cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Relationship Between Hard Tissue and Soft Tissue Dimensions of the Nose in Children: A 3D Cone Beam Computed Tomography Study.

This study using three-dimensional cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) images of children determined relationships between nasal skeletal and soft tissue measurements and assessed the association with sex, age, and skeletal maturation stage. Following relia- bility studies, skeletal and soft tissue parameters were measured on coded CBCTs of 73 children (28M:45F;6–13 yoa). Pearson and Mantel correlations were used to analyze associations between skeletal and soft tissues. Partial Mantel correlations were used to study the associations between skeletal and soft tissue, adjusting for sex, age, and skeletal maturation. Linear regression analyses were used to predict soft tissues sizes. Logistic regression was used to study the relationships between soft and skeletal tissue symmetry. Except for nasal aperture width and interalar width, skeletal landmarks best predicted corresponding soft tissue landmarks. Significant positive associations existed between skel etal and soft tissues after adjusting for sex, skeletal maturation, and age. Children’s nasal skeletal tissues predicted nasal soft tissue reasonably well.
The Global Burden of Surgical Need

Global disease patterns have changed significantly in the last 20 years. The transition from communicable disease to noncommunicable disease has revealed cardiovascular disease, trauma, and cancer as leading causes of global disability and death. This epidemiologic shift validated the role of surgery and safe anesthesia within global public health and is changing priorities for healthcare systems in low- and middle-income countries.
A Quick Review of Real Analysis

The purpose of this appendix is to provide the reader with exactly enough real analysis to read the remainder of the text. It is intended as a reference rather than as a substitute for a real analysis course. No attempt has been made at either elegance or generality.
GUT ANATOMY AND MORPHOLOGY | Pancreas

The pancreas has two chief functions: to secrete enzymes into the digestive tract and to secrete hormones into the bloodstream. Pancreatic enzymes break down proteins, lipids, carbohydrates, and nucleic acids contained in ingested food. Pancreatic hormones, such as insulin, glucagon, and somatostatin, regulate nutrient uptake and metabolism and influence organismal growth and development.
Diagnosis and therapy of immunoglobulin light chain amyloidosis (AL amyloidosis)

Amyloidosis is a group of disorders that have in common the deposition of protein fibrils composed of protofibrils that have a crystallographic β(beta)-pleated sheet structure. Disease results from these proteinaceous deposits in one or more organ systems [1]. The clinical presentation of amyloidosis varies greatly depending on the protein subunit of the amyloid fibril and the organs in which fibril deposition occurs [2]. Amyloidosis is classified on the basis of the structural subunit of the amyloid fibril protein.
STUDY OF PASSIVITY OF IRON BY IN SITU METHODS: MOSSBAUER AND EXAFS

ABSTRACT Considerable controversy exists as to the nature of the passive film on iron both in chemical composition and degree of structural order. Since the structure of the passive layer is believed to change on removal, we chose to study the passive layer in-situ, using MES and EXAFS spectroscopies. As neither technique is inherently surface sensitive on the scale of the m passive layer at the surface of the iron sample, signal-to-background enhancement was necessary. For MES high counting rates and long times were necessary in transmission. X-ray backscatter provides background suppression and was used for low temperature data. A rotating electrode within a conversion electron detector has been developed to optimize the surface sensitivity for electrochemical studies. For the EXAFS data it was necessary to observe the iron x-ray fluorescence signal that is scattered at 90° from the incident synchrotron radiation beam using a detector geometry with fan collimators to eliminate background radiation and a thick Mn0 2 filter to absorb much of the radiation at energies lower than FeKα. In addition, because the spectra represent the superposition of the passive layer and the remaining iron in the specimen, careful thickness control of the 2 nm vacuum deposited iron was required. The passivations were carried out in a buffered borate solution pH 8.4 which was deaereated with nitrogen. Any air formed oxide was reduced at a cathodic potential of −350 mV RHE for 30 minutes followed by a step to −200 mV to allow any hydrogen to escape from the surface. At this point the borate buffer is again replaced to remove any ferrous ions which may be in the solution and the working electrode is stepped to an anodic potential in the passive region, commonly +1350 mV RHE. Results for the in-situ transmission MES from several laboratories indicate an isomer shift of Fe 3+ and the large quadrupole splitting and linewidth characteristic of disordered systems. Experiments were performed to look at spectra of iron species which might precipitate from solution at anodic potentials. Iron gels anodically deposited gave doublets with smaller quadrupole splittings then for the passive film. A natural Fe film passivated in a 57 Fe-containing buffered borate produced no Mossbauer spectrum. Data for other passivating electrolytes is reported. Reference EXAFS spectra were obtained for crystalline αFe 2 0 3 , Fe 3 0 4 , Fe0, Fe(N0 3 ) 3 ·9(H 2 0), the oxy-hydroxides, α, γ, and δFe00H and several Fe containing gels. Fits to the EXAFS spectra of a 6-nm cathodically protected film showed 8.7 ± 0.5 iron atoms 0.248 ± 0.001 nm from the central atom and virtually no oxygen, in agreement with bulk iron metal which has 8 iron atoms at 0.248 nm. Iron atoms in the passive film appear to have a local environment of only oxygen nearest neighbors at an average distance of 0.203 nm. Furthermore, the EXAFS spectra of the passive films also indicate the absence of bulk crystal-line oxides.
Recent Experience with Abdominal Perineal Resection with Vertical Rectus Abdominis Myocutaneous Flap Reconstruction after Preoperative Pelvic Radiation

Abdominoperineal resection (APR) after pelvic radiation can be complicated by an increased rate of difficult to treat perineal wound complications. In an effort to improve postoperative morbidity after APR, myocutaneous flap reconstructions have been used. We review our recent experience with APR with vertical rectus abdominis myocutaneous flap reconstruction (VRAM) after preoperative pelvic radiation. A retrospective review of patients who underwent APR with VRAM reconstruction after pelvic radiation from December 2004 to July 2008 was conducted. Outcome measures included demographics, comorbidities, length of stay, wound complications, and morbidity and mortality. Fifteen patients with a mean age of 61 +/- 9 years underwent APR with VRAM reconstruction. Five patients also required posterior vaginectomy with the APR. Indications for APR were rectal cancer (n = 14, 93%) and anal canal cancer (n = 1, 7%). There were no intraoperative complications. Mean estimated blood loss was 635 +/- 446 mL and mean intraoperative blood transfusion requirements were 1 +/- 2 units. Mean length of hospital stay was 11 +/- 4 days. Six (40%) patients had minor perineal wound complications. One (7%) patient had a perineal wound infection requiring reoperation with washout and reapproximation. There was no 30-day or in-hospital mortality. All VRAM flaps remained viable through follow-up. APR with VRAM flap reconstruction after preoperative pelvic radiation can be performed safely with limited wound complications and no mortality.
Structural Basis for Isoform Selective Nitric Oxide Synthase Inhibition by Thiophene-2-carboximidamides

The overproduction of nitric oxide in the brain by neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS) is associated with a number of neurodegenerative diseases. Although inhibiting nNOS is an important therapeutic goal, it is important not to inhibit endothelial NOS (eNOS) because of the critical role played by eNOS in maintaining vascular tone. While it has been possible to develop nNOS selective aminopyridine inhibitors, many of the most potent and selective inhibitors exhibit poor bioavailability properties. Our group and others have turned to more biocompatible thiophene-2-carboximidamide (T2C) inhibitors as potential nNOS selective inhibitors. We have used crystallography and computational methods to better understand how and why two commercially developed T2C inhibitors exhibit selectivity for human nNOS over human eNOS. As with many of the aminopyridine inhibitors, a critical active site Asp residue in nNOS versus Asn in eNOS is largely responsible for controlling selectivity. We also present thermodynamic integration results to better understand the change in p Ka and thus the charge of inhibitors once bound to the active site. In addition, relative free energy calculations underscore the importance of enhanced electrostatic stabilization of inhibitors bound to the nNOS active site compared to eNOS.
Comparison of visual analysis, non-overlap methods, and effect sizes in the evaluation of parent implemented functional assessment based interventions.

Abstract We used an existing body of research (i.e., parent implemented functional-assessment based interventions) to examine visual analysis features and processes and evaluate the reliability of two frequently used non-overlap indices (NAP & Tau-U) and a novel effect size index—the between-case standardized mean difference (BC-SMD). Results indicated that visual analysis terms and procedures were inconsistently used across studies. Further, there was limited agreement between the non-overlap indices and independent visual analysis. Results regarding the BC-SMD were inconclusive given only 5 of the 15 studies were eligible for analyses for different dependent variables. Our results suggest that visual analysis standards are needed by which single case researchers analyze and report their results. Further, additional research is needed refining SCR effect sizes, which can be used to describe the magnitude of change within and across SCR studies with functional relations.
Communicating With Young Children

An ecological model is presented for the communication development of young children. The model translates research on parent-child interaction into a series of clinical guides for parents and professionals to assist children in building language learning relationships. Contrasting examples and rationale are presented for five adult interaction styles for facilitating communication.
Kenoticism and essential divine properties

Traditional Christology maintains that Christ was a single divine person with two natures (human and divine). According to kenotic Christology, certain divine properties such as omniscience and omnipotence were divested in order for Christ to acquire essential human properties. However, such a view appears to conflict with perfect-being theology, which takes omniscience and omnipotence to be essential properties for being divine. I propose a view that adopts a Thomistic theory of essences in order to show that there need be no conflict, and hence Christ can give up the property of being omniscient while still being essentially omniscient.
The use of a virus-derived targeting peptide to selectively kill staphylococcus bacteria with antimicrobial peptides

Abstract Background Targeted therapies seek to selectively eliminate a pathogen without disrupting the microbiome community. Bacteriophages provide a rich, well-documented source of bacterium-specific binding proteins for use as targeting peptides fused to antimicrobial peptides. Though resistance may develop as with any antibiotic, the wealth of variants available in natural bacteriophage populations adds to the robustness of this system. Results Here, we target two cationic antimicrobial peptides (AMPs), plectasin and eurocin, by genetically fusing their coding sequence to that of the host-binding protein of bacteriophage A12C, which selectively infects Staphylococcus. Surprisingly, we noted that targeting brought no change in the toxicity of the AMP when applied to two different staphylococci, S. aureus and S. epidermidis, but found a drastic decrease in toxicity against the negative controls, Enterococcus faecalis and Bacillus subtilis. Thus, the differential selectivity in this case is a loss of toxicity against the non-target species rather than the gain of toxicity against the target species which was reported in previous studies with other types of targeting antimicrobial peptides. Conclusion This is the first report of the use of virus-derived peptide sequences to target antimicrobial peptides. Considering the very large databank of bacteriophages and their bacterial hosts, this targeting approach should be generally applicable to a wide range of bacterial pathogens.
A Better Hope for Campaign Finance Reform

There is too much money in American politics, and too much of it comes from too few citizens. Mega-donors like Sheldon Adelson or Tom Steyer make $100 million political expenditures every election cycle. Attempts to limit such large political contributions have failed at every level: judicially, legislatively, and administratively. Much of the academic literature has joined the real world’s sense of despair. This Article takes a new tack. By changing our tax system from an income to a consistent progressive spending tax, the true cost of political expenditures by mega-donors could increase tenfold. By using a strategy of taxing that has been applied to such “bads” as alcohol and cigarettes for centuries, and by identifying high-end spending or consumption in general as such a social “bad,” this Article offers hope for solving what seems to be a hopeless problem.
Distributed Asynchronous Random Projection Algorithm (DARPA) with Arbitrary Uniformly Bounded Delay

In this paper, an asynchronous random projection algorithm is introduced to solve a distributed constrained convex optimization problem over a time-varying multi-agent network. In this asynchronous case, each agent computes its estimate by exchanging information with its neighbors within a bounded delay lapse. For diminishing uncoordinated stepsizes and some standard conditions on the gradient errors, we provide a convergence analysis of Distributed Asynchronous Random Projection Algorithm (DARPA) to the same optimal point under an arbitrary uniformly bounded delay.
The Nasal Microbiome As a Predictor of Infectious Complications after Hematopoietic Cell Transplant Patients

Introduction Hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) is a potentially curative treatment for a range of malignant and nonmalignant disorders. A common complication of HCT is the mucosal barrier injury that enables commensal microbes to invade underlying tissues and the bloodstream causing infections during the transplant period. Additionally, antibiotic use has a dramatic impact on the respiratory and intestinal microbiome by reducing the density and diversity of commensal flora and thus increasing the risk of acquiring drug resistant pathogens. Objectives To distinguish patients at risk of developing infections using nasal microbiome data and to evaluate the relationship of the nasal microbiome and different types of infections in the HCT population at our institution. Methods We conducted a prospective observational study. A total of 50 HCT patients were enrolled and blood, nasal washes and clinical data were collected at the preconditioning period (from day -14 of HCT up to 24 hours following initiation of conditioning regimen), every week for 8 weeks and every other week until week 14 post-HCT. Microbiome abundance prior to the infection's onset was analyzed. Results Patients were on average 56 years of age (range: 20-73) and the majority were white (n=40, 80%), male (n=34, 68%) and had leukemia (68%). Overall, patients experiencing any kind of infections had a different nasal microbiome than those without. An abundance of Stenotrophomonas in their nasal microbiome was associated with urinary tract infections and respiratory viral infections (FDR-Adj P value=0.009 and 0.004, respectively). Bacterial pneumonia occurred after an increase in Capnocytophaga was seen in the nasal microbiome (FDR-Adj P value=0.009) whereas fungal pneumonia occured after an increase in Pseudomonas, Methylobacterium, Lachnoclostridium, and Lactobacillus (FDR-Adj P value=0.01). Clostridium difficile gut colonization was observed following an increase in Dolosigranulum and Muribaculaceae in the nasal microbiome (FDR-Adj P value Conclusion Our findings provide important information on specific operational taxonomic unit abundances in the nasal microbiome and infections. The nasal microbiome could be key to predict infections in HCT recipients and design future interventions to prevent and reduce the morbidity and mortality related to infections in these high risk patients.
A Comparison of Background Membrane Imaging versus Flow Technologies for Subvisible Particle Analysis of Biologics

A recently developed high-throughput background membrane imaging (BMI) technique, the HORIZON, was assessed for its ability to quantify subvisible particulate (SVP) generated during protein therapeutic development. The HORIZON platform method was optimized and compared to three well-characterized SVP counting techniques: light obscuration, micro-flow imaging (MFI), and FlowCam®. A head-to-head comparison was performed for precision, linearity, SVP concentration, and morphological output of BMI compared to the other three techniques using two unique enzymes under investigation. We found that dilution requirements for BMI are protein-specific, and membrane coverage is the critical instrument parameter to monitor for dilution suitability. The precision of BMI ranked similarly to all other techniques. Analysis of the same sample dilution, run in triplicate, across all four techniques indicated the BMI technique provides SVP concentrations that are comparable with the flow imaging techniques. Morphological information from BMI was generally less practical when compared with flow microscopy. The major drawback of BMI was that the current software indiscriminately clips large particles, potentially resulting in a misrepresentation of SVP size distribution. Despite this phenomenon, the concentration and size data generated corresponds well with current flow imaging techniques while decreasing time, cost, and sample requirements for SVP quantification.
Hear, Hear for Notch: Control of Cell Fates in the Inner Ear by Notch Signaling

The vertebrate inner ear is responsible for detecting sound, gravity, and head motion. These mechanical forces are detected by mechanosensitive hair cells, arranged in a series of sensory patches in the vestibular and cochlear regions of the ear. Hair cells form synapses with neurons of the VIIIth cranial ganglion, which convey sound and balance information to the brain. They are surrounded by supporting cells, which nourish and protect the hair cells, and which can serve as a source of stem cells to regenerate hair cells after damage in non-mammalian vertebrates. The Notch signaling pathway plays many roles in the development of the inner ear, from the earliest formation of future inner ear ectoderm on the side of the embryonic head, to regulating the production of supporting cells, hair cells, and the neurons that innervate them. Notch signaling is re-deployed in non-mammalian vertebrates during hair cell regeneration, and attempts have been made to manipulate the Notch pathway to promote hair cell regeneration in mammals. In this review, we summarize the different modes of Notch signaling in inner ear development and regeneration, and describe how they interact with other signaling pathways to orchestrate the fine-grained cellular patterns of the ear.
Preoperative Anemia Management: What’s New in 2020?

The purpose of this article is to review the relevant evidence regarding the clinical impact of preoperative anemia, current methods of identifying anemia in the surgical population, and the current and upcoming evidence for the treatment modalities targeting preoperative anemia. Preoperative anemia continues to be identified as a contributor to poor outcomes in the surgical population. Identifying anemia typically starts with hemoglobin and mean corpuscular volume. Recent laboratories have also started using iron studies with serum ferritin and transferrin saturation. Oral and IV iron have demonstrated efficacy in treating preoperative anemia in terms of increasing hemoglobin preoperatively and reducing allogeneic blood transfusions. However, few studies have demonstrated an impact on patient outcomes, morbidity, and mortality. Additionally, several meta-analyses have demonstrated the benefit of adding erythropoietin-stimulating agents to improve anemia. Preoperative anemia is very common and is thought to be a contributor to poor outcomes. IV iron is currently recommended by several guidelines as the primary treatment modality for preoperative anemia. Two ongoing studies hope to provide clarity on the effect of IV iron on patient outcomes including morbidity and mortality in cardiac and non-cardiac surgical populations.
Why is dishonesty difficult to mitigate? The interaction between descriptive norm and monetary incentive

Abstract We examine whether changes in perceived norm of dishonesty can offset the effects of changes in benefit from the dishonest action. We find partial support for the hypothesis in laboratory experiments on lying behavior in a cheap-talk sender-receiver game, conducted in two countries. In the experiments, we vary benefit from lying and shift senders’ norm perception by providing them information on lying from prior sessions. The findings suggest that senders adjust their perceived norm as expected, but they respond to norm in a somewhat self-serving manner. Specifically, when benefit from lying is lowered but senders are induced to believe in a higher norm of lying, they lie significantly more than when norm is not intervened. However, when benefit from lying is raised, our intervention to shift perceived norm of lying downward succeeds in altering senders’ belief as intended, but does not lower lying significantly. The results can be conceived as an indirect evidence of the challenge in curbing dishonesty by reducing private pecuniary gains in a society with a culture of dishonesty, while suggesting that even societies with history of low dishonesty may succumb to dishonesty when pecuniary incentives for dishonesty rise.
Estimating Craniofacial Growth Cessation: Comparison of Asymptote- and Rate-Based Methods:

Objective:To identify differences between asymptote- and rate-based methods for estimating age and size at growth cessation in linear craniofacial measurements.Design:This is a retrospective, longi...
Triaxial compression behavior of 3D printed and natural sands

Different particle properties, such as shape, size, surface roughness, and constituent material stiffness, affect the mechanical behavior of coarse-grained soils. Systematic investigation of the individual effects of these properties requires careful control over other properties, which is a pervasive challenge in investigations with natural soils. The rapid advance of 3D printing technology provides the ability to produce analog particles with independent control over particle size and shape. This study examines the triaxial compression behavior of specimens of 3D printed sand particles and compares it to that of natural sand specimens. Drained and undrained isotropically-consolidated triaxial compression tests were performed on specimens composed of angular and rounded 3D printed and natural sands. The test results indicate that the 3D printed sands exhibit stress-dilatancy behavior that follows well-established flow rules, the angular 3D printed sand mobilizes greater critical state friction angle than that of rounded 3D printed sand, and analogous drained and undrained stress paths can be followed by 3D printed and natural sands with similar initial void ratios if the cell pressure is scaled. The results suggest that some of the fundamental behaviors of soils can be captured with 3D printed soils, and that the interpretation of their mechanical response can be captured with the critical state soil mechanics framework. However, important differences in response arise from the 3D printing process and the smaller stiffness of the printed polymeric material. Artificial sand analogs were 3D printed from X-ray CT scans of sub-rounded and sub-angular natural sands. Triaxial compression tests were performed to characterize the strength and dilatancy behavior as well as critical staste parameters of the 3D printed sands and to compare it to that exhibited by the natural sands.
Economic analysis of networking technologies for rural developing regions

Providing network connectivity to rural regions in the developing world is an economically challenging problem especially given the low income levels and low population densities in such regions. Many existing connectivity technologies incur a high deployment cost that limits their affordability. Leveraging several emerging wireless technologies, this paper presents the case for economically viable networks in rural developing regions. We use the Akshaya Network located in Kerala, India as a specific case study. and show that a wireless network using WiFi for the backhaul, CDMA450 for the access network, and shared PCs for end user devices has the lowest deployment cost. However, if we include the expected spectrum licensing cost for CDMA450, a network with lease exempt spectrum using WiFi for the backhaul and WiMax for access is the most economically attractive option. Even with license exemption, regulatory costs comprise nearly half the total cost in the WiFi/WiMax case suggesting the possibility of significant improvement in network economics with more favorable regulatory policies. Finally, we also demonstrate the business case for a WiFi/CDMA450 network with nearly fully subsidized cellular handsets as end user devices.
Making Contacts to Single Molecules: Are We There Yet?

The problem of connecting two wires to a single molecule has several practical solutions, varying from break junctions, to gaps formed by controlled evaporation and self-assembled structures. Here, we focus on gold nanoparticle self-assembled junctions, and break junctions, two techniques that allow the number of molecules in the gap to be determined. We show that the nanoparticle junctions are affected by the electronic properties of the nanoparticles, and that corrections for these effects tend to bring the data into closer agreement with both break-junction measurements and ab initio calculations.
The Future is Fixed

Isaac Asimov once commented that nothing ever changed in the science fiction of the former Soviet Union. Any suggestion that the future might be different brought the risk of censorship. Soviet cinema could note take place in time. As a result in films like Mechte Navstrechu (1963) erratic and discontinuous plot devices allowed a vision of the future in which no alteration of the present occurred. The future remained the same as the present: No change was allowed. Martin Heidegger made a similar observation about the inability to change as a key characteristic of any environment in his 1929-30 lectures on metaphysics. Heidegger differentiated between the environments of the animal and of the human by noting that both were trapped in a set of fixed relationships. However, the human could imagine the possibility of changing the environment. Heidegger thus defined humanity by a capacity not to change but to envision the present differently. Read closely, these transitional lectures reveal the inability of technology to offer anything new. Curiously, Soviet-era science fiction worked critically within a previously established future condition. These fictions deployed the future as a signpost from which detours could be taken. Breaking the narrative allowed for seemingly unimaginable alternatives to be presented without truly effecting any change. The future was never a goal to be obtained within the context of these films. It was an orienting distraction, and as such it offers a new way of thinking about the intent of computation for architecture. If the image, model, simulation are conceived as orienting distractions from the ensnarement of time— αχρονία —can they be used to displace the future from the present and restore critique to the architectural utopia?
Zr5Sb3−xRux, a new superconductor in the W5Si3 structure type

We report that at low Ru contents, up to x = 0.2, the Zr5Sb3−xRux solid solution forms in the hexagonal Mn5Si3 structure type of the host (x = 0), but that at higher Ru contents (x = 0.4–0.6) the solid solution transforms into the tetragonal W5Si3 structure type. We find that tetragonal Zr5Sb2.4Ru0.6 is superconducting at 5 K, significantly higher than the transition temperature of hexagonal Zr5Sb3 (x = 0), which has a Tc of 2.3 K. In support of a hypothesis that certain structure types are favorable for superconductivity, we describe how the W5Si3 and Tl5Te3 structure types, both of which support superconductivity, are derived from the parent Al2Cu type structure, in which superconductors are also found. Electronic structure calculations show that in Zr10Sb5Ru, a model for the new superconducting compound, the Fermi level is located on a peak in the electronic density of states.
3‐Methyl‐2‐phenyl‐1,3,2‐oxazaphospholidine

[1885-79-6] C9H12NOP (MW 181.19) InChI = 1S/C9H12NOP/c1-10-7-8-11-12(10)9-5-3-2-4-6-9/h2-6H,7-8H2,1H3 InChIKey = KTJQEPLSCABWOV-UHFFFAOYSA-N (formation of thiophosphoramides1) Physical Data: bp 75–78 °C/0.05 mmHg. Solubility: sol chloroform. Form Supplied in: clear liquid; becomes viscous on standing. Analysis of Reagent Purity: bp and 31P NMR (143.1 ppm). Preparative Method: prepared by heating a mixture of phenylphosphorus dichloride and N-methylethanolamine at 130 °C (81%).2 Purification: distillation in vacuo immediately before use. Handling, Storage, and Precautions: hygroscopic. Dimerizes and polymerizes on standing.
Altering turbine speed reduces bat mortality at wind-energy facilities

Wind-turbine operations are associated with bat mortality worldwide; minimizing these fatalities is critically important to both bat conservation and public acceptance of wind-energy development. We tested the effectiveness of raising wind-turbine cut-in speed – defined as the lowest wind speed at which turbines generate power to the utility system, thereby reducing turbine operation during periods of low wind speeds – to decrease bat mortality at the Casselman Wind Project in Somerset County, Pennsylvania, over a 2-year period. Observed bat mortality at fully operational turbines was, on average, 5.4 and 3.6 times greater than mortality associated with curtailed (ie non-operating) turbines in 2008 and 2009, respectively. Relatively small changes to wind-turbine operation resulted in nightly reductions in bat mortality, ranging from 44% to 93%, with marginal annual power loss (≤ 1% of total annual output). Our findings suggest that increasing turbine cut-in speeds at wind facilities in areas of conservati...
Magnetic ordering of crystalline and vitreous Gd(PO3)3

Abstract We have measured the magnetic susceptibilities of vitreous and polycrystalline Gd(PO 3 ) 3 . The Weiss constants for these materials were found to be -0.3 K. Vitreous Gd (PO 3 ) 3 exhibited short-range antiferromagnetic order below 0.175 K and polycrystalline Gd(PO 3 ) 3 short-range order between 0.242 K and 0.052 K and long-range order below 0.052 K.
Poor eHealth literacy and consumer-directed health plans: a recipe for market failure.

I would like to applaud the efforts of Volandes and Paasche-Orlow for bringing the issue of poor health literacy in the United States to the bioethical forefront (Volandes and Paasche-Orlow 2007). ...
Compressibility of copper via the self-consistent APW method☆

Abstract The self-consistent APW method was used in determining pressure as a function of volume for f.c.c. copper. The results are in excellent agreement in the range 0 to 600 kbar.
Autonomic Regulation in Asthmatics With Gastroesophageal Reflux

Study objective To study the role of autonomic regulation in asthmatics with gastroesophageal reflux (GER). Design Prospective study. Setting Autonomic function laboratory of a 908-bed university hospital. Participants Fifteen nonsmoking asthmatics with GER (six men, nine women; average age, 36 years). Interventions: Subjects were connected to an ECG monitor. BP was measured by sphygmomanometer at set intervals. After a resting period, each subject had heart rate and BP monitored during an 80° passive tilt, Valsalva maneuver, quiet and deep breathing, handgrip, and an echo stress test of cortical arousal. Each autonomic function test was analyzed and defined as normal, hypervagal, hyperadrenergic, or mixed (a combination of hypervagal and hyperadrenergic responses) as compared with 23 age-matched normal control subjects from our laboratory (14 men, 9 women; average age, 35 years) and published normal control values. Each subject had an overall response score that was determined by the results of the tilt, Valsalva maneuver, and deep breathing maneuvers. Results All asthmatics with reflux had at least one autonomic function test display a hypervagal response. Overall response scores show that eight of 15 asthmatics with GER had an overall hypervagal response, and seven had a mixed response. Of the seven asthmatics with GER who had a mixed response score, two had a hypervagal predominant response. Conclusions Asthmatics with GER have evidence of autonomic dysfunction. Heightened vagal tone may be partially responsible for the heightened airway responsiveness to esophageal acidification in asthmatics with reflux.
Heat transport in solid target following relativistic laser–matter interaction

Abstract Recent measurements of energy transport along the surface of a planar Al target excited by obliquely-incident, 25 fs laser pulses focused to intensity up to 3 × 10 18 W/cm 2 in a ∼1 μm spot are analyzed using two-dimensional collisional particle-in-cell simulations. In the experiments, the target absorbed ∼50% of the pump energy, and surface heat, detected by imaging a delayed reflected probe pulse, propagated roughly isotropically outward from the pump spot as far as 12 ± 3 microns within 0.5 ps. The simulation without a pre-plasma predicts only 12% pump absorption and anisotropic heat transport. Moreover the simulated heated area increased as the square root of laser intensity, more slowly than observed in the experiment. The discrepancies are attributed to the presence of an intensity-dependent pre-plasma in the experiment that increased absorption and its intensity scaling. Anisotropic features are spoiled by strong magnetic fields that pervade the pre-plasma.
An Autonomous Distal Reward Learning Architecture for Embodied Agents

Distal reward refers to a class of problems where reward is temporally distal from actions that lead to reward. The difficulty for any biological neural system is that the neural activations that caused an agent to achieve reward may no longer be present when the reward is experienced. Therefore in addition to the usual reward assignment problem, there is the additional complexity of rewarding through time based on neural activations that may no longer be present. Although this problem has been thoroughly studied over the years using methods such as reinforcement learning, we are interested in a more biologically motivated neural architectural approach. This paper introduces one such architecture that exhibits rudimentary distal reward learning based on associations of bottom-up visual sensory sequences with bottom-up proprioceptive motor sequences while an agent explores an environment. After sufficient learning, the agent is able to locate the reward through chaining together of top-down motor command sequences. This paper will briefly discuss the details of the neural architecture, the agent-based modeling system in which it is embodied, a virtual Morris water maze environment used for training and evaluation, and a sampling of numerical experiments characterizing its learning properties.
Characterization of thyroid hormone stimulation of uridine uptake by rat pituitary tumor cells.

T3 caused a dose-related increase in the rate of [3H]uridine uptake into GH4C1 rat pituitary tumor cells. T3 increased uridine uptake to 130–180% of the control value, witha half-maximal effect at approximately 1 nM. T3 exerted a halfmaximaleffect at 1 h and a maximal effect at 2 h. In contrast,epidermal growth factor also increased uridine uptake by 75%,with an ED50 of 0.6 ng/ml (0.1 nM), but a half-maximal responserequired 4 min and a maximal effect required 20 min. T3 increasedthe rate of uptake at all uridine concentrations from 30nM to 130 μM. Equilibrium binding of [125I]T3 to nuclear receptorsrequired from 15 min at 50 nM [125I]T3 to 1 h at 0.5 nM,indicating that occupancy of nuclear receptors precedes maximalstimulation of uridine uptake. T3 did not stimulate the rate ofuridine uptake at 20 C, when binding to nuclear receptors doesnot occur. Various thyroid hormones caused an increase inuridine uptake, with the rank order of potency 3,3′,5-triiodothyroaceticacid > T3 > L-T4 > D-T4 = 3,3′,5,5′-tetr...
Self‐involvement via self‐schema activation during sexual arousal

Researchers and clinicians have long argued that cognition is an important component of sexual arousal. We tested the hypothesis that self‐schema activation is one of the cognitive processes involved in sexual arousal to audiovisual stimuli. College students (105 males and females) individually viewed an erotic videotape that contained 20 66‐millisecond presentations of various trait adjectives, which students were asked to read aloud. About half of these students had performed a self‐reference task (i.e., made judgments regarding the self‐descriptiveness of each word) prior to viewing the tape. Among students who had performed the self‐reference task, those reporting relatively high sexual arousal to the film correctly identified more words than students who reported little or no arousal. Among students who did not perform the self‐reference task, arousal had no effect on the number of words identified. This finding was tentatively interpreted as evidence that the self‐schema is activated during sexual a...
Functional Characterization of DNA-binding Domains of the Subunits of the Heterodimeric Aryl Hydrocarbon Receptor Complex Imputing Novel and Canonical Basic Helix-Loop-Helix Protein-DNA Interactions

The aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AHR) and the aryl hydrocarbon receptor nuclear translocator (ARNT) belong to a novel subclass of basic helix-loop-helix transcription factors. The AHR.ARNT heterodimer binds to the xenobiotic responsive element (XRE). Substitution of each of four amino acids in the basic region of ARNT with alanine severely diminishes or abolishes XRE binding, intimating that these amino acids contact DNA bases. Three of these amino acids are conserved among basic helix-loop-helix proteins, and the corresponding amino acids of Max and USF are known to contact DNA bases. Alanine scanning mutagenesis of the basic domain of AHR and substitution with conservative amino acids at particular positions in this domain and in a more amino-proximal AHR segment previously shown to be required for XRE binding (Fukunaga, B. N., and Hankinson, O. (1996) J. Biol. Chem. 271, 3743-3749) demonstrate that the most carboxyl-proximal amino acid position of the basic domain and a position within the amino-proximal segment are intolerant to amino acid substitution with regard to XRE binding, suggesting that these two amino acids make base contacts. Amino acid positions in these AHR regions and in the ARNT basic region less adversely affected by substitution are also identified. The amino acids at these positions may contact the phosphodiester backbone. The apparent bipartite nature of the DNA binding region of AHR and the identity of those of its amino acids that apparently make DNA contacts impute a novel protein-DNA binding behavior for AHR.
COCEI in Juchitán: Grassroots Radicalism and Regional History

In Juchitan, Mexico, a poor people's movement has challenged the local and national authorities of the Mexican government, withstood violent repression and military occupation, and succeeded in winning municipal elections and becoming a permanent leftist force in regional politics. This movement, the Coalition of Workers, Peasants, and Students of the Isthmus (COCEI), is one of the strongest and most militant grassroots movements in Mexico, in large part because Zapotec Indians in Juchitan transformed their courtyards and fiestas into fora for intense political discussion, gathered in the streets in massive demonstrations, and, in the course of the past two decades, redefined the activites, meanings and alliancesof therie culture.
Weight Loss Versus Behavioral Change as the Primary Goal in Clinical Practice

Physical activity is a well-established lifestyle target that has shown considerable benefit in older adults. Findings from a subset population in the REasons for Geographic and Racial Differences in Stroke (REGARDS) study revealed that changes in behavior (i.e., nonsmoking, physical activity) were superior to achieving numerical goals (i.e., waist circumference) to reduce the risk of recurrent coronary heart disease and all-cause mortality. This study provides strong evidence that health care providers should emphasize behavioral change and not set weight loss as the primary goal in clinical practice.
Application of 3-signal coherence to core noise transmission

A method for determining transfer functions across turbofan engine components and from the engine to the far-field is developed. The method is based on the three-signal coherence technique used previously to obtain far-field core noise levels. This method eliminates the bias error in transfer function measurements due to contamination of measured pressures by nonpropagating pressure fluctuations. Measured transfer functions from the engine to the far-field, across the tailpipe, and across the turbine are presented for three turbofan engines.
Indicator bacteria at five swimming beaches-analysis using random forests.

Abstract “Random forests,” an extension of tree regression, provide a relatively new technique for exploring relationships of a response variable like the density of indicator bacteria in water to numerous potential explanatory variables. We used this tool to study relationships of indicator density at five beaches to numerous other variables and found that day of the week, indicator density 24 h earlier, water depth at the sampling point, cloud cover, and others were related to density at one or more of the beaches. Using data from the first 52 days of measurement allowed predicting indicator densities in the following 10 days to order of magnitude at some of the beaches. Our analyses served to demonstrate the potential usefulness of this analytic tool for large data sets with many variables.
Just Think About It: Mindfulness, Sexism, and Prejudice Toward Feminists

This study examined the relation between mindfulness, sexist motivations and beliefs, and prejudice toward women who violate traditional gender roles—namely feminists. In a preliminary study, 672 (251 men, 421 women) undergraduates from a United States Midwestern university completed a measure of mindfulness and warmth toward feminists and consistent with hypotheses, more mindfulness was associated with more warmth toward feminists. Extending this initial finding to the main study, 653 (273 men, 380 women) undergraduates from a U.S. Midwestern university completed measures of mindfulness, motivation to respond without sexism, ambivalent sexism, and warmth toward feminists. Consistent with hypotheses, compared to women participants, men participants were lower on internal motivation to respond without sexism, higher on hostile and benevolent sexism and less warm toward feminists. Also consistent with hypotheses, for men participants, more mindfulness was associated with higher internal motivation to respond without sexism, less benevolent sexism, and more warmth toward feminists. In contrast, for women participants, more mindfulness was only associated with less hostile sexism. Finally, a path analysis revealed that the positive relation between mindfulness and warmth toward feminists for men participants was partially mediated by more internal motivation to respond without sexism (i.e., a significant indirect effect), but not by less sexist beliefs. Implications for mindfulness, sexism, and prejudice more generally are discussed.
Nature and Scientific Knowledge in the Spanish Empire Introduction

Originally presented at the ‘Visualizing Colonial Nature: Science in the Spanish Americas’ panel for the History of Science Society in 2002, these three essays represent an emerging scholarship amo...
Energy Fluctuations in the Nilsson Model

A Nilsson-like calculation of single-particle energies is carried out in a manner so that their sum may be exactly related to the total energy. The proposal of Strutinsky that the fluctuations in the energy are contained mainly in this sum, is shown to be quantitatively inaccurate. This is achieved by an explicit calculation of the fluctuations of other terms in the energy.
Undecidability of context-sensitive data-dependence analysis

A number of program-analysis problems can be tackled by transforming them into certain kinds of graph-reachability problems in labeled directed graphs. The edge labels can be used to filter out paths that are not interest: a path P from vertex s to vertex t only counts as a“valid connection” between s and t if the word spelled out by P is in a certain language. Often the languages used for such filtering purposes are languages of matching parantheses. In some cases, the matched-parenthesis condition is used to filter out paths with mismatched calls and returns. This leads to so-called “context-sensitive” program analyses, such as context-sensitive interprocedural slicing and context-sensitive interprocedural dataflow analysis. In other cases, the matched-parenthesis condition is used to capture a graph-theoretic analog of McCarthy's rules: “car (cons(x,y)) = x” and “cdr(cons(x,y)) =y”. That is, in the code fragmentc = cons(a,b); d = car(c);the fact that there is a “structure-transmitted data-dependence” from a to d, but not from b to d, is captured in a graph by (1) using a vertex for each variable, (2)an edge from vertex i to vertex j when i is used on the right-hand side of an assignment to j, (3) parentheses that match as the labels on the edges that run from a to c and c to d, and (4) parentheses that do not match as the labels on the edges that run from a to c and c to d. However, structure-transmitted data-dependence analysis is context-insensitive, because there are no constraints that filter out paths with mismatched calls and returns. Thus, a natural question is whether these two kinds of uses of parentheses can be combined to create a context-sensitive analysis for structure-transmitted data-dependences. This article answers the question in the negative: in general, the problem of context sensitive, structure-transmitted data-dependence analysis is undecidable. The results imply that in general, both context-sensitive set-based analysis and ∞-CFA (when data constructors and selectors and selectors are taken into account) are also undecidable.