cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Quantification of the area and shunt volume of multiple, circular, and noncircular ventricular septal defects: A 2D/3D echocardiography comparison and real time 3D color Doppler feasibility determination study.

Background Quantification of defect size and shunt flow is an important aspect of ventricular septal defect (VSD) evaluation. This study compared three-dimensional echocardiography (3DE) with the current clinical standard two-dimensional echocardiography (2DE) for quantifying defect area and tested the feasibility of real time 3D color Doppler echocardiography (RT3D-CDE) for quantifying shunt volume of irregular shaped and multiple VSDs. Methods Latex balloons were sutured into the ventricles of 32 freshly harvested porcine hearts and were connected with tubing placed in septal perforations. Tubing was varied in area (0.13–5.22 cm²), number (1–3), and shape (circle, oval, crescent, triangle). A pulsatile pump was used to pump “blood” through the VSD (LV to RV) at stroke volumes of 30–70 mL with a stroke rate of 60 bpm. Two-dimensional echocardiography (2DE), 3DE, and RT3D-CDE images were acquired from the right side of the phantom. Results For circular VSDs, both 2DE and 3DE area measurements were consistent with the actual areas (R² = 0.98 vs 0.99). For noncircular/multiple VSDs, 3DE correlated with the actual area more closely than 2DE (R² = 0.99 vs 0.44). Shunt volumes obtained using RT3D-CDE positively correlated with pumped stroke volumes (R² = 0.96). Conclusions Three-dimensional echocardiography (3DE) is a feasible method for determining VSD area and is more accurate than 2DE for evaluating the area of multiple or noncircular VSDs. Real-time 3D color Doppler echocardiography (RT3D-CDE) is a feasible method for quantifying the shunt volume of multiple or noncircular VSDs.
Density, viscosity, and surface tension of five vegetable oils at elevated temperatures: Measurement and modeling

Density, surface tension and viscosity of five food oils were experimentally measured using the Archimedean method, Pendant drop method, and Brookfield viscometer respectively. Measurements were pe...
Effect of mechanical and electrical stimuli in conductive atomic force microscopy with noble metal-coated tips

Conductive atomic force microscopy has been widely employed to study the localized electrical properties of a wide range of substrates in non-vacuum conditions by the use of noble metal-coated tips. However, quantitative characterization of the electrical properties was often precluded by unpredictable changes in the tip apex morphology, and/or electronic transport characteristics of undesired oxide overcoats on the tip. In this paper, the impact of mechanical and electrical stimuli on the apex geometry of gold coated tips and electrical conduction properties at the tip-substrate contact is discussed by choosing gold and highly ordered pyrolytic graphite as the representative tip and substrate materials, respectively.
Motorized photoacoustic tomography probe for label-free improvement in image quality

One of the challenges in high-resolution in vivo lipid-based photoacoustic tomography (PAT) is improving penetration depth and signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) past subcutaneous fat absorbers. A potential solution is to create optical manipulation techniques to maximize the photon density within a region of interest. Here, we present a motorized PAT probe that is capable of tuning the depth in which light is focused, as well as substantially reducing probe-skin artifacts that can obscure image interpretation. Our PAT system consists of a Nd:YAG laser (Surelite EX, Continuum) coupled with a 40 MHz central frequency ultrasound transducer (Vevo2100, FUJIFILM Visual Sonics). This system allows us to deliver 10 Hz, 5 ns light pulses with fluence of 40 mJ/cm2 to the tissue interest and reconstruct PAT and ultrasound images with axial resolutions of 125 µm and 40 µm, respectively. The motorized PAT holder was validated by imaging a polyethylene-50 tubing embedded polyvinyl alcohol phantom and periaortic fat on apolipoprotein-E deficient mice. We used 1210 nm light for this study, as this wavelength generates PAT signal for both lipids and polyethylene-50 tubes. Ex vivo results showed a 2 mm improvement in penetration depth and in vivo experiments showed an increase in lipid SNR of at least 62%. Our PAT probe also utilizes a 7 μm aluminum filter to prevent in vivo probe-skin reflection artifacts that have been previously resolved using image post-processing techniques. Using this optimized PAT probe, we can direct light to various depths within tissue to improve image quality and prevent reflection artifacts.
Layered, composite, and doped thermal barrier coatings exposed to sand laden flows within a gas turbine engine: Microstructural evolution, mechanical properties, and CMAS deposition

Abstract This study investigates several thermal barrier coating (TBC) architectural approaches for maintaining damage tolerance and attaining improved resistance to molten environmental particulate (i.e., CMAS) deposition. TBC approaches included an air plasma sprayed composite and layered coating, an electron beam-physical vapor deposition (EB-PVD) doped coating, and an EB-PVD bilayer doped coating. The TBCs were evaluated under sand laden combustion flows within a gas turbine engine. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and nanoindentation were used to characterize the microstructural and mechanical property evolution to understand the effects of the engine conditions on the various microstructural architectures and compositions investigated. The CMAS accumulation on each TBC is characterized and the nature of interaction at the TBC/CMAS interface was characterized by SEM, focused ion beam milling/imaging, and energy dispersive spectroscopy. An air plasma sprayed composite YSZ/Gd2O3 coating with a thin ~10 μm Gd2O3 top coat performed the best, as it exhibited the lowest CMAS deposition and the least amount of structural damage.
The Genetic Mechanism: I DNA, Nucleoids, and Chromatin

Now that it has been made clear that the earliest protobiont had to possess a genetic mechanism before further evolution could occur, clues to two major questions will be sought as the basis for inheritance is reviewed in this present and the following two chapters. The first of these pertains to the nature of the genetic apparatus that probably existed in the very first forms of life, and the second involves the sequence of events that led to its present state of complexity. Fortunately data are available that indicate a probable series of developments, but to appreciate their significance fully, each aspect of the genetical processes must first be scrutinized. The most logical point for departure is an investigation of deoxyribose nucleic acid (DNA), the central ingredient in prevailing doctrines. Thus, this molecule, its mode of replication, and its organization in living cells are the topics of the present discussion, after some preliminary points have been established.
Formation of Anions in the Gas Phase

Only a few anions can be produced efficiently and exclusively in the gas phase by electron impact, so indirect methods, usually involving gas phase ion-molecule chemistry must be employed. In this paper we summarize some of the methods which have been used in the flowing afterglow (FA) and ion cyclotron resonance (ICR) spectrometer for producing anions, particularly carbanions, for subsequent investigation of their chemical reactions.
Organizational Communication and Individual Behavior: Implications for Supply Chain Risk Management

Risk is a significant issue for supply chain managers. Not only must they contend with multiple dimensions of risk in decision‐making, they must reconcile decision‐making with broader organizational interests. This study examines the influence of organizational communication regarding supply chain risk on individual decision‐making strategies and the perceptions of risk. A multi‐stage experimental design is applied, in which decision‐makers make decisions across three dimensions of risk and adjust their risk‐taking behavior after being presented with organizational communication regarding supply chain risk levels. The relationship between organizational communication and the perceptions of supply chain risk is then explored after decision‐makers are allowed to adjust their supply chain strategies. The results suggest that decision‐makers adapt sourcing strategies in response to organizational communication regarding supply chain risk. Specifically, they make riskier decisions when the organization communicates improvements in supply chain risk levels. However, when given specific instructions to reduce risk, they do not adjust their supply chain strategies.
The Use Of Telemedicine By Physicians: Still The Exception Rather Than The Rule

Using data from the American Medical Association’s 2016 Physician Practice Benchmark Survey, we provide the first nationally representative estimates of physicians’ use of telemedicine. In 2016, 15...
Novel Magnesium Alloy Processing via Shear-Assisted Processing and Extrusion (ShAPE)

Traditional magnesium alloy manufacturing has often relied on processing within a temperature range that results in liquid phase formation of some of the constituents. These methods are often limited by the equilibrium phase formation states available from the melt. In this work, we will present findings on a recently developed processing approach that enables complex, unique microstructural evolution (often to persistent metastable states) while remaining in the solid phase state. Specifically, the shear assisted processing and extrusion (ShAPE) method as applied to Mg alloys will be presented. Novel microstructural pathways, textural formation and mechanical properties will be discussed. These results point to the ability to design and engineering novel Mg materials with unprecedented properties and performance.
Dating in a Middle Eastern Campus

How "liberated" were the Arab women of a college campus in Beirut? A cross-national study testing Lebanese and other Arabs, Christians, and Moslems, revealed that the women were relatively liberal....
A Comprehensive Review of Pegvaliase, an Enzyme Substitution Therapy for the Treatment of Phenylketonuria.

Objective:To review the pharmacology, pharmacokinetics, efficacy, safety, and place in therapy of a phenylalanine-metabolizing enzyme indicated to reduce blood phenylalanine concentrations, pegvali...
Word of Mouth, Observed Adoptions, and Anime-Watching Decisions: The Role of the Personal vs. the Community Network

This paper studies how word of mouth and product adoptions from friends and the whole community affect individuals’ product adoption decisions in the context of anime.
Emergence of non-monotonic deep cavity cavitand assembly with increasing portal methylation

Octa-acid (OA) and tetra-endo-methyl octa-acid (TEMOA) are deep cavity cavitands that readily form multimeric complexes with hydrophobic guests, like n-alkanes, in aqueous solution. Experimentally, OA displays a monotonic progression from monomeric to dimeric complexes with n-alkanes of increasing length, while TEMOA exhibits a non-monotonic progression from monomeric, to dimeric, to monomeric, to dimeric complexes over the same range of guest sizes. Previously we have conducted simulations demonstrating this curious behavior arises from the methyl units ringing TEMOA's portal to its hydrophobic pocket barring the possibility for two alkane chains to simultaneously bridge between two hosts in a dimer. Here we expand our prior simulation study to consider the partially methylated hosts mono-endo-methyl octa-acid, 1,3-di-endo-methyl octa-acid, and tri-endo-methyl octa-acid to examine the emergence of non-monotonic assembly behavior. Our simulations demonstrate a systematic progression of non-monotonic assembly with increasing portal methylation. This behavior is traced to the progressive destabilization of 2 : 2 complexes (two hosts assembled with two guests) rather than stabilizing other potential host/guest complexes that could be formed.
Outcomes of open repairs of chronic distal aortic dissection anatomically amenable to endovascular repairs.

Abstract Objective To review short-term outcomes and long-term survival and durability after open surgical repairs for chronic distal aortic dissections in patients whose anatomy was amenable to thoracic endovascular aortic repair (TEVAR). Methods Between February 1991 and August 2017, we repaired chronic distal dissections in 697 patients. Of those patients, we enrolled 427 with anatomy amenable to TEVAR, which included 314 descending thoracic aortic aneurysms (DTAAs) and 105 extent I thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysms (TAAAs). One hundred eighty-five patients (44%) had a history of type A dissection, and 33 (7.9%) had a previous DTAA/TAAA repair. Variables were assessed with logistic regression for 30-day mortality and Cox regression for long-term mortality. Time-to-event analysis was performed using Kaplan-Meier methods. Results Thirty-day mortality was 8.4% (n = 36). In all, 22 patients (5.2%) developed motor deficit (paraplegia/paraparesis), and 17 (4.0%) experienced stroke. Multivariable analysis identified low estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR; 60 years as predictive of long-term mortality. Forty-five patients required subsequent aortic procedures, including 8 reinterventions to the treated segment. Freedom from any aortic procedures was 85% at 10 years, and aortic procedure-free survival was 45% at 10 years. Hereditary aortic disease was the sole predictor for any aortic interventions (hazard ratio, 3.2; P = .004). Conclusions Open surgical repair provided satisfactory low neurologic complication rates and durable repairs in chronic distal aortic dissection. Patients without low eGFR, redo, and COPD are the low-risk surgical candidates and may benefit from open surgical repair at centers with similar experience to ours. Patients with hereditary aortic disease warrant close surveillance.
Metabolism and Thermoregulation

Marine mammals are endothermic homeotherms that spend all or much of their time in water, which has a thermal conductivity that is 23-fold greater than air and with temperatures that can range from −1.6 to 33 °C. Enhanced thermogenesis resulting in an elevated basal metabolic rate (BMR) may be an adaptation to offset heat loss in water, at least in smaller marine mammals. The most important and consistent factor that affects BMR is body mass. Other than manatees, marine mammals have an average BMR that is 2.3-fold higher, although it may approach the allometric prediction for large whales due to the small surface-to-volume ratio. To maintain a stable core body temperature, endothermic mammals must balance heat loss to the environment with heat production. Marine mammals rely on two types of thermal insulation: blubber and fur. Young pinnipeds, especially those living in polar climates, may experience cold stress and exhibit a degree of heterothermy. In many seasonal breeders, the molt and reproductive cycles are interrelated but variable among species, by age classes, and geographically. Marine mammals that use blubber may have the broadest thermal neutral zone and lowest lower critical temperature. For Cetacea and Sirenia, the only behavioral responses available for thermoregulation are to alter activity level or migrate to a different body of water.
A special section for correspondence and controversy

This paper gives crude estimates of the environmental consequences associated with the birth of one baby in the United States. We calculate the magnitude of one hundred environmental impacts which one American born today will cause over a lifetime. The impacts are grouped under five headings: waste generation, mineral consumption, energy consumption, ecosystem alteration, and food consumption. We also consider, but do not quantify, impacts on extinctions of species and indigenous cultures. Our purpose is to emphasize the role of population growth in the creation of environmental problems, and to make potential parents aware of their ability to impact the global environment. We conclude that one especially effective way for individuals to protect the national and global environment, and hence protect the wellbeing of all existing people, is to stop creating more humans.
Long-term Monitoring of Civil Structures and Infrastructure Using Long-Gauge Fiber Optic Sensors

Civil structures and infrastructure are inevitably subjected to damage and deterioration caused by natural or man-made events or processes. Thus, sustainable preservation, maintenance, renewal, and repurposing of civil structures and infrastructure is becoming a key challenge in modern society. Structural Health Monitoring (SHM) is a process aimed at providing actionable information on structural health condition and performance, which in turn can be used to plan and optimize the remedial actions relative to above presented challenge. Development of Fiber Optic Strain Sensors (FOSS) played an important role in establishing SHM as a viable solution for evaluation of structures, applicable in real-life settings. They brought two strengths into the area: excellent long-term performance in terms of stability and reliability and two unprecedented sensor types: long-gauge and truly distributed sensors. This paper briefly summarizes physical principles of selected FOSS, introduces SHM approaches specifically enabled by long-gauge FOSS, and demonstrates their effectiveness through real-life applications.
Seasonal Availability of Inoculum of Stagonospora nodorum in the Field in the Southeastern U.S.

The presence of inoculum of Stagonospora nodorum was detected by placing wheat seedlings in the field for short periods throughout the year. Inoculum was monitored in growing wheat crops, on wheat stubble, and in adjacent fields of tall fescue over a three year period. S. nodorum was found throughout the year but was detected least often during the summer months and in October, the driest month of the year. Seedlings became infected when placed in wheat stubble up to 22 months after wheat was harvested. S. nodorum was infrequently found in the tall fescue within 17 m from the edge of the wheat fields. The wheat biotype of S. nodorum was recovered from wheat and barley seedlings, but the barley biotype was not found. The results show that inoculum of S. nodorum is produced within a field and is disseminated only short distances. The results provide additional circumstantial evidence that the asexual stage is the source of inoculum in the southeastern U.S.
Robotilter: An automated lens/CCD alignment system for the Evryscope

Camera lenses are increasingly used in wide-field astronomical surveys due to their high performance, wide field-of-view (FOV) unreachable from traditional telescope optics, and modest cost. The machining and assembly tolerances for commercially available optical systems cause a slight misalignment (tilt) between the lens and CCD, resulting in point spread function (PSF) degradation. We have built an automated alignment system (Robotilters) to solve this challenge, optimizing four degrees of freedom—two tilt axes, a separation axis (the distance between the CCD and lens), and the lens focus (the built-in focus of the lens by turning the lens focusing ring, which moves the optical elements relative to one another) in a compact and low-cost package. The Robotilters remove tilt and optimize focus at the sub-10-μm level, are completely automated, take ≈2 h to run, and remain stable for multiple years once aligned. The Robotilters were built for the Evryscope telescope (a 780-MPix 22-camera array with an 8150-sq. deg FOV and continuous 2-min cadence) designed to detect short-timescale events across extremely large sky areas simultaneously. Variance in quality across the image field, especially the corners and edges compared to the center, is a significant challenge in wide-field astronomical surveys like the Evryscope. The individual star PSFs (which typically extend only a few pixels) are highly susceptible to slight increases in optical aberrations in this situation. The Robotilter solution resulted in a limiting magnitude improvement of 0.5 mag in the center of the image and 1.0 mag in the corners for typical Evryscope cameras, with less distorted and smaller PSFs (half the extent in the corners and edges in many cases). We describe the Robotilter mechanical and software design, camera alignment results, long-term stability, and image improvement. The potential for general use in wide-field astronomical surveys is also explored.
Assessing the Awareness of Cybersecurity Within Entrepreneurship Students: The Cyberpreneurship Project:

This study addresses an important gap in both academia and practice related to the lack of a shared language and sometimes conflicting priorities between entrepreneurs and cybersecurity experts. En...
The Proactive SV: Logical Form, Truth, and Sociopolitical Analogies

Belief, doubt, and truth are subject to ‘modal contingencies’ based on negation’s roles and contexts. Logical roles reflect and motivate psychological and logical needs for spatio/temporal replication. Belief can occur by defining a goal and operations to achieve it. Social role directs modal contingencies to the logic of Trump’s, Trumpers,’ and ‘paranoid’ individuals’ beliefs. Social role can account for logic determining the psychologists’, psychiatrists,’ or social scientists’ beliefs. Logical roles of belief, doubt, and truth play out in contexts requiring social utility. They and the schemas’ various forms are a function of basic psychological and logical needs for spatio/temporal replication. SV’s assignments of modality to schemas and logical relations expand knowledge complex patterns. SV’s viewing point is moveable within or to a point outside the patterns it compares. Truth and doubt are sociopolitical judgments expressed in linguistic patterns and related to logic subject to modalities of interaction with psychological dynamics.
Technical aspects of combined intrasaccular and endoluminal flow diversion

IntroductionThe concurrent use of endoluminal flow diversion with coils is a viable option when treating complex or large aneurysms. Alternatives to coil embolization as an adjunctive treatment are...
The impact of media use on the spillover and crossover effect of couple conflict

This 5-day daily diary study examined the influence of media use on the spillover and crossover effect of couple conflict among married and dating couples. Couples aged 18–38 years recorded their d...
Cerebral Visual Impairment in CDKL5 Deficiency Disorder Correlates With Developmental Achievement

Cyclin-dependent kinase-like 5 (CDKL5) deficiency disorder is a rare neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by infantile-onset refractory epilepsy, profound developmental delays, and cerebral visual impairment. Although there is evidence that the presence of cerebral visual impairment in CDKL5 deficiency disorder is common, the potential impact of cerebral visual impairment severity on developmental attainment has not been explored directly. Focusing on a cohort of 46 children with CDKL5 deficiency disorder, examination features indicative of cerebral visual impairment were quantified and compared to developmental achievement. The derived cerebral visual impairment severity score was inversely correlated with developmental attainment, bolstering the supposition that cerebral visual impairment severity may provide a useful early biomarker of disease severity and prognosis. This study demonstrates the utility of a cerebral visual impairment score to better capture the range of cerebral visual impairment severity in the CDKL5 deficiency disorder population and further elucidates the interaction between cerebral visual impairment and developmental outcomes.
A MnOx enhanced atomically dispersed iron–nitrogen–carbon catalyst for the oxygen reduction reaction

Cost-effective and highly efficient Fe–N–C single-atom catalysts (SACs) have been considered to be one of the most promising potential Pt substitutes for the cathodic oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) in proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs). Nevertheless, they are subject to severe oxidative corrosion originating from the Fenton reaction, leading to poor long-time durability of PEMFCs. Herein, we propose a MnOx engineered Fe–N–C SAC (Mn–Fe–N–C SAC) to reduce and even eliminate the stability issue, as MnOx accelerates the degradation of the H2O2 by-product via a disproportionation reaction to weaken the Fenton reaction. As a result, the Mn–Fe–N–C SAC shows an ultralow H2O2 yield and a negligible half-wave potential shift after 10 000 continuous potential cycles, demonstrating excellent ORR stability. Besides, the Mn–Fe–N–C SAC also shows an improved ORR activity compared to the common Fe–N–C SAC. Results show that the MnOx interacts with the Fe–Nx site, possibly forming Fe–Mn or Fe–O–Mn bonds, and enhances the intrinsic activity of single iron sites. This work provides a method to overcome the stability problem of Fe–N–C SACs while still yielding excellent catalytic activity, thus showing great promise for application in PEMFCs.
"Several Paradise Ladies Are Visiting in Town": Gender Strategies In the Early Industrial West

Gender can provide a powerful interpretive construct in historical archaeology and should not be an optional dimension in archaeological site interpretation. As a central structuring principle of society, gender is not limited to either specific artifact categories and site types or to women per se. Rather, it is a fundamental part of what organizes women and men into historically and archaeologically recognizable units like households and structures their relationships with the larger community and society around them. The following discussion presents a general overview of current approaches to gender in anthropology and history. Two case studies drawn from the 19th-century American West demonstrate some of the implications this discourse has for both the data and the interpretive frameworks employed in historical archaeology.
The Foundation of Amateurism

(1909). The Foundation of Amateurism. American Physical Education Review: Vol. 14, No. 8, pp. 566-578.
Computationally-efficient password authenticated key exchange based on quadratic residues

In this paper, we present a computationally efficient password authenticated key exchange protocol based on quadratic residues. The protocol, called QR-CEKE, is derived from the protocol QR-EKE, a previously published password authenticated key exchange protocol based on quadratic residues. The computational time for the client, however, is significant reduced in the protocol QR-CEKE. In comparison with QR-EKE, the protocol QR-CEKE is more suitable to an imbalanced computing environment where a low-end client device communicates with a powerful server over a broadband network. Based on number-theoretic techniques, we show that the computationally efficient password authenticated key exchange protocol is secure against residue attacks, a special type of off-line dictionary attack against password-authenticated key exchange protocols based on factorization. We also provide a formal security analysis of QR-CEKE under the factoring assumption and the random oracle model.
Why Do Freezing Rocks Break

Contrary to common perception, the breaking of rocks is usually not caused by the expansion of water upon freezing.
The γ-Alkylation and γ-Arylation of Dianions of β-Dicarbonyl Compounds

It is well known that beta-diketones can undergo condensations at the alpha-methylene group with alkyl halides and certain other reagents though the intermediate formation of monoanions. For example, acetylacetone on treatment with an alkali metal or an alkali metal alkoxide or carbonate forms a mono-anion which can be alkylated with alkyl halides. In 1958, Hauser and Harris reported that, if benzoylacetone or acetylacetone is first converted to the dipotassium salt. The salt undergoes alkylation and other carbon-carbon condensations at the terminal methyl group rather than at the methylene group. Rapid alkylation was observed when the salts were treated with benzyl chloride and after acidification, the terminal monobenzylation derivatives were obtained in good yield. Dibenzylation was not observed. In this chapter alkylations of these and other beta-ketones via dianions are surveyed. Other alkylations are also discussed. Arylations are included because alkylation and arylation are methods for directly converting beta-homologs without increasing their functionality. Keywords: gamma-arylation; gamma-alkylation; dianions; beta-carbonyl compounds; acetylacetone; beta-ketones; keto-aldehydes; keto-esters; dicarbonyl compounds; alkyl halides; alkylation; ammonia; experimental procedures
The cap and the 3' splice site similarly affect polyadenylation efficiency.

The 5' cap of a mammalian pre-mRNA has been shown to interact with splicing components at the adjacent 5' splice site for processing of the first exon and the removal of the first intron (E. Izaurralde, J. Lewis, C. McGuigan, M. Jankowska, E. Darzynkiewicz, and I.W. Mattaj, Cell 78:657-668, 1994). Likewise, it has been shown that processing of the last exon and removal of the last intron involve interaction between splicing components at the 3' splice site and the polyadenylation complex at the polyadenylation signal (M. Niwa, S. D. Rose, and S.M. Berget, Genes Dev. 4:1552-1559, 1990; M. Niwa and S. M. Berget, Genes Dev. 5:2086-2095, 1991). These findings suggest that the cap provides a function in first exon processing which is similar to the function of the 3' splice site at last exon processing. To determine whether caps and 3' splice sites function similarly, we compared the effects of the cap and the 3' splice site on the in vitro utilization of the simian virus 40 late polyadenylation signal. We show that the presence of a m7GpppG cap, but not a cap analog, can positively affect the efficiency of polyadenylation of a polyadenylation-only substrate. Cap analogs do not stimulate polyadenylation because they fail to bind titratable cap-binding factors. The failure of cap analogs to stimulate polyadenylation can be overcome if a 3' splice site is present upstream of the polyadenylation signal. These data indicate that factors interacting with the cap or the 3' splice site function similarly to affect polyadenylation signal, along with m7GpppG cap, is inhibitory to polyadenylation. This finding suggests that the interaction between the cap-binding complexes and splicing components at the 5' splice site may form a complex which is inhibitory to further processing if splicing of an adjacent intron is not achieved.
Low power frequeney-to-time conversion for cellular systems using predictive zero-crossing

This paper discusses one of the zero crossing based FM demodulator architectures and its application in demodulating /spl pi//4-QPSK and MSK transmitted signals. Special attention has been paid to reduce the power consumption in the demodulator using the statistics of spacing between zero crossings.
On the Language of School Reform and Our Response to It: A Rejoinder

I appreciate the responses of Reynolds (1993) and Lipsky and Gartner (1993) to my commentary on school reform (Kauffman, 1992), which I believe hold promise for opening a dialogue about reform and clarifying our thinking and language. Although I would like the opportunity to rejoin each of the many points made in their responses, this forum does not allow the luxury of space required. As columnist William Raspberry suggested in an address last year at the University of Virginia, we need to differentiate between our enemies and our problems. Problems persist after enemies are gone, and energy given to fighting real or imagined enemies is diverted from the more enduring task of solving problems. The primary enemy for all of us appears to be imprecise, idiosyncratic, and intemperate language describing special education and its reform. In my own language, I did not express any disrespect for the intelligence or character of the individuals whose statements I questioned, and I said explicitly that I was questioning only the statements and our collective responses to them (Kauffman, 1992, p. 160). Perhaps we all should focus on our more basic problems rather than on this enemy, our war of words. My comments are therefore intended to find the common ground on which we might work together toward solving our problems.
Relative contributions of the thalamus and the paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus to the cardiac sympathetic afferent reflex

The cardiac sympathetic afferent reflex (CSAR) is induced by stimulating the cardiac sympathetic afferents, which evokes increases in sympathetic outflow and arterial pressure. In the present study, we attempted to identify the contribution of thalamic and hypothalamic nuclei involved in the CSAR. First, we observed that there was an increase in the number of c-Fos-labeled cells in the paraventricular nucleus (PVN) (190 ± 18 vs. 101 ± 15; P < 0.05), the paraventricular nucleus of the thalamus (PVT) (239 ± 23 vs. 151 ± 15; P < 0.05), and the mediodorsal thalamic nucleus (MD) (92 ± 9 vs. 63 ± 6; P < 0.05) following epicardial application of bradykinin (BK) compared with the control group (P < 0.05). Second, using extracellular single-unit recording, we found 25% of spontaneously active neurons in the thalamus were stimulated by epicardial application of BK or capsaicin in intact rats. However, 24% of spontaneously active neurons in the thalamus were still stimulated by epicardial application of BK or capsaicin despite vagotomy and sinoaortic denervation. None of the neurons in the thalamus responded to baroreflex changes in arterial pressure, induced by intravenous injection of phenylephrine or sodium nitroprusside. The CSAR was inhibited by microinjection of muscimol or lidocaine into the PVN. However, it was not inhibited or blocked by microinjection of muscimol or lidocaine into the thalamus. Taken together, these data suggest that the thalamus, while activated, is not critical for autonomic adjustments in response to activation of the CSAR. On the other hand, the PVN is critically involved in the central pathway of the CSAR.
Discrete sensitivity derivatives of the Navier-Stokes equations with a parallel Krylov solver

This paper solves an 'incremental' form of the sensitivity equations derived by differentiating the discretized thin-layer Navier Stokes equations with respect to certain design variables of interest. The equations are solved with a parallel, preconditioned Generalized Minimal RESidual (GMRES) solver on a distributed-memory architecture. The 'serial' sensitivity analysis code is parallelized by using the Single Program Multiple Data (SPMD) programming model, domain decomposition techniques, and message-passing tools. Sensitivity derivatives are computed for low and high Reynolds number flows over a NACA 1406 airfoil on a 32-processor Intel Hypercube, and found to be identical to those computed on a single-processor Cray Y-MP. It is estimated that the parallel sensitivity analysis code has to be run on 40-50 processors of the Intel Hypercube in order to match the single-processor processing time of a Cray Y-MP.
Stability and change in the Big Five personality domains: Evidence from a longitudinal study of Australians.

Longitudinal data from a nationally representative sample of Australians were used to evaluate mean-level differences and rank-order stability in personality traits assessed twice over a 4-year time span (n = 13,134). Extraversion, Neuroticism, and Openness declined over the life span, whereas Agreeableness increased among young cohorts, was stable among middle-aged cohorts, and declined among the oldest old. Cross-sectional analyses suggested an increase in Conscientiousness throughout the life span, though longitudinal analyses suggested a slight decline in late life. There was an inverted U-shaped pattern for rank-order stability, with peak stability occurring in middle age. For three of the Big Five domains (Extraversion, Agreeableness, and Conscientiousness), age-related differences appeared to be somewhat more pronounced before age 30 than after age 30.
A queueing-location model with expected service time dependent queueing disciplines

Abstract This paper considers the problem of locating a single server on a network operating as an M/G/1 queue, in which queued calls are serviced by a class of queueing disciplines which depend solely on expected service time information. The model is analyzed as an M/G/1 non-preemptive priority queueing model, with location-dependetn priorities. Extreme case analysis with respect to the average arrival rate of calls is discussed. The connection between queueing discipline chosen and the optimal location of the facility is shown for a two-node network. Numerical examples illustrate our results. A major observation is that the Shortest Expected Job First (SEJF) queueing discipline yields a location which is closer to the Hakimi median of [20] than that produced by any Work Conserving Single Priority (WCSP) queueing discipline. Correspondingly, the Longest Expected Job First (LEJF) queueing discipline yields a location which is further from the Hakimi median than that produced by any WCSP queueing discipline.
Orthopaedic literature and MeSH.

Since 1916 there has been a recognized demand for a method of classification of orthopaedic literature inclusive enough to permit the proper collection and retrieval of all literature on the subject. Today, MEDLINE, available through the PubMed interface, has become the de facto standard for organization and retrieval of medical literature. The Medical Subject Headings (MeSH), used to provide indexing and assist in searching, are partly responsible for this standard. Understanding how MeSH is built and maintained may lead the user to a better understanding of how to use MEDLINE, and what to expect from the indexing of an article. The purpose of this review is to provide an understanding of the organization of large quantities of indexed material, the indexing process and the considerations involved in developing an indexing vocabulary. Successful terminology development and use, a prerequisite for any sharing of information by electronic means, depends on both user (how the user is expected to use the system) and information (how the information is organized) models. MEDLINE has a simple user model and a simpler information model. The user is expected to determine what is relevant and which MeSH descriptors are appropriate. While MEDLINE through PubMed is a success as viewed by the number of hits, further improvements will depend on better, faster indexing with a controlled terminology. Terminology development requires careful consideration of the nature of the subject, how users employ the terminology, the overall purpose of the terminology, and the framework of the systems in which it is used. For the future, understanding terminology development might enable the user to comprehend some of the issues involved in sharing of other information by electronic means. Further improvements in the availability and accessibility of medical literature will depend on continued maintenance and development of MeSH, as well as on refinement of the indexing process.
Time series analysis of magnetoencephalographic data during copying

We used standard time series modeling to analyze magnetoencephalographic (MEG) data acquired during three tasks. Each task lasted 45 s, for a total data acquisition period of 135 s. Ten healthy human subjects fixated their eyes on a central blue point for 45 s (fixation only, “F” task). Then a pentagon (visual template) appeared surrounding the fixation point which simultaneously became red (fixation + template, “FT” task). After 45 s, the fixation point changed to green, which was the “go” signal for the subjects to begin continuously copying the pentagon for 45 s using a joystick and without visual feedback of their movement trajectory (fixation + template + copying, “FTC” task). MEG data were acquired continuously from 248 axial gradiometers at a sampling rate of 1017.25 Hz. After removal of cardiac artifacts and rejection of records with eyeblink artifacts, a Box–Jenkins autoregressive integrative moving average (ARIMA) analysis was applied to the unsmoothed, unaveraged MEG time series for model identification and estimation within 25 time lags (~25 ms). We found that an ARIMA model of 25th order autoregressive, first order differencing, and first order moving average (p=25, d=1, q=1) adequately modeled the series and yielded residuals practically stationary with respect to their mean, variance, and autocorrelation structure. These “prewhitened” residuals were then used for assessing pairwise associations between series using crosscorrelation analysis with ±25 time lags (~ ±25 ms). The cross-correlograms thus obtained revealed rich and consistent patterns of interactions between series with respect to positive and/or negative correlations. The overall prevalence of these patterns was very similar in the three tasks used, and, for particular sensor pairs, they tended to be preserved across tasks.
West Antarctic ice coring: A high‐resolution study of climate change

How do ice ages end? Is it a carefully phased process, with orbital variations of the Earth causing carbon dioxide to rise in the atmosphere, Southern Hemisphere ocean temperatures to rise, then ice sheets to melt and Northern Hemisphere oceans to warm [Imbrie et al., 1989]? Or does something throw a switch, causing a change from “glacial” to “interglacial” mode in a few short years or decades [Broecker and Denton, 1989]? And does the switch jiggle a few times first, giving rise to the Younger Dryas and the older Dansgaard-Oeschger events?
Does Interactivity Serve the Public Interest?: The Role of Political Blogs in Deliberative Democracy

Political blogs are distinguished by their heightened interactivity, allowing users to participate directly in the political process. Does the interactivity afforded by political blogs really serve the public interest by contributing to deliberative democracy? A longitudinal between-subjects experiment was conducted during the week preceding an election to answer this question. Results suggest that there is a trade-off between information provided and interaction offered to blog users, which can impact their engagement in democratic discourse. Registered voters and unregistered users responded in opposite ways, with theoretical implications for the Elaboration Likelihood Model and the psychology of interactivity as well as practical implications for the use of interactivity in promoting deliberative democracy.
FORENSIC ISSUES IN THE PSYCHIATRIC EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT

Special rules, regulations, and duties exist for psychiatrists and other mental health professionals who provide emergency department (ED) services. Hospitals with EDs must provide medical service to patients if an emergency exists 24 ; clinicians do not have the right to pick and choose whom they treat. In addition, treatment must be provided irrespective of patients' ability to pay. Courts have not consistently required that a licensed physician determine when an emergency exists. 24 Thus, nonmedical mental health professionals who are decision makers in the ED will likely be judged by the standards of their profession, but nonphysician decision makers may not only be held liable for a negligent act but also for failing to consult with a physician. 24 Treatment of patients in the ED must be provided until they can be safely discharged or transferred to another appropriate treatment facility. 24 If a clinician determines that a patient requires psychiatric hospitalization but the hospital does not have a psychiatric unit or room in its psychiatric unit, arrangements must be made for psychiatric hospitalization at a suitable facility. These patients should not simply be discharged and told to go to a psychiatric facility; they should be held until appropriate transportation can be provided for transfer to another facility. Emergency departments confront mental health practitioners with a variety of clinicolegal issues. Understanding legal duties and regulations that govern the delivery of emergency psychiatric care allow for the development of clinically based risk-management techniques that decrease defensiveness and liability exposure while enabling clinicians to provide appropriate treatment. 32 Clinicians in the ED need not be lawyers but should know when to obtain legal advice.
Plant tubulin genes: Structure and differential expression during development

Microtubules are important components of the cytoskeleton of plant cells and play key roles in plant growth and morphogenesis. Recent molecular studies have begun to elucidate the structure and expression of plant genes coding for the major components of microtubules, α- and β-tubulin. Tubulin amino acid sequences deduced from the DNA sequences of eight higher plant tubulin genes are 79–87% homologous with constitutively expressed mammalian tubulins. The genome of the model plant system Arabidopsis thaliana contains four dispersed α-tubulin sequences and at least seven β-tubulin sequences, only two of which appear to be linked. Of the five A. thaliana genes whose expression has been analyzed, the transcripts of one α-tubulin and one β-tubulin gene are constitutively expressed in roots, leaves, and flowers. A second α-tubulin gene is expressed predominately in flowers; the transcripts of the second and third β-tubulin genes are found predominately in leaves or in roots, respectively.
Schizophrenia Research: A Progress Report, Summarizing Proceedings of the 1999 International Congress on Schizophrenia Research

The Seventh International Congress on Schizophrenia Research was held in Santa Fe, New Mexico, in April 1999. This was the largest Congress meeting to date, with almost 1,000 presentations that covered all aspects of schizophrenia research. This article provides an account of the Congress proceedings. Several research areas received extensive coverage, including early detection of illness through the use of cognitive and behavioral precursors of schizophrenia and the etiology and treatment of childhood-onset and first episode schizophrenia. The etiopathophysiological hypothesis of schizophrenia as a disorder of neural dysconnectivity was promoted across cognitive, neurochemical, neuroimaging, and postmortem domains. The importance of cognition as a major outcome measure and the impact of new antipsychotics on the treatment and conceptualization of schizophrenia were also major topics. Overall, the conference was noteworthy for the convergence of findings across research domains.
Transitioning to Software as a Service: Realigning Software Engineering Practices with the New Business Model

Transitioning from software as a good to software as a service is not simply a matter of developing appropriate protocols, adopting new service-oriented technologies, and writing code. Instead, software companies that seek to adapt to a market based on software as a service need to examine how they approach very basic business tasks like marketing and engineering. This paper focuses on the implications a particular software paradigm has on software engineering. It concludes that some traditional software engineering practices in the goods paradigm related to planning, versioning, and maintenance are simply not appropriate in the service paradigm. To be successful as a service-oriented business, a software company needs to realign its base software engineering practices to fit the new business model.