cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Listening, Remembering, and Speaking in Two Languages: How Did You Do That?

Abstract This study examined memory organization of story events presented in different languages to Greek-English bilingual children in Grades 2 and 4. Study results showed that recall was organized more by event than by language. The cognitive processes that comprise bilingual memory, including encoding, storage, and retrieval strategies, are examined within the context of children's daily language experiences.
Detection of rare major genes in lipid levels.

A statistical test of polygenic inheritance (TPI) against the alternative of a rare major gene is presented. It is designed for a random sample of quantitative observations on index cases and siblings of those index cases (probands) selected on the basis of the observed measurements of these probands. The test focuses on an increase of the variance of siblings of probands over its value under polygenic inheritance, such an increase being expected in the presence of a major gene producing a shift of the quantitative observations. Certain data on lipids are then analyzed by this test. A major gene can tentatively be confirmed for triglycerides but not for cholesterol. In addition, the values of all index cases are subjected to an analysis of a mixture of normal distributions (NOCOMP computer program), resulting in a significant second component for triglycerides but not for cholesterol. For both TPI and NOCOMP, the exponent in a power transformation is estimated by maximum likelihood simultaneously with all other parameters, so that these analysis methods are robust against a wide range of skewness in the data, which is demonstrated by manipulation of the observations and their reanalyis.
Does secondary surgical cytoreduction improve survival in women with advanced ovarian cancer

Does secondary surgical cytoreduction improve survival in women with advanced ovarian cancer?
Constitutional Limitations on State Tax Exportation

The notion that there are constitutional limitations on the power of the states to export their tax burdens to residents of other states has been the predicate of recent court challenges to state taxing schemes. The concept of state tax exportation and its implications for constitutional analysis have not, however, been systematically explored by the courts. The economics of state tax exportation suggest that a judicial inquiry into the extent of state tax exportation would be a formidable if not an insuperable task. And the Supreme Court, when recently confronted with an opportunity to constitutionalize a principle of excessive state tax exportation, flatly declined to do so. It is nevertheless possible that the concept of state tax exportation may have a role to play in constitutional analysis as a vague admonition to the states not to transgress some yet to be defined norms of fiscal balance in our federal system.
Enzymatic hydrolysis of di-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate by lipases.

Abstract Di-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate was hydrolyzed by lipases from a variety of rat tissues. Of the preparations studied, only glycerol-ester hydrolase (pancreatic lipase, EC 3.1.1.3) and sterol-ester -hydrolase (cholesteryl ester hydrolase, EC 3.1.1.13) were unable to hydrolyze the phthalate diester. However, out of 15 different tissue preparations, only the liver alkaline lipase preparation could hydrolyze mono-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate at a significant rate. The quantitative data on rates of phthalate ester hydrolysis by intestinal enzymes of rat, mouse, hamster, and guinea pig suggested that orally ingested di-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate would have little opportunity to be absorbed intact. Injected di-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate, however, would probably survive long enough for all of the tested tissue lipases and lipoprotein lipases to play some role in the metabolism of this compound.
Comparison of several surfaces for use as a MWIR BRDF standard

The Bidirectional Reflectance Distribution Function (BRDF) has a well defined and studied diffuse measurement standard in the ultraviolet, visible and near infrared (NIR), Spectralon®. It is predictable, stable, repeatable, and has low surface variation because it is a bulk scatterer. In the mid-wave IR (MWIR) and long-wave IR (LWIR), there is not such a well-defined standard. There are well-defined directional hemispherical reflectance (DHR) standards, but the process of integrating BRDF measurements into DHR for the purpose of calibration is problematic at best. Direct BRDF measurement standards are needed. This study systematically investigates the BRDF and its variation for six potential MWIR diffuse BRDF standards. The currently accepted reflectance standard in the MWIR, Infragold®, is compared against two alternative gold-electroplated arc-sprayed aluminum samples, a silver-painted arc-sprayed aluminum sample, a black-paint sample, Spectralon®, and a novel a laser beam diffuser that has been gold coated. Diffuseness is compared by fitting the data to BRDF models, and repeatability is measured by using the standard deviation and percent difference from the mean calculated from multiple BRDF measurements across the surface of the samples.
Odd-order correlations in disordered Ising systems

Abstract For a time-independent Ising model, in the limit of a vanishing field, odd-order correlation functions are shown to be vanishing at all temperatures above the Curie temperature.
Maximum-likelihood estimation of a process with random transitions

A process with random transitions is represented by the difference equation xn=xn-1+un where un is a nonlinear function of a gaussian sequence wn. The nonlinear function has a threshold such that un=0 for |wn|? W . This results in a finite probability of no failure at every step. Maximum likelihood estimation of the sequence Xn ={x0,...,xn} given a sequence of observations Yn= {y1,...,yn} gives rise to a two point boundary-value (TPBV) problem, the solution of which is suggested by the analogy with a nonlinear electrical ladder network. Examples comparing the nonlinear filter that gives an approximate solution of the TPBV problem with a linear recursive filter are given, and show the advantages of the former. Directions for further investigation of the method are indicated.
On the molecular structure of the ion channel associated with the acetylcholine receptor: a beta-barrel?

Abstract This paper presents the hypothesis, based on the amino acid sequence of the AChR proteins, that the main body of the channel is in the form of a β-barrel. This is based both on a Chou and Fasman analysis of the reported sequence, which predicts β-sheet for residues ∼28 to ∼46, of all four subunits, as well as the amphoteric nature of the β-sheet so formed, in which one side is almost entirely lipophilic and the other is hydrophilic. A means of testing my previous hypothesis, that residues 1–17 of the two α-subunits contain the actual ACh binding site, is also presented.
Histopathologic Evaluation of the Therapeutic Efficacy of Water and Milk Dilution for Esophageal Acid Injury

Objective: To determine whether acid-induced injury to the esophagus is decreased by early dilutional therapy with water or milk. Methods: A controlled in-vitro animal model for acid injury to the esophagus was carried out using esophagi harvested from 70 Sprague-Dawley rats of both sexes and weighing 250–350 g. One control and six experimental groups each containing ten esophagi were instilled with 1 mL of 0.5 normal solution of hydrogen chloride (N HCl). Dilution with water or milk was performed at 0, 5, or 30 minutes postinjury in the experimental groups. No dilution was performed with the control group. Specimens were maintained in an oxygenated saline bath for a 60-minute experimental period and then fixed in 10% formalin for histologic evaluation. Injury severity was rated by blinded histopathologic examination using scores of 0 (no injury), 1 (minor), 2 (moderate), and 3 (severe) for the histopathologic categories: cornified epithelial cells (CEs), granular cells (GCs), granular cell nuclei (GNs), and basal cells (BCs). Red blood cells were scored as positive or negative for lysis. Results: The controls showed the most severe outcomes. Significant differences in injury occurred for all time periods and histopathologic categories, except for the GN/water and BC/milk histopathologic category/treatment groups. However, a linear trend analysis was significant for all histopathologic categories except BC. These analyses support decreased injury in the earlier treated groups. Injury severity was highest in the most superficial cell layer (CE). Conclusions: Emergency therapy with water or milk reduces acute acid injury to the esophagus. Earlier treatment is associated with decreased injury severity. This research supports the use of dilutional therapy with water or milk for acute acid injury to the esophagus.
A classification of respondents to the CPI socialization scale: Associations with psychiatric diagnosis and implications for research

Abstract 127 psychiatric in-patients completed the CPI Socialization scale. Their responses were analyzed by principal components analysis and three sub-scales were constructed. The sample was classified by cluster analysis and three types were identified and compared. There were normal and low socialization clusters, and a third cluster which differed from the latter by having a higher score on a scale which we called Problem Behaviour (PB). This scale seems likely to provoke social desirability responses. Associations were found between our types and clinical diagnosis. In particular, it was observed that women with personality disorders of the type described in DSM-111 as ‘dramatic, emotional and erratic’ were found with increased frequency in the low socialization cluster. It is suggested that such patients give naive answers to the PB scale items. Investigators using the Socialization scale to identify subjects for research should consider the possibility of heterogeneity among low scorers.
Decreased Lysosomal Dipeptidyl Aminopeptidase I Activity in Cultured Human Skin Fibroblasts in Duchenne's Muscular Dystrophy

Abstract Several lysosomal enzymes were assayed in cultured human skin fibroblasts from patients with Duchenne's muscular dystrophy (DMD) and age- and sex-matched control patients (N). The activity of four glycosidases, cathepsin B1, and total autoproteolysis at pH 4.0 were unchanged between the groups, but dipeptidyl aminopeptidase I (DAP-I, or cathepsin C) in the DMD cells was found to be only 30% as active as in the control cells (P < 0.003). This difference is not the result of a redistribution or loss of enzyme during homogenization because the difference occurs in all homogenate fractions. DAP-I activity existing in N and DMD fibroblasts behaves identically with respect to activation by chloride ion, activation by the sulfhydryl reducing agent dithiothreitol, changes in hydrogen ion concentration (pH), changes in substrate concentration (i.e., apparent Km values), and changes in temperature (i.e., apparent activation energies). Mixtures of N and DMD cell sonicates display an additivity in DAP-I activity. These results support the conclusion that the catalytic function of the DAP-I molecule is equivalent between N and DMD fibroblasts, and that the decrease in tissue-specific DAP-I activity probably results from the fact that fewer enzyme molecules are present in the DMD cells. These results are also an indication that these nonmuscle cells are expressing some of the phenotypic aspects of the genetic defect in DMD. Cultured human skin fibroblasts may therefore be a useful cellular model in DMD research.
Finite size Wilson loops in Z(2)

Abstract We study Wilson loops of finite size in three- and four-dimensional Z(2) lattice gauge theories. Expansions to 12th order in strong coupling are presented. In three dimensions weak coupling expansions to 8th order are also given. The results suggest that the roughening problem can be avoided by considering finite size loops. The possibility that early scaling occurs is also discussed.
Preconceptional health care model

During the last 10 years, there has been a movement to expand the definition of prenatal care to encompass preconceptional counseling. Major organizations throughout the world have endorsed preconceptional counseling as an integral component of care for all women contemplating pregnancy. This article will assist health care providers who interact with women of reproductive age to understand the potential benefits and limitations of preconceptional counseling and to develop an approach to that service relating to nutrition, infections, and metabolic diseases as they impact on reproductive outcome. Although there are many potential benefits of the preconception health care model, barriers to its implementation remain.
Tolerance of nonindigenous cichlid fishes ( Cichlasoma urophthalmus, Hemichromis letourneuxi ) to low temperature: laboratory and field experiments in south Florida

The cold tolerance of two non-native cichlids (Hemichromis letourneuxi and Cichlasoma urophthalmus) that are established in south Florida was tested in the field and laboratory. In the laboratory, fishes were acclimated to two temperatures (24 and 28°C), and three salinities (0, 10, and 35 ppt). Two endpoints were identified: loss of equilibrium (11.5–13.7°C for C. urophthalmus; 10.8–12.5°C for H. letourneuxi), and death (9.5–11.1°C for C. urophthalmus; 9.1–13.3°C for H. letourneuxi). In the field, fishes were caged in several aquatic habitats during two winter cold snaps. Temperatures were lowest (4.0°C) in the shallow marsh, where no fish survived, and warmest in canals and solution-holes. Canals and ditches as shallow as 50 cm provided thermal refuges for these tropical fishes. Because of the effect on survival of different habitat types, simple predictions of ultimate geographic expansion by non-native fishes using latitude and thermal isoclines are insufficient for freshwater fishes.
Moiré Contour-Sum Contour-Difference, and Vibration Analysis of Arbitrary Objects

A grid is projected onto an object and focused into a viewing camera which is offset from the angle of illumination. When the image is superimposed by double exposure or by filtering with the image of another object, contour-difference moire fringes appear. By the use of two offset projectors, measurements of contour sums or contour doubling may be accomplished. The properties, limitations, sensitivity, and procedures are analyzed and discussed. The method lends itself to image enhancement and is extended to the study of vibration analysis in real time. In the latter application, time-average moire fringes appear according to the zeroth-order Bessel function, which contains the modal amplitude function in its argument.
Corticosteroids and Cromolyn Sodium as Modulators of Airway Inflammation

Heightened airway reactivity is a cardinal feature of asthma and correlates with many clinical features of the illness, such as the acute response to bronchodilator drugs, the magnitude of diurnal fluctuations in lung function, and the amount of therapy required to control symptoms. Data have accumulated indicating that a reduction in airway reactivity can decrease asthma morbidity, and many advocate treating asthmatic patients prophylactically to prevent acute exacerbations from developing, rather than responding to them after they have occurred. This approach is particularly effective if it is used when the airways are being exposed to stimuli to which they are sensitive. A number of drugs have been purported to reduce airway reactivity, but the most convincing evidence supports the effects of cromolyn and inhaled and oral steroids. Although each type of drug has its own advantages and disadvantages and different modes of action, the common denominator is believed to be a reduction in the state of airway inflammation.
Segmentation of mammograms into distinct morphological texture regions

Presents a comprehensive discussion on the segmentation of mammograms using morphological texture features. These features are derived from morphological granulometries with various structuring elements. Each structuring element captures a specific texture content. The segmentation is carried out in an unsupervised manner by applying the KL (Karhunen-Loeve) transform feature reduction and Voronoi clustering on the extracted morphological texture features. The evaluation of the segmentation outcome by a trained radiologist is provided.
A role for nitric oxide in the regulated expression of the 25-hydroxy-vitamin D-1-hydroxylation reaction in the chick myelomonocytic cell line HD-11.

We have recently described the existence of a cytochrome P450-associated, mitochondrial-based 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25-OHD)-1-hydroxylation reaction in the chick macrophage-like cell line HD-11. Considering that this reaction is regulated by the same set of factors (ie. interferon-gamma, lipopolysaccharide, and glucocorticoids) that modulate expression of the macrophage nitric oxide synthase (mac NOS), we investigated the possibility that endogenous nitric oxide (NO) production may be linked to 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 (1,25-(OH)2D) synthesis by HD-11 cells in vitro. To test this hypothesis we investigated the effects excluding from the extracellular medium the essential amino acid L-arginine, substrate for endogenous NO production, on the basal and stimulated expression of the HD-11 cell 25-OHD-1-hydroxylation reaction. Depletion of L-arginine from the extracellular medium for as little as 6 h resulted in a significant decrease (p < 0.02) in basal 1,25-(OH)2D synthesis; after 15 h in an L-arginine-free en...
A vectorized particle tracer for unstructured grids

Abstract A vectorized particle tracer for unstructured grids is described. The basic approach is to use elementary properties of the linear basis functions to search for particles on the grid using the element last occupied as an initial guess. To permit vectorization, a simple binary sort of the particles is performed every timestep such that all particles that have as yet not found their host element remain at the top of the list. In this way, vector-loops can be easily formed. Timings taken from a numerical example indicate that speed-ups of the order of 1:14 can be obtained on vector-machines when using this algorithm.
Real time input subset selection for linear time-variant MIMO systems

In this paper we propose an approach for multi-input multi-output (MIMO) system identification when the statistical relationship between input and output varies in input space as well as in time; i.e. nonstationary in space and time. An on-line variable selection algorithm, which has been recently developed for selecting a subset of input variables in real time by modifying least angle regression (LAR) with recursive estimators, is extensively applied to the linear time-variant MIMO systems. In our approach, a subset of input channels relevant with output is selected at every time instance based on the correlation between the filtering outcome of individual input channels and desired output. The on-line variable selection algorithm performs channel selection with weights using this real-time correlation. The proposed model is compared with a typical linear model in which only the least mean squares (LMS) is used to update system parameters. Tracking performances of these two models are demonstrated in a computer simulation and in a real-world application for tracking a linear relationship between neural firing rates of a primate and synchronously recorded hand kinematics. In both cases, our model demonstrates superior tracking performance.
Cognitive enhancement drug use among medical students and concerns about medical student well-being.

and personal development, as well as for the patients for whom they will care throughout their careers. Our society invests a great deal in medical education, and it demands much from students in return. Medical educators remain concerned about both external and internal forces that affect students’ learning and development in ways that we are just beginning to understand. We wonder whether the country will have the physician work force it needs as students face ever increasing debt burdens, and we struggle to understand the effects that debt has on career choices. 1 Once students enter medical school, we become concerned about the pressures that they face and the impact of these pressures on their mental health and on their ability to function optimally. Surveys of medical students have shown high levels of depression, anxiety and substance abuse. 2 Recent studies have demonstrated high rates of burnout and the negative effects of burnout on students’ professionalism and altruism. 3 Much attention has been focused on the mistreatment of medical students by individuals engaged in their training and by others during the learning process, as studies have shown that mistreatment can lead to deleterious consequences that include depression, substance abuse and leaving medicine entirely. 4
MR Demonstration of Wegener Granulomatosis of the Infundibulum, a Cause of Diabetes Insipidus

We report a case of Wegener granulomatosis causing hyperprolactinemia followed by central diabetes insipidus. The initial T1-weighted MR image showed an isointense heterogeneous sellar mass. After the onset of diabetes insipidus, repeat sagittal and postcontrast T1-weighted images showed marked infundibular thickening, enlargement of the sellar mass, and enhancement of both the infundibulum and hypothalamus. Follow-up MR after marked clinical response to corticosteroids showed nearly complete resolution of the aforementioned abnormalities.
Monitoring the impacts of weather and climate extremes on global agricultural production

The World Agricultural Outlook Board (WAOB), under the direction of the Department of Agriculture's Office of the Chief Economist, employs a staff of agricultural meteorologists whose mission is to monitor and assess the impacts of weather and climate on crops in key growing areas throughout the world. The results of those analyses contribute to the deliberations conducted by the Interagency Commodity Estimates Committees (ICEC) led by analysts at the World Agricultural Outlook Board. The results of those deliberations can be found in the World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates (WASDE) report, one of the designated Principle Federal Economic Indicators issued monthly by the Federal Government (White House (Office of Management and Budget), 2015). The process used to develop those estimates each month requires the integration of an assessment of the current climatic conditions with knowledge of the agricultural practices and market conditions of a particular country. Weather and climate data are used in conjunction with information on when and where crops are planted, production practices including irrigation, which varieties are best suited for that particular climate, and what naturally occurring hazards can be expected in any given year. Being able to closely compare current conditions to historic observations of weather and realized output on a fine scale, temporally and geographically, is a key component of the international estimates in the WASDE process.
Section II: Basic science issues in advanced musculoskeletal imaging and computer-assisted surgery.

Computer-assisted orthopaedic surgery as a technological tool has to be understood as an integrative process, incorporating the elements of clinical diagnosis, surgical planning, operative execution, and postoperative outcomes assessment. The overall goal of the application of computer-assisted orthopaedic surgery in the operating room is to improve the accuracy and precision of the surgical procedure. However, specific goals of each clinical procedure still need to be better defined so that …
Attention Shifting for Parsing Speech

We present a technique that improves the efficiency of word-lattice parsing as used in speech recognition language modeling. Our technique applies a probabilistic parser iteratively where on each iteration it focuses on a different subset of the word-lattice. The parser's attention is shifted towards word-lattice subsets for which there are few or no syntactic analyses posited. This attention-shifting technique provides a six-times increase in speed (measured as the number of parser analyses evaluated) while performing equivalently when used as the first-stage of a multi-stage parsing-based language model.
ENSO and IOD teleconnections for African ecosystems: evidence of destructive interference between climate oscillations

Abstract. Rainfall and vegetation across Africa are known to resonate with the coupled ocean-atmosphere phenomena of El Nino Southern Oscillation (ENSO) and the Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD). However, the regional-scale implications of sea surface temperature variability for Africa's photosyntheis have received little focused attention, particularly in the case of IOD. Furthermore, studies exploring the interactive effects of ENSO and IOD when coincident are lacking. This analysis uses remotely sensed vegetation change plus a land surface model driven with observed meteorology to investigate how rainfall, vegetation, and photosynthesis across Africa respond to these climate oscillations. In addition to the relatively well-known ENSO forcing, the IOD induces large departures of photosynthesis across much of Africa associated with anomalies in rainfall and vegetation greenness. More importantly, sizeable independent effects can be suppressed or even reversed by destructive interferences during periods of simultaneous ENSO and IOD activity. For example, effects of positive IOD on southeastern Africa tended to dominate those of El Nino during their coincidence spanning 1997–1998, with sign reversal of El Nino's typically strong suppression of photosynthesis in this region. These findings call into question past analyses examining teleconnections to ENSO or IOD in isolation, and indicate the need to consider their simultaneous states when examining influences on hydroclimatic and ecological conditions across Africa.
Deterrence: A Review of the Evidence by a Criminologist for Economists

This article reviews the evidence on the deterrent effect of police, imprisonment, and capital punishment and additionally summarizes knowledge of sanction risk perceptions. Studies of changes in police presence, whether achieved by changes in police numbers or in their strategic deployment, consistently find evidence of deterrent effects. Studies of the deterrent effect of increases in already long prison sentences find at most a modest deterrent effect. Studies of the deterrent effect of capital punishment provide no useful information on the topic.Fourhigh-priorityareasforfutureresearchareidentified:developing and testing an integrated model of the effects of the threat and experience of punishment, measuring perceptions of sanction regimes, developing and testing a theory of criminal opportunities, and estimating the deterrent effect of shorter prison sentences and identifying high-deterrence policies.
Smoking and mental illness in the U.S. population.

Objectives Those with any psychiatric diagnosis have substantially greater rates of smoking and are less likely to quit smoking than those with no diagnosis. Using nationally representative data, we sought to provide estimates of smoking and longitudinal cessation rates by specific psychiatric diagnoses and mental health service use. Design and participants Data were analysed from a two-wave cohort survey of a US nationally representative sample (non-institutionalised adults): the National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions (NESARC; 2001–2002, n=43 093; 2004–2005, n=34 653). Main outcome measures We examined smoking rates (lifetime, past year and past year heavy) and cross-sectional quit rates among those with any lifetime or past year psychiatric diagnosis (DSM-IV). Importantly, we examined longitudinal quit rates and conducted analyses by gender and age categories. Results Those with any current psychiatric diagnosis had 3.23 (95% CI 3.11 to 3.35) times greater odds of currently smoking than those with no diagnosis, and were 25% less likely to have quit by follow-up (95% CI 20% to 30%). Prevalence varied by specific diagnoses (32.4% to 66.7%) as did cessation rates (10.3% to 17.9%). Comorbid disorders were associated with higher proportions of heavy smoking. Treatment use was associated with greater prevalence of smoking and lower likelihood of cessation. Conclusions Those with psychiatric diagnoses remained much more likely to smoke and less likely to quit, with rates varying by specific diagnosis. Our findings highlight the need to improve our ability to address smoking and psychiatric comorbidity both within and outside of healthcare settings. Such advancements will be vital to reducing mental illness-related disparities in smoking and continuing to decrease tobacco use globally.
Greater shrub dominance alters breeding habitat and food resources for migratory songbirds in Alaskan arctic tundra.

Climate warming is affecting the Arctic in multiple ways, including via increased dominance of deciduous shrubs. Although many studies have focused on how this vegetation shift is altering nutrient cycling and energy balance, few have explicitly considered effects on tundra fauna, such as the millions of migratory songbirds that breed in northern regions every year. To understand how increasing deciduous shrub dominance may alter breeding songbird habitat, we quantified vegetation and arthropod community characteristics in both graminoid and shrub dominated tundra. We combined measurements of preferred nest site characteristics for Lapland longspurs (Calcarius lapponicus) and Gambel's White-crowned sparrows (Zonotrichia leucophrys gambelii) with modeled predictions for the distribution of plant community types in the Alaskan arctic foothills region for the year 2050. Lapland longspur nests were found in sedge-dominated tussock tundra where shrub height does not exceed 20 cm, whereas White-crowned sparrows nested only under shrubs between 20 cm and 1 m in height, with no preference for shrub species. Shrub canopies had higher canopy-dwelling arthropod availability (i.e. small flies and spiders) but lower ground-dwelling arthropod availability (i.e. large spiders and beetles). Since flies are the birds' preferred prey, increasing shrubs may result in a net enhancement in preferred prey availability. Acknowledging the coarse resolution of existing tundra vegetation models, we predict that by 2050 there will be a northward shift in current White-crowned sparrow habitat range and a 20-60% increase in their preferred habitat extent, while Lapland longspur habitat extent will be equivalently reduced. Our findings can be used to make first approximations of future habitat change for species with similar nesting requirements. However, we contend that as exemplified by this study's findings, existing tundra modeling tools cannot yet simulate the fine-scale habitat characteristics that are critical to accurately predicting future habitat extent for many wildlife species.
Damage Accumulation and Thermal Recovery in SrTiO3 Implanted with Au2+ Ions

Damage accumulation and recovery process have been investigated in single crystal SrTiO3 irradiated with 1.0 MeV Au2+ using in-situ Rutherford Backscattering Spectrometry (RBS) in Channeling geometry. Samples were irradiated at a temperature of 200 K with ion fluences ranging from 5.0×1013 2.5×1014Au2+/cm2 (0.22 – 1.10 dpa at damage peak). Subsequent isochronal annealing experiments were performed to study damage recovery processes up to a maximum temperature of 870 K. At an ion fluence between 2.0–2.5×1014Au2+/cm2 (0.88 – 1.10 dpa), the implanted region, which is just below the surface, becomes amorphous. The recovery processes occur over a broad temperature range, and the damage created by low ion fluences, 5.0×1013 − 1.0×1014 Au2+/cm2, is almost completely recovered after annealing at 870 K.
Spatial agent‐based modelling

The convergence of object‐oriented approaches to data modelling within geographic information science together with increasingly fine‐scale data collection approaches and discrete‐event simulations...
An investigation of the extraction of methamphetamine from chicken feed, and other myths

Over the years, many allegations have been presented by individuals involved in the clandestine manufacture of amphetamine and methamphetamine centering on the extraction of essential precursors or actual controlled substances from common commercial products. Two such allegations involved the extraction of phenyl-2-propanone, a precursor in the manufacture of amphetamine and methamphetamine, from pesticides, herbicides or photographic chemicals. A third allegation from suspected laboratory operators and confidential informants claimed that amphetamine, methamphetamine and their precursors could be extracted from chicken laying meal. An investigation into these allegations is presented.
Evaluation of the Ultraviolet Spectrophotometric Method for the Measurement of Total Nitrogen in Water

.— A simple, accurate, and environmentally sound procedure based on spectroscopy in the UV range was modified to measure total nitrogen concentrations in both freshwater and brackishwater. Water samples from freshwater fish ponds were analyzed for total nitrogen with the persulfate digestion method followed by analysis of nitrate with the UV method for comparison with the NAS reagent method. Brackishwater samples with salinities of 8 to 10 ppt from shrimp ponds were digested by the persulfate method and analyzed with the UV method. Percentage recovery of nitrogen and also precision were evaluated for the UV method. Nitrate concentrations in the freshwater persulfate digests determined by the UV method were similar to those obtained by the NAS reagent method (P < 0.05). The slope of the regression line did not differ from 1.0 (P < 0.05). Precision of both methods was acceptable over the range of nitrogen concentration used, but precision of the UV method tended to be better than that of the NAS method. Spike recovery averaged 97.4% in the NAS reagent method and 107.2% in the UV method. Interference from organic matter was minor in the UV method, because virtually all of the organic matter was oxidized during the digestion. Precision with brackishwater samples was slightly better than the freshwater samples and percentage spike recovery averaged 102.8%. Because spectrophotometers in most laboratories have the capability of reading in the UV range, the UV method is an attractive alternative for total nitrogen analysis.
Mock Trials Versus Management or Litigation-Driven Models of Business Law Instruction

This study was designed to gain a greater understanding of the learning outcomes associated with the mock trial as an active teaching method. Participating in a product liability mock trial presents students with the complex interplay of administrative regulations and common law. As in real life, the harsh constraints of time pressures, less than perfect trials, and financial objectives become apparent. The results of this research may intrigue those who believe that business law is only taught well through a case study method.
Does antiviral therapy for hepatitis B and C prevent hepatocellular carcinoma

Approximately 75% to 80% of hepatocellular carcinomas (HCC) worldwide are attributed to chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) and chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. Thus, effective prevention of HBV and HCV infection and progression from acute HBV and HCV infection to chronic hepatitis, cirrhosis and HCC might prevent as many as 450,000 deaths from HCC each year. The most effective approach to preventing HCC is to prevent HBV and HCV infection through vaccination. Indeed HBV vaccine is the first vaccine demonstrated to prevent cancers. However, a vaccine for HCV is not available and for persons who are chronically infected with HBV or HCV, antiviral therapy is the only option for preventing HCC. Direct evidence supporting a benefit of antiviral therapy on the prevention of HCC has been shown in a few randomized controlled trials. There is abundant evidence that antiviral therapy, in patients with long-term virological response, can improve liver histology, providing indirect support that antiviral therapy may prevent HCC by slowing progression of liver disease and possibly even reversing liver damage. Nevertheless, the risk of HCC remains in patients with chronic HBV or chronic HCV infection if treatment is initiated after cirrhosis is established. These data indicate that treatment might be of greater benefit if instituted earlier in the course of chronic hepatitis B or C. Safer, more effective, and more affordable antiviral therapies are needed for both hepatitis B and hepatitis C so more patients can benefit from treatment and more HCCs can be prevented.
Streptococcus pneumoniae Type 14 Polysaccharide-Conjugate Vaccines: Length Stabilization of Opsonophagocytic Conformational Polysaccharide Epitopes

A simple and convenient method was developed for the preparation of Streptococcus pneumoniae type 14 polysaccharide (Pn14PS)-tetanus toxoid (TT) conjugate vaccines, using terminally linked Pn14PS fragments of different lengths. Native Pn14PS was simultaneously depolymerized and activated for conjugation by partial N-deacetylation followed by nitrous acid deamination which yielded fragments (1.4 to 150.0 kDa) having a free aldehyde at the reducing end. These were then conjugated to TT through their terminal aldehydic groups, using the reductive amination procedure. All of the above conjugates, when injected in rabbits, induced anti-Pn14PS antibodies, whereas the native Pn14PS did not. The amounts of anti-Pn14PS antibodies elicited by these conjugates, as determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, followed a trend with conjugates containing the highest-molecular-weight Pn14PS eliciting the highest titers. The same trend was also observed in the ability of the antibodies to opsonize and kill live type 14 pneumococci, although the increase in opsonophagocytic activity was more pronounced and did not correlate linearly with increases in antibody titer. Competitive inhibition of the binding of different conjugate antisera to the native Pn14PS, using Pn14PS fragments as inhibitors, established that the conjugates induced antibodies with specificities for different lengths of Pn14PS beginning at 2 repeating units (RU). It was also established, both immunologically and antigenically, that at least 4 RU of Pn14PS were required to form an extended conformational epitope and that approximately 22 RU of Pn14PS were required to duplicate the same epitope on the same saccharide chain. The conformational epitope was found to be essential for the induction of antibodies with high opsonophagocytic activity and that augmentation of opsonophagocytic activity was also dependent on further chain extension.
AIDE: an automatic user navigation system for interactive data exploration

Data analysts often engage in data exploration tasks to discover interesting data patterns, without knowing exactly what they are looking for. Such exploration tasks can be very labor-intensive because they often require the user to review many results of ad-hoc queries and adjust the predicates of subsequent queries to balance the tradeoff between collecting all interesting information and reducing the size of returned data. In this demonstration we introduce AIDE, a system that automates these exploration tasks. AIDE steers the user towards interesting data areas based on her relevance feedback on database samples, aiming to achieve the goal of identifying all database objects that match the user interest with high efficiency. In our demonstration, conference attendees will see AIDE in action for a variety of exploration tasks on real-world datasets.
Erythrokinetics in pernicious anemia.

Quantitative measurements of the erythropoietic activity of the marrow, of circulating red cell production and destruction have been made in patients with pernicious anemia in relapse and during response to vitamin B12 therapy. Total erythropoietic marrow activity as reflected by turnover of heme components proceeds at a rate of approximately 3 times normal. The delivery of viable red cells to the circulating blood, however, does not increase above normal. This would indicate that the greater portion of marrow activity is ineffective in terms of blood production. This marrow dysfunction coupled with an increased rate of cell destruction of approximately 3 times normal is responsible for the anemia. Total erythropoiesis is somewhat less, and effective erythropoiesis considerably less, than that which may be expected of the normal marrow under the sustained stimulus of anemia. The reticulocyte count is shown to be an unreliable index of blood production in untreated pernicious anemia due to loss of reticulum from cytoplasma of many red cells before their delivery into circulation. During the response to vitamin B12 the ineffective erythropoiesis is converted to effective erythropoiesis, whereas total erythropoiesis remains unchanged. The rate of blood production during recovery is 3 to 4 times normal.
Modeling Metal Bioavailability for Marine Mussels

Metal bioaccumulation in aquatic organisms has received extensive attention over the last several decades because metal toxicity is directly dependent on metal accumulation. However, a mechanistic understanding of metal bioavailability is limited for most of these studies. The routes and rates of metal uptake are relatively unknown for most metals and most aquatic organisms (Luoma 1989). Because many of these experimental studies use unrealistically high contaminant concentrations and are conducted under relatively simple experimental conditions, they are not applicable to field conditions characterized by temporal and spatial variation and sporadic contaminant input. It is therefore appropriate to develop a new approach to address metal bioavailability by considering all processes responsible for metal accumulation in aquatic organisms and the variations likely to be encountered in the field. Such an approach would also enable realistic predictions of metal concentrations in marine organisms under diverse field conditions.
Electromagnetic Modulation of Biological Processes: Bicarbonate Effect and Mechanistic Considerations in the Ca-Uptake by Embryonal Chick Tibia in vitro

Electromagnetically induced currents pulsating at very low frequency stimulated calcium uptake by chick embryo tibia rudiments only when bicarbonate was present in the culture medium. A bicarbonate-dependent Ca2+-ATPase might be implicated in coupling of the electromagnetic signal with processes that promote Ca-transport and storage in bone tissue.
Law Review Correspondence: Better Read than Dead? And Commentary Redux

These essays were part of a mini-symposium, “Of Correspondence and Commentary,” published by the Connecticut Law Review. At the time, a number of prominent law reviews had begun to publish “correspondence,” shorter pieces generally commenting on work published in the reviews. Whatever they were called, however, these pieces looked an awful lot like articles, complete with footnotes, titles with colons, and other law-review-type stuff. The author used the creation of correspondence sections to ruminate on the nature of legal scholarship, as published in student-edited law reviews, and in particular to wonder whether authors were using correspondence sections as backdoor ways to get published in journals that would not otherwise have returned phone calls.
The Chemistry of Sulfur Curing. III. Effects of Zinc Oxide on the Mechanism of the Reaction of Cyclohexene with Sulfur

Abstract Reaction of cyclohexene and sulfur at 140° followed by lithium aluminum hydride reduction of the polysulfide products results in the formation of cyclohexanethiol, 2-cyclohexene-1-thiol, cis- and trans-1, 2-cyclohexanedithiol, and cyclohexyl sulfide. If zinc oxide is present during the reaction, trans-1, 2-cyclohexanedithiol is the major product. In the absence of zinc oxide, cis-1, 2-cyclohexanedithiol is the major product. It is postulated that in the absence of zinc oxide the reaction proceeds via a free radical chain involving polysulfenyl radicals accompanied by a secondary polar addition reaction of hydrosulfide products with cyclohexene. Zinc oxide when present is postulated to initiate an ionic chain reaction which, due to its greater velocity, dominates the radical chain reaction.
A meta-analysis of MSI frequency and race in colorectal cancer

// Hassan Ashktorab 1 , Sadhna Ahuja 2 , Lakshmi Kannan 1 , Xavier Llor 3 , Nathan A. Ellis 4 , Rosa M. Xicola 3 , Adeyinka O. Laiyemo 1 , John M. Carethers 5 , Hassan Brim 2 , Mehdi Nouraie 1 1 Department of Medicine and Cancer Center, Howard University College of Medicine, Washington DC, USA 2 Department of Pathology, Howard University College of Medicine, Washington DC, USA 3 Department of Medicine and Cancer Center, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA 4 Cancer Biology Research Program, The University of Arizona Cancer Center, Tucson, AZ, USA 5 Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA Correspondence to: Hassan Ashktorab, email: hashktorab@howard.edu Keywords: MSI, colorectal cancer, African Americans, Hispanics, Caucasians Received: December 14, 2015 Accepted: March 28, 2016 Published: April 23, 2016 ABSTRACT PURPOSE: African Americans (AA) are at a higher risk of colorectal cancer (CRC) and some studies report a higher frequency of microsatellite instability (MSI) in this population while others report lower frequency compared to Caucasians. AIM: To determine and evaluate the association of race and clinical factors with MSI frequency through meta- analysis. METHODS: Twenty-two studies out of 15,105 (1997-2015) were evaluated after a search in different literature databases, using keywords “colorectal cancer, microsatellite instability, African Americans, Caucasians and Hispanics”. We used random effect meta-analysis to calculate the MSI frequency in all studies as well as in African American and Caucasian samples. Meta-regression analysis was used to assess the univariate effect of race, gender, age, tumor location and stage on MSI frequency. RESULTS: The overall MSI frequency among CRCs was 17% (95%CI: 15%-19%, I²=91%). In studies with available race data, The MSI rate among AAs, Hispanics and Caucasians were 12%, 12% and 14% respectively and was not significantly different. Sub-group analysis of studies with racial information indicates MSI OR of 0.78 for AAs compared to Caucasians. CONCLUSION: CRCs demonstrate an overall MSI frequency of 17%. MSI frequency differences between AAs and Caucasians were not pronounced, suggesting that other factors contribute to the racial disparity. The methodological approaches and biological sources of the variation seen in MSI frequency between different studies need to be further investigated.
Research on Solution of Predicted Fire Point of Antiaircraft Gun

In the light of solution of predicted fire point of antiaircraft gun,on the basis of graphic method,by use of sulving the equation,the paper put forward solutions on precision higher:"adjust-coefficient method","graphic approach mehtod" and "quartic equation method".The methods can solve fairly good the hit problem of moving target at uniform speed.The graphic method has advantage of unidirectional convergence,and the quartic equation can be solved directly by elimination,need not the cycle,compared with the iteration,has high precision,fast speed and fixed time of calculation.In the field of trajectory calculation and fire correction,the methods have practical value.
Pharmacokinetics of drug overdose.

Drugs ingested in overdose can have altered pharmacokinetics of absorption, distribution, and elimination. The pathophysiologic consequences of overdose can also change a drug's pharmacokinetic properties. Many toxicologic interventions are based on modifying the drug's pharmacokinetics (e.g., impairing absorption or enhancing elimination). Serum drug monitoring, even with its limitations, does have a role in managing the patient who has taken an overdose.