cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Rates of New Persistent Opioid Use After Vaginal or Cesarean Birth Among US Women

Importance Research has shown an association between opioid prescribing after major or minor procedures and new persistent opioid use. However, the association of opioid prescribing with persistent use among women after vaginal delivery or cesarean delivery is less clear. Objective To assess the association between opioid prescribing administered for vaginal or cesarean delivery and rates of new persistent opioid use among women. Design, Setting, and Participants This retrospective cohort study used national insurance claims data for 988 036 women from a single private payer from January 1, 2008, to December 31, 2016. Participants included reproductive age, opioid-naive women with 1 year of continuous enrollment before and after delivery. For participants with multiple births, only the first birth was included. Exposures Peripartum opioid prescription (1 week before delivery to 3 days after discharge) captured by pharmacy claims, including prescription timing and size in oral morphine equivalents. Multivariable adjusted odds ratios were estimated using regression models. Main Outcomes and Measures Rates of new persistent opioid use, defined as pharmacy claims for 1 or more opioid prescription 4 to 90 days after discharge and 1 or more prescription 91 to 365 days after discharge among women who filled peripartum opioid prescriptions. Results In total, 308 226 deliveries were included: 195 013 (63.3%) vaginal deliveries and 113 213 (36.7%) cesarean deliveries. Participant mean (SD) age was 31.3 (5.3) years, and 70 567 (51.0%) were white patients. Peripartum opioid prescriptions were filled by 27.0% of women with vaginal deliveries and 75.7% of women with cesarean deliveries. Among them, 1.7% of those with vaginal deliveries and 2.2% with cesarean deliveries had new persistent opioid use. By contrast, among women not receiving a peripartum opioid prescription, 0.5% with vaginal delivery and 1.0% with cesarean delivery had new persistent opioid use. From 2008 to 2016, opioid prescription fills decreased for vaginal deliveries from 26.9% to 23.8% (P Conclusions and Relevance The results of the present study suggested that opioid prescribing and new persistent use after vaginal delivery or cesarean delivery have decreased since 2008. However, modifiable prescribing patterns were associated with persistent opioid use for patients who underwent vaginal delivery, and risk factors following cesarean delivery mirrored those of other surgical conditions. Judicious opioid prescribing and preoperative risk screening may be opportunities to decrease new persistent opioid use after childbirth.
Determination of in-vivo tissue optical properties for anal photodynamic therapy

Determination of in-vivo tissue optical properties for anal photodynamic therapy (PDT) is challenging due to the light integrating-sphere effect in an enclosed cylindrical cavity. We developed a model for optical properties determination for anal PDT from measurements of light fluence rate inside a cylindrical cavity submerged in tissue-mimicking liquid phantoms. Measurements are performed in a set of phantoms with known optical properties (μa = 0.1-0.9 cm-1) and (μs’ = 5.5-16.5 cm-1) and the primary and scatter light fluence rates are determined. We developed a forward empirical model to relate scatter light fluence rate measured in an enclosed cylindrical geometry to the surrounding tissue optical properties in tissue-simulating liquid phantoms.
Meta-analysis of alcohol induced gut dysbiosis and the resulting behavioral impact

About 99% of the unique genes and almost half of the cells found in the human body come from microbes including bacteria, archaea, fungi, and viruses. Collectively these microorganisms contribute to the microbiome and often reside in the gut. The gut microbiome plays an important role in the body and contributes to digestive health, the immune system, and brain function. The gut microbiome interacts with the central nervous system through the vagal pathways as well as the endocrine or immune pathways. Changes in the proportion or diversity of the microbiota can have an impact on normal physiology and has been implicated in inflammation, depression, obesity, and addiction. Several animal studies suggest the involvement of gut microbiome in the regulation of pain, emotion, and cognition. Alcoholism has been linked with gut microbiome dysbiosis and thus can have deleterious effects on the gut-brain axis balance. Gut microbiome produces important metabolites such as gastrointestinal hormones, short chain fatty acids, precursors to the neuroactive compounds and neurotransmitters that impact the physiology and normal functioning of the body. The microbiome imbalance has been correlated with behavioral changes and alcohol dependence in the host. The objective of this study is to elucidate the link between alcohol induced gut microbiota dysbiosis and any behavioral impact that could incur. A thorough literature search of various databases was conducted to gather data for the alcohol prompted gut microbiome dysbiosis. Ingenuity Pathway Analysis (IPA1) software was then utilized to identify links between alcoholism, gut microbiome derived metabolites, and their role in behavior alterations. Overall, this meta-analysis reviews information available on the connection between alcohol induced gut microbiome dysbiosis and the resulting behavioral impact.
The Instructional Benefits of Identity Texts and Learning by Design for Learner Motivation in Required Second Language Classes.

This article investigates the incorporation of identity texts grounded in the multiliteracies framework Learning by Design to second language (L2) instruction in required Spanish classes at a unive...
Telepresence robots: A new model for public administration course delivery

An integral part of a public affairs education is our ability as educators to adapt and respond to the skills needed for a diverse and changing workforce. Historically, public administration progra...
A Quantum Algorithm To Locate Unknown Hashes For Known N-Grams Within A Large Malware Corpus

We extend our thanks to our colleagues Sam Lomonaco and Edward Raff for their comments on an earlier version of this paper
Grade expectations: the motivational consequences of performance feedback on a summative assessment

The current study investigated the impact of performance feedback on female students’ motivation following a summative classroom assessment in STEM. Seventh through ninth grade students (N = 161) w...
Evaluating the Relationship Between Fitbit Sleep Data and Self-Reported Mood, Sleep, and Environmental Contextual Factors in Healthy Adults: Pilot Observational Cohort Study

Background: Mental health disorders can disrupt a person’s sleep, resulting in lower quality of life. Early identification and referral to mental health services are critical for active duty service members returning from forward-deployed missions. Although technologies like wearable computing devices have the potential to help address this problem, research on the role of technologies like Fitbit in mental health services is in its infancy. Objective: If Fitbit proves to be an appropriate clinical tool in a military setting, it could provide potential cost savings, improve clinician access to patient data, and create real-time treatment options for the greater active duty service member population. The purpose of this study was to determine if the Fitbit device can be used to identify indicators of mental health disorders by measuring the relationship between Fitbit sleep data, self-reported mood, and environmental contextual factors that may disrupt sleep. Methods: This observational cohort study was conducted at the Madigan Army Medical Center. The study included 17 healthy adults who wore a Fitbit Flex for 2 weeks and completed a daily self-reported mood and sleep log. Daily Fitbit data were obtained for each participant. Contextual factors were collected with interim and postintervention surveys. This study had 3 specific aims: (1) Determine the correlation between daily Fitbit sleep data and daily self-reported sleep, (2) Determine the correlation between number of waking events and self-reported mood, and (3) Explore the qualitative relationships between Fitbit waking events and self-reported contextual factors for sleep. Results: There was no significant difference in the scores for the pre-intevention Pittsburg Sleep Quality Index (PSQI; mean 5.88 points, SD 3.71 points) and postintervention PSQI (mean 5.33 points, SD 2.83 points). The Wilcoxon signed-ranks test showed that the difference between the pre-intervention PSQI and postintervention PSQI survey data was not statistically significant (Z=0.751, P=.05). The Spearman correlation between Fitbit sleep time and self-reported sleep time was moderate (r=0.643, P=.005). The Spearman correlation between number of waking events and self-reported mood was weak (r=0.354, P=.163). Top contextual factors disrupting sleep were “pain,” “noises,” and “worries.” A subanalysis of participants reporting “worries” found evidence of potential stress resilience and outliers in waking events. Conclusions: Findings contribute valuable evidence on the strength of the Fitbit Flex device as a proxy that is consistent with self-reported sleep data. Mood data alone do not predict number of waking events. Mood and Fitbit data combined with further screening tools may be able to identify markers of underlying mental health disease.
Evaluation of Cognitive Skill Degradation in Flight Planning

This work aimed to identify cognitive skills associated with flight planning, suggest which skills might be susceptible to skill degradation, and investigate the effects of cognitive skill degradat...
Sex Differences in Stroke Hospitalization Incidence, 30-Day Mortality, and Readmission in a Regional Medical Center in the Southwestern United States.

Objectives This study explores sex differences in ischemic stroke hospitalization incidence, 30-day mortality, and 30-day readmission in a southwestern US medical center. Methods Ischemic stroke admissions in a regional medical center in the southwestern United States were obtained for a 6.5-year time frame (N = 1968). Logistic regression models examine the adjusted effects of sex on 30-day mortality and 30-day readmission outcomes among individuals hospitalized for ischemic stroke. Results Findings confirm that although women experience higher mortality than men (9.1% vs 6.7%), the sex disparity in mortality is explained by the age distribution of strokes. Women experience far more strokes and deaths because of stroke at older ages. No differences in principal procedure or 30-day readmission emerged. Conclusions Men experienced higher stroke hospitalization incidence, although women exhibited higher 30-day mortality. Age composition explained sex differences in mortality, but higher male stroke hospitalization incidence represents a larger public health issue that suggests the need for behavioral change at the population level. No meaningful sex differences emerged in treatment, mortality, or readmission.
Advancing Mental Health and Psychological Support for Health Care Workers Using Digital Technologies and Platforms.

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic is a global public health crisis that has not only endangered the lives of patients but also resulted in increased psychological issues among medical professionals, especially frontline health care workers. As the crisis caused by the pandemic shifts from acute to protracted, attention should be paid to the devastating impacts on health care workers’ mental health and social well-being. Digital technologies are being harnessed to support the responses to the pandemic, which provide opportunities to advance mental health and psychological support for health care workers. Objective: The aim of this study is to develop a framework to describe and organize the psychological and mental health issues that health care workers are facing during the COVID-19 pandemic. Based on the framework, this study also proposes interventions from digital health perspectives that health care workers can leverage during and after the pandemic. Methods: The psychological problems and mental health issues that health care workers have encountered during the COVID-19 pandemic were reviewed and analyzed based on the proposed MEET (Mental Health, Environment, Event, and Technology) framework, which also demonstrated the interactions among mental health, digital interventions, and social support. Results: Health care workers are facing increased risk of experiencing mental health issues due to the COVID-19 pandemic, including burnout, fear, worry, distress, pressure, anxiety, and depression. These negative emotional stressors may cause psychological problems for health care workers and affect their physical and mental health. Digital technologies and platforms are playing pivotal roles in mitigating psychological issues and providing effective support. The proposed framework enabled a better understanding of how to mitigate the psychological effects during the pandemic, recover from associated experiences, and provide comprehensive institutional and societal infrastructures for the well-being of health care workers. Conclusions: The COVID-19 pandemic presents unprecedented challenges due to its prolonged uncertainty, immediate threat to patient safety, and evolving professional demands. It is urgent to protect the mental health and strengthen the psychological resilience of health care workers. Given that the pandemic is expected to exist for a long time, caring for mental health has become a “new normal” that needs a strengthened multisector collaboration to facilitate support and reduce health disparities. The proposed MEET framework could provide structured guidelines for further studies on how technology interacts with mental and psychological health for different populations.
A field guide for aging passerine nestlings using growth data and predictive modeling

Accurate nestling age is valuable for studies on nesting strategies, productivity, and impacts on reproductive success. Most aging guides consist of descriptions and photographs that are time consuming to read and subjective to interpret. The Western Bluebird (Sialia mexicana) is a secondary cavity-nesting passerine that nests in coniferous and open deciduous forests. Nest box programs for cavity-nesting species have provided suitable nesting locations and opportunities for data collection on nestling growth and development. We developed models for predicting the age of Western Bluebird nestlings from morphometric measurements using model training and validation. These were developed for mass, tarsus, and two different culmen measurements. Our models were accurate to within less than a day, and each model worked best for a specific age range. The mass and tarsus models can be used to estimate the ages of Western Bluebird nestlings 0–10 days old and were accurate to within 0.5 days for mass and 0.7 days for tarsus. The culmen models can be used to estimate ages of nestlings 0–15 days old and were also accurate to within less than a day. The daily mean, minimum, and maximum values of each morphometric measurement are provided and can be used in the field for accurate nestling age estimations in real time. The model training and validation procedures used here demonstrate that this method can create aging models that are highly accurate. The methods can be applied to any passerine species provided sufficient nestling morphometric data are available.
Longer time-to-treatment but better survival for colorectal cancer patients presumptively not diagnosed in a hospital.

To evaluate time-to-treatment and survival time in colorectal cancer (CRC) patients who presumptively were not diagnosed in a hospital. Colorectal tumor-level data from Georgia Cancer Registry (GCR) was merged with American Hospital Association data for 2010–2015 using hospital identification number. Patients with tumors lacking a diagnosis hospital in the GCR were classified as presumptive non-hospital diagnosis (PNHD). Cox proportional hazard models were used to model PNHD and time-to-treatment and time-to-death following cancer diagnosis, stratified by race and controlling for personal and tumor characteristics. PNHD (n = 6,885, 29.6%) was associated with a lower likelihood of treatment at a given point in time (i.e., longer time-to-treatment), but did not differ for Black (HR = 0.77, 95% CI: 0.73, 0.82) and White (HR = 0.73, 95% CI: 0.71, 0.76) patients. Time-to-death was longer (i.e., better survival) with PNHD, which also did not differ for Black (HR = 0.70, 95% CI: 0.64, 0.76) and White (HR = 0.71, 95% CI: 0.67, 0.75) patients. These results were not explained by confounding factors or differences in tumor stage at diagnosis. These observations warrant further research to understand whether there are potentially modifiable factors associated with the diagnosing location that can be used to benefit patient treatment trajectory and survival.
Refoulement as Biopolitical Praxis: Subalternity, Ethnography, and Ethics at the Mexico-Guatemala Border

This article analyzes the Mexico-Guatemala border through the lens of the author's sensory ethnographic engagement there. It also uses oral history interviews and collaboration undertaken with refugees, migrants, and deportees. It argues for the contravention of human rights and refugee rights under the Trump Administration as an aspect of a longer history of biopolitics enacted in border regions and beyond them. It draws on border studies and notions of immunity in biopolitics to develop this argument, and its uses collaborative visual ethnographic practices as a way to consider the border.
Trends in sexual orientation disparities in cigarette smoking: Intersections between race/ethnicity and sex.

Abstract Cigarette smoking is disproportionately high among sexual minority populations, but it is unclear whether these disparities exist among race/ethnicity subgroups. This study examined trends in sexual orientation disparities in cigarette smoking by race/ethnicity. Data are from the 2014–2019 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (N = 1,194,768). Trend analyses compared cigarette smoking by race/ethnicity (non-Hispanic White, non-Hispanic Black, Hispanic, non-Hispanic other) and sexual orientation (straight, lesbian or gay, bisexual, something else/don't know/refused). Multivariable analyses examined associations between sexual orientation and cigarette use for each race/ethnicity, controlling for other sociodemographic characteristics. Between 2014 and 2019, lesbian or gay, and bisexual populations consistently had higher smoking rates than straight populations, which held across race/ethnicity. Among non-Hispanic White adults, lesbians (OR = 1.51, 95% CI = 1.29, 1.76), bisexual females (OR = 1.56, 95% CI = 1.39, 1.75), gay (OR = 1.38, 95% CI = 1.22, 1.55), and bisexual males (OR = 1.22, 95% CI = 1.04, 1.43) had higher odds of smoking compared those self-identifying as straight. Among non-Hispanic Black adults, lesbians (OR = 1.90, 95% CI =1.33, 2.73) and bisexual females (OR = 1.85, 95% CI =1.42, 2.41) were more likely to currently smoke. Among Hispanic adults, those self-identifying as lesbian or gay (OR = 1.58, 95% CI = 1.19, 2.09) or bisexual (OR = 2.40, 95% CI = 1.88, 3.07) were more likely to currently smoke, though the associations were not significant in Hispanic males. Disparities in cigarette smoking by race/ethnicity and sexual orientation suggest that aggregating these groups mask important differences and limit efforts to target those most at risk.
Single-Staged Multilevel Spondylectomy for En Bloc Resection of an Epithelioid Sarcoma With Intradural Extension in the Cervical Spine: Technical Case Report

BACKGROUND AND IMPORTANCE Occurrence of spinal epithelioid sarcomas is rare, with few cases reported in the literature. Although wide local resection is the recommended treatment, this technique is challenging in the spine. CLINICAL PRESENTATION The case of a 17-year-old male with a recurrent epithelioid sarcoma with intradural extension in the cervical spine is presented. Because of nerve root involvement, the patient presented with right upper extremity weakness. The patient underwent a posterior C1-C4 spondylectomy to achieve an en bloc resection, followed by reconstruction from the occiput to T4. The right vertebral artery and C1-C4 nerve roots were sacrificed because of tumor involvement. After 3 years of follow-up the patient is disease-free but has persistent right deltoid weakness. CONCLUSION Cervical spondylectomy via a single-staged posterior approach is a challenging yet feasible procedure for the treatment of epithelioid sarcomas. To the best of the authors' knowledge, this is the first report of complete resection of an epithelioid sarcoma with intradural extension in the cervical spine. Although neurovascular structures may warrant sacrifice, this procedure may provide improved long-term prognosis.
An all-reduce operation in star networks using all-to-all broadcast communication pattern

Most parallel computations require the exchange of data between processing elements. One of important basic communication operations is all-reduce, a variation of the reduction operation. This paper presents an all-reduce communication operation scheme using all-to-all broadcast communication pattern. All-to-all broadcast is the operation in which each processor sends its message to all other processors, and receives messages from all other processors in the system. In this paper, we develop an efficient all-reduce operation scheme in a star network topology with the single-port communication capability. Communication time is compared against known broadcasting schemes to verify the efficiency of the suggested scheme.
Chapter 9 Maturation and Degradation of Ribosomal RNA in Bacteria

Ribosomal RNAs are the major components of ribosomes and are responsible for their catalytic activity. The three bacterial rRNAs (16S, 23S, and 5S) are cotranscribed as a single molecule that must be converted to the mature, functioning species through a series of nucleolytic processing events and base and sugar modifications that occur in the context of the assembling ribosome. One focus of this review is to examine the reactions that lead from the rRNA precursor to the mature species and to describe the ribonucleases (RNases) that carry out these processing reactions. rRNA, although usually stable in growing cells, also can be degraded if its assembly into ribosomes is aberrant or in response to certain stress conditions, such as starvation. The second focus of this review is to describe these degradative reactions, the RNases that carry them out, and the conditions that initiate the turnover process.
Abstract 18978: Lysine Acetylation of Pyruvate Dehydrogenase Reduces Enzymatic Activity and Contributes to Impaired Substrate Metabolism in the Failing Myocardium

Introduction: Many heart failure (HF) associated non-histone proteins are modified by post-translational lysine acetylation which regulates protein activity and affects cardiac function. Hypothesis: We hypothesized that acetylation of mitochondrial proteins involved in cardiac metabolism mediate metabolic changes in the failing myocardium. We focused on pyruvate dehydrogenase (PDH) which converts pyruvate, the end-product of glycolysis, to acetyl-CoA, a substrate of the citric acid cycle. Methods: Human myocardial tissue from HF patients, failing rodent myocardium after transverse aortic constriction (TAC) induced pressure-overload HF and human cardiomyocyte-like AC16 cells were used. Western Blot, immunoprecipitation assays and mass spectrometry were performed to analyze protein expression and acetylation levels. Results: In our studies, we observed a significant increase in overall cardiac protein acetylation in both HF patients (5.8-fold, p<0.05) and in TAC mice (1.8-fold) versus controls. Interestingly, these changes are correlated with a 72% decrease in mitochondrial deacetylase SirT3 expression. The sirtuin inhibitor nicotinamide (NAM) was used to induce mitochondrial protein acetylation. In AC16 cells, NAM treatment leads to a 1.4-fold increase in PDH acetylation level and a 26% decrease in PDH activity was observed (p<0.01). Interestingly, immunoprecipitation assays showed that several PDH associated proteins are also acetylated in response to NAM treatment. Human proteomic mass spectrometry screening confirmed increased PDH acetylation in failing human myocardium compared to control samples. Furthermore, PDH expression is reduced by 47% in failing human myocardium compared to controls (p<0.01). Finally, PDH activity was found to be decreased by 56% (p<0.01) in human failing myocardium compared to controls. Conclusions: Together, our data suggest that increased acetylation of PDH due to reduced SirT3 expression in HF contributes to altered mitochondrial substrate metabolism and is associated with cardiac dysfunction. These findings suggest a novel role for acetylation of PDH in the failing myocardium.
Applying Social Cognitive Constructs of Motivation To Enhance Student Success in Online Distance Education.

This article relates findings from a review of the literature on six motivational constructs studied in traditional environments to online education concepts to identify methods for ensuring student success in online courses. The six motivational constructs are (a) self-efficacy, (b) locus of control, (c) attributions, (d) goal orientation, (e) intrinsic versus extrinsic motivation, and (f) self-regulation. The six motivational constructs have been thoroughly investigated in traditional face-to-face classrooms and in a wide variety of educational disciplines. Very few studies, however, have explored the significance of the constructs in the online environment. The purpose of this article is to discuss the areas of online education and academic motivation, and to suggest methods for ensuring student success in the online environment based upon the findings of the literature review.
Unbundling institutions for external finance : worldwide firm-level evidence

The empirical literature on institutions and development has been challenged on grounds of reverse causality, measurement error in institutional indicators, and heterogeneity. This paper uses firm-level data across countries to confront these challenges. Instead of analyzing ultimate outcomes, such as income levels where institutional quality is likely endogenous, the focus is on firm-level external finance. Moreover, institutions are “unbundled” to explore how various types of institutions affect external finance differently. The paper documents that micro firms have significantly less access to external finance than small and medium firms. General financial development and contracting institutions that facilitate transactions between private parties exert little effect, on average, on firms’ access to external finance. In contrast, property rights institutions that constrain political and economic elites exhibit stronger positive association with access to external finance. The analysis finds evidence of attenuation bias associated with error in measuring institutions. For leveling the playing field between elite and non-elite firms (as proxied by firm size) in their access to external finance, property rights institutions also figure more prominently—with an important exception for the information environment, a component of contracting institutions. The results indicate that a specific channel through which development is affected more by property rights institutions rather than contracting institutions is external financing for firms.
Measurement technique for EMC evaluation of military communications-electronics equipment

An integrated test methodology to evaluate command, control, communications, and intelligence (C/sup 3/I) systems in a combat electromagnetic environment is presented. The methodology allows the US Army to test and field major C/sup 3/I systems in less time, and with greater confidence in successful operation, than was previously possible. Modeling and simulation and controlled-environment laboratory testing are combined with focused field testing to achieve an accurate, cost-effective evaluation of the functionality of C/sup 3/I systems in their intended combat environment. >
Spontaneous mutation in the db gene results in obesity and diabetes in CD-1 outbred mice.

Five allelic mutants of the diabetes (db) gene have been previously described in mice and rats causing obesity, infertility, and varying degrees of diabetes. We have identified a new, spontaneous m...
Introduction: International information issues and ASIS&T

Article introducing a special section of the Bulletin of the Association for Information Science and Technology (ASIS&T) featuring interviews, discussions of ASIS&T chapters and SIGs roles, networking activities, and past and current organizational initiatives.
Impact of eliminating government interventions on China's rice sector

Abstract China's economy has undergone fundamental changes since 1978. Agriculture, industry and services are being transformed into market economies. Marketing and domestic trade have also been reformed to take into account regional comparative advantages. The government, however, still controls input supply and output procurement to some extent. China is currently negotiating with the GATT in regard to gaining membership. Conditions for China's reentering the GATT are to eliminate the government interventions on domestic production and consumption, and international trade. This may affect China's comparative advantages in international markets, and therefore may result in changes in the structure of imports and exports. Will China continue to export rice or will it start to import rice under free trade, and if China continues to export, how much will China export? This paper attempts to model the potential effects of eliminating all government interventions on China's rice sector. We construct a rice industry model to facilitate our analysis. The model has three components, i.e., supply, demand, and price linkages. The estimated results are consistent with theory and are evaluated using several techniques. Results from model validation indicate that both static and dynamic models are reasonable and can be used to simulate effects of various government policies. Simulations are conducted to project China's rice economy to the year 2000. Two scenarios are compared: (1) continued current policy and (2) elimination of all government interventions. Eliminating all government interventions would increase production, stocks, and exports. Domestic consumption would decline due to the higher domestic prices from eliminating government subsidies on rice consumption. China would export more than 1.6 million metric tonnes of milled rice if there were no government interventions in the year 2000.
The Nice ITU plenipotentiary conference

Abstract This article surveys the achievements of the 1989 ITU Plenipotentiary, held in Nice. The most important result in the short term was the creation of a Telecommunications Development Bureau (TDB) with a substantial budget, and from a long-range perspective the decision to establish a study group to investigate the ITU's Internal structure could prove most significant. It was also decided to divide the old ITU Convention into a new Convention and a Constitution. Other decisions of the Plenipotentiary, such as increasing the use of official languages, were probably more formal than practical.
Stress Dependence of Photoluminescence in GaAs

Photoluminescence in GaAs at $k=0$ under uniaxial stress up to 14 000 kg/${\mathrm{cm}}^{2}$ is studied at 2\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}K. The stress dependence of the coupling between $J=\frac{3}{2}$, ${m}_{j}=\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}\frac{1}{2}$ and $J=\frac{1}{2}$, ${m}_{j}=\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}\frac{1}{2}$ valence bands is observed. The deformation-potential constants for the valence band and for the acceptor ground state are determined, and the values for the valence band are $a=\ensuremath{-}8.9$ eV, $b=\ensuremath{-}1.96$ eV, and $d=\ensuremath{-}5.4$ eV.
Simultaneous measurement of urinary bisphenol A and alkylphenols by automated solid-phase extractive derivatization gas chromatography/mass spectrometry.

Bisphenol A (BPA) and alkylphenols (APs) are widely used industrial chemicals. BPA is used to manufacture polycarbonate plastic and epoxy resins; APs are used to make alkylphenol ethoxylates, common nonionic surfactants. BPA and APs can leach into the environment during industrial production and after degradation of the polycarbonate plastics and nonionic surfactants. Environmental exposure to these phenolic compounds has been associated with adverse reproductive and developmental effects in wildlife. We developed a sensitive and robust method for measuring BPA and six APs; 3-tert-butylphenol, 4-tert-butylphenol, 4-n-octylphenol, 4-tert-octylphenol, 4-n-nonylphenol, and technical-grade nonylphenol in urine. The method is based on the use of automated solid-phase extraction (SPE) coupled to isotope dilution-gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS). During the automated SPE process, the phenols are both extracted from the urine matrix and derivatized, using pentafluorobenzyl bromide, on commercially ava...
Neutron activation analysis of zeolite catalysts

A new method for the determination of aluminum and silicon has been developed for zeolite catalysts. In contrast to previous methods, thermal neutrons are used for the analysis of both elements, and cadmium absorbers are not needed. The silicon determination utilizes a one-hour irradiation to observe the31Si produced by the (n, γ) reaction of30Si. A 15-second irradiation is used for the27Al(n, γ)28Al reaction. The28Al activity is corrected for the contribution from the28Si(n,p)28Al reaction by using the analyzed weight of silicon in the sample and the data for a silicon standard irradiated simultaneously with the zeolite and the aluminum standard. The quantitation limits are 0.012 g for silicon and 3.3×10−5 g for aluminum. Sodium presents a significant interference, but this element can be removed by taking advantage of the ion exchange properties of these materials.
Polarographic determination of the rates of formation of ethyleneimonium ions of several nitrogen mustard compounds.

The rates of formation of ethyleneimonium ion resulting only from the initial cyclization of a β-chloroethyl group of various nitrogen mustard compounds are reported. A polarographic technique was used for the quantitative determination of the ethyleneimonium ions. The nitrogen mustards investigated were both aliphatic and aromatic and contained two β-chloroethyl groups.
Immunocytochemical labeling of cells in cortical vitreous from patients with premacular hole lesions.

• We performed electron immunocytochemical staining for cytokeratins and glial fibrillary acidic protein on cortical vitreous obtained at the time of vitrectomy from two patients with premacular hole lesions. The specimens were thought to represent cortical vitreous because each consisted of a sheet of tissue that, in addition to being firmly attached around the foveal lesion, was attached around the disc and extended well into the periphery. The specimens contained a moderate number of cells and an abundant extracellular matrix. Most of the cells were found singly or in small clusters on the surface of the matrix. Preembedding immunostaining on one specimen showed several cells that stained for cytokeratins and several that stained for glial fibrillary acidic protein. The majority of the cells on the matrix appeared to express one of these two intermediatefilament proteins. Postembedding immunogold double labeling on both specimens showed that most cells were labeled for either glial fibrillary acidic protein or cytokeratins, but there were a few cells that unequivocally expressed both proteins simultaneously. These data suggest that the cortical vitreous of patients with some premacular hole lesions contains retinal pigment epithelial and glial cells that may contribute to abnormal vitreoretinal adherence and could play a role in macular hole formation.
Deepening our reflectivity

Abstract During the last 15 years, a body of literature has developed that centers around “teacher reflectivity.” Teachers reflect deeply on the biographical, political, and pedagogical influences that led them to become teachers and that influence their classroom practice. Advocates of teacher reflectivity claim that both preservice and inservice teachers can thereby improve their practice and deepen their understanding of themselves as teachers. Although biographical, political, and pedagogical reflectivity are powerful tools, teacher reflectivity would be even stronger if it included “spiritual reflectivity.” With spiritual reflectivity (with or without a formal religious commitment), teachers see themselves and their work as a teacher in the broader context of their unique commitment(s) to a transcendent power or process that includes biographical, political, and pedagogical influences, but also transcends them.
Ethnographic component and organism documentation in an ethnopharmacology paper: A “minimun” standard

Abstract The ethnographic component (traditional/indigenous therapeutic uses of plants or animals, specific contexts of use, preparation, dosage, route of administration) published in the Journal of Ethnopharmacology (JEP) has not been consistently and fully provided in the past. In an attempt to ensure the fulfillment of these criteria, hence, the fulfillment of the scope of papers published in this journal, starting with the February, 2004 issue of JEP (vol. 90, 2004), the journal provided detailed “Guide to Authors”, “Author Checklist”, and models of ethnopharmacology papers. An analysis of research papers published in JEP vols. 98 and 99 showed that these papers still have not achieved full compliance with the interdisciplinarity/multidisciplinarity nature of the journal, and the discipline. Thus, a minimum standard for the ethnographic component is set down.
Batch and fed-batch bioreactor cultivations of a Thermus species with thermophilic BTEX-degrading activity

The thermophilic bacterium, Thermus species ATCC 27978, which is capable of aerobically degrading benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and the xylenes (BTEX), was cultured in 5-1 fermentors on a Castenholz salts-tryptone medium. This bacterium can be cultivated more conveniently at 45 °C, a temperature substantially lower than its optimal growth temperature (approx. 60 °C). Yet, the washed harvested cells from such cultures display the same initial BTEX-degrading activity as those when Thermus sp. is grown at its higher optimal temperature. Two bioreactor cultivation modes, batch and fed batch, were investigated. More biomass and more BTEX-degrading activity (assayed at 60 °C) were generated in fed-batch cultures than in the growth-limited batch cultures. The former yielded a biomass concentration of 2.5 g dry cell weight (DCW) l−1 and whole-cell degrading specific activities of 7.6 ± 1.3, 10.1 ± 1.9, 9.8 ± 2.1, 2.3 ± 0.5, and 4.6 ± 0.9 nmol degraded (mg DCW)−1 min−1 for benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, m-xylene, and the o- plus p-xylenes (unresolved mixture), respectively. Although the formation of cellular BTEX-degrading activity is growth-associated, a slow to moderate specific growth rate of 0.02–0.07 h−1 favors the production of BTEX-degrading activity, while a high growth rate, of the order of 0.16 h−1, is detrimental to its production. The washed harvested Thermus sp. cells were capable of degrading BTEX over a broad range of thermophilic incubation temperatures, 45–77 °C.
Hydrogen Free, High sp3 Content DLC Films Produced by Pulsed Laser Ablation of Amorphous Graphite

Pulsed laser deposition is a unique technique for the deposition of a wide variety of thin films. These films include magnetic and optical films, novel semiconductors, high temperature superconductors, and diamond-like carbon films. Amorphous Carbon material is evaporated from a solid target and ionized by a high-energy KrF laser and ejected as a plasma plume. The plume expands outwards and deposits the target material on a silicon substrate. Plasma and flow parameters in this plume determine the quality of the film deposited on the substrate. In these experiments, a quadruple Langmuir probe is used to determine various plasma properties in the plume as a function of laser energy density on target, laser spot size on the target and probe position from target. These properties include electron temperature, ion flow speed, ion kinetic energy, plume peaking parameter, and ion density. Film analysis was conducted by electron energy loss spectroscopy (EELS) indicating that DLC films have been successfully deposited with an sp3 concentration as exceeding 72%.
Thermodynamics of fatty acid transfer.

There is continuing controversy about the mechanism for transfer of fatty acids (FA) between plasma and the interior of cells and vice versa. One view is that this is a spontaneous process. The generally accepted view is that each step of the process is facilitated by a specialized protein. Whether uptake is spontaneous or facilitated, the components of the uptake system, e.g., albumin, water, FA, plasma membrane, and putative transport proteins of the plasma membrane, must behave according to the rules of the physical chemistry of the system. We review these features to illustrate the constraints they impose on the design of experiments to adduce the mechanism of uptake. Analysis of the literature in the context of the physical chemistry of the uptake system indicates that arguments for a facilitated mechanism of uptake for FA are not supported by any data extant. By contrast, comparison of the rates for individual steps of the pathway traversed by FA moving from albumin to the inside of a cell (or vesicles of a model system) with rates of uptake of FA of tissues in the steady state shows that the rates of the former are sufficient to account for the rate of the latter.
Fe/Mg Ratio: A signature for local coal-fired power plants

Abstract Eastern and midwestern U.S. coals have high Fe and low Mg concentrations relative to terrestrial crust, yielding Fe/Mg ratios of 30 ±14 and 53 ±40 (mean ± standard deviation) for these coals, respectively. Coal fly ash from the burning of these coals has similar ratios. The Fe/Mg ratios in emissions from coal-fired power plants should therefore be at least six-fold higher than the global crustal average of 2.4 and should be useful as a signature for emissions from coal combustion. The validity of this signature was determined by a comparative study at four sites in New York: Oneonta and Sugar Hill, both in close proximity to coal-fired power plants ( ~ 20–30 km), and Schoharie and Whiteface Mountain, both relatively distant from coal-fired power plants (> 100 km). High Fe/Mg ratios, up to 19, were observed only at Oneonto and Sugar Hill. Samples obtained at SCH and WFM bore a crustal character, with mean Fe/Mg ratios of 3.9 and 3.5. The Fe/Mg ratio thus holds promise as a signature for local coal-fired power plants.
A Kirchhoff-mode method for C0 bilinear and serendipity plate elements

Abstract A new formulation for the C0 quadrilateral and Serendipity plate elements is presented. It is an extension of the mode-decomposition approach that has been successfully applied in evaluating the C0 triangular linear plate element. In contrast to the triangular element, the concept of an equivalent discrete Kirchhoff configuration is utilized. The elements are applied to several examples and the performance of these elements is shown to be quite good.
Chemical condensation sequences in supernova ejecta

Equilibrium condensation is investigated for composition and pressures representative of supernova (SN) ejecta. The results are compared with those obtained for the solar nebula, and the distribution of elements among the various gaseous species and solid phases is computed for solar and SN-shell condensation sequences. The data are applied to problems concerning the observed mass fractionations of Si, Mg, and O in Allende, as well as to the strong depletion of heavy-element abundances in the interstellar medium. The results indicate that dust grains from a SN could have introduced isotopic anomalies into the solar nebula, that many minerals produced in SN ejecta are the same as those predicted to be stable in the solar nebula, and that the observed depletion of heavy elements in the interstellar gas could be due to dust formation in SN ejecta.
Subspace and motion segmentation via local subspace estimation

Subspace segmentation and clustering of high dimensional data drawn from a union of subspaces are important with practical robot vision applications, such as smart airborne video surveillance. This paper presents a clustering algorithm for high dimensional data that comes from a union of lower dimensional subspaces of equal and known dimensions. Rigid motion segmentation is a special case of this more general subspace segmentation problem. The algorithm matches a local subspace for each trajectory vector and estimates the relationships between trajectories. It is reliable in the presence of noise, and it has been experimentally verified by the Hopkins 155 Dataset.
THE PROTECTIVE ACTION OF TYPE I ANTIPNEUMOCOCCUS SERUM IN MICE II. THE COURSE OF THE INFECTIOUS PROCESS

Observations are reported which concern the nature of the infectious process resulting from the intraperitoneal injection of mice with virulent pneumococci. The course of the infection has been figuratively reconstructed on the basis of the following data: The rate of bacterial multiplication, the numbers of cells present in the peritoneal cavity, the character of these cells at various stages, and the rate of phagocytosis. The significant alterations in this infectious process brought about by the administration of type specific immune serum are described, and the general significance of the findings discussed with reference to the functions of the immune serum and the role of phagocytes in protection.
Chylomicrons can regulate hepatic gene expression1

Abstract Purpose: Chylomicrons (CM) can bind endotoxin (LPS) and protect against lethality in rodents by increasing the clearance of this toxic macromolecule by the liver. We have previously shown that once cleared by hepatocytes, these CM-LPS complexes attenuate the hepatocellular response to cytokines by inhibiting the activation of NF-kB, a transcription factor critical for activation of numerous proinflammatory genes. We postulated that CM-LPS complexes exert a selective rather than a global inhibitory effect on hepatocellular gene expression. Methods: To study this question, cultured rat hepatocytes were pretreated with LPS, CM, or CM-LPS complexes for 2 hours. After an overnight recovery period, the pretreated cells were stimulated in various ways to determine the relative integrity of hepatocellular gene expression. Specifically, cells were stimulated either by exposure to a mixture of proinflammatory cytokines (TNF-α, IL-1β, IFN-γ) or forskolin (a stimulator of cAMP response element binding protein, CREB) or a heat shock (43°C × 30 minutes). Gene expression was examined via gel shift assay and Western blot analysis.
Comparison of dissolution profiles of tablets and capsules from the USP, levy, and magnetic basket methods

Single-batch lots of pentobarbituric acid tablets and sodium butabarbital capsules were dissolved in the USP, Levy beaker, and three different size magnetic basket dissolution apparatuses. Each method was compared using an analysis of variance and other statistical tests to ascertain if significantly different dissolution profiles were produced. Variation in terms of standard deviation of drug released by the different methods was also compared. The five different dissolution methods produced significantly different dissolution profiles at various selected times for both the tablets and capsules studied. However, differences in variations produced by the different dissolution methods upon repeated dissolution of either tablets or capsules seemed to be of the same order.