cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Traffic safety culture and prosocial driver behavior for safer vehicle-bicyclist interactions

Abstract Introduction: Bicyclist safety is a growing concern as more adults use this form of transportation for recreation, exercise, and mobility. Most bicyclist fatalities result from a crash with a vehicle. Often, the behaviors of the driver are responsible for the crash. Method: This survey study of Montana and North Dakota residents (n = 938) examined the influence of traffic safety culture on driver behaviors that affect safe interactions with bicyclists. Results: Prosocial driver behavior was most common and appeared to be intentional. Intention was increased by positive attitudes, normative perceptions, and perceived control. However, normative perceptions appear to offer the most opportunity for change. Practical Application: Strategies that increase perceptions that prosocial driver behavior is normal may increase prosocial intentions, thereby increasing bicyclist safety.
Skin-Friction and Forced Convection from Rough and Smooth Plates

Since the 1930s, theories for skin-friction drag from plates with rough surfaces have been based on analogy to turbulent flow within pipes having rough interiors. Failure of this analogy at low Reynolds number ($Re$) flow rates has frustrated attempts to create a comprehensive theory. By introducing the concept of a self-similar roughness, the present work derives formulas for a plate's skin-friction drag coefficient and turbulent forced convection given its root-mean-squared height-of-roughness and isotropic spatial period. These formulas are in agreement with measurements from Pimenta, Moffat, and Kays (1975), Bergstrom, Akinlade, and Tachie (2005), and experiments conducted by the present author. The present work also derives a formula for skin-friction coefficient of a smooth plate; this formula is in very close agreement with measurements from Smith and Walker (1959) and Spalding and Chi (1964) spanning 5 decades of $Re$. Its new formula for turbulent forced convection is in agreement with Lienhard (2020), while expanding the range to all fluid Prandtl numbers.
Passively achieving mode coalescence in acoustic waveguides with simple resonators

A double root, commonly referred to as an exceptional point (EP), for modal frequencies in a 2-D or 3-D waveguide can exhibit almost perfect absorption over a relatively broad frequency range. The key to the phenomenon is that the wall impedance is such that modes coalesce at a complex-valued frequency. In this talk we consider a novel approach to feasibly achieve the aforementioned wall impedance with the use of simple resonators, which can be shown to exhibit mode coalescence at distinct frequencies when treated as a unit cell component of a larger metasurface. In order to evaluate each unit cell design, an efficiency parameter, EP density, was created which quantifies the number of double root frequencies within a given range all while satisfying the following constraints: realizable resonator dimensions, scale separation, and target absorption/attenuation goals. Strategies capable of deriving the necessary resonator parameters for this effect are given. The impact of these strategies on feasibility and performance are discussed via simulated and numerical results. An experiment design consisting of additively manufactured Helmholtz resonators incorporated onto a custom-made impedance tube to simulate the resonant metasurface is discussed along with preliminary results. [Work supported by NSF.]
Testing Re-Engineered Discharge Program Implementation Strategies in SNFs.

The Re-Engineered Discharge (RED) program, designed for hospitals, is being trialed in skilled nursing facilities (SNFs) with promising results. This paper reports on the quantitative results of a ...
Does say-on-pay benefit shareholders?

We develop a conceptual, game theoretic model to analyse say-on-pay and understand whether it benefits shareholders. We analyse the traditional delegated-governance structure wherein shareholders delegate CEO compensation decision to the board. The board has an informational advantage and can collude with management for private benefits. We contrast this with an alternate governance structure referred to as owner-governance where shareholders determine compensation. Firm performance is dependent on CEO effort and stochastic factors. There are clear insights for policy. First, contrary to popular sentiment, say-on-pay does not improve shareholder welfare. Second, incentives for the CEO decrease shareholder welfare for the most part, because luck is a major factor. Third, shareholders are better off trading say-on-pay for the right to fire board members by dismantling board entrenchment, enabled by widely adopted staggered boards and poison pills. Entrenchment makes it prohibitively costly to remove and replace boards or a majority of board members.
The Role of Social Media in Psychiatry Recruitment: a Survey of Program Directors

This study assesses the utilization of social media profiles by psychiatry residency program directors when recruiting potential psychiatry residents and evaluates the attitudes of residency program directors toward social media profiles. In 2019, a 26-item survey was created via RedCap and sent to 239 program directors who participated in the 2019–2020 general psychiatry residency match. Program directors were asked about whether they reviewed the social media profile of applicants, when in the process, and whether decisions about ranking were made on the basis of the information found. Program directors were also asked about their general thoughts on social media. Eighty-one responses were received (34% of program directors). The majority of respondents noted that they did not formally review the social media profile of applicants (n = 79; 97.5%). Ten of those 79 (12.7%) noted that they informally reviewed applicants’ social media profiles. Nearly all respondents of the survey either agreed or strongly agreed that a psychiatrist’s duty of professionalism extends to behavior on social media. This study shows that the majority of program directors surveyed are not formally using applicants’ social media profiles in psychiatry residency recruitment. Program directors are performing this practice informally, however, and are interested in formal guidance in this area. Given the increasing dialogue regarding social media use in medicine, future studies should assess for what constitutes unprofessional behavior as well as creation of more formal guidelines to help program directors.
Antibody-Free Quantification of Serum Chromogranin A by Targeted Mass Spectrometry.

BACKGROUND Chromogranin A (CgA) is a 48 kDa protein that serves as a diagnostically sensitive, but nonspecific, serum biomarker for neuroendocrine tumors. Immunoassays for CgA are not standardized and have a narrow dynamic range, which requires dilution of concentrated specimens. We developed and validated an antibody-free, liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS)-based method for CgA without these limitations. METHODS CgA was extracted from serum using a mixed-mode anion exchange solid-phase extraction plate, digested with trypsin, and analyzed by LC-MS/MS using well-characterized CgA calibration standards. After validation, the mass spectrometry method was compared with the CISBIO immunoassay using 200 serum specimens previously submitted for CgA analysis. Specimens with discordant results were reanalyzed by high-resolution mass spectrometry- (HRMS) -based methods to assess the contribution of truncated and post-translationally modified forms of CgA. RESULTS The assay had a linear range of 50 to 50 000 ng/mL, recoveries between 89% and 115%, and intra- and interassay imprecision <10%. LC-MS/MS assay results showed a Pearson's correlation of r = 0.953 with the CISBIO immunoassay, with CgA values being a mean 2- to 4-fold higher. Concordance for CgA between the 2 assays was 80.9% (95% CI 72.8%-89.2%), showing substantial agreement. Truncation and posttranslational modification, including 2 phosphorylation sites that had not been previously observed or predicted to our knowledge, did not appear to contribute directly to discordance between the 2 assays. CONCLUSION Quantification of CgA by LC-MS/MS provides an analytically sensitive and reproducible alternative to commercially available immunoassays.
Explaining Pakistan’s Foreign Policy: Escaping India

1. Constructing Political Identity 2. Existential Threat 3. Strategic Depth 4. An Alliance to Ensure Survival 5. All Weather Friendship 6. Virtual Relocation 7. Pragmatic Bilateralism
In situ studies of Cd1−xZnxTe nucleation and crystal growth

Abstract The nucleation and growth of Cd1−xZnxTe crystals in a multi-zone vertical Bridgman growth furnace have been observed and measured using in situ eddy current sensor techniques. A two-coil eddy current sensor measured coil impedance changes for multifrequency which were then interpreted using an electromagnetic finite element analysis. The sensor was used to characterize the initial melting of a charge and the subsequent nucleation of solid during solidification. Fully remelted in situ compounded charges were exposed to significant melt superheating and were found to undergo large melt undercoolings (of up to 20°C), spontaneous crystal nucleation and rapid solidification (velocities approaching 60 mm/h which was more than 10 times the furnace translation rate). Post-growth metallography revealed that about 20 mm of polycrystalline solid was formed in this way before recalescence arrested the solidification interface. In partially remelted charges neither undercooling nor unstable growth were observed. These results indicate that eddy current sensors can be used to monitor critical aspects of the vertical Bridgman crystal growth of semiconducting materials and may simplify the implementation of seeded crystal growth concepts in this, and other, semiconductor crystal growth processes.
Studies on the mechanism of oxidative phosphorylation. I. Preparation and properties of a phosphorylating electron transfer particle from beef heart mitochondria.

Abstract Methods for the preparation of actively phosphorylating electron transport particles from beef heart mitochondrial suspensions are described. The stability of the phosphorylation process both in the beef heart mitochondria and the derivative particles is of a different order of magnitude from that of rat liver mitochondria. The maximum P/O ratios attainable with PETP are close to the highest values recorded in the literature. 2,4-Dinitrophenol abolishes oxidative phosphorylation except for substate level phosphorylation accompanying oxidation of α-ketoglutarate.
A Short Treatise on Fantasy Sports and the Law: How America Regulates its New National Pastime

America is in the midst of a “fantasy sports revolution” that is changing the way sports fans interact with one another. With more than 30 million Americans playing fantasy sports, today’s sports fans spend as much time predicting the performance of professional athletes as Wall Street investors spend predicting stocks and bonds. This article explains how U.S. law regulates the emerging fantasy sports industry. Part I of this article provides an overview of the history of fantasy sports leagues. Part II explores the fantasy sports industry today. Part III explains how U.S. laws apply to fantasy sports host sites. Part IV discusses how U.S. laws apply to fantasy sports participants. Finally, Part V applies U.S. laws to businesses that provide ancillary services to fantasy sports host sites and participants.
A Vision for World Forests: Results from the Council on Foreign Relations Study

Abstract The thesis of this paper centers on the premise that the twentieth century witnessed the start of a “Great Restoration” of the world's forests. Efficient farmers and foresters are learning to spare forestland by growing more food and fiber in ever-smaller areas. Meanwhile, increased use of metals, plastics, and electricity has eased the need for timber. The conventional wisdom, the “Skinhead Earth” scenario, holds that as much as 200 million hectares of forest will be lost in the next decades as agriculture extends to feed larger and richer populations. Current trends, however, suggest not balding but regrowth. Of course, industry has already taken big steps along the restoration path by sowing intensively managed “plantation” forests that act as wood farms. With economics already favoring intensive production, foresters should be able to lift the average world yield in lumbered forests to 5 cubic meters per hectare by 2050. The problem is the absence of a clear and widely shared goal to guide po...
Metal ion association in alcohol solutions—VIII: Lanthanide and alkaline earth perchlorates in aqueous methanol

Abstract Ultrasonic absorption measurements in aqueous methanol confirm the existence of outer-sphere complexes between perchlorate and alkaline earth ions. Both inner- and outer-sphere perchlorate complexes exist for Gd(III), Nd(III) and Er(III), with a structural change occuring in aqueous methanol solutions for the light lanthanides. At 25°C and water mole fraction of 0.20, the rate constant for the formation of the inner-sphere gadolinium perchlorate complex is (9.3 ± 1.7) × 10 8 sec −1 .
Intracardiac echocardiography-guided transcatheter aortic valve replacement

Echocardiographic imaging is an essential component of successful transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR). Currently, transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) is the imaging modality of choice for TAVR. However, a limitation of TEE is the need for general anesthesia and endotracheal intubation in most centers. Additionally, the TEE probe can obscure fluoroscopic views during valve positioning and deployment. Intracardiac echocardiography (ICE) has been used for imaging guidance for structural and valvular intervention, though its use has rarely been reported for primary imaging guidance during TAVR. Recently, a new volumetric three-dimensional intracardiac ultrasound (volume ICE) system has become available with the potential for improved visualization of intracardiac structures. We describe a recent TAVR case that was successfully performed with the use of volume ICE exclusively for imaging guidance. We found that assessment of valve positioning and aortic insufficiency were comparable to that provided by conventional TEE imaging, though there were several important limitations. ICE-guided TAVR may represent an important alternative to TEE for TAVR imaging guidance and possibly allow for less-intensive sedation or anesthesia.
Patient and Referring Practitioner Characteristics Associated With the Likelihood of Undergoing Bariatric Surgery A Systematic Review

Importance Although bariatric surgery is the most cost-effective treatment for severe obesity, less than 1% of severely obese patients undergo it. Reasons for this low use are unclear. Objectives To identify patient and referring practitioner characteristics associated with the likelihood of undergoing bariatric surgery. Evidence Review The PubMed, PsycINFO, CINAHL, and Cochrane databases were searched for articles published from January 1, 1998, through December 31, 2014. Studies were eligible if they presented descriptive data regarding facilitators or barriers to bariatric surgery or if they reported statistical associations between patient or practitioner characteristics and referral to or receipt of bariatric surgery. Frequency effect sizes were calculated as the proportion of studies reporting a finding. Findings Of the 7212 records identified in the initial search, 53 were included in full-text review. Nine studies met our inclusion criteria and were included in analyses. Of those, 4 included descriptive findings, 6 reported statistical associations, and 1 included both. One study included practitioners as participants, whereas 8 included patients. Four of 9 studies identified an association between female sex and a greater willingness to undergo bariatric surgery. Lack of knowledge about bariatric surgery was a barrier in 2 studies. Five of 9 cited patient concerns about the outcomes and safety of bariatric surgery as a barrier to undergoing it. Patients were more likely to pursue bariatric surgery when it was recommended by referring practitioners. Practitioners who believed that obesity treatment should be covered by insurance were more likely to recommend bariatric surgery. Conclusions and Relevance Limited patient and referring practitioner knowledge about the safety and effectiveness of bariatric surgery are important barriers to bariatric surgery use. Future efforts focused on improving knowledge and identification of the critical determinants of obesity treatment decision making from the practitioner and patient perspectives would have an important effect on public health.
Floods in a changing climate

Atmospheric warming and associated hydrological changes have implications for regional flood intensity and frequency. Climate models and hydrological models have the ability to integrate various contributing factors and assess potential changes to hydrology at global to local scales through the century. This survey of floods in a changing climate reviews flood projections based on sources of precipitation, ice and snow melt, and coastal inundation. Topographic and anthropogenic influences that exacerbate or reduce flood risks by altering surface runoff, infiltration, storage, and precipitation development are also considered. Flood mitigation and adaptation strategies for infrastructure, agriculture, public health, and local communities are explored along with uncertainties and challenges in flood research. Recent and upcoming datasets to help with future flood monitoring and prediction include satellite missions, advanced radar, and in-situ networks.
Identification and control of a single-link flexible manipulator

Model identification and control of a single-link, very flexible manipulator is carried out. The objective is first to find the transfer functions relating the tip position to the motor position and the motor position to the motor current, and then to use the transfer functions to control the tip position of the manipulator. Because of the nonlinearities introduced by the static friction of the motor and due to very low damping of the manipulator, classical frequency-domain techniques cannot be used to find the transfer functions, so a novel method is proposed. A set of experiments has been performed, and transfer functions which fit this data have been obtained. The control scheme contains an inner loop for the motor position and an outer loop for the tip position. For the outside loop, feedforward control and the computed torque techniques are evaluated. >
Using tree core samples to monitor natural attenuation and plume distribution after a PCE spill.

The potential of using tree core samples to detect and monitor natural attenuation of perchloroethene (PCE) in groundwater was investigated at a PCE-contaminated site. In the area of the known plume with PCE concentrations between 0.004 and >40 mg/L, cores were collected from tree trunks at a height of about 1 m above ground surface. Tree sampling of the site was completed in under six hours. Chlorinated ethenes were analyzed by headspace GC/MS. PCE (0.001 to 7 mg/kg) and natural attenuation products, TCE (<0.001 to 0.4 mg/kg) and c-DCE (<0.001 to 0.46 mg/kg), were detected in tree cores. 1,1-dichloroethene and vinyl chloride were not detected, corresponding to very low concentrations in the groundwater. The contaminant plume was mapped from the concentrations measured in trees, which delineated a probable hot spot area that had been undetected in decades of traditional groundwater monitoring. Natural attenuation products in tree cores increased with distance from the known source area. Concentrations of ...
Age-Parity-Nuptiality-Specific Stable Population Model That Recognizes Births to Single Women

Abstract The age-parity-nuptiality model so far considered by demographers does not allow single women to have children, and all births are attributed to married women. The present paper is an attempt to extend the age-parity-nuptiality model by removing this restriction on single women. Mathematical expressions for the computation of intrinsic rates from the integral equation and projection approaches are derived. The model is applied to the U.S. female population for the year 1970.
Gas chromatography–mass spectrometry/mass spectrometry analysis to determine natural and post-administration levels of oestrogens in bovine serum and urine

Abstract A novel analytical approach has been developed and shown to be capable of detecting the isomers of oestradiol in the low ppt (pg mL −1 ) range in bovine serum and urine. Following extractive derivatisation the analytes were detected as their 3-pentafluorobenzoyl 17-trimethylsilyl ether derivatives by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry/mass spectrometry (GC–MS/MS), using electron capture negative ion chemical ionisation. The isomers of oestradiol were quantified in both blank and post-administration urine and serum samples, with a view to setting action/threshold levels for these compounds, to allow discrimination between normal samples and samples from animals treated with growth promoting ear implants. A non-parametric statistical assessment of the data resulted in proposed action levels (with a false positive probability of 1 in 1000) of 1.6 and 2.7 ng mL −1 for 17α-oestradiol, in male and female urine, respectively, and 40 and 44 pg mL −1 for 17β-oestradiol, in male and female urine, respectively. An action level of 20 pg mL −1 was proposed for 17α- and 17β-oestradiol in male serum. In female serum the proposed action levels were 40 and 20 pg mL −1 for 17α- and 17β-oestradiol, respectively.
Polychlorinated biphenyl-induced suppression of cytotoxic T lymphocyte activity: role of prostaglandin-E2.

Abstract Prostaglandin-E2 (PGE2) was investigated for its role in suppression of splenic cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) activity following exposure to 3,3′,4,4′,5,5′-hexachlorobiphenyl (HxCB) in mice. Following i.p. alloantigen injection, PGE2 levels significantly increased in peritoneal fluid and in spleen cell culture supernatants. HxCB exposure (1) significantly elevated PGE2 levels above control in peritoneal fluid, (2) significantly reduced production of PGE2 by spleen cells, and (3) did not alter PGE2 production by peritoneal cells. The levels of PGE2 observed were below (> 100-fold) those shown by others to cause immune suppression, and splenic CTL activity was unaltered by indomethacine treatment sufficient to reduce peritoneal PGE2 to undetectable levels. We conclude that altered PGE2 production is not involved in suppression of CTL activity by HxCB.
Observed episodic warming at 86 and 100 km between 1990 and 1997: Effects of Mount Pinatubo Eruption

Along with initial observations, our regular lidar temperature measurements over Fort Collins, CO (41°N, 105°W) in the rarely probed mesopause region has resulted in a unique seven-year data set between 1990 and 1997. After the seasonal variations are removed, a clear episodic warming is observable in the time series of residual temperatures. Least squares fitting the residual temperatures to an episodic impact function plus a linear trend shows maximum temperature increases occurring in 1993 with magnitudes of 9.0±1.7 K and 12.9±1.8 K, at 86 km and 100 km, respectively. By association, we attribute the Mount Pinatubo eruption in June, 1991, as the most probable primary cause for the observed warming, supporting a connection between tropical stratospheric aerosol and temperatures in a midlatitude mesopause region. It is hoped that our lidar observation from a single location will stimulate similar investigations at other latitudes and longitudes.
SU-E-T-444: A Comparison of Single-Field Vs Multi-Field Delivery Uncertainty in Proton Therapy

Purpose: To evaluate of the impact of uncertainty on proton plan delivery when one field per fraction treatment regimes (SFPF) are used rather than delivering all planned fields for every fraction (MFPF). Methods: A nominal proton treatment plan (NP) was created in Eclipse (Varian) to treat a spherical target to 54Gy using parallel‐opposed fields. The fields created in the NP were applied to geometries with uncertainties introduced. Uncertainty was simulated for four scenarios: a 1cm shift in one of the fields for 10 of 30 fractions, a 5° rotation of the patient for 10 of 30 fractions, and unilateral introduction of 3cm of bone or air for 10 of 30 fractions. The full treatment was calculated using summed plans for the SFPF case is delivered and the MFPF case. The results of the SFPF and MFPF plan sums were compared to each other and the NP by calculating Dmax/min/mean along with V90,95,98,99,100%. Dmax/min/mean were also compared for an OAR placed contralateral to the introduced uncertainty. Results: The cases for 5° rotations introduced, showed no significant difference from the NP. In all other cases, the introduced uncertainty degraded the treatment delivery with the most significant difference in the target Dmin. The SFPF treatments consistently showed a decrease in Dmin compared to the MFPF treatment. For the introduction of air and bone the SFPF treatments exhibit increases of 1.5% and 20% respectively. With bone introduced, V95 and V90 suffered an additional 3% and 4% for SFPF treatments. With air introduced, dose to the Dmax, Dmin, and Dmean were increased by 14, 16, and 20% respectively for SFPF treatments. Conclusion: Tumor response and minimum target dose can be correlated. In the presence of uncertainty, SFPF treatment regimes may Result in a decreased tumor response and increased OAR dose.
The effects of repeated social defeat on long-term depressive-like behavior and short-term histone modifications in the hippocampus in male Sprague–Dawley rats

Social stress has been linked to several neuropsychiatric diseases, including depression, which is a debilitating disease that has genetic, environmental, and epigenetic underpinnings. This study examined the effects of repeated social defeat on both depressive-like behaviors and histone acetylation in the hippocampus, amygdala, and dorsal prefrontal cortex of male Sprague-Dawley rats. Subjects were exposed to four consecutive social defeats. Depressive-like behaviors were assayed in the sucrose preference, forced swim, contextual fear, and social approach and avoidance tests. Histone H3 and H4 acetylation in the hippocampus, amygdala, and prefrontal cortex were examined by Western blots under basal conditions and at several time points. We also investigated the potential involvement of N-methyl-d-aspartic acid (NMDA) receptors and glucocorticoid receptors (GR) by injecting respective antagonists prior to each social defeat and examining their effect on histone acetylation in the hippocampus. Social defeat resulted in behavioral changes in the forced swim, social avoidance, and contextual fear tests nearly 6 weeks after defeat, with no change in sucrose preference. Additionally, histone H3 acetylation was increased in the hippocampus 30 min following the last defeat and was not blocked by antagonism of either NMDA or GR receptors. There were no changes in histone H4 acetylation. These results indicate that social defeat induces several long-lasting depressive-like behaviors in rats and induces a significant, short-lived increase in H3 acetylation in the hippocampus, although the underlying mechanism behind this change warrants further investigation.
Standing laparoscopic-assisted vaginal ovariohysterectomy in a mare

Summary A 20-year-old Arabian mare presented to Washington State University Veterinary Teaching Hospital for evaluation of haemorrhagic vaginal discharge of 3 months' duration. The referring veterinarian had identified a mass within the uterine wall via transrectal ultrasonographic examination. On presentation, the mare had an unremarkable physical examination with the exception of a mild haemorrhagic vaginal discharge. Rectal palpation was performed and an approximately 9 cm diameter mass with a granular texture was identified associated within the uterine body and left uterine horn. Endoscopic examination of the reproductive tract revealed a linear defect in the ventral uterine wall near the cervix with direct communication into the abdomen. Standing laparoscopic-assisted vaginal ovariohysterectomy (OHE) was performed, which involved laparoscopic facilitated dissection and haemostasis of uterine and ovarian structures, and inversion of the uterus through the cervix. Removal of the uterus was performed vaginally. No post operative complications were noted. Standing laparoscopic-assisted vaginal OHE is an alternative to traditional OHE techniques. This technique allowed for excellent direct visual observation during dissection and ligation and did not require general anaesthesia.
Supporting Early Childhood Teachers to Promote Children's Social Competence: Components for Best Professional Development Practices.

There is a growing recognition that young children’s social competence is critical because it is positively associated with their school readiness and academic success. However, professional development (PD) opportunities for early childhood teachers to enhance their roles in promoting young children’s social competence are limited. In this article, five key components of best PD on social competence for early childhood teachers are recommended. These include (1) identifying PD content based on participants’ contextual needs; (2) sequencing PD aligned with the positive behavior support framework; (3) providing opportunities for participants to receive feedback on their implementation; (4) guiding participants to reflect on their own practices; and (5) embracing socio-cultural perspectives throughout the PD.
Hematogenous cells in the central nervous system of developing human embryos and fetuses

Examination of large blocks of Epon-embedded, 1.0-micrometer sections of human embryos and fetuses reveal the presence of hematogenous cells in various stages of differentiation in neural tissue. In every embryo and fetus of 10 weeks ovulation age and younger, hematogenous cells are found randomly scattered in the cerebrum, cerebellum, and spinal cord. Many of these cells appear to undergo spontaneous degeneration in neural tissue and become rarer in older fetuses. Also identified in the neuropil of normal embryos and fetuses are cells with the typical morphological appearance of macrophage containing numerous inclusions of various kinds, both inside and outside the blood vessels. In addition, scattered in the subpial, perivascular, and perineuronal regions of the neural parenchyma are small cells with fusiform nuclei and a small amount of cytoplasm as well as cells with a moderate amount of elongated cytoplasm containing various inclusions and oblong nuclei. All of these cells have clumped heterochromatin along the nuclear membrane which differs from other neuroectodermal cells of the developing human CNS. Although there is no direct evidence to indicate transformation of macrophages to "microglia" or vice versa, the presence of cells having similar nuclear morphology and chromatin pattern while appearing to be transitional forms of macrophage, varying from undifferentiated to fully developed, suggest a common lineage of these latter types. It is concluded that migration of hematogenous cells into neural tissue is a ubiquitous developmental phenomenon in young human embryos and fetuses.
Key Nodes Modeling for Object Detection and Location on Construction Site using Color-Depth Cameras

Object detection and tracking is a challenging problem in the dynamic construction environment, especially for objects with kinematic joints and changing poses, e.g. excavators. This paper presents a kinematic key nodes model for dynamically detecting and locating movable objects in construction sites using colordepth cameras. The key nodes model is designed by first analyzing kinematic constraints from mechanic specifications of interested construction site objects and then building representative segmented contour templates under supervision. Feature matching is realized by comparing the real object components and segmented contour templates in a traversal order of the tree structure for all the key nodes. Since colordepth cameras capture not only images, but also the distance between detected objects and the camera itself in a format of three-dimensional (3D) point clouds, the 3D spatial location of an object is obtained by linking the image coordinate of each detected key node with the 3D point coordinates. This proposed framework showed great potential in construction monitoring and safety management.
Development and War

How truly global are international politics? Are the causes of war within the international system uniform across regions and times? Standard analyses of the sources of conflict in the international system assume they are and seek out general patterns across enormous "all-dyad" data sets. Understandably, collection of detailed information about the contexts of different times or places is impossible when one must gather data about a million observations. The hypotheses evaluated against the evidence contained in these data sets almost never allow for the possibility of regional or temporal context being important. The general theory underlying such analyses is almost always based on the experience of the Western, or at best developed, world and is assumed to offer insights into timeless and placeless realities of world politics. When researchers do investigate their claims within an international subsystem, they unfortunately most often restrict themselves to consideration of the great powers.1 In the course of such analyses we have learned a lot about widely important correlates of international conflict. But we have ignored the questions raised above. In short, we do not know how truly global international politics are. We do not know if the causes of war are similar across regions or times. We have failed even to ask. Others do ask. More accurately, others assert that the general patterns international relations (IR) researchers claim exist based on their all-dyads analyses do not really exist. The area specialists' complaints that "It doesn't happen that way in Madagascar" are only the most pedestrian of such instances. Far more pertinent are arguments specifying why Western-biased Great Power-based IR theories are of limited applicability in other spatial or temporal domains. For example, with respect to neorealism's fundamental concept of security, Mohammed Ayoob (1991:263) writes: "The application of this historically conditioned definition of the concept of security to the analysis of Third World situations has, however, created major conceptual problems. This is so because the three major characteristics of the concept of state security as developed in the Western literature on international relations--namely, its external orientation, its strong linkage with systemic security, and its binding ties with the security of the two major alliance blocs-are, if not totally absent, at least thoroughly diluted in the Third World. Thus, the explanatory power of the concept, as traditionally defined, is vastly reduced when applied to Third World contexts." In a volume about Africa in the international system, Christopher Clapham (1996:3) contends: "International relations has tended, understandably enough, to look at the world from the viewpoint of its most powerful states ... Yet most of the world's states . . . are poor, weak and subordinate. Most of the people in them are poorer, weaker and more subordinate still. International politics affects these states and people in ways that often differ appreciably from the ways in which it affects the
Conventional protein kinase C isoforms regulate human dopamine transporter activity in Xenopus oocytes

The hypothesis that specific protein kinase C (PKC) isoforms regulate dopamine transporter (DAT) function was tested in Xenopus laevis oocytes expressing human (h)DAT. Activation of conventional PKCs (cPKCs) and novel PKCs (nPKCs) using 10 nM phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA) significantly inhibited DAT-associated transport currents. This effect was reversed by isoform-non-selective PKC inhibitors, selective inhibitors of cPKCs and δPKC, and by Ca2+ chelation. By contrast, the ϵPKC translocation inhibitor peptide had no effect on PMA-induced inhibition of hDAT transport-associated currents. Thus, the primary mechanism by which PMA regulates hDAT expressed in oocytes appears to be by activating cPKC(s).
cAMP-dependent phosphorylation and inactivation of yeast transcription factor ADR1 does not affect DNA binding.

Abstract Transcription factor ADR1 increases the level of ADH2 gene expression 200-fold by binding to a palindromic upstream activation sequence (UAS1) in the glucose-repressible ADH2 promoter in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. cAMP-dependent protein kinase (cAPK) phosphorylates ADR1 in vitro and a yeast strain with elevated cAPK activity inhibits the ability of ADR1 to activate ADH2 transcription in vivo [Cherry, J. R., Johnson, T. R., Dollard, C., Schuster, J. R. & Denis, C. L. (1988) Cell 56, 409-419]. Intact ADR1 protein was detected at comparable levels in extracts made from repressed or derepressed yeast cells, indicating that glucose repression is not due to absence of ADR1. ADR1 in extracts made from glucose-repressed and -derepressed cells bound UAS1 DNA with similar affinities despite having greatly different abilities to activate ADH2 gene expression in vivo. A mutant form of ADR1 encoded by ADR1-5c, which has an altered consensus sequence for phosphorylation by cAPK conferred constitutive expression on ADH2 but bound DNA to the same extent as wild-type ADR1 protein. Similarly, normal DNA binding was seen for ADR1 produced in mutants with altered levels of cAPK activity. Because inactivation of ADR1 by phosphorylation has no detectable effect on either DNA binding or ADR1 levels, ADR1 probably binds to UAS1 constitutively and phosphorylation prevents it from promoting transcription.
High and Low Cognitive Risk For Depression: Stability From Late Adolescence to Early Adulthood

Negative cognitive styles are an important cognitive vulnerability for depression, but stability of high cognitive risk, once developed, is unclear. The current study examined stability of cognitive vulnerability to depression in individuals at high and low cognitive risk (extreme scores on both the CSQ and DAS) over a 7-year period from late adolescence through early adulthood. Cognitive vulnerability showed high relative stability, as evidenced by the moderate to high correlation (rs = 0.62) between cognitive risk status at study onset and at final assessment 7 years later. Consistent with stability, subgroups were identified using growth mixture modeling, and most cognitively high-risk (62.22% for CSQ, 68.89% for DAS) and low-risk (55.05% for CSQ, 57.96% for DAS) participants showed stable trajectories of cognitive vulnerability. Despite this overall pattern of stability, small mean group changes were found, and a minority of participants showed changing trajectories, consistent with regression toward the mean. Predictors of change and implications for risk for depression in high- and low-risk individuals are discussed.
Volume fraction determination of Kevlar 49/epoxy composites

A knowledge of filament, matrix, and void content is generally required in order to characterize and study composite materials. It is difficult to obtain such data for Kevlar 49/epoxy composites due to chemical attack of the Kevlar filaments when techniques developed for other composite systems are used. This paper presents a chemical dissolution technique for Kevlar 49/epoxy composites by which less than one percent loss of the filament weight occurs. The procedure involves swelling the epoxide matrix in hot dimethylsulfoxide and then rapidly dissolving the degraded epoxide in a nitric aciddimethylsulfoxide solution. This technique allows the determination of filament, matrix, and void volume fractions of Kevlar 49/epoxy composites with a single procedure and has been successfully applied to fabric and filament-wound composites and to a variety of epoxides. Results obtained with this dissolution technique show excellent agreement with those from optical and weight-difference methods.
Balancing the risks and benefits of fish for sensitive populations

In recent years, a number of concerns have been raised about the safety of fish. Environmental pollutants that accumulate in selected seafood products have caused some to regard fish as potentially dangerous for fetuses, nursing infants and young children. Yet, nutritionists contend that seafood can provide benefits which far outweigh the risks. In this review, we will briefly discuss the health benefits of eating fish, and compare these to the risks from two environmental pollutants (mercury and polychlorinated biphenyls or PCBs). In addition, we will provide advice for sensitive populations (women who will become pregnant, pregnant or nursing women, and children younger than 6 years of age), which can help them to make informed decisions involving fish consumption. The ultimate goal is to maximize the benefits and minimize the risks from eating seafood.
THE ANOMALOUS AND ASYMMETRIC NATURE OF EQUITY RETURNS: AN EMPIRICAL SYNTHESIS

On the basis of seemingly anomalous common stock returns, several authors have concluded that the mean and variance testing paradigm is incomplete and that an unspecified missing factor or factors exist. This work advances distributional asymmetry as a reasonable explanation of the empirical results. This position is supported by evidence indicating that “variance,” “size,” and “price per share” effects are more closely associated with the second and third moments than with the first and second.
Results on the propositional μ-calculus

Abstract In this paper we define and study a propositional μ-calculus L μ, which consists essentially of propositional modal logic with a least fixpoint operator. L μ is syntactically simpler yet strictly more expressive than Propositional Dynamic Logic (PDL). For a restricted version we give an exponential-time decision procedure, small model property, and complete deductive system, theory subsuming the corresponding results for PDL.
Some recent results on the modified SOR theory

Abstract For the solution of the linear system Ax=(I−T)x=c (1), where T is a weakly cyclic of index p⩾2 matrix of a special structure, the block SOR method with different relaxation factors associated with the row blocks of A is considered. First, a well-known relationship connecting the eigenvalue spectra of the block Jacobi matrix T of A and its associated modified SOR (MSOR) matrix is proved for all p⩾3, via an approach due to Varga, Niethammer, and Cai. Next, it is shown that the matrix analogue of the eigenvalue relationship holds at least for p=3. This, together with the facts that the matrix analogue holds true for p=2 and also for any p⩾3, provided all relaxation factors coincide, suggests a more general validity of the aforementioned matrix identity. Then, based on the matrix relationship, an equivalence is established between the MSOR method and a stationary p-parameter p-step iterative one for the solution of (1). So one can study convergence properties and determine optimal parameters of both methods by studying the simpler of the two, that is, the p-step one. Finally, some applications of the theory developed when p=2 are presented, and a brief discussion concerning comparisons of the optimum MSOR and AOR methods in a specific case is given.
Algorithms for nonintegral degrees of multiprogramming in closed queuing networks

Abstract The average degree of multiprogramming (DMP) in closed queuing networks is usually assumed to be an integer. Computational algorithms (i.e., normalization constant methods, mean value analysis methods) iterate on, and require, integral DMP values. However, in practice, the average measured DMP is rarely integer-valued. In this paper we present algorithms for the computation of performance measures when the DMP is allowed to be any positive real-valued number. The algorithms match the known performance values when the DMP happens to be an integer. In this respect, the algorithms provide a continuous curve through the known integer-valued points. However, the different algorithms give different results at the noninteger-valued points. The different algorithms are based upon integral DMP algorithms. Two algorithms, DNC and αMVA, are presented which are computationally more efficient and not as cumbersome to implement as the obvious interpolation technique. The interpretation and implications of assuming a nonintegral number of customers in a closed queuing network are given.
Molybdena on titania: I. Preparation and characterization by Raman and Fourier Transform Infrared spectroscopy

Abstract Titania-supported molybdenum and cobalt-molybdenum catalysts were prepared by the dry impregnation and equilibrium adsorption techniques. Raman and Fourier Transform Infrared spectroscopy were used to follow the changes the catalysts underwent during the drying and calcination stages. The results indicate that the nature of the surface species depends on the loading, pH of the starting solution and the method of catalyst loading. It was found, for coverages calculated to be less than a monolayer, that the main surface species are tetrahedral molybdates. As the loading increases, octahedrally coordinated polymeric surface species form. Above the monolayer coverage, MoO3 is also formed. After calcination the spectra of catalysts prepared by the equilibrium adsorption technique change much less than those for catalysts prepared by the dry impregnation technique. Addition of cobalt to titania-supported molybdenum catalysts suppresses the formation of bulk MoO3 and leads to the formation of a cobalt molybdate phase. The results show that surface molybdates interact strongly with the support, TiO2.
Scalable motion vector coding for MC-EZBC

In the scalable video coder MC-EZBC, the scalability for motion vectors was not provided, and this greatly impacts its performance when scaling down to very low bit rates and resolutions. Here we enhance MC-EZBC with scalable motion vector coding using the Context based Adaptive Binary Arithmetic Coder (CABAC). Both a layered structure for motion vector coding and an alphabet general partition (AGP) of the motion vector symbols are employed for SNR and resolution scalability of the motion vector bitstream. With these two new features and the careful arrangement of the motion vector bitstream output from the existing MC-EZBC, we obtain temporal, SNR, and resolution scalability for motion vectors. This significantly improves both visual and objective performance at low bit rates and resolutions with only a slight PSNR loss (about 0.05 dB), but no detectable visual loss, at high bit rates.