cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The nasal microbiome in asthma.

Background Nasal microbiota may influence asthma pathobiology. Objective We sought to characterize the nasal microbiome of subjects with exacerbated asthma, nonexacerbated asthma, and healthy controls to identify nasal microbiota associated with asthma activity. Methods We performed 16S ribosomal RNA sequencing on nasal swabs obtained from 72 primarily adult subjects with exacerbated asthma (n = 20), nonexacerbated asthma (n = 31), and healthy controls (n = 21). Analyses were performed using Quantitative Insights into Microbial (QIIME); linear discriminant analysis effect size (LEfSe); Phylogenetic Investigation of Communities by Reconstruction of Unobserved States; and Statistical Analysis of Metagenomic Profiles (PICRUSt); and Statistical Analysis of Metagenomic Profiles (STAMP). Species found to be associated with asthma activity were validated using quantitative PCR. Metabolic pathways associated with differentially abundant nasal taxa were inferred through metagenomic functional prediction. Results Nasal bacterial composition significantly differed among subjects with exacerbated asthma, nonexacerbated asthma, and healthy controls (permutational multivariate ANOVA, P = 2.2 × 10 −2 ). Relative to controls, the nasal microbiota of subjects with asthma were enriched with taxa from Bacteroidetes (Wilcoxon-Mann-Whitney, r = 0.33, P = 5.1 × 10 −3 ) and Proteobacteria ( r = 0.29, P = 1.4 × 10 −2 ). Four species were differentially abundant based on asthma status after correction for multiple comparisons: Prevotella buccalis , P adj = 1.0 × 10 −2 ; Dialister invisus , P adj = 9.1 × 10 −3 ; Gardnerella vaginalis , P adj = 2.8 × 10 −3 ; Alkanindiges hongkongensis , P adj = 2.6 × 10 −3 . These phyla and species were also differentially abundant based on asthma activity (exacerbated asthma vs nonexacerbated asthma vs controls). Quantitative PCR confirmed species overrepresentation in asthma relative to controls for Prevotella buccalis (fold change = 130, P = 2.1 × 10 −4 ) and Gardnerella vaginalis (fold change = 160, P = 6.8 × 10 −4 ). Metagenomic inference revealed differential glycerolipid metabolism (Kruskal-Wallis, P = 1.9 × 10 −4 ) based on asthma activity. Conclusions Nasal microbiome composition differs in subjects with exacerbated asthma, nonexacerbated asthma, and healthy controls. The identified nasal taxa could be further investigated for potential mechanistic roles in asthma and as possible biomarkers of asthma activity.
Partial Seizures as An Early Symptom of Rasmussen’s Encephalitis

Early manifestations of Rasmussen’s encephalitis (RE) were studied in 12 patients with clinical and neuropathological diagnosis followed from disease onset by members of a study group in Milan and other centers in Italy.
A Generative Model for Sparse Hyperparameter Determination

Sparse autoencoder is an unsupervised feature extractor and has been widely used in the machine learning and data mining community. However, a sparse hyperparameter has to be determined to balance the trade-off between the reconstruction error and the sparsity of sparse autoencoder. Traditional sparse hyperparameter determination method is time-consuming, especially when the dataset is large. In this paper, we derive a generative model for sparse autoencoder. Based on this model, we derive a formulation to determine the sparse hyperparameter effectively and efficiently. The relationship between the sparse hyperparameter and the average activation of sparse autoencoder hidden units is also presented in this paper. Experimental results and comparative studies over numerous datasets demonstrate the effectiveness of our method to determine the sparse hyperparameter.
‘I’m the Goshdarn Batman!’ Affect and the aesthetics of cute superheroes

ABSTRACTWhile contemporary superheroes are typically depicted in comic books and feature films as grim and gritty characters involved in violent adventures, the last decade has witnessed an increasingly prominent trend of cute superheroes emerging in popular culture. Infantile, Cherub-like cute superheroes circulate in comic books, animated video, toys and a range of merchandising products. The aesthetic of cute superheroes implies an inversion of the core attributes typically associated with superheroes: weak not strong, small not big, round not muscular, etc. The cute aesthetic inspires an effective response in readers/consumers of protectionism and possessability that reflects cultural beliefs about superheroes as symbolic of childhood innocence and play.
Low-voltage ride-through simulation for microgrid systems

In contrast to the previous generation of power grid codes, recent standards require that distributed energy resources (DERs) provide low-voltage ride-through (LVRT) capabilities during grid faults. Consequently, the high penetration of DERs in today's power system requires an efficient method of controlling the active and reactive power of those resources during normal as well as abnormal voltage conditions. Coordinated selection of different combinations of DERs in a microgrid can maximize the ability of these resources to ride through low voltage faults. In this paper, a microgrid system is developed as a key element for combining different types of DERs so that the true ride-through capability of the entire system can be assessed. A simulation of this model was conducted using DIgSILENT PowerFactory software. The proposed combination of distributed energy resource types, and their controls, improve the LVRT capability of microgrid system.
Persistent seizure control in epileptic mice transplanted with gamma-aminobutyric acid progenitors.

Objective A significant proportion of the more than 50 million people world-wide currently suffering with epilepsy are resistant to antiepileptic drugs (AEDs). As an alternative to AEDs, novel therapies based on cell transplantation offer an opportunity for long-lasting modification of epileptic circuits. To develop such a treatment requires careful preclinical studies in a chronic epilepsy model featuring unprovoked seizures, hippocampal histopathology, and behavioral comorbidities. Methods Transplantation of progenitor cells from embryonic medial or caudal ganglionic eminence (MGE, CGE) were made in a well-characterized mouse model of status epilepticus-induced epilepsy (systemic pilocarpine). Behavioral testing (handling and open field), continuous video-electroencephalographic (vEEG) monitoring and slice electrophysiology outcomes were obtained up to 270 days after transplantation (DAT). Post hoc immunohistochemistry was used to confirm cell identity. Results MGE progenitors transplanted into the hippocampus of epileptic mice rescued handling and open field deficits starting at 60 DAT. In these same mice, an 84-88% reduction in seizure activity was observed between 180 and 210 DAT. Inhibitory postsynaptic current frequency, measured on pyramidal neurons in acute hippocampal slices at 270 DAT, was reduced in epileptic mice but restored to naive levels in epileptic mice receiving MGE transplants. No reduction in seizure activity was observed in epileptic mice receiving intra-hippocampal CGE progenitors. Interpretation Our findings demonstrate that transplanted MGE progenitors enhance functional GABA-mediated inhibition, reduce spontaneous seizure frequency and rescue behavioral deficits in a chronic epileptic animal model more than six months after treatment. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
Overdose and adverse drug event experiences among adult patients in the emergency department.

Abstract Introduction Overdose is a leading cause of injury and death in the United States. Emergency Department (ED) patients have an elevated prevalence of substance use. This study describes overdose/adverse drug event experiences among adult ED patients to inform strategies to address overdose risk. Methods Patients seeking care at a large ED in the city of Flint, Michigan participated in a computerized self-assessment during 2011–2013 (n = 4571). Overdose was assessed with a broad definition and included occurrences that could be considered adverse drug events. Among those with this type of experience, additional items assessed symptoms, outcomes, and intent. Results 12% reported an overdose history. Of participants' most serious overdoses, 74% were without clear intent for self-harm, although this was true of only 61% of overdoses involving opiates or sedatives, and 52% had symptoms present that indicated that it was life-threatening. Binge drinking on a monthly basis (ORs = 1.4) was associated with a medically serious overdose compared to never having an overdose. Compared to no drug use in the last year, use of one drug was associated with an OR of 1.8, two drugs was associated with an OR of 5.8, three drugs was associated with an OR of 8.4, and four or more drugs was associated with an OR of 25.1 of having had a medically serious overdose (all p Conclusions Most overdose experiences among ED patients were without clear intent of self-harm. The ED may be an appropriate setting for efforts to reduce overdose risk, especially among polysubstance users.
Synthesis and Characterization of Superabsorbent Polymer Hydrogels Used as Internal Curing Agents: Impact of Particle Shape on Mortar Compressive Strength

Superabsorbent polymer hydrogels have proven to be effective internal curing agents for high-performance concrete because of their ability to absorb and release large amounts of water during hydration and thus mitigate autogenous shrinkage. In this study, the impact of hydrogel particle shape on the microstructure and compressive strength of internally cured mortar was experimentally determined. Inverse suspension polymerization was used to synthesize spherical poly(sodium-acrylate acrylamide) hydrogel particles, while solution polymerization was used to create similarly sized angular particles with identical chemical composition. The hydrogels were characterized with swelling tests in water and cement pore solution. Particle shape did not impact the swelling behavior, and micrographs confirmed that the particles maintained their shape during mixing and placement. Despite the introduction of spherical- and angular-shaped voids from the swollen hydrogel particles, there were no significant differences observed between the compressive strengths of the control mortar and the mortars containing either the spherical or angular hydrogel particles.
Personality Traits Differentiate Subgroups of Criminal Offenders With Distinct Cognitive, Affective, and Behavioral Profiles:

Mental illness and substance use disorder are prominent among jail and prison inmates. Developing more effective mental and behavioral health treatment approaches for incarcerated criminal offender...
Splenic granulocytopoiesis and production of colony-stimulating activity in lymphoma and leukemia

Spleen cell production of granulocyte-macrophage colony stimulating activity (CSA) and colony forming capacity (CFU-GM) from 59 patients with Hodgkin's and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, acute (AML) and chronic myeloid leukemia (CML), and control subjects was quantified to evaluate local cellular potential for modulating splenic granulocytopoiesis. Mononuclear spleen cell conditioned media stimulated myeloid CFU-GM by human nonadherent marrow target cells. In contrast to conditioned media produced by marrow and peripheral blood cells, the vast majority of spleen CSA was generated by nonadherent lymphoid cells rather than adherent monocytic cells. The nonadherent cells producing CSA were non- T cells (assessed by sheep erythrocyte rosetting), with 98% +/- 2% CSA produced by the nonrosetted fraction (B lymphocytes and null cells), and had a peak density heavier than that of the adherent spleen CSA- producing cells. Dose response curves demonstrated significantly increased cellular CSA production from patients with lymphomas and AML in remission. In a high proportion of patients, foci of immature granulocytic cells were found by specific cytochemical staining of histologic sections of spleens. A limited degree of splenic granulocytopoiesis was demonstrated morphologically and by CFU-GM incidence. CSA was not detectable in conditioned medium prepared from nonadherent spleen cells from 5 patients with CML, due to a nondialyzable substances(s) produced by the nonadherent cells which inhibited normal CFU-GM response to CSA. The high CFU-GM incidence and extensive leukemic granulocytopoiesis present in the CML spleens suggests diminished effect of this inhibitor on leukemic as opposed to normal granulocytic precursor cell proliferation.
The Process of Producing the Standard Inscription of Ashurnasirpal II at Nimrud/Kalḫu

A dissertation focused on reconstructing the process by which the various manuscripts of the Standard Inscription of Ashurnasirpal II from Kalḫu were produced.
Deep learning for real-time social media text classification for situation awareness – using Hurricanes Sandy, Harvey, and Irma as case studies

Social media platforms have been contributing to disaster management during the past several years. Text mining solutions using traditional machine learning techniques have been developed to catego...
Pubertal Timing and Substance use in Adolescence: an Investigation of Two Cognitive Moderators

Off-time pubertal development is a predictor of substance use among adolescents. Early-maturing girls and early- and late-maturing boys appear to be at greater risk for substance use, although findings are more consistent for girls. Although cognitive factors are also important in the etiology of adolescent substance use, few studies have investigated potential cognitive risk and protective factors in these associations. The current study tested whether future orientation or cognitive style (e.g., attributions youth make about the causes and consequences of negative life events) moderated the association between pubertal timing and substance use two years later and whether this effect was stronger for females. Multiple linear regressions revealed cognitive style and future orientation significantly moderated the association between pubertal timing and substance use, and these effects did not differ by sex. Importantly, the pattern of these interactions differed, such that early pubertal timing predicted more substance use in the context of more negative and moderate cognitive styles and greater and moderate future orientation. Follow-up analyses revealed that an adolescent's attributions about the consequences, globality, and self-worth implications of negative life events significantly moderated the pubertal timing - future substance use association. Furthermore, the pattern of these interactions predicted each of the four types of substances assessed in the context of cognitive style, but only predicted nicotine and marijuana use in the context of future orientation. These results highlight which cognitive factors may influence risk for substance use for early-maturing youth.
Pockets of Inequality in the Distribution of U.S. Pharmacists' Wages and Salaries: A Gender Comparison.

Background: The literature contains conflicting arguments regarding inequalities in the distribution of U.S. pharmacists’ wages and salaries and the existence of a gender earnings gap. Some authors argue that the dispersion is small compared to other professions and there is no gap; others report that after controlling for number of hours worked, human-capital stock, and job-related preferences, male pharmacists earn higher wages and salaries than female pharmacists. Objectives: Estimate the central tendency and spread of wages and salaries of pharmacists practicing in the U.S., compare earning levels of male and female pharmacists, and examine the pockets of inequality within each gender. Methods: The study used self-reported survey data collected from a random sample of licensed pharmacists practicing throughout the United States. The sample consisted of 375 men and 279 women. Means and standard deviations of wage-and-salary earnings for male and female pharmacists were estimated by age, number of hours worked, years of professional experience, marital status, type of pharmacy degree, main role as pharmacist, and type of practice site. The spread of wages and salaries within gender was analyzed using the Gini coefficient. Results: A total of 654 pharmacists provided answers to all relevant questions in the questionnaire (28.9% response rate). Wages and salaries of male pharmacists exceeded those of female pharmacists, but the gap was restricted to practitioners with selected characteristics–older, married, with more experience, whose primary role was dispensing medications, and practicing in a hospital setting. The greatest wage-and-salary inequalities were observed among older pharmacists, with more years of professional experience, and whose primary role was dispensing medications. Different gender-specific pockets of inequality were identified in all variables studied and all categories within these variables. Conclusion: The seemingly smooth gender-specific distribution of earnings in the pharmacy profession might be the result of opposing trends by different groups of practitioners that cancel each other when analyzed aggregately. By estimating the wages and salaries for selected categories of pharmacists and examining the pockets of inequality within each gender, this study shed light into recent labor market developments and will hopefully stimulate further research into the dynamics of the pharmacist workforce. Article Type: Original Research
Viscous Droplet Impact on Nonwettable Textured Surfaces

Viscous droplet impact on nonwettable surfaces with complex geometry is of technological importance, but the fundamental understanding of the dynamics is not entirely understood yet. In this work, ...
Sustained Effectiveness of Aerosolized Prostacyclin in ARDS

Background: Inhaled nitric oxide (INO) improves arterial oxygen tension-to inspired oxygen fraction ratio (PaO2/FIO2) and reduces the intensity of ventilator therapy over 4 days without further improvements in PaO2/FIO2.1 This implies the presence of a therapeutic plateau versus diminished effect (although enhanced sensitivity paradoxically reduces INO effectiveness after 4 days). 2 Because AP improves PaO2/FIO2 through a similar pathway we inquired whether AP has a similar response profile. Methods: Using data from a previous study, 3 we examined 14 AP responders (defined as increased PaO2/FIO2 >10 mm Hg) with lung injury score of 3.2 ± 0.5 who had: 1) AP therapy > 48 h, 2) arterial blood gas and ventilator data available pre therapy: within 2.2 ± 2.0 h post initiation (H-0) and at 24, 36, 48 and 60 h (± 4.0 h) thereafter, 3) no recruitment maneuvers or prone positioning. AP was initiated at 50 ng/kg per min. Data were expressed as either mean (± SD) or median [IQR] for normally and non-normally distributed data respectively. Paired comparisons used Wilcoxon Signed Rank tests; multiple comparisons used either ANOVA: Tukey-Kramer post-tests or Kruskal-Wallis and Dunn9s post-tests. Alpha was set 0.05. Results: AP initially increased PaO2/FIO2 by 34 mm Hg, (P Conclusions: The oxygenation profile of AP in ARDS was similar to that reported for INO, 1 suggesting the absence of tachyphylaxis within 60 h. Rather, a therapeutic plateau likely exists due to local endothelial receptor site saturation in limited aerated lung tissue. 1. Dellinger RP, et al. Effects of inhaled nitric oxide in patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome. Crit Care Med 1998;26(1):15-23. 2. Gerlach H, et al. Dose-response characteristics during long-term inhalation of nitric oxide in patients with severe acute respiratory distress syndrome. Am J Respir Crit Care Med 2003;167:1008-1015. 3. Kallet RH, et al. Severity of hypoxemia and other factors that influence the response to aerosolized prostacyclin in ARDS. Respir Care 2017;62(8):1014-1022.
Assessing TA buy-in to expectations and alignment of actual teaching practices in a transformed general chemistry laboratory course

Inquiry-style laboratory courses, in which students engage in open-ended projects rather than a prescribed set of experimental steps (“cookbooks”), are becoming increasingly popular at the undergraduate level. Reformed curricula require reforms in training teachers; in the case of large universities, laboratory instructors are typically graduate teaching assistants (TAs). The General Chemistry Laboratory courses at a large, public, research-intensive university in the Midwestern region of the United States recently underwent a transformation from a “cookbook” to a project-based lab, and despite efforts to improve training, TAs continue to express difficulty teaching the course. To determine the source of these difficulties, we conducted multiple video observations and semi-structured interviews with seven TAs throughout one semester. We report TAs’ beliefs about what is expected of them, their philosophical alignment to perceived expectations, and a comparison of the Lab Coordinator's expectations to TAs’ actual teaching practices. We found that the TAs generally agreed with behaviors they were expected to perform, but responses to actions they were not supposed to do indicated that they were unsure of what the Lab Coordinator expected and personally believed that an ideal TA would perform those actions. This work highlights a need to clearly communicate the aims and expectations in a course and the rationale for those choices.
Flow and Transport Properties of Deforming Porous Media. II. Electrical Conductivity

In Part I of this series, we presented a new theoretical approach for computing the effective permeability of porous media that are under deformation by a hydrostatic pressure P. Beginning with the initial pore-size distribution (PSD) of a porous medium before deformation and given the Young’s modulus and Poisson’s ratio of its grains, the model used an extension of the Hertz–Mindlin theory of contact between grains to compute the new PSD that results from applying the pressure P to the medium and utilized the updated PSD in the effective-medium approximation (EMA) to estimate the effective permeability. In the present paper, we extend the theory in order to compute the electrical conductivity of the same porous media that are saturated by brine. We account for the possible contribution of surface conduction, in order to estimate the electrical conductivity of brine-saturated porous media. We then utilize the theory to update the PSD and, hence, the pore-conductance distribution, which is then used in the EMA to predict the pressure dependence of the electrical conductivity. Comparison between the predictions and experimental data for twenty-six sandstones indicates agreement between the two that ranges from excellent to good.
Algorithms for Detecting Nearby Loss of Generation Events for Decentralized Controls

The paper describes algorithms to screen realtime frequency data for detecting nearby loss of generation events. Results from Fourier calculation are combined with other features to effectively distinguish a nearby loss of generation from similar remote disturbances. Nearby in this context usually refers to an event occurring around 50–100 miles from the measurement location. The proposed algorithm can be trained using pattern recognition tools like decision trees to enable smart devices including appliances like residential air conditioners and dryers to autonomously detect and estimate the source of large frequency disturbances. An area of application of this strategy is to actuate controls such as location targeted under frequency load shedding (UFLS) so that loads closest to a tripped generator are the most likely to shut down.
Assessment of 2-Year Storage Conditions on Protein, RNA, and DNA in Unstained Human Tissue Sections, Including a Novel Multiplex Digital Gene Expression Profiling Method with Implications for Biobanking.

Background: Formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tissues are a valuable resource for clinical and basic science research. Paraffin blocks and the resulting unstained sections (USS) are often st...
A computer-vision method to estimate joint angles and L5/S1 moments during lifting tasks through a single camera.

Weight lifting is a risk factor of work-related low-back musculoskeletal disorders (MSD). From the ergonomics perspective, it is important to measure workers' body motion during a lifting task and estimate low-back joint moments to ensure the low-back biomechanical loadings are within the failure tolerance. With the recent development of advanced deep neural networks, an increasing number of computer vision algorithms have been presented to estimate 3D human poses through videos. In this study, we first performed a 3D pose estimation of lifting tasks using a single RGB camera and VideoPose3D, an open-source library with a fully convolutional model. Joint angle trajectories and L5/S1 joint moment were then calculated following a top-down inverse dynamic biomechanical model. To evaluate the accuracy of the computer-vision-based angular trajectories and L5/S1 joint moments, we conducted an experiment in which participants performed a variety of lifting tasks. The body motions of the participants were concurrently captured by an RGB camera and a laboratory-grade motion tracking system. The body joint angles and L5/S1 joint moments obtained from the camera were compared with those obtained from the motion tracking system. The results showed a strong correlation (r > 0.9, RMSE 0.9, RMSE < 20 N·m). This study showed computer vision could facilitate safety practitioners to quickly identify the jobs with high MSD risks through field survey videos.
Experimental validation of an organic rankine-vapor compression cooling cycle using low GWP refrigerant R1234ze(E)

Abstract There is a significant global opportunity to capture and utilize low grade waste heat to reduce fossil fuel consumption, greenhouse gas emissions, and improve energy efficiency across a wide range of industries. In this work, an advanced type of thermally activated cooling system, an organic Rankine-vapor compression cycle (ORVC) with novel heat integration strategies, was designed and tested at a relevant scale for industrial waste heat recovery (300 kWth cooling capacity). The ORVC linked an organic Rankine power cycle and a vapor compression cooling cycle using a turbine and compressor that shared a single shaft. The ORVC test facility absorbed waste heat from a liquid stream at 91℃ to simulate engine coolant in diesel generator sets, rejected heat to a glycol stream at 30 ℃, and generated chilled water at 7 ℃. A cooling capacity of 264 kW ± 3.5 kW was experimentally validated with a COP of 0.56 ± 0.01 during steady-state operation at the design temperatures. The thermal efficiency, accounting for pump work, of the Rankine cycle was 7.7% ± 0.22% and the COP of the vapor compression cycle was 5.25 ± 0.09. The centrifugal turbo-compressor operated at 31.5 kRPM ± 0.3 kRPM, with a turbine and compressor isentropic efficiencies of 76.7% ± 0.90% and 84.8% ± 0.54%, respectively, with near-perfect power transmission between these components. The pressure drop in the piping and heat exchangers were significantly larger than expected which had a detrimental impact on the performance of the ORVC. In addition, the condenser on the cooling cycle could not deliver the subcooling as specified from the design point modeling. The results from the sensitivity analysis showed that the higher condenser glycol outlet temperature had the largest impact on performance, which is consistent with other analytical models in the literature. When the ORVC simulations were updated with experimental values for isentropic efficiencies of the turbomachinery, the thermal COP was 0.66 which represents an estimate of the predicted performance if test facility limitations are overcome.
Television viewing methodology to understand cognitive processing of ADHD children

A review of the literature on the cognitive processing of attention deficit hyperactivity disordered (ADHD) children reveals an almost exclusive focus on the nature of the attentional deficits these children experience. Based on these studies, there is general agreement that a core feature of ADHD is a difficulty sustaining attention (Douglas, 1983; Whalen, 1989), although this conclusion is not universally accepted (see Sergeant & van der Meere, 1990; Swanson, Shea, McBurnett, Potkin, Fiore, & Crinella, 1990). The importance of this attentional deficit is reflected in the most recent diagnostic criteria for the disorder (American Psychiatric Association, 1987), as well as in the results of classroom observation studies and laboratory tasks.
Childhood Gender Nonconformity and Adult Homosexuality: A Historical View

SUMMARY The author, from a historical perspective, challenges the premise that gender nonconformity in childhood leads to adult homosexuality. It is difficult to document childhood for most people in history. Even were records to provide more detail about the history of children, the assumption that effeminate boys become homosexual adults confuses gender nonconformity with sexual nonconformity. Historical and cultural examples suggest that homoerotic relationships during adolescence or early adulthood do not necessarily lead to homosexuality. Substantiation of these points with historical and cultural examples refutes the notion that childhood gender nonconformity can be a causal or contributing antecedent of adult homosexuality.
Going the Distance: Using Systems Theory to Design, Implement, and Evaluate a Distance Education Program

In the interest of developing a conceptual framework for distance education, the authors describe the use of systems theory concepts in designing, implementing, and evaluating a distance education program. They describe input, throughput, and output factors used in creating and operating the program, as well as the incorporation of feedback in making modifications to the program. The systems perspective allowed the authors to better understand the interaction of variables affecting the operation of the program and where changes can be made to address problems and enhance student learning.
Electronic Funds Transfer in Faith-Based Organizations

Abstract With the low costs associated with electronic funds transfer (EFT), many nonprofit organizations such as churches would benefit from its implementation. The electronic collection plate is beginning to establish itself inside churches nationwide. This movement is solving the problem of church members rushing out the door and arriving at church only to remember they have forgotten their checkbook—and if they do not have enough cash on hand with them this time, they simply say they will remember to bring more the following Sunday. The proper strategic use of e-tithing by management should provide tools to help in solving the hasty check-writing that takes place during church services or hasty pre-sermon visits to the ATM. With e-tithing and EFT successfully sending a digitally signed payment through an electronic funds transfer network, parishioners may never have to worry about remembering their checkbook again.
Corporate Homicide: A New Assault on Corporate Decision-making

Assessment must be made in light of particular crimes. Thus, corporate criminal liability for homicide should be assessed in terms of its effectiveness to deter corporate conduct likely to endanger human life. Moreover, the impact of liability must be analyzed in terms of the particular sphere of the corporate milieu producing the illegal act. In conducting this analysis in the context of the Pinto case, it should be noted that State v. Ford Motor Co. presents issues which transcend those of existing precedents. Prior indictments of corporations for homicide resulted from acts of corporate agents performed within the scope of employment. The engineer recklessly operating the train or a repairman recklessly installing a gas pipe, are examples of the norm. The prosecution of Ford, however, occurs in a completely different setting. Ford's alleged illegal conduct is comprised of three acts: (1) defectively designing the vehicle, (2) defectively manufacturing the vehicle, and (3) allowing the vehicle to remain on the public highways.9' Each of these acts is the product of a complex business decision. Both the design and manufacture of automobiles are subject to extensive federal regulation. 2 Rigorous testing precedes marketing. Defects discovered after sale to the public may involve recalls, either voluntary or compulsory.9" Therefore, the Pinto which exploded on August 10, 1978, was the product of many substantial business decisions occurring at various levels of the corporate hierarchy. The deterrent effect of corporate liability for criminal homicide, therefore, must be assessed by the effect of conviction on this decision-making process. The maximum penalty which can be imposed on a corporation convicted under the Indiana reckless homicide statute is a $10,000 fine.94 The effectiveness 88 See generally Coleman, supra note 15, at 919. 89 Id. 90 Id. 91 State v. Ford Motor Co., No. 5324 (Indictment at 1). 92 See, e.g., National Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety Act of 1966, 15 U.S.C. §§ 13811431 (1976). 93 See 15 U.S.C. §§ 1411-1420 (1976). 94 IND. CODE § 35-50-2-6 (Supp. 1978). [June 1979]
The transition from complex craters to multi-ring basins on the Moon: Quantitative geometric properties from Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Lunar Orbiter Laser Altimeter (LOLA) data

United States. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Lunar Orbiter Laser Altimeter (LOLA) experiment (NNX09AM54G)
A Scientific Approach to Screw Design

Screw design technology is considered to be empirical and secretive. The production rate of single-screw extruders is often limited by the melting capacity. The melting capacity ofa screw depends on the polymer properties, the processing conditions and the particular geometry of the screw. Once the melting capacity is predicted, the screw can be designed to match the melting capacity. This paper presents a scientific approach to screw design based on an analytical melting model, with an example.
Purification of correlated reduced density matrices.

The notion of purification is generalized to treat correlated reduced density matrices. Traditionally, purification denotes the process by which a one-particle reduced density matrix (1-RDM) is made idempotent, that is, its eigenvalues are mapped to either 0 or 1. Purification of correlated RDMs is defined as the iterative process by which an arbitrary RDM is forced to satisfy several necessary N-representability conditions. Using the unitary decomposition of RDMs and the positivity conditions, we develop an algorithm to purify the 2-RDM. The algorithm is applied within the solution of the contracted Schrodinger equation CSE for the 2-RDM [D. A. Mazziotti, Phys. Rev. A 57, 4219 (1998)]. Previous attempts to solve the CSE by powerlike methods have frequently produced divergent energies, but we show that the purification process eliminates the divergent behavior for systematic and reliable convergence of the contracted power method to the N-particle energy.
“The Girls Our Mothers Warned us About”: Rejection, Redemption, and the Lesbian Daughter in Carla Trujillo's What Night Brings

The Girls Our Mothers Warned Us About is the subtitle of Chicana lesbian writer and theorist Carla Trujillo's 1991 edited compilation of fiction and nonfiction. As Trujillo states, this anthology d...
The Birth of the Gods Revisited: A Partial Replication of Guy Swanson's (1960) Cross-Cultural Study of Religion:

Guy Swanson's classic study The Birth of the Gods provides a general theory and set of hypotheses about the origins of religious beliefs that have found wide acceptance in the sociological and anthropological study of religion. Although these hypotheses seem both logical and persuasive, the cross-cultural methods Swanson used to evaluate them seem less compelling. This article examines Swanson's sample and methodology, and, through a replication employing a sample of 72 native North American societies, finds several significant problems in Swanson's work. However, the rep lication also demonstrates that, despite methodological problems, Swanson's hypothesis concerning beliefs in a high god are sup ported. The implications of this partial replication, both for our interpretation of Swanson's work and for our understanding of the origins of religious beliefs, are explored.
The co-evolution of cooperation and complexity in a multi-player, local-interaction prisoners' dilemma

Agents located on a 20 × 20 toroidal lattice play a Prisoners' Dilemma game with their Moore neighbors, adopting policies of cooperation and defection that depend only on their own action and the number of cooperators in the neighborhood in the last round of the game. These policies (“characters”) are encoded in 19-bit strings, which are subjected to evolution according to a genetic algorithm, with selection based on the cumulative scores of the agents in the neighborhood over 10 rounds of the basic game. Simulations examine the evolution of the population of characters over 1000 generations. Even with selection disabled, the genetic algorithm organizes the population into a small number of surviving characters clustered in spatially homogeneous regions. Selection for fitness rapidly achieves uniform cooperation. The characters evolved cooperate on the initial play, continue to cooperate when five or more of their neighbors cooperate, tend to defect defensively when they have cooperated and most of their neighbors have defected, and switch back to cooperation when five or more neighbors cooperate. When selection operates at the level of the whole society, however, the diversity of the population rapidly collapses, a single character predominates, and the cooperativeness of the dominating character is a matter of chance, so that there is no systematic tendency to evolve cooperation. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Differences in Self-Concept between Deep and Shallow Processors

The Deep Processes scale of the Inventory of Learning Processes was used to identify the deep and shallow processors and selected Tennesse Self-concept subscales were used to assess 143 undergraduate college students' self-concepts. Analysis showed that deep processors had significantly higher scores than shallow processors on Identity, Self-satisfaction, Behavior, Moral-Ethical Self, Personal Self, and Social Self and the total self-concept scales.
International Support for NGOs in Bangladesh: Some Unintended Consequences

Abstract Based on the experience of donors in Bangladesh over the past 10 years, we can conclude that efforts to strengthen civil society and thereby democratization by providing resources to NGOs in the developing world are likely to have some unintended and negative results. From the pluralist perspective, the “Civil Society Empowerment” initiative is likely to increase antagonism and noncooperation between NGOs and mainline civil society actors, while from a radical point of view, support for NGOs is likely to undermine their willingness to serve as social mobilizers. Suggested remedies are offered to mitigate these dual tendencies.
Ramsey Properties of Random Hypergraphs

LetK(k)(n,p) be the randomk-uniform hypergraph obtained by independent inclusion of each of the[formula]k-tuples with probabilityp. For an arbitraryk-uniform hypergraphGand every integerrwe find the threshold for the property that everyr-coloring of the vertices ofK(k)(n,p) results in a monochromatic copy ofG. In the edge coloring case, which is of our main interest, we find the threshold only fork=3,r=2, andG=K34. In the proof we utilize a recent version of the hypergraph regularity lemma due to Frankl and Rodl.
The role of external carotid endarterectomy in the treatment of ipsilateral internal carotid occlusion: Collective review

Abstract Complete occlusion of the internal carotid artery (ICA) may result in a variety of clinical states. Neurologic symptoms in the setting of ICA occlusion may be due to embolic events through the external carotid artery (ECA) circulation, hemodynamic insufficiency resulting from inadequate collateral development, or propagation of clot intracranially. External carotid reconstruction has been used to prevent neurologic events from the first two mechanisms. This review attempts to place in perspective the current indications for, techniques of, and results from ECA revascularization. A discussion of the cerebral collateral circulation is included for reference. Twenty-three series were collected from the literature. Cases were excluded in which procedures other than ECA reconstruction were undertaken, leaving 218 cases for analysis. These represented 195 EC endarterectomies and 23 ECA bypasses. Resolution of symptoms was seen in 83% of patients with another 7% showing marked improvement. The perioperative mortality rate was 3%; neurologic deaths accounted for most perioperative deaths. The overall neurologic complication rate was 5%. More recent reports were notable for improved mortality and morbidity. A diseased contralateral carotid artery was associated with higher neurologic morbidity whereas disease in the vertebral arteries had no impact on outcome. The best results were obtained when surgery was performed to relieve specific hemispheric or retinal symptoms as opposed to nonspecific neurologic complaints or previous stroke. The symptomatic patient with ICA occlusion has a poor neurologic prognosis. In selected circumstances ECA reconstruction should be considered among the treatment options in this clinical setting. (J VASC SURG 1987;6:158-67.)
Freeze avoidance in a mammal: body temperatures below 0 degree C in an Arctic hibernator

Hibernating arctic ground squirrels, Spermophilus parryii, were able to adopt and spontaneously arouse from core body temperatures as low as -2.9 degrees C without freezing. Abdominal body temperatures of ground squirrels hibernating in outdoor burrows were recorded with temperature-sensitive radiotransmitter implants. Body temperatures and soil temperatures at hibernaculum depth reached average minima during February of -1.9 degrees and -6 degrees C, respectively. Laboratory-housed ground squirrels hibernating in ambient temperatures of -4.3 degrees C maintained above 0 degree C thoracic temperatures but decreased colonic temperatures to as low as -1.3 degrees C. Plasma sampled from animals with below 0 degree C body temperatures had normal solute concentrations and showed no evidence of containing antifreeze molecules.
A Point of Care Clinical Documentation System for Hospice Care Providers

This article identifies two areas of hospice care that may benefit the most from a point-of-care (POC) clinical documentation system: documentation for recertification and symptom/pain management. Applications as solutions for the hospice POC clinical documentation system need two documentation support tools: (1) knowledge-based external or internal reference data available to physicians or medical staff right at the bedside and (2) assisting medical staff in filling out electronic forms for clinical measurements by providing real-time prompts, clues, alerts, or other types of feedback, along with the common features such as pre-defined values in specific fields. Our study may encourage more software vendors to include clinical documentation support tools in their solutions.
Brain levels of the neurotoxic pyridinium metabolite HPP+ and extrapyramidal symptoms in haloperidol-treated mice

The typical antipsychotic haloperidol is a highly effective treatment for schizophrenia but its use is limited by a number of serious, and often irreversible, motor side effects. These adverse drug reactions, termed extrapyramidal syndromes (EPS), result from an unknown pathophysiological mechanism. One theory relates to the observation that the haloperidol metabolite HPP+ (4-(4-chlorophenyl)-1-[4-(4-fluorophenyl)-4-oxobutyl]-pyridinium) is structurally similar to MPP+ (1-methyl-4-phenylpyridinium), a neurotoxin responsible for an irreversible neurodegenerative condition similar to Parkinson's disease. To determine whether HPP+ contributes to haloperidol-induced EPS, we measured brain HPP+ and haloperidol levels in strains of mice at high (C57BL/6J and NZO/HILtJ) and low (BALB/cByJ and PWK/PhJ) liability to haloperidol-induced EPS following chronic treatment (7-10 adult male mice per strain). Brain levels of HPP+ and the ratio of HPP+ to haloperidol were not significantly different between the haloperidol-sensitive and haloperidol-resistant strain groups (P=0.50). Within each group, however, strain differences were seen (P<0.01), indicating that genetic variation regulating steady-state HPP+ levels exists. Since the HPP+ levels that we observed in mouse brain overlap the range of those detected in post-mortem human brains following chronic haloperidol treatment, the findings from this study are physiologically relevant to humans. The results suggest that strain differences in steady-state HPP+ levels do not explain sensitivity to haloperidol-induced EPS in the mice we studied.
RNA dynamics in live Escherichia coli cells

We describe a method for tracking RNA molecules in Escherichia coli that is sensitive to single copies of mRNA, and, using the method, we find that individual molecules can be followed for many hours in living cells. We observe distinct characteristic dynamics of RNA molecules, all consistent with the known life history of RNA in prokaryotes: localized motion consistent with the Brownian motion of an RNA polymer tethered to its template DNA, free diffusion, and a few examples of polymer chain dynamics that appear to be a combination of chain fluctuation and chain elongation attributable to RNA transcription. We also quantify some of the dynamics, such as width of the displacement distribution, diffusion coefficient, chain elongation rate, and distribution of molecule numbers, and compare them with known biophysical parameters of the E. coli system.
Perinatal Factors are Poor Predictors of Subsequent Behavior Problems in Children Born Prematurely • 1344

Perinatal Factors are Poor Predictors of Subsequent Behavior Problems in Children Born Prematurely • 1344
Continuous-Flow Left Ventricular Assist Device and the Right Ventricle

Left ventricular assist devices (LVADs) have become accepted as treatment for heart failure as a result of improvements in diagnosing and treating left ventricular failure and limited donor availability. In the Pivotal Study of the HeartMate II in the bridge to transplantation population, the incidence of right ventricular failure without the implantation of a right ventricular assist device was 14%, with an additional 6% of the participants ill enough that they required implantation of a right ventricular assist device. This complication increases mortality, cost, and length of stay. This article reviews the screening of LVAD candidates for the probability of right ventricular failure postoperatively, the evaluation of right ventricular function in LVAD candidates, and the optimal management of the right ventricle during the perioperative care of LVAD patients.
Methods of measuring avoidance of acoustic interference

Description d'une methode pour determiner le nombre espere de recouvrements («observed density method») dans l'etude de l'evitement des interferences acoustiques lors la communication. Application de cette methode chez Seirus aurocapillus