cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Corrigendum: A Bayesian Approach to the Analysis of Local Average Treatment Effect for Missing and Non-normal Data in Causal Modeling: A Tutorial With the ALMOND Package in R.

One practical challenge in observational studies and quasi-experimental designs is selection bias. The issue of selection bias becomes more concerning when data are non-normal and contain missing values. Recently, a Bayesian robust two-stage causal modeling with instrumental variables was developed and has the advantages of addressing selection bias and handle non-normal data and missing data simultaneously in one model. The method provides reliable parameter and standard error estimates when missing data and outliers exist. The modeling technique can be widely applied to empirical studies particularly in social, psychological and behavioral areas where any of the three issues (e.g., selection bias, data with outliers and missing data) is commonly seen. To implement this method, we developed an R package named ALMOND (Analysis of LATE (Local Average Treatment Effect) for Missing Or/and Nonnormal Data). Package users have the flexibility to directly apply the Bayesian robust two-stage causal models or write their own Bayesian models from scratch within the package. To facilitate the application of the Bayesian robust two-stage causal modeling technique, we provide a tutorial for the ALMOND package in this article, and illustrate the application with two examples from empirical research.
How Twitter's affordances empower dissent and information dissemination: An exploratory study of the rogue and alt government agency Twitter accounts

Abstract At least 102 “rogue” and “alt” government agency Twitter accounts—purported to be run by government officials—emerged in the immediate wake of the election of Donald Trump. These accounts offered a resistance-focused narrative about the administration. In this paper, we ask who the people are that ran these accounts, what their goals or purposes were during this time, and how they used Twitter to achieve their goals. To answer these questions, we conducted twelve interviews with some of the individuals behind the accounts and descriptively analyzed 43,569 tweets generated by these 102 accounts during the first 100 days of the Trump presidency. We discovered that not all accounts were not actually being run by agency employees, and that the account administrators had goals of creating a network of “resistance” by sharing scientific information, correcting misinformation, and contributing to the news cycle. They relied on the referentiality that Twitter affords through its features to expand beyond 140 characters to do this.
Rate-Dependent and Relaxation Properties of Porcine Aortic Heart Valve Biomaterials.

Objective This work evaluates the rate-dependent and relaxation properties of native porcine heart valves, glutaraldehyde fixed porcine pericardium, and decellularized sterilized porcine pericardium. Methods Biaxial tension testing was performed at strain-rates of 0.001 s-1, 0.01 s-1, 0.1 s-1, and 1 s-1. Finally, relaxation testing for 300 s was performed on all heart valve biomaterials. Results No notable rate-dependent response was observed for any of the three biomaterials with few significant differences between any strain-rates. For relaxation testing, native tissues showed the most pronounced drop in stress and glutaraldehyde the lowest drop in stress although no tissues showed anisotropy in the relaxation. Conclusions Increasing the strain-rate of the three biomaterials considered does not increase the stress within the tissue. This indicates that there will not be increased fatigue from accelerated wear testing compared to loading at physiological strain-rates as the increase strain-rates would likely not significantly alter the tissue stress.
A computationally-efficient method for flamelet calculations

Abstract A new open-source code for the simulation of the diffusion flamelet equations is proposed. Emphasis is placed on using an approximate Jacobian to reduce the computational cost of the matrix operations. Performance of the proposed solvers is tested by performing flamelet calculations with kinetic mechanisms of varying sizes. For the unity Lewis number equations, the present iterative Newton solver using an approximate Jacobian greatly outperforms direct Newton solvers using exact Jacobians. The computation cost scales linearly with the number of species, leading to a reduction in solution times by two orders of magnitude for mechanisms containing thousands of species. The applicability of the Jacobian approximations to the solution of the non-unity Lewis number flamelet equations is assessed. The approximations are generally inadequate to solve the full non-unity Lewis number equations but can be used in some applications depending on the balance of terms in the flamelet equations. As an example, the flamelet solver is applied to the study of sooting tendencies in laminar co-flow diffusion flames where modified non-unity Lewis number flamelet equations, previously shown to accurately reproduce experimentally-measured Yield Sooting Indices (YSI), are solved. The accelerated flamelet solver is well suited for sensitivity analysis and uncertainty quantification with large detailed kinetic mechanisms, tasks for which the computational cost was previously prohibitive.
Deep Learning of Biological Models from Data: Applications to ODE Models

Mathematical equations are often used to model biological processes. However, for many systems, determining analytically the underlying equations is highly challenging due to the complexity and unknown factors involved in the biological processes. In this work, we present a numerical procedure to discover dynamical physical laws behind biological data. The method utilizes deep learning methods based on neural networks, particularly residual networks. It is also based on recently developed mathematical tools of flow-map learning for dynamical systems. We demonstrate that with the proposed method, one can accurately construct numerical biological models for unknown governing equations behind measurement data. Moreover, the deep learning model can also incorporate unknown parameters in the biological process. A successfully trained deep neural network model can then be used as a predictive tool to produce system predictions of different settings and allows one to conduct detailed analysis of the underlying biological process. In this paper, we use three biological models-SEIR model, Morris-Lecar model and the Hodgkin-Huxley model-to show the capability of our proposed method.
Impact of cerebral aneurysm size on distal intracranial hemodynamics and changes following flow diversion.

BackgroundThe impact of cerebral aneurysm size on distal intracranial hemodynamics such as arterial pressure and Pulsatility Index is not completely understood, either before or after flow diversio...
Bayesian estimation of sparse precision matrices in the presence of Gaussian measurement error

Estimation of sparse, high-dimensional precision matrices is an important and challenging problem. Existing methods all assume that observations can be made precisely but, in practice, this often is not the case; for example, the instruments used to measure the response may have limited precision. The present paper incorporates measurement error in the context of estimating a sparse, high-dimensional precision matrix. In particular, for a Gaussian graphical model with data corrupted by Gaussian measurement error with unknown variance, we establish a general result which gives sufficient conditions under which the posterior contraction rates that hold in the no-measurement-error case carry over to the measurement-error case. Interestingly, this result does not require that the measurement error variance be small. We apply our general result to several cases with well-known prior distributions for sparse precision matrices and also to a case with a newly-constructed prior for precision matrices with a sparse factor-loading form. Two different simulation studies highlight the empirical benefits of accounting for the measurement error as opposed to ignoring it, even when that measurement error is relatively small.
Investigating the impact of the shortwave water vapor continuum upon climate simulations using GFDL global models

We have added the BPS-MTCKD 2.0 parameterization for the shortwave water vapor continuum to the Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory (GFDL) global model. We find that inclusion of the shortwave continuum in the fixed sea surface temperature case (AM3) results in a similar increase in shortwave absorption and heating rates to that seen for the “benchmark” line-by-line radiative transfer calculations. The surface energy budget adjusts to the inclusion of the shortwave continuum predominantly through a decrease in both surface latent and sensible heat. This leads to a decrease in tropical convection and a subsequent 1% reduction in tropical rainfall. The inclusion of the shortwave continuum in the fully coupled atmosphere-ocean model (CM3) yields similar results, but a smaller overall reduction of 0.5% in tropical rainfall due to global warming of ~0.1 K linked to enhanced near-infrared absorption. We also investigated the impact of adding a stronger version of BPS-MTCKD (version 1.1) to the global climate model (GCM). In most cases we found that the GCM responds in a similar manner to both continua but that the strength of the response scales with the level of absorbed shortwave radiation. Global warming experiments were run in both AM3 and CM3. The shortwave continuum was found to cause a 7 to 15% increase in clear-sky global dimming depending upon whether the stronger or weaker continuum version was used. Neither version resulted in a significant change to the climate sensitivity.
Residence time control on hot moments of net nitrate production and uptake in the hyporheic zone

The retention capacity for biologically available nitrogen within streams can be influenced by dynamic hyporheic zone exchange, a process that may act as either a net source or net sink of dissolved nitrogen. Over 5 weeks, nine vertical profiles of streambed chemistry (NO3− and NH4+) were collected above two beaver dams along with continuous high-resolution vertical hyporheic flux data. The results indicate a non-linear relation of net NO3− production followed by net uptake in the hyporheic zone as a function of residence time. This Lagrangian-based relation is consistent through time and across varied morphology (bars, pools, glides) above the dams, even though biogeochemical and environmental factors varied. The empirical continuum between net NO3− production and uptake and residence time is useful for identifying two crucial residence time thresholds: the transition to anaerobic respiration, which corresponds to the time of peak net nitrate production, and the net sink threshold, which is defined by a net uptake in NO3− relative to streamwater. Short-term hyporheic residence time variability at specific locations creates hot moments of net production and uptake, enhancing NO3− production as residence times approach the anaerobic threshold, and changing zones of net NO3− production to uptake as residence times increase past the net sink threshold. The anaerobic and net sink thresholds for beaver-influenced streambed morphology occur at much shorter residence times (1.3 h and 2.3 h, respectively) compared to other documented hyporheic systems, and the net sink threshold compares favorably to the lower boundary of the anaerobic threshold determined for this system with the new oxygen Damkohler number. The consistency of the residence time threshold values of NO3− cycling in this study, despite environmental variability and disparate morphology, indicates that NO3− hot moment dynamics are primarily driven by changes in physical hydrology and associated residence times. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
The accuracy of a frozen section diagnosis of borderline ovarian malignancy.

Abstract While the accuracy of frozen section in the diagnosis of invasive ovarian neoplasms has been previously addressed, the frozen section diagnosis of borderline ovarian tumors has been less well characterized. The distinction between benign and borderline lesions is critical to the proper operative management of these patients. The records of 48 patients that had a frozen section diagnosis of borderline ovarian malignancy during surgical exploration between 1986 and 1993 were reviewed. Thirty-one patients were Stage I, 2 patients were Stage II, 10 patients were Stage III, and 5 patients were unstaged. Clarifying phrases were used frequently in the frozen section report, and these terms were categorized as “rule out” borderline tumor, borderline tumor, and “at least” borderline tumor. Of 33 cases with a frozen section report of borderline or at least borderline malignancy, no cases were subsequently found to be benign. Errors in the intraoperative management could have occurred in 3 of 48 cases (6.25%), when benign neoplasms were thought to be of borderline malignancy on frozen section. However, in each of these cases, the clarifying term rule out was used, indicating the equivocal nature of the frozen section findings. Thirteen of the 48 patients (27.1%) were found to have a focus of invasive cancer within a borderline tumor on final pathologic review; the primary tumors in these 13 cases ranged in maximal diameter from 5 to 26 cm and were of varying histologic types. The level of experience of the pathologist responsible for the frozen section did not influence the accuracy of frozen section determination noted in this study. A frozen section evaluation identifying a borderline ovarian malignancy is accurate in excluding the presence of benign pathology. It is crucial to understand the meaning of specific clarifying terms used in frozen section diagnoses.
The Citizen Participation Act of 2009: Federal Legislation as Effective Defense Against SLAPPs

The First Amendment to the United States Constitution expressly guarantees the right of citizens to petition the government. Citizen efforts have been particularly crucial to the process of creating, shaping, and enforcing environmental laws. Nevertheless, citizen participants in government can often find themselves facing retaliation in the form of a strategic lawsuit against public participation (SLAPP). SLAPPs are lawsuits brought to interfere with a party's exercise of its right to petition the government, typically by draining the party's time and resources. Although many states have adopted anti-SLAPP protections, similar protections are lacking at the federal level. Because so many federal environmental statutes rely on citizen participation, the threat of a SLAPP is especially high. This Note argues that current federal anti-SLAPP protections are inadequate, and that legislation proposed in 2009 would better protect the right of citizens to petition the government.
An unusual cysteine-containing histone H1-like protein and two protamine-like proteins are the major nuclear proteins of the sperm of the bivalve mollusc Macoma nasuta.

The sperm-specific protamine-like (PL) components PL-I, PL-II, and PL-III from the sperm of the bent-nose clam Macoma nasuta have been isolated and characterized for the first time. These proteins coexist in the sperm nuclei with a small percentage of a full histone complement. All of them have a very similar amino acid composition, following what seems to be the general composition prototype for the class Bivalvia (Ausio, J. (1986) Comp. Biochem. Physiol. B Comp. Biochem. 85, 439-449). Nevertheless, they have different molecular weights (PL-I = 23,500, PL-II = 15,600, and PL-III = 7,900) as measured by sedimentation equilibrium in the analytical ultracentrifuge. Furthermore, the PL-I component shares common features with the proteins of the histone H1 family. Yet, it is very unusual, for it contains 2 cysteine residues that are located in the trypsin-resistant core of this protein. The protamine-like fraction PL-III exhibits intraspecific microheterogeneity which is reflected by the presence of two protein variants which most probably are the result of an allelic polymorphism.
The effect of progesterone on estrogen-induced uterine blood flow

Abstract The effect of progesterone on estrogen-induced uterine blood flow was investigated in repeated experiments in seven nonpregnant, oophorectomized ewes with chronically implanted electromagnetic flow probes and catheters inserted into branches of the uterine arteries. Administered alone, progesterone has no effect on base-line uterine blood flow. Following intramuscular injection of progesterone (3 to 5 mg. per kilogram of body weight), peak uterine blood flow responses to 1 μg of estradiol-17β were suppressed by 25 per cent compared to those of control animals. Direct intra-arterial infusion of progesterone, at concentrations sufficient to reproduce uterine venous levels observed in late pregnancy in the sheep, inhibited estrogen-induced uterine blood flow by 20 per cent. The findings support the hypothesis that progesterone modulates the estrogen-induced flow responses in both the pregnant and nonpregnant uterine vascular bed.
Can Fairy Tales Come True? The Surprising Story of Neoliberalism and World Agriculture

The last half century has witnessed dramatic socio-technical changes in the agrifood sector, restructuring both city and countryside in radical ways. On the one hand, new genetic, genomic, transport and information technologies have become commonplace. On the other hand, new forms of intellectual property and new institutional structures have emerged. In particular, supply chain management and certification of suppliers have become commonplace activities among input suppliers and supermarket chains. At the same time various forms of resistance ranging from farmers' markets to organic production to fair trade have arisen. Why? Using the methods and insights of science studies, I argue that both agribusiness firms and their detractors have acted in response to the successful performances of neoliberalism in national and international settings. Hence, the current agrifood sector may be best understood as the product of continually evolving, and often conflict-ridden, negotiations between neoliberals, their supporters (who love it selectively) and their detractors. The moral of the story: fairy tales can come true, but they usually have surprise endings.
SYLON-REDUCE: an MOS network optimization algorithms using permissible functions

An algorithm, SYLON-REDUCE, that uses the concept of permissible functions to optimize an MOS network directly is presented. SYLON-REDUCE uses a more coherent, algorithmic approach, adapting the MOS cell synthesis procedure of algorithm DIMN, to resynthesize the cells in the network. Better networks can be obtained for most functions. It is shown that technology-specific synthesis and optimization can produce better results than dividing synthesis into technology-independent and technology-mapping phases. >
Application of Experimental Stressors in Laboratory Rodents

This unit presents eight separate stressor protocols for laboratory rodents. Stress induction is a critical element in the study of neural and neuroendocrine mechanisms involved in establishing and maintaining a state of stress. The first four procedures, immobilization, footshock, swimming, and noise, involve acute exposure to noxious stimuli. The next three procedures, social isolation, resident/intruder aggression, and maternal deprivation, induce social disruption by withdrawal from a group housing condition, attack within the unfamiliar territory of a dominant male, or segregation of a preweanling pup from its mother, respectively. The final procedure, sleep deprivation, involves passive denial of the opportunity to sleep. Support protocols are provided to address the need for environmental acclimation and calming procedures prior to any stress-related studies (including, for rats, handling of the animals as a calming measure) and to detail a simple method of quantifying the response to a given stressor by direct measurement of levels of the stress hormones adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) and corticosterone.
Private Data Discovery for Privacy Compliance in Collaborative Environments

With the growing use of computers and the Internet, it has become difficult for organizations to locate and effectively manage sensitive personally identifiable information (PII). This problem becomes even more evident in collaborative computing environments. PII may be hidden anywhere within the file system of a computer. As well, in the course of different activities, via collaboration or not, personally identifiable information may migrate from computer to computer. This makes meeting the organizational privacy requirements all the more complex. Our particular interest is to develop technology that would automatically discover workflow across organizational collaborators that would include private data. Since in this context, it is important to understand where and when the private data is discovered, in this paper, we focus on PII discovery, i.e. automatically identifying private data existant in semi-structured and unstructured (free text) documents. The first part of the process involves identifying PII via named entity recognition. The second part determines relationships between those entities based upon a supervised machine learning method. We present test results of our methods using publicly-available data generated from different collaborative activities to provide an assessment of scalability in cooperative computing environment.
Prey responses to fine-scale variation in predation risk from combined predators

While it is well documented that organisms can express phenotypic plasticity in response to single gradients of environmental variation, our understanding of how organisms integrate information along multiple environmental gradients is limited in many systems. Using the freshwater snail Helisoma trivolvis and two common predators (water bugs Belostoma flumineum and crayfish Orconectes rusticus), we explored how prey integrate information along multiple predation risk gradients (i.e. caged predators fed increasing amounts of prey biomass) that induce opposing phenotypes. When exposed to single predators fed increasing amounts of prey biomass, we detected threshold responses; intermediate amounts of consumed biomass induced phenotypic responses, but higher amounts induced little additional induction. This suggests that additional increases in predator-induced traits with greater predator risk offer minimal increases in fitness or that a limit in the response magnitude was reached. Additionally, the response thresholds were contingent on the predator and focal trait. For shell width, responses were generally detected at a lower amount of consumed biomass by water bugs compared to crayfish. Within the crayfish treatments, we found that the shell thickness response threshold was lower than the shell width response threshold. When we combined gradients of consumed biomass from both predators, we found that the magnitude of response to one predator was often reduced when the other predator was present. Interestingly, these effects were often detected at consumed biomass levels that were lower than the threshold concentration necessary to elicit a response in the single-predator treatments. Moreover, our combined predator treatments revealed that snails shifted from discrete responses to more continuous (i.e. graded) responses. Together, our results reveal that organisms experiencing multiple environmental gradients can integrate this information to make phenotypic decisions and demonstrate the novel result that an exposure to multiple species of predators can lower the response threshold of prey.
Energetics of a nanophase zeolite independent of particle size

Abstract Silicalite-1 nanocrystals were synthesized with different sizes (40, 95 and 180 nm) from clear solutions and the organic structure directing agent removed by calcination. X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, nitrogen adsorption, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and thermogravimetric analysis were used for characterization. High-temperature solution calorimetry using lead borate (2PbO · B2O3) solvent at 974 K measured the enthalpies (ΔHtran) relative to quartz at 298 K. The ΔHtran values are 8.2 ± 0.4 kJ/mol (40 nm), 8.3 ± 0.3 kJ/mol (95 nm) and 8.0 ± 0.5 kJ/mol (180 nm). These values are essentially the same as ΔHtran for microsized MFI crystals, 8.0 ± 0.8 kJ/mol [J. Phys. Chem. B 104 (2000) 10001]. Thus the particle size has no effect on the framework energetics of silicalite. This unusual phenomenon, which is different from that of condensed nanocrystalline metal oxides, is discussed in terms of internal surface area and surface energy of zeolites.
A low-voltage force-balanced pressure sensor with hermetically sealed servomechanism

In this paper we report the fabrication and testing of a low voltage force-balanced surface micromachined pressure sensor with a hermetically sealed servomechanism. In this device, the force and deformation of a diaphragm induced by an external pressure is balanced using electrostatic forces. The design described here has a full scale pressure range of 1 atmosphere, a nominal capacitance of 2.12 pF and a full scale range of 100 fF. The pressure is balanced by voltages in the range of about 12 volts, which proves the feasibility of developing a closed-loop pressure sensor using low-voltage electronics.
Numerical Applications of a Formalism for Geophysical Inverse Problems

Summary A gross datum of the Earth is a single measurable number describing some property of the whole Earth, such as mass, moment of inertia, or the frequency of oscillation of some identified elastic-gravitational normal mode. We prove that the collection of Earth models which yield the physically observed values of any independent set of gross Earth data is either empty or infinite dimensional. We exploit this very high degree of non-uniqueness in real geophysical inverse problems to generate computer programs which iteratively produce Earth models to fit given gross Earth data and satisfy other criteria. We describe techniques for exploring the collection of all Earth models which fit given gross Earth data. Finally, we apply the theory to the normal modes of elastic-gravitational oscillation of the Earth.
Relative oxidation of glutamate and glucose by vertebrate erythrocytes

1. Lungfish erythrocytes (RBC), unlike those in other species of fishes, oxidize endogenous glutamate at a higher rate than they oxidize glucose. This pattern closely resembles that found in invertebrates. 2. The exogenous glutamate oxidation rate of RBC from most species of fish as well as other groups of vertebrates is approximately equal to or less than that observed for glucose. 3. These findings suggest that the nucleated RBC of most vertebrates appear to rely less on the TCA cycle for energy production and more on the glycolytic metabolism of carbohydrates. 4. The RBC of lungfish are also distinguished from RBC of other vertebrates by their relatively higher permeability to exogenous substrates. For example, chicken RBC have a glucose accumulation rate which is approximately one third that observed for lungfish RBC at twice the medium glucose concentration. 5. The unique characteristics of lungfish RBC may be related to their adaptation to the high concentrations of urea produced during estivation.
IMPROVED log(gf) VALUES FOR LINES OF Ti I AND ABUNDANCE DETERMINATIONS IN THE PHOTOSPHERES OF THE SUN AND METAL-POOR STAR HD 84937 (ACCURATE TRANSITION PROBABILITIES FOR Ti I)

New atomic transition probability measurements for 948 lines of Ti I are reported. Branching fractions from Fourier transform spectra and from spectra recorded using a 3 m echelle spectrometer are combined with published radiative lifetimes from laser-induced fluorescence measurements to determine these transition probabilities. Generally good agreement is found in comparisons to the NIST Atomic Spectra Database. The new Ti I data are applied to re-determine the Ti abundance in the photospheres of the Sun and metal-poor star HD 84937 using many lines covering a range of wavelength and excitation potential to explore possible non-local thermal equilibrium effects. The variation of relative Ti/Fe abundance with metallicity in metal-poor stars observed in earlier studies is supported in this study.
Anomalous electron emission from metallic surfaces

Abstract Low-melting metals and alloys were heated in a Geiger-Muller free-flow tube and the electron emission from their surfaces was observed in order to confirm earlier observations that an electron shower may occur upon solidification and to extend the number of materials so investigated. The solidification process in tin, bismuth, and cadmium is associated with an anomalously high emission rate. No emission peaks were observed during the solidification of lead, lead-tin alloys, and a cadmium-tin alloy. In the cases of lead and a cadmium-tin alloy, however, emission peaks were observed during the heating cycle at temperatures below the melting point. Earlier work of the emission effect (Kramer effect) is reviewed and possible mechanisms are discussed.
The Role of the People’s Armed Police in Chinese Policing

This study examines the role of the People’s Armed Police (PAP) in Chinese policing. While the PAP has been in existence for over five decades, very little research has paid attention to the critical position that the PAP occupies in Chinese policing. The history of the PAP between 1949 and 1982 was highlighted by a number of changes in name and a constant change of direct control between the military and the public security. The PAP experienced a great expansion and became more stabilized in organizational structure and missions after 1983. While it is part of China’s military forces, the PAP is currently involved in a wide variety of law enforcement, order maintenance, and service activities. Its law enforcement function is carried out chiefly through preventive patrol in urban areas. The most important order maintenance function shouldered by the PAP is the disposition of mass incidents, which have increased dramatically in number and size and have become better organized over the past two decades. The Chinese government also often mobilizes the PAP to undertake emergency rescue and disaster relief tasks. The PAP will continue to be a critical force in the Chinese police system. Its leaders as well as the government should seek ways to improve the legitimacy of the force.
An Examination of the Psychometric Properties of the Pediatric Symptom Checklist With Children Enrolled in Medicaid

The federal Early and Periodic Screening, Diagnosis, and Treatment (EPSDT) program requires mental health screening of Medicaid-eligible children as part of primary care medical assessments. However, decisions related to selection of a screening tool remain with the states. States need access to brief, cost effective, easily administered screening tools to comply with these regulations.This paper examines the psychometric properties of the Pediatric Symptom Checklist (PSC) reported on 6,590 children ages 6-22 enrolled in Florida’s Medicaid program across seven areas of the state, whose caregivers participated in a mail survey at least once between 1998 and 2007. Results suggest the PSC has both good internal consistency and stability over time across children with varying health and mental health conditions. The PSC demonstrated excellent discriminant validity regarding its ability to differentiate among children with varying levels of disabilities. Evidence of the PSCs construct validity was found based ...
Dancing Around Orientalism

The performance of belly dancing in the West embodies a central paradox: while invoking Orientalist tropes in its appropriation of Middle Eastern dances, it is cast as a celebratory form of women's empowerment that destabilizes Western patriarchy. Exploring these contradictory claims, the author situates the predicaments of gender and interculturalism that surface in discourses about Western belly dance.
Information for decision-making and stimulus identification is multiplexed in sensory cortex

In recordings from anterior piriform cortex in awake behaving mice, we found that neuronal firing early in the olfactory pathway simultaneously conveyed fundamentally different information: odor value (is the odor rewarded?) and identity (what is the smell?). Thus, this sensory system performs early multiplexing of information reflecting stimulus-specific characteristics with that used for decision-making.
Using Social Network Analysis to Clarify the Role of Obesity in Selection of Adolescent Friends

Objectives. We used social network analysis to examine how weight status affects friend selection, with an emphasis on homophily and the social marginalization of overweight youths.Methods. We used an exponential random graph model to assess the effects of body mass index (BMI) on friend selection while controlling for several alternative selection processes. Data were derived from 58 987 students in 88 US middle and high schools who took part in the 1994 to 1996 National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health.Results. On average, overweight youths were less likely than nonoverweight youths to be selected as a friend; however, this effect differed according to the BMI of the person initiating the friendship. Nonoverweight youths were 30% more likely to select a nonoverweight friend than an overweight friend, whereas overweight youths were largely indifferent to the weight status of their friends. Friendship ties from overweight youths to nonoverweight peers were more likely than ties in the reverse direc...
A note on strangers, friends and happiness

Using network data obtained in the 1985 General Social Survey, expressions of happiness are shown to increase with the size of a person's discussion network and decrease with the prevalence of strangers in the network. The density of especially close relations in the network has no direct effect on happiness. It is the negative impact of strangers rather than the positive impact of close relations that determines expressions of happiness. The network size and stranger effects remain strong even after respondent differences in socioeconomic status, age, sex, race, and domestic situation are held constant. However, it is clear that an almost certain route to strengthening the network measures to predict well-being lies in studying how happiness varies with the position of a spouse or other domestic partner in the respondent's network.
On spin systems with quenched randomness: Classical and quantum

Abstract The rounding of first-order phase transitions by quenched randomness is stated in a form which is applicable to both classical and quantum systems: The free energy, as well as the ground state energy, of a spin system on a d -dimensional lattice is continuously differentiable with respect to any parameter in the Hamiltonian to which some randomness has been added when d ≤ 2 . This implies absence of jumps in the associated order parameter, e.g., the magnetization in the case of a random magnetic field. A similar result applies in cases of continuous symmetry breaking for d ≤ 4 . Some questions concerning the behavior of related order parameters in such random systems are discussed.
A Review of Current Weight Management: Research and Recommendations

PURPOSE To review current research and recommendations on weight loss and weight control and provide suggestions for health care providers who furnish weight management counseling. DATA SOURCES Scientific publications, clinical guidelines, and government sources CONCLUSIONS Research reaffirms the long-held understanding that weight loss can be accomplished only through a reduction in the number of calories consumed and an increase in exercise. Weight maintenance requires life-long behavioral change combining moderate exercise, lower fat intake, increased fruit and vegetable consumption, as well as social support. Fad diets and medications are not the answer to long-term weight maintenance. IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE The essential components of a weight loss or weight management program include: calorie reduction of 300–500 calories per day, appropriate exercise, variety in food choices, increased consumption of grains, fruits, and vegetables, and reduction of fat to no more than 30% of daily calories. Clients should be referred to dietitian and exercise consultants as needed.
Optimization for high-dose-rate brachytherapy of cervical cancer with adaptive simulated annealing and gradient descent

Abstract Purpose To validate an in-house optimization program that uses adaptive simulated annealing (ASA) and gradient descent (GD) algorithms and investigate features of physical dose and generalized equivalent uniform dose (gEUD)–based objective functions in high-dose-rate (HDR) brachytherapy for cervical cancer. Methods Eight Syed/Neblett template-based cervical cancer HDR interstitial brachytherapy cases were used for this study. Brachytherapy treatment plans were first generated using inverse planning simulated annealing (IPSA). Using the same dwell positions designated in IPSA, plans were then optimized with both physical dose and gEUD-based objective functions, using both ASA and GD algorithms. Comparisons were made between plans both qualitatively and based on dose–volume parameters, evaluating each optimization method and objective function. A hybrid objective function was also designed and implemented in the in-house program. Results The ASA plans are higher on bladder V 75% and D 2cc ( p = 0.034) and lower on rectum V 75% and D 2cc ( p = 0.034) than the IPSA plans. The ASA and GD plans are not significantly different. The gEUD-based plans have higher homogeneity index ( p = 0.034), lower overdose index ( p = 0.005), and lower rectum gEUD and normal tissue complication probability ( p = 0.005) than the physical dose-based plans. The hybrid function can produce a plan with dosimetric parameters between the physical dose-based and gEUD-based plans. The optimized plans with the same objective value and dose–volume histogram could have different dose distributions. Conclusions Our optimization program based on ASA and GD algorithms is flexible on objective functions, optimization parameters, and can generate optimized plans comparable with IPSA.
Effects of moderate prenatal ethanol exposure and age on social behavior, spatial response perseveration errors and motor behavior ☆

Persistent deficits in social behavior are among the major negative consequences associated with exposure to ethanol during prenatal development. Prior work from our laboratory has linked deficits in social behavior following moderate prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE) in the rat to functional alterations in the ventrolateral frontal cortex [21]. In addition to social behaviors, the regions comprising the ventrolateral frontal cortex are critical for diverse processes ranging from orofacial motor movements to flexible alteration of behavior in the face of changing consequences. The broader behavioral implications of altered ventrolateral frontal cortex function following moderate PAE have, however, not been examined. In the present study we evaluated the consequences of moderate PAE on social behavior, tongue protrusion, and flexibility in a variant of the Morris water task that required modification of a well-established spatial response. PAE rats displayed deficits in tongue protrusion, reduced flexibility in the spatial domain, increased wrestling, and decreased investigation, indicating that several behaviors associated with ventrolateral frontal cortex function are impaired following moderate PAE. A linear discriminant analysis revealed that measures of wrestling and tongue protrusion provided the best discrimination of PAE rats from saccharin-exposed control rats. We also evaluated all behaviors in young adult (4-5 months) or older (10-11 months) rats to address the persistence of behavioral deficits in adulthood and possible interactions between early ethanol exposure and advancing age. Behavioral deficits in each domain persisted well into adulthood (10-11 months), however, there was no evidence that aging enhances the effects of moderate PAE within the age ranges that were studied.
Clinical Outcomes and Long-Term Resolution in Patients with Persistent Vesicoureteral Reflux after Open Ureteral Reimplantation

Purpose: Success rates of ureteral reimplantation for primary vesicoureteral reflux are high. Few studies document the natural history of children with persistent vesicoureteral reflux. We reviewed their clinical outcomes and long-term resolution.Materials and Methods: We performed a retrospective review of all children with persistent vesicoureteral reflux (grade 1 or greater) into the reimplanted ureter(s) on initial cystogram after reimplantation for primary vesicoureteral reflux at our institution from January 1990 to December 2002. We evaluated subsequent cystograms (graded on the 3-point radionuclide cystogram scale), surgery and urinary tract infection. We performed survival analyses of time to resolution of persistent (grade 1 or greater) and clinically significant (grade 2 or greater) vesicoureteral reflux in patients with more than 1 postoperative cystogram.Results: Of 965 patients 59 (94 ureters) had persistent vesicoureteral reflux (6.1%), including 19 grade 1/3, 29 grade 2/3 and 11 grade 3/3....
The influence of water quality on macroinvertebrate community responses to copper in outdoor experimental streams

Abstract Experiments were conducted in artificial streams to examine the influence of water quality on macroinvertebrate community responses to copper (Cu). Macroinvertebrate communities were established on substratum-filled trays placed in the Clinch River and transferred to two artificial stream systems (New River and Clinch River streams) receiving water from different sources. Alkalinity and hardness in Clinch River (CR) streams were ∼2–3 times greater than in New River (NR) streams. Results of ANCOVA indicated that effects of Cu were greater in NR than in CR streams. After 4 days, total macroinvertebrate abundance was reduced by 32% in NR streams at 6 μg Cu/l but only by 25% in CR streams at 15 μg Cu/l. After 10 days, Tanytarsini chironomids, the dominant and most sensitive organisms collected, were eliminated from NR streams at 13 μg Cu/l but reduced by only 35% in CR streams at similar Cu levels. Results of canonical discriminant analysis also revealed greater impact of Cu in NR streams. After 10 days, macroinvertebrate communities in NR streams at 9 μg Cu/l were similar to those in CR streams at 24 μg Cu/l. Responses to Cu in both experimental streams and at impacted field sites were highly variable among taxa. Orthocladiini chironomids and net-spinning caddisflies were quite tolerant of Cu in experimental streams and were the only groups that recovered in the field. Our results demonstrate the importance of accounting for both water quality and composition of the resident fauna for establishing site-specific water quality criteria.
An efficient synthesis of carbazole-based secretory phospholipase A2 (sPLA2) inhibitors LSN433771 and LSN426891

Abstract The flexible and efficient synthesis of two structurally similar carbazole derivatives is described. This general strategy features an intramolecular palladium-mediated biaryl coupling reaction to join two aromatic domains of the target molecules. Formation of the carbazole core is accomplished via nitrene insertion. The synthesis of secretory phospholipase A 2 (sPLA 2 ) inhibitors LSN433771 ( 1 ) and LSN426891 ( 2 ) is detailed.
Perturbations of lens development in the transgenic mouse

Interference with specific features of cell growth and differentiation in vivo offers rare insights into the complex mechanism of cell proliferation in the developing organism. We have inserted in the germ line of mice transgenes which direct dominant changes in cell development and proliferation to the lens, a tissue exquisitely suited for in vivo analysis. Lens-specific expression of SV40 T antigens results in malignant lens tumors or phakomas, that of a murine c-mos protooncogene in a characteristic defect of lens fiber differentiation.
The mean and standard deviation: what does it all mean?

With today’s computer technology, any investigator has access to the most powerful statistical analytic tools. However, without understanding the basic assumptions that statistical analyses use in deriving their results, erroneous conclusions regarding significance may be made. Several good textbooks present these concepts in relatively simple terms [1–4], yet many investigators have a limited understanding of the tests they use. Exclusive of the few texts oriented for biologists, most statistical treatments present the underpinnings of statistical concepts in mathematical terms that are difficult for biologists to understand. Worse yet, the terminology used is replete with double negatives, such as disproving the null hypothesis. Our intent is to present an overview of statistical concepts in terms that are easier to understand and will hopefully improve the ability for biologists to perform meaningful statistical analysis. We also present an expanded discussion on issues receiving little coverage in statistical texts, such as why n 1 rather than n is used when calculating standard deviations, to provide the reader with a better understanding of statistics. Statistics analyze groupings of numbers that represent outcomes from experimental observations. A series of steps are necessary to perform a statistical analysis of experimental data. First, the data need to be classified into one of three major categories: descriptive or nominal data, as the words imply, describe features that can be described, such as race, eye color, and so on. They cannot be ordered into any particular sequence or hierarchy. Statistical differences between groups classified into nominal data categories are most
Effects of carotid body excision on recovery of respiratory function in C2 hemisected adult rats

In a previous study, we described the spontaneous recovery of respiratory motor function in adult rats subjected to a left C2 hemisection 6-16 weeks post-injury without any therapeutic intervention. We extend the previous findings by demonstrating in the present study that rats subjected to a left C2 hemisection with bilateral carotid body excision will also recover respiratory-related activity in the paralyzed ipsilateral hemidiaphragm. However, in this instance, recovery is significantly accelerated; i.e., it is evident as early as 2 weeks after spinal cord injury. Two experimental groups (and noninjured and sham-operated controls) of rats were employed in the study. H-CBE animals were subjected to a left C2 hemisection plus bilateral carotid body excision while H-CBI animals were subjected to a left C2 hemisection only. Carotid body excision was confirmed by the sodium cyanide test. The animals were allowed to survive for 2 weeks after hemisection. Thereafter, electrophysiologic assessment of respiratory activity was conducted in all animals. Spontaneous recovery of respiratory-related activity in the paralyzed hemidiaphragm (indicated by left phrenic nerve activity) was detected in all H-CBE animals while H-CBI animals did not express spontaneous recovery of diaphragmatic activity. The magnitude of recovered activity when expressed as a function of contralateral phrenic nerve activity was 48.8 +/- 3.8%. When expressed as a function of the homolateral phrenic nerve in noninjured animals, the magnitude amounted to 25.6 +/- 2.8%. Although the mechanisms responsible for the apparent early onset of spontaneous recovery are unknown, it is likely that a reorganization of the respiratory circuitry in the CNS may be involved. The significance of the findings is that it may be feasible to modulate the onset of functional recovery following cervical spinal cord injury by specifically targeting peripheral chemoreceptors.