cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Extending Interval from Seventeen to Nineteen Days in the Melengestrol Acetate - Prostaglandin Estrous Synchronization Program for Heifers1

Two experiments were conducted to determine whether extending the interval between removal of melengestrol acetate (MGA) from feed and injection of prostaglandin F2α (PGF) from 17 to 19 d would affect synchronization of estrus, conception, and pregnancy rates of beef heifers. In both experiments, heifers were fed MGA for 14 d, and PGF was given at either 17 or 19 d after cessation of MGA feeding. Heifers were observed for estrus and artificially inseminated for 5 d after PGF injection. In Exp. 1, 240 yearling heifers were randomly assigned to either a 17- or a 19-d treatment group according to estrous status and day of the estrous cycle. In Exp. 2, 1409 yearling heifers on a cooperating ranch were randomly assigned to the same two treatment groups without knowledge of estrous status. The PGF injection at 19 d (Exp. 1) caused a higher (P<0.05) percentage of heifers to exhibit estrus by 72 h after the injection compared with heifers receiving the injection at 17 d. A greater percentage (P<0.01) of heifers in the 19-d group were in the late luteal phase of the estrous cycle at the time of PGF injection compared with the heifers in the 17-d group, and pregnancy rates were higher for the heifers in the late luteal phase. In Exp. 2, heifers injected with PGF at 19 d after MGA had a greater (P<0.05) percentage in estrus (10%) during the 5-d breeding period, and had higher (P<0.05) pregnancy rates in 5 d (7.6%) and 50 d of breeding (5.5%), compared with heifers injected with PGF 17 d after withdrawal of MGA. These results indicate that the PGF injection given at 19 d after removal of MGA from the diet increases synchronized estrous response and results in higher pregnancy rates in heifers compared with the 17-d injection treatment.
Untangling the Diverse Interior and Multiple Exterior Guest Interactions of a Supramolecular Host by the Simultaneous Analysis of Complementary Observables.

The entropic and enthalpic driving forces for encapsulation versus sequential exterior guest binding to the [Ga4L6]12– supramolecular host in solution are very different, which significantly complicates the determination of these thermodynamic parameters. The simultaneous use of complementary techniques, such as NMR, UV–vis, and isothermal titration calorimetry, enables the disentanglement of such multiple host–guest interactions. Indeed, data collected by each technique measure different components of the host–guest equilibria and together provide a complete picture of the solution thermodynamics. Unfortunately, commercially available programs do not allow for global analysis of different physical observables. We thus resorted to a novel procedure for the simultaneous refinement of multiple parameters (ΔG°, ΔH°, and ΔS°) by treating different observables through a weighted nonlinear least-squares analysis of a constrained model. The refinement procedure is discussed for the multiple binding of the Et4N+ ...
Isolated Distal Posterior Interosseous Nerve Palsy Mimicking Extensor Pollicis Longus Tendon Rupture: A Case Report and Review of the Literature.

Relative to median and ulnar nerve pathology, posterior interosseous nerve (PIN) palsy is a rare clinical entity. Four types of PIN palsy have been described: type 1, in which there is both a drop-finger and drop-thumb deformity; type 2, in which there is an isolated drop-finger deformity; type 3, in which there is an isolated drop-thumb deformity; and type 4, in which there is an isolated palsy of the extensor pollicis longus (EPL). To the best of our knowledge, we present the second reported case in the English-language literature of a patient with type-4 PIN palsy. The patient was informed that data concerning the case would be submitted for publication, and he provided consent. A seventy-one-year-old right-hand-dominant man presented with the inability to extend the interphalangeal (IP) joint of the right thumb. The patient first noted this inability while lifting something heavy a week prior to presentation; he mentioned that the “knuckles popped.” The patient had a history of HLA-B27-positive inflammatory arthropathy (treated with adalimumab), as well as a history of hypothyroidism (treated with levothyroxine); both conditions had been well controlled for years. He denied any previous tendon ruptures or functional limitation in the right hand prior to presentation. Clinical examination demonstrated no active extension of the IP joint of the right thumb and inability to raise the thumb in line with the second metacarpal when the hand was placed flat on a table. Thumb IP joint extension by the tenodesis effect was equivocal. No masses were appreciated, and no obvious defects were palpable within the EPL tendon to Lister tubercle. He had full passive range of motion of the thumb IP joint. He had full function in all other radial nerve and PIN-innervated muscles; in particular, he had full strength of isolated index finger extension. He had no sensory …
The Doleful Dynamics of Competition: Inequality and Fakery in Modernity

The article outlines a general theory of the dynamics of competition. On-going competition generates unhappiness and inequality in spite of economic growth. The circular and cumulative processes in...
The picture is not yet over!: The end credits song sequence in Bollywood

The end credits song sequence is a recent Bollywood innovation which has emerged in the twenty-first century. Such sequences are increasingly featured in contemporary Bollywood films and can be des...
Depth-resolved measurement of optical radiation-pressure forces with optical coherence tomography

A weakly focused laser beam can exert sufficient radiation pressure to manipulate microscopic particles over a large depth range. However, depth-resolved continuous measurement of radiation-pressure force profiles over an extended range about the focal plane has not been demonstrated despite decades of research on optical manipulation. Here, we present a method for continuous measurement of axial radiation-pressure forces from a weakly focused beam on polystyrene micro-beads suspended in viscous fluids over a depth range of 400 μm, based on real-time monitoring of particle dynamics using optical coherence tomography (OCT). Measurements of radiation-pressure forces as a function of beam power, wavelength, bead size, and refractive index are consistent with theoretical trends. However, our continuous measurements also reveal localized depth-dependent features in the radiation-pressure force profiles that deviate from theoretical predictions based on an aberration-free Gaussian beam. The combination of long-range radiation pressure and OCT offers a new mode of quantitative optical manipulation and detection with extended spatial coverage. This may find applications in the characterization of optical tractor beams, or volumetric optical manipulation and interrogation of beads in viscoelastic media.
Adult Cancer Pain: An Evidence-Based Update

Abstract Cancer often produces excruciating pain, which sends waves reverberating through the person's body, mind, spirit, and social interactions diminishing their quality of life and that of those closest to them. This updated review will summarize the latest research exploring the biologic mechanisms, psychosocial impact, and evidence-based approaches to treating cancer pain. Persons with cancer should not live or die with needless pain because of the detrimental effects it has on longevity and quality of life. This review intends to inform nurses of evidence-informed best practices they can use to prevent avoidable suffering that results from cancer pain.
Urogenital and Pelvic Pain

Urogenital and pelvic pains are common and may have urologic, gynecologic, gastrointestinal, vascular, musculoskeletal, or neurologic origins. In the evaluation and treatment of these pains, it must be kept in mind that these sites of pain generation are private places associated with bodily functions that are associated with strong emotions: sexual function, defecation, and urination. After infection, ischemia, inflammation, obstruction, or neoplasm has been ruled out as likely etiologies, one is often left with simply a descriptive diagnosis coupled to an empiric treatment. Common diagnoses of chronic urogenital painful disorders include interstitial cystitis, prostatitis, endometriosis, and chronic pelvic pain without obvious pathology. The cost of these disorders to the US health system rivals that of chronic low back pain or asthma. These disorders are three to four times more prevalent in women than in men and difficult to diagnose due to the complex innervation of the pelvis: primary neural afferents travel by sympathetic, pelvic, and pudendal nerve pathways. Pain types may be generally categorized as neuropathic or as somatic or visceral nociceptive pains. Treatments are similar to those for other parts of the body but due to psychosocial modifiers are often more difficult to assess. Pain management is generally multimodal and commonly includes pharmacotherapy (antidepressants, muscle relaxants, anticonvulsants, opiates), surgery (laparoscopic versus open), and interventional procedures (spinal cord stimulations, sympathetic blocks). Other options include yoga, biofeedback, and physical therapy.
Contemplating and Extending the Scholarship on Children’s and Young Adult Literature:

To commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Journal of Literacy Research, this article reviews the trajectory of a particular line of scholarship published in this journal over the past five decades...
Social Cognition: Reasoning With Others

Abstract We live within a social context and this influences our reasoning. The roots of social reasoning abilities can be traced to our ability to perceive and react to the emotional expressions of others. These inform us about the mental states of others and our knowledge of other people’s perspectives is known as theory of mind. Some other species including chimpanzees, elephants, and cetaceans also exhibit some degree of theory of mind. Other species that have large brains and live in social groups show the ability to learn from one another. The learning can take place across species or from parent to offspring within family groups. Some of these learning abilities resemble human reasoning, as they can be innovative, unique to one population that discovered the technique, and able to be passed from one individual to others. When people engage in group-based reasoning tasks, they can be highly successful. When groups take on unintuitive cognitive tasks, they can outperform the individuals. Less optimistic outcomes are sometimes found for idea generation in groups. This is frequently due to the complex social dynamics that occur in association with generating ideas. There can be dominant individuals that inhibit the contributions of others. There can also be timing challenges and limitations of attention that undermine group-based idea generation. When people reason in pairs, they are often faced with the decision to compete and act in their own best interests, or cooperate and attempt to arrive at a solution that fits everyone. Some research shows that people will choose to cooperate and allow both members of a pair to come out ahead. Factors including empathy and considering possible future opportunities for mutual benefits tend to drive us to cooperate.
Sustainable design and manufacture of lightweight vehicle structures

Abstract: Alternate fuels and powertrain systems will force an increased premium on vehicle mass reduction both to make vehicles more fuel-efficient and to enable greater range. an analysis will shows that life cycle analysis can be used to quantitatively assess how the use of alternate materials to reduce mass will contribute to energy savings and carbon footprint reduction. This justifies aggressive mass reduction driven by the use of alternative materials Also, a detailed look at auto construction shows that the vehicle of the future will likely be made from many materials. This poses many new challenges in design, manufacturing, joining and durability.
Threshold singularities in the one-dimensional supersymmetric boson–fermion gas mixture

A one-dimensional gas mixture consisting of bosons and fermions without spin interacting via a repulsive δ-function potential is considered. The model is integrable and soluble via two nested Bethe...
Dynamics of Salt Tolerance: Molecular Perspectives

Plant being sessile has to face many environmental stresses and develop physiological and biochemical mechanisms to withstand those stresses. Salinity is one of the major stresses that affects the plant growth and imposes direct impact on productivity and yield. The lack of good-quality irrigation water is forcing farmers to use alternative or degraded waters of irrigation throughout the world. One of the major considerations for using alternative or degraded water is often its high salinity. Salinity affects various physiological and biochemical mechanisms in plants, including germination and growth, photosynthesis, and plant water relations. Plants, when exposed to external stresses, develop mechanisms and responses to defend themselves. Salt tolerance is regulated by a complex network of different component traits. With the availability of the genome sequences of the most crop species, it became feasible to develop the links between physiological performance and underlying biological mechanisms involved in salinity stress. This article describes the effect of salinity on germination, growth, photosynthesis and plant water relations, and the mechanism plant adopts to protect itself, such as ion exclusion from roots, sequestering ions into vacuole, and high tolerance to ion toxicity. Recent advances in research and technology may play critical role in developing new salt-tolerant cultivars that are vigorous and high yielding.
Testing Makes Us Stronger™: Evaluating the correlation between exposure and intermediate outcomes targeted by the campaign's messages.

Abstract Objectives To examine whether self-reported exposure to Testing Makes Us Stronger™ (TMUS), an HIV testing health communication campaign for black gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men (BMSM), was associated with key intermediate outcomes targeted by the campaign’s messages. Methods Data from sexually active, HIV-negative or unknown status BMSM aged 18–44 (N = 590) were collected through an anonymous Web-based survey that measured sociodemographics, campaign exposure, attitudinal beliefs, normative beliefs, self-efficacy, and HIV testing intentions, among other variables. The association between exposure to TMUS and intermediate outcomes was evaluated using propensity-score weight adjusted correlations. Results Exposure to TMUS was high (43%) among the priority audience. Exposure to the campaign was correlated with 8 of 11 intermediate outcomes measured, including key attitudinal beliefs about the accessibility of the test and benefits to the individual, injunctive norms, self-efficacy, and HIV testing intention. Conclusion Adhering to principles of effective campaign design, such as using theory as a conceptual foundation for message design, can increase a campaign’s chances for successfully meeting its goals and objectives. Practice Implications Findings from this study can be used to inform message design for other communication efforts to promote HIV testing among BMSM.
Increasing High School Students’ Interest in Industrial Engineering Through a Summer Camp

Students’ transition from high school to university for pursuing an engineering degree can be challenging due to the changes when the lecturing culture changes. Some engineering students spend up to 2 years to figure out the engineering degree that they would want to pursue. Students can be familiarized with the industrial engineering concepts during their junior or senior high school years. In this work, the researcher will present the data collected on high school students’ ability to understand and employ a “lighter” version of the simulation course concepts taught to junior level industrial engineering undergraduate students. The data set was collected during an online summer camp offered to high school students and analyzed qualitatively and quantitatively to observe the summer camp’s impact on high school students’ interest in industrial engineering and simulation concepts. The qualitative and quantitative results both indicated an increase in camp participants’ interest to pursue an industrial engineering degree in the future.
Abstract 1624: Antigen-independent de novo prediction of cancer-associated TCR repertoire

Cancer-associated T cells play a critical role in mediating immune responses in the anti-tumor immunity. However, due to the complex nature of cancer antigens, and the limited experimental approaches for collecting antigen-specific T cells, it remains a difficult task in cancer immunology to detect cancer-associated T cells. In this project, we have developed an antigen-independent machine learning approach to perform de novo prediction of cancer-associated T cells. Specifically, we have discovered a signature in the CDR3 sequence that can distinguish cancer-associated T cells from others. We applied this signature to immune repertoire data to define a “cancer score”, which is related to the probability of a repertoire being cancer-associated. We applied this approach to investigate 15 sample cohorts from public domain. These cohorts cover healthy donors, viral infected individuals and cancer patients from both early and late stages. Surprisingly, we observed consistently and significantly higher cancer scores using the cancer patients’ immune repertoire data, while none of the non-cancer repertoire was significant compared to healthy donors. We therefore used repertoire cancer score as a single predictor for cancer status to distinguish cancer patients from healthy donors, and observed high prediction power measured by area under the ROC (AUROC) curves. The AUROC reached 0.90 for early breast cancer patients, which is better than a number of current early prediction methods based on cancer biomarkers, such as PSA, CA-125, CEA, etc. In addition, cancer scores derived from certain late-stage cancers are associated with patient response to checkpoint blockade therapies, suggesting that it may also be used in combination with existing biomarkers, such as PD-L1 expression or cancer neoantigen load, to improve the prediction of clinical outcome of these cancer types. We anticipate broad utilities of cancer scores in cancer diagnosis and immunotherapy prognosis with the rapidly accumulating TCR repertoire sequencing data in clinical studies. Note: This abstract was not presented at the meeting. Citation Format: Bo Li. Antigen-independent de novo prediction of cancer-associated TCR repertoire [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2019; 2019 Mar 29-Apr 3; Atlanta, GA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2019;79(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 1624.
Rates and Patterns of Lower Extremity Sports Injuries in All Gender-Comparable US High School Sports.

Background:High school athletes with lower extremity sports injuries (LESIs) frequently present to the emergency department in the United States. Previous epidemiological studies have presented rat...
Interfibrillar shear behavior is altered in aging tendon fascicles

Tendon elongation involves both stretching and sliding between adjacent fascicles and fibers. Hence, age-related changes in tendon matrix properties may alter sliding behavior and thereby affect injury thresholds. The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of age on interfibrillar shear behavior in partial cut tendon fascicles. Cine microscopic imaging was used to track deformation patterns of intact and partial cut fascicles from mature (9 months, n = 10) and aged (32 months, n = 10) rat tail tendons. Finite element (FE) models coupled with experimental data provided insight into age-related changes in tissue constitutive properties that could give rise to age-dependent behavior. Intact fascicles from aged tendons exhibited a 28% lower linear region modulus and reduced toe region when compared to fascicles from mature tendons. Partial cut tendon fascicles consistently exhibited a shearing plane that extended longitudinally from the tip of the cut. Both mature and aged fascicles exhibited distinct failure that was observable in differential displacement across the shearing plane. However, aged fascicles exhibited 11–20% higher grip-to-grip strain at failure and tended to exhibit more variable and greater differential displacement at failure, when compared to mature fascicles. FE models suggest that this age-related change in shear behavior arises from a reduction in interfibrillar shear modulus with age. These data suggest that aging alters interfibrillar failure mechanisms and hence may contribute to the increased propensity for injury that is commonly seen in older tendons.
Some stirring required

Polymer precipitation under turbulent flow is used for the high-throughput synthesis of soft microparticles with fractal coronas that display significant adhesive properties.
Identification of Optimal Foot Tactile Sensation Threshold for Detecting Fall Risk Among Community-Dwelling Older Adults.

Objective Foot tactile sensitivity loss, commonly assessed by monofilaments, is a fall risk factor among older adults. The broadly used threshold of the monofilament for fall risk assessment in older adults is 5.07. However, this threshold originates from assessing foot ulceration risk in people with peripheral neuropathy. The primary purpose of this study was to identify the optimal filament size and its cutoff number of sensitive sites that can be used to best identify a high risk of falls in terms of the foot tactile sensitivity for community-dwelling older adults. Methods In this cross-sectional study, the foot tactile sensitivity was assessed by a 6-piece Semmes-Weinstein monofilament kit at 9 sites per foot among 94 older adults, including 38 fallers and 56 nonfallers. The number of sensitive sites was determined for each monofilament size as the cutoff. Logistical regression analyses were used to determine the monofilament size and number of sensitive sites best able to differentiate fallers from nonfallers. Results Fallers showed overall worse foot tactile sensory measurements than nonfallers. Logistical regression analyses identified 4.31 as the best monofilament size and 7 as the number of sensitive sites to differentiate fallers from nonfallers with an accuracy of 72.3%. Conclusion The 4.31 monofilament could be the best filament to detect the risk of falls among older adults in terms of tactile sensory loss. Inability to feel the pressure from the 4.31 filament at more than 7 sites could indicate a high risk of falls. Impact These findings could help physical therapists and other rehabilitation professionals improve decision making in detecting older adults with a high risk of falls, thus facilitating the effort of fall prevention in older adults.
Wound complications following vulvar excision for non-malignant lesions

Abstract Background There is a paucity of literature regarding outcomes following vulvar excision for non-malignant lesions. This is a common procedure among gynecologists (GYN) and gynecologic oncologists (GO), and a body of evidence is warranted to guide clinical care and future research. Objectives This study aimed to estimate the rate of wound complications following simple vulvar excision and to identify risk factors for these outcomes. Our secondary objectives were to determine rates of 1) positive margins and 2) occult carcinoma in cases of vulvar dysplasia. Study design We conducted a single-institution, retrospective cohort study of patients who underwent simple vulvar excision procedures for suspected premalignant or benign lesions between June 2016 and February 2020. Our primary outcome was the rate of composite wound complication including wound separation or breakdown, infection, or hematoma. Our secondary outcomes were the incidence of 1) margins positive for residual dysplasia and 2) occult minimally invasive carcinoma. Fisher's exact tests and Chi-squared tests were used to compare categorical variables and logistic regression models and independent student t tests were used for continuous variables, as appropriate. Multivariate stepwise selection and multiple logistic regression was performed to evaluate risk factors for complication and generate odds ratios. Results Three-hundred thirty-eight patients were included and 143 (42.3%) experienced wound complication. The majority of these were wound separation or breakdown (n=134, 39.6%), followed by infection (n=22, 6.5%) and hematoma (n=4, 1.2%). On multivariate analysis, the presence of high-grade vulvar dysplasia (aOR 1.83, 95% CI 1.06-3.15), longer specimen diameter (aOR 1.03, 95% CI 1.01-1.05), and lesion location on the perineum (aOR 2.25, 95% CI 1.38-3.66) were independent risk factors. With high-grade vulvar dysplasia, the rate of positive margins was 50.2% (114/227) and occult microinvasive carcinoma was 17.2% (39/227). Notably the primary and secondary outcomes were similar between GO and GYN. Conclusions Wound complications following vulvar excision for non-malignant lesions are common. Select groups may benefit from anticipatory counseling and future interventional studies to prevent complication. The incidence of positive surgical margins and occult minimally invasive carcinoma is also high reflecting the challenging nature of treating vulvar disease.
Forensic Psychiatry in the Legal Defense of Murder

The crime of murder exists in some form in all known societies. In the disposition of those who are found guilty, the law places little reliance upon behavioral sciences. Homicide occurs for diverse reasons. The law recognizes this fact by providing several legal categories of homicide, one of which is "not guilty by virtue of insanity." The concept of insanity in determining responsibility for the crime is defined according to legal criteria. The literature on the issue of criminal responsibility is extensive, but that issue will not be the subject of this paper.
Bullying Prevention: Creating a Positive School Climate and Developing Social Competence

Bullying is the most prevalent form of violence in American schools. In their new book ""Bullying Prevention"", authors Pamela Orpinas and Andy Horne bring together years of experience in research and applied behavioral sciences to show how educators, school psychologists, counselors, and other professionals can address the problem of bullying and aggression in schools. Readers will find definitions, statistics, and theories that will help them identify and characterize bullying. They will learn about the authors' School Social Development and Bullying Prevention Model, a blueprint for schools that students, teachers, and parents enjoy being a part of. This model shows how school professionals can prevent and reduce bullying by creating a positive environment and by ensuring all children have the social skills to communicate well and solve problems without aggression. The book has guidance in selecting research-based bullying prevention programs, and steps for assessing a school's needs and for evaluating a program's effectiveness. The book also offers practical strategies for helping the children who are targets of bullying, and discusses counseling and family interventions for children who continue to bully despite positive changes in the school and classroom environment. A rich resource section contains a wide range of bullying-related readings, manuals, and tools available on the Internet.
Biological Control of Alfalfa Weevil in North America

Alfalfa weevil, Hypera postica (Gyllenhall) (Coleoptera: Curculionidae), is of Eurasian origin. This destructive pest of alfalfa (lucerne) was accidentally established in North America on three separate occasions. These introductions are commonly identified in the literature as biological strains: western alfalfa weevil, Egyptian alfalfa weevil (=Hypera brunneipennis Boheman), and eastern alfalfa weevil. Alfalfa weevil has been the target of classical biological control almost since its discovery in North America more than 90 years ago. These efforts have resulted in establishment of at least nine exotic parasitoids and egg predators: Bathyplectes curculionis (Thomson), B. anurus (Thomson) and B. stenostigma (Thomson) (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae); Microctonus aethiopoides Loan and M. colesi Drea (Hymenoptera: Braconidae), the latter of undetermined origin; Oomyzus incertus (Ratzenberg) (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae); Dibrachoides dynastes (Forester) and Peridesmia discus (Walker) (Hymenoptera: Pteromalidae); and Anaphes luna (Girault) (Hymenoptera: Mymaridae). A fungal pathogen, Zoophthora phytonomi Arthur (Phycomycetes: Entomophthoraceae), of undetermined origin, is becoming an increasingly important alfalfa weevil mortality factor. Most major USA alfalfa production areas now benefit from a complex of alfalfa weevil biological control agents. Collectively, these agents have effected substantial reduction in the economic importance of alfalfa weevil across the northern USA However, biological agents provide only partial control of alfalfa weevil, and importance of their contribution differs considerably with production area. Still, the benefits achieved, especially from reduced need for insecticides in alfalfa production, mark this as one of the great success stories of classical biological control in North America.
A Linear Time Algorithm for Computing the Euclidean Distance Transform in Arbitrary Dimensions

A sequential algorithm is presented for computing the Euclidean distance transform of a k-dimensional binary image in time linear in the total number of voxels. The algorithm may be of practical value since it is relatively simple and easy to implement and it is relatively fast (not only does it run in linear time but the time constant is small).
Constraint-Aware XSLT Evaluation

XML has been widely accepted as the standard data representation for web applications. The XML Stylesheet Language for Transformations (XSLT) [7][3] is an increasingly popular language for query-like operations on XML documents, including data filtering and reconstruction. When handling XML documents with large size, the main memory buffer requirement in XSLT evaluation can be significant, which also leads to a significant CPU consumption due to the manipulation cost on the buffered data and the processor thrashing caused by excessive use of virtual memory.
Sources of Extragalactic Cosmic Rays: Photons and Neutrinos as Probes

The active galactic nuclei of the Seyfert galaxies are found to be the plausible principal sources of cosmic rays in the Virgo supercluster. We have calculated the extragalactic cosmic-ray flux from the luminosity of the high-energy photon spectrum; it is 10-4 ±1of the galactic flux at ~ 109eV. Also the highest energy cosmic rays observed on earth, those above 1019eV, are likely to originate there. These particles are considered to be extragalactic, because of the discontinuity in the energy spectrum at1019eV, because of their anisotropy, with preferential arrival direction near the galactic pole, and because of the inability of the galactic magnetic field to contain particles with gyroradii of galactic dimensions. This calculated extragalactic flux is supported by two internal consistency arguments: The spectrum interpolated between 109and 1019eV has the same exponent (- 2.4 ± 0.1 for the differential spectrum) as the measured probable extragalactic spectrum above 1019eV. It also is similar to the slope of the galactic cosmic-ray spectrum corrected for rigidity-dependent leakage from the galaxy. A test of this calculated spectrum would be provided by a measurement of the neutrino fluxes from Seyfert galaxies at 1012eV, corresponding to protons at ~ 1O13eV.
Spring lattice counting grids: scene recognition using deformable positional constraints

Adopting the Counting Grid (CG) representation [1], the Spring Lattice Counting Grid (SLCG) model uses a grid of feature counts to capture the spatial layout that a variety of images tend to follow. The images are mapped to the counting grid with their features rearranged so as to strike a balance between the mapping quality and the extent of the necessary rearrangement. In particular, the feature sets originating from different image sectors are mapped to different sub-windows in the counting grid in a configuration that is close, but not exactly the same as the configuration of the source sectors. The distribution over deformations of the sector configuration is learnable using a new spring lattice model, while the rearrangement of features within a sector is unconstrained. As a result, the CG model gains a more appropriate level of invariance to realistic image transformations like view point changes, rotations or scales. We tested SLCG on standard scene recognition datasets and on a dataset collected with a wearable camera which recorded the wearer's visual input over three weeks. Our algorithm is capable of correctly classifying the visited locations more than 80% of the time, outperforming previous approaches to visual location recognition. At this level of performance, a variety of real-world applications of wearable cameras become feasible.
The Future of South African Research Universities

In recent decades a widely discussed aspect of higher education policy has been the relationship between universities at the center and those at the periphery—that is, between universities of the highly developed countries and those of developing countries. The debate has focused on the universities in developing countries and their disadvantage in the highly sophisticated, rapidly changing international or global knowledge network. The case of South Africa’s research universities illustrates the dilemmas.
Multimodal optical imaging for simultaneous in-vivo morphological and biochemical characterization of oral epithelial cancer

Early detection of cancer is key to reducing morbidity and mortality. Morphological and chemical biomarkers presage the transition from normal to cancerous tissue. We have developed a noninvasive imaging system incorporating optical coherence tomography and fluorescence lifetime imaging to acquire both sets of biomarkers. Here we report early favorable results from an animal study designed to measure the capacity of this approach for early diagnosis of oral cancer.
Effect of interlayer interactions and lattice distortions on the magnetic ground state and spin dynamics of a geometrically frustrated triangular-lattice antiferromagnet

We investigate the effects of interlayer interactions and lattice distortions on the noncollinear ground state and spin dynamics of a geometrically frustrated triangular-lattice antiferromagnet with implications for the multiferroic phase of doped ${\text{CuFeO}}_{2}$, where both lattice distortions and anisotropy introduce anharmonic components into the spin ground state. In contrast to the single turn angle of a simple spiral, the turn angles of the predicted ground state are distributed about $\ensuremath{\Delta}{\ensuremath{\theta}}_{1}$ and $\ensuremath{\Delta}{\ensuremath{\theta}}_{2}$. Using a Holstein-Primakoff expansion, we show that distinct features in the spin dynamics are associated with the anharmonic components of the spin ground state, which have recently been observed in Ga-doped ${\text{CuFeO}}_{2}$.
Focal Status Epilepticus and Epilepsia Partialis Continua in Adults and Children

Focal status epilepticus and epilepsia partialis continua (FSE-EPC) are most frequently seen with chronic focal progressive encephalitis of Rasmussen and Russian spring-summer encephalitis. FSE-EPC may be the presenting feature of nonketotic hyperglycemic diabetes mellitus but is more often noted as a late complication especially if there is a coexistent cerebral lesion such as cerebral infarction. FSE-EPC may be related to multiple sclerosis, primary or metastatic brain tumors, the MERRF-MELAS syndrome, benign epilepsy of childhood with rolandic spikes, and in some adults with acquired aphasia. The physiological origin of the myoclonic jerks seen in EPC is cortical and may be either spontaneous or provoked by the joint position of the affected limb. The treatment of FSE-EPC is influenced by the underlying disorder.
Development and validation of a physical examination scale to assess vaginal atrophy and inflammation

Background The assessment of vaginal atrophy is central to menopause-related research and clinical practice. However, methods of grading vaginal atrophy have not been subjected to reliability and validity assessments.Objective To assess the validity and reproducibility of selected vaginal examination findings proposed to represent vaginal atrophy and inflammation.Design Cross-sectional study.Participants A convenience sample of 40 postmenopausal volunteers with past history of breast cancer.Measurements Participants completed questionnaires to assess vaginal symptoms. Pelvic examinations were carried out using specified criteria to assess the vaginal appearance. Vaginal cytological smears and pH measurements were performed using standardized techniques.Results A four-item physical examination atrophy scale had an $aL reliability of 0.48 and was statistically significantly correlated with pH (r = 0.55) and parabasal cells (r = 0.50). A three-item physical examination inflammation scale had an $aL reliabili...
A prospective study of the relationship between benign breast diseases and breast carcinoma.

Abstract Using a prospective approach, 747 women diagnosed as having benign breast diseases (BBD) at Roswell Park Memorial Institute in Buffalo, New York, during the period 1957 to 1965 were followed for subsequent breast cancer development. For purposes of comparison, a matched control group was similarly followed. Methods of follow-up included mailed questionnaires to the study subjects and/or their relatives, phone contacts, and searches for cancer registry reports at the New York State Department of Health and for death certificates at various state departments of vital statistics. A total of 86% of the study population was traced using these methods, the percentages being similar in the two groups. The age-adjusted incidence rate of breast cancer was three times higher in the BBD group than in the control group ( P
The Name of the Green Man

As has been made clear by recent inquiries in FLS News (Spittal 1996; Wylie 1966) and the republication of Kathleen Basford's 1978 book The Green Man (1996), there is a great deal of interest in the enigmatic “Green Man,” that foliate head which appears so frequently among medieval church carvings. The term itself came into general usage following Lady Raglan's 1939 article in Folklore, “The ‘Green Man’ in Church Architecture,” but examination of her original work reveals that her choice of the term “Green Man” was, on her own evidence, based more upon inspiration than fact. As a means of beginning an inquiry into the nature and meaning of the phenomenon, the present article is an investigation into the true name of the Green Man.
The Importance of Financial Literacy

Adrianna Kezar and Hannah Yang argue that financial literacy is both an important life skill and a critical intellectual competency.
The breaking of the Lorentz transformation and the geometrization of the physics

Abstract We explore the space-time structure of the physics that would result from a violation of the Lorentz transformations at any level, however small. The Lorentz and Poincare abstract groups might still be retained. In addition, a dynamics consistent with this structure would have to be a geometric theory, ab initio and for all the interactions.
Building a large-scale high-resolution tiled rear-projected passive stereo display system based on commodity components

The Boston University Deep Vision Display Wall is a large scale, high-resolution, tiled, rear-projected, passive stereo display system based on commodity components. Using Linux on PC workstations provides an affordable infrastructure for distributed processing and high-end graphics. Passive stereo eliminates the need to genlock the display video cards as well as allowing the use of very inexpensive glasses and inexpensive projectors. By careful selection of projectors, polarizing filters, and screen material, problems such as cross-talk, chromatic aberration, and low luminance are minimized. The 8'x15' display surface at Boston University is installed as one wall of the viewing room. The final installation will use 24 workstations driving 24 projectors to produce a 4096x2304 stereo image. This paper discusses development issues including synchronization of displays, alignment of projectors, blending of overlapping projected images, and constraints on projectors and projection surface to support passive stereo. Performance comparisons are given for configurations including workstations driving one vs. two projectors, Ethernet vs. Myrinet for intermachine communication, and overall display performance. Also discussed are software issues involved in putting the system together and with providing an application environment for our user community.
Fungal oxidation of benzo[a]pyrene: Formation of (−)-trans-7,8-dihydroxy-7,8-dihydrobenzo[a]pyrene by Cunninghamella elegans

Summary Cunninghamella elegans oxidizes benzo[a]pyrene to several metabolites that are soluble in ethyl acetate. One of these, trans -7,8-dihydroxyl-7,8-dihydrobenzo[a]pyrene, was converted to a di-(−)menthoxyacetate that had the same retention time on high pressure liquid chromatography as the di-(−)menthoxyacetate formed from (−)- trans -7,8-dihydroxy-7,8-dihydrobenzo[a]pyrene. Radioactive trans -7,8-dihydroxy-7,8-dihydrobenzo[a]pyrene formed by C. elegans was mixed with synthetic racemic dihydrodiol prior to reaction with (−)menthoxyacetyl chloride. Resolution of the resulting diastereomers by high pressure liquid chromatography showed that more than ninety-five percent of the radioactivity cochromatographed with the di-(−)menthoxyacetate formed from (−)- trans -7,8-dihydroxy-7,8-dihydrobenzo[a]pyrene. These results are similar to those reported for mammals which form the more tumorigenic (−)-enantiomer of trans -7,8-dihydroxy-7,8-dihydrobenzo[a]pyrene.
Characteristics of a Coal Fly Ash Subjected to Additional Processing

This paper presents the results of a study of the physical and environmental properties of pre- and post-processed fly ashes (termed Raw and Processed fly ashes, respectively). The ashes were collected from a coal-fired power plant in the northeastern U.S. which utilizes a carbon burn-out unit (CBO) to prepare the fly ash for concrete and other construction applications. Measured physical properties included carbon contents via loss-on-ignition (LOI), specific gravities, gradation analyses, and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). In addition, total and leachable concentrations of lead, selenium, and arsenic were determined. Leachable concentrations were determined for leaching solution pHs varying between 1.5 and 11.5. When compared to Processed fly ash, Raw fly ashes had an expectedly higher LOI (approximately 2% versus 6% carbon content, respectively) and lower specific gravity (2.37 versus 2.18, respectively). Although the total metal content of the fly ashes was similar, leachable metal concentrations were notably higher for the Processed fly ash over the full range of leaching solution pHs evaluated. The test results indicate that the CBO process, at times necessary to create usable fly ash, can result in fly ashes with notably altered physiochemical properties that lead to higher leachable contaminant concentrations.
Chromatin-associated DNA endonucleases from xeroderma pigmentosum cells are defective in interaction with damaged nucleosomal DNA

The influence of nucleosome structure on the activity of 2 chromatin-associated DNA endonucleases, pIs 4.6 and 7.6, from normal human and xeroderma pigmentosum, complementation group A (XPA), lymphoblastoid cells was examined on DNA containing either psoralen monoadducts or cross-links. As substrate a reconstituted nucleosomal system was utilized consisting of a plasmid DNA and either core (H2A, H2B, H3, H4), or total (core plus H1) histones from normal or XPA cells. Both non-nucleosomal and nucleosomal DNA were treated with 8-methoxypsoralen (8-MOP) plus long-wavelength ultraviolet radiation (UVA), which produces monoadducts and DNA interstrand cross-links, and angelicin plus UVA, which produces monoadducts. Both normal endonucleases were over 2-fold more active on both types of psoralen-plus-UVA-damaged core nucleosomal DNA than on damaged non-nucleosomal DNA. Addition of histone H1 to the system reduced but did not abolish this increase. By contrast, neither XPA endonuclease showed any increase on psoralen-treated nucleosomal DNA, with or without histone H1. Mixing the normal with the XPA endonucleases led to complementation of the XPA defect. These results indicate that interaction of these endonucleases with chromatin is of critical importance and that it is at this level that a defect exists in XPA endonucleases.
Mathematical modelling in the context of problem solving

Abstract The process of mathematical modelling is shown to fit within the general context of problem solving. A problem solving process is described and detailed with examples from mathematical modelling. Creativity is discussed with descriptions of elements which are conductive to creativity, and also blocks to creativity are outlined. Heuristics or general guides to aid in solving problems are shown. This then gives one a general approach to mathematical modelling.
Buffalo Creek Survivors in the Second Decade: Comparison with Unexposed and Nonlitigant Groups1

This study investigated the second-decade effects of the Buffalo Creek dam collapse and flood that occurred in West Virginia in 1972. One hundred twenty-one survivors who had participated in an earlier lawsuit against the coal company that built the collapsed dam were compared to 78 nonlitigant survivors on self-reported symptoms, clinical ratings, and diagnoses. A nonexposed sample from a geographically and culturally similar neighborhood was investigated as well. Findings showed no differences between the litigant and nonlitigant survivor groups. The survivor groups together showed higher rates of anxiety, depression, and hostility symptoms and diagnoses than the nonexposed sample. The findings were discussed in the context of the nature of the traumatic event, social and cultural influences on recovery, and the constellation of symptoms which differentiated the groups.
Time-varying autoregressive modeling of HRR radar signatures

A time-varying autoregressive (TVAR) model is used for the modeling and classification of high range resolution (HRR) radar signatures. In this approach, the TVAR coefficients are expanded by a low-order discrete Fourier transform (DFT). A least-squares (LS) estimator of the TVAR model parameters is presented, and the maximum likelihood (ML) approach for determining the model order is also presented. The validity of the TVAR modeling approach is demonstrated by comparing with other approaches in estimating time-varying spectra of synthetic signals. The estimated TVAR model parameters are also used as features in classifying HRR radar signatures with a neural network. In the experiment with two sets of noncooperating target identification (NCTI) data, about 93% of samples are correctly classified.
Cells infected with a cell-associated subacute sclerosing panencephalitis virus do not express M protein

Abstract Using immunoprecipitation techniques, we have analyzed measles-specific antibodies in the cerebrospinal fluids (CSF) as well as in sera from patients with subacute sclerosing panencephalitis (SSPE). We confirm previous reports that SSPE sera contain a relative lack of M protein-specific antibodies, and report that CSF also have antibodies specific for all measles polypeptides except the M protein. We have also found that Vero cells infected with one of the SSPE viruses used in this study, the cell-associated IP-3 strain, completely lack expression of detectable M protein. Thus, the lack of M protein-specific antibody in the CSF of SSPE patients may be the result of a lack of expression of this polypeptide in the cells of the central nervous system.