cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Can We Better Estimate Resting Oxygen Consumption by Incorporating Arterial Blood Gases and Spirometric Determinations

BACKGROUND: We hypothesize that oxygen consumption (Vo2) estimation in patients with respiratory symptoms is inaccurate and can be improved by considering arterial blood gases or spirometric variables. METHODS: For this retrospective study, we included consecutive subjects who underwent cardiopulmonary exercise testing. Resting Vo2 was determined using breath-by-breath testing methodology. Using a training cohort (n = 336), we developed 3 models to predict Vo2. In a validation group (n = 114), we compared our models with 7 available formulae. RESULTS: Our first model (Vo2 = −184.99 + 189.64 × body surface area [BSA, m2] + 1.49 × heart rate [beats/min] + 51.51 × FIO2 [21% = 0; 30% = 1] + 30.62 × gender [male = 1; female = 0]) showed an R2 of 0.5. Our second model (Vo2 = −208.06 + 188.67 × BSA + 1.38 × heart rate + 35.6 × gender + 2.06 × breathing frequency [breaths/min]) showed an R2 of 0.49. The best R2 (0.68) was obtained with our last model, which included minute ventilation (Vo2 = −142.92 + 0.52 × heart rate + 126.84 × BSA + 14.68 × minute ventilation [L]). In the validation cohort, these 3 models performed better than other available equations, but had wide limits of agreement, particularly in older individuals with shorter stature, higher heart rate, and lower maximum voluntary ventilation. CONCLUSIONS: We developed more accurate formulae to predict resting Vo2 in subjects with respiratory symptoms; however, equations had wide limits of agreement, particularly in certain groups of subjects. Arterial blood gases and spirometric variables did not significantly improve the predictive equations.
B-hadrons & Heavy Quarkonium: Spectroscopy & Properties

The recent results from the LHC experiments (ATLAS, CMS, and LHCb) are presented in the field of B hadrons and the heavy quarkonium with focus on the properties and the spectroscopy. The observation of the structure in the J /ψϕ mass spectrum, the Λb lifetime measurements and the production of the X(3872) via decays to J /ψπ + π − by CMS experiment will be presented for the first time. Additionally the B s lifetime difference measurement, observation of χb (3P) state, observation of the excited Λb 0 baryons, and the observation of a new baryon Ξb * will be summarized.
AdaBoost and Forward Stagewise Regression are First-Order Convex Optimization Methods

Boosting methods are highly popular and effective supervised learning methods which combine weak learners into a single accurate model with good statistical performance. In this paper, we analyze two well-known boosting methods, AdaBoost and Incremental Forward Stagewise Regression (FS"), by establishing their precise connections to the Mirror Descent algorithm, which is a first-order method in convex optimization. As a consequence of these connections we obtain novel computational guarantees for these boosting methods. In particular, we characterize convergence bounds of AdaBoost, related to both the margin and log-exponential loss function, for any step-size sequence. Furthermore, this paper presents, for the first time, precise computational complexity results for FS".
Oncolytic viruses and DNA-repair machinery: Overcoming chemoresistance of gliomas

The current standard of care for malignant gliomas is surgical resection and radiotherapy followed by extended adjuvant treatment with the alkylating agent temozolomide. Temozolomide causes DNA damage, which induces cell death. Through changes in the DNA-repair machinery, glioma cells develop resistance to temozolomide, compromising the therapeutic effect of the drug. Oncolytic viruses, such as herpes simplex viruses and adenoviruses, are being introduced into clinical trials as a new treatment for this malignancy. Biological studies have revealed that these viruses use mechanisms to either inactivate (adenovirus) or take advantage of (herpes simplex virus) the cellular DNA-repair machinery to achieve productive replication. Adenoviruses express proteins from the early genes to either downregulate the damage-repair enzyme, O(6)-methylguanine-DNA methyltransferase, or degrade poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase or the Mre11-Rad50-NBS1 complex, which detects DNA strand breaks. Temozolomide enhances herpes simplex virus oncolysis by upregulating the DNA repair-related genes growth arrest DNA damage 34 and ribonucleotide reductase. The interactions between viruses and the DNA-repair machinery suggest that a combined temozolomide and viral therapy will overcome the limitations of a single therapy by diminishing chemoresistance or enhancing oncolysis. This hypothesis has been supported by promising findings from preclinical and clinical studies.
Male mate preferences in a gynogenetic species complex of Amazon mollies

Female Amazon mollies, Poecilia formosa, are gynogenetic and mate with males of a sexual species, P. latipinna or P. mexicana, for successful reproduction. It was found that both species of males are able to distinguish between conspecific females and Amazon mollies, and preferentially mate with the former. Male mate preference per se is not an evolved response to avoid mating with Amazon mollies; male P. latipinna that are from populations currently allopatric with Amazon mollies also prefer conspecifics. The strength of this preference, however, is stronger in P. latipinna from populations sympatric with Amazon mollies than in P. latipinna from populations that are allopatric with the gynogen, suggesting that reproductive character displacement in mating preferences has occurred. Male size did not influence mating decisions; thus, the hypothesis was rejected that the gynogens are usually mated by smaller, younger males, which have yet to learn to discriminate between females. Unlike some previous studies, it was shown that P. mexicana can discriminate between conspecific females and Amazon mollies, although the strength of preference might be weaker in P. mexicana than in P. latipinna. Male P. latipinna and P. mexicana di# ered in their choices between females of the two heterospecific species in the complex. Male P. latipinna were reluctant to mate at all when given a choice between the two heterospecific females, P. mexicana and P. formosa. Poecilia mexicana males, alternatively, showed high mate attraction to P. formosa when these females were paired with P. latipinna females. This result is intriguing, given that it is thought that female P. mexicana and male P. latipinna were involved in the original hybridization event that gave rise to P. formosa. Therefore, the strong attractiveness of P. formosa to P. mexicana may be related to a maternally derived genetic component. ! 1996 The Association for the Study of Animal Behaviour
Estimates of the Validity and Utility of Unstructured Clinical Observations of Children in the Assessment of ADHD

The purpose of this prospective study was to examine the validity and diagnostic utility of unstructured clinic observations of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) behaviors in children. Results showed observations to be related to behavioral ratings of parents but not of teachers. The relationship between observations and parent ratings was stronger for hyperactive-impulsive than inattentive behaviors. The level of agreement between observations and classification of ADHD significantly exceeded chance levels only for parent measures of hyperactivity-impulsivity. Only parent measures predicted a diagnosis of ADHD at a rate that was significantly better than chance. Clinic observations were found to have consistently higher positive predictive power than negative predictive power. Clinical implications are discussed.
Automated sizing of fluorescent-labeled simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers to assay genetic variation in soybean

Simple Sequence Repeat (SSR) allele sizing provides a useful tool for genotype identification, pedigree analysis, and for estimating genetic distance between organisms. Soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] cultivars are identified for Plant Variety Protection (PVP) purposes by standard pigmentation and morphological traits. However, many commercial soybeans arise from a limited number of elite lines and are often indistinguishable based on these traits. A system based on SSR markers would provide unique DNA profiles of cultivars. Fluorescent labeling of alleles combined with automated sizing with internal size standards in each gel lane was used as an alternative to standard [32P] labeling to assess genetic variability in soybean. Allelic frequencies at 20 SSR loci were determined in 35 soybean genotypes that account for greater than 95% of the alleles in North American soybean cultivars based upon pedigree analysis. An average of 10.1 alleles per locus (range: 5–17), with a mean gene diversity of 0.80 (range: 0.50 to 0.87) were observed at the 20 SSR loci. The 20 loci successfully distinguished modern soybean cultivars that are identical for morphological and pigmentation traits, as well as 7 soybean genotypes reported to be indistinguishable using 17 RFLP probes. Pedigrees of 7 cultivars were studied to estimate stability of SSRs in soybean across generations. Of the 7 pedigrees 6 had one locus in the progeny with an allele(s) that was not present in either parent. These new alleles are most likely the result of mutation. The mutation rate of SSR alleles in soybean was similar to that reported in humans. To avoid difficulty associated with mutation, DNA fingerprint data should be determined from the bulk of 30-50 plants of a cultivar.
Functional expression of cloned human splicing factor SF2: homology to rna-binding proteins, U1 70K, and drosophila splicing regulators

SF2 is a protein factor essential for constitutive pre-mRNA splicing in HeLa cell extracts and also activates proximal alternative 5' splice sites in a concentration-dependent manner. This latter property suggests a role for SF2 in preventing exon skipping, ensuring the accuracy of splicing, and regulating alternative splicing. Human SF2 cDNAs have been isolated and overexpressed in bacteria. Recombinant SF2 is active in splicing and stimulates proximal 5' splice sites. SF2 has a C-terminal region rich in arginine-serine dipeptides, similar to the RS domains of the U1 snRNP 70K polypeptide and the Drosophila alternative splicing regulators transformer, transformer-2, and suppressor-of-white-apricot. Like transformer-2 and 70K, SF2 contains an RNP-type RNA recognition motif.
On the Pathogenesis of Toxic Shock Syndrome

Understanding of the pathogenesis of toxic shock syndrome (TSS) has come from the juxtaposition of epidemiologic, clinical, immunologic, and physiologic studies. A hypothesis has been developed for the pathogenesis of menstrually related TSS. Certain tampon fibers that are highly absorbent for water are also ion exchangers for magnesium ions. The latter ions uniquely affect the production of TSS toxin 1 (TSST-1) by appropriate strains of Staphylococcus aureus, with a marked increase in the amount of toxin when magnesium concentrations are limiting and suppression of toxin production when magnesium is in excess. Many epidemiologic features of TSS could be explained by this hypothesis. The absorbability of highly absorptive fibers is not affected by the addition of small amounts of magnesium sufficient to suppress production of TSST-1; thus absorption is distinguishable from toxin production in vitro. TSST-1 stimulates production of interleukin 1 and of tumor necrosis factor and is highly toxic when absorbed slowly. Like TSST-1, staphylococcal enterotoxins are lethal to rabbits when given by slow injection, and some enterotoxins may be more lethal than TSST-1.
Going along with it: sexually coercive partner behavior predicts dating women's compliance with unwanted sex.

Sexual compliance involves willing consent to unwanted sex despite a lack of sexual desire.The authors hypothesized that compliance would be significantly more common among women with sexually coercive partners because compliance allows women to bypass possible coercion. Undergraduate women in heterosexual relationships ( N = 76) responded to self-report measures of partner sexually coercive behavior at baseline and sexual compliance 6 weeks later. As expected, reports of partner coercive behavior at Time 1 predicted women’s willing consent to unwanted sex at Time 2. Most compliant women consented to unwanted sex after learning their partners may coerce them if they refuse.
Family structure: a general program for displaying complex pedigree data.

Abstract A general method for automated presentation of complex pedigree data is described. This method, called ‘family structure’, allows presentation of genetic relationships for an unlimited number of individuals, and is well suited for description of both human and non-human animal populations. The method is especially useful for populations in which families are interrelated or individuals produce offspring by several mates. This method has been incorporated into a computer system for animal pedigree storage and analysis.
Localized blood flow imaging using quantitative flow-enhanced signal intensity

Flow-enhanced signal intensity (FENSI) was previously introduced as a novel functional imaging method for measuring changes in localized blood flow in response to a stimulus. However, FENSI was limited to a qualitative functional MRI tool, due to magnetization transfer effects and different tagging plane profiles between tag and control images. In this work, a revised FENSI acquisition is proposed to enable quantitative imaging, which is capable of providing absolute localized blood flow maps free from magnetization transfer and slice profile errors. The feasibility and accuracy of measuring microvascular (arteriole, capillary, and venule) blood flow by using quantitative FENSI was validated by our phantom studies. Additionally, localized cerebral blood flow, 366 ± 45 μL/min/cm2 in gray matter and 153 ± 23 μL/min/cm2 in white matter, was measured in healthy subjects during resting state, whereas a flow change of 73 ± 13% was detected during a visual task. Magn Reson Med, 2012. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Model for the Formation of Silicon Carbide from the Pyrolysis of Dichlorodimethylsilane in Hydrogen: II, Silicon Carbide Formation from Silicon and Methane

A model is developed for the deposition of silicon carbide from the pyrolysis of dichlorodimethylsiane in hydrogen, in a tubular reactor at temperatures from 700° to 1100°C and 1.013 × 105 Pa (1 atm) pressure. Concentration of dichlorodimethylsilane varied from 2 to 8 vol%. Gas chromatography was used to determine the volatile products of reaction, and gravimetric analysis was used to determine the total silicon and silicon carbide deposition on the tube. The model developed based on the experimental data that assumes the following chemical reactions: The rate constants derived from a nonlinear regression analysis are reported.
A Laboratory and Field Evaluation of Amprolium—A New Anticoccidial

Abstract THE list of anticoccidial drugs is steadily increasing as more perfected means are developed for the control of coccidian infections in domestic birds and other farm animals. One of the most recent of these is Amprolium. 2 Literature references are few. Cuckler, Garzillo, Malanga and McManus (1960) found the drug to be highly effective under laboratory conditons against infections with Eimeria tenella and necatrix, but less effective against E. acervulina, maxima and brunetti. Ott, Dickinson and Van Iderstine (1960) report Amprolium to be well tolerated when administered in the mash to chickens at feed concentrations up to 0.05 percent. Adverse effects noted at intakes in excess of 0.1 percent were overcome by the supplemental administration of thiamine indicating Amprolium to be a thiamine antagonist. Polis (1960) found the drug to have no adverse effects upon any phase of the reproductive cycle in chickens when administered in the feed up to 0.1 …
EVALUATING THE FUNCTION OF APPLIED BEHAVIOR ANALYSIS: A BIBLIOMETRIC ANALYSIS

Analysis of scholarly citations involving behavioral journals reveals that, consistent with its mission, applied behavior analysis research frequently references the basic behavioral literature but, as some have suspected, exerts narrow scholarly influence.
Spirometry: how should we order this bedrock of diagnosis and management for Asthma and COPD?

Current guidelines for asthma and COPD begin with the need for a correct diagnosis, prompted by the history and physical exam and confirmed by spirometry demonstrating obstruction and assessing reversibility.[1][1]–[4][2] After determining that obstruction exists, additional tests are ordered
Bioengineered human IAS reconstructs with functional and molecular properties similar to intact IAS.

Because of its critical importance in rectoanal incontinence, we determined the feasibility to reconstruct internal anal sphincter (IAS) from human IAS smooth muscle cells (SMCs) with functional and molecular attributes similar to the intact sphincter. The reconstructs were developed using SMCs from the circular smooth muscle layer of the human IAS, grown in smooth muscle differentiation media under sterile conditions in Sylgard-coated tissue culture plates with central Sylgard posts. The basal tone in the reconstructs and its changes were recorded following 0 Ca2+, KCl, bethanechol, isoproterenol, protein kinase C (PKC) activator phorbol 12,13-dibutyrate, and Rho kinase (ROCK) and PKC inhibitors Y-27632 and Go-6850, respectively. Western blot (WB), immunofluorescence (IF), and immunocytochemical (IC) analyses were also performed. The reconstructs developed spontaneous tone (0.68 ± 0.26 mN). Bethanechol (a muscarinic agonist) and K+ depolarization produced contraction, whereas isoproterenol (β-adrenoceptor agonist) and Y-27632 produced a concentration-dependent decrease in the tone. Maximal decrease in basal tone with Y-27632 and Go-6850 (each 10−5 M) was 80.45 ± 3.29 and 17.76 ± 3.50%, respectively. WB data with the IAS constructs′ SMCs revealed higher levels of RhoA/ROCK, protein kinase C-potentiated inhibitor or inhibitory phosphoprotein for myosin phosphatase (CPI-17), phospho-CPI-17, MYPT1, and 20-kDa myosin light chain vs. rectal smooth muscle. WB, IF, and IC studies of original SMCs and redispersed from the reconstructs for the relative distribution of different signal transduction proteins confirmed the feasibility of reconstruction of IAS with functional properties similar to intact IAS and demonstrated the development of myogenic tone with critical dependence on RhoA/ROCK. We conclude that it is feasible to bioengineer IAS constructs using human IAS SMCs that behave like intact IAS.
An Investigation of the Chromaticity of Blue Emitting Yttrium Silicate

This investigation studied the effects of Ho3+ and Er3+ on the luminescence of the blue emitting phosphor yttrium silicate, (Y1-mCem)2SiO5. Yttrium silicate has a large emission tail that extends into the red portion of the visual spectrum. To improve the chromaticity of this phosphor to give it a more saturated blue color, the emission intensity of the tail needs to be decreased. Photoluminscence and low-voltage cathodoluminescence measurements were performed on yttrium silicate phosphors with varying concentrations of Gd3+, Ho3+ and Er3+. It was found that when co-doping with Ho3+ and Er3+, the relative intensity of the emission tail was decreased, but so to was the overall luminescence intensity of this phosphor.
MR imaging characteristics of cranial bone marrow in adult patients with underlying systemic disorders compared with healthy control subjects.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: In young adults, hematopoietic bone marrow has usually converted to fatty marrow. Fat hyperintensity on T1-weighted MR images facilitates the evaluation of marrow abnormalities. Our purpose was to compare cranial marrow signal intensity patterns in adults with systemic disorders and in healthy subjects. METHODS: MR images in 25 adults with underlying systemic disorders (chronic anemia, lymphoma, leukemia, or other infiltrative processes) and 44 healthy aged-matched individuals were retrospectively reviewed. Calvarial and clival marrow signal intensity on sagittal T1-weighted images was graded relative to that of orbital fat, white matter (WM), and gray matter (GM). Marrow was classified as homogeneous (uniformly isointense), diffusely heterogeneous (mottled), or focally heterogeneous (generally isointense with a focal lesion). RESULTS: In 84% of the control subjects, bone marrow was iso- or hyperintense relative to WM. Patients had abnormal diploic (n = 22) or clival (n = 17) marrow; 22 had calvarial marrow that was hypointense relative to WM compared with that in seven healthy subjects (P CONCLUSION: Homogeneous diploic marrow hypointense relative to WM on non-contrast-enhanced T1-weighted images suggests an underlying systemic or hematologic disorder and requires appropriate clinical correlation and evaluation.
Mammary Carcinoma with Peritoneal Metastasis in a Cow

cuboidal epithelial cells with well-developed apical microvilli and oval vesicular nuclei. The cytoplasm and tubular lumens of both the primary tumor and the metastatic nodules con­ tained periodic acid-Schiff-positive material, which was re­ sistant to diastase digestion. This was more pronounced in the metastatic tumor than in the primary tumor. Metastasis of mammary tumors is not common, even in the dog. In a study of424 canine mammary tumors, Cotchin­ diagnosed 187 malignant tumors, of which only 41 metas­ tasized. A review of the literature of canine mammary car­ cinomas found that ofthose that had proven metastases, the percentage of involvement ofdifferent organs was as follows: lymph nodes 64%, lungs 53%, liver 13%, kidney II %, heart II %, and bone 10%.6 There are too few cases of bovine mammary carcinoma to determine the expected pattern of metastasis. Of the ten cases of bovine mammary carcinoma reported in the literature, six metastasized to the lymph nodes. L7 Of these six cases, one had metastasis to the lungs, a second case had metastasis to the lungs, liver, and dia­ phragm, and a third case spread to the lungs, pleura, peri­ cardium, and kidney. Peritoneal metastasis was not men­ tioned in any of the bovine cases. Implantation of tumors on serosal surfaces is more com­ mon in cases of cholangiocellular carcinoma, ovarian car­ cinoma, bovine and ovine intestinal carcinoma, and equine gastric squamous cell carcinoma.' Because of the extensive serosal implantation of the tumor, in this case a differential diagnosis considered was peritoneal mesothelioma with con­ comitant mammary carcinoma. This possibility was ruled out by the histologic similarity of the tumors in both the mammary gland and the peritoneal cavity, and the presence of periodic acid-Schiff-positive diastase-resistant material within the tubular lumens of the peritoneal tumor.' Due to the rare occurrence of mammary tumors in cows, the risk factors and the biological behavior of bovine mam­ mary carcinoma are virtually unknown. This is in sharp con­ trast to the high rate of human mammary carcinoma (any carcinoma arising in the glandular and ductular structures of the breast). Epidemiological data support a role for hyper­ estrinism in the genesis of human breast cancer. 8 Pregnancy shortens such exposure to estrogen. The low rate of mam­ mary carcinoma in cattle may be partially due to the high rate of pregnancy in this species. Estrogen levels were not determined in this cow, so that theory cannot be addressed in this case. However, this case description augments the few cases ofbovine mammarycarcinoma that have been reported and assists in the future discernment of the biological be­ havior of this rare neoplasm.
EXPLANATION, SOCIAL SCIENCE, AND THE STUDY OF RELIGION: A RESPONSE TO SEGAL WITH COMMENT ON THE ZYGON EXCHANGE

. In the issue of Zygon devoted to methodological reflection on the boundaries between natural science, social science, and theology (September 1990), Edward 0. Wilson pointed to the hierarchical tension between disciplines and antidisciplines. Working within this framework, Robert Segal outlined several “misconceptions of social science” held by religionists who fear it reduces, or “explains away” their subject. Philip Gorski, Nancey Murphy, and Kenneth Vaux suggested greater harmony but left Segal's challenge largely unaddressed. Religionists, says Segal, distrust social science because they think it ignores “the believer's point of view,” denies the “irreducibility” of religion, prefers materialist and mechanical explanations, and denies religious truth. Do religionists really claim all, or just some of these things? Are some perhaps not misconceptions, but accurate understandings of a real conflict? This article contends that distinctions need to be made; that at most, the humanistic assumptions of religionists compete with only one form of social science–reductionism; and further, that where conflict does arise, it is scientifically beneficial. Religionists differ from theologians, who argue from confessional premises, but the two are allied in opposing reductionism. Precisely because it is genuine, the debate with reductionist social science promises to advance understanding.
Defending the nest: variation in the alarm aggression response and nest mound damage in the harvester ant Pogonomyrmex occidentalis

A number of studies have found that ant colonies vary in many colony-level phenotypes, including the level of aggression towards non-nestmates. The extent of a colony’s aggression and defense of the nest in response to attacks by predators is likely to affect its survival and reproduction, but the degree to which colonies vary in their defensive response is poorly known. We documented considerable variation in damage to the external nest mound of Pogonomyrmex occidentalis (Cresson) at our long-term study site in 2012. Heavily damaged colonies formed several spatial clusters, consistent with predation within a home range. We tested two competing hypotheses for the variation in nest damage: (1) colonies vary in their level of aggression, those with stronger defensive responses are better protected, and suffer less damage, versus (2) colonies have similar levels of aggression, but those that suffer predator-induced damage subsequently display a stronger defense response. We measured the alarm/aggression response in colonies exposed to a standardized stimulus and determined whether the level of aggression was correlated to the level of damage. Colonies with strong defensive responses were significantly less likely to exhibit damage than those with weak responses, suggesting that aggression level is a colony phenotype.
Frameworks of Biochemistry

We can consider biochemical systems to operate within four major frameworks. One of these is the origin of life—the chain of events leading to the first ancient cell from which all forms of life ultimately developed. A second framework deals with the properties of the modern cell, the basic unit of all living organisms and the site of most biochemical reactions. Water constitutes a third framework. This unusual solvent provides the internal aqueous environment of cells without which life, as we know it, would not be possible. Lastly, noncovalent interactions form an essential framework. Biochemical systems require these interactions for stabilization of proteins, nucleic acids, cell membranes, and the like. Noncovalent interactions also participate in the operation of many biochemical systems by affecting the interplay among low-molecular-weight compounds, macromolecules, and other structures.
A Note on Rights

This note explains the idea of rights. It examines such distinctions as positive versus negative rights, and fundamental versus derivative rights.
Neurology Resident Conferences: Should Students Attend Morning Report and Grand Rounds?

Medical students are required to attend neurology resident conferences although the conferences may present information above their level. No studies so far have assessed the level of perceived knowledge gained by medical students in neurology grand rounds or morning report. We sought to better understand what students perceived to be of educational value in resident conferences by sending a Survey Monkey questionnaire to all fourth-year neurology clerks at Drexel University College of Medicine. Students generally agreed that they learned to take a more specific history, perform a better examination, evaluate a patient’s social environment, and understand the limitations of technology in clinical practice. Morning Report and Grand Rounds were perceived by neurology clerks to be a valuable part of their medical education.
Comments on "New Method to Measure Structural Disorder: Application to Ge O 2 Glass"

We discuss recent extended x-ray-absorption fine-structure work of Sayers, Stern, and Lytle. We note that their use of distance variation to rule out crystallinity is not valid and that the variation they find is also available from diffraction data. Finally, contrary to statements of Sayers, Stern, and Lytle, we have not described glasses in terms of microcrystals. Our radial distribution analysis reveals ordering in some glasses which resembles in part but cannot be equated to that in crystals.
An Assessment of Risk of Fracture During Wirebond Over Active Circuits on ULK Dies

Mechanical integrity of the dielectric stack is challenged by the trend toward porous, lower dielectric constant interlayer dielectric (ILD) materials. During copper wirebonding over active circuits, the fracture of ultralow- $k$ (ULK) dielectrics is a significant reliability challenge due to both the impact load and the high ultrasonic energy transmitted to the ILD stack. Thus, there is a need to assess the propensity of the ILD to fracture under the wirebonding process conditions. In this paper, a numerical investigation of the risk of fracture in ULK dies due to the Cu wirebonding process is presented. A recently developed computational technique for modeling cracks using behavioral approximations built directly on the geometrical model (enriched isogeometric analysis), as opposed to the analysis of a meshed geometry, is adopted to model damage in the ULK stacks. The cohesive damage induced in the ILD stack during the process steps, which is a measure of the risk of crack initiation, is used as an indicator of the reliability risk. The damage accumulation during the Cu wirebonding process is estimated to identify weak interfaces and potential sites for crack nucleation as well as damage nucleation patterns. Furthermore, the critical process condition at which crack nucleation is likely is identified by analyzing the damage induced during the impact and ultrasonic excitation stages. Also, representative ILD stack designs with varying Cu percentage are compared to assess the relative risk of fracture.
Bacteriophage Therapy. IV. Effect of Bacteriophage in Experimental Staphylococcal Septicemia in Rabbits

Numerous methods have been employed in the treatment of staphylococcal infection. An extensive clinical literature has accumulated indicating favorable results in the treatment of these infections with toxoid,' antitoxin,2 sulfonamide compounds,3 blood transfusions,4 physiotherapy,5 and, more recently, antibacterial serum.6 Despite almost universal failure of bacteriophage therapy in various experimental infections,7 reports of varying degrees of success in clinical cases of staphylococcal infection continue to appear in the current literature.8 Although in our experiments bacteriophage appeared to have no therapeutic effect in the treatment of localized staphoc al infections of the skin and eye of rabbits and guinea pigs,9,10 we decided to investigate the efficacy of bacteriophage therapy in experimental staphylococcal septicemia because of conflicting reports which have appeared in the literature."
THE BETA PROTEIN OF PHAGE LAMBDA PROMOTES STRAND EXCHANGE

Bacteriophage lambda encodes a 28 kDa protein called beta that binds to single-stranded DNA and promotes the renaturation of complementary single strands. beta Protein fails to bind directly to duplex DNA but remains bound to the DNA product of renaturation that beta itself catalyzes. These observations led to an examination of the ability of beta protein to promote strand exchange. beta Protein caused the replacement of a 43-mer oligonucleotide annealed to M13 circular single-stranded DNA by a homologous 63-mer whose 20 extra nucleotide residues were complementary to the adjacent 3' region of M13 DNA. The role of beta protein in this reaction was manifested in several ways: beta protein pushed the exchange through four to eight mismatches, which blocked exchange mediated by spontaneous renaturation and branch migration; beta imposed a polarity on the strand exchange that was lacking in the spontaneous reaction; and beta remained bound to the heteroduplex product of strand exchange. These observations reveal a mechanism by which a protein can drive strand exchange in one direction without using ATP or any other exogenous source of energy.
Integration of metabolomic and transcriptomic networks in pregnant women reveals biological pathways and predictive signatures associated with preeclampsia

Preeclampsia is a leading cause of maternal and fetal mortality worldwide, yet its exact pathogenesis remains elusive. This study, nested within the Vitamin D Antenatal Asthma Reduction Trial (VDAART), aimed to develop integrated omics models of preeclampsia that have utility in both prediction and in the elucidation of underlying biological mechanisms. Metabolomic profiling was performed on first trimester plasma samples of 47 pregnant women from VDAART who subsequently developed preeclampsia and 62 controls with healthy pregnancies, using liquid-chromatography tandem mass-spectrometry. Metabolomic profiles were generated based on logistic regression models and assessed using Received Operator Characteristic Curve analysis. These profiles were compared to profiles from generated using third trimester samples. The first trimester metabolite profile was then integrated with a pre-existing transcriptomic profile using network methods. In total, 72 (0.9%) metabolite features were associated (p < 0.01) with preeclampsia after adjustment for maternal age, race, and gestational age. These features had moderate to good discriminatory ability; in ROC curve analyses a summary score based on these features displayed an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.794 (95%CI 0.700, 0.888). This profile retained the ability to distinguish preeclamptic from healthy pregnancies in the third trimester [AUC: 0.762 (95% CI 0.663, 0.860)]. Additionally, metabolite set enrichment analysis identified common pathways, including glycerophospholipid metabolism, at the two time-points. Integration with the transcriptomic signature refined these results suggesting a particular role for lipid imbalance, immune function and the circulatory system. These findings suggest it is possible to develop a predictive metabolomic profile of preeclampsia. This profile is characterized by changes in lipid and amino acid metabolism and dysregulation of immune response and can be refined through interaction with transcriptomic data. However validation in larger and more diverse populations is required.
Architecture and Implementation of a Simplified Locality Sensitive Hashed Signatures Based Fast Motion Estimation Algorithm

Motion estimation consumes the major part of time and power in both video compression standards – HEVC and H.264. This paper presents a Fast Motion Estimation algorithm, which targets Full Search quality even at HD resolution. It is an enhancement of existing Fast Motion Estimation algorithms with the main purpose of reducing cost and power consumption of handheld devices performing Motion Estimation, while preserving the picture quality. The proposed algorithm is based on dimensionality reduction and uses locality sensitive hash functions to achieve "Quantitative Expression of Similarity". The algorithm is an extension to other existing algorithms in the literature and especially one of the most efficient algorithms – HMDS.
Part 1: Towards an appraisal of AICs in mission: AIC designs for a relevant African theology of missions

It is appropriate for a conference on African Initiatives in Christian Mission to reflect briefly on the prominent, if not overriding, role of Western churches as the agents of mission in Africa. A common trend through much of the previous century was the inclination of western missionising agencies to consider their white personnel engagedi?½ in thel so-called ""mission-field"" as missionaries. By contrast Black Africans were invariably looked upon as recipients of the good news proclaimed by white missionaries.
Trust in neuroendocrine tumors: The importance of communication in rare and chronic malignancies.

75Background: Trust is an integral component of the physician-patient relationship, and its importance is magnified in oncology. In patients with uncommon cancers, aspects pertaining to the rarity ...
The Legacy of Husserl’s “Ursprung der Geometrie”: The Limits of Phenomenology in Merleau-Ponty and Derrida

In this essay, I attempt to clarify an obvious confusion, the confusion between the late philosophy of Merleau-Ponty and the early philosophy ofDerrida. This confusion has become particularly obvious recently with the publication in 1998 of Merleau-Ponty course notes from 1959–60 on Husserl v “Ursprung der Geometrie.” I argue that the confusion between Merleau-Ponty and Derrida is justified, since Merleau-Ponty stresses the role of writing in the institution of ideal objects. More precisely, I think that both see a concept of necessity at work in Husserl, a necessity that leads beyond phenomenology to ontology, and even beyond ontology to ethics.
Surface Coating and Transport

I wish to specify at the start that I will talk about the passive transport of water and sodium (probably passive) across the “surface coating” of the urinary bladder of the toad and the modification of these transport processes by the neurohypophyseal peptide hormone, vasopressin.
Analytic Group Psychotherapy: A Uniquely Effective Crisis Intervention

This paper describes the author's experience doing crisis intervention with survivors of the 9/11 attack on the World Trade Center in New York City. It focuses on enhancing the understanding of and potentially expanding the theory and technique of analytic group therapy as applied to this unique situation.
Determination of Activity Coefficients of HBr in Aqueous Surfactant Solutions

Mean ionic activity coefficients of HBr in aqueous solutions of decyltrimethylammonium bromide (DTAB) and of sodium dodecylsulfate (SDS) have been calculated from EMF measurements of the cell: $${\rm{Pt;}}{{\rm{H}}_{\rm{2}}}\left( {{\rm{g}},1{\rm{atm}}} \right)|{\rm{HBr}}\left( {{{\rm{m}}_{{\rm{HBr}}}}} \right),{\rm{SURFACTANT}}\left( {\rm{m}} \right)|{\rm{AgBr;Ag}}$$ at temperatures ranging from 5° to 55°C. The concentration of DTAB was varied from 0.01 to 0.2 molal at fixed values of the concentration of HBr (0.002, 0.02, and 0.1 molal). Similar measurements were made for SDS (0.0015 to 0.05 molal) in 0.02 m HBr at temperatures ranging from 20° to 55°C. The dependence of the activity coefficient of HBr on the concentration of surfactant is compared with that calculated from a model which was developed previously for surfactant- electrolyte-water solutions.
Comparison of National Institutes of Health Grant Amounts to First-Time Male and Female Principal Investigators.

This Research Letter examines differences in the size of National Institutes of Health (NIH) grants awarded to first-time male and female principal investigators at top research institutions, including the Big Ten and Ivy League universities.
Global Validation of Columnar Water Vapor Derived from EOS MODIS-MAIAC Algorithm Against the Ground-Based AERONET Observations

Abstract The water vapor is a relevant greenhouse gas in the Earth's climate system, and satellite products become one of the most effective way to characterize and monitor the columnar water vapor (CWV) content at global scale. Recently, a new product (MCD19) was released as part of MODIS (Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer) Collection 6 (C6). This operational product from Multi-Angle Implementation for Atmospheric Correction (MAIAC) algorithm includes a high 1 km resolution CWV retrievals. This study presents the first global validation of MAIAC C6 CWV obtained from MODIS MCD19A2 product. This evaluation was performed using Aerosol Robotic Network (AERONET) observations at 265 sites (2000–2017). Overall, the results show a good agreement between MAIAC/AERONET CWV retrievals, with correlation coefficient higher than 0.95 and RMS error lower than 0.250 cm. The binned error analysis revealed an underestimation (~10%) of Aqua CWV retrievals with negative bias for CWV higher than 3.0 cm. In contrast, Terra CWV retrievals show a slope of regression close to unity and a low mean bias of 0.075 cm. While the accuracy is relatively similar between 1.0 and 5.0 cm for both sensor products, Terra dataset is more reliable for applications in humid tropical areas (>5.0 cm). The expected error was defined as ±15%, with >68% of retrievals falling within this envelope. However, the accuracy is regionally dependent, and lower error should be expected in some regions, such as South America and Oceania. Since MODIS instruments have exceeded their design lifetime, time series analysis was also presented for both sensor products. The temporal analysis revealed a systematic offset of global average between Terra and Aqua CWV records. We also found an upward trend (~0.2 cm/decade) in Terra CWV retrievals, while Aqua CWV retrievals remain stable over time. The sensor degradation influences the ability to detect climate signals, and this study indicates the need for revisiting calibration of the MODIS bands 17–19, mainly for Terra instrument, to assure the quality of the MODIS water vapor product. Finally, this study presents a comprehensive validation analysis of MAIAC CWV over land, raising the understanding of its overall quality.
Insect trace fossils elucidate depositional environments and sedimentation at a dinosaur nesting site from the Cretaceous (Campanian) Two Medicine Formation of Montana

Abstract We describe the diversity and abundance of insect (specifically hymenopterans and coleopterans) pupation structures in the Upper Cretaceous (Campanian) Two Medicine Formation at the Egg Mountain locality, western Montana, U.S.A., an important dinosaur nesting site. The study interval comprises a massive calcareous siltstone and indurated silty limestone horizons interpreted as the product of cumulative paleosols. A 7 m by 11 m area was quarried with a jackhammer at intervals of 12.5 cm thickness for a 1.5 m thick stratigraphic section. The ichnoassemblage comprises four morphotypes (small, medium, large, and wide) assigned to Fictovichnus sciuttoi, of which three represent wasp (hymenopteran) cocoons while the fourth (wide) type potentially was produced by a coleopteran. Medium and small F. sciuttoi are dominant while large and wide Fictovichnus are less common and absent in some sample intervals. Other probable insect traces include partial perforations in cocoons (Tombownichnus), isolated burrows, and an enigmatic hemispherical trace. Material is representative of a depauperate Celliforma ichnofacies. Pervasive cocoons and other traces throughout the sequence suggest persistent soil conditions suitable for insect nesting and pupation, and suggest an absence of sediment pulses of sufficient thickness to prohibit thorough colonization. Peaks in pupation chamber abundance may reflect episodes of reduced sedimentation rates otherwise unseen in the absence of primary bedding structures. Well-drained and friable soil conditions favorable for insect nesting also may help explain the abundance of dinosaur nests and other vertebrate nesting events in associated strata as well as the presence of small terrestrial forms.
Improving Teacher Practices With Children Under Five: Experimental Evidence From the Mississippi Buildings Blocks.

Background:The literature on the effects of teacher coaching in early childhood (EC) education programs is underdeveloped but emerging. Using the theory of action in professional development as our...
Who Sees Corruption? The Bases of Mass Perceptions of Political Corruption in Latin America:

The capacity of citizens to see political corruption where it exists and to link such perceptions to evaluations of public officials constitutes an important test of political accountability. Altho...
Nitric oxide synthase inhibitors do not attenuate diacylglycerol or monoacylglycerol lipase activities in synaptoneurosomes

Neuron-enriched cultures and synaptoneurosomal fractions from 10 day-old rat brain contain diacylglycerol and monoacylglycerol lipase activities. Glutamate and its analogs stimulate the activities of diacylglycerol and monoacylglycerol lipases in a time-and dose-dependent manner. Stimulation of diacylglycerol and monoacylglycerol lipases by glutamate or NMDA can be blocked by MK-801 (non-competitive antagonist). Nitro L-arginine methyl ester and L-methylarginine have no effect on glutamate stimulated activities of diacylglycerol and monoacylglycerol lipases. Our studies suggest that synaptoneurosomal preparations from young rat brain are useful for obtaining important information on signal transduction.
Labor market sorting and health insurance system design

This paper develops and estimates a life‐cycle equilibrium labor search model in which heterogeneous firms determine health insurance provisions and heterogeneous workers sort themselves into jobs with different compensation packages over the life cycle. I study the optimal joint design of major policies in the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and the implications of targeting these policies to certain individuals. Compared with the health insurance system under the ACA, the optimal structure lowers the tax benefit of employer‐sponsored health insurance and makes individual insurance more attractive to younger workers. Through changes in firms' insurance provisions, a greater number of younger workers sort into individual markets, which contributes to improving the risk pool in individual insurance and lowering the uninsured risk. Life‐cycle equilibrium labor search social insurance joint design of policies H51 I13 J32 J60
Early Postnatal Manganese Exposure Causes Arousal Dysregulation and Lasting Hypofunctioning of the Prefrontal Cortex Catecholaminergic Systems

Studies have reported associations between environmental manganese (Mn) exposure and impaired cognition, attention, impulse control, and fine motor function in children. Our recent rodent studies established that elevated Mn exposure causes these impairments. Here, rats were exposed orally to 0, 25, or 50 mg Mn kg-1 day-1 during early postnatal life (PND 1-21) or lifelong to determine whether early life Mn exposure causes heightened behavioral reactivity in the open field, lasting changes in the catecholaminergic systems in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC), altered dendritic spine density, and whether lifelong exposure exacerbates these effects. We also assessed astrocyte reactivity (glial fibrillary acidic protein, GFAP), and astrocyte complement C3 and S100A10 protein levels as markers of A1 proinflammatory or A2 anti-inflammatory reactive astrocytes. Postnatal Mn exposure caused heightened behavioral reactivity during the first 5-10 min intervals of daily open field test sessions, consistent with impairments in arousal regulation. Mn exposure reduced the evoked release of norepinephrine (NE) and caused decreased protein levels of tyrosine hydroxylase (TH), dopamine (DA) and NE transporters, and DA D1 receptors, along with increased DA D2 receptors. Mn also caused a lasting increase in reactive astrocytes (GFAP) exhibiting increased A1 and A2 phenotypes, with a greater induction of the A1 proinflammatory phenotype. These results demonstrate that early life Mn exposure causes broad lasting hypofunctioning of the mPFC catecholaminergic systems, consistent with the impaired arousal regulation, attention, impulse control, and fine motor function reported in these animals, suggesting that mPFC catecholaminergic dysfunction may underlie similar impairments reported in Mn-exposed children.