cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Passage Dependency in ESL Reading Comprehension Tests.

Reading comprehension tests are supposed to measure students' understanding of what they have read; answering a question correctly should depend entirely on information contained in the associated reading passage. However, both teachers and students suspect that general knowledge and sound guessing may enable one to perform substantially better than chance, even with little knowledge of the reading passage. Studies of “passage dependency” in tests for native speakers of English confirm this suspicion. This paper reports an experiment which measured passage dependency in one major ESL test: the reading comprehension section of the Michigan Test of English Language Proficiency (MTELP). We administered one form of this section (20 items) to 60 adult subjects: 30 native speakers of English and 30 non-native speakers of varied language backgrounds. Half of the subjects in each group received an ordinary version of the test, with a reading passage preceding each set of five questions; the other half received only the questions, with appropriate instructions (the “passage-out” condition). The results indicate the extent to which the test is passage-dependent for both native and non-native students. Test items varied considerably in their passage dependency. We suggest that passage-dependency is one measure which can be used to select good reading comprehension test items.
Predicting Execution Time of Computer Programs Using Sparse Polynomial Regression

Predicting the execution time of computer programs is an important but challenging problem in the community of computer systems. Existing methods require experts to perform detailed analysis of program code in order to construct predictors or select important features. We recently developed a new system to automatically extract a large number of features from program execution on sample inputs, on which prediction models can be constructed without expert knowledge. In this paper we study the construction of predictive models for this problem. We propose the SPORE (Sparse POlynomial REgression) methodology to build accurate prediction models of program performance using feature data collected from program execution on sample inputs. Our two SPORE algorithms are able to build relationships between responses (e.g., the execution time of a computer program) and features, and select a few from hundreds of the retrieved features to construct an explicitly sparse and non-linear model to predict the response variable. The compact and explicitly polynomial form of the estimated model could reveal important insights into the computer program (e.g., features and their non-linear combinations that dominate the execution time), enabling a better understanding of the program's behavior. Our evaluation on three widely used computer programs shows that SPORE methods can give accurate prediction with relative error less than 7% by using a moderate number of training data samples. In addition, we compare SPORE algorithms to state-of-the-art sparse regression algorithms, and show that SPORE methods, motivated by real applications, outperform the other methods in terms of both interpretability and prediction accuracy.
Formation and oxidation mechanisms in two semiconducting silicides

Marker experiments have been used to study the formation and the oxidation of two semiconducting silicides with large band gaps. Both Ru2Si3 and Ir3Si5 have been shown to form by mechanisms dominated by the motion of the silicon atoms. The same is true for the growth of SiO2 over these two silicides under conditions which ensure the integrity of the silicide layers. IrSi has also been shown to grow mostly through the motion of silicon.
Sinus nerve stimulation in the chloralose anesthetized cat: effect on blood pressure, heart rate, muscle blood flow and vascular resistance.

In the chloralose anesthetized cat short duration stimuli (0.05—0.1 msec.) of the sinus nerve produce a pressor response. This preparation was utilized to examine the relation between frequency of direct chemoreceptor fiber stimulation and change in blood pressure, heart rate, muscle blood flow and muscle vascular resistance. Blood pressure, heart rate and muscle vascular resistance increased during sinus nerve stimulation proportional to the frequency. Muscle blood flow remained essentially constant despite the pressure rise. Responses were detected at 0.5 cps. Maximum response occurred at 16—20 cps. The range of frequency response for vascular resistance and heart rate is similar to that obtained by stimulating sympathetics directly. Thus both limbs of a cardiovascular reflex are have similar frequency response characteristics. The likelihood that the data obtained represents an approximation of the chemoceptor responses which in other preparations are masked by predominance of baroceptor function is discussed.
Choline transport in rat liver basolateral plasma membrane vesicles

Previous studies have demonstrated several pathways for the sinusoidal uptake of endogenous and exogenous organic cations, including two distinct organic cation:H+ exchanges and a separate carrier-mediated system driven by the inside-negative membrane potential. In this study, the driving force(s) for the uptake of the endogenous quaternary amine, choline, were determined in rat liver basolateral plasma membrane (blLPM) vesicles. Choline uptake into an osmotically sensitive space was not stimulated by an outwardly directed H+ or inwardly directed Na+ gradient. Instead, an inside-negative K+ diffusion potential stimulated choline uptake, suggesting the presence of a conductive pathway for choline uptake in bILPM vesicles. Conductive choline uptake was confirmed by inducing variable changes in the transmembrane potential with anions of different membrane permeability. Choline uptake in blLPM vesicles exhibitied 1) temperature dependency; 2) trans-stimulation; and 3) saturability, with an approximate Michaelis constant (Km) of 0.34 mmol/L and maximum velocity (Vmax) of 0.45 nmol/mg protein/15 s. Choline uptake in blLPM vesicles was cis-inhibited by the structurally similar derivative, hemicholinium-3 and acetylcholine, but not by substrates for other organic cation transport processes identified in blLPM vesicles, including thiamine, tetraethylammonium (TEA), tri-n-butyl-methylammonium (TBuMA), and N'-methylnicotinamide (NMN). These findings demonstrate an electrogenic pathway on the sinusoidal membrane for the uptake of this essential nutrient and support the existence of multiple pathways for the sinusoidal uptake of endogenous and exogenous organic cations.
Pronouns in Catalan: Games of partial information and the use of linguistic resources

Abstract This paper investigates the variation between null and overt subject pronouns in Catalan, a null-subject language. We account for this variation in game-theoretical terms: that is, we analyze the distribution of both overt and null pronouns as a result of the strategic interaction between participants in a communicative exchange. First, we examine the Position of Antecedent Hypothesis (PAH), as put forward by Carminati (2002). This hypothesis proposes that null and overt pronouns have different biases: null pronouns prefer antecedents in subject positions, while overt pronouns prefer antecedents in non-subject positions. Carminati (2002) tested the PAH for Italian in a variety of intrasentential contexts. In this paper, we show experimentally that the PAH also holds for Catalan even in across-sentence contexts. In the second place, we also show how the PAH can be naturally redefined as a game of partial information, in which speaker and hearer are trying to communicate. This redefinition does not just translate the PAH into a different notation, but it extends the PAH into a model that makes more accurate predictions, since it can account also for the cases in which the biases predicted by the PAH are not obeyed.
POTENTIAL ANTIRADIATION COMPOUNDS. II. EXTENSION OF THE NITRO-THIOLACETATE ROUTE.

Thiolacetic acid was added to 3,4-methylenedioxy-ω-nitrostyrene to give 1-(3′,4′-methylenedioxyphenyl)-1-acetthio-2-nitroethane which was reduced with lithium aluminum hydride to produce 1-(3′,4′-methylenedioxyphenyl)-1-mercapto-2-aminoethane. Other substituted nitrostyrenes containing the 3,4-dimethoxy- and 3-methoxy-4-acetoxy groups also reacted with thiolacetic acid to give the corresponding addition products, but 3-acetoxy-4-methoxy-ω-nitrostyrene underwent an anomalous reaction with the formation of elemental sulfur. 1-Phenyl-2-nitro-1-propene added thiolacetic acid to give 1-phenyl-1-acetthio-2-nitropropane, but the latter compound was cleaved by lithium aluminum hydride to benzyl mercaptan and ethylamine.
MG2 and Lactoferrin Form a Heterotypic Complex in Salivary Secretions

Protein-protein interactions are necessary for homeostasis to be maintained and for biological systems to be integrated. Heterotypic complexes occur in saliva, and a complex between MG2 and SIgA has been suggested to promote microbial clearance from the oral cavity. In this study, we used a peptide display library to investigate previously unrecognized heterotypic complexes involving MG2 and other proteins. The library was panned with MG2 12 times, and analyses of clones identified the sequence Ala-Leu-Leu-Cys-, which occurs in salivary lactoferrin. Blotting experiments confirmed that MG2 and lactoferrin form a heterotypic complex in viro and in vivo. Periodate treatment of MG2 did not affect the interaction. A synthetic lactoferrin peptide containing the motif Ala-Leu-Leu-Cys-blocked the interaction between MG2 and lactoferrin, confirming the specificity of the interaction identified by panning. This complex may enhance the properties of these salivary components in the oral environment.
Letter to the Editor: A Comparative Study of Two Power Sources in DC Systems

Abstract In this research, the output voltage characteristics of two DC power sources are compared. Both nickel-cadmium DC-DC buck converter and direct ethanol fuel cell DC-DC buck converter systems are experimentally evaluated over a selected switching frequency range. The output voltage characteristics of two types of direct ethanol fuel cell DC-DC buck converter systems are determined. Experimental results are compared to simulations of Fourier-series models of each DC system. The output voltage obtained through simulation and the theoretical output voltage of each system are identical.
National Data on Citizen Complaints About Police Use of Force Data Quality Concerns and the Potential (Mis)Use of Statistical Evidence to Address Police Agency Conduct

National data on citizen complaints about police use of force were collected by the Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) in 2003 and 2007. These data are a critical component of the Department of Jus...
Relative Feeding Value of Rhizoma Perennial Peanut Hay as a Supplement to Bahiagrass Hay for Wintering Cows and Heifers

Rhizoma perennial peanut (Arachis glabrata Benth.) hay was evaluated as a replacement for purchased concentrate supplement given to cows and heifers being wintered on residual bahiagrass (Paspalumnotatum Fiugge) pasture and bahiagrass hay in central Florida. Data were collected over 2 yr from 237 Hereford and 177 Senepol cows and first-calf heifers. Treatments were .9 kg · head- 1 · d- 1 of a commercially available 20% CP supplement (CUBE) or 2.3 kg · head- 1 · d- 1 of perennial peanut hay (PNUT). Supplements were fed for 16 wk from January through April each year. Response variables evaluated were cow and heifer body weight (BW) change, body condition score (CS) change, pregnancy rate, plasma urea nitrogen concentration (PUN), calf birth weight (CBW), and adjusted 205-d calf weaning weight (AWW). Both years, AWW was higher (P < .01) for calves with Senepol dams than for calves with Hereford dams (year 1: 209 vs. 184 kg; year 2: 226 vs. 172 kg), but AWW was not affected by treatment. Treatment did not affect pregnancy rate in either year; however, more (P < .05) Hereford (74%) compared to Senepol cows and heifers (62%) were palpated pregnant in year 2. Also in year 2, CBW was heavier (P < .01) for Senepol dams compared with Hereford dams (35.1 vs. 30.3 kg), and BW and CS changes were greater (P < .01) in Senepol cows and heifers compared with Hereford (-90 vs. -67 kg; -2.6 vs. -1.9). There were a few differences in PUN between treatments and breeds, but the greatest changes in PUN were observed over time through the wintering period. No other treatment or breed effects were observed either year. These data indicate that 2.3 kg of the perennial peanut hay used in this study had a replacement value about equal to .9 kg of a 20% CP concentrate cube supplement.
Psychosocial Dimensions of Work and the Risk of Drug Dependence among Adults

The authors used prospectively gathered data to study whether different psychosocial work environments might signal increased risk of drug dependence syndromes. Adult participants were selected by probability sampling from households in five metropolitan areas of the United States. Subjects were sorted into risk sets defined by age and census tracts. Incident cases were identified using case definitions for drug abuse/dependence syndromes involving controlled substances, assessed by the Diagnostic Interview Schedule (DIS) administered during a baseline interview and at follow-up one year later. When the data were adjusted for baseline sociodemographic risk factors, history of alcoholism, and selected work conditions, increased risk of drug abuse/dependence was observed in subjects characterized by high levels of physical demands and low levels of skill discretion (high strain jobs) (relative odds (RO) = 4.92) and in subjects characterized by high levels of physical demands and decision authority (RO = 5.26). Findings from the present study underscore the importance of previously observed associations linking psychosocial work environments to mental health, and the results extend the range of findings to the drug dependence syndromes.
Diagnosis and management of ADHD in children

Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is the most common behavioral disorder in children, and the prevalence is increasing. Physicians should evaluate for ADHD in children with behavioral concerns (e.g., inattention, hyperactivity, impulsivity, oppositionality) or poor academic progress using validated assessment tools with observers from several settings (home, school, community) and self-observation, if possible. Physicians who inherit a patient with a previous ADHD diagnosis should review the diagnostic process, and current symptoms and treatment needs. Coexisting conditions (e.g., anxiety, learning, mood, or sleep disorders) should be identified and treated. Behavioral treatments are recommended for preschool-aged children and may be helpful at older ages. Effective behavioral therapies include parent training, classroom management, and peer interventions. Medications are recommended as first-line therapy for older children. Psychostimulants, such as methylphenidate and dextroamphetamine, are most effective for the treatment of core ADHD symptoms and have generally acceptable adverse effect profiles. There are fewer supporting studies for atomoxetine, guanfacine, and clonidine, and they are less effective than the psychostimulants. Height, weight, heart rate, blood pressure, symptoms, mood, and treatment adherence should be recorded at follow-up visits.
Effects of a novel prostaglandin, 8-epi-PGF2 alpha, in rabbit lung in situ

We determined the effects of 8-epiprostaglandin (PG) F2 alpha, a noncyclooxygenase free radical-catalyzed product of arachidonic acid, on pulmonary vascular tone, its potency, and its mechanism of ...
Regulation of an epithelial chloride channel by direct phosphorylation and dephosphorylation

A native chloride channel in Necturus gallbladder epithelial cells is opened by a theophylline-induced rise in cellular cyclic AMP and is closed by removal of theophylline or by addition of specific antibody; however, it does not close if okadaic acid, an inhibitor of protein phosphatases 1 and 2A, is added. The purified channel reconstituted into lipid bilayers closes upon the addition of protein phosphatase 2A and is reopened by the addition of Mg-ATP and the catalytic subunit of cyclic AMP-dependent protein kinase. These results indicate that the channel protein is purified in a phosphorylated state and that its functional characteristics are at least partly controlled by direct phosphorylation and dephosphorylation.
Language development of a group of hearing impaired children.

Spoken samples of language from a group of ten hearing impaired children were analysed with respect to development of occurrence of verb tenses and verb inflections, the development of the kernel sentence and four transformations: conjunction, particle displacement, auxiliary "have" and pronoun. The language samples represented an age range of five—three to nine—seven years. The mean hearing level of the ten subjects, in the better ear was 76dB I.S.O. From the results obtained, general conclusions seem to emerge. Firstly, the earliest acquired verb tense is the present, followed by, or appearing concurrently with, the present progressive. Secondly, the kernel sentence is correctly used at an early age by some children. As age increases, so does the percentage of children using the kernel sentence. From approximately seven years of age, more transformations are used. The transformations conjunction and particle displacement indicated a clear developmental trend towards greater complexity. The conjunction and pronoun transformations were used by a greater percentage of children. The transformation auxiliary "have" appeared much later and less frequently. These developmental trends show strong similarities to the trends observed in normal hearing children by other investigators. There is, however, a time lag in that the hearing impaired children develop these features at a later age and over a longer period of time.
Temperature Dependence of Raman Linewidth and Intensity of Semiconductors

Pronounced decrease in the silicon Raman intensity as the temperature was increased has been measured with a Nd: YAG laser. A brief extension of resonance Raman effect is made for semiconductors with indirect energy band gap. The progression of the LO and TO Raman active modes of CdSe is presented as the S concentration was increased for various alloys of CdSxSe1-x. The effect of anharmonic forces in shifting the LO and TO modes of GaAs and in broadening the linewidths of these modes and the triply degenerate mode of silicon has been measured from 10°K to 475°K.
An assessment of Free, online drug-drug interaction screening programs (DSPs)

Objective: This study evaluated the content and usability of four free, online drug-drug interaction screening programs (DSPs) and one proprietary DSP (CD-ROM format) requiring an annual fee. Methods: Free, online DSPs that obtain their drug interaction information from unique providers were located through a comprehensive search of the Internet. For comparison purposes, a well-established, fee-based DSP was also included in the study. A tool for evaluating the DSPs for usability and quality of content was created. The usability characteristics assessed included ease of use, ability to support more than two drug entries at the same time, speed, and multifunctionality. Evaluation of content was based on accuracy, completeness, references, drug interaction management, and readability. A five-member panel of clinical pharmacists and drug information specialists in academia and the pharmaceutical industry validated the survey tool. Results: Based on overall usability, Drkoop.com (Multum) rated higher than the other free DSPs, but below the comparator, DrugReax (Micromedex). Walgreens.com (Medi-Span) and Medscape (First Data-Bank) ranked lowest among all the DSPs in terms of usability. Based on content, Walgreens ranked first and Clinical Pharmacology 2000 (Gold Standard Multimedia) ranked last (P = 0.015, ANOVA). Conclusion: All of the evaluated DSPs were useful. Some were better than others depending on the assessment category. Walgreens rated the highest in terms of accuracy, completeness, and drug interaction management information. Drkoop.com rated the highest with regard to comprehensive references and pharmacist-assessed, consumer-friendly language. All of the free, online DSPs could improve their speed of information retrieval.
Point process models of spectro-temporal modulation events for speech recognition

Neurobiological research has uncovered the existence of cortical neurons in various animal species tuned to particular spectro-temporal modulations (STM) in the auditory stimulus. Other findings indicate that temporal statistics of the resulting neural spike trains may encode the underlying content of species-specific communication calls. With this motivation, we present an alternative approach to speech recognition based on point process statistical models of the local maxima events produced by a cortically-inspired spectro-temporal filter bank. We demonstrate the computational adequacy of this approach on the practical task of keyword spotting.
The limits of measurement: misplaced precision, phronesis, and other Aristotelian cautions for the makers of PISA, APPR, etc.

ABSTRACTQuantitative measures of student performance are increasingly used as proxies of educational quality and teacher ability. Such assessments assume that the quality of educational practices can be unambiguously quantitatively measured and that such measures are sufficiently precise and robust to be aggregated into policy-relevant rankings like league tables or employment-relevant effectiveness scores for teachers. In this paper I direct attention to a theoretical tradition which casts a long shadow of doubt over this enterprise. Drawing on Aristotelian and pragmatist scholarship, I argue that the classroom is a domain of practical knowledge or phronesis where quality is best assessed by a jury of experienced practitioner’s context-sensitive judgment. This is because phronesis is predominantly tacit and resists codification. It cannot be made explicit without major distortions. The current worldwide drive that aims at measuring educational quality in precise quantitative terms commits the fallacy of ...
Is China's New Overseas NGO Management Law Sounding the Death Knell for Civil Society? Maybe Not

In May 2015, a draft of China's newOverseas NGO Management Lawwas leaked to the media. International journalists and NGOs declared that this law was evidence of the Xi Jinping regime's political repression and a "crackdown" on civil society. In this paper, we argue that the goal of the Chinese government is not to destroy the NGO sector and civil society, but instead a tactical move in a long term strategy so that the state can gain as much benefit (and minimize as much risk) from the NGO sector as possible. Moreover, the Chinese NGO sector is not a passive victim of oppression, but a dynamic actor that pushes back to serve its own interests. The second half of this paper examines the experiences of overseas NGOs in Yunnan, which have been operating under similar regulations since 2010. In Yunnan, similar policies did not result in the elimination or even diminishment of overseas NGOs. Instead, foreign NGOs were constrained in some aspects even as they benefited in other ways.
031: PHARMACOECONOMIC EVALUATION OF ANTIHYPERGLYCEMIC TREATMENT UTILIZED BY PATIENTS IN BAGUIO CITY, PHILIPPINES

Background The products and services delivered by today9s healthcare professionals should be based on pharmacoeconomic value which is defined as a balance of economic, humanistic, and clinical outcomes. In the case of Diabetes mellitus, it helps to ensure that society allocates minimal healthcare resources wisely, fairly, and efficiently. Objectives The study intended to determine the pharmacoeconomic value of the commonly used hypoglycemic agents. It aimed to find out the direct and indirect medical costs invested by patients. It sought to find out the monetary equivalent of the benefits. Finally, it also intended to identify the most economic choice of hypoglycemic agent, the net present value (NPV) and the variables sensitive to the NPV of the most-economic hypoglycemic agent. Methods The study made use of cost-benefit analysis to determine the most economic agent. The average direct and indirect costs of the common hypoglycemic drugs were identified. The benefits of the treatment set are savings and cost avoidance and clinical outcomes based on avoidance of additional medications.The cost-benefit ratio was computed top determine the most-economic choice of agent. Then, the net present value was computed. Finally, to show the economic values of the treatment at different economic situations, sensitivity analysis was performed specifically univariate and multivariate analysis. Result Study found out that Insulin is the most costly therapy considering the total direct and indirect cost. Consequently, Metformin with Insulin users make use of more devices/supplies. Metformin users spent most on laboratory tests and physician consultation and hospitalization. Metformin and Metformin with Gliclazide users have the highest cost of reduced productivity. Metformin users with Gliclazide save more since they have less frequent physician visits. Metformin with Insulin users incur fewer absences at work and save on hospitalization. Insulin users also save on cost-avoidance based on additional medications. The treatment with most monetary benefit is Metformin with Insulin. Based on collated data, the most economic choice of hypoglycemic treatment is Metformin with the highest cost-benefit ratio rendering the least financial loss. Sensitivity analysis of Metformin showed that it is robust in any economic scenario. Conclusion Once a patient is diagnosed with DM, medical costs commence. A patient invests to obtain better health conditions through various interventions available. The amount of money invested for the treatment will change due to various economic factors. Based on the prevailing price of Metformin during the time of study, Metformin has the highest cost-benefit ratio signifying a cost-beneficial treatment. For such reasons, the utilization of the therapy with Metformin also signifies optimistic response and continuous compliance with the least financial loss.
Nanoimprinted SERS Sensors for Chemical and Biological Detection

Herein, we demonstrate a facile, rapid, and scalable method to fabricate polymer-based gratings for surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) sensors. To accomplish this, epoxy nanostripe arrays on silicon substrates were prepared using thermal annealing and UV-cross-linking. After preparation of the nanostripe arrays, the surface was briefly treated with oxygen plasma, which decreased the surface energy and enabled the growth of AgNPs on the polymer surface using a simple, low-cost, aqueous-based synthesis procedure. The SERS substrates exhibited a detection limit of ∼1 pM using rhodamine 6G (R6G). In addition, preliminary work with E. coli DH5 showed that the nanoimprinted substrates can be used to obtain Raman spectra of washed bacteria cells.
Renal cell carcinoma attenuation values on unenhanced CT: importance of multiple, small region-of-interest measurements

Since it has been suggested that benign renal cysts can be diagnosed at unenhanced CT on the basis of homogeneity and attenuations of 20 HU or less, we determined the prevalence of renal cell carcinomas (RCCs) with these characteristics using two different methods of measuring attenuation. After IRB approval, two radiologists obtained unenhanced attenuation values of 104 RCCs (mean size 5.6 cm) using a single, large region of interest (ROI), two-thirds the size of the mass. They were then determined if the masses appeared heterogeneous. Of RCCs measuring 20 HU or less, those which appeared homogeneous were re-measured with multiple (6 or more), small (0.6 cm2 or smaller) ROIs dispersed throughout the lesion. Masses with attenuations 20 HU or less were compared to those with masses with HU greater than 20 for any differences in demographic data. Of 104 RCCS, 24 RCC had HU less than 20 using a large ROI. Of these, 21 appeared heterogeneous and 3 appeared homogeneous. Using multiple small ROIs, these three RCCs revealed maximum attenuation values above 20 HU (Range: 26–32 HU). A greater portion of RCCs measuring 20 HU or less using a large ROI were clear cell sub-type. There were no other differences. Renal cell carcinoma can measure 20 HU or less at unenhanced CT when a single large ROI is used. While most appear heterogeneous, some may appear homogeneous, but will likely reveal attenuations greater than 20 HU when multiple, small ROIs are used. This knowledge may prevent some RCCs from being misdiagnosed as cysts on unenhanced CT.
Association between prophylactic oxytocin use during dilation and evacuation and estimated blood loss

Abstract Objectives Some providers use oxytocin during dilation and evacuation (D&E) to prevent or treat hemorrhage, although evidence to support this is scarce. We sought to describe the association between prophylactic oxytocin use, estimated blood loss (EBL), and surgical outcomes during D&E. Study design We performed a chart review of 730 women at 14 to 26 weeks’ gestation who had a D&E at our institution between May 2010 and May 2014 to assess the association between prophylactic oxytocin use and EBL. We determined whether sociodemographic and health-related factors were associated with excessive blood loss (EBL≥250 mL) and whether oxytocin use was associated with complications, including hemorrhage (i.e., EBL≥500 mL or interventions for bleeding). We performed univariate analyses and multivariable regression models to evaluate the relationship between health-related factors and EBL≥250 mL. Results Providers used prophylactic oxytocin in 59.9% of procedures. Asian (p=.005 and Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander (p=.005) race, nulliparity (p=.007) and higher gestational age (p Conclusions Prophylactic oxytocin use during D&E was not associated with hemorrhage or transfusion in our population. Implications Routine use of interventions for bleeding, such as intravenous oxytocin, should be based on scientific evidence or not performed. Findings from our study provide information on how oxytocin use is associated with blood loss during D&E.
Electromagnetic radio frequency heating in the pulsed electric current sintering (PECS) process

Pulsed electric current sintering offers rapid sintering of many materials compared with hot press sintering. Earlier studies had demonstrated that neither sparks nor plasma formation occur in a typical apparatus such as Dr. Sinter™. Hitchcock et al. showed that electromagnetic radio frequency (rf) emission occurred during the pulsing current and suggested this emission was a relevant augmentation to the hot press sintering in addition to the current flow in the specimen. In this report the importance of rf emission in the sintering process is demonstrated and opportunities to further exploit this approach to improve the sintering process are suggested.
Assessing Interparticle Spatial Characteristics of DNA-Linked Core–Shell Nanoparticles with or without Magnetic Cores in Surface Enhanced Raman Scattering

Surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) of plasmonic nanoparticles enables their use as nanoprobes for the detection of biomolecules in solutions, which exploits the “hot-spot” arisen from small aggregates of the biomolecule-linked nanoprobes for effective harnessing of the interparticle plasmonic coupling of gold nanoparticles. While a “squeezed” interparticle spatial characteristic has been revealed from the duplex DNA-linked gold nanoparticles as dimers in solution, how this interparticle spatial characteristic is operative for plasmonic nanoparticles containing magnetic components remains unknown. We describe herein new findings of an investigation of the interparticle spatial characteristics of DNA-linked core–shell type nanoparticles consisting of magnetic cores and plasmonic gold or silver shells, focusing on theoretical–experimental correlation in terms of localized surface plasmon resonance and electromagnetic field enhancement. While the simulated enhancement for the DNA-linked dimers of plasmo...
Power, cooptation, and the multiplicity of response assemblages: An example from New Caledonia

This commentary provides an empirical example that supports Briassoulis’s ‘response assemblage’ (RA) conceptualization but also suggests an extension of this framework. It uses an example of differ...
The basal ganglia in reward and decision making: computational models and empirical studies

Publisher Summary In recent years, computational models of learning and decision-making have become increasingly prevalent in psychology and neuroscience. These models describe brain function across a wide range of levels, from highly detailed models of ion channels and compartments of individual neurons, to abstract models that focus on the cognitive machinations the brain appears to produce. This chapter reviews a series of neurocomputational models that focus on the action selection and reinforcement learning functions of basal ganglia (BG), and their modulation by dopamine, as constrained by a broad range of data. The models have been successful in predicting behavioral outcomes resulting from manipulations of BG functionality via medications, diseases, disorders, and genetics. Furthermore, the chapter discusses how core computational principles can be extracted from complex neural models to develop simplified models in abstract mathematical form, which in turn can be quantitatively fit to behavioral data to test specific hypotheses. Such models are also useful for deriving best-fitting model parameters to correlate with biological signals, which can be used for further refinement and development of mechanistic principles.
Mathematical modelling of molecular heterogeneity identifies novel markers and subpopulations in complex tumors

Intratumor heterogeneity, as both a major confounding factor and an underexploited information source, is widely implicated as a key driver of drug resistance. While a handful of reports have demonstrated the potential of supervised methods to deconvolute intratumor heterogeneity, these approaches require a priori information on the marker genes or composition of known subpopulations. To address the critical problem of the absence of validated marker genes for many (including novel) subpopulations, we developed convex analysis of mixtures (CAM), a fully unsupervised deconvolution method, for identifying marker genes and subpopulations directly from original mixed molecular expressions.
Design and Feasibility of a School-Based Text Message Campaign to Promote Healthy Relationships

Despite the effectiveness of some school-based programs to prevent teen dating violence, the burden it puts on schools and teachers presents a unique challenge. A simple, low-cost alternative is a text message campaign. Data suggest that most adolescents have access to a mobile phone, and texting is the leading form of social interaction. The current qualitative study examined the design and feasibility of a 6-week healthy relationships campaign, and a text message intervention designed to reduce teen dating violence and promote healthy relationships. Twenty-four adolescents participated in three focus groups for the first round of text messages (‘pilot project’), with another twenty-two adolescents texting their feedback after the campaign went live to the public (‘initial implementation project’). Overall, participants reported that the campaign was helpful in acquiring new knowledge and maintaining healthy relationships. They also found it more engaging than other means of intervention, such as brochures or social media applications.
Ultrastructural Analysis of Synaptic Endings of Auditory Nerve Fibers in Cats: Correlations with Spontaneous Discharge Rate

In mammals, all known auditory information enters the brain by way of the auditory nerve. The auditory nerve is a bundle of axons whose cell bodies are located in the spiral ganglion within the cochlea. The ganglion cells send peripheral processes out to the organ of Corti to contact acoustic receptor cells and send central processes by way of the auditory nerve to terminate in the cochlear nucleus. In this way, the ganglion cells convey the output of the receptors to neurons of the brain. In turn, cells of the cochlear nucleus give rise to the ascending auditory pathways. The role of the cochlear nucleus is to receive incoming auditory nerve discharges, to preserve or transform the signals, and to distribute outgoing activity to higher brain centers. In order to understand mechanisms of stimulus coding in these early stages of the auditory system, we need to know the nature of the signals conveyed by auditory nerve fibers and structural details of their destination in the cochlear nucleus.
Variable weight sequences for adaptive scheduled access in MANETs

Scheduling access to a shared channel in mobile ad hoc networks must address numerous competing requirements, for example on throughput, delay, and fairness. It must address disparate and dynamic traffic demands as well as losses due to collisions with neighbouring transmitters. It must address changes in the topology of the network that arise from mobility. Topology transparent scheduling schemes have been proposed as a means to support reasonable delay guarantees, minimum throughput guarantees, and to a lesser extent fairness concerns. Sequences based on codes and combinatorial designs have been explored that support topology transparent scheduling for mobile ad hoc networks. However, all of the schemes proposed provide every node with the same (or essentially the same) channel access, by assigning each node a transmission frame in which the number of transmission slots (‘weight') is the same. In order to mitigate effects of losses due to collision, it is important to limit the set of frame schedules that are permitted; but at the same time, using frames with differing weights can improve throughput without sacrificing fairness. Combinatorial requirements for variable weight frame schedules are determined based on these observations.
Ergodic Process Selection

The purpose of this note is to give a partial solution to the following problem posed by Thomas M. Cover [1]. Let (X, Y) = (Xi, Yi, i ∈ Z) be a jointly ergodic stationary stochastic process. A random process δ = (δi, i ∈ Z) is called a selection strategy if δi, ∈ {0,1} with probability one for each i, and a selection strategy δ is called sequential if for each i ≥ 1, δi is measurable with respect to $$\sigma ({{X}_{{i - 1}}},{{Y}_{{i - 1}}},{{X}_{{i - 2}}},{{Y}_{{i - 2}}}, \ldots ,{{X}_{1}},{{X}_{1}}),$$ which represents the finite past.
Political economy of corruption in Turkey: declining petty corruption, rise of cronyism?

This study presents a dual approach towards the political economy of corruption under Turkey’s AKP government by differentiating between petty and grand corruption. Findings illustrate that the AKP...
Order $\hbar$ Corrections to the Classical Dynamics of a Particle with Intrinsic Spin Moving in a Constant Magnetic Field

$O(\hbar)$ effects that modify the classical orbit of a charged particle are described for the case of a classical spin-1/2 particle moving in a constant magnetic field, using a manifestly covariant formalism reported previously. It is found that the coupling between the momentum and spin gives rise to a shift in the cyclotron frequency, which is explicitly calculated. In addition the orbit is found to exhibit $O(\hbar)$ oscillations along the axis of the uniform static magnetic field whenever the gyromagnetic ratio $g$ of the particle is not 2. This oscillation is found to occur at a frequency $\propto$ $\frac{g}{2} - 1$, and is an observable source of electric dipole radiation.
Two new species of Nemesia (Scrophulariaceae) from arid areas of the Northern Cape, South Africa

Two new annual species of Nemesia Vent , are described from southern Africa. Nemesia suaveolens is characterized by magenta and yellow flowers. It differs from the closely related N. euryceras by having a lower lip that is yellow rather than white with pale violet margins, an upper lip with a conspicuous yellow rectangular patch just above the corolla opening, a spur that is ± equal to the length of the lower lip, not half the length, and a hypochile that is yellow rather than dark violet.This new species is known only from the arid Tanqua Karoo east of the Cedarberg Mountains. N. aurantia is characterized by orange saccate flowers with a brown and orange bearded palate. It is closest to N. versicolor , but differs from that species by its orange corolla, the absence of a spur, and its bearded palate with brown and orange trichomes. It is known from a single locality adjacent to the Swart Doting River in Namaqualand between Nuwerus and Garies.
Anomalous chiral symmetry breaking above the QCD phase transition

This comment reports an extension of the Columbia group's earlier calculation, presented at Lattice '96[1], of a difference of susceptibilities which measures the strength of the axial anomaly for T > Tc. Those results were obtained on a 163 × 4 lattice at β = 5.3, slightly above the QCD phase transition, for dynamical quark masses in lattice units of 0.01, 0.015, 0.02 and 0.025. Here we present the result from the same size lattice at a fifth and lighter quark mass of ma = 0.005. At this smaller mass value the parameter ω, measuring anomalous chiral symmetry breaking, has fallen by nearly a factor of two from its value at ma = 0.01 and continues to show behavior that is reasonably consistent with linear in m.
A higher education student service quality and satisfaction model

This study develops a model, the service quality satisfaction monitoring model (SQSMM), to examine the relationship between the industry standard 73-item Noel-Levitz student satisfaction inventory (SSI) and a new, greatly reduced four-item service quality satisfaction instrument (SQSI). The impact of students' perceptions of service quality and satisfaction related to their collegiate experience is measured by many universities using the standard 73-item Noel-Levitz SSI instrument. However, the cost of the SSI and the length of the instrument precludes its frequent use for initial assessment or ongoing monitoring to track changes. We develop and test a new service quality and student satisfaction single construct four-item instrument, SQSI, based on contextualising items drawn from other survey instruments.
Actions of hormones on the uterus and effect on conceptus development.

The process of reproduction in the mammalian female involves interactions between gonadal and placental steroids and, possibly, protein hormones such as placental lactogen, and the uterine endometrium. These interactions are discussed relative to available data from pigs and with the understanding that the concepts presented may not be directly applicable to other species. Swine embryos enter the uterus for continued development beyond the early blastocyst stage and, within the uterus, the spherical blastocyst, of about 2 mm diameter on day 12, undergoes rapid elongation to an organism of about 1 m in length by day 15 of pregnancy. During this period of elongation, the blastocyst appears to provide the chemical signal, presumably unconjugated estrogens, that allows for corpora lutea (CL) maintenance (luteostatic effect) and, therefore, continued production of progesterone by the CL which is essential for pregnancy. Estrogens from the blastocyst may exert their luteostatic effect on the uterus by causing prostaglandin F2 alpha, the presumed porcine uterine luteolysin, to be secreted in an exocrine (toward the uterine lumen) rather than an endocrine (toward the endometrial stroma and vasculature) direction during pregnancy. Consequently, prostaglandin F2 alpha is sequestered in the uterine lumen and does not become available, via the utero-ovarian vasculature, to exert its luteolytic effect. The potential steroid precursor(s) available to the trophoblast for estrogen synthesis appear to be produced through endometrial conversion of progesterone to unconjugated androgens, e.g., androstenedione and testosterone, and conjugated estrogens, e.g., estrone-sulfate and estradiol-sulfate. The estrogens may, in concert with progesterone and possibly other hormones, placental lactogen for example, act locally, i.e., at the site of placentation to: result in a luteostatic effect; increase uterine blood flow; enhance water, electrolyte and substrate (carbohydrate and amino acid) transport to the site of placentation and across the placenta; affect synthesis and secretion of macro-molecules (histotroph) by the uterine glands that serve as enzymes and (or) carrier molecules and control or modulate physiological and (or) biochemical events essential to placental and fetal development that are not understood.
Electron‐Transfer‐Induced Self‐Assembly of a Molecular Tweezer Platform

The design and synthesis of a new molecular tweezer (T-tmp) with electron-rich pincers are reported. The stable monocationic radicals and self-assembled dimeric radicals of this molecular tweezer platform were prepared by chemical oxidative titration. With the aid of DFT calculations, it was found that the dimeric radicals with syn-syn-syn conformer has the most stable structure, with the hole primarily delocalized between parallel stacked pyrenyl groups.
Role of electrolyte composition on the acid stability of mixed-metal oxygen evolution catalysts

Acid stability in catalysts that promote the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) may be achieved through either the introduction of electrolyte-modulated self-healing processes, or the fixation of OER active sites within stable, conductive oxide matricies. By varying the nature of the electrolyte, pH, buffer concentration, and ionic strength, the contributions of these two effects may be deconvoluted. Furthermore, we find that the nature of the buffer is capable of engendering OER with exceptional acid stability at moderate overpotentials.
Meta-lens antenna with enhanced gain at 24.125 GHz

A multifocal metasurface lens is designed for a K-band patch antenna array consisting of 4 × 4 elements. The lens is constructed using a two-layer “dogbone” meta-particle structure and is placed 0.5 mm away from the array. The choice of this particular design emphasizes simplicity and cost-effectiveness, without much sacrifice in performance. Full-wave simulations are performed to catalog the scattering behavior of the dogbone metaparticle along with its geometric parameters. Two methods of fabrication were investigated to fabricate the design, namely, mechanical etching and chemical etching. Experimental results show that chemical etching produced a meta-lens with higher gain compared to mechanical etching. However, the gain enhancement in both lenses is observed at a higher frequency than originally intended in the design.