cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Histogram Matching Extends Acceptable Signal Strength Range on Optical Coherence Tomography Images.

Retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) thickness measurements obtained by optical coherence tomography (OCT) have been widely acknowledged as one of the essential clinical parameters for glaucoma assessment.1–4 However, many studies have shown that signal quality of OCT images is associated strongly with RNFL thickness measurements as well as the reliability of segmentation.5–7 This limits the range of acceptable OCT signal quality and usable OCT image data, thereby limiting the applicability of OCT measurements, especially to older or diseased subjects, whose images tend to show lower best-achievable signal quality than young and healthy subjects.8,9 Histogram matching (HM) is an image processing technique to calibrate the differences in intensity contrast when capturing with different cameras, image acquisition equipment, settings, and different light sources.10–12 By shaping an input image histogram to a reference histogram, HM is able to compensate the differences in intensity and image contrast, and even enhances the image quality. The HM technique has been used widely as a preprocessing step in cellular imaging and many medical imaging modalities, such as positron emission tomography (PET), single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT), and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), to correct the difference in background intensity, improve registration, and reduce analysis variability.13–16 We hypothesized that applying HM on OCT image data enhances image quality of images with lower signal quality that would reduce RNFL thickness measurement variability related to image quality variations. The purpose of this study was to develop a method for minimizing the influence of signal quality–related OCT RNFL thickness measurement variability using a novel OCT image processing method based on HM technique.
The Legality of the Anschluss

The legal status of post-World-War-II Austria is essentially dependent on a determination of the legality of the Anschluss. If the latter is viewed as being legal the present Austrian State must be recognized as a new state created out of the former territory of the Third Reich. If, however, the Anschluss is viewed as being illegal, a case may be developed supporting the thesis that pre-Anschluss Austria and post-World-War-II Austria are one and the same state with the same legal rights and obligations. An examination of the then existent contractual obligations, the events leading up to the Anschluss, the reaction of the international community as found in the pronouncements of officials, national courts or international tribunals and writings of distinguished jurists reveals a wealth of evidences as to the legality of the Anschluss.
Conceptual Metaphors of Family in Political Debates in the USA

‘Family’ is an important part of any campaign for office in the United States, and candidates for office can expect discourse surrounding the campaign and their term in office to include mention of their own family. In addition, policies affecting the family and views on the nature of family are also central to political ideology. See, for example, Lakoff (2002) and Cienki (2005). In the campaign process, debate-type events are part of the canonical campaign landscape in the United States, forming an important part of what the voting public uses for evaluating candidates. Candidates participating in these debates make numerous references to their own families and to families in general. This study will compare conceptual metaphors associated with reference to the candidates’ own family members and consider possible differences in usage related to office, political party and gender.
Body composition status and the risk of migraine: A meta-analysis.

Objective: To evaluate the association between migraine and body composition status as estimated based on body mass index and WHO physical status categories. Methods: Systematic electronic database searches were conducted for relevant studies. Two independent reviewers performed data extraction and quality appraisal. Odds ratios (OR) and confidence intervals (CI) were pooled using a random effects model. Significant values, weighted effect sizes, and tests of homogeneity of variance were calculated. Results: A total of 12 studies, encompassing data from 288,981 unique participants, were included. The age- and sex-adjusted pooled risk of migraine in those with obesity was increased by 27% compared with those of normal weight (odds ratio [OR] 1.27; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.16–1.37, p Conclusions: The current body of evidence shows that the risk of migraine is increased in obese and underweight individuals. Studies are needed to confirm whether interventions that modify obesity status decrease the risk of migraine.
Initial Validity Evidence for the State Mindfulness Scale for Physical Activity With Youth

ABSTRACTExperiencing mindfulness during movement-based interventions (e.g., yoga) may help support adaptive physical activity motivation processes in youth. However, there is currently no measure for assessing state mindfulness with youth within the context of physical activity. The purpose of this study was to qualitatively and quantitatively evaluate a measure of state mindfulness for physical activity in youth. In study one, cognitive interviews with youth (N = 15) ages 8–13 evaluated the State Mindfulness Scale for Physical Activity item comprehension and preference for developmentally worded modifications. Results suggest that problems with item comprehension were more likely in youth younger than 10. In study two, the State Mindfulness Scale for Physical Activity, or a modified version, was administered randomly to middle-school students (N = 481). Internal consistency reliability, confirmatory factor analyses, model-based reliability omega, and correlations with theoretically relevant variables com...
Psychiatric Symptoms, Substance Use, Trauma, and Sexual Risk: A Brief Report of Gender Differences in Marijuana-Using Juvenile Offenders.

Given the continued increases in proportion of young girls entering the juvenile justice system, identifying factors to incorporate into gender-responsive programming for these youths is of paramou...
Ancillary Staff to Nursing Instructor Barriers and Bias

This chapter presents a case study on barriers and biases encountered between an X-ray technician and a nursing instructor in the acute care setting.
Work-related asthma surveillance in Washington State: time trends, industry rates, and workers’ compensation costs, 2002–2016

Objective: Washington State’s work-related asthma (WRA) surveillance program utilizes workers’ compensation (WC) data as its primary data source and has spanned a 15-year time period. This study an...
Catheter distances and balloon inflation volumes for the ER-REBOA™ catheter: A prospective analysis

Abstract Introduction Resuscitative endovascular balloon occlusion of the aorta (REBOA) is an adjunct used to temporize uncontrolled abdominopelvic hemorrhage. No published clinical data exist that describe average catheter lengths or balloon fill volumes necessary to occlude the aorta. Methods A prospective, single-institution registry was queried for patients who underwent placement of a Prytime ER-REBOA™ catheter. Demographic, catheter, hemodynamic, and morphometric data were measured. Linear regression analyses were performed to identify variables associated with insertion distances and balloon volumes. Results 45 patients underwent supraceliac REBOA: median catheter insertion distance 45 cm [IQR 42–46], balloon inflation volume 14 mL [IQR 8–19], systolic blood pressure (SBP) augmentation 50 mmHg [IQR 35–55]. 14 patients underwent infrarenal deployment: median catheter insertion distance 28.5 cm [IQR 26.5–32.5], balloon volume 10 mL [IQR 5–15]; SBP augmentation 55 mmHg [IQR 40–65]. Patient body metrics were not associated with catheter length or balloon volume. Conclusion A wide range of catheter insertion distances and balloon fill volumes were necessary for correct REBOA positioning and occlusion. No single patient metric accurately correlated with catheter distance or balloon volume. Level of evidence Level IV, Prognostic.
The Life of an Insect Endosymbiont from the Cradle to the Grave.

Host-beneficial endosymbioses, which are formed when a microorganism takes up residence inside another cell and provides a fitness advantage to the host, have had a dramatic influence on the evolution of life. These intimate relationships have yielded the mitochondrion and the plastid (chloroplast) — the ancient organelles that in part define eukaryotic life — along with many more recent associations involving a wide variety of hosts and microbial partners. These relationships are often envisioned as stable associations that appear cooperative and persist for extremely long periods of time. But recent evidence suggests that this stable state is often born from turbulent and conflicting origins, and that the apparent stability of many beneficial endosymbiotic relationships — although certainly real in many cases — is not an inevitable outcome of these associations. Here we review how stable endosymbioses form, how they are maintained, and how they sometimes break down and are reborn. We focus on relationships formed by insects and their resident microorganisms because these symbioses have been the focus of significant empirical work over the last two decades. We review these relationships over five life stages: origin, birth, middle age, old age, and death.
Synthesis of 1,3-Diketones and β-Keto Thioesters via Soft Enolization.

Ketones and thioesters undergo soft enolization and acylation using crude acid chlorides on treatment with MgBr2·OEt2 and i-Pr2NEt to give 1,3-diketones and β-keto thioesters, respectively. The use...
Sudden Cardiac Arrest in the Setting of Synthetic Marijuana Use: Two Interesting Cases Posing a Difficult but Important Diagnostic Dilemma

Case 1: A 15 year old male sustained a sudden cardiopulmonary arrest while at a friend’s house. Upon arrival EMS found him in ventricular fibrillation requiring multiple rounds of defibrillator shocks, epinephrine and amiodarone. His rhythm changed several times during a 42 minute resuscitation between ventricular fibrillation, normal sinus rhythm and sinus tachycardia, with one episode of pulseless electrical activity. Echocardiogram and genetic studies were normal. A stress test and electrophysiology study revealed a posterolateral accessory pathway. He was …
A New Guitarfish of the Genus Pseudobatos (Batoidea: Rhinobatidae) with Key to the Guitarfishes of the Gulf of California

A new guitarfish of the genus Pseudobatos is described based on 82 specimens obtained from the Gulf of California. Sixty-three morphometric measurements were taken on all specimens, and on ten specimens from each of three congeners. A principal component analysis and linear discriminant analysis were performed on these morphometric data for discrimination. The new species (∼685 mm TL) is most similar to Pseudobatos productus but differs in having a narrower maximum disc width (30–35% vs. 36–38% TL), shorter distance from nostril to disc margin (2.8–4.0% vs. 4.2–5.2% TL), narrower disc width at anterior orbit (12–19% vs. 20–22% TL), and a narrower tip of snout width (3% vs. 4–6% TL). The species is also less densely scaled between the orbits and has less pronounced rostral thorns than Pseudobatos productus. A key to the guitarfishes of the Gulf of California is also provided.
Karlyn, Kathleen Rowe. Unruly Girls, Unrepentant Mothers

As an update to her award-winning first book, The Unruly Woman: Gender and the Genres of Laughter (1995), Kathleen Rowe Karlyn expands on her earlier work in Unruly Girls, Unrepentant Mothers (2011...
Intersectional AI Is Essential

Artificial intelligence is quietly shaping social structures and private lives. Although it promises parity and efficiency, its computational processes mirror biases of existing power even as often-proprietary data practices and cultural perceptions of computational magic obscure those influences. However, intersectionality—which foregrounds an analysis of institutional power and incorporates queer, feminist, and critical race theories—can help to rethink artificial intelligence. An intersectional framework can be used to analyze the biases and problems built into existing artificial intelligence, as well as to uncover alternative ethics from its counter-histories. This paper calls for the application of intersectional strategies to artificial intelligence at every level, from data to design to implementation, from technologist to user. Drawing on intersectional theories, the research argues these strategies are polyvocal, multimodal, and experimental—suggesting that community-focused and artistic practices can help imagine AI’s intersectional possibilities and help begin to address its biases.
Can Tinted Lenses Be Used to Manipulate Pupil Size and Visual Performance When Wearing Multifocal Contact Lenses

Background The purpose of this study is to investigate the effect of wearing neutral density (ND) filters with different transmittance levels over multifocal contact lenses (MTF CLs) on pupil size, visual functions and the dynamic accommodative response under daylight conditions in early presbyopes. Methods Seventeen individuals aged between 40 and 48 years (mean age 42.35±2.62 years) were recruited to participate in this study. This study involved a repeated-measures design with two within-subject factors: optical condition (which had five levels), and fixation distance (which had three levels). The five optical conditions were no correction (baseline), MTF CL wear, MTF CL wear + 0.3 ND filter (transmission [Tv]=48.38%), MTF CL wear + 0.6 ND filter (Tv=27.12%) and MTF CL wear + 0.9 ND filter (Tv=14.58%). The three fixation distances were 3 m, 40 cm and 20 cm. Outcome measures were pupil size, the measured accommodative response (optical aid + physiological accommodation), distance visual acuity (VA), near VA and contrast sensitivity (CS). Results There was no effect of optical condition on the accommodative response; however, there was a significant effect of fixation distance. (Accommodative response was 0.44±0.29, 1.83±0.37 and 4.03±0.46 D for fixation distances of 3 m, 40 cm and 20 cm, respectively; p<0.05.) There was a significant effect of optical condition (p<0.05) and of fixation distance on pupil size variation (5.13±0.90 mm for 3 m, 4.71±0.92 mm for 40 cm and 4.11±1.04 mm for 20 cm; p<0.05). Optical condition had a significant effect on distance VA, near VA and CS (p<0.05). Compared to the reduction in distance VA, near VA was relatively small (two-letter reduction with 0.9 ND) and unlikely to be clinically significant. Conclusion This study demonstrated that in a group of adults with early presbyopia, the use of ND filters enlarged pupil size. However, the combination of enlarged pupils and MTF CL did not improve distance vision, and if transmittance was reduced by 50% it resulted in decrements in vision and CS. MTF CL designs which incorporate tints, or tints that vary in darkness in response to ultraviolet exposure, should consider these findings.
Trinity tests of functions for conditional moment models

Abstract This paper considers conditional moment models where the parameters of interest include both finite-dimensional parameters and unknown functions. We propose sup-Wald, sup-quasi-likelihood ratio and sup-Lagrange multiplier statistics for testing functionals restrictions uniformly over the support for both finite and infinite dimensional components of the parameters. The trinity of three statistics holds because they are asymptotically equivalent and can be strongly approximated by a sequence of chi-squared processes. Based on these results, we can, for instance, construct confidence intervals and uniform confidence bands for the unknown functions, the partial derivatives of the unknown functions and the functional combinations of the two parameters.
Carbon monoxide poisoning and its effect on QTc prolongation

Carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning has been associated with direct toxicity to the cardiovascular system by causing arrhythmias through prolongation of QTc. It has been reported to have arrhythmogenic potential likely due to its action on the cardiac membranes. We present a case of a 69-year-old man who presented to the emergency department for evaluation of a syncopal episode after exposure to CO. His carboxyhemoglobin level was elevated at 10.5% on admission, electrocardiogram revealed QTc interval of 622 msec. He was treated with hyperbaric oxygen and a repeat electrocardiogram 15 h after hyperbaric oxygen initiation showed improvement in QTc to 490 msec and his carboxyhemoglobin level decreased to 1.8%. There is a direct association between acute CO poisoning and QTc prolongation as reported in patient cases and evidence of it was seen by investigators who worked on rats and found that this phenomenon occurs due to the action of nitric oxide on the late Na + channels affecting repolarization. The resolution after hyperbaric oxygen could be due to decrease in the CO concentration and the absence of nitric oxide synthase activation further propagating the QT prolongation, however, further research would have to be performed to consolidate this.
AFM Microcantilever With a Collocated AlN Sensor-Actuator Pair: Enabling Efficient Q-Control for Dynamic Imaging

This manuscript presents a novel microcantilever with an embedded piezoelectric sensor-actuator pair for dynamic atomic force microscopy (AFM). The transducer pair is constructed from a two-layered AlN stack. Stacking the piezoelectric transducers in this manner leads to a minimal feedthrough from actuation to sense electrode, granting a high dynamic range frequency response for dynamic mode AFM. The cantilever’s design allows for dual mode operation at 1st and 2nd resonance modes. High resolution tapping mode imaging results are reported, while the cantilever is operated at these modes. A feedback control loop is used to modify quality factor of the 1st mode of the cantilever, using a positive position feedback (PPF) controller. A faster response time is achieved by reducing the ${Q}$ -factor, enabling the cantilever to track the topography at a higher scan rate. Results of bimodal AFM imaging are reported, using amplitude changes of the 1st mode for surface topography, while material properties are encoded in phase changes of the 2nd mode. [2020-0096]
Prevalence of insomnia symptoms and associated risk factors in UK Biobank participants with hazardous alcohol use and major depression.

Abstract Introduction We aimed to examine the prevalence of insomnia symptoms (IS), sleep duration, and associated risk factors in participants with hazardous/harmful alcohol use (HAU), major depressive disorders (MDD), and HAU+MDD. Methods Data from the UK Biobank (UKB) (n = 55,000) were utilized to categorize participants into those with MDD (n = 5612), HAU (n = 15,893), MDD+HAU (n = 3738), and controls (n = 29,511). We examined whether rates of IS and sleep duration differed among the groups and determined the clinical predictors of IS. Rates of IS and sleep duration were compared using regression analyses accounting for demographic (age, sex, ethnicity, Townsend deprivation index) and clinical (body mass index, neuroticism score, alcohol consumption) factors. Results The unadjusted prevalence of IS was 26.5%, 27%, 39.5%, and 43% in control, HAU, MDD, and MDD+HAU categories respectively. Rates of IS in controls versus HAU and MDD versus MDD+HAU did not differ in unadjusted models (p = 0.45 and 0.075, respectively). Prevalence of IS differed in the four groups (p After accounting for diagnostic category and demographic/clinical factors, older age (OR=1.33 per 10 year increase; p Conclusion Sleep-related morbidity is the greatest in the MDD+HAU group, followed by the MDD group. Demographic and clinical characteristics explain some, but not all of the differences in the prevalence of IS in MDD±HAU. Genetic and other factors capable of influencing IS in those with MDD, HAU, and MDD+HAU merit future investigation.
Fourier Transform Multiple Quantum NMR

In Fourier Transform Multiple Quantum NMR [1] multiple quantum transitions in a coupled spin system are excited and detected in such a way that a specific n-quantum spectrum can be obtained for each n where n = 0, 1, ..., N (N = number of coupled spin-1/2 nuclei). Several of our recent developments and applications in this area will be selected for discussion from amongst the following: 1. Simplification of spectra allowing analysis; 2. Time dependent non-linear coherence processes; 3. Stochastic multiple quantum processes and n-quantum distribution; 4. Multiple quantum relaxation and extraction of correlations; 5. Study of structure and dynamics of oriented molecules without deuterium labeling; 6. Multiple quantum double resonance; 7. Relationship to optical coherence work.
Managing Discovery of Electronically Stored Information in Illinois

The discovery challenges posed by ESI – electronically stored information – are being expressly addressed in court rules operating in the federal courts and some state courts. Illinois judicial rulemakers have yet to act. If they do, wholesale borrowing from other jurisdictions would be ill-advised as there are some unique differences in Illinois discovery, as with evidence preservation obligations. The article explores how the Illinois rules might be amended to meet ESI challenges given current Illinois norms, and what Illinois judges and practitioners can do now when faced with ESI discovery challenges.
Quantifying Experimental Characterization Choices in Optimal Learning and Materials Design

We consider the choices and subsequent costs associated with ensemble averaging and extrapolating experimental measurements in the context of optimizing material properties using Optimal Learning (OL). We demonstrate how these two general techniques lead to a trade-off between measurement error and experimental costs, and incorporate this trade-off in the OL framework. As a first contextual example, we study the effect of ensemble size in determining the most accessible regions of an RNA molecule. A second example considers the impact of the number and frequency of initial measurements used to extrapolate a measure of nanoemulsion stability. In both cases, we use OL simulations to determine the optimal choice of these characterization parameters by minimizing an associated total experimental cost.
A phospholipase A2 inhibitor from the plasma of the South American rattlesnake (Crotalus durissus terrificus). Protein structure, genomic structure, and mechanism of action.

The lethal toxicity of the South American rattlesnake (Crotalus durissus terrificus) venom can be attributed mainly to the presence of a pre-synaptic neurotoxin, crotoxin, with phospholipase A2 activity. Crotoxin is a heterodimer of an acidic protein (CA) and a basic phospholipase A2 (CB). An anti-toxic protein of subunit molecular mass 23.6 kDa that neutralizes both lethal and PLA2 activity of crotalid venom and crotoxin has been previously purified from the plasma of this snake (Fortes-Dias, C., Fonseca, B. C. B., Kochva, E., and Diniz, C. R. (1991) Toxicon 29, 997-1008). The protein has been named CNF for Crotalus neutralizing factor. In the present study, we have shown that CNF exists as an oligomeric aggregate of (CNF)n, where n = 6-8, and when it interacts with crotoxin, it replaces the acidic protein CA of crotoxin to form a stable near stoichiometric complex of CNF.CB. The CNF.CB complex no longer exhibits PLA2 activity and is inert in vivo. Thus, the exchange reaction between CA.CB of crotoxin and CNF to form CNF.CB and free CA is reminiscent of the interaction of crotoxin with its target receptor at the neuromuscular transmission site in the presynaptic cells. A cDNA encoding CNF has been isolated from a liver cDNA library using an appropriate nucleotide probe. The nucleotide sequence codes for a 19-residue signal peptide, followed by a 181-residue protein of which 16 are half-cystines. Calculated molecular mass is 20.06 kDa, and there is a putative N-linked carbohydrate site at Asn157.
Fast-Neutron Effects on Type-304 Stainless Steel

Tensile properties of irradiated Type-304 stainless steel have been measured. These results have been correlated with microstructural observations obtained by optical and transmission electron micr...
Regulation of ovarian granulosa and luteal cell functions by gonadotropin releasing hormone and its antagonist.

Since the purification and sequencing of gonadotropin releasing hormone (GnRH) and the subsequent synthesis of potent GnRH agonists and antagonists, many laboratories have been involved in investigating the effects of these peptides on reproductive functions. In women, administration of GnRH at a restricted time in the cycle results in preovulatory-like surges of gonadotropin (Yen et al., 1975; Grimes et al., 1975). Paradoxically, long-term administration of potent GnRH agonists is always associated with the inhibition of a variety of female reproductive functions such as ovarian steroidogenesis, ovulation, ovum transport, ovum implantation, pregnancy, uterine growth and ovarian-dependent mammary tumorigenesis.
Small- q anomaly in the dielectric function and high-temperature oscillations of the screening potential in a two-dimensional electron gas with spin-orbit coupling

We study the static dielectric function $\ensuremath{\varepsilon}(q)$ of two-dimensional electron system with spin-orbit coupling in the frame of the random-phase approximation. We demonstrate that, in addition to the well-known ${2k}_{F}$-Kohn anomaly, spin-orbit coupling gives rise to the novel anomaly in the dielectric function at small ${q=q}_{0}\ensuremath{\ll}{k}_{F},$ where ${q}_{0}$ is the distance between two Fermi surfaces. As a result of this anomaly a large-distance behavior of the potential from a point charge exhibits (in addition to the conventional Friedel oscillations) oscillations with a period $2\ensuremath{\pi}{/q}_{0}.$ The remarkable feature of these oscillations is that they are not smeared out by the temperature. We show that the small-$q$ anomaly also modifies the indirect exchange interaction of localized magnetic moments (RKKY interaction). In the presense of spin-orbit coupling this interaction acquires a high-temperature component.
Benign but fatal. A case of a newborn with congenital osteochondroma

Osteochondroma is one of the most frequent benign bone tumors in children. Its incidence is hard to determine because this tumor usually is asymptomatic. These tumors may present as solitary, nonhereditary lesions or as hereditary multiple osteochondromas that are inherited in an autosomal dominant manner. Although osteochondromas are usually asymptomatic, significant symptoms may occur because of complications such as bone fracture, bone deformation, or joint problems. The tumor may also mechanically compress nerves or vessels. Osteochondromas growing inwardly may cause injury to internal organs. The authors present a preterm (34 weeks of corrected gestational age) neonate in whom osteochondroma, although histologically benign, caused death because of its size and location. Prenatal ultrasound imaging performed during the third trimester of pregnancy showed bilateral hydrothorax and hydroperitoneum as well as heterogeneous parenchymal area on the right side of the thorax. After birth, the neonate's condition was extremely severe. Although intensive and multidirectional treatment was applied, the condition of the infant continued to deteriorate and he died 26 h after birth. The autopsy confirmed presence of the tumor - osteochondroma - that caused total mediastinal shift with significant hypoplasia of both lungs and with signs of significant compression of the superior and inferior vena cava.
Vector quantization with reversible variable-length coding for ultra- spectral sounder data compression: an application to future NOAA weather satellite data rebroadcast

Contemporary and future ultraspectral sounders represent significant technical advancement for environmental and meteorological prediction and monitoring. Given their large volume of spectral observations, the use of robust data compression techniques will be beneficial to data transmission and storage. The retrieval of geophysical parameters from ultraspectral sounder observation via the radiative transfer equation is a mathematically ill-posed problem. Lossless compression of ultraspectral sounder data is desired by the science community to avoid potential retrieval degradation. For NOAA's future geostationary weather satellites, the data is managed to be transmitted down to the ground within the bandwidth capabilities of the satellite transmitter and ground station receiving system. The data is then compressed at the ground station for distribution to the user community, as is traditionally performed with the GOES data via satellite rebroadcast. In this paper we investigate a lossless compression method with fast precomputed vector quantization (FPVQ) and reversible variable-length coding (RVLC). The FPVQ produces high compression gain for ground operation while RVLC affords better detection of bit errors remaining after channel decoding due to synchronization losses over a noisy channel. The FPVQ-RVLC compression method provides a good tool for satellite rebroadcast of ultraspectral sounder data.
The Difference Ethnography Can Make: Understanding Social Mobilization and Development in the Brazilian Northeast

Ethnographic research is invaluable for social movement research. Ethnographies of everyday participation in mobilization help to counter the popular image of social movements as coherent, well-bounded entities consisting of individuals committed to the goals of the collective. In this study of the Movimento Sem Terra (the Landless Movement, or the MST) in northeastern Brazil, I establish a more complete continuum of movement membership by analyzing two interviews (one conducted in 1999, the other in 2003) with a former plantation worker named Cicero who considered himself a member of the MST in 1999 but “didn't even know what to say about the movement” three years later. Cicero's interviews are noteworthy because he is not the sort of person typically featured in studies of social mobilization: he did not join the MST because of a passionate commitment (more because the movement showed up and he couldn't see a reason not to), and he was never convinced of the MST's primary ideals or methods. Cicero's interviews provide what Lila Abu-Lughod calls a “counter-discourse,” in which people make decisions that are contradictory, and incomplete, often made without explicit articulation or even understanding. Ultimately, I argue that incorporating this broader continuum will help us better explain movement personalities and trajectories.
Liquid clathrate media containing transition metal halocarbonyl anions; formation and crystal structures of [K+ · 18-crown-6][Cr(CO)5Cl], [H3O+ · 18-crown-6][W(CO)5Cl], [H3O+ · 18-crown-6][W(CO)4Cl3], and [H2O · bis-aza-18-crown-6 · (H+)2][W(CO)4Cl3]2

Abstract The complexes [H3O+ · 18-crown-6][W(CO)5Cl], (2) [H3O+ · 18-crown-6][W(CO)4Cl3], (3) and [H2O · bis-aza-18-crown-6 · (H+)2][W(CO)4Cl3]2, (4) were synthesized from a mixture of W(CO)6, HCl(g), H2O and either 18-crown-6 for 2 and 3 or bis-aza-18-crown-6 for 4, in toluene. Reaction conditions for [K+ · 18-crown-6][Cr(CO)5Cl], (1) were similar except that Cr(CO)6 and KCl were used in place of W(CO)6 and H2O, respectively. These reactions were promoted with the use of UV radiation and liquid clathrates were formed almost immediately upon reaction. X-ray crystal structures were deduced for each compound. Complex 1 crystallizes in the orthorhombic space group Pbnm with a = 7.432(1), b = 16.521(3), c = 19.508(2) A, and Dc = 1.48 g cm−3 for Z = 4. Refinement based on 1277 observed reflections led to a final R value of 0.078. Complex 2 crystallizes in the rhombohedral space group R 3 with a = 13.458(1), c = 10.769(1) A, and Dc = 1.77 g cm−3 for Z = 3. Refinement based on 715 observed reflections led to a final R value of 0.014. Complex 3 crystallizes in the monoclinic space group C2/c with a = 22.411(2), b = 11.018(1), c = 16.340(2) A , β = 114.34(1)°, and Dc = 1.24 g cm−3 for Z = 4. Refinement based on 1966 observed reflections led to a final R value of 0.068. Complex 4 crystallizes in the triclinic space group P 1 with a = 11.761(1), b = 12.096(1), c = 14.966(1) A , α = 107.88(1), β = 91.19(1), γ = 117.44(1)°, and Dc = 2.03 g cm−3 for Z = 2. Refinement based on 3065 observed reflections led to a final R value of 0.054.
Intelligent model-based control of preform permeation in liquid composite molding processes, with online optimization

Manufacturing of quality products via liquid molding processes such as Resin Transfer Molding (RTM), calls for a precise control of resin progression through fibrous preforms during mold fill. Lack of an effective process control leads to formation of dry spots and voids that are detrimental to product quality. This study presents the use of physics-based process simulations in real-time, towards a generalized process control. The implementation of process simulations for on-line model-predictive control requires that the simulation time scales be less than the time scales of the process. An artificial neural network trained using data from numerical process models is used to provide rapid, real-time process simulations for the model-based control. A simulated annealing algorithm, working interactively with the neural network process model, is used to derive optimal control decisions rapidly and on-the-fly. The controller performance is systematically demonstrated for several processing scenarios.
A semiclassical two-temperature model for ultrafast laser heating

A semiclassical two-step heating model is proposed to investigate thermal transport in metals caused by ultrashort laser heating. Based on the Boltzmann transport equation, three equations of the conservation of number density, momentum and energy are derived for the electron subsystem. The thermal transport equation used for the phonon subsystem remains the same as that used in the phenomenological two-temperature (2T) model, including the energy exchange with hot electrons and the ultrafast thermal relaxation effect in general. The main difference between the semiclassical and the phenomenological 2T models is that the former includes the effects of electron drifting, which could result in significantly different electron and lattice temperature response from the latter for higher-intensity and shorter-pulse laser heating.
REGULARITY AND EXTREMALITY OF QUASICONFORMAL HOMEOMORPHISMS ON CR 3-MANIFOLDS

This paper first studies the regularity of conformal homeomorphisms on smooth locally embeddable strongly pseudoconvex Cauchy-Riemann manifolds. Then moduli of curve families are used to estimate the maximal dilatations of quasiconformal homeomorphisms. On certain CR 3-manifolds, namely, CR circle bundles over flat tori, extremal quasiconformal ho- meomorphisms in some homotopy classes are constructed. These extremal mappings have similar behavior to Teichmuller mappings on Riemann surfaces.
Multifactorial analysis of survival in primary extremity liposarcoma.

The treatment of extremity soft tissue sarcoma is now directed at limb preservation with the addition of various adjuvant therapies to improve treatment results. To achieve this goal, a knowledge of prognostic factors for extremity soft tissue sarcoma becomes increasingly critical. The object of this study was to analyze prognostic factors for survival in patients with extremity liposarcoma. Eighty-three patients with primary localized extremity liposarcoma, admitted from 1968 to 1978, were retrospectively reviewed. Surgical resection was the primary mode of treatment. Eleven prognostic factors were analyzed. Tumor factors included: histologic subtype, tumor grade, size, depth, invasion of vital structures, and site; operative factors included: type of operation, and surgical margins; and patient factors included: symptoms, age at diagnosis, and sex. Kaplan-Meier survival curves, and univariate and stratified log-rank tests of association were performed. Independent factors for predicting survival were identified using the Cox model stepwise regression technique. In univariate analysis of the entire group of patients, 5 factors were significant for tumor mortality: tumor grade (p=0.00005), histologie subtype (p=0.00025), tumor size s≥5 cm (p=0.005), type of surgery/ margin (p=0.0001), and invasion of vital structures (p=0.008). When associations among all factors were analyzed, it was found that many factors were interdependent. The independent prognosticators were, therefore, determined according to the Cox model technique. For the multivariate analysis, well-differentiated and lipoblastic liposarcomas were excluded because of lack of survival variation within each group. The former group had no tumor-related deaths and the latter group showed 80% tumor mortality. The remaining patients with myxoid, high-grade fibroblastic and pleomorphic liposarcoma were subjected to multivariate analysis. Three factors emerged as independent prognostic predictors: high-grade tumor (p=0.013), inadequate resection/amputation (p=0.003), and tumor≥cm (p=0.04).
Robust space-time intermittency and 1/ f noise

Abstract We investigate a type of intermittency that occurs in space as well as time, studying a one dimensional lattice of coupled quadratic maps. This system naturally forms spatial domains. Motion of the domain walls causes spatially localized changes from chaotic to almost periodic behavior. The almost periodic phases have eigenvalues quite close to one, resulting in long-lived laminar bursts with a 1 f low frequency spectrum. This behavior has aspects of both Crutchfield and Pomeau-Manneville intermittency. Unlike Pomeau-Manneville, however, the behavior that we observe here is quite robust under changes of parameters.
The Power of the Pill for the Next Generation: Oral Contraception’s Effects on Fertility, Abortion, and Maternal & Child Characteristics

This paper considers how oral contraception's diffusion to young unmarried women affected the number and parental characteristics of children born to these women. In the short-term, pill access caused declines in fertility and increases in both the share of children born with low birthweight and the share born to poor households. In the long-term, access led to negligible changes in fertility while increasing the share of children with college-educated mothers and decreasing the share with divorced mothers. The short-term effects appear to be driven by upwardly-mobile women opting out of early childbearing while the long-term effects appear to be driven by a retiming of births to later ages. These effects differ from those of abortion legalization, although we find suggestive evidence that pill diffusion lowered abortions. Our results suggest that abortion and the pill are on average used for different purposes by different women, but on the margin some women substitute from abortion towards the pill when both are available. JELNo. I0, J13, N12.
The electrostatic force between a charged conducting sphere and a charged dielectric sphere in an arbitrarily oriented external electric field

The electrostatic force between a charged conducting sphere and a charged dielectric sphere in a uniform, arbitrarily oriented external electric field is obtained and presented in terms of force coefficients which depend only on the relative geometry of the two spheres and the dielectric constants of the dielectric sphere and the medium. When the dielectric constant of the dielectric sphere is allowed to approach infinity, the resulting computed force agrees with that ofDavis (1964) for two conducting spheres, and when the external field and the charge on the dielectric sphere are set to zero, the resulting force agrees with that ofHall andBeard (1975) for a charged conducting sphere near an uncharged dielectric sphere.
Trade in manufactured goods: patterns of change

This paper looks at the changing pattern of trade in manufactured goods between the developed industrial countries and the developing countries. It first reviews recent changes in this trade and the policies applied. It then analyzes the comparative advantages of the industrial and the developing countries and indicates the commodity composition of this trade. The implications of the results are drawn with reference to the benefits of trade in manufactured goods for the participants.
On the Nature of the Canals of Mars

Canals on bright areas of Mars surface, from comparisons of observer sketches and Mariner IV PHOTOGRAPHS and Doppler spectroscopic results for dark areas
Behavioural factors in burn mortality and length of stay in hospital

Numerous studies have examined the effects of burn size and depth, age, concomitant injury, and illness upon burn patient mortality and duration of stay in hospital, and other studies have stressed the importance of psychosocial factors in the causation of burns. However, scant attention has been given to the effects of psychosocial factors on burn mortality and length of stay in hospital. Data on psychiatric diagnoses, substance abuse, and factors in severity of injury were abstracted from the charts of patients admitted to the San Diego Regional Burn Treatment Center. Mortality data were analysed using logistic regression. After adjusting for severity of the burn injury, statistically significant increases in mortality are associated with the diagnosis of character or personality disorder, schizophrenia, alcohol intoxication at the time of injury, and a variable indication a psychiatric diagnosis or severe undiagnosed problems. Comments on individual charts suggest that overtly self-destructive behaviour during treatment caused the increased mortality. Data on duration of stay in hospital among survivors were analysed using multiple linear regression. After adjusting for severity of injury, significantly longer stays are associated with suicidal intention, diagnosis of character or personality disorder, schizophrenia, senility and a variable indicating a psychiatric diagnosis or severe undiagnosed problems. Overtly self-destructive behaviour, treatment of psychiatric problems, and the inability of some patients to care for themselves may each contribute to the longer stay in hospital.
New remains of Prothoatherium columbianus (Litopterna, Mammalia) from the Miocene of Colombia

New dental and skeletal remains of Prothoatherium colombianus, from the Miocene of Huila Department, Colombia, are described and discussed. The species, originally described as a didolodontid condy...
Optimal morphological hit-or-miss filtering of gray-level images

The binary hit-or-miss transform is applied to filter digital gray-scale signals. This is accomplished by applying a union of hit-or-miss transforms to an observed signal's umbra and then taking the surface of the filtered umbra as the estimate of the ideal signal. The hit-or-miss union is constructed to provide the optimal mean-absolute-error filter for both the ideal signal and its umbra. The method is developed in detail for thinning hit-or-miss filters and applies at once to the dual thickening filters. It requires the output of the umbra filter to be an umbra, which in general is not true. A key aspect of the paper is the complete characterization of umbra-preserving union-of-hit-or-miss thinning and thickening filters. Taken together, the mean-absolute-error theory and the umbra-preservation characterization provide a full characterization of binary hit-or-miss filtering as applied to digital gray-scale signals. The theory is at once applicable to hit-or-miss filtering of digital gray-scale signals via the three- dimensional binary hit-or-miss transform.© (1993) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Valve-Sparing Aortic Root Replacement and Neochordal Repair of Complex Aortic Leaflet Pathology for Ruptured Sinus of Valsalva Aneurysm Fistulizing to the Right Ventricle

Sinus of Valsalva aneurysms (SVAs) are rare congenital entities arising from eccentric aortic root dilatation that can protrude and rupture into adjacent cardiac chambers. Treatment entails aneurysmal sac excision and aortic defect closure. We present a young patient with a ruptured SVA fistulizing into the right ventricle and acute decompensated heart failure. He also had moderate aortic root enlargement and a dysmorphic aortic valve with 3 highly asymmetrical leaflets. This pathologic condition was successfully repaired with a novel combination of valve-sparing root replacement, aortic valve leaflet neochordal repair, right ventricular reconstruction, and tricuspid valve annuloplasty.
Continuous monitoring of mass transfer rates in batch agitated liquid-liquid systems by electrical conductivity

In continuous monitoring of mass transfer rates by electrical conductivity in batch agitated liquid-liquid systems, it is helpful to identify those conditions under which the conductance is predominantly due to solute concentration in the continuous phase only. In such cases there is no need for correction to accomodate dispersed phase conductivity effects. This problem is addressed here, with extension to include transient and dispersed phase conductivities; mass transfer between the two phases; repeated breakup, rebounding, and coalescence of the droplets due to agitation; and deformation of the dispersed phase particles in turbulent flow.
Neuroscience: Knowing and feeling

Owen Flanagan is unconvinced by Antonio Damasio's argument that 'the self' is needed to explain consciousness.
Palaeomagnetic Study of Dated Pre-Cambrian Rocks of the Front Range, Colorado-Wyoming

Summary The mean direction of remanent magnetization, after partial a. c. demagnetization, of Pre-Cambrian rocks from the Front Range of Colorado and Wyoming gives a palaeomagnetic pole position at 8°N, 29°E. Rock types sampled include andesite dykes, diorite inclusions in granite, and a highly oxidized red granite, all with a radiogenic age of 1.41 G. Y. This preliminary study suggests there are at least two and probably as many as four field reversals recorded in these rocks, and that remanent directions from andesite dykes may be useful in determining tectonic rotation of the Front Range.
Comparison of the performance of two comorbidity measures, with and without information from prior hospitalizations.

Objectives. This study compares the performance of two comorbidity risk adjustment methods (the Deyo et al adaptation of the Charlson index and the Elixhauser et al method) in five groups of California hospital patients with common reasons for hospitalization, and assesses the contribution to model performance made by information drawn from prior hospital admissions. Methods. California hospital discharge abstract data for the calendar years 1994 through 1997 were used to create a longitudinal data set for patients in the five disease groups. Eleven logistic regression models were estimated to predict the risk of in-hospital death for patients in each group, with both comorbidity risk adjustment methods applied to patient information available from only the index hospitalization, and to information available from both the index and prior hospitalizations. Results. For every comparison made, the level of statistical performance (area under the receiver operating characteristics curve) demonstrated by models using the Elixhauser et al method was superior to that of models using the Deyo et al adaptation method. Although most patients have information available from prior hospital admissions, this additional information yields only small improvements in the performance of models using either comorbidity risk adjustment method. Conclusions. Better discrimination is achieved with the Elixhauser et al method using only information from the index hospitalization than is achieved with the Deyo et al adaptation using information from all identified hospital admissions. Both comorbidity risk adjustment methods achieve their best performance when information from the index hospitalization and prior admissions is separated into independent indicators of comorbid illness.