cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Examining the effectiveness of a coordinated perinatal mental health care model using an intersectional-feminist perspective

Untreated perinatal depression and anxiety are significant public health problems that disproportionately affect ethno-racial minorities. The purpose of this study was to examine the effectiveness of a coordinated perinatal mental health care model, focusing on socially-disadvantaged, ethno-racial minority women, with an intersectional-feminist perspective. The treatment model was grounded in intersectionality theory with the aim of addressing complex social vulnerability factors in the context of perinatal mental health treatment. Participants were 67 perinatal women (64% African American or Hispanic/Latina) referred by medical providers at an urban teaching hospital. Results demonstrated high treatment engagement and effectiveness, with 65.9% of participants demonstrating reliable improvement in symptoms. Moreover, African American and Hispanic/Latina patients had similar treatment outcomes compared to White patients, despite facing greater socio-economic disadvantages. Findings indicate that the treatment model may be a promising approach to reducing perinatal mental health disparities. Strengths and limitations of the study are discussed within the intersectionality framework.
Video Game Play, Mathematics, Spatial Skills, and Creativity—A Study of the Impact on Teacher Candidates

This chapter explores the relationships among video gaming, spatial skills and creativity in mathematics education. Specifically, it highlights the importance of spatial abilities for pre-service elementary teachers, and suggests video games as a teaching approach for potentially enhancing creativity, spatial abilities, and mathematics performance. We argue that spatial abilities deserve more attention in mathematics education, as a major predictor of achievements in science, technology, engineering, and mathematical fields. To support this notion, we describe an experimental study that examined the effects of playing the Angry Birds and Action Video recreational video games on education majors’ math problem-solving and perceptions, math anxiety, working memory, and spatial skills. Individuals with high spatial abilities had significantly higher confidence in learning mathematics, ACT mathematics, science, composite scores, as well as geometry, word, and non-word math problem solving than individuals with low spatial abilities. In addition, students with low spatial abilities had significantly higher math anxiety. After ten hours of playing, both video game intervention groups significantly improved their spatial skills, working memory, and geometry performance from pre- to post-test. These findings suggest potential impact of video gaming in mathematics education and open new horizons for future research that explores how schools and homes working together with strategic gaming plans can help students improve their spatial reasoning and problem solving. The chapter concludes with future research suggestions on spatial abilities and creativity in mathematics education.
Machine-learning the configurational energy of multicomponent crystalline solids

Machine learning tools such as neural networks and Gaussian process regression are increasingly being implemented in the development of atomistic potentials. Here, we develop a formalism to leverage such non-linear interpolation tools in describing properties dependent on occupation degrees of freedom in multicomponent solids. Symmetry-adapted cluster functions are used to differentiate distinct local orderings. These local features are used as input to neural networks that reproduce local properties such as the site energy. We apply the technique to reproduce a synthetic cluster expansion Hamiltonian with multi-body interactions, as well as the formation energies calculated from first-principles for the intercalation of lithium into TiS2. The formalism and results presented here show that complex multi-body interactions may be approximated by non-linear models involving smaller clusters. Robust descriptors of the degree of configurational order in a crystal can be formulated using machine learning tools. A team led by Anton Van der Ven at University of California, Santa Barbara, developed an advanced neural network implementation to build accurate lattice model Hamiltonians using a moderate number of correlation functions as descriptors. Using site-centric correlation function descriptors, the formalism can accurately model the formation energies of a synthetic multi-body binary Hamiltonian on face centered cubic crystals, as well as on Li-intercalated TiS2. As a result, complex multi-body interactions may be approximated by non-linear models involving smaller clusters. The approach can be generalized to describe any scalar property of a multi-component crystal, including its formation energy and volume, as a function of the configurational degrees of freedom.
Mechanism of activating mutations and allosteric drug inhibition of the phosphatase SHP2

Protein tyrosine phosphatase SHP2 functions as a key regulator of cell cycle control, and activating mutations cause several cancers. Here, we dissect the energy landscape of wild-type SHP2 and the oncogenic mutation E76K. NMR spectroscopy and X-ray crystallography reveal that wild-type SHP2 exchanges between closed, inactive and open, active conformations. E76K mutation shifts this equilibrium toward the open state. The previously unknown open conformation is characterized, including the active-site WPD loop in the inward and outward conformations. Binding of the allosteric inhibitor SHP099 to E76K mutant, despite much weaker, results in an identical structure as the wild-type complex. A conformational selection to the closed state reduces drug affinity which, combined with E76K’s much higher activity, demands significantly greater SHP099 concentrations to restore wild-type activity levels. The differences in structural ensembles and drug-binding kinetics of cancer-associated SHP2 forms may stimulate innovative ideas for developing more potent inhibitors for activated SHP2 mutants.
Drugging the RNA World

Although we live in the remnants of an RNA world, the world of drug discovery and chemical probes is firmly protein-centric. Developing highly selective small molecules targeting RNA is often considered to be an insurmountable challenge. Our goal is to demystify the design of such compounds. In this review, we describe various approaches to design small molecules that target RNA from sequence and the application of these compounds in RNA biology, with a focus on inhibition of human RNA-protein complexes. We have developed a library-versus-library screening approach to define selective RNA-small-molecule binding partners and applied them to disease-causing RNAs, in particular noncoding oncogenic RNAs and expanded RNA repeats, to modulate their biology in cells and animals. We also describe the design of new types of small-molecule probes that could broadly decipher the mysteries of RNA in cells.
Analysis of the High School Longitudinal Study to Evaluate Associations Among Mathematics Achievement, Mentorship and Student Participation in STEM Programs

Advancements in science, technology, and medicine have contributed to the economic growth of the United States. However, this requires individuals to be trained for careers in biostatistics, bioinformatics and other areas of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). Despite efforts to improve student recruitment and retention in STEM fields, the proportion of STEM graduates at the undergraduate level remains low in the United States, and is the lowest among underrepresented minorities. Several initiatives by the National Science Foundation (NSF), American Statistical Association (ASA), and academic organizations have invested in training individuals by developing programs to address issues that may be contributing to low recruitment and retention rates. Some factors may include lack of mentoring received from parents and teachers on STEM careers and less opportunities to explore STEM career options. In this study, a subsample of the High School Longitudinal Study (2009–2013) dataset (HSLS:09) is analyzed. Regression models were applied to evaluate mathematics achievement and student enrollment in STEM major/careers based on their individual participation in STEM activities and mentorship. Differences based on sex, race/ethnicity, and socioeconomic status (SES) were investigated. In summary, the aim of this work was to assess the significance of these stated factors in order to give insight into STEM education policy efforts. Our hope is that this work would shed light on the roles of mentors and student participation in STEM activities to motivate future programs aimed to recruit and retain STEM students.
Finite Horizon Density Control for Static State Feedback Linearizable Systems.

We consider the problem of steering the joint state probability density function of a static feedback linearizable control system over finite time horizon. Potential applications include controlling neuronal populations, swarm guidance, and probabilistic motion planning. Our theoretical developments reveal the structure of the minimum energy controller for the same, and can be viewed as a generalization of the Benamou-Brenier theory for dynamic optimal transport. Further analytical results are derived for solving the feasibility problem, i.e., for finding feedback that steers a given joint density function to another in fixed time, subject to the controlled nonlinear dynamics. An algorithm based on the Schrodinger bridge is proposed to approximate a feasible controller; a numerical example is worked out to illustrate the same.
Red-Green Revolution: The Politics and Technology of Ecosocialism

That we have entered an age of extreme environmental crisis should be obvious to everyone suffering from the many effects. The connections between the palpable results and the socio-economic system...
Echocardiographic assessment of single-ventricle diastolic function and its correlation to short-term outcomes after the Fontan operation.

BACKGROUND/HYPOTHESIS/OBJECTIVES Postoperative complications after the Fontan operation for single ventricle heart disease are common and include persistent pleural drainage and prolonged length of hospital stay (LOS). Diastolic ventricular dysfunction may increase risk for postoperative complications by raising central venous pressures. We sought to determine the relationship between preoperative echocardiographic measurements of diastolic function, including myocardial deformation imaging, on (a) preoperative invasive catheterization measurements and (b) postoperative outcomes after the Fontan procedure. DESIGN/METHODS All patients that underwent Fontan procedure from 2011 to 2017 were included. Echocardiograms performed within 6 months prior to Fontan operation were evaluated. Measurements of ventricular global and diastolic strain and strain rate were performed offline with TomTec speckle tracking software. Other diastolic function measurements included atrioventricular valve inflow and annular tissue Doppler imaging. Diastolic function measurements were correlated with pre-Fontan catheterization measurements and postoperative Fontan outcomes using Spearman's rho. Multivariable logistic regression for a prolonged LOS (>75%ile for postoperative LOS) was performed to adjust for preoperative risk factors. RESULTS A total of 141 patients were included in the study. Majority had single morphologic right ventricle (58.9%). Median age at time of Fontan was 3.4 years (IQR 2.9-4). Median hospital LOS was 9 days (IQR 7-11). Circumferential diastolic strain rate weakly correlated with LOS (rho = -0.21, P = .01). There was no correlation between any other diastolic strain measurements and pre-Fontan end-diastolic pressure or postoperative LOS. In multivariable analysis, E/E' was the only echo measurement that predicted prolonged hospital LOS (OR 1.4, 95%CI: 1.1-1.8, P = .003). CONCLUSION Preoperative diastolic strain measurements did not have a strong association with postoperative Fontan outcomes. Increased E/E' ratio, however, did predict greater LOS after Fontan procedure, and may be useful in preoperative risk stratification. Future studies are needed to further assess the utility of diastolic strain imaging in the single-ventricle population.
Intraoperative inking is superior to suture marking for specimen orientation in breast cancer

Margin status is an important indicator of residual disease after breast-conserving surgery (BCS). Intraoperatively, surgeons orient specimens to aid assessment of margins and guide re-excision of positive margins. We performed a retrospective review of BCS cases from 2013 to 2017 to compare the two specimen orientation methods: suture marking and intraoperative inking. Patients with ductal carcinoma in situ, T1/T2 invasive cancer treated with BCS were included. Rates of positive margins and residual disease at re-excision were evaluated. 189 patients underwent BCS; 83 had suture marking, 103 had intraoperative inking and 3 had un-oriented specimens. The incidence of positive margins was 29% (24 patients) in the suture marked group and 20% (21 patients) in the intraoperative inked group (P = .18). Among the 45 patients with positive margins, 60% of tumors were stage T1, 76% were node negative, 36% were palpable with median tumor size of 1.5 cm. Residual disease was identified on re-excision in 21% of the suture marked specimens and 57% of intraoperative inked specimens (P = .028). The incidence of residual cancer at re-excision for positive margins was higher for intraoperatively inked versus suture marked specimens. This finding suggests that intraoperative inking is more effective at guiding re-excision of positive margins.
Intestinal-level anti-inflammatory bioactivities of catechin-rich green tea: Rationale, design, and methods of a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled crossover trial in metabolic syndrome and healthy adults

Abstract Metabolic endotoxemia initiates low-grade chronic inflammation in metabolic syndrome (MetS) and provokes the progression towards more advanced cardiometabolic disorders. Our recent works in obese rodent models demonstrate that catechin-rich green tea extract (GTE) improves gut barrier integrity to alleviate the translocation of gut-derived endotoxin and its consequent pro-inflammatory responses mediated through Toll-like receptor-4/nuclear factor κB (TLR4/NFκB) signaling. The objective of this clinical trial is to establish the efficacy of GTE to alleviate metabolic endotoxemia-associated inflammation in persons with MetS by improving gut barrier function. We plan a double-blind, placebo-controlled cross-over trial in persons with MetS and age- and gender-matched healthy persons (18–65 y; n = 20/group) who will receive a low-energy GTE-rich (1 g/day; 890 mg total catechins) confection snack food while following a low-polyphenol diet for 28 days. Assessments will include measures of circulating endotoxin (primary outcome) and secondary outcomes including biomarkers of endotoxin exposure, region-specific measures of intestinal permeability, gut microbiota composition, diversity, and functions, intestinal and systemic inflammatory responses, and catechins and microbiota-derived catechin metabolites. Study outcomes will provide the first report of the GTE-mediated benefits that alleviate gut barrier dysfunction in relation to endotoxemia-associated inflammation in MetS persons. This is expected to help establish an effective dietary strategy to mitigate the growing burden of MetS that currently affects ~35% of Americans.
Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus portends a poor prognosis after endovascular repair of mycotic aortic aneurysms and aortic graft infections

Abstract Objective Mycotic aortic aneurysms and aortic graft infections (aortic infections [AIs]) are rare but highly morbid conditions. Open surgical repair is the “gold standard” treatment, but endovascular repair (EVR) is increasingly being used in the management of AI because of the lower operative morbidity. Multiple organisms are associated with AI, and bacteriology may be an important indication of mortality. We describe the bacteriology and associated outcomes of a group of patients treated with an EVR-first approach for AI. Methods All patients who underwent EVR for native aortic or aortic graft infections between 2005 and 2016 were retrospectively reviewed. Primary end points were 30-day mortality and overall mortality. The primary exposure variable was bacteria species. Logistic regression analysis was used to determine association with mortality. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis was used to estimate survival. Results A total of 2038 EVRs were performed in 1989 unique and consecutive patients. Of those, 27 patients had undergone EVR for AI. Thirteen presented ruptured (48%). Eighteen (67%) were hemodynamically unstable. Ten had a gastrointestinal bleed (37%), whereas others presented with abdominal pain (33%), fever (22%), chest or back pain (18.5%), and hemothorax (3.7%). Twenty patients had a positive blood culture (74%), with the most common organism being methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) isolated in 37% (10). Other organisms were Escherichia coli (3), Staphylococcus epidermidis (2), Streptococcus (2), Enterococcus faecalis (1), vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus (1), and Klebsiella (1). Thirteen patients had 4 to 6 weeks of postoperative antibiotic therapy, six of whom died after therapy. Fourteen were prescribed lifelong therapy; 10 died while receiving antibiotics. On univariate analysis for mortality, smoking history (P = .061) and aerodigestive bleeding on presentation (P = .109) approached significance, whereas MRSA infection (P = .001) was strongly associated with increased mortality. On multivariate analysis, MRSA remained a strong, independent predictor of mortality (adjusted odds ratio, 93.2; 95% confidence interval, 1.9-4643; P = .023). Overall 30-day mortality was 11%, all MRSA positive. At mean follow-up of 17.4 ± 28 months, overall mortality was 59%. Overall survival at 1 year, 3 years, and 5 years was 49%, 31%, and 23%. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis demonstrated that MRSA-positive patients had a significantly lower survival compared with other pathogens (1-year, 20% vs 71%; 5-year, 0% vs 44%; P = .0009). Conclusions In our series of AI, the most commonly isolated organism was MRSA. MRSA is highly virulent and is associated with increased mortality compared with all other organisms, regardless of treatment. Given our results, EVR for MRSA-positive AI was not a durable treatment option.
Multibanded parametric processing (Invited Paper)

The ability to coherently generate and process arbitrary waveforms over wide frequency range is recognized as the core technology required for spectral dominance. Low observable (LO) radar technologies are expected to radically change the nature of tracking, acquisition and targeting in future combat environments. While passive LO designs drastically reduce backscatter radar cross section (RCS), they inherently compromise the performance of the airframe: a minimal RCS solution is not necessarily the optimal aerodynamic geometry. Recent demonstrations unify both LO and wide flight envelope. However, the approach dictates very high per-unit cost and is unlikely to lead to mass production seen in the past. In contrast, active LO techniques do not compromise aerodynamic properties, while still drastically reducing RCS. Unfortunately, active LO is expected to proliferate in the near term: it is cost-effective and can be used to qualitatively improve capability of the existing air forces by retrofitting not only the manned fleet, but also the existing missile ordnance. Airframes in service are simply upgraded by portable (100kg or less) units reducing the RCS section by more than two orders of magnitude. Unlike passive LO that can be countered by receiver spatial diversity, active LO reduces both backscattered and refracted radiation, requiring spectral, rather than spatially diverse countermeasures.© (2005) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
QTAccel: A Generic FPGA based Design for Q-Table based Reinforcement Learning Accelerators

Q-Table based Reinforcement Learning (QRL) is a class of widely used algorithms in AI that work by successively improving the estimates of Q values -- quality of state-action pairs, stored in a table. They significantly outperform Neural Network based techniques when the state space is tractable. Fast learning for AI applications in several domains (e.g. robotics), with tractable 'mid-sized' Q-tables, still necessitates performing substantial rapid updates. State-of-the-art FPGA implementations of QRL do not scale with the increasing Q-Table state space, thus are not efficient for such applications. In this work, we develop a novel FPGA implementation of QRL, scalable to large state spaces and facilitating a large class of AI applications. Our pipelined architecture provides higher throughput while using significantly fewer on-chip resources and thereby supports a variety of action selection policies that covers Q-Learning and variations of bandit algorithms. Possible dependencies caused by consecutive Q value updates are handled, allowing the design to process one Q-sample every clock cycle. Additionally, we provide the first known FPGA implementation of the SARSA (State-Action-Reward-State-Action) algorithm. We evaluate our architecture for Q-Learning and SARSA algorithms and show that our designs achieve a high throughput of up to 180 million Q samples per second.
Religiousness and meaning making following stressful life events

Abstract This chapter focuses on the role of religiousness in meaning making following stressful life events. First, we discuss the components of the meaning making model, including both global (broad beliefs and general goals and values) and situational (appraisals of a specific instance) levels of meaning. Stressful life events occur when people appraise the meaning of a particular situation (e.g., diagnosis of serious illness) as discrepant with their global meaning system (e.g., that God is loving and protective). Discrepancies represent threats to one’s global meaning system, which creates distress. Distress, in turn, motivates efforts to reduce discrepancy, a process of meaning making. Meaning making efforts are often of a religious or spiritual nature and involve changing one’s understood-meaning of the stressor to assimilate it into one’s global meaning system (e.g., appraising it as a test of one’s devotion) or changing one’s global meaning system to improve its fit with the specific stressor (e.g., revising one’s image of God). This process of making meaning can lead to meaning made, which are changes in either (or both) appraised meaning of the stressor or changes in one’s beliefs and goals. Meaning making can lead to better adjustment to the stressor when coherence in meaning systems is restored, but protracted meaning making efforts can devolve into maladaptive rumination with poor outlooks for physical health and psychological well-being.
A faster Fourier transform? Computing small-scale power spectra and bispectra for cosmological simulations in (N2) time

We present $\mathcal{O}(N^2)$ estimators for the small-scale power spectrum and bispectrum in cosmological simulations. In combination with traditional methods, these allow spectra to be efficiently computed across a vast range of scales, requiring orders of magnitude less computation time than Fast Fourier Transform based approaches alone. These methods are applicable to any tracer; simulation particles, halos or galaxies, and take advantage of the simple geometry of the box and periodicity to remove almost all dependence on large random particle catalogs. By working in configuration-space, both power spectra and bispectra can be computed via a weighted sum of particle pairs up to some radius, which can be reduced at larger $k$, leading to algorithms with decreasing complexity on small scales. These do not suffer from aliasing or shot-noise, allowing spectra to be computed to arbitrarily large wavenumbers. The estimators are rigorously derived and tested against simulations, and their covariances discussed. The accompanying code, HIPSTER, has been publicly released, incorporating these algorithms. Such estimators will be of great use in the analysis of large sets of high-resolution simulations.
Systematic Generation of Diverse Benchmarks for DNN Verification

The field of verification has advanced due to the interplay of theoretical development and empirical evaluation. Benchmarks play an important role in this by supporting the assessment of the state-of-the-art and comparison of alternative verification approaches. Recent years have witnessed significant developments in the verification of deep neural networks, but diverse benchmarks representing the range of verification problems in this domain do not yet exist. This paper describes a neural network verification benchmark generator, GDVB, that systematically varies aspects of problems in the benchmark that influence verifier performance. Through a series of studies, we illustrate how GDVB can assist in advancing the sub-field of neural network verification by more efficiently providing richer and less biased sets of verification problems.
Models of Change and Well-Being from Behavioral Health Disorders

The purpose of this chapter is to help providers understand the factors that influence change, recovery, and well-being so that they can (re)create contexts that empower clients and promote health. In this chapter I review theories that can help providers understand how to respond to clients who engage in unhealthy behaviors and how to create the contexts that lead to change, recovery, and well-being. In the first part of this chapter, I review three major theories of recovery and well-being that include: (1) the model of mental health recovery, (2) The model of subjective well-being, and (3) the model of psychological well-being. In the second part of this chapter, I review three theories related to understanding how people change health-related behaviors, such as substance use and other risk behaviors. Three major theories are reviewed that include: (1) the transtheoretical model of change, (2) the health beliefs model, and (3) the theory of reasoned action. I also identify general treatment approaches that enhance recovery and well-being and discuss how to efficiently and effectively deploy these approaches in ways that maximize behavior change in clients.
Modeling the Effects of Gaseous Absorption and Cloud Attenuation for V-band using Deep Learning

A deep neural network is proposed to study the attenuating effects of the Earth's atmosphere on the W/V-bands of the millimeter wavelength portion of the spectrum. Validation of atmospheric propagation models in the W/V-bands has become an increasingly important subject of communications research, but presents significant hurdles when testing these models due to the great variability in the atmospheric parameters that influence propagation attenuation. The effects of molecular gas resonances and hydrosols become very pronounced due to the short wavelength in these bands. This research employs a multilayered deep learning model to learn and predict the attenuation at V-band frequencies. The data is collected from the ongoing W/V-band Terrestrial Link Experiment (WTLE) in Albuquerque, NM. WTLE uses weather sensors and the received power data across the link to study the effects of atmosphere on V-band propagation.
A Case Against Hardware Managed DRAM Caches for NVRAM Based Systems

Non-volatile memory (NVRAM) based on phase-change memory (such as Optane DC Persistent Memory Module) is making its way into Intel servers to address the needs of emerging applications that have a huge memory footprint. These systems have both DRAM and NVRAM on the same memory channel with the smaller capacity DRAM serving as a cache to the larger capacity NVRAM in the so called 2LM mode. In this work we analyze the performance of such DRAM caches on real hardware using a broad range of synthetic and real-world benchmarks. We identify three key limitations of DRAM caches in these emerging systems which prevent large-scale, bandwidth bound applications from taking full advantage of NVRAM read and write bandwidth. We show that software based techniques are necessary for orchestrating the data movement between DRAM and PMM for such workloads to take full advantage of these new heterogeneous memory systems.
Implementers as Filters of Fit and Quality: Toward Indigenous and Locally Responsive Leadership Preparation Program in Ethiopia:

This empirical study of Ethiopia school leadership examines the nation’s leadership preparation programs through the lens of school leaders and a document analysis of national policies as well as n...
Automated Bug Hunting With Data-Driven Symbolic Root Cause Analysis

The increasing cost of successful cyberattacks has caused a mindset shift, whereby defenders now employ proactive defenses, namely software bug hunting, alongside existing reactive measures (firewalls, IDS, IPS) to protect systems. Unfortunately the path from hunting bugs to deploying patches remains laborious and expensive, requires human expertise, and still misses serious memory corruptions. Motivated by these challenges, we propose bug hunting using symbolically reconstructed states based on execution traces to achieve better detection and root cause analysis of overflow, use-after-free, double free, and format string bugs across user programs and their imported libraries. We discover that with the right use of widely available hardware processor tracing and partial memory snapshots, powerful symbolic analysis can be used on real-world programs while managing path explosion. Better yet, data can be captured from production deployments of live software on end-host systems transparently, aiding in the analysis of user clients and long-running programs like web servers. We implement a prototype of our design, Bunkerbuster, for Linux and evaluate it on 15 programs, where it finds 39 instances of our target bug classes, 8 of which have never before been reported and have lead to 1 EDB and 3 CVE IDs being issued. These 0-days were patched by developers using Bunkerbuster's reports, independently validating their usefulness. In a side-by-side comparison, our system uncovers 8 bugs missed by AFL and QSYM, and correctly classifies 4 that were previously detected, but mislabeled by AddressSanitizer. Our prototype accomplishes this with 7.21% recording overhead.
Theoretical Issues in the Psychology of Aging

Publisher Summary A primary purpose of theories of psychological aging is to provide answers to major questions. At least five criteria should be considered when evaluating the validity of answers to those questions. This chapter suggests that communication among theorists and comparisons of theories may have been hampered in the past because only a subset of questions and criteria has typically been considered in the description and evaluation of theories. Three suggestions that might contribute to more rapid process in the development and evaluation of theories of psychological aging include: adoption of a broader perspective than a focus on a single variable to ensure that the theory is addressing the disease and not merely the symptoms; maintenance of a close linkage between the level of theoretical discourse and the level of empirical observation to ensure that the theoretical speculations actually address and are influenced by empirical results; and ensuring the cumulative progress by placing new results in the context of already established results.
Factors Perceived as Important by Package Tourists: A Multivariate Analysis

Recognizing the potentials of tourism as an industry capable of providing jobs and generating revenues governments around the world are developing and implementing tourism development strategies. Projected growth in the industry offers tremendous opportunities to the travel agencies in terms of organizing and conducting package tours. This study was, therefore, designed to determine the demographic and socioeconomic profile of those taking package tours; reasons for joining package tours; factors perceived as important in selecting a travel agency; and the degree of satisfaction derived from the selected travel agency. A survey of 204 individuals conducted at the Kai Tak International Airport in Hon Kong during November–December 1985 revealed that the majority were female, single, and belonged to the middle class. Of the 12 attributes, only six were perceived as important in selecting a travel agency. Only five services were important, and of this two were found satisfactory. Travel agencies offering package tours should take a look at the target market and satisfy the customers to grow with the growing tourist industry.
A Theory of Shyness

This chapter presents a theory that is an elaboration of a conception first developed in my book, Self-Consciousness and Social Anxiety (1980) and in a recent paper (Buss, 1985). Though there is empirical support for several of my assumptions, in the interests of brevity and clarity, I shall not include such data. The interested reader is likely to find such evidence in the more empirical chapters in this volume. In any event, the novel features of my approach are speculations that are stated as hypotheses. Some of these may be difficult to test because they involve statements about the development of shyness and therefore might require a longitudinal study. Others should be relatively easy to test.
Connoisseur's Choice: Willemite, Tsumeb Mine, Tsumeb, Otjikoto, Namibia

Mineral nomenclature is usually pretty straightforward. Traditionally, minerals have been named for their chemistry, discoverer, or for a famous scientist. There are some, however, that make one wo...
Effect of Variations in Conditions of Incubation upon Inhibition of Staphylococcus aureus by Pediococcus cerevisiae and Streptococcus lactis

The effects of pH, temperature, proportion of Staphylococcus aureus in the inoculum, various strains of effector organism, and various strains of S. aureus were examined for their influence on interactions between staphylococci and effector organisms in associative culture. In general, small changes in pH had little effect upon either growth of S. aureus or production of enterotoxin in associative culture. Inhibition of growth of S. aureus caused by effector organisms was much greater at 25 than at 30 C. Proportion of S. aureus in the inoculum greatly affected both growth of the staphylococci and production of enterotoxin. Only slight differences were found between strains of either effector organism or S. aureus which affected the interactions in associative culture.
Design Constraints for Nanometer Scale Quantum Computers

Nanometer scale electronics present a challenge for the computer architect. These quantum devices have small gain and are difficult to interconnect. I have analyzed current device capabilities and explored two general design requirements for the design of computers: error correction and long range connections. These two principles follow when Turing machines are implemented as integrated circuits. I consider the roles of electromigration through thin wires, circuit layout, and error rates for devices with small gain. The analysis brings into sharp focus the future of nanocomputers and suggests solutions to some of its difficulties. It gives a theoretical model for a nanocomputer, separating the roles of devices and algorithms. Within the model one can implement a stochastic computer, which operates despite quantum device limitations.
The Importance of Rare Subtypes in Diagnosis and Treatment of Peripheral Neuropathy: A Review

Importance Peripheral neuropathy is a prevalent condition that usually warrants a thorough history and examination but has limited diagnostic evaluation. However, rare localizations of peripheral neuropathy often require more extensive diagnostic testing and different treatments. Objective To describe rare localizations of peripheral neuropathy, including the appropriate diagnostic evaluation and available treatments. Evidence Review References were identified from PubMed searches conducted on May 29, 2015, with an emphasis on systematic reviews and randomized clinical trials. Articles were also identified through the use of the authors’ own files. Search terms included common rare neuropathy localizations and their causes, as well as epidemiology , pathophysiology , diagnosis , and treatment . Findings Diffuse, nonlength-dependent neuropathies, multiple mononeuropathies, polyradiculopathies, plexopathies, and radiculoplexus neuropathies are rare peripheral neuropathy localizations that often require extensive diagnostic testing. Atypical neuropathy features, such as acute/subacute onset, asymmetry, and/or motor predominant signs, are frequently present. The most common diffuse, nonlength-dependent neuropathies are Guillain-Barre syndrome, chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy, multifocal motor neuropathy, and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Effective disease-modifying therapies exist for many diffuse, nonlength-dependent neuropathies including Guillain-Barre syndrome, chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy, multifocal motor neuropathy, and some paraprotein-associated demyelinating neuropathies. Vasculitic neuropathy (multiple mononeuropathy) also has efficacious treatment options, but definitive evidence of a treatment effect for IgM anti-MAG neuropathy and diabetic amyotrophy (radiculoplexus neuropathy) is lacking. Conclusions and Relevance Recognition of rare localizations of peripheral neuropathy is essential given the implications for diagnostic testing and treatment. Electrodiagnostic studies are an important early step in the diagnostic evaluation and provide information on the localization and pathophysiology of nerve injury.
The presence of biologically significant concentrations of glucocorticoids but little or no cortisol binding globulin within aqueous humor: relevance to immune privilege in the anterior chamber of the eye.

PURPOSE: Immunosuppressive factors in aqueous humor (AH) contribute to the immune-privileged status of the anterior chamber of the eye. One such factor is transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-beta); other relevant inhibitors have not been fully identified. The authors examined AH to search for other putative inhibitors and to determine their effect on TGF-beta inhibitory activity. METHODS: Radioimmunoassays (RIA) were used to detect the presence of hydrocortisone, corticosterone, cortisol binding globulin (CBG), and alpha-melanocyte stimulating hormone (alpha-MSH) in AH. The ability of these factors to inhibit murine thymocyte proliferation stimulated by phytohemagglutinin-interleukin 1 (PHA/IL-1) and proliferation of a TGF-beta-sensitive cell line (CCL64) in vitro was examined. The ability of hydrocortisone to inhibit a one-way mixed lymphocyte reaction (MLR) and the ability of epidermal cells to present soluble tumor-associated antigens (TAA) for elicitation of immunity in mice in the concentration range present in AH was also examined. RESULTS: Hydrocortisone was detected in mouse, rat, and human AH (10.8 +/- 1.1 ng/ml, 9.3 +/- 2.1 ng/ml, and 18.0 +/- 1.0 ng/ml, respectively; mean +/- SEM), as was corticosterone (2.7 +/- 0.9 ng/ml, 2.2 +/- 0.3 ng/ml, and 0.7 +/- 0.1 ng/ml, respectively). Whereas normal plasma contains a binding protein for corticosteroids (i.e., CBG), the concentration in mouse, rat, and human AH was less than the level detectable by an RIA. Hydrocortisone inhibited PHA/IL-1-stimulated murine thymocyte proliferation and CCL64 cell proliferation in the concentration range present in AH. When hydrocortisone was combined with TGF-beta 2 (125 pg/ml), the degree of inhibition observed was greater than with either alone. Corticosterone inhibited thymocyte costimulation only slightly at concentrations present in AH but was inhibitory for CCL64 cells. alpha-MSH was also detected in AH. The concentration present had only slight inhibitory effects for CCL64 cell proliferation and did not enhance TGF-beta 2-mediated (62 pg/ml to 250 pg/ml) inhibition of CCL64 or thymocyte proliferation. Hydrocortisone inhibited the one-way MLR in the concentration range present in AH and, at 10 ng/ml, inhibited the ability of epidermal cells to present TAA for elicitation of delayed-type hypersensitivity in tumor-immune mice. CONCLUSIONS: These results show that AH contains biologically relevant concentrations of glucocorticoids and that CBG is relatively absent so that glucocorticoids present are largely free, and they suggest that regional sites take advantage of the activities of multiple factors to maintain an immune-privileged status.
THIAMINE RESPONSIVE INTERMITTENT BRANCHED-CHAIN KETOACIDURIA

A 2 1/2-year-old white boy with normal psychomotor development was noted to have intermittent episodes of ataxia, lethargy and vomiting associated with intercurrent illnesses. Initial urine amino acid chromatographic screening revealed a marked increase of leucine, isoleucine and valine suggesting a disturbance in the branched-chain amino acid metabolism. During subsequent investigations challenge studies with L-leucine (50 mg/kg), once with additional thiamine hydrochloride (10 mg) and once without thiamine hydrochloride indicated that the latter compound enhances the oxidative decarboxylation of the keto acids. In order to find the most suitable diet for the patient he was given a protein intake that was low (1.5 gm/kg/day), medium (3.0 gm/kg/day) and high (4.5 gm/kg/day) at three separate time periods. Biochemical and clinical parameters revealed that the diets with low and medium protein content were fairly well tolerated; however, while on a high protein diet the patient became symptomatic and a marked increase in branched-chain amino acid was observed. Enzyme studies revealed 10% of normal branched-chain decarboxylase activity.
Evaluation of the readability of ACOG patient education pamphlets

Abstract Objective: To evaluate whether ACOG’s patient education pamphlets comply with the recommended readability level for health education materials intended for the general public. Methods: All 100 English-language pamphlets available during 1997 (created or revised between 1988 and 1997) were evaluated using four standard readability formulas. Results: Mean readability levels of ACOG’s pamphlets were between grade 7.0 to grade 9.3, depending on the formula used. Analysis of readability over the 10 years showed a trend toward lower readability levels. Analysis by category of pamphlet found that the lowest readability levels were in “Especially for teens” pamphlets. Conclusion: Our data suggested that most of ACOG’s patient education pamphlets currently available are written at a higher readability level than recommended for the general public. The readability of those pamphlets improved in the 10 years since the organization published its first pamphlet, but the goal of sixth-grade readability level has not been reached.
Contributions of 5-HT2C receptors to multiple actions of central serotonin systems

Insights into neural mechanisms through which central serotonin (5-HT) systems influence brain function may be gained by examining the contributions of individual 5-HT receptor subtypes. Significant attention has focused on the 5-HT(2C) receptor subtype, which is abundantly expressed throughout the central nervous system and displays high-affinity interactions with a wide variety of psychiatric medications. Both pharmacological and genetic approaches to the analysis of 5-HT(2C) receptor function reveal that it contributes substantially to the serotonergic regulation of a wide variety of behavioral and physiological processes. For example, significant inhibitory effects of 5-HT(2C) receptor stimulation have been observed in both limbic and striatal dopamine pathways. These may contribute to the effects of experimental 5-HT(2C) receptor manipulations on responses to psychostimulant, atypical antipsychotic and antidepressant drugs. Further evidence for a role of these receptors in affect regulation arises from recent findings that alterations in 5-HT(2C) mRNA editing are observed in the brains of suicide victims with a history of depression and in animals exposed to antidepressant drug treatment. Finally, we will review a growing body of evidence indicating a role of 5-HT(2C) receptors in the serotonergic regulation of energy balance. Pharmacological and genetic studies reveal these receptors to influence feeding, glucose homeostasis and the energy efficiency of physical activity.
ΣVP: host-GPU multiplexing for efficient simulation of multiple embedded GPUs on virtual platforms

Despite their proliferation across many embedded platforms, GPUs present still many challenges to embedded-system designers. In particular, GPU-optimized software actually slows down the execution of embedded applications on system simulators. This problem is worse for concurrent simulations of multiple instances of embedded devices equipped with GPUs. To address this challenge, we present ΣVP, a framework to accelerate concurrent simulations of multiple virtual platforms by leveraging the physical GPUs present on the host machine. ΣVP multiplexes the host GPUs to speed up the concurrent simulations without requiring any change to the original GPU-optimized application code. With ΣVP, GPU applications run more than 600 times faster than GPU-software emulation on virtual platforms. We also propose Kernel Interleaving and Kernel Coalescing, two techniques that further speed up the simulation by one order of magnitude. Finally, we show how ΣVP supports simulation-based functional validation and performance/power estimation.
Dissipation of thick accretion disks

A thick accretion disk which is isentropic cannot have simple laminar flow because fluid elements follow orbits which intersect the orbits of other fluid elements, leading to turbulence in astrophysical disks which have very large Reynolds numbers. The turbulence in such disks is estimated using molecular analogies for the behavior of the fluid elements. The usual empirical dissipation parameter ‘α’ is found to be equal to 0.25 under normal circumstances. Characteristic local disk parameters are calculated for a variety of conditions at different distances from a central star of one solar mass. Circumstances involving low midplane optical depths or external heating which can lead to large reductions in the turbulence are discussed.
Objectified body consciousness in relation to recovery from an eating disorder

In Western society, the feminine body has been positioned as an object to be looked at and sexually gazed upon; thus, females often learn to view themselves as objects to be observed (i.e., objectified body consciousness (OBC)). This study examined the relation between OBC and eating disorder recovery by comparing its components across non-eating disorder controls, fully recovered, partially recovered, and active eating disorder cases. Results revealed that non-eating disorder controls and fully recovered individuals had similarly low levels of two components of OBC, body surveillance and body shame. Partially recovered individuals looked more similar to those with an active eating disorder on these constructs. The third component of OBC, control beliefs, and a conceptually similar construct, weight/shape self-efficacy, did not differ across groups. Results provide support for the importance of measuring aspects of self-objectification, particularly body surveillance and body shame, across the course of an eating disorder.