cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The nature of the relationship between attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder and substance use

This report examines the developmental relationship between attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and substance use disorders (SUD) and associated concurrent disorders relative to adolescents and adults. ADHD is a risk factor for the development of SUD in adulthood, and it is particularly of concern with conduct and bipolar disorder comorbidities. Conversely, approximately one fifth of adults with SUD have ADHD. Individuals with SUD and ADHD have a more severe and complicated course of SUD. Pharmacotherapeutic treatment of ADHD in children reduces the risk for later cigarette smoking and SUD in adulthood.
Extracting Response Style Bias From Measures of Positive and Negative Affect in Aging Research.

Objectives This study investigated the role of response style biases in the assessment of positive and negative affect in aging research; it addressed whether response styles (a) are associated with age-related changes in cognitive abilities, (b) lead to distorted conclusions about age differences in affect, and (c) reduce the convergent and predictive validity of affect measures in relation to health outcomes. Method A multidimensional item response theory model was used to extract response styles from affect ratings provided by respondents to the psychosocial questionnaire (n = 6,295; aged 50-100 years) in the Health and Retirement Study (HRS). Results The likelihood of extreme response styles (disproportionate use of "not at all" and "very much" response categories) increased significantly with age, and this effect was mediated by age-related decreases in HRS cognitive test scores. Removing response styles from affect measures did not alter age patterns in positive and negative affect; however, it consistently enhanced the convergent validity (relationships with concurrent depression and mental health problems) and predictive validity (prospective relationships with hospital visits, physical illness onset) of the affect measures. Discussion The results support the importance of detecting and controlling response styles when studying self-reported affect in aging research.
Order and parameter estimation of linear systems with a generalized ADALINE neural network

This paper presents the GADALINE based neural network method for linear system model order estimation. In GADALINE linear system identification, the past input data are used as its input and the past output data are also used as its input in the form of feedback because in such a linear system, the current system output is dependent on past outputs and on both the current and past inputs. The model order estimation is then to determine how many past inputs should be included as its input and how many past output should be fed-back as its input also. The measured data set can then be used to train the GADALINE and during training, the performance error can be used to determine the model order in our method just as the Final Prediction Error used in Akaike's criterion. One advantage of the method is its simplicity. Simulation results show that the proposed method provides satisfactory performance.
Anemia in the Surgical ICU

Anemia is common in critically ill and it is associated with worsening of outcomes and increased risk of transfusion. Various compensatory mechanisms are activated to mitigate the negative effects of reduced oxygen-carrying capacity of blood in anemia, but these adaptations have limits and as the limits are reached, tissue oxygen delivery will no longer be adequate to meet the demand and ischemia and tissue injury may occur. Anemia is often multifactorial and in critically ill patients, it can be caused by blood loss, impaired erythropoiesis, and reduced life span of red blood cells, iron deficiency (absolute or functional), and hemodilution. Various management strategies are available to address these etiologies. Given the risks of transfusion, allogeneic blood should be used judiciously and only when clearly indicated and alongside other management and preventive strategies to reduce unnecessary and avoidable transfusions.
The precarious path of student migrants: education, debt, and transnational migration among Indian youth

ABSTRACTThe drive to internationalise campuses is an important dimension of the globalised neoliberal university, and it is leading to large numbers of students crossing national borders to pursue their education. As key global consumers of higher education, middle-class students from India migrating overseas to study are at the centre of this trend. Drawing from ethnographic research conducted at a public university in New York, this article considers how notions of obligation become critical to these students’ movements, their practices of place-making, and their futures. I use the term educational debts to capture the different forms of indebtedness that not only structure these young people’s educational migration, but also inform the sensibility shaping their negotiations of everyday life as overseas students. Attending specifically to their experiences with work, both the part-time labour they provide on campus and their search for work after they receive their degrees, I argue that educational debt...
No Love for Doves? Foreign Policy and Candidate Appeal

Objectives â€œIssue ownershipâ€ of foreign policy, it is widely believed, gives an electoral advantage to the Republican Party, which generally adopts a hawkish posture. We test the popular proposition that Democrats should adopt more hawkish stances in order to offset this advantage. Methods We conducted experiments in which (fictional) candidates take hawkish or dovish positions in response to a realâ€ world threat to the United States. We complemented these studies with analyses of national survey data for the 2008 and 2012 presidential elections. Results Our results consistently refute the popular proposition that Democrats stand to benefit from adopting more hawkish foreign policy stances. Conclusion While ownership of foreign policy may bestow a trust on the Republican Party to handle foreign policy, this is not necessarily a mandate for hawkish policies. We highlight the importance of the present political context, wherein the American public exhibits a marked weariness of U.S. military intervention overseas.
Health Literacy and Effective Health Communication in Pediatric Practices and Health Systems: Creating Shame-Free Environments and Patient-Friendly Institutions

Shame has been defined as a “painful emotion caused by consciousness of guilt, shortcoming, or impropriety.”1 Several researchers have characterized patients with low literacy as being unwilling to disclose their problems to healthcare providers because of their shame.2,3 Contributing to this feeling of inadequacy is the reading level of most patient materials. Wilson examined 35 unique patient educational materials produced by professional sources (government agencies, drug companies, and state/national organizations) or by providers.4 Professionally developed materials had significantly higher reading levels and were more difficult to read, but all materials were written at a reading level higher than most adults can comprehend.4
Steering locomotion by vestibular perturbation in room-scale VR

Advances in consumer virtual reality (VR) technology have made using natural locomotion for navigation in VR a possibility. While walking in VR can enhance immersion and reduce motion sickness, it introduces a few challenges. Walking is only possible within virtual environments (VEs) that fit inside the boundaries of the tracked physical space, which for most users is quite small and carries a high potential for collisions with physical objects around the tracked area. In my thesis, I explore visual and physiological steering techniques that complement the traditional redirected walking technique of scene rotation to alter a user's walking trajectory in the physical space. In this paper, I present the physiological technique.
Exophiala (Wangiella) dermatitidis Prosthetic Aortic Valve Endocarditis and Prosthetic Graft Infection in an Immune Competent Patient

Exophiala (Wangiella) dermatitidis is an emerging dematiaceous fungus associated with high mortality rates and is a rare cause of endocarditis. We describe the first case of E. dermatitidis endocarditis of a prosthetic aortic valve and aortic graft in an immune competent patient with no clear risk factors of hematological acquisition.
Optically controlled coplanar waveguide millimeter wave phase shifter

A new optically controlled millimeter wave phase shifter is discussed. The device is based on the interaction between the guided wave on a coplanar waveguide (CPW) and an optically induced electron-hole plasma in the CPW semiconductor substrate. A prototype structure consisting of a Schottky-contacted coplanar waveguide on a multilayer AlGaAs/GaAs substrate is modeled. Optically-induced electron-hole plasma densities are calculated using the nonlinear diffusion equation, valid for high level injection in semiconductors. Numerical calculations of the phase shift and insertion loss versus illumination intensity are found based on these plasma densities.
The Sniffing Effect: Olfactory Sensitivity and Olfactory Imagery in Advertising

The authors examine the influence of olfactory sensitivity on the effectiveness of olfactory imagery in advertising. Findings reveal that the use of olfactory imagery can negatively impact ratings ...
FIT2 is a lipid phosphate phosphatase crucial for endoplasmic reticulum homeostasis

The endoplasmic reticulum (ER) protein Fat-Induced Transcript 2 (FIT2) has emerged as a key factor in lipid droplet (LD) formation, although its molecular function is unknown. Highlighting its importance, FIT2 orthologs are essential in worms and mice, and FIT2 deficiency causes a deafness/dystonia syndrome in humans. Here we show that FIT2 is a lipid phosphate phosphatase (LPP) enzyme that is required for maintaining the normal structure of the ER. Recombinant FIT2 exhibits LPP activity in vitro and loss of this activity in cells leads to ER membrane morphological changes and ER stress. Defects in LD formation in FIT2 depletion appear to be secondary to membrane lipid abnormalities, possibly due to alterations in phospholipids required for coating forming LDs. Our findings uncover an enzymatic role for FIT2 in ER lipid metabolism that is crucial for ER membrane homeostasis.
Academic Surgical Oncologists' Productivity Correlates with Gender, Grant Funding, and Institutional NCI Comprehensive Cancer Center Affiliation.

A scholar’s h-index is defined as the number of h papers published, each of which has been cited at least h times. We hypothesized that the h-index strongly correlates with the academic rank of surgical oncologists. We utilized the National Cancer Institute (NCI) website to identify NCI-designated Comprehensive Cancer Centers (CCC) and Doximity to identify the 50 highest-ranked general surgery residency programs with surgical oncology divisions. Demographic data of respective academic surgical oncologists were collected from departmental websites and Grantome. Bibliometric data were obtained from Web of Science. We identified 544 surgical oncologists from 64 programs. Increased h-index was associated with academic rank (p < 0.001), male gender (p < 0.001), number of National Institutes of Health (NIH) grants (p < 0.001), and affiliation with an NCI CCC (p = 0.018) but not number of additional degrees (p = 0.661) or Doximity ranking (p = 0.102). H-index was a stronger predictor of academic rank (r = 0.648) than total publications (r = 0.585) or citations (r = 0.450). This is the first report to assess the h-index within academic surgical oncology. H-index is a bibliometric predictor of academic rank that correlates with NIH grant funding and NCI CCC affiliation. We also highlight a previously unexpected and unappreciated gender disparity in the academic productivity of US surgical oncologists. When academic rank was accounted for, female surgical oncologists had lower h-indices compared with their male colleagues. Evaluation of the etiologies of this gender disparity is needed to address barriers to academic productivity faced by female surgical oncologists as they progress through their careers.
Factors influencing faecal contamination in coastal marinas

Recreational pleasure and fishing boats are potential sources of human faecal contamination because the sanitary wastes from boat occupants may be discharged into the surrounding water. The impacts of such faecal contamination from boats is potentially high in marinas where boats are often kept and occupied for varying periods of time. The nature and extent of such faecal contamination from boats in marinas of different design and use is still inadequately understood. In this study the levels of faecal coliform (FC) bacteria were measured in the waters of a confined and an open water marina over a 6 d period encompassing a holiday weekend. Levels of FC rose with increasing occupancy by boats and boaters during the study period and then declined again. FC levels were higher in waters of a confined or basin marina than in waters of an open or unconfined marina. In both confined and open water marinas, FC levels were highest in water samples collected near boats but they also became elevated on occasion in water samples taken a distance of 305 m from boats. Concentrations of FC in marina waters exceeded the standards and guidelines for shell-fishing and primary contact recreation waters. Therefore, greater consideration of human health risks from enteric microbes in marina waters and shellfish is recommended.
Circulatory function of pink salmon at the spawning grounds.

After having spent 18 months of their two-year life span in the Pacific Ocean, mature pink salmon (Oncorhynchusgorbuscha) begin a spawning migration which instinctively leads them to the freshwater stream of their birth. Apparently they negotiate the hundreds of miles of the migratory route while abstaining totally from eating. Upon arriving at the spawning grounds they deploy and hold their position in the stream until the spawning event. During this period in freshwater the fasting and exercising fish deteriorate greatly and age rapidly. Spawning is manifested quickly for some but as long as a month later for others in the population. The spawning spectacle itself is followed quickly and inevitably by death.
Biochemical and Electron Microscopic Studies of Rat Skin During Zinc Deficiency

Zinc has long been recognized as essential to normal growth and development in animals and in man. Its role in regulating metabolic events at the molecular level is becoming evident, but it is not yet possible to correlate biochemical function to the pathology of deficiency. Studies by a number of investigators have indicated that feeding animals with a diet low in zinc causes an abnormal condition on skin in addition to growth retardation. These include the rats (Todd et al., 1934), mice (Day and Skidmore, 1947), swine (Kernkam and Ferrin, 1953), cattle (Miller and Miller, 1962), lambs (Ott et al., 1964) goats (Miller et al., 1964), dogs (Robertson and Burns, 1963), rabbits (Graham and Telle, 1967), squirrel monkeys (Macapinlac et al., 1967), hamsters (Boquist and Lernmark, 1969), guinea pigs (McBean et al., 1972). In man (Prasad et al., 1963) the clinical aspects of zinc deficiency are remarkably similar to those described above for animals. They consisted of growth retardation and rough skin with hyperpigmentation. These observations indicate the importance of zinc in skin metabolism.
Reflections Upon “My [Unreflected] Life”: M. Merleau-Ponty and Lyn Hejinian’s Poetics of “Genetic Phenomenology” in My Life

Written as an autobiography, Lyn Hejinian’s prose poem My Life presents a hermeneutic puzzle. The structure of the poem, on the one hand, certainly mirrors a chronological recording of the poet’s life to the year of the composition. When it was first written in 1978, at the poet’s then age of 37, the poem consisted of 37 sections, and each section, of 37 sentences, all unnumbered.1 But in 1986 when Hejinian revised My Life for the second Sun & Moon edition at the age of 45, she added 8 sections to the book, and, accordingly, 8 new sentences to each section, all inserted into the original text at irregular intervals.2 The content of the poem, on the other hand, is certainly much less logical or chronological. Although each section in the sequence suggests a parallel to a corresponding year in the poet’s life and does contain some allusions to emotional, relational, or linguistic features characteristic of that stage of growth in question,3 its reflective engagement with the everyday existence unfolds a nonlinear “field work,”4 in which life is perceived, rather contra-autobiographically, as “hopelessly frayed, all loose ends” (ML, p. 15), and a discernible, individual identity or subjectivity constantly “eludes, shifts, and even dissolves,”5 giving way to an opaque multiplicity, “a fluid state that takes on varying shapes.”6
Assessment of Sensory and Behavioral Functions in Infancy

Important advances have been made over the past two decades in the recording and understanding of sensory and learning processes of infants. These have enabled the earlier detection, and often the amelioration, of conditions hazardous to the further development of the child. Health care professionals and researchers with special interests in infant behavioral processes have come increasingly to realize that even newborns are remarkably responsive to stimulation in all sensory modalities. Moreover, the quality and character of the environment play a role in the behavior of the baby right from the start. This means that (1) behavior is to an extent determined and modified by the stimulation that is supplied to the child, either inadvertently or deliberately, and (2) the baby and its caretakers constitute a virtual control system in which each responds to the other and each serves as stimulant to the other.
Die Erhaltung der Erde

Unser Planet wurde sich noch viele Milliarden Jahre so weiterentwickeln wie bisher, gabe es auf ihm kein „intelligentes“ Leben. Die Sonne besitzt genugend Wasserstoff, den sie einige Milliarden Jahre lang nach und nach verbrennen kann. Die durch die Radioaktivitat im Erdmantel erzeugte Warme wird zwar allmahlich abnehmen, aber sie wird ausreichen, um die Krustenplatten wenigstens noch ein paar Milliarden Jahre anzutreiben.
α-Melanotropin and its Role in Regulating the Inflammatory Response

Melanotropins (MSH) are widely distributed in vertebrates and invertebrates. Originally defined by their effect on amphibian melanocytes—darkening their skin as a defense mechanism—these peptides have additional functions that are as yet less well understood. There are three melanocyte stimulating hormones, α-, β-, and γ-MSH, derived from a 31-kDa precursor in the pituitary gland. Of particular interest to the immunologist are α -MSH and γ-MSH. γ-MSH has been found in neutrophils as measured by reactivity with specific anti-y-MSH antibody (Vaalasti and Johansson 1988). α-MSH, on the other hand, has recently been shown to modulate cytokine-induced inflammatory reactions, fever, and acute-phase reactant release in vivo (reviewed in Lipton 1988). In addition, α-MSH stimulates nerve regeneration (Bijlsma et al. 1983). These observations bring new light to the possible functions of MSH, extending them beyond a highly specific action on melanocytes. This chapter focuses on the role of α-MSH in regulating the inflammatory process and the associated physiological response.
Alternations of the Thymo-Lymphatic System in Malignant Trophoblastic Disease

The absolute lymphocyte count bears a relation to chorionic gonadotropin in patients with malignant trophoblastic tumors. Certain changes are known to occur in lymphoid tissue in normal pregnancy and in malignant trophoblastic tumors. 1. It has been shown by numerous investigators (Jolly and Lieure, 1930; Persike, 1940), that the thymus atrophies during pregnancy and regenerates in the Puerperium in small animals. 2. It has also been shown that estrogen and cortisone produce a reversible atrophy of the thymus (Dougherty and White, 1945; Plagge, 1941). 3. Atrophy of the thymus leads to a secondary regression in the size and activity of the remainder of lymphoid tissue in the body (Metcalf, 1960).
Market power, inflation targeting, and commodity currencies

Abstract The ‘commodity currency’ literature highlights the robust exchange rate response to fluctuations in global commodity prices that occurs for major commodity exporters. The magnitude of the response, however, varies widely across countries and over time horizons. This paper examines the real exchange rates of 51 commodity exporters over the period from 1980 to 2010, and finds that in the long-run, a higher degree of market power in the world commodity trade can reduce the exchange rate response, while in the short-run, an inflation targeting regime can amplify it. These differential impacts across countries and horizons are of particular relevance for monetary policy-making and for trade strategy in commodity-abundant economies.
Risk Stratification for Screening Mammography: Benefits and Harms

OBJECTIVE. The purpose of this article is to compare commonly used breast cancer risk assessment models, describe the machine learning approach and big data in risk prediction, and summarize the po...
Inner activity

Inner Activity is a multi-sensory virtual reality experience presented as a physical art installation. It combines interaction design and game technologies, sound healing and vibro-acoustic therapy techniques, physical set design, and concepts from meditation and spirituality. It utilizes the Oculus Rift and the SubPac, a tactile bass system for achieving whole body stimulation through synchronized audiovisual, haptic and olfactory feedback. This experience is a preliminary exploration into potential applications for using immersive virtual reality entertainment in healthcare, therapy and medicine.
The year in heart failure: 2004.

Last year, I began the practice of summarizing my personal choices for the year’s top 10 stories in heart failure for the Journal of Cardiac Failure. 2003 was a bountiful year, making the selection and ranking of these stories very difficult. Relative to last year, 2004 has been less exciting with regard to new developments. There were few positive trials, but nonetheless a number of results that will impact on how we practice and developments that hold promise for the future (Table 1).
Perovskite oxides as bifunctional oxygen electrocatalysts for oxygen evolution/reduction reactions – A mini review

Abstract Energy crisis due to the depletion of fossil fuel as well as the increased population has stimulated researchers to search for new energy resources and energy storage and conversion systems, including fuel cells, electrolyzers and metal–air batteries. Oxygen evolution reaction (OER) and oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) are two reactions that dominate the overall performance of these devices. However, the sluggish kinetics of these two reactions still impedes the practical application of these devices. Therefore, electrocatalysts, especially non-noble metal oxides are needed to expedite the reactions. Perovskite oxides, as a member of the mixed metal oxide family, show promising electrocatalytic performance toward both ORR and OER. However, there are only a few articles regarding the recent progress of perovskites as bifunctional electrocatalysts till now. In this mini-review, we summarize the recent research status and progress of perovskite oxides as electrocatalysts for ORR/OER, including the basic mechanism behind the catalytic reactions, different approaches to synthesize perovskites as well as the various strategies that researchers have developed to promote their electrocatalytic activities. Besides, the related theoretical calculation method, density functional theory (DFT), which is used to understand the mechanism behind these reactions, has also been discussed. It is believed that this mini-review can not only offer researchers guidance to synthesize perovskite oxides as demanded, but also provide researchers more insights into how to rationally design new perovskite-based catalysts with improved bifunctional electrocatalytic properties.
Recent Changes in United States Extreme 3-Day Precipitation Using the R-CAT Scale

AbstractExtraordinary precipitation events have impacted the United States recently, including Hurricanes Harvey (2017) and Florence (2018), with 3-day precipitation totals larger than any others r...
Spotlight on Area Models: Pre-service Teachers’ Ability to Link Fractions and Geometric Measurement

To shed light on the value of the area model as a tool to elicit pre-service teachers’ (PSTs’) understanding of fractions and area, we explored their understanding of the fractional knowledge and geometric measurement knowledge incorporated in the area model by providing PSTs area models in an atypical way. We administered a written questionnaire to 82 PSTs at a large Midwestern university in the USA. We used an inductive content analysis approach, including both qualitative and quantitative analyses, to analyze the data. Almost half of the PSTs provided incorrect answers and faulty reasoning. We identified two main strategies for correct reasoning and five sources of the misconceptions embedded in the PSTs’ incorrect reasoning. Finally, we drew implications from our analysis for designing mathematics methods courses that support effective use of area models.
Symptom clusters and quality of life in persons with multiple sclerosis across the lifespan

To describe symptom clusters based on severity of co-occurring symptoms among adults with multiple sclerosis (MS) by age groups and to further examine symptom clusters as a correlate of quality of life (QOL) by age groups. This cross-sectional study enrolled persons with MS between 20 and 79 years of age who completed measures of fatigue, depression, anxiety, sleep quality, and QOL using the 36-Item Short Form Health Survey. Bivariate correlation and partial correlation analyses examined associations among symptoms, QOL, and MS characteristics. K-means cluster analyses determined symptom clusters among the full sample and pre-determined age groups (i.e., 20–39, 40–59, and 60–79). One-way ANOVAs examined differences in QOL among clusters for the overall sample and by age groups. Among the overall sample of 205 participants, symptoms were significantly correlated with QOL and three distinct clusters were identified and differentiated by the magnitude of symptom experience (i.e., mild, moderate, and severe). Results were consistent among young and middle-aged adults; however, among older adults two severe sleep problem clusters were identified that were distinguished by moderate versus severe fatigue, depression, and anxiety. ANOVAs among the overall sample indicated that the three symptom clusters varied significantly for both physical component scores, F(2, 202) = 12.03, p < .001, η2 = .10, and mental component scores, F(2, 202) = 137.92, p < .001, η2 = .58; severe symptom cluster was associated with worse QOL. Patterns in the age subgroup ANOVAs were consistent. Given the strong association between severity of symptom clusters and QOL, approaches for targeting co-occurring symptoms are critically needed.
Rapid synchronized fabrication of vascularized thermosets and composites.

Bioinspired vascular networks transport heat and mass in hydrogels, microfluidic devices, self-healing and self-cooling structures, filters, and flow batteries. Lengthy, multistep fabrication processes involving solvents, external heat, and vacuum hinder large-scale application of vascular networks in structural materials. Here, we report the rapid (seconds to minutes), scalable, and synchronized fabrication of vascular thermosets and fiber-reinforced composites under ambient conditions. The exothermic frontal polymerization (FP) of a liquid or gelled resin facilitates coordinated depolymerization of an embedded sacrificial template to create host structures with high-fidelity interconnected microchannels. The chemical energy released during matrix polymerization eliminates the need for a sustained external heat source and greatly reduces external energy consumption for processing. Programming the rate of depolymerization of the sacrificial thermoplastic to match the kinetics of FP has the potential to significantly expedite the fabrication of vascular structures with extended lifetimes, microreactors, and imaging phantoms for understanding capillary flow in biological systems. Bioinspired vascular networks transport heat and mass in multifunctional materials but lengthy multistep fabrication processes hinder large-scale application of structural vascular materials. Here, the authors report rapid, scalable, and synchronized fabrication of vascular thermosets and fiberreinforced composites under ambient conditions.
Cardiovascular risk factor profiles in North and South Indian and Pakistani Americans: The MASALA Study

South Asians in the United States have disproportionately high burden of cardiovascular disease compared to other race/ethnic groups but are a heterogenous population, so we evaluated differences in prevalence and adjusted odds of cardiovascular risk factors including diabetes, hypertension, dyslipidemia, and obesity between North Indian, South Indian, and Pakistani immigrants in the United States in the Mediators of Atherosclerosis in South Asians Living in America (MASALA) study. Given cultural differences among residents of Indian regions, for example in dietary patterns, we categorized Indian participants as North or South Indian. In 1,018 participants (728 North Indian [47% women], 223 South Indian [43% women], 67 Pakistani [52% women]), unadjusted diabetes and obesity prevalence was highest in Pakistani participants (33% and 48%, respectively); hypertension prevalence was highest in North Indian participants (54%); dyslipidemia prevalence was highest in South Indian and Pakistani participants (55%); and South Indian participants had a higher odds of dyslipidemia (OR 1.77, 95% CI 1.27, 2.47) compared with North Indian participants in fully adjusted models. As differences in cardiovascular risk factors were observed across South Asian American subgroups, identifying the determinants of suboptimal cardiovascular health within South Asian American subgroups may help to better tailor cardiovascular disease prevention strategies.
Congenital cervical rib causing thoracic outlet syndrome

Abstract Background Thoracic Outlet Syndrome (TOS) is a common condition caused by compression of neurovascular vessels traveling through the thoracic outlet. There are three categories of TOS, arterial (aTOS), neurogenic (nTOS), and venous (vTOS). These commonly present with pain in the neck, upper extremity weakness, paresthesia, swelling, and discoloration. TOS can be caused by a cervical rib, which is a rare and usually benign anomaly. This typically results in aTOS. Case This case, however, presents a 13-year-old male patient with nTOS caused by a cervical rib. He presented with weakness and pain of his right arm and a prior history of a partial neck mass resection. A physical exam revealed a firm supraclavicular mass and X-ray images confirmed the diagnosis of nTOS. Surgical resection of the anomalous rib was performed via a supraclavicular approach. Due to the difficulty of this operation, a multidisciplinary surgery team was formed, ensuring a positive outcome for the patient. Conclusions To our knowledge only two case reports of nTOS caused by a cervical rib compression of the brachial plexus exist. One was iatrogenic and the other treated non-surgically. Due to this lack of knowledge as well as the debate on surgical versus non-surgical treatment of TOS, this case report seeks to bolster the current literature with a positive outcome to correction of a rare presentation.
Unexploded Ordnance (UXO): An Explosive Issue?

The recent increase in transition of military ranges to nonmilitary uses has increased public and environmental regulatory agency concern regarding ranges. Much of this concern stems from the identification of Unexploded Ordnance and its constituents as possible contributing sources of contamination of groundwater and soils. Making the situation potentially more explosive are EPA Region 1 actions at one of those installations, Massachusetts Military Reservation, where groundwater contamination has halted live-firing on ranges. This article highlights recent developments in the areas of munitions and ranges that influence the ability of installations to use their ranges.
A Localization Algorithm for Wireless Sensor Networks

Node localization is important in many WSN applications. Most of existing algorithms are not applicable for networks in a concave area. To address this problem, a novel localization algorithm is proposed. The key of this algorithm is the design of neighborhood function which only uses distances between neighbor nodes to generate a new set of estimated locations from an old set. Both range-based and range-free localization can use it to estimate locations of nodes if distances between neighbor nodes are measured by hardware or estimated by distance estimation algorithms. Simulation results indicate that this algorithm can achieve accurate and reliable localization results in a concave area.
SHRIMP zircon U-Pb age and significance of Early Paleozoic volcanic rocks in East Kunlun orogenic belt, Qinghai Province, China

An approximate motor inverse model is usually employed to achieve torque control of a brushless DC motor. Variations of motor parameters directly impart inaccuracies in the motor inverse model, thus the performance of the system suffers. A multi-parameter estimation method based on Gram-Schmidt Orthonormalization in a continuous function space of feedback signal is proposed in this paper. The stability of the estimation scheme is proved. Performance improvement of the estimation scheme is discussed. Comparison of simulations for closed loop voltage control of an electric power steering system actuator confirms a lower bound of error of the estimated parameter and faster adaptation with the proposed improvements for the estimation scheme.
SATZ - An Adaptive Sentence Segmentation System

The segmentation of a text into sentences is a necessary prerequisite for many natural language processing tasks, including part-of-speech tagging and sentence alignment. This is a non-trivial task, however, since end-of-sentence punctuation marks are ambiguous. a period, for example, can denote a decimal point, an abbreviation, the end of a sentence, or even an abbreviation at the end of a sentence. To disambiguate punctuation marks most systems use brittle, special-purpose regular expression grammars and exception rules. Such approaches are usually limited to the text genre for which they were developed and cannot be easily adapted to new text types. They can also not be easily adapted to other natural languages. As an alternative, I present an efficient, trainable algorithm that can be easily adapted to new text genres and some range of natural languages. The algorithm uses a lexicon with part-of-speech probabilities and a feed-forward neural network for rapid training. The method described requires minimal storage overhead and a very small amount of training data. The algorithm overcomes the limitations of existing methods and produces a very high accuracy. The results presented demonstrate the successful implementation of the algorithm on a 27,294 sentence English corpus. Training time was less than one minute on a workstation and the method correctly labeled over 98.5\% of the sentence boundaries. The method was also successful in labeling texts containing no capital letters. The system has been successfully adapted to German and French. The training times were similarly low and the resulting accuracy exceeded 99\%.
Selection of Babesia bovis-Infected Erythrocytes for Adhesion to Endothelial Cells Coselects for Altered Variant Erythrocyte Surface Antigen Isoforms

Sequestration of Babesia bovis-infected erythrocytes (IRBCs) in the host microvasculature is thought to constitute an important mechanism of immune evasion. Since Ig is considered to be important for protection from disease, an in vitro assay of B. bovis sequestration was used to explore the ability of anti-B. bovis Ig to interfere with IRBC cytoadhesion, and to identify IRBC surface Ags acting as endothelial cell receptors. Bovine infection sera reactive with the IRBC surface inhibited and even reversed the binding of IRBCs to bovine brain capillary endothelial cells (BBECs). This activity is at least partially attributable to serum IgG. IgG isolated from inhibitory serum captured the variant erythrocyte surface ag 1 (VESA1) in surface-specific immunoprecipitations of B. bovis-IRBCs. Selection for the cytoadhesive phenotype concurrently selected for antigenic and structural changes in the VESA1 Ag. In addition, the anti-VESA1 mAb, 4D9.1G1, proved capable of effectively inhibiting and reversing binding of adhesive, mAb-reactive parasites to BBECs, and by immunoelectron microscopy localized VESA1 to the external tips of the IRBC membrane knobs. These data are consistent with a link between antigenic variation and cytoadherence in B. bovis and suggest that the VESA1 Ag acts as an endothelial cell ligand on the B. bovis-IRBC.
Intellectual property and open systems

Arguably, the most profound issue in designing and governing cyberspace focuses on intellectual property. Is cyberspace to be created as a common space - belonging to and used freely by the community as a whole - or is it to be partitioned into a multitude of proprietary closed boxes that are owned and sold, distributed, modified and used only according to the owner's whims? This paper discusses answers to this question.
Utility of the secreted placental alkaline phosphatase reporter enzyme.

Publisher Summary This chapter presents the analyses of the mechanisms underlying the transcriptional and posttranscriptional regulation of gene expression in eukaryotic cells using secreted placental alkaline phosphatase (SEAP) reporter. The critical characteristics of a useful reporter enzyme are (1) the availability of a sensitive and relatively simple quantitative assay and (2) the absence of an equivalent endogenous activity. The three most commonly used reporter enzymes—that is, chloramphenicol acetyltransferase (CAT), β -galactosidase, and luciferase—fully satisfy these two criteria, at least in part because they are all of nonmammalian origin. These enzymes are also similar in that each is expressed intracellularly and assay, therefore, requires lysis of the expressing cells. In contrast, SEAP reporter is secreted efficiently into the culture medium by all higher eukaryotic cells tested so far, including Xenopus oocytes and insect cells. The secreted SEAP protein is extremely stable and can be quantified readily using a simple colorimetric assay or a highly sensitive chemiluminescent assay. Placental alkaline phosphatase (PLAP), the wild-type precursor of the artificial SEAP indicator, is normally expressed on the cell surface where it is retained by a phosphatidylinositol-glycan (PI-G) linkage to the cell membrane. The attachment of PI-G modification occurs at an aspartic acid residue located at position 484 in the 513 amino acid PLAP protein and requires sequences located carboxy-terminal to 484. The SEAP gene is truncated at residue 489 and is efficiently secreted rather than PI-G modified.
CANDIDATE EMERGENCE AND THE POWER OF INCUMBENCY IN THE OKLAHOMA LEGISLATURE

This article explores why individuals decide to run for the Oklahoma legislature. Research on candidate emergence stresses the power incumbents have to dissuade the most formidable candidates, those who can raise the necessary funds to be competitive, from becoming candidates. Thus the strongest candidates usually wait for an open seat or a vulnerable incumbent before they choose to nm for office. Challengers who do not consider the status of the incumbents when deciding on their candidacy are typically not the strongest candidates. Are these findings borne out by the Oklahoma experience? The participants fur this study were potential candidates to the Oklahoma legislature for the 2000 election cycle. Also, some incumbents were interviewed to get their perspective on why they first decided to be candidates.
Studies in comparative biochemistry and evolution. I. Avian liver arginase.

Abstract Arginase has been demonstrated to occur in liver of numerous birds. The stoichiometry of the reaction was demonstrated, and the urea formed is derived from the amidine group of arginine. The reaction shows a high degree of specificity: d -arginine, d -homoarginine, N-acetyl- l -arginine, and l -canavanine did not substitute for l -arginine. Manganous ions are required in the reaction mixture for full activity as is the case with arginase from ureotelic species. A relatively high level of arginase activity was found in liver of some birds e.g., kingfishers, herons, and gulls. The lowest activity occurred in liver of chickens and pigeons. Clementi's biological rule (1914) to the effect that arginase is absent from liver of uricotelic species is invalid.
Students' perceptions of case-reuse based problem solving in algebra-based physics

Problem solving is an important goal in almost all physics classes. In this study we explore students' perceptions and understanding of the purpose of two different problem solving approaches. In Phase I of the study, introductory algebra‐based physics students were given an online extra credit problem‐solving assignment. They were randomly assigned one of three problem‐solving strategies: questioning, structure mapping and traditional problem solving. In Phase II of the study, eight student volunteers were individually assigned to work problems using one of the strategies in two sessions of semi‐structured interviews. The first session investigated students' general problem solving approaches a few weeks after they had completed the online extra credit assignment. The second session investigated students' perceptions of problem solving strategies and how they relate to the extra credit assignments. In this article, we describe students' perceptions of the purpose of the activities and their underlying problem solving techniques.
P-i-n diodes enabled by homoepitaxially grown phosphorus doped diamond with breakdown electric field >1.25 MV/cm

Owing to its rich material properties, such as high critical electric field, superior thermal conductivity and high electron and hole mobility, diamond has the potential of becoming the material of choice for high power electronic applications. In spite of superior bulk electrical and thermal properties, the only well-known use of diamond in power electronics has been as a heat sink. This is because of the lack of good quality homoepitaxially grown n-type diamond and also the difficulty involved in achieving ohmic contacts due to its very low-work function ( 0.9 eV)[1]. Although several approaches have been explored to obtain highly doped n-type diamond[2–4] very few have been successful [4–6]. In this presentation we report the successful fabrication and characterization of a p-i-n diode enabled by the development of low-resistance contacts to n-type diamond using Ti/Pt/Au metal contacts. This was made possible by a novel growth scheme where highly P-doped homoepitaxial diamond could be grown consistently.
The role of pragmatics in reflexive interpretation by Turkish learners of English

This study investigates the effects of pragmatic principles on the acquisition of the binding of English reflexives by adult Turkish second language (L2) learners. The study compares pragmatically biased and pragmatically neutral sentences to determine whether pragmatic bias towards a non-local antecedent overrides the parameter setting of English and causes learners to choose as possible antecedents NPs outside the binding domain. Both group and individual results indicate that pragmatically biased sentences compel the subjects to consider pragmatic information to the extent that it can affect their choice of local antecedent. Acquisition theories should account for the role that pragmatic information might play in the assignment of possible antecedents for reflexives.This study incorporates Huang's (1994) ‘pragmatic theory of anaphora’ in which the interpretation of a reflexive is subject to the I-principle, a pragmatic strategy which finds an antecedent for the reflexive that gives the most informative...
Mental health correlates of drug treatment among women who use methamphetamine.

Background and Objectives Women comprise over one-third of people who use methamphetamine in the United States and have a higher prevalence of negative mental health consequences of methamphetamine use than men. Yet, few studies have investigated the mental health correlates of drug treatment among this population. We examined the relationship between mental disorders, mental health treatment, and drug treatment among women who use methamphetamine. Methods We used respondent-driven sampling to recruit women who use methamphetamine (N = 322) for a survey about mental disorders, mental health treatment, drug use and treatment, and sociodemographic factors. Bivariate and multivariable logistic regression analyses were conducted. Results Bivariate analyses indicated that race/ethnicity, mental health treatment, and presence and number of mental disorders were associated with drug treatment. Multivariable analyses revealed that women who reported mental health treatment during a 6-month period had almost twice the odds of also reporting drug treatment than other women (AOR = 1.90; 95% CI = 1.11, 3.25), after controlling for mental disorders and race/ethnicity. Conclusion Among women who use methamphetamine, participation in one service system (mental health treatment) is a key factor in increasing the odds of participation in another service system (drug treatment). Further research should establish the temporal association between mental health and drug treatment. Scientific Significance The present study demonstrates the association between mental health treatment and drug treatment, above and beyond presence or number of mental disorders, and provides direction for drug treatment providers seeking to improve treatment entry and participation among women who use methamphetamine. (Am J Addict 2015;XX:1–8)
Feature reduction of hyperspectral imagery using hybrid wavelet-principal component analysis

Hyperspectral imagery can provide very valuable information on land cover classes. However, it also presents many challenges in data analysis and interpretation as a result of the large amounts of data collected. For example, conventional methods for land use and land cover classifications may not be directly applicable. Such conventional methods typically require a preprocessing step to transform high dimensional data to a lower dimension, mostly by eliminating data redundancy. For decades, principal component analysis (PCA) has been widely used to decorrelate spectral bands for reducing dimensionality. It is a useful technique if the spectral class structure of the transformed data is distributed along the first few axes. Otherwise, the transformed data may be similar to the original data. In such cases, we have shown in an earlier work that the wavelet decomposition technique is a better approach. Wavelet decomposition can reduce hyperspectral data in the spectral domain for each pixel. By carefully combining PCA and wavelet techniques, we engender a new method that benefits from the strength of both techniques. The intent of the hybrid method is to provide a tradeoff between the accuracy and speed, as compared with PCA and wavelet methods. The effectiveness of this method is demonstrated by using hyperspectral data from the Airborne Visible Infrared Imaging Spectrometer (AVIRIS) hyperspectral instrument. The experimental results show that, for high reduction rates, the hybrid method is superior to pure PCA and to pure wavelet-based techniques.