cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Ornithosis (psittacosis) in a pigeon flock.

Summary An account is given of Ornithosis (psittacosis) in a self-contained pigeon flock. The distribution of the infection within the different age groups revealed that the disease primarily affected birds under 16 weeks of age, and suggested that it was maintained by latently infected adult carriers who had survived the disease when young. There was microscopic evidence that the I.N.I. virus (Smadel et al., 1945) was also present and coexisted with Ornithosis virus. An attempt to protect young pigeons against natural infection with ornithosis virus by means of a formalinised vaccine prepared from infected chicken embryo yolk sacs failed.
The role of cell interactions in the differentiation of teratocarcinoma-derived parietal and visceral endoderm

Cell interactions have been implicated in the differentiation of visceral and parietal endoderm in the developing mouse embryo. Embryoid bodies formed from F9 embryonal carcinoma cells have been useful in characterizing the events which lead to endoderm formation. As part of our effort to specify the interactions which may be involved in this process we have isolated visceral endoderm-like cells (VE) from F9 embryoid bodies and cultured them under various conditions. Using a combination of immunoprecipitation and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, we demonstrate that monolayer culture of these cells on a number of different substrates leads to a dramatic decrease in the level of alphafetoprotein (AFP), a VE-specific marker. Northern blot analysis of AFP mRNA indicates very low levels of this message are present after 48 hr in monolayer culture. Coincident with the drop in AFP levels is an increase in the levels of the cytokeratin Endo C and tissue plasminogen activator, both markers for parietal endoderm (PE). Morphological evidence at the ultrastructural level supports a transition from VE to PE. In contrast, the VE phenotype can be maintained in vitro by interaction with aggregates, but not monolayers, of stem cells. In addition, culturing the cells on the curved surface of gelatin-coated dextran beads, but not on a flat gelatin surface facilitates AFP expression and the cells are morphologically intermediate between VE and PE cells. The potential role of junctional complexes and cell shape are discussed.
“The Day Belongs to the Students”: Expanding Epideictic's Civic Function

The audience's violent response to the 2003 Rockford College commencement address illuminates challenges that surround the epideictic genre in a politically divided society. This essay explores the nature of the conflict that arose that day in order to consider ways in which the generic form of epideictic potentially facilitates communication among people with different views. This opportunity can be realized as rhetors and audiences acknowledge generic constraints, acknowledge social concerns, search for shared understanding, and commit themselves to an epideictic encounter that serves the educational function of constructively interrogating and reimagining public values.
The effect of storage at various temperatures on blood alcohol concentration

There is a paucity of data available on the effect of storage on blood alcohol concentration (BAC) at elevated temperatures. Changes in serum alcohol concentration (SAC) and BAC were studied. Serum samples spiked with alcohol in the presence or absence of preservative were stored at 26.7 degrees, 32.2 degrees or 37.8 degrees C respectively. Serum alcohol concentrations were determined daily on days 1 through 14, and on days 21 and 35. Under these controlled conditions, no significant change in SAC was observed at the aforementioned temperatures. Whole blood samples submitted from outside agencies were initially analyzed (day 1), then stored for 35 days at different elevated temperatures before a second analysis. The average loss in BAC was 19.20 +/- 15.6, 9.95 +/- 5.7, and 15.60 +/- 6.9% when the samples were stored at 26.7, 32.2 and 37.8 degrees C, respectively. The alcohol loss from whole blood samples may be attributed to chemical oxidation rather than to elevated temperatures. It is, therefore, concluded that a whole blood sample obtained from a living individual and stored in a locker, glove compartment or other environment where the temperature is elevated, may lose 10-19% of its alcohol content over 35 days of storage. On the other hand, when a serum or plasma sample is exposed to the same environment, no significant change in SAC was observed. The utility of this information is significant to the forensic toxicologist. The results of this study suggest that a whole blood sample analyzed after exposure to elevated temperature may have had, originally, a higher BAC.
Prehospital neurologic deterioration is independent predictor of outcome in traumatic brain injury: analysis from National Trauma Data Bank

Abstract Background The prevalence and impact of prehospital neurologic deterioration (PhND) in patients with traumatic brain injury (TBI) have not been investigated. We aimed to determine the prevalence of PhND during emergency medical service (EMS) transportation among patients with TBI and its impact on patient's outcome. Methods We used the National Trauma Data Bank, using data files from 2009 to 2010 to identify patients with TBI through International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification diagnosis codes. The initial Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) score ascertained at the scene by EMS was compared with the subsequent GCS score evaluation in the emergency department (ED) to identify neurologic deterioration (defined as a decrease in GCS of ≥2 points). Patients' demographics, initial injury severity score (ISS), admission GCS score, and hospital outcome were compared between patients with PhND and patients without neurologic deterioration. Results A total of 257 127 patients with TBI were identified. Among patients with TBI, 22 254 patients had PhND, which comprised 9% of all patients with TBI. The mean of GCS score decrease during EMS transport was 5 points (±3). Patients without PhND tended to have higher GCS recorded by EMS (median, 15 vs 12; P P Conclusion Prehospital neurologic deterioration occurs in 9% of patients with TBI. It is more prevalent in men and associated with lower EMS GCS level and higher ED ISS. Prehospital neurologic deterioration is an independent predictor of worse hospital outcome and higher resource use in patients with TBI.
Controlled exposure of female rhesus monkeys to 2,3,7,8-TCDD : cognitive behavioral effects in their offspring

Abstract Offspring exposed to TCDD in utero and for four months of nursing were compared to cohort controls on a battery of behavioral measures. On spatial discrimination reversal learning, the exposed subjects were facilitated at lower TCDD dose, and exhibited a dose-dependent decrement as the TCDD dose increased.
Adolescent Adjustment: Maternal Depression and Social Competence

ABSTRACT The present study examined the relationships of maternal depression, family stress, child social skills, and child social competencies on adolescent adjustment. The sample included 50 mothers with at least one child between the ages of 11 and 14. It was hypothesized that maternal depression and family stress would predict adolescent adjustment. Maternal depression accounted for half the variance (52%) in child adjustment. Family stress variables were significantly correlated with child adjustment, but they failed to significantly add to the regression equation. The second hypothesis was that the adolescent's social competence would independently account for additional variance beyond that associated with maternal depression. This hypothesis was clearly supported. Three of the six measures of social skills and competencies significantly added to the predictability of child adjustment. Maternal depression and social competency variables combined to account for a total of 74% of the variance in chil...
Digital rights management, spyware, and security

In October 2005, Sysinternals' Mark Russinovich discovered a rootkit on his computer, which he later determined stemmed from a Sony-BMG compact disc. In this article, the authors examine the copy-protection software found on those discs and the implications for digital rights management.
Contextual strength does not modulate the subordinate bias effect: Evidence from eye fixations and self-paced reading

Eye movements were recorded in order to examine how different sources of information—namely, meaning dominance and strength of biasing context—influence the processing of biased ambiguous words. Gaze durations were longer on ambiguous target words when the preceding context instantiated the subordinate interpretation, even with strongly biasing contexts. Identical results were obtained with a self-paced reading study. Thus, contrary to recent findings (Kellas, Martin, Yehling, Herman, & Vu, 1995), the subordinate interpretation of a biased ambiguous word was not selectively accessed even when the preceding context strongly biased that interpretation. Discrepancies between the present experiments and the Kellas et al. experiment are discussed.
Novel Drugs Targeting Transthyretin Amyloidosis

Transthyretin amyloidosis (ATTR) is either a hereditary disease related to a mutation in the transthyretin gene that leads to neuropathy and/or cardiomyopathy or an acquired disease of the elderly that leads to restrictive cardiomyopathy. The prevalence of this disease is higher than once thought and awareness is likely to increase amongst physicians and in particular cardiologists. Until recently there have been no treatment options for this disease except to treat the heart failure with diuretics and the neuropathy symptomatically. However, there are several emerging pharmacologic therapies designed to slow or stop the progression of ATTR. This article reviews novel therapeutic drugs that work at different points in the pathogenesis of this disease attempting to change its natural history and improve outcomes.
Using a national health care data base to determine surgical complications in community hospitals: lumbar discectomy as an example.

To determine the incidence of acute complications of an operation in a large cross-section of U.S. community hospitals, we developed a method that combines the screening of discharge abstracts with the sampling of medical records. Our target patients were those who underwent discectomy for routine lumbar discogenic radiculopathy. We assembled 39,389 discharge abstracts of patients who underwent lumbar discectomy in the U.S. in 1980. This population contained some nontarget patients with a) errors in principal diagnosis or procedure, b) operations exceeding two levels, c) fusion, d) previous laminectomy, or e) problems of the lumbar spine in excess of routine disc disease. Screening of discharge abstracts allowed us to exclude some of these patients. Those remaining were then divided by the reported hospitalization into three groups: 1) death, 2) nonfatal complication, and 3) normal hospitalization. A sample of patients from each group was selected for detailed study, and questionnaires were mailed to hospital medical records departments to confirm the hospitalization and to obtain other medical information unavailable in the abstract. With this information, we 1) removed the remaining nontarget patients (a through e above); 2) categorized reported complications as erroneous, preexistent, trivial or major; 3) calculated the incidence of major complications; and 4) assessed the reliability of the discharge abstract data. Principal diagnosis and procedure were reliably coded in 96.5% of abstracts. No deaths were reported in error and none were excluded in error. Among patients who had complications, 4% of the abstracts incorrectly indicated complications, and 11% omitted one complication while correctly reporting others.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Average tissue diameter as a non-destructive determinant of potato protoplast-derived callus growth

Abstract Growth of callus tissue produced from potato ( Solanum tuberosum L. cv. Crystal) leaf mesophyll protoplasts was monitored via a non-destructive sampling technique based upon measurement of two linear callus dimensions. The average tissue diameter obtained from these determinations was highly correlated with fresh weight and dry weight. Mean callus growth rates calculated from changes in average tissue diameter were identical within a single experiment. Consistent growth curves were also obtained in experiments separated by as much as 3 months. This technique can be used to identify highly vigorous calli or calli showing growth-related responses to specific stimuli in vitro .
SAFEDISPATCH: Securing C++ Virtual Calls from Memory Corruption Attacks

Several defenses have increased the cost of traditional, low-level attacks that corrupt control data, e.g. return addresses saved on the stack, to compromise program execution. In response, creative adversaries have begun circumventing these defenses by exploiting programming errors to manipulate pointers to virtual tables, or vtables, of C++ objects. These attacks can hijack program control flow whenever a virtual method of a corrupted object is called, potentially allowing the attacker to gain complete control of the underlying system. In this paper we present SAFEDISPATCH, a novel defense to prevent such vtable hijacking by statically analyzing C++ programs and inserting sufficient runtime checks to ensure that control flow at virtual method call sites cannot be arbitrarily influenced by an attacker. We implemented SAFEDISPATCH as a Clang++/LLVM extension, used our enhanced compiler to build a vtable-safe version of the Google Chromium browser, and measured the performance overhead of our approach on popular browser benchmark suites. By carefully crafting a handful of optimizations, we were able to reduce average runtime overhead to just 2.1%.
Phases of the Adoption of Innovation in Organizations: Effects of Environment, Organization and Top Managers1

Multidimensional empirical examinations of the adoption of innovations in organizations, and the influence of factors within each dimension on the phases of adoption, are scarce. This study examines the effects of environmental, organizational and top managers' characteristics on the initiation, adoption decision and implementation of innovation. Using a sample of approximately 1200 public organizations in the United States, we found that while each dimension accounts for unique variance in the adoption of innovation, organizational characteristics and top managers' attitudes toward innovation have a stronger influence than environmental and top managers' demographic characteristics. We also found no difference in the direction of effects of any antecedent, but did find differences in the significance of effects of several antecedents, on the phases of innovation adoption. We discuss the implications of these findings and suggest ideas for future research.
Occurrence of ecdysone in the blood of the chelicerate arthropod,Limulus polyphemus

A molt promoting substance, assumed to be ecdysone, was discovered inLimulus haemolymph. Preliminary bioassay suggests a titre of 9 ng ecdysone per ml of haemolymph.
Slow Proton Exchange in Aqueous Solution. Consequences of Protonation and Hydration within the Central Cavity of Preyssler Anion Derivatives, [|M(H2O)|⊃P5W30O110]n-

Redetermination of the crystal structure of the ammonium salt of the Preyssler anion, [NaP5W30O110]14- (Na), at low temperature, reveals that a water molecule is coordinated to the encrypted (sodiu...
Modeling semiconductor amplifiers and lasers: From microscopic physics to device simulation

We combine the results of full many-body band-structure calculations of the semiconductor optical response and a full space–time-resolved laser propagation model. Two quantum-well structures are chosen, one showing a sharp increase of the linewidth enhancement factor with density; the other, a clamping of this factor with increasing density. The average far-field broadening of two weakly turbulent broad-area high-power semiconductor lasers is shown to be quite different for the two structures.
New Evidence for Improved Survival in Chronic Heart Failure

Chronic heart failure is a common clinical syndrome with high associated mortality and morbidity. Recent advances in therapy for the condition with vasodilators and, in particular, angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors, have led to hopes for improvement in survival. Several large scale studies examining the role of vasodilators have reported over the last few years, and the role of vasodilators in the treatment and prevention of chronic heart failure is being delineated. There is new hope for patients with symptomatic heart failure; symptoms can be alleviated and prognosis improved. Increasingly, it appears as if there is a role for drug therapy in preventing the onset of chronic heart failure. In this paper, we examine the results of these studies and of some smaller studies in order to discuss the implications for current therapy and future research.
Ecological stoichiometry of N and P in pelagic ecosystems: Comparison of lakes and oceans with emphasis on the zooplankton-phytoplankton interaction

By using an elemental-stoichiometry approach to zooplankton-phytoplankton interactions, we compare elemental composition and aspects of nutrient deficiency across a variety of marine and freshwater ecosystems. During 1992 and 1993 we sampled a total of 31 lakes (in northern Wisconsin and Michigan and the Experimental Lakes Area of northern Ontario) and 21 marine stations (at seven estuarine, coastal, and open-ocean sites in the Atlantic and Pacific) for elemental composition of zooplankton, seston, and dissolved components. Relative degree of nutrient deficiency was assessed by phytoplankton dark uptake of ammonia and phosphate, as well as growth response of phytoplankton to N and P addition. Marine and freshwater systems differed greatly in N and P concentrations, N: P stoichiometry, and the distribution of N and P within dissolved, seston, and zooplankton pools. Particularly notable was the high proportion of N and, especially, P that was incorporated in the particulate fraction (seston + zooplankton) of lakes compared to marine sites. In freshwater systems, Daphnia spp., which have low body N: P, dominated zooplankton communities when seston C :P and N:P were also low, and calanoids that tend to have high body N : P dominated when seston C : P and N : P was high. This relationship between zooplankton community composition and seston elemental stoichiometry supports arguments for the importance of food quality constraints on zooplankton growth in freshwater systems. Such patterns were not seen in marine systems.
Quantifying Ecosystem Controls and Their Contextual Interactions on Nutrient Export from Developing Forest Mesocosms

The complexity of natural ecosystems makes it difficult to compare the relative importance of abiotic and biotic factors and to assess the effects of their interactions on ecosystem development. To improve our understanding of ecosystem complexity, we initiated an experiment designed to quantify the main effects and interactions of several factors that are thought to affect nutrient export from developing forest ecosystems. Using a replicated 2 × 2 × 4 factorial experiment, we quantified the main effects of these factors and the factor interactions on annual calcium, magnesium, and potassium export from field mesocosms over 4 years for two Vermont locations, two soils, and four different tree seedling communities. We found that the main effects explained 56%–97% of total variation in nutrient export. Abiotic factors (location and soil) accounted for a greater percentage of the total variation in nutrient export (47%–94%) than the biotic factor (plant community) (2%–15%). However, biotic control over nutrient export was significant, even when biomass was minimal. Factor interactions were often significant, but they explained less of the variation in nutrient export (1%–33%) than the main effects. Year-to-year fluctuations influenced the relative importance of the main effects in determining nutrient export and created factor interactions between most of the explanatory variables. Our study suggests that when research is focused on typically used main effects, such as location and soil, and interactions are aggregated into overall error terms, important information about the factors controlling ecosystem processes can be lost.
Five-year results of a randomized, single-center study of tacrolimus vs microemulsion cyclosporine in heart transplant patients.

Background Previous multicenter, randomized trials, lacking standardized post-transplant protocols, have compared tacrolimus (Tac) and cyclosporine (CyA, Sandimmune) and demonstrated similar outcomes with some different adverse effects. The microemulsion form of CyA (mCyA, Neoral) has replaced Sandimmune CyA as the more widely utilized CyA formulation. This is the first 5-year follow-up study of a large, single-center trial ( n = 67) under a standardized post-transplant protocol comparing Tac and mCyA. Methods Sixty-seven heart transplant patients were randomized to Tac ( n = 33) or mCyA ( n = 34), both in combination with corticosteroids and azathioprine without cytolytic induction. Five-year end-points included survival, Grade ≥3A or treated rejection, angiographic cardiac allograft vasculopathy (CAV; any lesion ≥30% stenosis), renal dysfunction (creatinine ≥2.0 mg/dl), use of two or more anti-hypertensive medications, percent diabetic and lipid levels. Results Five-year survival, freedom from Grade ≥3A or any treated rejection and angiographic CAV, mean cholesterol level and percent diabetic were similar between the two groups. The Tac group had a significantly lower 5-year mean triglyceride level (Tac 97 ± 34 vs mCyA 175 ± 103 mg/dl, p = 0.011) and average serum creatinine level (Tac 1.2 ± 0.5 mg/dl vs mCyA 1.5 ± 0.4 mg/dl, p = 0.044). There was a trend toward fewer patients requiring two or more anti-hypertensive drugs in the Tac group (Tac 33% vs mCyA 59%, p = 0.065). Conclusions Tac and mCyA appear to be comparable with regard to 5-year survival, freedom from rejection and CAV. However, compared with mCyA, Tac appears to reduce the adverse effect profile for hypertriglyceridemia and renal dysfunction and the need for hypertensive medications.
The Neuronal RNA Binding Protein Nova-1 Recognizes Specific RNA Targets In Vitro and In Vivo

Nova-1, an autoantigen in paraneoplastic opsoclonus myoclonus ataxia (POMA), a disorder associated with breast cancer and motor dysfunction, is a neuron-specific nuclear RNA binding protein. We have identified in vivo Nova-1 RNA ligands by combining affinity-elution-based RNA selection with protein-RNA immunoprecipitation. Starting with a pool of approximately 10(15) random 52-mer RNAs, we identified long stem-loop RNA ligands that bind to Nova-1 with high affinity (Kd of approximately 2 nM). The loop region of these RNAs harbors a approximately 15-bp pyrimidine-rich element [UCAU(N)(0-2)]3 which is essential for Nova-1 binding. Mutagenesis studies defined the third KH domain of Nova-1 and the [UCAU(N)(0-2)]3 element as necessary for in vitro binding. Consensus [UCAU (N)(0-2)], elements were identified in two neuronal pre-mRNAs, one encoding the inhibitory glycine receptor alpha2 (GlyR alpha2) and a second encoding Nova-1 itself. Nova-1 protein binds these RNAs with high affinity and specificity in vitro, and this binding can be blocked by POMA antisera. Moreover, both Nova-1 and GlyR alpha2 pre-mRNAs specifically coimmunoprecipitated with Nova-1 protein from brain extracts. Thus, Nova-1 functions as a sequence-specific nuclear RNA binding protein in vivo; disruption of the specific interaction between Nova-1 and GlyR alpha2 pre-mRNA may underlie the motor dysfunction seen in POMA.
On the performance of a medium access control scheme for the reconfigurable wireless networks

We propose a MAC protocol for an ad-hoc network architecture, termed the reconfigurable wireless networks, and investigate its network capacity. We discuss the access synchronization and the construction of the network connections features of the MAC protocol. Using event-driven simulation, we evaluate the performance of the scheme demonstrating its behavior for different mobility and traffic parameters, and examine propagation models.
Mice homozygous for an insertional mutation in the Zp3 gene lack a zona pellucida and are infertile

Mammalian oocytes synthesize and secrete a zona pellucida that surrounds the growing oocytes, ovulated eggs and preimplantation embryos. The extracellular zona matrix is composed of three glycoproteins (ZP1, ZP2, ZP3) that are involved in folliculogenesis, species-specific fertilization, and passage of the early embryo down the oviduct. We have established a mouse line in which Zp3 has been inactivated by homologous recombination with an insertional mutation. Neither Zp3 transcripts nor ZP3 protein was detected in female mice homozygous for the mutation (Zp3-/-), whereas both ZP1 and ZP2 were present in mutant oocytes. Homozygous mutant Zp3-/- mice had follicles with germinal-vesicle-intact oocytes but that lacked a zona pellucida matrix and had a disorganized corona radiata. Although mutant oocytes underwent germinal vesicle breakdown (GVBD) prior to ovulation, the cumulus-oocyte complex was markedly disrupted and the oocytes were often separate from the cumulus cells. After hormone-induced ovulation, cumulus masses were present in the oviducts of homozygous mutant mice, but zona-free eggs were observed in only half of the females and, in these, less than 10% of the normal number [correction of mumber] of eggs were detected. No zona-free 2-cell embryos were recovered from homozygous mutant Zp3-/- female mice after mating with males proven to be fertile, and none became visibly pregnant or produced offspring. These results demonstrate that a genetic defect in a zona pellucida gene causes infertility and, given the conserved nature of the zona pellucida, a similar phenotype is expected in other mammals.
Massive right atrial myxoma presenting as a chronic anemia.

A 79-year-old woman presented with a severe microcytic, hypochromic anemia with symptoms of fatigue (white blood cell count 6.2, red blood cell count 3.33, hemoglobin 8.5 g/dL, hematocrit 25.6%, mean corpuscular volume 76.7 fL, platelet 323,000/ mm). She denied weight loss, fever, night sweats, or any active bleeding diathesis including hematemesis, rectal bleeding, or melena. Inflammatory markers were markedly elevated (C-reactive protein 69.4 mg/L [normal 0-5] and erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) 107 mm/h [normal 20]). Iron studies showed markedly elevated serum ferritin (641 ng/mL), decreased serum iron (13 g/dL), and normal total iron binding capacity. Serum homocysteine level was elevated (16.2 [normal 4-10]). Both lactate dehydrogenase and bilirubin were normal suggesting no evidence of hemolysis. She underwent a bone-marrow aspiration and biopsy, which showed normal cellular marrow with abundant stainable iron and normal female karyotype. There was no evidence to suggest a myelodysplastic disease. She was transfused 2 U of red blood cells with markedly improved symptoms and empirically begun on prednisone (5 mg twice a day), vitamin B6, B12, and folic acid for treatment of presumed bonemarrow suppression from systemic inflammation of uncertain origin and hyperhomocysteinemia. With treatment, the anemia stabilized and completely resolved after 14 months, with associated marked reduction of inflammatory markers (hemoglobin 13.5 g/dL, hematocrit 40%, ESR 37 mm/h). The patient developed asymptomatic atrial fibrillation 20 months after the initial presentation of anemia. Echocardiography demonstrated a 46-cm mass occupying nearly the entire right atrium that prolapsed across the tricuspid valve during systole (Video). Coronary angiography demonstrated 50% stenosis of the left anterior descending coronary artery. She underwent uncomplicated sin-
Perforation of the small bowel after insertion of feeding jejunostomy: a case report

Feeding jejunostomy has become a useful method of feeding many patients with upper digestive tract dysfunction from a variety of causes. Although problems infrequently do occur with the tube itself, such as dislodgement or obstruction, most patients tolerate the procedure well. We report here a case of perforation of the jejunum that was caused by the tube itself and required reoperation. As with many problems in surgery, careful attention to technical details should help prevent this and other problems after feeding tube insertion.
The relationships among endurance performance measures as estimated from VO2PEAK, ventilatory threshold, and electromyographic fatigue threshold: a relationship design

The use of surface electromyography has been accepted as a valid, non-invasive measure of neuromuscular fatigue. In particular, the electromyographic fatigue threshold test (EMGFT) is a reliable submaximal tool to identify the onset of fatigue. This study examined the metabolic relationship between VO2PEAK, ventilatory threshold (VT), and the EMGFT, as well as compared the power output at VO2PEAK, VT, and EMGFT. Thirty-eight college-aged males (mean ± SD = 22.5 ± 3.5 yrs) performed an incremental test to exhaustion on an electronically-braked cycle ergometer for the determination of VO2PEAK and VT. Each subject also performed a discontinuous incremental cycle ergometer test to determine their EMGFT value, determined from bipolar surface electrodes placed on the longitudinal axis of the vastus lateralis of the right thigh. Subjects completed a total of four, 2-minute work bouts (ranging from 75–325 W). Adequate rest was given between bouts to allow for subjects' heart rate to drop within 10 beats of their resting heart rate. The EMG amplitude was averaged over 10-second intervals and plotted over the 2-minute work bout. The resulting slopes from each successive work bout were used to calculate EMGFT. Power outputs and VO2 values from each subject's incremental test to exhaustion were regressed. The linear equations were used to compute the VO2 value that corresponded to each fatigue threshold. Two separate one-way repeated measure ANOVAs indicated significant differences (p 0.05) and were highly correlated (r = 0.750). Furthermore, the mean workload at VT was 130.7 ± 37.8 W compared with 134.1 ± 43.5 W at EMGFT (p > 0.05) with a strong correlation between the two variables (r = 0.766). Metabolic measurements, as well as the power outputs at VT and EMGFT, were strongly correlated. The significant relationship between VT and EMGFT suggests that both procedures may reflect similar physiological factors associated with the onset of fatigue. As a result of these findings, the EMGFT test may provide an attractive alternative to estimating VT.
Sea cliffs: Their processes, profiles, and classification

General concavity or convexity of sea-cliff profiles is controlled by relative rates of erosion by marine and subaerial processes, as well as by positions of more resistant strata in the cliffs. Profiles supplemented by on-site examination can establish the activity and dominance of erosional processes and indicate changes in regimen. A sharp angle at the sea-cliff base generally indicates active marine erosion, whereas a smooth curve at the base means that subaerial erosion may dominate. Talus shows absence of marine erosion. Studies of profiles can be useful for estimating stability for residences, railroads, and highways at the top, face, and base of sea cliffs. Generally increased erosion and retreat of sea cliffs are in prospect because of projected regionally wetter and stormier climate, rising sea level, and increased human activities.
Examinations of Situation-Based Reasoning and Sense-Making in Students’ Interpretations of Solutions to a Mathematics Story Problem

This paper discusses a series of five studies examining over 800 students' solutions to division-with-remainders story problems. The findings from the studies suggest that students' difficulty in solving these problems is due, in large part, to a failure to engage in situation-based reasoning and sense-making in interpreting computational results obtained when solving the problem. Data from recent studies not only has provided direct evidence to support this hypothesis but also suggested that students' dissociation of sense-making from school mathematics is a major barrier to their engaging in or displaying the reasoning that leads to correct solutions.
Expression of the Troponin C at 41C Gene in Adult Drosophila Tubular Muscles Depends upon Both Positive and Negative Regulatory Inputs

Most animals express multiple isoforms of structural muscle proteins to produce tissues with different physiological properties. In Drosophila, the adult muscles include tubular-type muscles and the fibrillar indirect flight muscles. Regulatory processes specifying tubular muscle fate remain incompletely understood, therefore we chose to analyze the transcriptional regulation of TpnC41C, a Troponin C gene expressed in the tubular jump muscles, but not in the fibrillar flight muscles. We identified a 300-bp promoter fragment of TpnC41C sufficient for the fiber-specific reporter expression. Through an analysis of this regulatory element, we identified two sites necessary for the activation of the enhancer. Mutations in each of these sites resulted in 70% reduction of enhancer activity. One site was characterized as a binding site for Myocyte Enhancer Factor-2. In addition, we identified a repressive element that prevents activation of the enhancer in other muscle fiber types. Mutation of this site increased jump muscle-specific expression of the reporter, but more importantly reporter expression expanded into the indirect flight muscles. Our findings demonstrate that expression of the TpnC41C gene in jump muscles requires integration of multiple positive and negative transcriptional inputs. Identification of the transcriptional regulators binding the cis-elements that we identified will reveal the regulatory pathways controlling muscle fiber differentiation.
Next-Generation Sequencing for Gene Panels

Many molecular diagnostics laboratories are implementing next-generation sequencing (NGS)-based gene panels by harnessing the power of massively parallel sequencing technologies. NGS has dramatically expanded the capabilities of laboratories by multiplexing and streamlining DNA sequencing workflows. Replacing traditional target amplification techniques with in-solution enrichment technologies has simplified sequencing template preparation, greatly increasing the productivity of individual laboratories. Improved efficiency of molecular genetic testing, driven by the development and implementation of comprehensive disease-targeted gene panels, is propelling the advancement of genomic medicine.
International Law, International Relations and Compliance

Commitments are a persistent feature of international affairs. Disagreement over the effect of international commitments and the causes of compliance with them is equally persistent. Yet in the last decades the long-standing divide between those who believed that international rules per se shaped state behavior and those who saw such rules as epiphenomenal or insignificant has given way to a more nuanced and complex debate. The proliferation and evolution of international legal agreements, organizations, and judicial bodies in the wake of the Cold War has provided the empirical predicate and a policy imperative for heightened attention to the role of international law. Across many issue-areas, the use of law to structure world politics seems to be increasing. This phenomenon of legalization raises several questions. What factors explain the choice to create and use international law? If law is a tool or method to organize interaction, how does it work? Does the use of international law make a difference for how states or domestic actors behave? These questions are increasingly of interest to theorists and policymakers alike. This chapter surveys recent developments in the study of compliance in both the international relations (IR) and international law (IL) literature. Part one defines the concept of compliance, distinguishing it from the related but distinct concepts of implementation and effectiveness. We also focus primarily on compliance with treaties, rather than with the broader categories of rules that international lawyers term 'customary international law.' Part two reviews the major theories advanced by IR and IL scholars through the 1990s, setting forth a chronological account. Part three situates these theories in the context of a typology of six different variables that scholars from both disciplines have identified as influencing the existence and degree of compliance. Part four reviews a range of more recent empirical studies of compliance, as well as the results of cognate analyses of regime design, legalization, and the choice of hard law versus soft law. Part five concludes by identifying a number of open questions.
The Study of Spectral Correction Algorithm of Charge-Coupled Device Array Spectrometer

The charge-coupled device (CCD) array spectrometer is used for quick and simultaneous measurement of light spectrum. In scientific research and industrial application, the spectral correction algorithm is important to obtain the accurate values of photometry and chromaticity. The accuracy of spectrum depends on the correction of wavelength position, the linearity correction of CCD, the elimination of noise and dark current, the bandpass correction, the stray light correction, and the correction of frequency response. Many correction algorithms are studied to improve the CCD array spectrometer measurement. In this paper, we review and compare the correction algorithms from the past literature. Furthermore, we integrate them and find out an optimal algorithm to process the correction of spectrum measurement. The best results of luminous flux correction (ΔY) and chromatic correction (Δu'v') provide decreasing the difference of reference standard about 90%. The optimal correction algorithm provides a convenient method to enhance the measurement quality of CCD array spectrometer without changing the design of physical hardware.
The sweetness and pleasantness of sugars.

Nine experiments were run to assess the relation between sweetness, pleasantness, and the concentrations of 43 sugars. A power function adequately related the sweetness, S, of most sugars to their concentration, C: S = kCn, where the intercept k is a measure of relative sweetness. The average exponent is about 1.3, and the results suggest that the large range of relative sweetness across sugars is correlated with differences in molecular structure. The pleasantness of sugars was not monotonic with concentration but systematically departed from linearity at high concentrations. Pleasantness as a function of sweetness was roughly linear in log-log coordinates, with a slope between .3 and .5.
Enhanced modeling of head-related impulse responses towards the development of customizable sound spatialization

Audio spatialization is a rapidly growing field in acoustics and audio signal processing. Measurements and models of head-related impulse responses (HRIRs) of human subjects or KEMAR dummy heads are the primary source of information for research on spatial audio. The information contained in HRIRs measured at various azimuth and elevation angles is sufficient for synthesizing realistic three dimensional spatial audio for headphone or loudspeaker listening. Currently, however, designers must decide between the need for specialized equipment to measure the individual HRIRs of all potential users or the low fidelity achieved with the use of HRIRs obtained from a dummy head. To overcome this problem, research is underway to develop a method to create customized HRIRs. Using signal processing tools, such as Prony's signal modeling method, an appropriate set of time delays and a resonant frequency was used to approximate the measured HRIRs, with the goal of establishing a general HRIR model that could be instantiated from anatomical measurements of the prospective listener. During more recent experimentation, the Prony method was substituted by the Steiglitz-McBride iteration method and a noticeable improvement was achieved. This paper reports on our assessment of the statistically significant improvement in the approximation when the Steiglitz-McBride iteration method is used instead of the Prony method, for HRIR decomposition.
Excitotoxicity and neurodegeneration in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.

Abstract The pathogenesis of sporadic amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is unknown, but several observations suggest that glutamate could participate in selective motor neuron degeneration. Extracellular levels of glutamate are elevated in ALS. Synaptic concentrations of glutamate are regulated by high-affinity glutamate transport, and defects in glutamate transport have also been observed in ALS tissue. Three sodium-dependent glutamate transporters have now been identified: a neuronal transporter EAAC1, and two astroglial transporters GLT-1 and GLAST. The defect in glutamate transport in ALS appears to be relatively specific for the GLT-1 subtype. The role of chronic excess glutamate and glutamate transporter loss has been investigated in experimental paradigms, where it was found that excitotoxicity could account for selective motor neuron degeneration. These culture paradigms have demonstrated that motor neurons are sensitive to glutamate toxicity via non-NMDA receptors and that various agents (e.g., antioxidants, glutamate release inhibitors, non-NMDA receptor antagonists) can be neuroprotective. These experimental studies will provide a basis for understanding the primary and secondary role of glutamate in motor neuron death and will provide important insight into possible therapeutic interventions.
Endocrine disruptors: DDT, endocrine disruption and breast cancer.

Developmental exposure to endocrine disruptors is suspected to be one of the main factors responsible for the increased incidence of breast cancer in industrialized countries. New data published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism show that exposure to dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane during fetal life is associated with an increased risk of breast cancer.
Assessment of Dual-Mode and Switched-Channel Models with Experimental Vergence Responses

Controversy exists in the literature regarding the basic neural control structure that mediates convergence responses. This study constructed and simulated two models, the switched-channel feedback model and the dual-mode model consisting of preprogrammed with feedback control. Models were constructed and compared to experimental data. The stimuli consisted of 2 deg and 4 deg vergence steps. Both closed- and open-loop settings were utilized. After parameter adjustment, both models could accurately simulate step responses from subjects having a range of response dynamics. The model with a preprogrammed element required less parameter modification when stimulus amplitude changed. Both models could accurately simulate some attributes of vergence; however, neither model could represent the modifications commonly observed within the transient portion of the vergence response.
Simultaneous model identification and task satisfaction in the presence of temporal logic constraints

Recent proliferation of cyber-physical systems, ranging from autonomous cars to nuclear hazard inspection robots, has exposed several challenging research problems on automated fault detection and recovery. This paper considers how recently developed formal synthesis and model verification techniques may be used to automatically generate information-seeking trajectories for anomaly detection. In particular, we consider the problem of how a robot could select its actions so as to maximally disambiguate between different model hypotheses that govern the environment it operates in or its interaction with other agents whose prime motivation is a priori unknown. The identification problem is posed as selection of the most likely model from a set of candidates, where each candidate is an adversarial Markov decision process (MDP) together with a linear temporal logic (LTL) formula that constrains robot-environment interaction. An adversarial MDP is an MDP in which transitions depend on both a (controlled) robot action and an (uncontrolled) adversary action. States are labeled, thus allowing interpretation of satisfaction of LTL formulae, which have a special form admitting satisfaction decisions in bounded time. An example where a robotic car must discern whether neighboring vehicles are following its trajectory for a surveillance operation is used to demonstrate our approach.
Rightness as Fairness

We are now in a position to derive moral principles from the Categorical-Instrumental Imperative. Chapter 5 showed that the Categorical-Instrumental Imperative entails the following method for determining which actions satisfy it: The Moral Original Position Formulation: voluntarily aim for its own sake, in every relevant action, to act on interests it is instrumen-tally rational to act upon from the standpoint of a ‘Moral Original Position’ in which you assume that your voluntary, involuntary, and semivoluntary interests could turn out to be identical to those of any human or nonhuman sentient being(s), where relevant actions are defined recursively as those it is instrumentally rational to treat as such from the standpoint of the Moral Original Position.
Writing Modern Deaths: Women, War, and the View from the Home Front

Towards the middle of Testament of Youth (1933), her monumental account of World War I and its impact on her generation, Vera Brittain (1893–1970) notes the commemoration of her fiancee Roland Leighton that preceded her own—a memoir of his life, in semi-fictional form, written by his mother in a period of three months. The book, she notes,
Fibromyalgia: Comorbidity or a Psychosomatic Symptom of Depression Leading to the Abuse of Opioids.

Introduction: We conducted a retrospective study at the Wayne County Medical Examiner Office, which examined decedents diagnosed with Fibromyalgia, a disorder of unknown etiology characterized by widespread chronic musculoskeletal pain, concomitant with fatigue, sleep disturbances, and psychological distress. Material & Methods: Over a seventeen year period a total of 54 cases from our database met this criterion. Other criteria in the study included cause and manner of death, post-mortem toxicology results, major autopsy findings, and medical history. Results: Our study revealed that the cause of death in approximately two-thirds of the cases was due to drug intoxication. The most frequent post-mortem toxicology finding was Opioids, such as Morphine, Hydrocodone, Oxycodone, Fentanyl, and Codeine. The most common manner of death was accident. Almost 90% of the decedents were Caucasian females, which contrasted with the demographic diversity of Wayne County, Michigan. Additional findings revealed that the average age was 47 years, and the average Body Mass Index (BMI) could be categorized as obese. Nearly 67% of the cases had a medical history of depression. Conclusion: Our findings suggest that Fibromyalgia might be a psychosomatic symptom of depression rather than comorbidity. Therefore, physicians should further inquire about, and consider treating, depression in patients with chronic musculoskeletal pain while completely avoiding the use of opioids, for opioids have a greater risk of being abused and resulting in death in such patients, as found in our study.