cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Self pregnancy testing in an urban family planning clinic: promising results for a new approach to contraceptive follow-up.

Abstract Background Immediate initiation of depo-medroxyprogesterone acetate (DMPA) increases continuation and decreases pregnancies compared to conventional (next menstrual period) initiation. A drawback is the need to return in 4 weeks for a repeat pregnancy test to identify any pregnancy that was too early to diagnose on the day of injection. If women can perform home pregnancy tests (HPTs) to detect human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) in urine, the need for this follow-up visit may be eliminated. This study assesses whether women can perform their own HPT. Study Design This is a single-visit observational trial of an HPT kit. Subjects recruited from a waiting room in an urban family planning clinic received an HPT kit with standard instructions to use immediately. Subjects and a research assistant each interpreted the test. Their results were then compared to a standard cassette type test for detection of hCG performed by clinic staff. κ was calculated to assess the level of agreement. Results Three hundred ten subjects enrolled. They were young (mean age, 25.2 years), mostly Hispanic (91%) women. A change in the font and explicitness of the instructions decreased the incidence of invalid tests from 12.7% to 4.8%. The subject and research assistant's interpretation of the test had a high level of agreement, κ =0.95 [95% confidence interval (CI), 0.92–0.99]. There was also a high level of agreement between the subjects' results and the standard test, κ =0.88 (95% CI, 0.82–0.95). Conclusions Women presenting for pregnancy testing at an urban clinic are able to perform HPTs with a high level of accuracy. The appearance of the instructions influenced the incidence of false-negative and invalid tests. Home pregnancy tests may be useful in follow-up protocols when immediate initiation of DMPA is employed.
Designing persuasive robots: how robots might persuade people using vocal and nonverbal cues

Social robots have to potential to serve as personal, organizational, and public assistants as, for instance, diet coaches, teacher's aides, and emergency respondents. The success of these robots - whether in motivating users to adhere to a diet regimen or in encouraging them to follow evacuation procedures in the case of a fire - will rely largely on their ability to persuade people. Research in a range of areas from political communication to education suggest that the nonverbal behaviors of a human speaker play a key role in the persuasiveness of the speaker's message and the listeners' compliance with it. In this paper, we explore how a robot might effectively use these behaviors, particularly vocal and bodily cues, to persuade users. In an experiment with 32 participants, we evaluate how manipulations in a robot's use of nonverbal cues affected participants' perceptions of the robot's persuasiveness and their compliance with the robot's suggestions across four conditions: (1) no vocal or bodily cues, (2) vocal cues only, (3) bodily cues only, and (4) vocal and bodily cues. The results showed that participants complied with the robot's suggestions significantly more when it used nonverbal cues than they did when it did not use these cues and that bodily cues were more effective in persuading participants than vocal cues were. Our model of persuasive nonverbal cues and experimental results have direct implications for the design of persuasive behaviors for humanlike robots.
Diffuse neutron scattering in sodium and potassium cyanide

Diffuse neutron scattering has been measured in NaCN at 295 K and KCN at 175 and 295 K. In both samples, strong scattering from the soft shear mode (related to the translation-rotation coupling which leads to the phase transition from the high-temperature cubic NaCl phase to the low-temperature orthorhombic phase) is observed. The asymmetry of this scattering about certain reciprocal-lattice points is direct evidence both of the bilinear nature of the coupling, and of its sign (and hence of the relative importance of overlap and quadrupolar interactions). In NaCN, additional structured diffuse scattering is observed which is absent in KCN at both measured temperatures. This scattering is assumed to arise from short-range order in CN orientations, but the data are not consistent with simple models of steric hindrance that have been proposed for the short-range correlations in NaCN.
Biomechanics of bird flight.

SUMMARY Power output is a unifying theme for bird flight and considerable progress has been accomplished recently in measuring muscular, metabolic and aerodynamic power in birds. The primary flight muscles of birds, the pectoralis and supracoracoideus, are designed for work and power output, with large stress (force per unit cross-sectional area) and strain (relative length change) per contraction. U-shaped curves describe how mechanical power output varies with flight speed, but the specific shapes and characteristic speeds of these curves differ according to morphology and flight style. New measures of induced, profile and parasite power should help to update existing mathematical models of flight. In turn, these improved models may serve to test behavioral and ecological processes. Unlike terrestrial locomotion that is generally characterized by discrete gaits, changes in wing kinematics and aerodynamics across flight speeds are gradual. Take-off flight performance scales with body size, but fully revealing the mechanisms responsible for this pattern awaits new study. Intermittent flight appears to reduce the power cost for flight, as some species flap–glide at slow speeds and flap–bound at fast speeds. It is vital to test the metabolic costs of intermittent flight to understand why some birds use intermittent bounds during slow flight. Maneuvering and stability are critical for flying birds, and design for maneuvering may impinge upon other aspects of flight performance. The tail contributes to lift and drag; it is also integral to maneuvering and stability. Recent studies have revealed that maneuvers are typically initiated during downstroke and involve bilateral asymmetry of force production in the pectoralis. Future study of maneuvering and stability should measure inertial and aerodynamic forces. It is critical for continued progress into the biomechanics of bird flight that experimental designs are developed in an ecological and evolutionary context.
PARENTAL STRESS AMONG AFRICAN AMERICAN PARENTS AND GRANDPARENTS

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationships among parental stress, health (defined as level of systolic and diastolic blood pressure and body mass index), childcare characteristics, and social support. The study used a correlational research design and the setting was the metropolitan Detroit area. The sample consisted of 120 hypertensive African American parents and grandparents who reported caring for 1 to 9 children living in the household. Several variables (average diastolic blood pressure, number of children/grandchildren in home, child/grandchild is physically/mentally disabled, ability to decrease stress) were statistically significant predictors of parental stress. These results indicate that the multiple demands of parenting may become a barrier to making life-style changes for parents and grandparents diagnosed with hypertension. Nursing implications of the findings are discussed.
Binding of Insulin-like Growth Factor (IGF)–Binding Protein-5 to Smooth-Muscle Cell Extracellular Matrix Is a Major Determinant of the Cellular Response to IGF-I

Insulin-like growth factor-binding protein-5 (IGFBP-5) has been shown to bind to fibroblast extracellular matrix (ECM). Extracellular matrix binding of IGFBP-5 leads to a decrease in its affinity for insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I), which allows IGF-I to better equilibrate with IGF receptors. When the amount of IGFBP-5 that is bound to ECM is increased by exogenous addition, IGF-I's effect on fibroblast growth is enhanced. In this study we identified the specific basic residues in IGFBP-5 that mediate its binding to porcine smooth-muscle cell (pSMC) ECM. An IGFBP-5 mutant containing alterations of basic residues at positions 211, 214, 217, and 218 had the greatest reduction in ECM binding, although three other mutants, R214A, R207A/K211N, and K202A/R206N/R207A, also had major decreases. In contrast, three other mutants, R201A/K202N/R206N/R208A, and K217N/R218A and K211N, had only minimal reductions in ECM binding. This suggested that residues R207 and R214 were the most important for binding, whereas alterations in K211 and R218, which align near them, had minimal effects. To determine the effect of a reduction in ECM binding on the cellular replication response to IGF-I, pSMCs were transfected with the mutant cDNAs that encoded the forms of IGFBPs with the greatest changes in ECM binding. The ECM content of IGFBP-5 from cultures expressing the K211N, R214A, R217A/R218A, and K202A/R206N/R207A mutants was reduced by 79.6 and 71.7%, respectively, compared with cells expressing the wild-type protein. In contrast, abundance of the R201A/K202N/R206N/R208A mutant was reduced by only 14%. Cells expressing the two mutants with reduced ECM binding had decreased DNA synthesis responses to IGF-I, but the cells expressing the R201A/K202N/R206N/R208A mutant responded well to IGF-I. The findings suggest that specific basic amino acids at positions 207 and 214 mediate the binding of IGFBP-5 to pSMC/ECM. Smooth-muscle cells that constitutively express the mutants that bind weakly to ECM are less responsive to IGF-I, suggesting that ECM binding of IGFBP-5 is an important variable that determines cellular responsiveness.
Absorbable versus metal staples for cesarean delivery skin incision closure: A randomized controlled trial

INCISION CLOSURE: A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL VICTORIA MYERS, SAMANTHA WEED, CONSTANTINE DASKALAKIS, VINCENZO BERGHELLA, JORGE E. TOLOSA, JASON BAXTER, Thomas Jefferson University, Obstetrics and Gynecology, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Thomas Jefferson University, Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Oregon Health & Science University, Obstetrics and Gynecology, Portland, Oregon OBJECTIVE: We compared a novel form of absorbable staples to traditional metal staples for closure of cesarean delivery skin incisions. STUDY DESIGN: Women undergoing primary cesarean delivery via Pfannenstiel incision at TJU were randomized to absorbable or metal staples for closure of the skin incision. The FDA-approved, subcuticularly-placed INSORB absorbable staples are made of a synthetic polyester copolymer derived from lactic and glycolic acids. On post-operative day #2 (POD2), discharge day, and 6 weeks postpartum (PP), ten-point visual analog scales (VAS) were used to assess patient pain and satisfaction with their incision closure. RESULTS: We randomized 114 women from 12/04 to 10/05. Demographic data, risk factors, and intrapartum factors were similar between the two groups. The absorbable staples required an average of 6:16 (G3:20) to place and did not require removal. The metal staples required an average of 1:50 (minutes:seconds) (G0:53) to place and 2:00 to remove. Pain and satisfaction VAS scores were not significantly different (Table). Wound complication rates were similar. CONCLUSION: Closure of cesarean delivery skin incisions with absorbable staples initially requires more time for placement but eliminates the need for removal. Wound complication rates, pain and satisfaction scores were similar up to 6 weeks postpartum. Increased satisfaction with the absorbable staples was more apparent as time passed. (ClinicalTrial.gov Identifier NCT00293683).
The Rules of the Game

To answer these questions, it is important to consider several “rules of the game.” With a nuanced appreciation for these rules, clinicians can go from playing checkers to playing chess. To advance from being a chess piece on the board to being a player requires expertise, but at least you can be in the game as you learn.
Advertising, the Consumer Researcher and Products Liability:

When a product's advertising is introduced in a products liability suit, marketers and consumer researchers can assist both the attorneys and the judge in interpreting its significance. Did the consumer rely on misleading advertising? Did this reliance cause the injury? Appropriate market research can help answer such questions.
Alerting and message components of white-crowned sparrow song differ in structure and environmental transmission

Signals that function over long distances, such as bird songs, must be detectable and discriminable from other signals by receivers despite being attenuated and degraded during environmental transmission. The acoustic design features that enhance detectability may conflict with those that enhance discriminability of different messages (e.g., the sender’s motivation or identity). The songs of many bird species begin with simple tonal notes, hypothesized to alert receivers to the following song parts. We describe structural differences in the songs of the Puget Sound white-crowned sparrow (Zonotrichia leucophrys pugetensis) and performed a transmission experiment to test if the whistle transmits differently than other song parts. As expected for an alerting component, the whistle phrases across different song types were highly similar, suffered less degradation when transmitted, and were produced at higher amplitude than the other two phrase types. These results suggest that in white-crowned sparrows alerting and message-bearing song phrases transmit differently.
Symbolic Interests and the Intensity of Inter-Group Conflict: A Theory

The purpose of this paper is to develop a theory to help understand variations in the intensity of conflict between groups. The conflict involving some groups is intense while among others much less so. Moreover, conflicts among some groups tend to escalate while among others it abates. Further, conflict among other groups is latent because one group succeeds in suppressing the interests of another group for its purposes. Important to the theory is the concept of symbolic interest which is extensively developed. At the core of the theory is the idea that conflict between groups causes cognitive conflict involving what are termed patterns of symbolic interests held by the members of groups involved in inter-group conflict. The nature of these patterns and how they resolve provide the basis for predictions regarding the intensity of group conflict and whether it will tend to escalate or abate. Abelsons’s theory of the resolution of belief dilemmas is employed to generate these predictions. A number of scenarios are developed which illustrate representative inter-group conflicts. The outcomes of such conflicts are predicted and explained in the light of the theory spelled out in the paper. The paper closes with suggestions for future research.
Wipe and flexion reflexes of the frog. II. Response to perturbations

1. To evaluate the hypothesis that the neural control of sensorimotor transformations may be simplified by using a single control variable, we compared the movement kinematics and muscle activity patterns [electromyograms (EMGs)] of the frog during flexion withdrawal and the hind limb-hind limb wipe reflex before and after adding an external load. In addition, the flexibility of spinal cord circuitry underlying the hind limb-hind limb wipe reflex was evaluated by comparing wipes before and after removal of one of the contributing muscles by cutting a muscle nerve. 2. The kinematics of the movements were recorded using a WATSMART infrared emitter-detector system and quantified using principal-components analysis to provide a measure of the shape (eigenvalues) and orientation (eigenvector coefficients) of the movement trajectories. The neural pattern coordinating the movements was characterized by the latencies and magnitudes of EMGs of seven muscles acting at the hip, knee, and ankle. These variables were compared 1) during flexion withdrawal and the initial movement segment of the limb during the hind limb-hind limb wipe reflex in both unrestrained movements and in movements executed when a load equal to approximately 10% of the animal's body weight was attached to a distal limb segment and 2) during the initial movement segment of the wipe reflex before and after cutting the nerve to the knee flexor-hip extensor, iliofibularis. 3. Addition of the load had no discernible effect on the end-point position of the foot during either reflex. However, during the loaded flexion reflex, the ankle joint did not move until after the hip and knee joints had moved to their normal positions. This delayed flexion of the ankle was accompanied by large increases in the magnitude of EMG activity in two ankle muscles that exceeded the levels found during unrestrained movements. Significant changes in the temporal organization of the EMG pattern accompanied the change in joint angle relations during flexion withdrawal. 4. Despite the addition of an external load, all animals successfully and reliably removed the stimulus during the wipe reflex, and the relative timing of both the EMG pattern and joint angle motion was preserved. 5. Immediately after section of the nerve to a single muscle (iliofibularis), all animals successfully and reliably removed the stimulus during the wipe reflex. The relative timing of muscle activation was preserved, accompanied by a reduction in the activity level of gluteus magnus, a muscle with action reciprocal to iliofibularis.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)
The New Lochner

Commercial interests are increasingly laying claim, often successfully, to First Amendment protections. Once the mainstay of political liberty, the First Amendment has emerged as a powerful deregulatory engine — and one with great implications for modern governance. This Article identifies that development as a growing constitutional conflict between the First Amendment and the modern administrative state and analyzes its origins and implications.The Article traces two opposing trends that have led to that constitutional conflict. A business-led social movement has mobilized to embed libertarian-leaning understandings of the First Amendment in constitutional jurisprudence. At the same time, administrative regimes have moved away from command-and-control regulation towards lighter-touch forms of governance that appear more speech-regulating.The stakes of this conflict are high. Because nearly all human action operates through communication or expression, the First Amendment possesses near total deregulatory potential. For that reason, I argue that the First Amendment operates as the fullest boundary line of constitutional state action.I identify the unique features of this modern form of constitutional deregulation — which I call the new Lochner — by interrogating the parallel drawn by a growing number of scholars and judges between recent First Amendment jurisprudence and Lochner v. New York’s liberty of contract.The Article explores linkages between theories of the First Amendment and administrative law, and it analyzes the implications of the First Amendment’s deregulatory turn for understandings of democratic legitimacy, choice, and constitutional change. I argue that the new Lochner must be rejected because advocates of its deregulatory vision are forwarding a concept of liberty that has no limiting principle and, if taken to its analytical conclusion, would render self-government impossible.
The effect of porcine calcitonin on osteoporosis induced by adrenal cortical steroids.

Effects of porcine calcitonin (five MRC units per kilogram per day) on development of osteoporosis induced by cortisone (fifteen milligrams per kilogram per day) have been investigated in adult rabbits. Measurements of surface undergoing resorption and formation were determined from cross sections of femoral mid-diaphyses, femoral metaphyses, ribs, and vertebral bodies using the quantitative microradiographic method of Jowsey. Intact femora and vertebral bodies were evaluated for gross rarefaction by high resolution macnoradiography. Bone mass per unit area was determined and mineral content of femora, ribs, and vertebrae was esimated by ashing. Cortisone treatment alone: (1) decreased bone formation and increased bone resorption at all skeletal sites evaluated, (2) decreased the amount of bone mass per unit area in both cortical and cancellous specimens, (3) caused gross macroradiographic rarefaction of femora and vertebral bodies, and (4) reduced the ash weight of ribs and vertebrae. Calcitonin treatment alone: (1) increased bone formation in cortical specimens and reduced bone resorption in vertebral bodies, (2) caused increased density of metaphyseal zones of vertebral bodies as shown by macroradiognaphy, and (3) increased the ash content of femora, ribs, and vertebrae. When compared with specimens removed from animals receiving only cortisone, specimens removed from animals receiving both hormones exhibited: (1) reduction in bone resorption rates in the cancellous specimens, (2) increased rates of bone formation in femoral diaphyses, (3) increased mass per unit area in both cortical and cancellous bone, (4) less macroradiographic rarefaction of femora and ventebral bodies, and (5) increased ash content of vertebral bodies. These results support the possibility that exogenous calcitonin may be capable of retarding some of the detrimental effects of the adrenal cortical steroids on osseous tissue, especially cancellous bone.
Abstract 1400: Mouse models for detection of circulating tumor cells from breast cancer

Breast cancer is the most frequent malignancy among women, causing at least 373,000 deaths per year worldwide, and in United States alone an estimated 208,000 women were diagnosed with breast cancer in 2010. Recent studies indicate that breast cancer is initiated by breast cancer stem cells (BCSCs) that express CD44+/high CD24-/low surface markers. Mammospheres are non-adherent spherical cell clusters grown in selective culture conditions. Our experimental results using mammosphere cultures of different breast cancer cells such as MDA-MB-231 show drastic enrichment of breast cancer stem-like cells with the phenotype of CD44+/high CD24-/low by flow cytometry analysis. We have implanted mammosphere-derived cells into mammary fat pads of nude mice and sampled blood from such tumor-bearing animals to look for the presence of unique breast cancer cells with metastatic potential {circulating tumor cells (CTCs)}, by scoring for Epcam+/cytokeratin+/CD45- tumor cells using the FDA-approved Veridex CellSearch Sysytem. As these metastatic breast cancer cells stably express ZS-Green protein, isolated ZS-Green positive CTCs are being further subjected to breast cancer-specific multiplexed molecular marker analysis. When a mouse with the metastatic breast cancer cell line - 4T1, stained with the CellVue dye is implanted in mammary fat pads, high levels of metastasis are detected with the CellVue marker in different internal organs such as the lungs, liver, heart and lymph nodes. Fluorescence microscopy analysis of blood withdrawn from animals bearing orthotopic 4T1 breast xenograft tumors, could detect ZS-Green positive mouse breast cancer CTCs. These mouse animal models bearing xenograft tumors are facilitating our understanding of CTC detection as well as analysis methods and also in understanding of human breast cancer metastasis. Open questions we are addressing include heterogeneity of CTCs, relationships in stem cell markers and prognostic markers when CTCs are compared with the primary tumors, relationships between tumor burden and tumor aggressiveness with CTC numbers in this mouse model. In addition the model provides an opportunity for testing candidate therapeutic agents and drug combinations. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 103rd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2012 Mar 31-Apr 4; Chicago, IL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2012;72(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 1400. doi:1538-7445.AM2012-1400
The Two-Triangle Case of the Acquaintance Graph

(1972). The Two-Triangle Case of the Acquaintance Graph. Mathematics Magazine: Vol. 45, No. 3, pp. 130-135.
Data on four criteria for targeting the placement of conservation buffers in agricultural landscapes.

Four criteria are generally used to prioritize agricultural lands for placing conservation buffers. The criteria include soil erodibility, hydrological sensitivity, wildlife habitat, and impervious surface rate that capture conservation buffers’ benefits in reducing soil erosion, controlling runoff generation, enhancing wildlife habitat, and mitigating stormwater impacts, respectively. This article describes the data used to derive the values of those attributes and a scheme to classify the values in multi-criteria analysis of conservation buffer placement in “Choosing between alternative placement strategies for conservation buffers using borda count” [1].
Modelling infrastructure interdependencies, resiliency and sustainability

The three key concepts of interdependency, resiliency and sustainability of a complex system have appeared in a number of studies and in various contexts. Nevertheless, little has been done to define and analyse them, especially the latter two, in a unified quantitative framework for engineering infrastructures. In this paper, we propose overarching mathematical modelling frameworks to quantify these three key concepts in the context of complex infrastructure systems with multiple interdependent subsystems (i.e., the system of systems). We show how interdependencies between subsystems can affect the resiliency and sustainability of the entire system. We provide a case study in the context of biofuel development and use different dynamical models to demonstrate these concepts.
Water Pressures on Dams during Earthquakes

Formulas are derived for the changes of water pressures during an earthquake for the case of a straight dam with a vertical up-stream face. The vibrations in the earthquake are assumed horizontal i...
Monocyte Trafficking, Engraftment, and Delivery of Nanoparticles and an Exogenous Gene into the Acutely Inflamed Brain Tissue – Evaluations on Monocyte-Based Delivery System for the Central Nervous System

The ability of monocytes and monocyte-derived macrophages (MDM) to travel towards chemotactic gradient, traverse tissue barriers, and accumulate precisely at diseased sites makes them attractive candidates as drug carriers and therapeutic gene delivery vehicles targeting the brain, where treatments are often hampered by the blockade of the blood brain barrier (BBB). This study was designed to fully establish an optimized cell-based delivery system using monocytes and MDM, by evaluating their homing efficiency, engraftment potential, as well as carriage and delivery ability to transport nano-scaled particles and exogenous genes into the brain, following the non-invasive intravenous (IV) cell adoptive transfer in an acute neuroinflammation mouse model induced by intracranial injection of Escherichia coli lipopolysaccharides. We demonstrated that freshly isolated monocytes had superior inflamed-brain homing ability over MDM cultured in the presence of macrophage colony stimulating factor. In addition, brain trafficking of IV infused monocytes was positively correlated with the number of adoptive transferred cells, and could be further enhanced by transient disruption of the BBB with IV administration of Mannitol, Bradykinin or Serotonin right before cell infusion. A small portion of transmigrated cells was detected to differentiate into IBA-1 positive cells with microglia morphology in the brain. Finally, with the use of superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles SHP30, the ability of nanoscale agent-carriage monocytes to enter the inflamed brain region was validated. In addition, lentiviral vector DHIV-101 was used to introduce green fluorescent protein (GFP) gene into monocytes, and the exogenous GFP gene was detected in the brain at 48 hours following IV infusion of the transduced monocytes. All together, our study has set up the optimized conditions for the more-in-depth tests and development of monocyte-mediated delivery, and our data supported the notion to use monocytes as a non-invasive cell-based delivery system for the brain.
Analysis of 23 cases of adverse drug reaction induced by Ligustrazine Hydrochloride for Injection

Objective To analyze the characteristics of ADR induced by Ligustrazine Hydrochloride for Injection so as to promote the rational use of the drugs.Methods 23 cases of ADR relate to Ligustrazine Hydrochloride for Injection from March 2012 to April 2013 in Lixia District were analyzed statistically from patients with normal circumstances,adverse reaction,clinical manifestation,drug use and other aspects.Results Most of the patients taking the drug were old people whose average age was 64.48.Most of the reports(n = 12) involved both of the skin system and its appendages,accounting for 27.27%.Large doses of drug increase significantly in adverse reactions(78.26%) than the manual regulation dosage(13.04%).These cases of several drugs were more likely to have much serious adverse reaction(57.14%) than those of single medication using(11.11%).Conclusion The ADR of Ligustrazine Hydrochloride for Injection was related to the pharmaceutical factors and using.What's more,age distribution accorded with the indications for the crowd of the drug.Enterprises and doctors should pay more.
Pension Choices and the Savings Patterns of Public School Teachers.

Abstract This paper examines the savings behavior of public school teachers who are enrolled in a hybrid pension plan that includes a defined contribution (DC) component. Few states have incorporated DC features into teacher pension systems and little is known about how providing teachers with greater control over deferred compensation might affect their savings behavior—an important determinant of retirement security. We find the retirement savings choices of teachers—how much they opt to contribute to a DC retirement account—to be generally consistent with that of their peers in the private sector. In particular, age and salary are positively correlated with contribution rates, and contribution rates increase with teaching experience. Importantly, our analysis of retirement wealth suggests that Washington's hybrid plan is likely to provide a level of retirement security for a typical teacher that is comparable to or greater than that provided by the state's pure defined benefit plan.
Rapid immunochemical screening method for aflatoxin B1 in human and animal urine

A method has been developed to determine the presence of aflatoxin B1 in the urine of animals (including humans) by utilizing commercial immunochemical kits that can be used in the field. Urine is treated with diatomaceous earth and filtered to clarify the sample; 2-3 ppb aflatoxin B1, corresponding to about 300 ppb in the ingested feed/food, can be detected in the filtered urine without further purification. To improve sensitivity, the urine filtrate is passed through a C18 solid phase column to extract the aflatoxin. The column is washed with acetonitrile-water (15 + 85) and water, aflatoxin B1 is eluted with methanol-water (7 + 3), and water is added to the eluate, which is then tested for aflatoxin with the test kit. The limit of detection is 0.2 ppb, reflecting consumption of 40 ppb or more aflatoxin in the feed/food. When the initial sample volume is adequate, purification through the C18 column step is usually sufficient. For limited sample volumes, the eluate from the C18 column is mixed with water, added to an immunosorbent affinity column, and washed with water to remove excess sample matrix and impurities. Aflatoxin B1 is eluted with acetonitrile. The extract is evaporated under nitrogen and the residue is redissolved in methanol-water (25 + 75). At this purification stage, the limit of detection is reduced to 0.05 ppb.
Collective memory: September 11th now and then

ABSTRACTIn the new millennium, newspapers in Brazil, France, and the United States have transformed their digital editions to facilitate reader participation and exchange. This research explores how these venues were used by readers to discuss 9/11/01. Over ten years have passed since September 11, 2001 in which the events have been interpreted and reinterpreted over time. Drawing data from 2001 and 2011, the analysis compares immediate understandings of the events with similar commentary on the anniversary a decade later. The data are drawn from three internationally recognized newspapers: O Estado de Sao Paulo, Le Monde, and The New York Times. This study examines differing interpretations of the events from both longitudinal and comparative cultural perspectives. Using a comparative case study approach, the research explores how Brazilian, French, and Americans congregate in digital spaces to debate September 11th in 2001 and again in 2011. In comparing the discourse in each forum, the study identifies...
Chrysobothris bimaculata (Coleoptera: Buprestidae), a new species from Jamaica, with a key to the genus in Jamaica

Chrysobothris bimaculata sp. nov. from Jamaica is described, illustrated, and compared to related species. A revised key to the species of Chrysobothris Eschscholtz, 1829 known to occur in Jamaica is provided.
A low-voltage high-speed terahertz spatial light modulator using active metamaterial

An all solid-state metamaterial based terahertz (THz) spatial light modulator (SLM) is presented which uses high mobility 2DEG to manipulate the metamaterial resonant frequency (0.45 THz) leading to terahertz wave modulation. The 2DEG is created by embedding pseudomorphic high-electron mobility transistors in the capacitive gap of each electrical-LC resonator, allowing the charge density to be controlled with very low voltage (1 V) and modulating speeds up to 10 MHz while consuming sub-milliwatt power. We have demonstrated our SLM as a 2 × 2 pixel array operating around 0.45 THz by raster scanning a 6 × 6 image of an occluded metal object behind a thick polystyrene screen using a single-pixel THz imaging setup.
X-ray structure of the human α4β2 nicotinic receptor

Nicotinic acetylcholine receptors are ligand-gated ion channels that mediate fast chemical neurotransmission at the neuromuscular junction and have diverse signalling roles in the central nervous system. The nicotinic receptor has been a model system for cell-surface receptors, and specifically for ligand-gated ion channels, for well over a century. In addition to the receptors' prominent roles in the development of the fields of pharmacology and neurobiology, nicotinic receptors are important therapeutic targets for neuromuscular disease, addiction, epilepsy and for neuromuscular blocking agents used during surgery. The overall architecture of the receptor was described in landmark studies of the nicotinic receptor isolated from the electric organ of Torpedo marmorata. Structures of a soluble ligand-binding domain have provided atomic-scale insights into receptor-ligand interactions, while high-resolution structures of other members of the pentameric receptor superfamily provide touchstones for an emerging allosteric gating mechanism. All available high-resolution structures are of homopentameric receptors. However, the vast majority of pentameric receptors (called Cys-loop receptors in eukaryotes) present physiologically are heteromeric. Here we present the X-ray crystallographic structure of the human α4β2 nicotinic receptor, the most abundant nicotinic subtype in the brain. This structure provides insights into the architectural principles governing ligand recognition, heteromer assembly, ion permeation and desensitization in this prototypical receptor class.
“Resistance is futile”: estimating the costs of managing herbicide resistance as a first‐order Markov process and the case of U.S. upland cotton producers

A 2012 survey of upland U.S. cotton producers was analyzed to determine the factors contributing to changes in weed management costs (WMCs) after the identification of herbicide-resistant weeds. An ordered probit regression estimated changes in WMC as a first-order Markov process. The most important determinants of post-resistance cost increases were initial WMCs, adoption of labor-intensive remedial practices, and wick application of herbicides. Cultivation and mechanical/chemical-intensive practices did not increase WMCs. Post-resistance changes in WMC ranged between $85 and $138 ha−1, depending on the practices adopted. WMCs increased by $88 ha−1 when cost-neutral practices were adopted. The in-sample aggregate costs of managing herbicide resistance ranged between $25 and $53 million, depending on the types of adopted practices.
An oscillating extracellular voltage gradient reduces the density and influences the orientation of astrocytes in injured mammalian spinal cord.

We have studied the cellular basis for recovery from acute spinal cord injury induced by applied electric fields. We have emphasized this recovery is due to the regeneration of spinal axons around and through the lesion, and have begun to evaluate the contribution of other cells to the recovery process. We have imposed a voltage gradient of about 320 μV/mm across puncture wounds to the adult rat spinal cord in order to study the accumulation and orientation of GFAP+ astrocytes within and adjacent to the lesion. This electric field was imposed by a miniaturized electronic implant designed to alternate the polarity of the field every 15 minutes. Astrocytes are known to undergo hyperplastic transformation within injured mammalian cords forming a major component of the scar that forms in response to injury. We have made three observations using a new computer based morphometry technique: First, we note a slight shift in the orientation of astrocytes parallel to the long axis of the spinal cord towards an imaginary reference perpendicular to this axis by approximately 10°—but only in undamaged white matter near the lesion. Second, the relative number of astrocytes was markedly, and statistically significantly, reduced within electrically—treated spinal cords, particularly in the lesion. Third, the imposed voltage gradient statistically reduced the numbers of astrocytes possessing oriented cell processes within the injury site compared to adjacent undamaged regions of spinal cord.
Enhanced nonlinear spectroscopy for monolayers and thin films in near-Brewster’s angle reflection pump-probe geometry

We experimentally demonstrate and theoretically explicate a method that greatly enhances the detection of third-order nonlinear signals from monolayers and thin films on dielectric substrates. Nonlinear infrared signals, including two dimensional infrared (2D IR) vibrational echo signals, were detected from a functionalized alkyl chain monolayer on a dielectric SiO2 surface in a near-Brewster’s angle reflection pump-probe geometry. We observed a tremendous enhancement of the signal-to-noise (S/N) ratio in this geometry compared with a conventional transmission pump-probe geometry signal. The S/N enhancement is achieved by the greatly increased modulation of the local oscillator (LO) field that is induced by the nonlinear signal field. By reducing the LO field without loss of the signal field, the modulation amplitude acquired in this geometry was enhanced by more than a factor of 50. The incident angle dependence of the enhancement was measured and the result agreed remarkably well with theoretical calcul...
A STOCHASTIC COMPARTMENTAL MODEL OF PREINFARCTION ANGINA

Publisher Summary This chapter presents a stochastic compartmental model of preinfarction angina. A stochastic compartmental model (a Markov model with continuous time parameter) is used to estimate the illness–death transitions. The digraph (directed graph) of the model is a flow chart that shows the compartments (boxes) and the transfers (segments) between them. The digraph must be realistic and should contain a sufficient number of compartments and transfers to answer the question of interest. If the model is too complicated, then it may not be possible to estimate all of the model parameters. With an illness–death process, at least two illness compartments (transient states) are required, one to represent the high-risk (critical) state and another to represent the low-risk (stable) state. The transfer from the critical state to the stable state is called recovery and the transfer from stable to critical is called relapse. For the purposes of this study, the disease of interest is preinfarction angina. The chapter presents a flow diagram depicting transitions through disease states. It also discusses the lumped model.
Effect of Glazing on Flexural Strength of Full-Contour Zirconia.

Objective. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of glazing on flexural strength of highly translucent zirconia materials. Materials and Methods. Specimens of three brands of zirconia bars (Prettau Zirconia, Zirkonzahn; inCoris TZI, Sirona; and Zirlux FC, Pentron Ceramics) were prepared and polished according to manufacturers’ instructions. Final specimen dimensions were 20 × 4 × 2 mm. The specimens from each brand were divided into 3 groups (N = 10): control, heat-treated, and glazed. Heat-treated specimens were fired without the application of the glaze material. The glaze material was applied to the glazed specimens before being fired. A three-point bending test (15 mm span) was performed in an Instron universal testing machine (ISO 6872). Data were analyzed by ANOVA and Tukey’s HSD post hoc test (α = 0.05). Results. Two-way ANOVA showed a significant influence of surface treatments on flexural strength of zirconia materials ( ). There was no significant difference in flexural strength among the different brands of highly translucent zirconia ( ). Tukey’s HSD post hoc test showed that specimens in the “glazed” group had significantly lower flexural strength than the control and heat-treated groups ( ). Conclusion. Within the limitations of the study, external glazing decreased the flexural strength of highly translucent zirconia.
The Basic Law of Innervation and Muscle Action

Each of the three main dimensions of space corresponds to two special muscle groups of the double eye which serve to move the fixation point in two opposite directions (see below). We therefore have six muscle groups to differentiate, each of which can be handled by the will so to say as a single muscle. Elsewhere in the organism many muscles are so related to one another for common function that a single stimulus releases a simultaneous action of the whole group, whereby the degree of participation of each single muscle with respect to the others is determined in advance. In sneezing, for instance, a single stimulus sets a whole group of muscles into actions already determined in strength and timing. In the same way specific eye muscles respond to a single impulse of will in a coordinated way according to the relative and previously determined allotments of the single muscles.
Measuring Best Practices for Workplace Safety, Health, and Well-Being: The Workplace Integrated Safety and Health Assessment

Objective:To present a measure of effective workplace organizational policies, programs, and practices that focuses on working conditions and organizational facilitators of worker safety, health and well-being: the workplace integrated safety and health (WISH) assessment.Methods:Development of this
Eye-of-the-Tiger Sign

The eye-of-the-tiger sign describes the magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) changes seen in pantothenate kinase-associated neurodegeneration (PKAN) on T2-weighted study. The specific changes are hypointense signal in globus pallidus with a region of central or anteromedial hyperintensity. This sign is virtually pathognomic for PKAN. The hypointense region represents high tissue iron and the hyperintense region edema.
Sequence of the human CALM II calmodulin gene promoter region

A clone containing a portion of the promoter region for the human bona fide CALM II gene was isolated using a human Promoter Finder™ DNA Walking Kit. This promoter region contains, putatively, a GC box (common in housekeeping genes), a CRE-binding site, a TATA like box and AGGGA sequences. The latter are reported to be present in genes for Ca2+ binding genes. This human promoter region exhibits overall 85% sequence identity to the corresponding region of the rat CALM II promoter but shows no identity to the corresponding region of the human CALM I or CALM III promoters.
Oscillatory Activity and Synchronization in the Basal Ganglia Network in Rodent Models of Parkinson’s Disease

The efficacy of deep brain stimulation (DBS) in the subthalamic nucleus (STN) in Parkinson’s disease (PD) has focused attention on the role of STN firing patterns in PD symptomatology. Oscillatory activity in the beta frequency range is of special interest as local field potential (LFP) recordings in the STN in bradykinetic PD patients during DBS electrode placement show prominent activity in this frequency range. As increased synchronization between the globus pallidus pars externus (GP) and STN has been implicated in the emergence of oscillatory activity in the STN, the effect of dopamine loss and increased dopamine stimulation on beta range activity in paired GP-STN single unit and LFP recordings was examined in intact or nigrostriatally lesioned, locally anesthetized, and immobilized rats. Spike-triggered waveform averages (STWAs) show that GP spiking becomes significantly more synchronized with STN LFP oscillations in the beta range after dopamine cell lesion. Coherences between GP spiking and STN LFP and between STN spiking and STN LFP are increased after dopamine cell lesion. A desynchronizing effect of increased dopamine receptor stimulation with apomorphine on GP-STN relationships in both intact and lesioned rats is observed. Results support a role for increased synchronization between STN and GP in the emergence of beta range activity in the STN and a greater impact of GP on STN activity after decreased dopamine receptor stimulation.
Selected Case Studies for Sourcebook Sections

The selected case studies in this chapter are taken from our files of years ago, when Bess L. L’Abate and I started to introduce programmed writing and self-help practice exercises in our part-time private practice (L’Abate et al., 2005). (The three individuals presented below for Section I gave written permission.) A complete practice exercise of social training, designed to decrease impulsivity with pretreatment and posttreatment evaluation in an imprisoned individual, was reported in L’Abate (1992). No permission was obtained from the participants at the time because publication was not contemplated; thus, many studies reported in this chapter are composites of cases for Sections II and V, to make sure that no identification is possible. Few case studies can be presented for Sections III and IV because we were not able to administer written homework assignments to functional or semifunctional participants. Furthermore, many of the ­practice exercise in this volume had not been created then.
A Preliminary Study of Composite Reaction Injection Molding

A promising method for producing a composite reaction injection molded material, is to place a fiberglass mat into the mold before injection. In this work we examine the behavior of two typical RIM systems, one mixing (polyurethane) and the other heat activated (styrene-based). The effect of a fiberglass mat during filling and curing is analyzed. Theoretical predictions are compared to experimental results for the two RIM systems.
Widows' land rights and agricultural investment

Abstract This paper examines the connection between widows' land inheritance rights and land investments in Zambia. We study whether the threat of land expropriation upon widowhood deters households from fallowing, applying fertilizer, and employing labor-intensive tillage techniques. Variation in inheritance by widows is based on customary village practices, which we observe in surveys of village leaders. Controlling for possible confounding factors, both OLS and IV estimates show lower levels of land investment by married couples in villages where widows do not inherit. Concern over prospective loss of land by the wives reduces investment in land quality even while the husband is alive.