cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
On-Ramps to Learning: The Progression of Learners Through Topics in the Online LabVIEW Forum.

Online forums can facilitate collaborative learning in situations where instructors impose structure promoting constructive interaction among students. This paper presents an investigation of how well an online forum, such as the LabVIEW programmer forum, supports learning in the absence of instructor-imposed structure. This study focuses first on whether specific topics served to draw users into the community and second on whether users displayed evidence of learning over time. Unsupervised machine learning on 475,094 posts in the LabVIEW forum identified 974 topical clusters among these posts, and statistical analysis confirmed that a minority (30%) of clusters accounted for over 70% of users’ initial posts. Linear regression revealed that subsequent posts by each user were indeed more likely to be flagged by the community as valuable, offering potential evidence of learning. However, this trend was not strong or uniform, suggesting the need for additional innovations in information technologies to support independent learning.
Los nietos de Keynes y los trabajadores de Marx en las plataformas digitales. Por qué el trabajo humano todavía es importante

El miedo a la automatizacion y al «futuro del trabajo», a la superfluidad de los trabajadores y del ser humano en general, se basa en ideas recurrentes sobre la tecnologia, el trabajo y el valor economico. El debate se remonta a destacados pensadores como Karl Marx y John Maynard Keynes. Para entender el momento actual, los autores revisan este debate en relacion con la historia del capitalismo. Desde una perspectiva centrada en el trabajo y la tecnologia, examinan las formas ocultas de creacion de valor en la economia actual y las lagunas del debate historico, y esbozan varias situaciones hipoteticas de cara al futuro
Imaging pancreatic cystic lesions with confocal endomicroscopy

Abstract Endoscopic ultrasound-guided needle-based confocal laser endomicroscopy (EUS-nCLE) is a minimally invasive procedure that allows for real-time, microscopic-resolution imaging in vivo. Studies have demonstrated that EUS-nCLE is an effective resource for diagnosing and risk-stratifying pancreatic cystic lesions (PCLs) with great accuracy. PCLs are readily identified from CLE images by both skilled and naive gastroenterologists with high levels of inter- and intraobserver agreement. Future directions include creating structured training programs to teach gastroenterologists how to use and interpret CLE, as well as studying the combined utility of EUS-nCLE and novel cyst fluid molecular markers in differentiating PCLs. By providing in vivo histopathology, CLE may one day complement or replace traditional tissue biopsy.
Association of cardiovascular disease and 10 other pre-existing comorbidities with COVID-19 mortality: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background Estimating the risk of pre-existing comorbidities on coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) mortality may promote the importance of targeting populations at risk to improve survival. This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to estimate the association of pre-existing comorbidities with COVID-19 mortality. Methods We searched MEDLINE, SCOPUS, OVID, and Cochrane Library databases, and medrxiv.org from December 1st, 2019, to July 9th, 2020. The outcome of interest was the risk of COVID-19 mortality in patients with and without pre-existing comorbidities. We analyzed 11 comorbidities: cardiovascular diseases, hypertension, diabetes, congestive heart failure, cerebrovascular disease, chronic kidney disease, chronic liver disease, cancer, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, asthma, and HIV/AIDS. Two reviewers independently extracted data and assessed the risk of bias. All analyses were performed using random-effects models and heterogeneity was quantified. Results Eleven pre-existing comorbidities from 25 studies were included in the meta-analysis (n = 65, 484 patients with COVID-19; mean age; 61 years; 57% male). Overall, the between-study heterogeneity was medium, and studies had low publication bias and high quality. Cardiovascular disease (risk ratio (RR) 2.25, 95% CI = 1.60–3.17, number of studies (n) = 14), hypertension (1.82 [1.43 to 2.32], n = 13), diabetes (1.48 [1.02 to 2.15], n = 16), congestive heart failure (2.03 [1.28 to 3.21], n = 3), chronic kidney disease (3.25 [1.13 to 9.28)], n = 9) and cancer (1.47 [1.01 to 2.14), n = 10) were associated with a significantly greater risk of mortality from COVID-19. Conclusions Patients with COVID-19 with cardiovascular disease, hypertension, diabetes, congestive heart failure, chronic kidney disease and cancer have a greater risk of mortality compared to patients with COVID-19 without these comorbidities. Tailored infection prevention and treatment strategies targeting this high-risk population might improve survival.
Surgical Trends in Nephrolithiasis: Increasing De Novo Renal Access by Urologists for Percutaneous Nephrolithotomy

Purpose: Percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PCNL) has wide variability in the methods of renal access. In many centers, this is done as a separate nephrostomy procedure by interventional radiology, while other urologists gain initial access themselves during the PCNL. We aimed to characterize these trends to confirm the need for continued training in this aspect of PCNL. Methods: Using MarketScan insurance claims, we examined surgical volume for ureteroscopy (URS), extracorporeal shockwave lithotripsy (SWL), and PCNL during 2007-2017. For PCNL, current procedural terminology (CPT) codes were used to identify the provider performing the de novo renal access over time. We stratified postoperative outcomes for PCNL by provider type. Results: From 2007 to 2017, the annual proportion of PCNL procedures peaked at 4.5%, with a recent decline in 2016 and 2017 to 3.2%. URS steadily increased from 46.3% to 60.0% of procedures, and SWL mirrored that change with a decrease from 50.0% to 36.7%. Within 19,743 PCNLs, there was a notable increase from 12.8% to 32.3% in the number of procedures with urologists performing de novo renal access. Most cases (40.0%) still had a de novo access code assigned to a radiologist. Length-of-stay, readmission, transfusion, and secondary stone procedure rates were higher in the radiologist-gained access PCNLs. Conclusions: URS has surpassed SWL as the most common stone procedure. While the proportion of PCNLs has remained fairly stable over the last decade, urologists obtaining their own de novo access have increased substantially. Continued outreach efforts focused on urologist-obtained access may further increase this proportion and improve outcomes for PCNL.
The Telemedicine Takeover: Lessons Learned During an Emerging Pandemic.

Introduction: Health care systems rose to the challenges of COVID-19 by creating or expanding telehealth programs to ensure that patients could access care without an in-person appointment. Traditionally, physicians receive limited formal telemedicine training, making preparedness for this transition uneven. To describe challenges to and attitudes toward providing virtual patient care, we distributed a survey to physicians within our system who largely had no formal prior training/experience with telemedicine, but transitioned to routine telemedicine use. Data collected are then used to offer actionable recommendations for health system leaders and medical educators. Materials and Methods: Surveys were distributed to all faculty outpatient general internal medicine physicians working at any New York University Langone Health, New York City Health + Hospitals/Bellevue and Gouverneur, and the VA NY Harbor Health System (n = 378) in mid-2020. Survey items consisted of Likert and open-ended questions related to experience with televisits (13 items) and attitudes toward care (24 items). Results: Telehealth-related challenges varied by site and modality. Primary challenges included establishing a connection from the patient's (98%) or physician's end (84%) and difficulty in the following domains: working with team members (39%), physical examinations (95%), establishing new patient relationships (70%), and taking history (40%), among others. In thematic analysis, significant themes with illustrative qualitative commentary emerged related to technological challenges, new systems issues, and new patient/physician communication experiences. Discussion: Experience differences were rooted in the type of technology employed. Safety-net practices conducted mostly telephonic visits, whereas private outpatient sites utilized video, despite both using identical electronic medical records. As we consider a "new normal" and prolonged community transmission of COVID-19 infection, it is essential to establish telemedicine training, tools, and protocols that meet the needs of both patients and physicians.
Zero-shot Task Adaptation using Natural Language.

Imitation learning and instruction-following are two common approaches to communicate a user's intent to a learning agent. However, as the complexity of tasks grows, it could be beneficial to use both demonstrations and language to communicate with an agent. In this work, we propose a novel setting where an agent is given both a demonstration and a description, and must combine information from both the modalities. Specifically, given a demonstration for a task (the source task), and a natural language description of the differences between the demonstrated task and a related but different task (the target task), our goal is to train an agent to complete the target task in a zero-shot setting, that is, without any demonstrations for the target task. To this end, we introduce Language-Aided Reward and Value Adaptation (LARVA) which, given a source demonstration and a linguistic description of how the target task differs, learns to output a reward / value function that accurately describes the target task. Our experiments show that on a diverse set of adaptations, our approach is able to complete more than 95% of target tasks when using template-based descriptions, and more than 70% when using free-form natural language.
Disparities in smoking during pregnancy by sexual orientation and race-ethnicity.

Abstract The intersection between sexual orientation and race-ethnicity is emerging as an important dynamic for health. Prior research indicates that sexual orientation can have very different health implications for White, Black, and Latina individuals and that these patterns are unpredictable. Here we use U.S. data from the National Survey of Family Growth (2006–2019, n = 15,163 pregnancies) to examine how an important health indicator – smoking during pregnancy – is shaped jointly by sexual orientation and race-ethnicity. Smoking during pregnancy was more common among sexual minority women (both bisexual-identified and heterosexual-identified who expressed same-gender attraction/behavior), compared to heterosexual women. Second, the association between sexual orientation and smoking during pregnancy differed by race-ethnicity: sexual minority status was more strongly associated with smoking among Latina women, compared to White women. Finally, the subgroup with the highest rates of smoking during pregnancy was bisexual White women. These findings indicate that smoking rates among pregnant sexual minority women warrant attention (regardless of race-ethnicity), particularly as births within this group are rising. It is important to address structural factors that may create more stress for sexual minority women, since smoking is often a response to stress. These findings also highlight the role of heterogeneity: low smoking rates among pregnant Latina women mask within-group disparities.
Early head CT in post-cardiac arrest patients: A helpful tool or contributor to self-fulfilling prophecy?

Abstract Objective Neuroprognostication guidelines suggest that early head computed tomography (HCT) might be useful in the evaluation of cardiac arrest (CA) patients following return of spontaneous circulation. We aimed to determine the impact of early HCT, performed within the first 6 h following CA, on decision-making following resuscitation. Methods We identified a cohort of initially unconscious post-CA patients at a tertiary care academic medical center from 2012 to 2017. Variables pertaining to demographics, CA details, post-CA care, including neuroimaging and neurophysiologic testing, were abstracted retrospectively from the electronic medical records. Changes in management resulting from HCT findings were recorded. Blinded board-certified neurointensivists adjudicated HCT findings related to hypoxic-ischemic brain injury (HIBI) burden. The gray–white matter ratio (GWR) was also calculated. Results Of 302 patients, 182 (60.2%) underwent HCT within six hours of CA (early HCT group). Approximately 1 in 4 early HCTs were abnormal (most commonly HIBI changes; 78.7%, n = 37), which resulted in a change in management in nearly half of cases (46.8%, n = 22). The most common changes in management were de-escalation in care [including transition to do not resuscitate status), withholding targeted temperature management, and withdrawal of life sustaining therapy (WLST)]. In cases with radiographic HIBI, mean [standard deviation] GWR was lower (1.20 [0.10] vs 1.30 [0.09], P Conclusion Early HCT identified abnormalities in 25% of cases and frequently influenced therapeutic decisions. Neuroimaging interpretation discrepancies between radiology and neurointensivists are common and agreement on severity of HIBI on early HCT is poor (k 0.11).
Chapter 3 An IAA-Sensitive Vacuolar Chloride Channel

Publisher Summary Chloride channels have been found in intracellular organelles, such as endosomes, lysosomes, and Golgi, where they are present in parallel to an electrogenic proton translocating adenosine triphosphate (ATP)ase, and hence can control the pH gradient and membrane potential of these organelles. Based on single-channel behavior, chloride channels exhibit marked diversity in conductance, current-voltage relation, and regulation by modulators. The diversity of voltage-sensitive chloride channels suggests that there may be even more types of chloride channels to be discovered. Golgi, endosomes, and secretory granules contain chloride channels that are intimately involved in the control of the pH gradient generated by the H+-ATPase. Given the level of molecular diversity in Cl channels already identified, it is probable that there are several kinds of intracellular Cl channels. Using bovine kidney cortex, researchers isolated membranes were depleted of brush borders, but contained a variety of light intracellular organelles and some basolateral membranes. Vesicles that had CI but no significant K conductance will develop a membrane potential, positive inside. Using this assay, a large number of potential inhibitors were screened and it was found that the indanyl oxyacetic acids were reasonable inhibitors with an IAA-94 being the most potent in this system. This chapter discusses p64, as a vital component of the IAA-Sensitive Cl channel, in kidney and other cells, cloning of the p64 complementary DNA (cDNA), its location, and target area of action.
Applying GIS and Combinatorial Optimization to Fiber DeploymentPlans

A decision-support system for the Fiber Deployment Plan problem is developed for the telephone cable network design in the telecommunications industry. The system employs a Geographic Information System (GIS) and uses combinatorial optimization techniques as its components. A mathematical combinatorial optimization model is formulated for the problem and a heuristic solution procedure is developed for the model. A GIS within the ESRI Arc/INFO and ArcView environment is used to provide data needed to build the mathematical combinatorial optimization model and to furnish an interface between the users and computers in data input and in solution result display. Combinatorial optimization techniques are used in the heuristic solution procedure to find good solutions for the optimization model. The developed decision-support system has been used to real life problems and has resulted in tremendous improvements in the telephone cable network design process. The user is completely satisfied with the performance of the system.
Contract Duration: Evidence from Franchise Contracts

This study provides evidence on the determinants of contract duration using a large sample of franchise contracts. We find that the term of the contract systematically increases with the franchisee's physical and human capital investments, measures of recontracting costs, and the franchisor's experience in franchising (which we argue is negatively related to uncertainty about optimal contract provisions). These results are consistent with the hypothesis that the optimal contract duration involves a tradeoff between protecting the parties against potential hold-up of relationship-specific investment and reducing the flexibility that the parties have to respond to environmental changes.
Tiny ethics for big challenges: calling for an ethics of nanoscale science and technology

This article suggests that as we consider the social and ethical dimensions of nanotechnology development; inclusion of analyses of the role of human cognition is essential. Cognition is formed from sensory-motor experiences, beliefs, ambitions, and ideas; scientific research and technological development are expressive of these elements of cognition, ultimately in the technological goods we use and consume. By understanding the role of imagination, which is imbedded in the cognitive process, we will be better equipped to glean the meaning of the development of nanotechnology and to direct that development toward conscientious and humanitarian ends.
Managing and searching distributed multidimensional annotations with large scale image data

Advanced imaging applications are producing large-scale image data for medical diagnosis, part visualization and inspection, content retrieval, analysis, e-reporting, and so on. In many cases, service and non-textual annotations are made on top of the raw images to provide essential information on regions of interest, diseases, defects, evaluations, comments, and etc. These applications pose several challenges: i) Large data volume and the latency of data transfer over the Internet leads to a performance bottleneck; ii) The applications need advanced query support such as similarity queries on the multidimensional annotation data; and iii) Local applications need synchronizing data with a remote central database. In our work, we develop a general distributed multimedia data management system that achieves these goals by providing: i) an intelligent multimedia content caching system to support smooth local applications; ii) a loosely coupled extensible multi-indexing server to support different types of multimedia queries including similarity queries; iii) unified multimedia data access interfaces for universal data access; and iv) an integrated architecture that brings these technologies together into a robust system. The system is now successfully used to support image-based inspection and diagnosis applications such as global part inspection and knowledge database guided medical diagnosis.
Abstract 4417: Targeting Ras with small molecules that activate SOS-mediated nucleotide exchange

Proceedings: AACR Annual Meeting 2014; April 5-9, 2014; San Diego, CA Aberrant activation of Ras, by mutation or constitutively active upstream kinases, occurs in nearly 30% of all human cancers, rendering Ras one of the most validated targets in cancer drug discovery. Historically, the direct inhibition of Ras with small molecules has proven extremely difficult. Here we report the discovery of compounds that bind to a unique pocket on the Ras:SOS:Ras complex, which increase the rate of SOScat-catalyzed nucleotide exchange in vitro and modulate Ras signaling pathways in cells. X-ray crystallography reveals that the molecules bind in a hydrophobic pocket in the CDC25 domain of SOS, adjacent to the Switch II region of Ras. Structure-based mutational analyses confirmed the functional relevance of this binding site and demonstrated that it is essential for compound activity. Consistent with their increased exchange activity in vitro, these molecules increase Ras-GTP levels in cells. However, the compounds inhibit ERK and AKT phosphorylation; the ERK inhibition at high concentrations is accompanied by an increase of p-ERK levels at lower compound concentrations. These molecules represent a unique tool to study the acute activation of Ras and highlight a novel pocket on SOS that may be exploited to modulate Ras signaling. Citation Format: Olivia W. Rossanese, Michael C. Burns, Qi Sun, R. Nathan Daniels, DeMarco V. Camper, J. Phillip Kennedy, Jason Phan, Edward T. Olejniczak, Taekyu Lee, Alex G. Waterson, Stephen W. Fesik. Targeting Ras with small molecules that activate SOS-mediated nucleotide exchange. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 105th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2014 Apr 5-9; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2014;74(19 Suppl):Abstract nr 4417. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2014-4417
Chronic Illness Self‐Management in prediabetes: a concept analysis

rothenberger cd (2011) Journal of Nursing and Healthcare of Chronic Illness3, 77–86 Chronic Illness Self-Management in prediabetes: a concept analysis Aim. To explore the concept of self-management in prediabetes. Background. Type 2 diabetes is a global epidemic, resulting in significant morbidity and mortality. Effective management of prediabetes, primarily through lifestyle modification, has been demonstrated to significantly slow or prevent the onset of type 2 diabetes. A clear definition of self-management in prediabetes is needed to direct intervention and research. Methods. Concept analysis, as outlined by Walker and Avant (2005), was used to clarify the meaning of self-management in prediabetes. Conclusion. Defining attributes of self-management in prediabetes include setting of individualised goals, engagement in long term lifestyle modification, self-monitoring of progress, and collaboration with healthcare professionals. Antecedents, consequences and empirical referents are discussed. The concept is clarified through presentation of model, borderline, related and contrary cases. Relevance to clinical practice. Exploring the concept of self-management in prediabetes provides a structure for evidence based practice in type 2 diabetes prevention. Healthcare providers can advocate for antecedents to self-management and develop interventions to support attributes of self-management to assist individuals in slowing down or preventing the onset of type 2 diabetes.
In vivo assessment of amyloid-β deposition in nondemented very elderly subjects.

Objective This study examined amyloid-β (Aβ) deposition in 190 nondemented subjects aged ≥82 years to determine the proportion of Aβ-positive scans and associations with cognition, apolipoprotein E (APOE) status, brain volume, and Ginkgo biloba (Gb) treatment. Methods Subjects who agreed to participate had a brain magnetic resonance imaging and positron emission tomography scan with 11C-labeled Pittsburgh compound B (PiB) following completion of a Gb treatment clinical trial. The youngest subject in this imaging study was 82 years, and the mean age of the subjects was 85.5 years at the time of the scans; 152 (80%) were cognitively normal, and 38 (20%) were diagnosed with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) at the time of the PiB study. Results A high proportion of the cognitively normal subjects (51%) and MCI subjects (68%) were PiB-positive. The APOE*4 allele was more prevalent in PiB-positive than in PiB-negative subjects (30% vs 6%). Measures of memory, language, and attentional functions were worse in PiB-positive than in PiB-negative subjects, when both normal and MCI cases were analyzed together; however, no significant associations were observed within either normal or MCI subject groups alone. There was no relationship between Gb treatment and Aβ deposition as determined by PiB. Interpretation The data revealed a 55% prevalence of PiB positivity in nondemented subjects age >80 years and 85% PiB positivity in the APOE*4 nondemented elderly subjects. The findings also showed that long-term exposure to Gb did not affect the prevalence of cerebral Aβ deposition. ANN NEUROL 2013;73:751–761
Critical role of the JNK-p53-GADD45α apoptotic cascade in mediating oxidative cytotoxicity in hippocampal neurons.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Glutamate-induced oxidative stress plays a critical role in the induction of neuronal cell death in a number of disease states. We sought to determine the role of the c-Jun NH2-terminal kinase (JNK)-p53-growth arrest and DNA damage-inducible gene (GADD) 45α apoptotic cascade in mediating glutamate-induced oxidative cytotoxicity in hippocampal neuronal cells. EXPERIMENTAL APPROACH HT22 cells, a mouse hippocampal neuronal cell line, were treated with glutamate to induce oxidative stress in vitro. Kainic acid-induced oxidative damage to the hippocampus in rats was used as an in vivo model. The signalling molecules along the JNK-p53-GADD45α cascade were probed with various means to determine their contributions to oxidative neurotoxicity. KEY RESULTS Treatment of HT22 cells with glutamate increased the mRNA and protein levels of GADD45α, and these increases were suppressed by p53 knock-down. Knock-down of either p53 or GADD45α also prevented glutamate-induced cell death. Glutamate-induced p53 activation was preceded by accumulation of reactive oxygen species, and co-treatment with N-acetyl-cysteine prevented glutamate-induced p53 activation and GADD45α expression. Knock-down of MKK4 or JNK, or the presence of SP600125 (a JNK inhibitor), each inhibited glutamate-induced p53 activation and GADD45α expression. In addition, we also confirmed the involvement of GADD45α in mediating kainic acid-induced hippocampal oxidative neurotoxicity in vivo. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS Activation of the JNK-p53-GADD45α cascade played a critical role in mediating oxidative cytotoxicity in hippocampal neurons. Pharmacological inhibition of this signalling cascade may provide an effective strategy for neuroprotection.
MACROMOLECULAR PERMEABILITY OF CHICK WING MICROVESSELS : AN INTRAVITAL CONFOCAL STUDY

The development of the vertebrate limb requires the formation of a normal vasculature to nurture the soft and hard tissue phenotypes. The pattern of embryonic limb bud vessels has been extensively studied, but little is known about the permeability characteristics of the developing circulation. In the present study, the microvascular endothelial cell phenotype was examined by in vivo confocal microscopy following the systemic injection of a graded series of fluorescent dextrans (40,000, 70,000, 150,000 molecular weight) into chick embryos at stages 21–23 in order to determine how selective is the endothelial lining of microvessels as a partition between the blood vessels and the interstitium. Videodensitometry, over a gray scale range of 0–255, was used to quantitate the amount of tracer found within the interstitial compartment of the limb. The tracers of larger molecular weight (70,000, 150,000) were confined exclusively to the vascular lumina, whereas that of smaller molecular weight (40,000) was found to cause perivascular brightening due to extravasation into the surrounding interstitium. The reported differences in permeability were not dependent upon the stage of the embryo used in this study, but were due to the size of the tracer. These data indicate that embryonic wing microvessels demonstrate permselectivity to macromolecular efflux across the endothelium. The present results provide a basis for additional studies concerned with the dynamic characteristics of the limb microvasculature and challenge our concepts about the role of diffusible morphogens in vertebrate limb development.
Cognitive and Field Testing of a New Set of Medication Adherence Self-Report Items for HIV Care

We conducted four rounds of cognitive testing of self-report items that included 66 sociodemographically diverse participants, then field tested the three best items from the cognitive testing in a clinic waiting room (N = 351) and in an online social networking site for men who have sex with men (N = 6,485). As part of the online survey we conducted a randomized assessment of two versions of the adherence questionnaire—one which asked about adherence to a specific antiretroviral medication, and a second which asked about adherence to their “HIV medicines” as a group. Participants were better able to respond using adjectival and adverbial scales than visual analogue or percent items. The internal consistency reliability of the three item adherence scale was 0.89. Mean scores for the two different versions of the online survey were similar (91.0 vs. 90.2, p < 0.05), suggesting that it is not necessary, in general, to ask about individual medications in an antiretroviral therapy regimen when attempting to describe overall adherence.
SX-70: A unique system of dyes

Abstract The unique dye system incorporated in the Polaroid SX-70 photographic system is described and the mode of operation of the film in use is explained.
Proving Is Convincing and Explaining.

In mathematical research, the purpose of proof is to convince. The test of whether something is a proof is whether it convinces qualified judges. In the classroom, on the other hand, the purpose of proof is to explain. Enlightened use of proofs in the mathematics classroom aims to stimulate the students' understanding, not to meet abstract standards of “rigor” or “honesty.”
Light scattering measurement and theoretical interpretation of mutual diffusion coefficients in binary liquid mixtures

Abstract Mutual diffusion coefficients for eleven binary systems of simple organic liquids have been measured by laser light scattering. By separating the mutual diffusion coefficient into a kinetic diffusion coefficient and a thermodynamic factor, we have been able to analyze the dynamical information contained in the kinetic coefficient in terms of a simple hard sphere theory of molecular motion. The hard sphere model of the kinetic diffusion coefficient is shown to be accurate for ideal and moderately nonideal solutions, and for both spherical and very nonspherical molecules. Only for extremely nonideal solutions were we unable to interpret diffusion coefficient data by our methods of analysis.
The scope of nutrition intervention trials with cancer-related endpoints

The National Cancer Institute currently is supporting three full-scale dietary modification trials with cancer-related endpoints. These studies are the dietary component of the Women's Health Initiative, designed to determine whether a low-fat diet will reduce the incidence of breast and colorectal cancer and/or coronary heart disease; the Women's Intervention Nutrition Study, designed to test whether a dietary fat reduction program will decrease breast cancer recurrence and increase patient survival; and the Polyp Prevention Trial, designed to determine whether a low-fat, high-fiber diet will reduce the recurrence of adenomatous polyps. Design issues associated with these full-scale dietary modification outcome trials have been addressed successfully in a series of feasibility studies. The ability to achieve a sustained reduction of 50% in dietary fat intake with maintenance of nutritional adequacy has been demonstrated in randomized trials of postmenopausal populations with resected breast cancer and in populations at increased risk for breast cancer. In these studies comparing dietary fat reduction programs with control lifestyles, a series of associated biologic changes, consistent with the self-reported dietary alterations, have been observed. These changes include body weight reduction, serum and/or plasma estradiol concentration reduction, fasting plasma cholesterol concentration reduction, and alteration in free fatty acid levels. Such results provide a substantial basis for reliably estimating the level of adherence that can be anticipated in trials of dietary change, a prerequisite for appropriate calculation of the sample size needed for multicenter, full-scale outcome studies. As a result, the efficacy of a series of dietary alterations (including fat reduction, fiber addition, and/or increased fruit and vegetable intake) on cancer-related endpoints with potential major public health significance (breast cancer recurrence, breast cancer development, and colonic polyp recurrence) now are being addressed definitively in prospective clinical trials.
Economic sector, public employment, and income attainment in France

Abstract The development of the structural approach to the study of social stratification suggests that economic, organizational, and personal characteristics may be defined as resources that workers can grasp in order to improve their relative position in the stratification system. Recent emphasis on the role of the state in influencing the environment where negotiations between employers and workers take place has led us to examine income attainment in a country where state intervention is fairly extensive (France). We examine the ability of the state to alter the effects of relevant individual and structural characteristics on income attainment using a sample of 16,066 employed adults surveyed by the French Census Bureau in 1970. Our empirical results support several conclusions. First, the intervention of the state in France is of particular benefit to women, though men continue to receive greater returns to managerial authority, especially in the service sector of the French economy where public sector jobs are most prevalent. Further, the intervention of the state does not eliminate the economic benefits men receive from social origins in France. We conclude that the state has benefited women's attempts to gain a greater share of the economic “pie,” but that the distinctiveness of French culture continues to play an important role in determining stratification outcomes.
Assembly of the Mitochondrial Membrane System: Sequences of Yeast Mitochondrial Valine and an Unusual Threonine tRNA Gene

Abstract The mitochondrial DNA segments of two independently isolated ϱ − clones of S. cerevisiae carrying a genetic marker for a threonine tRNA have been characterized by restriction endonuclease analysis and DNA sequencing. The DNA sequences of the two segments have been used to deduce the primary and secondary structures of the tRNA. The threonine tRNA is unusual in having a leucine anticodon (3′-GAU-5′). Despite the anomalous anticodon, the tRNA is proposed to function in mitochondrial protein synthesis. One of the ϱ − clones contains an additional coding sequence that has been identified as a valine tRNA. The two tRNA genes have been located on the wild-type physical map and determined to be transcribed from two different strands.
Human placentae: view from an immunological bias.

: Human placentae form a major part of the interface between maternal and embryonic tissues. Placentae are morphologically complex organs that are lined with a trophoblastic tissue that provides anatomical constraints over which flows maternal blood. Maternal antibodies and immune cells thus contact the lining syncytiotrophoblast, and this paper considers some of the antigens that maternal immune components might encounter. The antigens have been grouped into those of unknown function, major histocompatibility antigens, and antigens of suspected function. The paper also details certain antigens of cytotrophoblasts. We discuss consequences of maternal immune responses to extraembryonic antigens and present evidence for amplification of these responses through the activation of hemostasis and fibrinolysis within the placenta and placental bed.
The AK Party's Islamic Realist Political Vision: Theory and Practice

The currently governing Turkish AK Party’s reformist agenda at home and its increasingly assertive policies abroad, like the “soft” and “hard” power elements of its foreign policy, reflect a remarkable coherence and continuity in the political vision of the party leadership. That vision—a contemporary manifestation (sometimes described as “neo-Ottomanism”) of an older tradition of Islamic realism—is explicated through a detailed analysis of the speeches and writings of the main AK Party leaders, as well as of their opponents within the Islamist movement, and correlated with actual policy practice. It is further suggested that the AK Party’s preoccupation with its traditional secular-nationalist (Kemalist) adversaries has left it unprepared to confront an even more formidable looming challenge: liberalism.
Sounds Associated with the Mating Behavior of a Mutillid Wasp

Pairs of Dasymutilla foxi produced a coordinated sound sequence while mating and attempting to mate. Two distinct sounds are made by these insects. Males and females produce stridulation, sounds made by rubbing abdominal parts together. Males can also honk by vibrating their wings. If mating was successful, the male and female both stridulated, alternating with each other at ca. 1-sec intervals. As the male approached a female, he produced 2-4 honks/sec. If the female was not receptive the male would seize her and continue to honk while the female stridulated 8-12 times/sec. The male appeared to immobilize the female partially with vibration and caused her to alter her stridulatory chirp. We suggest that this sound sequence plays an essential role in mating.
Random Impurities as the Cause of Smooth Specific Heats Near the Critical Temperature

We present a modification of the two-dimensional Ising model which incorporates random impurities. The specific heat of this model is infinitely differentiable even at the critical temperature where it possesses an essential singularity. We find this specific heat to be in perfect quantitative agreement with the smooth peak recently observed by van der Hoeven, Teaney, and Moruzzi for $T\ensuremath{\gtrsim}{T}_{c}$ in the specific heat of EuS.
Fatalities Associated with Nonconvective High-Wind Events in the United States

Abstract A database was compiled for the period 1980–2005 to assess the threat to life in the conterminous United States from nonconvective high-wind events. This study reveals the number of fatalities from these wind storms, their cause, and their unique spatial distributions. While tornadoes continue to cause the most wind-related fatalities per year, nonconvective high winds (defined as phenomena such as downslope and gap winds, gradient winds, dust storms, and winds associated with midlatitude cyclones) have the potential to fatally injure more people than thunderstorm or hurricane winds. Nonconvective wind fatalities occur more frequently in vehicles or while boating. Fatalities are most common along the West Coast and Northeast in association with passing extratropical cyclones, with fewer fatalities observed in the central United States despite this region’s susceptibility for high-wind gusts. A combination of physical and social vulnerabilities is suggested as the cause for the unique fatality dis...
Polymerization of actin without acrosomal exocytosis in starfish sperm: Visualization with NBD-phallacidin

Abstract Polymerized actin sperm of the starfish Pisaster ochraceus is stained intensely by NBD-phallacidin in the fluorescence microscope. Parallel phase contrast, Nomarski and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) illustrate other changes brought about in sperm treated with the calcium ionophore A23187 and NH 4 Cl. A complete acrosome reaction is elicited by A23187, including exocytosis of the acrosomal vesicle and formation of a long acrosomal process which is filled with polymerized actin. Considerable actin polymerization is caused by NH 4 Cl, but the acrosomal vesicle is not exocytosed. The various patterns of NH 4 Cl-mediated polymerization of sperm actin always include bundles which project backward from the actomere and often others which project quite far forward in front of the acrosomal vesicle. These patterns are discussed in terms of the possible triggers and mechanisms of forming actin bundles in sperm.
Is Psychology Really `the Study of Behavior'?: A Conceptual Analysis of `Behavior' and Some Recommendations on the Use of `Behavior' in Psychology

In this paper, we examine the concept `behavior' within the context of the development of American psychology. After explicating the term's meaning within ordinary usage, we argue that `behavior' i...
Enhancing oxide ion incorporation kinetics by nanoscale Yttria-doped ceria interlayers.

Interlayering 17.5 nm of Yttria-doped ceria (YDC) thin films between bulk yttria-stabilized-zirconia electrolyte and a porous Pt cathode enhanced the performance of low-temperature solid oxide fuel cells. The added YDC interlayer (14.11% doped Y2O3) was fabricated by atomic layer deposition and reduced the cathode/electrolyte interfacial resistances while increasing the exchange current density j0 by a factor of 4 at operating temperatures between 300–500 °C. Tafel plots and the fitted impedance data suggest that the charge transfer coefficient α of interlayered SOFCs was 1.25 times higher, and the electrode/interfacial activation energy was reduced from 0.85 to 0.76 eV.
Multilingual phone models for vocabulary-independent speech recognition tasks

Abstract This paper presents three different methods for developing multilingual phone models for flexible speech recognition tasks. The main goal of our investigations is to find multilingual speech units that work equally well in many languages. With such a universal set it is possible to build speech recognition systems for a variety of languages. One advantage of this approach is that acoustic–phonetic parameters in a HMM-based speech recognition system can then be shared. The multilingual approach starts with the phone sets of six languages, a total of 232 language-dependent and context-independent phone models. Then, we develop three different methods to map the language-dependent models to a multilingual phone set. The first method is a direct mapping to the phone set of the International Phonetic Association (IPA). In the second approach we apply an automatic clustering algorithm for the phone models. The third method exploits the similarities of single mixture components of the language-dependent models. Like the first method the language-specific models are mapped to the IPA inventory. In the second step an agglomerative clustering is performed on the density level to find regions of similarity between the phone models of different languages. The experiments carried out with the SpeechDat(M) database, show that the third method yields almost the same recognition rate as language-dependent models. However, using this method we achieve a huge reduction of the number of densities in the multilingual system.
Effects of juvenile hormone on electrophoretically separated fractions of haemolymph proteins of Oncopeltus fasciatus

Abstract Fifth-instar bugs were injected with juvenile hormone and 3 H-leucine at different times during the instar. Eleven protein bands were separated from the haemolymph by disk electrophoresis. The gels were scanned on a densitometer, sliced into small equal fractions, and used for liquid scintillation counting. The results show that juvenile hormone increases the rate of protein synthesis in band 8 and inhibits the synthesis of proteins in band 1. It is suggested that these effects are caused by the activation and inactivation of specific chromosomal loci. Since presumably little or no endogenous juvenile hormone is present in the fourth instar, the protein bands from the juvenile-hormone-treated fifth-instar and the normal fourth-instar bugs were compared. The results show that band 8 gives the same appearance in the normal fourth-instar as in the juvenile-hormone-treated fifth-instar bug.
Comparison of Adipose Tissue Fatty Acids with Dietary Fatty Acids as Measured by 24-hour Recall and Food Frequency Questionnaire in Black and White Adventists: The Adventist Health Study

Abstract PURPOSE: To calibrate and compare intake of different fats and individual fatty acids as assessed with a food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) against that estimated with (i) a series of dietary recalls and; (ii) the relative fat concentration in an adipose tissue biopsy. The FFQ was specially designed for use in a cohort of Seventh-day Adventists. In preparation for a large cohort study investigating the effect of diet on risk of colon, prostate and breast cancer. METHODS: The association of adipose tissue fatty acids and dietary fat intake was assessed in 49 black and 72 white Seventh-day Adventists subjects using 8 different 24-hour recalls, a 200-item food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) and adipose tissue biopsies from each subject. RESULTS: Pearson correlation between fatty acids in adipose tissue and dietary intake as assessed by multiple 24-hour recalls were as follows: Linoleic acid: 0.77 in black and 0.71 in white subjects, respectively; Linolenic acid: 0.68 (blacks) and 0.62 (whites); Total Polyunsaturated fat (PUFA): 0.78 (blacks) and 0.70 (whites); Total Monounsaturated fat (MUFA): 0.35 (blacks) and 0.03 (whites); Total Saturated fat (SFA): 0.46 (blacks) and 0.56 (whites). Correlations between fatty acids in adipose tissue and dietary intake as assessed by FFQ were: Linoleic acid: 0.61 (blacks) and 0.52 (whites), respectively; Linolenic acid: 0.29 (blacks) and 0.49 (whites); PUFA: 0.62 (blacks) and 0.53 (whites); MUFA: 0.07 (blacks) and 0.31 (whites), SFA: 0.21 (blacks) and 0.31 (whites). CONCLUSIONS: Our study confirms findings of others that 24-hour recalls are valid for assessing dietary intake of different types of fat. The FFQ we developed and used in this study gave reasonably valid measures of fatty acid intake in our population and is thus suitable for use in large cohort studies. It had validity comparable to that observed for other FFQs.
Ca2+-dependent proteolysis of the Ah receptor.

Abstract We previously reported ( J. Biol. Chem. (1986) 261 , 6352–6465) that the photoaffinity ligand for the Ah receptor, [ 125 I]-2-azido-3-iodo-7,8-dibromodibenzo- p -dioxin, upon incubation with the liver cytosol fraction from C57BL/6 mice, labeled in a 1:1 ratio two peptides that had apparent molecular masses of 95 and 70 kDa and similar proteolytic fragmentation patterns. In the cytosolic fraction of Hepa 1 cells, a cloned murine hepatoma cell line, the product of photoaffinity labeling is almost exclusively a 95-kDa peptide which is rapidly hydrolyzed by a Ca 2+ -dependent proteinase to a 70-kDa peptide as well as other fragments. Thus, the ligand binding unit of the Ah receptor in C57BL/6 mouse liver and Hepa 1 cell is a 95-kDa peptide, and the 70-kDa fragment is a proteolytic artifact. The Ca 2+ -dependent proteinase which hydrolyzes the 95-kDa peptide has the properties of calpain II: (i) an absolute requirement for Ca 2+ , with maximal activity at 0.5 to 1.0 m m Ca 2+ ; (ii) a pH optimum of 7.5 to 8.0; (iii) inhibition by EDTA, iodoacetamide, leupeptin and l - trans -epoxysuccinylleucylamido(4-guanidino)butane, but not by soybean trypsin inhibitor, aprotinin, or phenylmethanesufonyl fluoride. Upon Chromatographic separation of the liver cytosol of C57BL/6 mice on DEAE-Sephacel, Ca 2+ -dependent proteinase activity (using casein or the labeled 95-kDa peptide as substrates) elutes with 0.25 m NaCl, and a specific proteinase inhibitor elutes with 0.15 m NaCl. Ca 2+ -dependent proteinase activity that hydrolyzes the 95-kDa peptide is found in the liver cytosols of several mammalian species.
Apparent movement in phenomenal space.

The spatial and temporal variables in Korte’s third law of apparent movement were studied in pictorial arrays in which size constancy could be expected to prevail. The thresholds for apparent movement were determined under conditions in which two squares appeared on a plane either with or without perspective information for depth. The results suggest that apparent movement varies with the perceived depth separation only if the size of the stimulus pair is congruent with contextual depth representations. The obtained psychophysical function relating thresholds for third-dimensional movement to pictorial depth scale supports the view that apparent movement preserves gradient-of-texture information.