cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
How Effective Are Radio Messages Aimed at Reducing Teen Births Among Latinas? A Randomized Controlled Trial

This study uses a randomized controlled trial (RCT) to evaluate the effectiveness of a mass media campaign designed to reduce pregnancy among Latina teenagers. We aired public service announcements (PSAs) on terrestrial radio stations in California. The sample includes 28 radio stations and over 11,000 births to Latina teenagers in 2016. The PSA, narrated by a young Latina, stressed the opportunity costs to teenage mothers of having a baby, e.g., missed opportunities for fun, socializing with friends, or attending school. Although this message expresses themes articulated by Latina teens and young mothers whom we interviewed, geocoded birth records suggest the PSAs had little effect. With data on all births in the state obtained from the California Department of Public Health, we can reject the hypothesis that the PSAs reduced births to Latina teenagers by 9% or more based on the 90% confidence interval of the estimated average treatment effect. In addition to shedding light on this particular radio campaign, this study provides a template for the design and analysis of mass media campaigns to improve other public health outcomes.
The Effect of Patent Disclosure Quality on Innovation

The patent system grants inventors temporary monopoly rights in exchange for a public disclosure detailing their innovation. These disclosures are meant to allow others to recreate and build on the patented innovation. We examine how the quality of these disclosures affects follow-on innovation. We use the plausibly exogenous assignment to patent applications of patent examiners who differ in their enforcement of disclosure requirements as a source of variation in disclosure quality. We find that some examiners are significantly more lenient with respect to patent disclosure quality requirements, and that patents granted by these examiners include significantly lower-quality disclosures. These patents generate significantly less follow-on innovation.
Academic Productivity in Hepatopancreatobiliary Surgeons: Identifying Benchmarks Associated With Rank in North America.

BackgroundAcademic achievement is an integral part of the promotion process; however, there are no standardized metrics for faculty or leadership to reference in assessing this potential for promot...
Enuresis and sleep fellowship education.

Purpose Enuresis is a common sleep-related concern in school aged children that gradually decreases into adulthood. We performed a survey of sleep providers in order to assess their comfort level in managing patients with enuresis. Methods Survey participants were recruited via the Pedsleep listserv and sleep medicine program directors in the USA on basecamp application. The Pedsleep list includes a mixture of physicians, psychologists, and other sleep providers/researchers. Results Forty-two sleep providers completed the survey. Forty (95%) were board certified in sleep medicine, and 32 (76%) were board certified in pediatrics. Practice patterns for management of enuresis varied among respondents, with 69% who evaluate for possible contributions from other sleep disorders such as obstructive sleep apnea then refer for additional management. Nineteen (45%) respondents felt that they received inadequate or very inadequate training during their sleep fellowship for management of enuresis. While 83% of respondents worked in an academic medical center setting, none of their respective sleep clinics were the primary managing clinic at their own situation. Participants who endorsed their training as adequate/very adequate were significantly more likely to feel comfortable/very comfortable managing enuresis (90% vs 37.5%, p = 0.009). Conclusions A large percentage of sleep providers are lacking essential training to manage enuresis patients. These results suggest the need for additional educational initiatives in this area.
Exact Microscopic Calculation of Spin Wave Frequencies and Linewidths in the Two-Dimensional Heisenberg Antiferromagnet at Low Temperature

We present here exact results for the temperature dependent spin wave frequencies and damping in the 2-D Heisenberg antiferromagnet. Results for the 2-D ferromagnet have been presented previously.1 We use methods that were first developed in 1-D classical systems,2 where the dynamics at all wavelengths were obtained, and that have been used to discuss the 2-D antiferromagnet at T=0.3 We find that in 2-D, the longest wavelength behavior is not readily determined by these methods, and so we will restrict ourselves to wavelengths such that qξ>>1, where ξ is the coherence length.
Modeling Warmth and Competence in Virtual Characters

Developing believable virtual characters has been a subject of research in many fields including graphics, animations, artificial intelligence, and human-computer interaction. One challenge towards commoditizing the use of virtual humans is the ability to algorithmically construct characters of different stereotypes. In this paper, we present our efforts in designing virtual characters that can exhibit non-verbal behaviors to reflect varying degrees of warmth and competence, two personality traits shown to underlie social judgments and form stereotypical perception. To embark on developing a computational behavior model that portrays these traits, we adopt an iterative design methodology tuning the design using theory from theatre, animation and psychology, expert reviews, user testing and feedback. Using this process we were able to construct a set of virtual characters that portray variations of warmth and competence through combination of gestures, use of space, and gaze behaviors. In this paper we discuss the design methodology, the resultant system, and initial experiment results showing the promise of the model.
First Principles Modeling of Nanostructures

Among the various theoretical tools for investigating microscopic material properties, ab initio (first principles) methods based on density functional theory and pseudopotentials have had a very good track record over the last two decades in terms of accuracy, reliability, and efficiency. The application of these methods to nanostructures to investigate their structural, electronic, and optical properties has, however, not been quite straightforward due to the large computational demand and new physics inherent in the nanometer and sub-nanometer size region. One particularly useful extension to overcome the computational demand imposed by localized nanostructures has been the introduction of methods based on a real-space implementation, such as the higher order finite difference pseudopotential method. In this review, first the basic theoretical tools of density functional theory, ab initio pseudopotentials, and higher-order finite difference method are briefly reviewed. Next, applications of the real-space higherorder finite difference ab initio pseudopotential method to different properties of various nanostructured materials are presented. These applications include (i) structural and electronic properties of small semiconductor (Si, Ge, GeTe) clusters, (ii) calculation of quasiparticle and exciton binding energies in Si quantum dots containing up to 1,000 atoms, and (iii) a new efficient real-space approach for calculating the microscopic dielectric screening matrix, its inverse, and the resulting exciton Coulomb energies in hydrogenated Si clusters up to ∼ 1 nm diameter in size.
Unconventional engineering teaching tools

This article describes progress on the development of a new engineering course for freshman students. During the course, students work on a series of projects aimed at illustrating various aspects of the design cycle. To aid in the design, students are encouraged to experiment with personal computers equipped with multimedia, computer-aided design software, and data acquisition hardware.
Temporal trends in receipt of adequate lymphadenectomy in bladder cancer 1988 to 2010.

Abstract Introduction and objective The importance of pelvic lymphadenectomy (LND) for diagnostic and therapeutic purposes at the time of radical cystectomy (RC) for bladder cancer is well documented. Although some debate remains on the optimal number of lymph nodes removed, 10 nodes has been proposed as constituting an adequate LND. We used data from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results database to examine predictors and temporal trends in the receipt of an adequate LND at the time of RC for bladder cancer. Material and methods Within the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results database, we extracted data on all patients with nonmetastatic bladder cancer receiving RC in the years 1988 to 2010. First, we assess the proportion of individuals undergoing RC who received an adequate LND (≥10 nodes removed) over time. Second, we calculate odds ratios (ORs) of receiving an adequate LND using logistic regression modeling to compare study periods. Covariates included sex, race, age, region, tumor stage, urban vs. rural location, and insurance status. Results Among the 5,696 individuals receiving RC during the years 1988 to 2010, 2,576 (45.2%) received an adequate LND. Over the study period, the proportion of individuals receiving an adequate LND increased from 26.4% to 61.3%. The odds of receiving an adequate LND increased over the study period; a patient undergoing RC in 2008 to 2010 was over 4-fold more likely to receive an adequate LND relative to a patient treated in 1988 to 1991 (OR = 4.63, 95% CI: 3.32–6.45). In addition to time of surgery, tumor stage had a positive association with receipt of adequate LND (OR = 1.49 for stage IV [T4 N1 or N0] vs. stage I [T1 or Tis], 95% CI: 1.22–1.82). Age, sex, marital status, and race were not significant predictors of adequate LND. Conclusion Adequacy of pelvic LND remains an important measure of surgical quality in bladder cancer. Our data show that over the years 1988 to 2010, the likelihood of receiving an adequate LND has increased substantially; however, a substantial minority of patients still does not receive LND. Further study into factors leading to adequate LND is needed to increase the use of this important technique.
Muscular endurance training and motor unit firing patterns during fatigue

With muscular training, the central nervous system may regulate motor unit firing rates to sustain force output and delay fatigue. The aims of this study were to investigate motor unit firing rates and patterns of the adductor pollicis (AdP) muscle in young, able-bodied adults throughout a sustained submaximal isometric fatiguing contraction and postactivation potentiation pre-post 4 weeks of muscular endurance training. Fifteen participants (training group: N = 10; control group: N = 5) performed maximal voluntary contractions (MVCs) and a sustained isometric 20 % MVC fatigue task pre-post training. Single-motor-unit potentials were recorded from the AdP during the fatigue task with intramuscular fine-wire electrodes. Twitch force potentiation was measured during single-pulse electrical stimulation of the ulnar nerve before and after MVCs. The training group endurance trained their AdP muscle at 20 % MVC for 4 weeks. Mean motor unit firing rates were calculated every 5 % of endurance time (ET). ET increased by 45.2 ± 8.7 % (p < 0.001) following muscular endurance training. Although ET increased, mean motor unit firing rates during the fatigue task did not change significantly with training. The general motor unit firing pattern consisted of an initial slowing followed by an increase in firing rate late in fatigue and remained consistent pre-post training. Potentiation did not change following training. These data suggest that the ability of the neuromuscular system to sustain motor unit firing rate may serve as a mechanism to augment the duration of submaximal muscle performance and delay muscular fatigue.
Warriors and Terrorists: Antagonism as Strategy in Christian Hardcore and Muslim “Taqwacore” Punk Rock

This article contributes to new scholarship in the sociological study of religion, which looks at how people define and communicate religion in secular spheres. I show how U.S. Christian Hardcore and Muslim “Taqwacore” (taqwa means “god consciousness” in Arabic) punks draw on the tools of a punk rock culture that is already encoded with its own set of symbols, rituals and styles to: 1) understand themselves as religious/punk and 2) express religion in punk rock environments. I find that both cases draw on a punk rock motif of antagonism—oppositional attitudes and violent rituals and symbols—to see themselves as religious/punk and express religion in punk in different ways. Christian punks use this motif to condemn other Christians for denouncing punk and create space for Protestant evangelical Christianity in punk. Taqwacores use this motif to criticize Islam for its conservatism as well as non-Muslims for stereotyping Muslims as religious fanatics. In the process, Taqwacores build a space for alienated brown youth who exist on the margins of mainstream American culture and traditional Islam.
Ideal sinks are not always ideal: Radiation damage accumulation in nanocomposites

Abstract Designing radiation tolerant materials is one of the primary challenges associated with advanced nuclear energy systems. One attractive route that has received much attention world-wide is to introduce a high density of sinks, often in the form of interfaces or secondary phases. Here, we develop a simple model of such nanocomposites and examine the ramifications of various factors on the overall radiation stability of the material. In particular, we determine how the distribution of secondary phases, the relative sink strength of those phases, and the irradiation temperature influence the radiation tolerance of the matrix. We find that the best scenario is one in which the sinks have intermediate strength, transiently trapping defects before releasing them back into the matrix. Neither perfect sinks nor the complete absence of sinks perform as well. This provides new insight into the optimal properties of nanocomposites for radiation damage environments.
Accuracy of a new low-flow sidestream capnography technology in newborns: a pilot study.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the accuracy of a new low-flow sidestream capnography technology and analyze components of the capnogram in mechanically ventilated newborns with and without pulmonary disease. METHODS: Twenty patients were prospectively identified. Eligible infants were mechanically ventilated and had an indwelling arterial catheter. Two groups were identified: newborns who were receiving mechanical ventilation for pulmonary diseases, and newborns who were receiving postoperative mechanical ventilation for nonpulmonary conditions. End-tidal CO2 (PetCO2) was measured for 1-minute pre- and post-arterial blood sampling, and PetCO2 and PaCO2 were compared for each patient. Eight quantitative waveform parameters were also measured on all patients. RESULTS: Newborns in the pulmonary group (n=13) (persistent pulmonary hypertension of the newborn/meconium aspiration syndrome, respiratory distress syndrome, pneumonia) and newborns in the control group (n=7) were matched for birth weight, gestational age, and postnatal age. PetCO2–PaCO2 Gradient values were higher in the pulmonary group (7.4±3.3 mm Hg) than controls (3.4±2.4 mm Hg). Four waveform parameters (ascending slope, alveolar angle, alpha angle, descending angle) were identified, which independently differentiated patients with pulmonary disease from controls. CONCLUSIONS: Low-flow capnography with Microstream technology accurately measured alveolar CO2 in newborns without pulmonary disease, as demonstrated by normal PetCO2–PaCO2 gradients. The measured PetCO2–PaCO2 gradient, as expected, was significantly higher in newborns with pulmonary disease. We also identified four quantitative waveform parameters that may be useful in differentiating between mechanically ventilated newborn patients with and without lung disease.
Primary productivity and nutrients in the sediment retention basin of Lake Monroe

Lake Monroe is the largest body of water in Indiana with a daily mean productivity of 220 mg · C · m−2 · day−1 in an observed range from 26 to 714 m · C · M−2 day−1. It is a medium soft reservoir; the acid combining capacity varies from 0.28 to 0.71 meq · l−1 with a mean slightly above 0.5 meq · l−1. The results of diurnal changes in major nutrients, the C, N, and P ratios, and bioassay experiments indicated that phosphorus is the major limiting nutrient on algal photosynthesis in this lake. Surface photo-inhibition may be used to indicate the sufficiency of light for the species of algae in the water. The low productivity in December, January, February, and early March can be attributed to light limitation due to low water transparency.
Optimal random monetary policy with nominal rigidity

Abstract This paper studies a money-in-the-utility function model with imperfect competition and one-period ahead nominal price setting. Under standard assumptions on preferences, Friedman's rule—setting the money growth rate equal to the household time discount factor—generates an equilibrium that is optimal within the class of deterministic policies. We then provide conditions under which a random monetary policy increases ex ante expected welfare relative to Friedman's rule. The result obtains because random policy can reduce the distortion associated with imperfect competition. Our result exhibits original features relative to existing cases of welfare-improving random monetary policy, such as Polemarchakis and Weiss (J. Econom. Theory 15 (1977) 345).
Role of PKCδ in IFN-γ-inducible CIITA gene expression

Abstract The class II transactivator (CIITA) is a key regulatory factor for MHC class II expression. Here, we demonstrate that PKCδ plays an important role in regulating IFN-γ-inducible CIITA gene expression in macrophages. Inhibition of PKCδ by either a PKCδ inhibitor or a dominant negative (DN) mutant form of PKCδ led to down-regulation of CIITA expression. The decrease in CIITA expression by PKCδ inhibition was in part due to the reduced recruitment of serine 727-phosphorylated Stat1 and histone acetyltransferases to the CIITA promoter. As a result, IFN-γ induced histone acetylation at the CIITA promoter is also compromised. However, inhibition of PKCδ did not affect IRF-1 expression or IRF-1 binding to the CIITA promoter. Therefore, we report, for the first time, that PKCδ is an essential signaling molecule to achieve the maximal expression of CIITA in response to IFN-γ in macrophages. In addition, although IRF-1 is a key transcription factor to activate the IFN-γ inducible CIITA promoter, the effect of PKCδ on CIITA expression is mediated primarily by serine phosphorylation of Stat 1.
On the similarity of odor and language perception

The association between olfaction and language is discussed. The effects of odor on human behavior and cognitive processing are reviewed as are electrophysiological studies of odor/language interactions. Also reviewed are specific effects of odor administration on language-dependent tasks. The hypothesis is advanced that odor information processing shares some of the cortical resources used in processing language and that interference between these two types of stimuli occurs when they are simultaneously processed. The reason for this overlap in resources is thought to be due to the similarities in the spatio-temporal patterns produced in the neural coding of odors and language.
Health advisor workload

Health advisors (HAs) are an integral part of the multidisciplinary team within genitourinary (GU) medicine clinics, with a pivotal role in the National Sexual Health Strategy by enhancing liaison between community sexual health provision and GU medicine services. Greater clarity is needed about HAs' current activities and workload in order to enable benchmarking and ensure accurate workforce planning. We describe a tool for assessing HA workload and activity and evaluating its use in real clinic environments through a prospective time and motion model.Ten centres (63% of those invited to participate) within a single region did so. Median HA working times were calculated at almost 15 min/patient consultation and approximately 10 min/telephone call.Although there were strong positive correlations between HA availability and some markers of clinical activity, these were weaker than similar correlations applied to medical staff, raising the possibility of suboptimal HA workforce planning.
Ontological knowledge and sentence anomaly

According to Keil (1979) , there is a hierarchical one-to-one mapping of the predicate—term relations of language onto the basic structure of knowledge. An attempt was made to replicate and extend Keil's study of the effects of ontological knowledge on judgments of sentence acceptability. In the present study, subjects were presented with wider ranges of stimuli and instructions than those used by Keil. Overall, subjects failed to make sentence acceptability judgments that accord with Keil's formulation. Even in the stimulus condition most closely approximating that used by Keil, subjects accepted sentences that his theory identifies as anomalous. The data suggests that terms referring to objects and terms referring to events cannot be located unambiguously within a single hierarchy. The results of the study further suggest that the range of sentence interpretation exceeds the limits of a rigid hierarchical system.
The Influence of Insertion-Instruction Strategies on Noise Reduction Estimates Achieved with Industrial Earplugs

This study was conducted to evaluate the influence of various levels of insertion-instructions on earplug attenuation. Five levels of instruction and five common earplug designs were evaluated. A Noise Reduction Estimate (NRE), a single-number rating for earplug dB attenuation, was determined for each earplug using each insertion-instruction technique. Results based on analysis of variance and subsequent Newman-Keuls tests revealed certain earplug designs were extremely sensitive to instruction. Comparison of obtained NRE data with a previous in-field investigation indicated that with some earplug designs, industrial workers were actually receiving noise protection equivalent to the protection achieved by the “no instruction” group in this study.
The vertical dimensional change resulting from polishing or glazing porcelain

Studies have shown that polishing porcelain can produce a smooth surface similar to that resulting from a natural glaze. It has been reported that glazing porcelain causes changes in the occlusal vertical dimension. This study evaluated the changes in vertical dimension after natural glazing and polishing procedures. Twenty uniform-size tricuspid porcelain-fused-to-metal crowns were constructed on a mandibular typodont tooth. A inch steel ball was cradled between the three cusps, and the occlusal vertical dimension was measured from the top of the steel ball to the base of the castings. Contact areas were marked and lightly removed. Ten crowns received natural glazing and the remaining 10 were polished with a Shofu polishing kit. Measurements of occlusal vertical dimension were repeated. All of the crowns showed a loss of occlusal vertical dimension. The mean loss for polished crowns was significantly higher than that recorded for the glazed crowns.
Syndecan-3, tenascin-C, and the development of cartilaginous skeletal elements and joints in chick limbs

The mechanisms by which the early limb cell condensations and interzone mesenchyme give rise to skeletal elements and joints are poorly understood. Previous work from this laboratory has shown that the extracellular matrix protein tenascin-C is associated with articular cartilage and joint tissue development; others have shown that tenascin-C may exert its biological activities via interactions with cell surface receptors, such as syndecans. To further analyze the roles of tenascin-C and its putative receptors in skeletal development, we carried out a detailed in situ hybridization analysis of tenascin-C and syndecan-3 gene expression during development of chick limb skeletal elements and joints. We found that as the early mesenchymal condensations chondrify around day 5 (E5) of development, they become surrounded by a thick syndecan-3 rich perichondrium while tenascin-C transcripts are much fewer and restricted to diaphyseal perichondrium and developing interzones. Similar patterns were observed as distal carpal and digit condensations formed in older embryos. As the cartilaginous long bone models elongated proximo-distally and joint formation proceeded with age, we observed that syndecan-3 transcripts decrease significantly along the diaphysis and remain very abundant along the metaphysis and in the epiphyseal articular cap and interzone. Conversely, tenascin-C RNAs remain abundant along the diaphysis and begin to increase at the epiphysis and in interzone-derived tissues, such as menisci and joint capsule. By E10, the skeletal elements have well-defined morphologies, endochondral ossification has initiated in their diaphysis, and diaphyseal perichondrium has become periosteum. These developmental changes were accompanied by equally marked changes in gene expression; these included a marked increase in tenascin-C gene expression in articular cap, fragmentation of tenascin-C gene expression along the periosteum, reinitiation of syndecan-3 gene expression in periosteum, and differential gene expression in osteoprogenitor cells. The sheer complexity of the gene expression patterns documented in this study attests to the complexity of processes that bring about normal skelatogenesis. Clearly, tenascin-C and syndecan-3 appear to be closely associated with several of these processes, particularly in establishing tissue boundaries (perichondrium and periosteum) between condensations and surrounding mesenchymal cells, in regulating perichondral cell differentiation and incorporation into the growing skeletal elements, and in the genesis of epiphyseal chondrocytes and associated joint tissues.
Influence of experience on scanning strategies in mammography

The goal of this study was to determine if there are significant differences in the ways in which experienced and inexperienced radiologists search mammograms for the detection of lesions. The eye position of six radiologists (3 staff mammographers, 3 radiology residents) was recorded as they searched mammograms for masses and microcalcifications. True and false positive decisions were associated with prolonged gaze durations; false-negative decisions were associated with longer gaze durations than true-negatives. Readers with more experience tended to detect lesions earlier in search than readers with less experience; but those with less experience tended to spend more time overall searching the images and cover more image area than those with more experience. Mammographic search for readers with different degrees of experience can be characterized by gaze durations, scan paths and detection times.
Attention and the role of dual codes in phoneme monitoring

Abstract In a series of 16 experiments, the reaction time to decide which of two stop consonants, /b/ or /p/, for example, was the initial phoneme of a single target-bearing item was measured. In half of the experiments word frequency was varied and in the other half, lexical status (words vs. nonwords) was varied. When listeners had only to monitor the target-bearing items for the initial consonant, nonsignificant effects of word frequency and lexical status were found. However, with the addition of a secondary task that focused attention on the consequences of lexical processing by requiring listeners to indicate whether the targetbearing item was a noun or verb or a word or nonword, highly reliable lexical effects were obtained: phoneme monitoring times were faster for high than for low frequency words and faster for words than for nonwords. A secondary task that required a judgment regarding item duration did not yield reliable effects of frequency or lexical status. Finally, degrading the targets with pink noise also resulted in reliable lexical effects. An explanation of the results was offered that rested on the following assumptions: (1) competition (i.e., a race) normally exists between which representation, the pre- or postlexical, will be the basis for phoneme decisions; with the prelexical code the usual winner, but that (2) attention to postlexical representations may at times override the consequences of the competition between representations.
Diverging derivatives: Law, governance and modern financial markets

Abstract This paper examines the institutional, political and regulatory history of U.S. derivatives markets from the 1980s until the financial crisis of 2008 to understand the divergence between exchange-traded derivatives and over-the-counter derivatives. Although exchanges like the Chicago Mercantile Exchange and Chicago Board of Trade were powerful market incumbents with strong political connections, they were eclipsed by the over-the-counter market. The latter remained unregulated, despite numerous attempts to do so, and grew to enormous size. With such growth, the political decision not to regulate became increasingly irreversible, even in the face of events like the failure of Long Term Capital Management. The implications for law and the politics of financial regulation are discussed.
Rye Cover Crop Management for Corn Production in the Northern Mid-Atlantic Region

A late-killed rye (Secale cereale L.) cover crop has many environmental benefits. However, rye can reduce following corn (Zea mays L.) yield and compromise pre-emergence herbicide activity. Our hypotheses were (i) rye reduces corn yields, especially if killed at late-boot stage; (ii) in-row tillage helps alleviate yield reductions; and (iii) postemergence weed control will be more effective than pre-emergence weed control in the presence of rye mulch. Corn was planted 7 to 10 d after rye was killed at early- and late-boot stage with no-till or zone-till. A no-rye control was included for comparison. Herbicide programs included half rate of pre-emergence herbicide, full rate of pre-emergence herbicide, and a postemergence herbicide. Rye biomass, soil bulk density, corn yield and population, and weed biomass were determined. Average rye biomass was 1400 kg ha -1 dry matter (DM) at early-boot stage and 4200 kg ha -1 DM at late-boot stage. In 2001, bulk density was reduced 0.08 Mg m -3 in the 0- to 10-cm depth in the late-killed rye plots compared with no rye or early killed rye. Rye never reduced no-till corn yields. Allelopathic effects of rye on corn were absent, calling for a better understanding of its underlying principles. Zone-till did not improve corn yields. Good weed control resulted from all herbicide programs due to low weed severity. The results suggest that rye cover crops will not reduce corn yields if rye is killed 7 to 10 d before corn planting and if adequate N is applied.
Low right-handed mass scale in SO(10) within the decoupled parity breaking scenario

Abstract Chang, Mohapatra, and Parida have recently examined a scenario within SO(10) grand unified theories wherein the breaking of SU(2)R and parity are decoupled. We analyze the possibility that the low-energy weak interaction group is SU(2)L × SU(2)R × U(1)B−L within this scenario for various possible choices of Higgs representations. The sensitivity of the weak mixing angle and unification scale to the various values of the input parameters are examined. Agreement of the model with data requires the parity breaking scale to exceed 1012 GeV for the cases examined. A significant amount of fine tuning is required.
Two-year weight-loss maintenance in primary care-based Diabetes Prevention Program lifestyle interventions

Two-year weight-loss maintenance in primary care-based Diabetes Prevention Program lifestyle interventions
1120 IN VITRO INHIBITION OF HUMAN PLACENTAL AMINO ACID (A-A) UPTAKE: SYNERGISM BETWEEN NICOTINE (Nic) AND ACETALDEHYDE (AcH)

A recurrent problem in understanding the pathophysiology of the fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) is separation of the effects of alcohol drinking habits from other social habits (e.g. smoking). Work in this laboratory has suggested that in vivo ethanol (EtOH) and in vitro AcH inhibit A-A transport across the placenta, thereby contributing to the etiology of the FAS. Furthermore, it is known that pharmacologic concentrations of Nic inhibit A-A uptake by human placental villi. Therefore, we investigated the effect of physiologic concentrations of EtOH, AcH and Nic upon in vitro uptake of 14C-α-amino isobutyric acid (AIB) by human placental villi. In 4 experiments with EtOH (200 mg/dl) and Nic (0.2 uM), there was no difference (p > 0.2) (matched pair analysis) in 90 minute uptake of AIB between control (C) and EtOH, Nic or EtOH plus Nic exposed tissue. In 8 additional experiments, there was no difference (p > 0.2) between C and Nic (0.2 uM). AcH (2.0 uM) showed a trend for lowered uptake (% inhibition 11.1 ± 3.7, mean ± SEM) (p < 0.1). However, AcH plus Nic resulted in a significant (p < 0.03) reduction in AIB uptake (% inhibition 22.8 ± 4.9) when compared to C or AcH alone. CONCLUSION: (1) Nic alone, at a concentration found in smokers' sera, does not impair placental uptake of A-A. (2) AcH, at the very low concentration of 2.0 uM, causes slight inhibition of uptake. (3) Nic plus AcH appear to be synergistic, significantly inhibiting placental A-A uptake. Therefore, we speculate that cigarette smoking may potentiate placental insufficiency associated with EtOH ingestion.
On monoids presented by a single relation

Abstract A monoid presented by a single relation has elements ≠ 1 of finite order if and only if the presentation is 〈 X ; p m p ′ = p n p ′〉, where p is a primitive word in the free monoid on X and p ′ is a left factor of p . The word problem and the divisibility problems are shown to be solvable. Also necessary and sufficient conditions for residual finiteness are given.
Validation of a nitrogen washout system to measure functional residual capacity in premature infants with hyaline membrane disease.

A multiple-breath nitrogen washout system designed to measure lung volume in mechanically ventilated infants was validated by assessing three performance criteria: 1) accuracy of lung volume measurements in the presence of an endotracheal tube leak was assessed by comparing the measurements of functional residual capacity (FRC) in a mechanical lung model with and without airway leak; 2) in vivo accuracy was assessed in rabbits by comparing FRC measurements obtained by this system with measurements obtained by helium dilution; and 3) in vivo precision was assessed by analyzing measurements of FRC obtained in replicate measurements at different times in ventilator-dependent premature infants with hyaline membrane disease. The average difference between the measurements of FRC in a mechanical lung model with airway leak and without leak was 3.0 +/- 9.4% (mean +/- SD, P > 0.2), and no difference was greater than 20%. There was a significant correlation between the measurements of FRC in rabbits by nitrogen washout and by helium dilution (r = 0.93, P 0.98, P < 0.0001). The coefficient of variation was 12.3%. These findings provide further validation of this multiple-breath nitrogen washout system for measuring FRC in premature infants during mechanical ventilation.
Puffer fish oil; a very potent antirachitic; its elaboration by fish deprived of sunlight.

The most potent source of the antirachitic factor is fish oil, that from the liver of the cod having been found to be most active. In the course of an assay of various foods, etc., it was ascertained that the liver of the puffer fish (Spheroides maculatus) not only contains a large quantity of oil, but that this oil has exceptional antirachitic power. The oil was prepared from the liver by means of steam, by a method similar to that which is made use of in extracting oil from the livers of the cod. On testing this puffer fish oil biologically, it was found to be at least 15 times as potent as the most active specimens of cod liver oil. Such was the case in preventive tests in which the Sherman-Pap-penheimer diet was fed, as well as in curative tests in which the McCollum diet was employed as a basal ration. No doubt if the stearine had been removed, the activity of the oil would have been proportionately increased.No investigations have been carried out to ascertain whether the remarkable antirachitic pot...
Transient Analysis of Unbalanced Short Circuit of Synchronous Machines

The line-to-ground short-circuit case of a synchronous machine is solved. By mathematical analysis, new and complete expressions for short-circuit currents, torque, and open phase voltage are derived for ready uses.
The absolute rates of radiative and of nonradiative decay from three vibronic levels in isolated 1B2u benzene molecules

Abstract Absolute rate constants for radiative and for nonradiative decay from three single vibronic levels of isolated 1 B 2u benzene molecules are derived from experimental data. Both rate constants show sensitivity to the vibrational state of the excited molecule. Their correspondence with the theory of vibronically induced radiative transitions and with the theory of nonradiative transitions in large molecules is discussed.
Convergence of the endocytic and lysosomal pathways in soybean protoplasts.

Ultrastructural analysis of endocytosis of cationized ferritin (CF) has been combined with ultrastructural localization of acid phosphatases (AcPase) in soybean (Glycine max (L.) Merr.) protoplasts. While CF is an electron-dense marker of organelles of the endocytic pathway, ultrastructural histochemistry of AcPase identifies the organelles involved in the synthesis, transport, and storage of lytic-compartment enzymes, i.e. the lysosomal pathway. Acid phosphatases have been localized using both lead- and cerium-precipitation techniques. Protoplasts have been exposed to CF for 5 min, 30 min, or 3 h and processed for AcPase localization. At 5 min, smooth vesicles contain both CF and AcPase. By 30 min, Golgi cisternae and multivesicular bodies contain both labels. By 3 h, vacuoles become labelled with both CF and AcPase. The large central vacuoles contain intraluminal membranes which are associated with both AcPase and CF. These observations extend the analogy between plant vacuoles and animal lysosomes and demonstrate the points at which the endocytic pathway of plants converges with the lysosomal pathway.
Quantification of Clustering in Joint Interspike Interval Scattergrams of Spike Trains

Joint interval scattergrams are usually employed in determining serial correlations between events of spike trains. However, any inherent structures in such scattergrams that are often seen in experimental records are not quantifiable by serial correlation coefficients. Here, we develop a method to quantify clustered structures in any two-dimensional scattergram of pairs of interspike intervals. The method gives a cluster coefficient as well as clustering density function that could be used to quantify clustering in scattergrams obtained from first- or higher-order interval return maps of single spike trains, or interspike interval pairs drawn from simultaneously recorded spike trains. The method is illustrated using numerical spike trains as well as in vitro pairwise recordings of rat striatal tonically active neurons.
Computer-generated hologram cavity interferometry test for large x-ray mirror mandrels: design

A glancing-incidence interferometric test for large x-ray mirror mandrels, using two computer-generated holograms (CGHs), is described. The two CGHs are used to form a double-pass glancing-incidence system. One layout of the CGH-cavity glancing-incidence interferometer is studied and factors relating to its design are analyzed. A semianalytical expression for the phase function is derived that avoids high-order ripple errors and improves the efficiency of the CGH pattern generation. A system of coarse and fine fiducials for establishing the CGH-cavity and aligning the tested mandrel is discussed. Compared with traditional measurement devices, such as coordinate measuring machines (CMMs) or other scanning metrology systems, the CGH-cavity glancing-incidence interferometer can measure a mandrel surface without mechanical contact, at a high spatial sampling frequency, with lower uncertainty, and at high speed.
Handwritten signature retrieval and identification

Many applications in image science require similarity retrieval of an image from a large collection of images. In such cases, image indexing becomes important for efficient organization and retrieval of images. This paper addresses this issue in the context of a database of handwritten signature images and describes a system for similarity retrieval and identification of handwritten signature images. The proposed system uses a set of geometric and topologic features to map a signature image into two strings of finite symbols. A local associative indexing scheme is then used on the strings to organize and search the signature image database. The advantage of the local associative indexing is that it is tolerant of missing features and allows queries even with partial signatures. The performance of the system has been tested with an image database of 120 signatures. The results obtained indicate that the proposed system is able to identify signatures with great accuracy even when a part of a signature is missing.
Effects of event structure on retrospective duration judgments

Two experiments examined whether varying degrees of event coherence influence the remembering of an event’s actual duration. Relying on musical compositions (Experiment 1) or filmed narratives (Experiment 2) as experimental stimuli, the underlying hierarchy of information within events (i.e., melodic intervals or story elements) was either attentionally highlighted or obscured by placing a varying number of accents (i.e., prolonged notes or commercial breaks) at locations that either coincided or conflicted with grammatical phrase boundaries. When subjects were unexpectedly asked to judge the actual duration of events, through a reproduction (Experiment 1) or verbal estimation (Experiment 2) task, duration estimates became more accurate and less variable when the pattern of accentuation increasingly outlined the events’ nested relationships. Conversely, when the events’ organization was increasingly obscured through accentuation, time judgments not only became less accurate and more variable, but were consistently overestimated. These findings support a theoretical framework emphasizing the effects of event structure on attending and remembering activities.
Receding horizon control and discontinuous state feedback stabilization

This paper addresses three aspects of receding horizon control in discrete-time: (1) feedback stabilization of general nonlinear systems with receding horizon control; (2) the generation of stabili...
Comparison of ephrin-A ligand and EphA receptor distribution in the developing inner ear.

Members of the recently discovered Eph family appear to play important roles in a variety of developmental processes including tissue segmentation, cell migration and axonal guidance. To begin to understand the functions of the EphA subclass of receptors and their corresponding GPI-linked (ephrin-A) ligands in the inner ear, a developmental immunohistochemical analysis was completed. The results indicated that the ligands ephrin-A1 and ephrin-A2 were localized mainly at cellular boundaries in the inner ear. Ephrin-A1 was detected mainly in the epithelial cells lining the fluid filled ducts of the inner ear, whereas ephrin-A2 was prominently expressed in connective tissue regions. The receptor EphA4 was detected in vestibular hair cells. EphA5 and EphA7 were detected mainly in cochlear and vestibular supporting cells. These results suggest that these Eph molecules play a role in establishing the formation and cellular organization of the complex inner ear labyrinth. Additionally, all of the ligands and receptors evaluated were expressed in vestibular and cochlear neurons at various developmental stages, suggesting they may play a role in establishing or maintaining innervation to the inner ear. Anat Rec 254:127–134, 1999. © 1999 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Growth and yield potential of Oryza sativa and O. glaberrima upland rice cultivars and their interspecific progenies

Abstract A recent breakthrough in generating fertile progeny from Oryza sativa × O. glaberrima crosses gives rice breeders access to a broader range of germplasm. Interspecific crosses might provide new solutions to the low productivity of upland rice systems prone to weed competition. Two field and one pot experiments conducted during 1995 and 1996 served to characterize growth and yield potential of CG14 ( O. glaberrima ), WAB56-104 ( O. sativa ) and their progeny. During the 1995 wet season and the 1996 dry and wet seasons, the lines were seeded in a well-drained upland field in Ivory Coast with supplemental sprinkler irrigation. A randomized complete-block design with three replications was used, with cultivar and nitrogen levels as sub-plots. Specific leaf area (SLA), leaf area index (LAI), leaf chlorophyll content (SPAD method) and tiller number were measured at 2-week intervals until flowering. Grain yield and yield components were measured at maturity. In all environments, CG14 produced two to three times the LAI and tiller numbers as WAB56-104. This was associated with a high SLA and low leaf chlorophyll content. Grain yields of CG14 did not respond to N inputs, although the sink potential did. The difference was mainly caused by grain shattering. The progenies had intermediate LAI, SLA and leaf chlorophyll content, but their grain yields, tiller numbers and resistance to lodging and grain shattering were similar to WAB56-104. Across lines, LAI and SLA were significantly correlated. A paddy field experiment confirmed the relationship between LAI and SLA for a wider range of rice cultivars and interspecific progenies. A pot experiment demonstrated that leaf net CO 2 assimilation rates ( A max ) followed a common linear function of areal leaf chlorophyll content across cultivars. The main common cause of differential LAI and A max appeared to have been genotypic patterns of SLA, which might be an important determinant of growth vigor and competitiveness with weeds. The possibility is discussed of combining, in a single line, high SLA during vegetative growth (for weed competitiveness) with low SLA during the reproductive growth phase (for high yield potential), to produce an efficient plant type for low-management conditions.
Subnanosecond switching of local spin-exchange coupled to ferromagnets

The dynamics of a single spin that is embedded in a tunnel junction between ferromagnetic contacts is strongly affected by the exchange coupling to the tunneling electrons, By using time-dependent equations of motion for the spin, which is under the influence of a spin-polarized tunneling current, it is shown that the magnetic field induced by bias voltage pulses allows for a subnanosecond switching of the local spin and the possibility of spin reversal is illustrated. Furthermore, it is shown that the time evolution of the Larmor frequency sharply peaks around the spin-flip event and it is argued that this feature can be used as an indicator for the spin flip.
Monitoring global and national food price crises

This paper develops, calibrates, and runs a new food price crisis monitoring framework. The proposed framework has an integrated approach to capture global and national vulnerabilities and offers an alternative to existing food insecurity information systems, which suffer from a lack of consensus on the definition of “food crisis.” The framework successfully identifies the recent episodes of food price crises in 2008, 2011, and 2012. This paper also recommends ways in which the framework could be refined to increase country coverage and provide better information on country-level food inflation.