized shoot tissue increased. To reduce callusing during shoot proliferation and thus stimulate root initiation, original shooting medium was reduced to half strength of phytohormone and Murashige and Skoog salts. The duration of shoot proliferation was also reduced from 2 to 1 week. Original rooting medium was then further improved with NAA or IBA. After successive shooting, rooting and in vitro acclimatization, the nodal explants attached to PLL-coated hanging strips and developed into fully rooted plantlets in the mist reactor. Although most of the large rooted plantlets detached from the hanging strips by the time of harvest, they had fully functional stomata and were later successfully established in the soil, suggesting this “hanging garden” technology may prove useful for micropropagation.
Why Environmental Policy Nightmares Recur

Many natural resource and environmental policy issues evidence recurring choices, made with considerable effort, whose temporary solutions never seem to deal with the underlying problems. Drawing on examples from endangered species policy, I describe five behavioral tendencies of humans and human insti- tutions that result in recurrent environmental policy problems, including poor long-term direction, delays, im- passes, and piecemeal solutions to crosscutting problems. These tendencies are short-term rationality outcom- peting long-term rationality, competitive behavior driving out cooperative behavior, fragmentation of interests and values, fragmentation of responsibilities and authorities, and fragmentation of information and knowledge. By understanding these tendencies, it is possible to frame policy solutions to them. This paper identifies a set of necessary responses including finding ways to bind current decisionmakers to the future, promoting creativity and risk-taking on the part of public resource management organizations, utilizing al- ternative dispute resolution mechanisms that foster cooperation, building political concurrence, utilizing co- ordinating mechanisms, instituting clear performance measures, and implementing ways to promote infor- mation flows between organizations.
Comparative nitric oxide production by LPS-stimulated monocyte-derived macrophages from Ovis canadensis and Ovis aries.

Bighorn sheep are more susceptible to respiratory infection by Mannheimia haemolytica than are domestic sheep. In response to bacterial challenge, macrophages produce a number of molecules that play key roles in the inflammatory response, including highly reactive nitrogen intermediates such as nitric oxide (NO). Supernatants from monocyte-derived macrophages cultured with M. haemolytica LPS were assayed for nitric oxide activity via measurement of the NO metabolite, nitrite. In response to LPS stimulation, bighorn sheep macrophages secreted significantly higher levels of NO compared to levels for non-stimulated macrophages. In contrast, levels of NO produced by domestic sheep macrophages in response to M. haemolytica LPS did not differ from levels detected in non-stimulated cell cultures. Nitrite levels detected in supernatants of LPS-stimulated bighorn macrophage cultures treated with an inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) inhibitor, NG-monomethyl-l-arginine, were similar to that observed in non-stimulated cultures indicating a role for the iNOS pathway.
Oxygen concentration gradients in the special care nursery.

• Room-air oxygen concentration in the respiratory care areas of our Special Care Nursery ranged from 20.9% to 24.8%. Calculated oxygen concentrations in our respiratory care areas, assuming an air turnover of five or 12 air changes per hour, were frequently far below observed concentrations. This indicated that ventilation in our respiratory care areas provided below minimum recommended number of air changes per hour. Therefore, in respiratory care areas in older structures with poor ventilation or with ventilatory system breakdown, environmental oxygen should be monitored. ( Am J Dis Child 1981;135:721-722)
A note on linear-quadratic pursuit-evasion differential games

An interpretation of the zero-sum, two-person, linear-quadratic differential game is provided via the bargaining and threat theory of nonzerosum games.
Three-dimensional viscous-shock-layer applications for the Space Shuttle orbiter

A nonorthogonal three-dimensional viscous-shock-layer code was modified and used to compute the windward surface flowfield over a Shuttle-like configuration. Code modifications were made in the methods used to evaluate shock boundary conditions and in the implementation of the equilibrium air models. Additional viscous terms were also retained in the governing equations. Effects of these modifications are demonstrated. Three-dimensional flowfield solutions obtained with the modified code showed good comparison of surface heating and pressure with actual flight data. An apparently three-dimensional effect, characterized by a drop in surface heating on the Shuttle windward centerline in the wing root area, was predicted by the present method. A preliminary review of Shuttle ground-based experimental and flight data confirmed this trend. The present three-dimensional solutions were also compared with the predictions of several approximate methods. Those comparisons showed the approximate methods to be valid for predicting heating along the Shuttle windward centerline uner both perfect gas and equilibrium air conditions.
Low cost device for removing human and small primate temporal bone plugs

Previously, only the expensive oscillating saw and Schuknecht temporal trephine were available for removing human temporal bone plugs and no trephines were made for smaller research primates. An inexpensive hole saw has been modified for removing such plugs with an electric drill. This device is less expensive, easier to use, causes less potential impact damage to the plug, and the size of the hole saw can be varied for the size of the skull.
"A delicate diplomatic situation": tobacco industry efforts to gain control of the Framingham Study.

Abstract Background The Framingham Heart Study (henceforth Framingham) is among the gold standards for epidemiological research. Being a prospective cohort study of 5,000+ men and women, it provided early findings about the causes of coronary heart disease (CHD), following a cohort over the course of 24 years. After US government funding ended, the tobacco industry funded Council for Tobacco Research (CTR) provided continued funding for analyses related to smoking. Objective This study sought to understand the tobacco industry's motivation and activities in funding Framingham. Study Design and Setting We analyzed previously undisclosed tobacco industry documents, conducting iterative searches of the Legacy Tobacco Documents Library ( http://legacy.library.ucsf.edu/ ), and assembled a historical case study. Results CTR funded Framingham to obtain full access to Framingham data. CTR planned for long-time industry consultant Carl Seltzer to reanalyze them to suggest that tobacco-related morbidity and mortality primarily resulted from “constitutional” factors, such as age or ethnicity. Once data were obtained, CTR terminated funding for the Framingham principal investigator, who disagreed with Seltzer. Seltzer's critical analyses of subsequently published work by the Framingham team created confusion about the association between CHD and cigarette smoking. Conclusion Researchers accepting tobacco industry funding risk losing control of data, analysis, and publication.
Spatial tuning curves along the chick basilar papilla in normal and sound-exposed ears.

Intense sound exposure destroys chick short hair cells and damages the tectorial membrane. Within a few days postexposure, signs of repair appear resulting in nearly complete structural recovery of the inner ear. Tectorial membrane repair, however, is incomplete, leaving a permanent defect on the sensory surface. The consequences of this defect on cochlear function, and particularly frequency analysis, are unclear. The present study organizes the sound-induced discharge activity of cochlear nerve units to describe the distribution of neural activity along the tonotopic axis of the basilar papilla. The distribution of this activity is compared in 12-day postexposed and age-matched control groups. Spontaneous activity, tuning curves, and rate–intensity functions were measured in each unit. Discharge activity at 60 frequency and intensity combinations was identified in the tuning curves of hundreds of units. Activity at each of these criterion frequency/intensity combinations was plotted against the unit’s characteristic frequency to construct spatial tuning curves (STCs). The STCs depict tone-driven cochlear nerve activity along the length of the papilla. Tuning sharpness, low- and high- frequency slopes, and the maximum response were quantified for each STC. The sharpness of tuning increased with increasing criterion frequency. However, within a frequency, increasing sound intensity yielded more broadly tuned STCs. Also, the high-frequency slope was consistently steeper than the low-frequency slope. The STCs of exposed ears exhibited slightly less frequency selectivity than control ears across all frequencies and larger maximum responses for STCs with criterion frequencies spanning the tectorial membrane defect. When rate–intensity types were segregated, differences were observed in the STCs between saturating and sloping-up units. We propose that STC shape may be determined by global mechanical events, as well as localized tuning and nonlinear processes associated with individual hair cells. The results indicated that 12 days after intense sound exposure, global and local contributions to spatially distributed neural activity are restored.
Uptake and Residues of Chemosterilants in Boll Weevils Treated by Fumigation or Dipping

Uptake and residues of hempa and thiotepa in Anthonomus grandis Boheman sterilized by vacuum fumigation, atmospheric fumigation, or vacuum dipping were determined. When comparable sterility was achieved in either type of fumigation treatment, the uptake of hempa was 10–100 times that of thiotepa. However, the uptake at atmospheric pressure was lower than that in the vacuum treatment. Thiotepa induced 99–100% sterility in all treatments but its uptake was lowest in the fumigation at atmospheric pressure. The uniformity of uptake by individual weevils was higher in the atmospheric fumigation than in the dipping. No residues of thiotepa were detected in treated weevils 4 days posttreatment but traces of hempa persisted for as long as 16 days posttreatment.
Robot motion planning: a distributed representation approach

We propose a new approach to robot path planning that consists of building and searching a graph connecting the local minima of a potential function defined over the robot's configuration space. A planner based on this approach has been implemented. This planner is consider ably faster than previous path planners and solves prob lems for robots with many more degrees of freedom (DOFs). The power of the planner derives both from the "good" properties of the potential function and from the efficiency of the techniques used to escape the local min ima of this function. The most powerful of these tech niques is a Monte Carlo technique that escapes local min ima by executing Brownian motions. The overall approach is made possible by the systematic use of distributed rep resentations (bitmaps) for the robot's work space and configuration space. We have experimented with the plan ner using several computer-simulated robots, including rigid objects with 3 DOFs (in 2D work space) and 6 DOFs (in 3D work space) and ...
Scleromalacia After Retinal Detachment Surgery

Purpose/Methods A 34-year-old man developed severe scleral thinning with imminent prolapse after conventional retinal detachment repair, including pars plana vitrectomy, endolaser photocoagulation, and perfluoropropane injection. Cadaveric dura mater was used to repair the scleral defect. Results/Conclusion The cause of scleromalacia in this case remains to be determined. Commercially prepared cadaveric dura mater can be successfully used as a tectonic graft for the treatment of scleral thinning.
Caring for dying patients who have air hunger.

Purpose: To understand nurses' experiences of caring for dying patients who have ‘air hunger.’ When air hunger occurs in people who are close to death, it often triggers increasing panic and breathlessness. Describing this phenomenon is an initial step toward a more informed and consistent response to air-hungry patients. Design and Methods: Phenomenological study of 10 hospice, long-term care, oncology, or emergency medicine nurses who cared for air-hungry dying patients. Analysis was based on van Manen's guidelines for interpretive phenomenology. Interviews with two family members who witnessed their dying spouses suffer from air hunger were used to complement the nurses' accounts. Findings: Themes of (a) the patient's look–panic beckons, (b) surrendering and sharing control, and (c) fine-tuning dying indicated ways nurses responded to relieve a patient's air hunger, including being prepared before air hunger occurs, calming patients and families, medicating patients, improvising care, attending to family members' needs, and drawing a distinction between palliating and killing. Conclusions: The three themes provide a framework for a new vision of “doing everything” for a dying person who suffers from air hunger. Care encompasses knowing what to do as well as how to stay present during suffering.
Nonconvexities in a stochastic control problem with learning

Abstract This paper examines the benefits from active learning in a stochastic control problem. In a linear model with parametric uncertainty, there are gains to probing, but the probing component of the loss function often has nonconvexities. I show that they can arise for two reasons: (1) failure of the precision matrix of the parameters to increase monotonically with the control variable (the covariances between a state variable and the random parameters can reduce the information gained from probing) and (2) changes in the path of future state variables induced by modifying the certainty-equivalent control. If the parameter on the control variable is large, a small change in the control can cause a much larger change in future state which, for a given level of uncertainty, makes probing more costly.
One-Dimensional To Two-Dimensional And Two-Dimensional To One-Dimensional Mappings In Optical Signal Processing

1-D to 2-D mappings have been used in optical signal processing to increase the information throughput of optical systems for 1-D signals and to allow shift-variant processing of 1-D signals. We review two examples of such mappings: the spectral analysis of raster recorded signals, and frequency-variant spectral analysis. We then present two new optical signal processing operations where 2-D signals are mapping into 1-D formats for processing: a method for general space-variant processing of 2-D signals, and a novel nonframing video imaging technique.© (1977) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.