cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Metrical Encoding in Adults Who Do and Do Not Stutter

Purpose The purpose of this study was to explore metrical aspects of phonological encoding (i.e., stress and syllable boundary assignment) in adults who do and do not stutter (AWS and AWNS, respectively). Method Participants monitored nonwords for target sounds during silent phoneme monitoring tasks across two distinct experiments. For Experiment 1, the 22 participants (11 AWNS, 11 AWS) silently monitored target phonemes in nonwords with initial stress. For Experiment 2, an additional cohort of 22 participants (11 AWNS, 11 AWS) silently monitored phonemes in nonwords with noninitial stress. Results In Experiment 1, AWNS and AWS silently monitored target phonemes in initial stress stimuli with similar speed and accuracy. In Experiment 2, AWS demonstrated a within-group effect that was not present for AWNS. They required additional time when monitoring phonemes immediately following syllable boundary assignment in stimuli with noninitial stress. There was also a between-groups effect, with AWS exhibiting si...
Event‐Related Potentials in Alcoholic Men, Their High‐Risk Male Relatives, and Low‐Risk Male Controls

A total of 217 adult male subjects were evaluated utilizing event-related potentials (ERPs) elicited with two different auditory tasks (Counting and Choice Reaction). Ninety-eight alcoholics from high-density, multigenerational families were evaluated along with 39 first-degree nonalcoholic relatives from the same high-density families. Eighty controls, selected for low density of alcoholism in their extended families, were also studied. Using both conventional and topographic analyses, no significant differences in the amplitude of the P300 component could be found with either of the auditory tasks. No significant differences in amplitude of N250 were seen. The latency of N250 increased with increasing conditional probabilities (0.33, 0.67, and 1.00), a trend that was amplified in the Counting task as compared with the Choice Reaction task. This prolongation in a task not requiring a reaction response (button press) tended to increase the latency more for alcoholics than controls or high-risk nonalcoholic subjects. Age, lifetime, and recent drinking were treated as covariates in all analyses. The absence of P300 amplitude differences between adult high- and low-risk subjects is discussed in the context of the much more reliable differences seen between high- and low-risk children from the same high- and low-density families, when evaluated with the same auditory tasks.
An Empirical Study on the Requirements Engineering Practices for Agile Software Development

Collecting, understanding, and managing requirements are critical aspects in all development methods including agile methods as well. Nevertheless, little contemporary data exists for document actual practices of software professionals for software requirements engineering activities in agile environments. To remedy this deficiency and provide useful data to other researchers we conducted a survey study that drew participants from wide range of professions, industries and geographic locations. We filtered the survey responses according to the Software Development Life Cycle, then we analyzed how agile processes (compared to traditional waterfall model) deal with a paradox of requirements engineering. In this paper, we present this exploratory survey and its quantitative results.
Death as a Measure of Life: A Research Note on the Kastenbaum-Spilka Strategy of Obituary Analyses:

The present work elaborates and critically analyzes the Kastenbaum-Spilka method of using obituaries as an index of social discrimination. Over one-half century of obituaries from two national news magazines (N = 2,209) are examined with separate measures of sexism, racism, and ageism. The presence and relative length of obituaries are found to be a function not only of social stratification but also of one's work status at death, manner of death, and institutional affiliations at death. Few consistent longitudinal trends are decipherable owing to complex interactions of the historical period of death, age of the deceased, and cohort of the deceased: Despite such ambiguities, the obituary method is recommended for both its theoretical and methodological didactics.
Local application of anti-NGF blocks the collateral sprouting in rats following chronic constriction injury of the sciatic nerve.

Systemic administration of anti-nerve growth factor (NGF) antibodies can block nociceptive fiber sprouting into denervated adult rat skin. However, the effect of local application of anti-NGF on collateral sprouting in rats caused by chronic constriction injury (CCI) has not been well studied. We investigated the influence of local anti-NGF on collateral sprouting caused by CCI of the rat's sciatic nerve. Using a dye-labeled plasma extravasation technique, we can easily evaluate the extent of collateral sprouting by the clearly defined blue coloration areas. Our results showed that local application of anti-NGF either in a high or low dose significantly prevented the spread of collateral sprouting from the saphenous nerve into the sciatic innervation territory. In contrast, distilled water did not show a significant block of the saphenous nerve collateral sprouting. Our study suggests that collateral sprouting is dependent on the local availability of NGF by the nearby intact cutaneous nerve fibers.
Effects of single nucleotide polymorphisms in β-amylase1 alleles from barley on functional properties of the enzymes ☆

Abstract Differences in extractable β-amylase (1,4-α-D-glucan maltohydrolase, EC 3.2.1.2) activities exist between enzymes from malt and feed barleys (Hordeum vulgare L.). Others have documented few differences in the β-amylase (bmy1) gene coding regions and large differences in the non-coding regions of genomic DNA for endosperm specific β-amylases from malt and feed barleys. Researchers correlated differences in intron III with different activity levels in the seeds. Here we demonstrate that differences in the coding regions of bmy1 from a malt (‘Morex’) and a feed (‘Steptoe’) barley significantly affected the biochemical properties of the enzymes. We evaluated the contributions of the three single nucleotide polymorphisms that caused differences in the amino acid sequences at positions 115, 165, and 430. Two polymorphisms (positions 115 and 430) were found to impact the enzymatic activity of β-amylase. The effect of the single nucleotide polymorphism at position 165 was dependent upon the identity of the amino acid in position 115. The contributions of the three single nucleotide polymorphisms to β-amylase thermostability varied with assay temperature. These biochemical results explain the contribution of the favorable bmy1 allele from the feed barley Steptoe to the quantitative trait loci found on chromosome 4H at the bmy1 locus.
Reversible opening of the retinal pigment epithelium by hypercapnia.

Abstract In the rat, hypercapnia consistently and reversibly increases the permeability of the retinal pigment epithelium to intravascular fluorescein, but much less consistently modifies blood vessels in the retina and brain. The epithelial change is not mediated by systemic hypertension, because it occurs when CO2-induced hypertension is blocked by phenoxybenzamine. We suggest that the change is due to an increased hydrostatic pressure within the choroidal stroma, caused by CO2-induced dilatation of choroidal vessels. Fluid then may be forced from the choroid into the lateral spaces between cells of the retinal pigment epithelium, and thereby widen interepithelial tight junctions. Another possibility is that epithelial cell permeability is increased. Systemic hypertension as well as vasodilatation may contribute to increased permeability at retinal blood vessels.
Randomized trial assessing the feasibility and safety of biologic parents as RBC donors for their preterm infants.

BACKGROUND: Most very low birth weight (<1.0 kg) infants receive RBC transfusions. Several reports have demonstra-ted that RBCs stored up to 42 days can be transfused safely in small volumes to preterm infants to decrease donor exposure without consequent hyperkalemia, acidosis, or other adverse effects. Although biologic parents are likely candidates as donors of blood for their neonates, it has been suggested that their blood may be serologically incompatible with that of their infants. STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: A two-arm randomized study was conducted to compare the feasibility and immediate safety of two single-donor programs for providing small-volume RBC transfusions to preterm infants: in one arm, infants received RBCs collected from unrelated donors and stored up to 42 days, and in the other arm, RBCs were collected from one of the biologic parents and stored identically. All infants received compatible RBCs that were WBC reduced before storage, stored in AS-3, and gamma-radiated. All transfusions were given uniformly as 15 mL per kg of RBCs transfused over 5 hours, during which time the infants were closely observed for clinical reactions. In addition, laboratory studies were performed shortly before and after each transfusion. RESULTS: A total of 40 preterm infants received 120 RBC transfusions. Biologic parents experienced several donor eligibility problems. However, once enrolled as donors, they were able to supply all RBCs needed by their infants. Significant differences in rates of clinical transfusion reactions and laboratory abnormalities were rare and had no apparent clinical importance, regardless of whether RBCs were donated by biologic parents or unrelated donors. CONCLUSION: A single-donor system, in which AS-3 RBCs were collected either from unrelated blood donors or from biologic parents and then stored up to 42 days, was able to supply small-volume RBC transfusions needed by individual preterm infants without immediate, adverse effects. Because the risk of infectious disease transmission is likely reduced by limiting donor exposure, it is logical to conclude that single-donor programs should increase transfusion safety and that biologic parents should be considered as blood donors for their infants.
Case report: Delayed subclavian vein injury secondary to clavicular malunion.

Abstract Background Fractures of the clavicle are extremely common, representing 2.6–12% of all fractures and 35–44% of all shoulder girdle injuries; 69–82% of these fractures occur in the middle third of the clavicle. Vascular injuries relating to clavicle fracture are usually due to extreme force applied to the clavicle in an acute setting. No other reports of delayed subclavian vein laceration were found on literature search. Objectives We present this case to increase awareness among emergency physicians of the potential delayed presentation of this rare condition. Case Report A 21-year-old man presented to the Emergency Department with acute swelling of the base of the neck after carrying a heavy load on his left shoulder the night before. He had been recovering from a clavicle fracture for 2 months. Malunion of his left midshaft clavicle fracture led to subclavian vein injury and formation of a large hematoma secondary to reinjury that occurred at work the night before presentation. Computed tomography revealed a 9-cm hematoma at the fracture site. The patient was found to have a subclavian vein injury without evidence of arterial injury or nervous system involvement. The patient was admitted for observation and subsequently discharged without need for surgical intervention. Conclusion Subclavian vein laceration is a rare complication of clavicle fracture. Patient education at discharge after conservative management is important due to the risk of vascular complications from malunion and reinjury.
The sulfhydryls of avian ovalbumins, bovine β-loctoglobulin, and bovine serum albumin

Abstract The sulfhydryl groups in chicken ovalbumin, bovine β-lactoglobulin, and bovine serum albumin were studied with four different types of chemical reagents: p-chloromercuribenzoate, iodine, N-ethylmaleimide and 5,5′-dithiobis (2-nitrobenzoic acid). Native chicken ovalbumin had three weakly reactive (“masked”) SH groups, and after denaturation it had four reactive groups. Native β-lactoglobulin had no, or only very weakly, reactive groups; after denaturation it had two reactive groups. Serum albumin gave similar values before and after denaturation, but the values of different preparations varied between 0.3 and 0.75 SH groups. In comparative analyses of the SH contents of the egg whites of 22 different avian species, only one other bird besides the domestic chicken showed additional SH groups after denaturation. This bird was the red jungle fowl, which is very closely related to the domestic chicken. The 5,5′-dithiobis (2-nitrobenzoic acid) was considered the most useful reagent for routine determinations of the approximate total content of SH groups.
SKIN AND BULK SEA SURFACE TEMPERATURE ESTIMATES FROM PASSIVE MICROWAVE AND THERMAL INFARED SATELLITE IMAGERY AND THEIR RELATIONSHIPS TO ATMOSPHERIC FORCING

Infrared and microwave SST retrievals are highly complementary but are found to have significant differences that must be addressed if the products are to be combined. Individual products are evaluated using buoy observations to identify any dependence of the retrieval uncertainty on atmospheric forcing. The infrared products are seen to be affected by aerosols, water vapor, and SST while the microwave product is affected by atmospheric stability, wind speed, SST, and water vapor. Applying bias adjustments based on these results reduces the differences between the products
Edelson's contributions to group psychology: a contemporary perspective.

Abstract If you are already familiar with Marshall Edelson's writings, you may be expecting this article to be difficult and challenging or outmoded. Since his work with groups began in the 1950s, so much has changed in how we treat the mentally ill, how we train mental health professionals, how hospitals are managed, and how treatments for patients are designed and delivered. This article was written in the belief that nothing is of more lasting relevance than a story of courage and commitment in the search for knowledge to relieve human suffering. Edelson's career is such a story. Intent upon advancing our understanding of groups and organizations, Edelson embodied a distinctive concern with values and boundaries. This article was begun when his physical health was in rapid decline and completed while he was still able to review it. He died January 17, 2005.
Delicate Balances: The Ecology, Culture, and Communication of Reading Teachers.

Abstract In this paper, the authors propose extending the training of reading teachers to include sociological aspects. They describe three traits that training programs for reading educators could foster: (1) ecological thinking, (2) cultural responsiveness, and (3) communicative competence. Ecological thinking acknowledges the complexities of pedagogical decision‐making. Cultural responsiveness requires understanding classroom events and the influences of a wider environment. Communicative competence is what teachers use to explain, clarify, and justify their reading activities, methods, and strategies. In general, communicative competence challenges the reading teacher to express the reasoning behind a sundry of educational judgments. In conclusion, the authors suggest changes which would align the training of reading teachers with these sociological considerations.
El Niño–Southern Oscillation correlated aerosol Ångström exponent anomaly over the tropical Pacific discovered in satellite measurements

El Nino.Southern Oscillation (ENSO) is the dominant mode of interannual variability in the tropical atmosphere. ENSO could potentially impact local and global aerosol properties through atmospheric circulation anomalies and teleconnections. By analyzing aerosol properties, including aerosol optical depth (AOD) and Angstrom exponent (AE; often used as a qualitative indicator of aerosol particle size) from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectrometer, the Multiangle Imaging Spectroradiometer and the Sea ]viewing Wide Field ]of ]view Sensor for the period 2000.2011, we find a strong correlation between the AE data and the multivariate ENSO index (MEI) over the tropical Pacific. Over the western tropical Pacific (WTP), AE increases during El Nino events and decreases during La Nina events, while the opposite is true over the eastern tropical Pacific (ETP). The difference between AE anomalies in the WTP and ETP has a higher correlation coefficient (>0.7) with the MEI than the individual time series and could be considered another type of ENSO index. As no significant ENSO correlation is found in AOD over the same region, the change in AE (and hence aerosol size) is likely to be associated with aerosol composition changes due to anomalous meteorological conditions induced by the ENSO. Several physical parameters or mechanisms that might be responsible for the correlation are discussed. Preliminary analysis indicates surface wind anomaly might be the major contributor, as it reduces sea ]salt production and aerosol transport during El Nino events. Precipitation and cloud fraction are also found to be correlated with tropical Pacific AE. Possible mechanisms, including wet removal and cloud shielding effects, are considered. Variations in relative humidity, tropospheric ozone concentration, and ocean color during El Nino have been ruled out. Further investigation is needed to fully understand this AE ]ENSO covariability and the underlying physical processes responsible for it.
Light‐dependent regulation of the transcriptional activity of the mammalian gene for arrestin

The purpose of this investigation was to determine if the cyclic variations in the amount of arrestin mRNA that occur in the mouse retina during the light/dark cycle are controlled by light, a circadian clock, or both. In this study, an experimental paradigm was designed and used to distinguish among these molecular mechanisms. The data show that the initiation and the maintenance of an increased rate of syntheses of arrestin mRNA requires light and is not dependent on the time of day. Therefore the changes in transcriptional activity of the mouse arrestin gene are controlled by light, independent of circadian clock. The mechanism for this light-dependent regulation of gene transcription in the retina is distinct from the light-dependent increases in mRNA concentrations of early response genes which occur in the suprachiasmatic nucleus and a comparative analysis of such changes in these different regions of the CNS may lead to the identification of the molecular relationship between light- and circadian-dependent gene regulation.
The clinical and economic impact of nurse to patient staffing ratios in women receiving intrapartum oxytocin

Objective To examine the relationship between nurse-to-patient staffing ratios and perinatal outcomes in women receiving oxytocin during labor. Study Design A retrospective analysis of perinatal outcomes in women receiving oxytocin for induction or augmentation of labor during 2010. Outcomes examined were fetal distress, birth asphyxia, primary cesarean delivery, chorioamnionitis, endomyometritis, and a composite of adverse events. Frequency of 1:1 nurse-to-patient staffing was determined for each hospital. Outcomes were compared between hospitals categorized into quartiles of staffing ratios. Results In 208,033 women delivering during 2010, there was no relation between frequency of 1:1 nurse-to-patient staffing ratio and improved perinatal outcomes. Adoption of universal 1:1 staffing in the United States would result in the need for an additional 27,000 labor nurses and a cost of $1.6 billion. Conclusion Available data do not support the imposition of mandatory 1:1 nurse-to-patient staffing ratios for women receiving oxytocin in all U.S. facilities.
Molecular environment of stable iodine and radioiodine (129I) in natural organic matter: Evidence inferred from NMR and binding experiments at environmentally relevant concentrations

Abstract 129 I is a major by-product of nuclear fission and had become one of the major radiation risk drivers at Department of Energy (DOE) sites. 129 I is present at elevated levels in the surface soils of the Savannah River Site (SRS) F-Area and was found to be bound predominantly to soil organic matter (SOM). Naturally bound 127 I and 129 I to sequentially extracted humic acids (HAs), fulvic acids (FAs) and a water extractable colloid (WEC) were measured in a 129 I-contaminated wetland surface soil located on the SRS. WEC is a predominantly colloidal organic fraction obtained from soil re-suspension experiments to mimic the fraction that may be released during groundwater exfiltration, storm water or surface runoff events. For the first time, NMR techniques were applied to infer the molecular environment of naturally occurring stable iodine and radioiodine binding to SOM. Iodine uptake partitioning coefficients ( K d ) by these SOM samples at ambient iodine concentrations were also measured and related to quantitative structural analyses by 13 C DPMAS NMR and solution state 1 H NMR on the eight humic acid fractions. By assessing the molecular environment of iodine, it was found that it was closely associated with the aromatic regions containing esterified products of phenolic and formic acids or other aliphatic carboxylic acids, amide functionalities, quinone-like structures activated by electron-donating groups (e.g., NH 2 ), or a hemicellulose–lignin-like complex with phenyl-glycosidic linkages. However, FAs and WEC contained much greater concentrations of 127 I or 129 I than HAs. The contrasting radioiodine contents among the three different types of SOM (HAs, FAs and WEC) suggest that the iodine binding environment cannot be explained solely by the difference in the amount of their reactive binding sites. Instead, indirect evidence indicates that the macro-molecular conformation, such as the hydrophobic aliphatic periphery hindering the active aromatic cores and the hydrophilic polysaccharides favoring the access by hydrophilic iodine species, also influences iodine–SOM interactions.
Parameter dimension of turbulence-induced phase errors and its effects on estimation in phase diversity

The method of phase diversity has been used in the context of incoherent imaging to estimate jointly an object that is being imaged and phase aberrations induced by atmospheric turbulence. The method requires a parametric model for the phase-aberration function. Typically, the parameters are coefficients to a finite set of basis functions. Care must be taken in selecting a parameterization that properly balances accuracy in the representation of the phase-aberration function with stability in the estimates. It is well known that over parameterization can result in unstable estimates. Thus a certain amount of model mismatch is often desirable. We derive expressions that quantify the bias and variance in object and aberration estimates as a function of parameter dimension.
Lyapunov abstractions for inevitability of hybrid systems

A set of states S is said to be inevitable for a hybrid automaton A if every behavior of A ultimately reaches S within bounded time. Inevitability captures various commonly occurring liveness properties. In this paper, we present an algorithm for verifying inevitability of Linear Hybrid Automata (LHA). The algorithm combines (a) Lyapunov function-based relational abstractions for the continuous dynamics with (b) automated construction of well-founded relations for the loops of the hybrid automaton. The algorithm is complete for automata that are symmetric with respect to the chosen Lyapunov functions. The algorithm is implemented in a prototype tool (LySHA) which is integrated with a Simulink/Stateflow frontend for modeling hybrid systems. The experimental results demonstrate the effectiveness of the methodology in verifying inevitability of hybrid automata with up to five continuous dimensions and forty locations.
Quality issues in blue noise halftoning

The blue noise mask (BNM) is a halftone screen that produces unstructured visually pleasing dot patterns. The BNM combines the blue-noise characteristics of error diffusion and the simplicity of ordered dither. A BNM is constructed by designing a set of interdependent binary patterns for individual gray levels. In this paper, we investigate the quality issues in blue-noise binary pattern design and mask generation as well as in application to color reproduction. Using a global filtering technique and a local 'force' process for rearranging black and white pixels, we are able to generate a series of binary patterns, all representing a certain gray level, ranging from white-noise pattern to highly structured pattern. The quality of these individual patterns are studied in terms of low-frequency structure and graininess. Typically, the low-frequency structure (LF) is identified with a measurement of the energy around dc in the spatial frequency domain, while the graininess is quantified by a measurement of the average minimum distance (AMD) between minority dots as well as the kurtosis of the local kurtosis distribution (KLK) for minority pixels of the binary pattern. A set of partial BNMs are generated by using the different patterns as unique starting 'seeds.' In this way, we are able to study the quality of binary patterns over a range of gray levels. We observe that the optimality of a binary pattern for mask generation is related to its own quality mertirc values as well as the transition smoothness of those quality metric values over neighboring levels. Several schemes have been developed to apply blue-noise halftoning to color reproduction. Different schemes generate halftone patterns with different textures. In a previous paper, a human visual system (HVS) model was used to study the color halftone quality in terms of luminance and chrominance error in CIELAB color space. In this paper, a new series of psycho-visual experiments address the 'preferred' color rendering among four different blue noise halftoning schemes. The experimental results will be interpreted with respect to the proposed halftone quality metrics.© (1998) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
NEUROPSYCHOLOGIC FUNCTIONING IN CHILDREN WITH AUTISM: FURTHER EVIDENCE FOR DISORDERED COMPLEX INFORMATION-PROCESSING

A wide range of abilities was assessed in 56 high-functioning children with autism and 56 age- and IQ-matched controls. Stepwise discriminant analyses produced good group discrimination for sensory-perceptual, motor, complex language, and complex memory domains but lower agreement for the reasoning domain than previously obtained for adults. Group discrimination did not occur for attention, simple language, simple memory, and visuospatial domains. Findings provide additional support for a complex information-processing model for autism, previously based on adult data, demonstrating a pattern across domains of selective impairments on measures with high demands for integration of information and sparing when demands were low. Children as compared to adults with autism exhibited more prominent sensory-perceptual symptoms and less pronounced reasoning deficits reflecting brain maturation.
Beneficial Effect of Low-Dose Transdermal Estrogen on Bleeding Time and Clinical Bleeding in Uremia

Abstract Patients with renal failure frequently manifest a hemorrhagic diathesis characterized by prolonged bleeding time (BT). Oral and intravenous estrogens have been shown to correct this abnormality, but both estrogens have real and potential disadvantages, especially for long-term use. We examined the effectiveness of transdermally applied 17β-estradiol on clinical bleeding and BT in renal failure patients. Six patients with renal insufficiency and prolonged BT were included in the study. Four patients had recurring gastrointestinal bleeding from telangiectasias. Two patients anticipated percutaneous renal biopsy. Transdermal estradiol 50 or 100 μg/24 hr was applied every 3.5 days for a period of 2 months. Bleeding times were measured just prior to estrogen administration (pre-estradiol) and again on cessation of clinical bleeding or prior to renal biopsy (post-estradiol). Differences were analyzed using a paired t -test. Erythrocyte transfusion requirement 2 months before and 2 months after estradiol application also was observed. Hemorrhage in all four actively bleeding patients ceased or improved, as reflected by the reduced need for transfusion. Bleeding time improved significantly ( P = 0.008) when comparing before (day 0) with after (days 1 to 17) estradiol application. No adverse reactions associated with estradiol occurred over 2 months of therapy. In conclusion, transdermal application of 17β-estradiol is a safe and effective means to reduce BT and clinical hemorrhage in patients with renal failure and prolonged BT.
Arterial Compliance in Elderly Men with Chronic Kidney Disease

Background/Aim: Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is associated with decreased arterial compliance (AC). The stage of development of impaired arterial function in CKD in relation to loss
Diamond-like carbon films prepared by rf substrate biasing in an ECR discharge

The optical band gap, density, and hydrogen content of diamond-like carbon films have been controllably varied by rf biasing the substrate in an ECR discharge of pure methane. The optical band gap varied from 2.7 to 1.2 eV, the density from 1.4 to 2.2 g/cm3, and the atomic fraction of hydrogen from 50 to 5%. The range of measured values is in agreement with those predicted by both the random covalent network and defected graphite models.
Correlates of human herpesvirus 8 seropositivity among heterosexual men in Kenya.

Background: Several studies have suggested that sexual transmission of human herpesvirus 8 (HHV-8) occurs among homosexual men in developed countries. However, few studies have examined heterosexual HHV-8 transmission, especially among African populations in which HHV-8 is endemic. Objectives: To determine the seroprevalence and correlates of HHV-8 infection among heterosexual African men. Design: Cross-sectional study. Methods: Participants were 1061 men enrolled in a prospective cohort study of risk factors for HIV-1 acquisition among trucking company employees in Mombasa, Kenya. Stored frozen sera from the study baseline visit were tested for antibodies to HHV-8 by whole-virus lysate ELISA. Results: HHV-8 seroprevalence was 43%. In multivariate logistic regression analysis, HHV-8 infection was independently associated with older age [for men aged 30–39 years: odds ratio (OR), 1.5; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.1–2.0; for men aged > 40 years: OR, 1.7; 95% CI, 1.1–2.7, compared with men aged , 30 years], Christian religion (OR, 1.6; 95% CI, 1.2–2.1), being uncircumcised (OR, 1.5; 95% CI, 1.0–2.2), and ever having syphilis (OR, 2.2; 95% CI, 1.4–3.5). Ever having used condoms was associated with decreased likelihood of infection (OR, 0.7; 95% CI, 0.6–1.0). Seropositivity was not significantly related to other sexual behaviors characterized or to HIV-1 status. Conclusions: HHV-8 seropositivity is common in this population and increases with age, suggesting on-going transmission during adulthood. Infection was more common among men who were uncircumcised or who had ever had syphilis and was less common among those who had ever used condoms, suggesting that sexual factors may play a role in HHV-8 transmission. Prospective studies of HHV-8 acquisition in heterosexual African populations are needed to demonstrate whether safer sexual practices can reduce transmission.
Factor Rings and Splitting Ideals of Self-Injective, CS and Baer Rings

We study conditions on an ideal A of a self-injective R such that the factor ring R/ A is again self-injective, extending certain of our results for PF rings (Faith, 2006). We also consider the sam...
Does the amount of material to be remembered influence judgements of learning (JOLs)

The current study examined predictions of memory performance as a function of the amount of information to be remembered. In four experiments participants studied and made judgements of learning (JOLs) for long or short lists of words. Results demonstrated that participants provided lower JOLs for long compared with short lists. However, whereas JOLs for short lists strongly corresponded with memory performance, participants' JOLs were consistently overconfident for long lists. Participants were unable to remedy this overconfidence for long lists even when provided information about the list length conditions or warned that a long list of words is difficult to learn. Only when given a prior list learning experience were JOLs for a long list consistent with memory performance. These data indicate that predictions of memory performance are sensitive to the amount of material TBR. However, predictions only correspond with the amount of information to-be-remembered under limited circumstances, providing support for frameworks which suggest that memory predictions are inferential in nature.
How Much Would US Style Fiscal Integration Buffer European Unemployment and Income Shocks? (A Comparative Empirical Analysis)

We examine the degree to which federal fiscal integration smoothes income and unemployment shocks across US States. We find that roughly 25 cents of every dollar of income shock at the state level is offset by federal fiscal policy. This stabilization comes entirely through the Federal tax system, not through spending stabilizers, automatic or otherwise. If we apply a comparable amount of cross country stabilization to European Union countries (as exists across US States), Greece and Spain would be receiving additional transfers of 2.5 percent of GDP.
Who are the enemies? Lack of oxygen

The most common forms of heart disease are linked to coronary atherosclerosis and a reduction in blood flow to the myocardium, notably under stressful conditions. The lack of oxygen can lead to damage to individual myocytes. A more difficult concept is that, in heart failure, the use of oxygen in the heart is misdirected by mechanical inefficiency, by control of metabolic pathways or by blockage of a specific pathway subsequent to the activation of neurohormones and cytokines locally and systemically. Evidence to demonstrate the existence of a specific metabolic abnormality in heart failure is absent. Much of what is observed can be explained by the known damage to myocytes.
Inhibition of Trypanosoma cruzi trypanothione reductase by crystal violet.

A trypanothione reductase activity is present in all the main differentiation stages of Trypanosoma cruzi, amastigotes having the highest activity, and trypomastigotes the lowest. Trypanothione reductase could not be induced in epimastigotes exposed to H2O2. The trypanocidal drug crystal violet was a potent inhibitor of T. cruzi trypanothione reductase in vitro. The inhibition was competitive with respect to trypanothione with a Ki of 5.3 ± 0.5 μM, uncompetitive with NADPH, and increased below pH 7.0 and above pH 8.0. Crystal violet, however, was not able to decrease the level of total reduced thiols in intact cells. Dihydrotrypanothione but not reduced glutathione, protected the enzyme from inhibition by crystal violet.
New eucrite Dar al Gani 872: Petrography, chemical composition, and evolution

Dar al Gani 872 (DaG 872) is a new meteorite from Libya that we classified by means of Instrumental Neutron Activation Analysis (INAA), electron microprobe, and optical microscopy. According to our results, DaG 872 is a Mg-rich main group eucrite, i.e., a monomict noncumulate basaltic eucrite displaying a predominant coarse-grained relict subophitic and a fine-grained granulitic texture. The meteorite also shows pockets of late-stage mesostasis and is penetrated by several calcite veins due to terrestrial weathering. Finally, it exhibits shock phenomena of stage 12 including heavily fractured mineral components, undulose extinction of plagioclase, kinked lamellae, and mosaicism in pyroxenes corresponding to peak pressures of ~20 GPa. In view of petrographic criteria as well as compositional and exsolution characteristics of its pyroxenes, the sample represents a metamorphic type 5 eucrite. Assuming the metamorphic type to be a function of burial depth on the parent body and taking into account the relatively high shock stage, the excavation of DaG 872 was likely induced by a major impact event. Prior to this point, DaG 872 apparently underwent a 4-stage geological evolution that is reflected by intricate textural and mineralogical features.
Comparative teratogenicity of selected glucocorticoids applied ocularly in mice

Three glucocorticoids (dexamethasone, hydrocortisone, and prednisolone), were ocularly applied to pregnant CD-1 mice on days 10-13 of gestation. The drug concentrations were various multiples of the common therapeutic dose levels and were applied to both eyes in 1 microliter drops five times a day. Eighteen-day fetuses were examined for malformations. A significant increase in the incidence of cleft palate was observed in fetuses treated with each of these glucocorticoids. There appeared to be a dose related effect on cleft palate width among fetuses from both dexamethasone and prednisolone treated dams. The incidence of sex organ anomalies, although lower than the incidence of cleft palate, also showed a positive dose relationship. Analysis of variance was used to compare the teratogenic effects of these glucocorticoids ocularly applied in equipotent anti-inflammatory concentrations. Our results indicate that dexamethasone produces a higher incidence of cleft palate, than either of the other two drugs when given in equipotent concentrations. It appears that the teratogenic potency of these ocularly applied glucocorticoids cannot be predicted on the basis of anti-inflammatory potency.
Seismicity of the Bering Glacier region and its relation to tectonic and glacial processes

Abstract We relocated over 1000 earthquakes of magnitude > 0.1 occurring between 1973 and 2001 in the Bering Glacier region of southern Alaska. We used first-motion data from these events to determine focal mechanisms and directly invert for stress orientations. Our results indicate that much of the seismicity in the region is occurring within the North American plate in a zone where an inferred structure, which lies beneath Bering Glacier, intersects the Chugach-St. Elias fault system. Stress-field analysis indicates that the events in the Bering Glacier surge reservoir region are likely occurring on northeast-trending thrust faults, consistent with previous modeling that suggested thrust faulting would be enhanced in regions of ice draw down. We also observe a stress field compatible with either high-angle normal or reverse faulting in regions located northwest of the Bering Glacier. This may indicate localized complexities in interactions between the Bering Glacier structure and the Chugach-St. Elias fault system.
Asymptotic form of the third Born amplitude for forward electron capture by a bare ion incident on a hydrogenlike ion

The nonrelativistic asymptotic behavior of the third Born amplitude is determined for electron capture from a hydrogenlike ion or atom by a bare ion incident with a very high velocity. It is assumed that the incident ion is scattered through only a narrow range of angles, of the order of the electron/proton mass ratio. The result for the asymptotic form of the amplitude differs from two previous results. However, for the asymptotic contibution of the amplitude to the forward cross section (i.e., to the cross section integrated over the narrow forward cone) I obtain the same result as obtained previously.
The Role of Upstream-Downstream Competition on Bundling Decisions: Should Regulators Force Firms to Unbundle?

We develop an upstream–downstream model to analyze downstream firms’ incentives to bundle. In our framework, the upstream firms are content providers (such as television stations) and the downstream firms are system operators (such as cable/satellite operators). We show that an a la carte regulation (i.e., a regulation that forces downstream firms to unbundle) leads to higher consumer surplus, if the unregulated equilibrium exhibits pure bundling (PB). Hence, our model predicts that in the television industry, which is mainly characterized by PB, an a la carte regulation will be beneficial for the consumers. If, on the other hand, the unregulated equilibrium is characterized by mixed bundling, then an a la carte regulation will increase consumer welfare provided that demand for multiple purchases is strong.
Work in progress - a case study of perception and learning barriers of students in non-major engineering courses

This paper presents the preliminary outcome of an ongoing study conducted on engineering students in a non-major course in electrical engineering. The goal of this study is to better understand the reasons for lower levels of performance in non-major engineering courses. We accomplish this by assessing student perceptions and attitudes towards learning, and measuring their understanding of core concepts related to a specific topic. Analyses of data collected to-date points towards some inherent flaws in common teaching methodology. We anticipate that this study will lead to a restructuring of these service courses to make them more relevant and conceptually grounded. Additionally, the development of reliable subject specific instruments as used in this study could be the basis for a broader framework which could be used for other engineering courses.
Religion and Spans of Ambiguity on a Danish Island

Over the past half century, northern Europe has seen a striking decline of belief in God and the supernatural. Yet the churches there have not died, and in some cases they remain strong and active. Whence does the vitality of these churches derive, if belief has eroded ? This paper examines one such church, an independent Lutheran congregation in northwestern Denmark. It suggests that the church's importance stems from its span of ambiguity, the broad range of meanings which it expresses in its local context. Its ability to integrate meanings from a variety of social arenas gives it a powerful role in a rapidly changing society. The paper argues that religious systems generally have an unusual capacity for such expression and integration. It is the extent to which they can maintain their spans of ambiguity, rather than the extent to which they can maintain belief, which accounts for their persistence or decline
Von Willebrand disease type 1: a diagnosis in search of a disease

Von Willebrand disease (VWD) type 1 is reported to be common but frequently is difficult to diagnose. Many people have nonspecific mild bleeding symptoms, von Willebrand factor (VWF) levels display low heritability, and low VWF levels (15% to 50% of normal) are weak risk factors for bleeding. Therefore, bleeding and low VWF levels often associate by chance. Even with stringent diagnostic criteria based on a triad of bleeding symptoms, a low VWF level, and a positive family history, the prevalence of "false-positive" VWD type 1 is comparable to the published prevalence of the disease. Consequently, many patients diagnosed with VWD type 1 do not have a specific hemorrhagic disease at all, which limits the utility of the diagnosis. This unfortunate reality is a consequence of trying to force patients into binary categories of "diseased" or "healthy" that are incompatible with the continuous biologic context in which VWF functions. The problem may be avoided by substituting an empirical epidemiologic approach like that applied to other modest risk factors for disease such as elevated cholesterol and high blood pressure. Such a risk management strategy could be generalized to include other hemorrhagic and thrombotic risk factors.
20 Gb/s carrier-injection silicon microring modulator with SPICE-compatible dynamic model

We demonstrate a high-speed carrier-injection silicon microring modulator operating at 20 Gb/s with 9 dB extinction ratio and 1.3 dB insertion loss using a pre-emphasis driving scheme. A SPICE-compatible dynamic model for the microring modulator is used to co-simulate with the pre-emphasis driver. The simulated optical eye diagrams agree well with the experimental results.
Emotion guided threat detection: Expecting guns where there are none

Five experiments examine whether the ability of emotions to influence judgments of threat extends to a very basic process inherent in threat detection: object recognition. Participants experiencing different emotions were asked to make rapid judgments about whether target individuals were holding guns or neutral objects. Results across 4 experiments supported the hypothesis that anger increases the probability that neutral objects will be misidentified as ones related to violence, but not the converse. Of import, the findings demonstrate that this bias is not a simple function of the negative valence of an emotional state, but stems from specific threat-relevant cues provided by anger. Direct manipulation of participants’ expectancies for encountering guns in the environment is shown not only to remove the bias among angry individuals when set to be low but also to produce a corresponding bias among neutral participants when set to be high. A 5th study demonstrates that the bias is amenable to correction given sufficient ability.
"Virtual" experiment for understanding the electrocardiogram and the mean electrical axis.

Educators have placed an emphasis on the development of laboratory materials that supplement the traditional lecture format. The laboratory materials should encourage active learning, small group discussion, and problem-solving skills. To this end, we developed a virtual experiment designed to introduce students to the theory and application of the electrocardiogram (ECG) and the mean electrical axis (MEA). After reviewing background material, the students will analyze ECG recordings from two individuals who underwent a series of experimental procedures. The students are challenged to reduce and analyze the data, calculate and plot the MEA, and answer questions related to the theory and application of the ECG. In conducting the virtual experiment, students are introduced to inquiry-based learning through experimentation.
Some Remarks About the Analysis of Active Control Studies

In an active-controlled trial, the experimental treatment can be declared to be non-inferior to the control if the confidence interval for the difference excludes a fixed pre-specified margin. Recently, some articles have discussed an alternative method where the data from the current study and placebo-controlled studies for the active control are combined together into a single test statistic to test whether a fixed fraction of the effect of the active control is preserved. It has been shown that, conditional on nuisance parameters from the active-controlled study, a fixed margin can be defined that will be operationally equivalent to this latter method. In this article, we will discuss statistical properties associated with these approaches. Specifically, the interim monitoring boundaries and level of evidence will be considered.
Do People Embrace Praise Even When They Feel Unworthy? A Review of Critical Tests of Self-Enhancement Versus Self-Verification

Some contemporary theorists contend that the desire for self-enhancement is prepotent and more powerful than rival motives such as self-verification. If so, then even people with negative self-views will embrace positive evaluations. The authors tested this proposition by conducting a meta-analytic review of the relevant literature. The data provided ample evidence of self-enhancement strivings but little evidence of its prepotency. Instead, the evidence suggested that both motives are influential but control different response classes. In addition, other motives may sometimes come into play. For example, when rejection risk is high, people seem to abandon self-verification strivings, apparently in an effort to gratify their desire for communion. However, when rejection risk is low, as is the case in many secure marital relationships, people prefer self-verifying evaluations. The authors conclude that future researchers should broaden the bandwidth of their explanatory frameworks to include motives other ...