cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Political Theory and the Teaching of Creationism

A recent New York Times article reports that a publicly financed charter school scheduled to open in Rochester New York will present “creationism as a scientifically based theory competing with the theory of evolution.” A number of groups are listed as opposing opening of the school. This is one more episode in an insurgency movement mounted by Christian evangelicals and their allies, an insurgency that refuses to accept the verdict of secular, mainstream biology concerning the origin of species, especially homo sapiens. My interest in this essay lies in the challenge this movement poses to those who wish to find a basis in contemporary democratic and liberal theory from which to refuse such a school public support. I shall argue that neither democratic theory nor the principal versions of liberal theory have the resources to effectively challenge its legitimacy. Although no information is given in the newspaper article, I will assume that the point of teaching both theories is to familiarize students with the claims made on behalf of each. I will also assume that the teacher is free to express her own opinion, which is likely to be in support of the creationist account.
A nonlethal mutation in large T antigen of polyomavirus which affects viral DNA synthesis.

A mutation in polyomavirus large T antigen which affects viral DNA synthesis was discovered in strain NG59RA (RA). The effect was most visible in nonpermissive cells. Although a substantial yield in DNA synthesis is normally observed in infections of Fischer rat cells when these are maintained at 33 degrees C (D.L. Hacker, K.H. Friderici, C. Priehs, S. Kalvonjian, and M.M. Fluck, p. 173-181, in R.E. Moses and W.C. Summers, ed., DNA Replication and Mutagenesis, 1988; D.L. Hacker and M.M. Fluck, Mol. Cell. Biol., in press), a 10- to 20-fold decrease in yield was obtained in infections with RA. The yield of free viral DNA in RA transformants was also strongly diminished, whether the transformants were maintained at 37 or 33 degrees C. A large reduction in the apparent number of integration sites, as well as a small reduction in the incidence of tandem integration of the viral genome, was observed in F-111 or FR-3T3 cells transformed by the mutant strain. This appears not to be directly related to the number of integration templates. A DNA fragment was identified which rescues these phenotypes. The fragment is located between the HindIII and NsiI restriction sites (nucleotides 1656 to 1910), a region which encodes only large T antigen. Sequence analysis of this region reveals a C-to-G transition at nucleotide 1791 which causes a proline-to-alanine change in the amino acid sequence of large T antigen. No other mutations have been previously reported in this region of large T antigen.
Laparoscopic Nissen Fundoplication

Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is a functional disorder that occurs when refluxed gastric contents produce symptoms or tissue damage. Indications for an antireflux procedure such as laparoscopic Nissen fundoplication in a child are: failure of medical therapy for GERD, dependence on aggressive or prolonged medical therapy, or high risk to develop GERD following placement of a feeding gastrostomy for nutritional support. In 1991, Dallemagne et al. reported laparoscopic Nissen fundoplication in adults. In 1993, Georgeson and Lobe et al. separately reported laparoscopic Nissen fundoplication in children. Since then laparoscopic antireflux surgery has shown benefits to patients in reduced hospital stay and improved cosmesis, while being highly effective and performed with low morbidity and mortality (Sydorak and Albanese 2002). Although many other techniques are available for the surgical treatment of pathologic reflux in children, laparoscopic Nissen fundoplication remains the standard for correction of GERD.
Transport and electrostatics in metallic carbon nanotubes

We calculate the current and electrostatic potential drop in metallic carbon nanotube wires self-consistently, by solving the Green's function and electrostatics equations. For single wall nanotubes, we find that there are two qualitatively different regimes corresponding to low and high biases. In the low bias regime (100 mV), about one tenth of the applied voltage drops across the bulk of a nanowire, independent of the lengths considered here. The remaining nine tenths of the bias drops near the contacts, thereby creating a non linear potential drop. In the high voltage regime, the potential drops primarily across the bulk of the nanowire. The electric field at the nanotube center increases with increase in nanotube diameter for low biases. The scaling of the electric field at the center of the nanotube with length (L) is faster than 1/L (roughly 1/L/sup 1.25-1.75/) at low biases, and 1/L at high biases. At room temperature, the low bias conductance of large diameter nanotubes is larger than 4e/sup 2//h due to occupation of non crossing subbands. The physics of conductance evolution with bias due to the competing factors of transmission into non crossing subbands and phonon scattering is discussed.
Clinical skills-related learning goals of senior medical students after performance feedback.

CONTEXT Lifelong learning is essential fordoctors to maintain competence in clinicalskills. With performance feedback, learnersshould be able to formulate speciﬁc andachievable learning goals in areas of need.OBJECTIVES We aimed to determine: (i) thetype and speciﬁcity of medical student learninggoals after a required clinical performanceexamination; (ii) differences in goal settingamong low, average and high performers, and(iii) whether low performers articulate learninggoals that are concordant with their learningneeds.METHODS We conducted a single-site, multi-year, descriptive comparison study. Seniormedical students were given performancebenchmarks, individual feedback and guide-lines on learning goals; each student was sub-sequently instructed to write two clinical skillslearning goals. Investigators coded the learninggoals for speciﬁcity, categorised the goals, andperformed statistical analyses to determinetheir concordance with student performancelevel (low, average or high) in data gathering(history taking and physical examination) orcommunication skills.RESULTS All 208 students each wrote twolearning goals and most (n = 200, 96%) wrotetwo speciﬁc learning goals. Nearly two-thirdsof low performers in data gathering wrote atleast one learning goal that referred to historytaking or physical examination; one-third wrotelearning goals pertaining to the organisationof the encounter. High performers in datagathering wrote signiﬁcantly more patienteducation goals and signiﬁcantly fewer history-taking goals than average or low performers.Only 50% of low performers in communicationwrote learning goals related to communicationskills. Low performers in communication weresigniﬁcantly more likely than average or highperformers to identify learning goals related toimprovingperformanceinfutureexaminations.CONCLUSIONS The provision of perfor-mance benchmarking, individual feedback andbrief written guidelines helped most seniormedical students in our study to write speciﬁcclinical skills learning goals. Many low-performing students did not write learninggoals concordant with their areas of weakness.Future work might focus on enhancing lowperformers’ continued learning in areas ofperformance deﬁcits.
Regulation of gene expression of rat skeletal muscle/liver 6-phosphofructo-2-kinase/fructose-2,6-bisphosphatase. Isolation and characterization of a glucocorticoid response element in the first intron of the gene.

At least two genes encode isoenzymes of rat 6-phosphofructo-2-kinase/fructose-2,6-bisphosphatase. Alternative splicing of one of these genes generates a skeletal muscle-specific transcript from an upstream promoter and a liver-specific transcript from a downstream promoter. A potent glucocorticoid response element was identified in the first intron of the gene, i.e. between liver exon I and exon II. The element is approximately 3.5 kilobase pairs (kb) downstream of the liver isoenzyme transcription start site and 13 kb upstream of exon II of the gene and confers dexamethasone-sensitive expression of chloramphenicol acetyltransferase (CAT) activity from a heterologous thymidine kinase promoter and from both homologous 5'-flanking regions of the gene. This glucocorticoid response element also exhibits androgen- but not estrogen-sensitive expression of CAT activity in HeLa cells cotransfected with the appropriate receptor expression vector. DNase footprint and sequence analysis revealed that the element is comprised minimally of two adjacent 15-mer glucocorticoid receptor dimer binding sites situated in opposite orientations. Glucocortcoid regulation of 6-phosphofructo-2-kinase/fructose-2,6-bisphosphatase gene expression in liver and skeletal muscle is mediated by a single complex glucocorticoid response element located in the first intron of the skeletal muscle/liver gene.
Dyadic Associations Between Physical Activity and Depressive Symptoms in Older Adults with Musculoskeletal Conditions and Their Spouses

This study examined the association between physical activity of older individuals with musculoskeletal conditions (IMCs) and their spouses’ physical activity, how physical activity related to one’s own and one’s partner’s depressive symptoms, and whether the similarity of partners’ physical activity related to each partner’s depressive symptoms using the actor–partner interdependence model. Seventy-seven dyads completed self-report measures of physical activity, depressive symptoms and potential covariates (socio-demographics, physical health conditions and marital satisfaction; IMCs’ functional impairment and pain; and spouses’ support-related stress). As hypothesized, we found a positive association between the IMC’s and the spouse’s physical activity. Also, spouses had more depressive symptoms when IMCs engaged in less physical activity. However, for both partners, one’s own physical activity was not significantly associated with one’s own depressive symptoms. The spouse’s physical activity was also not significantly associated with the IMC’s depressive symptoms, and the similarity between partners’ physical activity did not significantly relate to either partner’s depressive symptoms. Our findings suggest that interventions that help increase the physical activity of both partners, but particularly IMCs, may benefit spouses’ well-being.
Direct optical control: a lightweight backup consideration

The author addresses the benefits and issues associated with direct optical flight control and discusses the status of work to bring it to reality. It is noted that the approach considered is compatible with existing and future fly-by-wire and fly-by-light actuation approaches, can be used as a dedicated backup or integrated with primary fly-by-light systems over common command paths, and can be implemented as a minimal or extensive backup with very little weight penalty. In addition, it can be effectively retrofitted to existing fly-by-wire systems, provides enhanced survivability and mission capability in severe EMI (electromagnetic interference) environments, and provides a simple, reliable, and inexpensive backup capability. Direct optical control can be implemented as analog, pulsewidth modulated, etc. and is well adapted for harsh aircraft environments. It does not require new technologies to be developed for effective implementation, is extremely well adapted for power-by-wire actuation systems, and if implemented properly it can substantially reduce aircraft wiring and associated shielding maintenance. >
Use of Whole Exome Sequencing for the Identification of Ito-Based Arrhythmia Mechanism and Therapy

Background-—Identified genetic variants are insufficient to explain all cases of inherited arrhythmia. We tested whether the integration of whole exome sequencing with well-established clinical, translational, and basic science platforms could provide rapid and novel insight into human arrhythmia pathophysiology and disease treatment. Methods and Results-—We report a proband with recurrent ventricular fibrillation, resistant to standard therapeutic interventions. Using whole-exome sequencing, we identified a variant in a previously unidentified exon of the dipeptidyl aminopeptidase-like protein-6 (DPP6) gene. This variant is the first identified coding mutation in DPP6 and augments cardiac repolarizing current (Ito) causing pathological changes in Ito and action potential morphology. We designed a therapeutic regimen incorporating dalfampridine to target Ito. Dalfampridine, approved for multiple sclerosis, normalized the ECG and reduced arrhythmia burden in the proband by >90-fold. This was combined with cilostazol to accelerate the heart rate to minimize the reverse-rate dependence of augmented Ito. Conclusions-—We describe a novel arrhythmia mechanism and therapeutic approach to ameliorate the disease. Specifically, we identify the first coding variant of DPP6 in human ventricular fibrillation. These findings illustrate the power of genetic approaches for the elucidation and treatment of disease when carefully integrated with clinical and basic/translational research teams. ( JA m Heart Assoc. 2015;4:e001762 doi: 10.1161/JAHA.114.001762)
Quantitative analysis and temperature-induced variations of moiré pattern in fiber-coupled imaging sensors

Imaging fiber bundles can map the curved image surface formed by some high-performance lenses onto flat focal plane detectors. The relative alignment between the focal plane array pixels and the quasi-periodic fiber-bundle cores can impose an undesirable space variant moire pattern, but this effect may be greatly reduced by flat-field calibration, provided that the local responsivity is known. Here we demonstrate a stable metric for spatial analysis of the moire pattern strength, and use it to quantify the effect of relative sensor and fiber-bundle pitch, and that of the Bayer color filter. We measure the thermal dependence of the moire pattern, and the achievable improvement by flat-field calibration at different operating temperatures. We show that a flat-field calibration image at a desired operating temperature can be generated using linear interpolation between white images at several fixed temperatures, comparing the final image quality with an experimentally acquired image at the same temperature.
Beyond the Nuclear Family: The Increasing Importance of Multigenerational Bonds

Family relationships across several generations are becoming increasingly important in American society. They are also increasingly diverse in structure and in functions. In reply to the widely debated “family decline” hypothesis, which assumes a nuclear family model of 2 biological parents and children, I suggest that family multigenerational relations will be more important in the 21st century for 3 reasons: (a) the demographic changes of population aging, resulting in “longer years of shared lives” between generations; (b) the increasing importance of grandparents and other kin in fulfilling family functions; (c) the strength and resilience of intergenerational solidarity over time. I also indicate that family multigenerational relations are increasingly diverse because of (a) changes in family structure, involving divorce and stepfamily relationships; (b) the increased longevity of kin; (c) the diversity of intergenerational relationship “types.” Drawing on the family research legacy of Ernest W. Burgess, I frame my arguments in terms of historical family transitions and hypotheses. Research from the Longitudinal Study of Generations is presented to demonstrate the strengths of multigenerational ties over time and why it is necessary to look beyond the nuclear family when asking whether families are still functional.
Spectroscopic characterization of the chromic transition observed for polydiacetylenes

The chromic transition observed for polydiacetylene CHCl3/CCl4 solutions was found to be concentration dependent suggesting a need to reconsider the hypothesis that this transition is a single chain phenomenon. We also found that for some polydiacetylene solutions this chromic transition exhibits a significant amount of hysteresis for the cooling and heating cycles.
Fine Tuning of Calmodulin's Affinity for Ca2+ by Target Proteins

Calmodulin (CaM) is a prototypical and versatile Ca2+ sensor. CaM is present in all eukaryotic cells, mediating Ca2+-dependent signaling. Upon binding Ca2+, CaM changes its conformation to form complexes with a diverse array of target proteins. Despite a wealth of knowledge on CaM, little is known on how target proteins regulate CaM's ability to bind Ca2+. Recently we identified a novel splice variant (KCNN2-b) of KCNN channels which shows different Ca2+ sensitivity compared to the original KCNN2-a. KCNN2-b has three additional amino acid residues in the CaM binding domain (CaMBD). We take advantage of the CaMBDs from these splice variants to investigate their impact on CaM. Crystal structures show that interactions with these KCNN2 splice variants force CaM to adopt different conformations and thus change its affinity for Ca2+ at its C-lobe. All four EF-hands of CaM in the CaM-CaMBD2-b complex are occupied by Ca2+ ions, whereas in the CaM-CaMBD2-a complex only EF-hands at CaM N-lobe are loaded. Experiments with mutant CaMs support this difference in Ca2+ binding stoichiometry. Mutations of the EF hands at CaM N-lobe (CaM12) almost abolished the interaction with both CaMBDs. The mutant CaM unable to bind Ca2+ at C-lobe (CaM34) interacts with CaMBD2-a substantially, with a similar amplitude compared to wild type CaM. The thermodynamic profile of CaM34-CaMBD2-b, however, is distinct from that of the wild type CaM-CaMBD2-b. This difference in metal ion binding stoichiometry is also proven in solution by Tb3+ Fluorescence measurements. We further manipulated the three residues insertion by shortening it to two residues (CaMBD2-AlaAla) or one residue (CaMBD2-Ala). Different metal ion binding stoichiometry and Ca2+ sensitivity was observed between CaM complexes with these two mutant CaMBDs, which furthers our understanding on the fine-tuning of CaM's affinity for Ca2+ by target proteins.
A Case Study of Teacher Role Enactment in an Urban Elementary School

Roles carried out by 26 teachers in a large, urban elementary school were explored within a conceptualization of the organization as a streetlevel bureaucracy. The interpretations and responses to the organizational characteristics of the school were analyzed, centering on four major task areas of teaching: disciplining students, teaching the curriculum, assigning homework, and promoting students. The range of behavior in carrying out these tasks of the teaching role was developed into a typology of three distinct modes of role enactment.
Introduction to the Information-Technology Revolution in Military Affairs

Contemporary military theory has evolved around a thesis about the recent fundamental transformation in the nature of war. Known in professional circles as an Information-Technology Revolution in M...
Intestinal stem cells and epithelial-mesenchymal interactions in the crypt and stem cell niche

The intestinal epithelium contains a rapidly proliferating and perpetually differentiating epithelium. The principal functional unit of the small intestine is the crypt-villus axis. Stem cells located in the crypts of Lieberkuhn give rise to proliferating progenitor or transit amplifying cells that differentiate into the 4 major epithelial cell types. The study of adult gastrointestinal tract stem cells has progressed rapidly with the recent discovery of several putative stem cell markers. Substantial evidence suggests 2 populations of stem cells: long-term quiescent (reserved) and actively cycling (primed) stem cells. These cells are in adjoining locations and are presumably maintained by the secretion of specific proteins generated in a unique microenvironment or stem cell niche surrounding each population. The relationship between these 2 populations, as well as the cellular sources and composition of the surrounding environment, remains to be defined, and is an active area of research. In this review, we will outline progress in identifying stem cells and in defining epithelial-mesenchymal interactions in the crypt. We will summarize early advances using stem cells for therapy of gastrointestinal disorders.
Child- and Family-Focused Cognitive- Behavioral Therapy for Pediatric Bipolar Disorder: A Randomized Clinical Trial

NOTICE: This is the author’s version of a work that was accepted for publication in Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. Changes resulting from the publishing process, such as peer review, editing, corrections, structural formatting, and other quality control mechanisms may not be reflected in this document. Changes may have been made to this work since it was submitted for publication. A definitive version was subsequently published in, Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. 2014. DOI:10.1016/j.jaac.2014.08.013
Understanding Disparities in Service Seeking Following Forcible Versus Drug- or Alcohol-Facilitated/Incapacitated Rape:

Victims of drug- or alcohol-facilitated/incapacitated rape (DAFR/IR) are substantially less likely to seek medical, rape crisis, or police services compared with victims of forcible rape (FR); however, reasons for these disparities are poorly understood. The current study examined explanatory mechanisms in the pathway from rape type (FR vs. DAFR/IR) to disparities in post-rape service seeking (medical, rape crisis, criminal justice). Participants were 445 adult women from a nationally representative household probability sample who had experienced FR, DAFR/IR, or both since age 14. Personal characteristics (age, race, income, prior rape history), rape characteristics (fear, injury, loss of consciousness), and post-rape acknowledgment, medical concerns, and service seeking were collected. An indirect effects model using bootstrapped standard errors was estimated to examine pathways from rape type to service seeking. DAFR/IR-only victims were less likely to seek services compared with FR victims despite sim...
Sports participation of children with down syndrome

Patients with Down syndrome, by virtue of ligamentous laxity, are prone to a number of orthopedic problems with potentially serious sequelae. These disorders need to be evaluated throughout childhood and, when detected, appropriately managed. Given such management, the child with Down syndrome should be able to participate actively in and derive benefits from sports activities.
Assessing and improving the spatial accuracy in MEG source localization by depth-weighted minimum-norm estimates

Cerebral currents responsible for the extra-cranially recorded magnetoencephalography (MEG) data can be estimated by applying a suitable source model. A popular choice is the distributed minimum-norm estimate (MNE) which minimizes the l2-norm of the estimated current. Under the l2-norm constraint, the current estimate is related to the measurements by a linear inverse operator. However, the MNE has a bias towards superficial sources, which can be reduced by applying depth weighting. We studied the effect of depth weighting in MNE using a shift metric. We assessed the localization performance of the depth-weighted MNE as well as depth-weighted noise-normalized MNE solutions under different cortical orientation constraints, source space densities, and signal-to-noise ratios (SNRs) in multiple subjects. We found that MNE with depth weighting parameter between 0.6 and 0.8 showed improved localization accuracy, reducing the mean displacement error from 12 mm to 7 mm. The noise-normalized MNE was insensitive to depth weighting. A similar investigation of EEG data indicated that depth weighting parameter between 2.0 and 5.0 resulted in an improved localization accuracy. The application of depth weighting to auditory and somatosensory experimental data illustrated the beneficial effect of depth weighting on the accuracy of spatiotemporal mapping of neuronal sources.
Synthesis and aggregation of poly(valine)‐poly (ethylene glycol) block copolymers

The solubility nature of many medicines presents a challenge for successful delivery of these drugs to the body. Polymeric carriers are potentially viable as vessels for both the protection and transport of these medicinal substances. In an effort to generate polymeric materials for this desired application, A-B-A triblock copolymers have been synthesized with a central block composed of hydrophilic poly (ethylene glycol) (PEG) and flanking hydrophobic sequences composed of five valine units terminated with end groups of varying hydrophobicity. These copolymers were constructed by adding amino acids stepwise to the hydrophilic block using solution phase chemistry. The self-assembly behavior of all polymers was investigated using fluorimetry with a pyrene probe. In general, copolymers with more hydrophobic end groups exhibited lower critical aggregation concentrations (CACs). Fmoc-terminated copolymers displayed the lowest CAC of 0.032 mg/mL and demonstrated little cytotoxicity when exposed to SW620 colorectal cancer cells. Transmission electron micrographs show the presence of multiple compartments within these spherical assemblies, which may prove useful in encapsulating medicinal substances. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 46: 5381–5389, 2008
Compound cryosars for low-temperature computer memories

Abstract The compound cryosar, which operates at liquid-helium temperature, consists of two regions of compensated germanium, one more heavily doped than the other, in series between two ohmic contacts. When the more lightly doped region is broken down by impact ionization of the impurities, the impurity conductance of the more heavily doped region limits the current. This current limiting, in addition to the negative resistance of the breakdown, permits one to use a matrix array of compound cryosars in a coincident-voltage memory. If desired, the impact ionization breakdown of the more heavily doped region may be used for a non-destructive readout. High-density arrays of compound cryosars can be operated in a high-speed (10–100 Mc/s) computer memory, with a power dissipation for 200,000 elements of less than 0·25 W.
Metagenomic analysis of organic matter degradation in methane‐rich Arctic Ocean sediments

Organic material is degraded anaerobically by a complex community of microbes making up the anaerobic food chain. This community was examined in methane-rich sediments of the Beaufort Sea, Alaska, using metagenomic sequencing, along with tag pyrosequencing and quantitative polymerase chain reaction analyses of 16S ribosomal ribonucleic acid genes. The goal of the study was to examine the relative abundance and taxonomic composition of organisms making up different parts of the anaerobic food chain. The metagenomic data suggested that genes for producing acetate via fermentation (“acetate fermentation”) were more common than genes producing other fermentation by-products, but acetate fermentation genes made up only 32% of all genes for fermentation pathways while genes for fermentation to ethanol accounted for 27%. The genes for the production of other compounds, including propionate (15%), butyrate (11%), lactate (4%), and hydrogen gas (11%), were also often abundant. Similar results were observed when the same approach was used to analyze metagenomic data previously collected from two low-latitude systems with methane-rich sediments. In all of these sediments, genes for pathways producing organic acids, ethanol, and hydrogen gas were about 30-fold more abundant than the genes for sulfate reduction and methanogenesis, processes which consume those compounds. Our results suggest that the type and abundance of fermentative microbes potentially affect the taxonomic composition of sulfate-reducing bacteria and methanogenic archaea and rates of organic carbon mineralization by the anaerobic food chain.
Morphology of side chain liquid crystalline block copolymer thin films and effects of thermal annealing

The self-assembly behavior of siloxane based side chain liquid crystalline block copolymer thin films are investigated via grazing incidence small angle X-ray scattering and atomic force microscopy. The as-spun films displayed polystyrene cylinders perpendicular to the substrate and the cylinders reoriented parallel to the surface after thermal annealing. The morphology observed in the as-spun films is resultant from the orientation of the smectic LC mesophase relative to the substrate. Annealing above both the polystyrene glass transition temperature and the smectic to isotropic transition temperature eliminates the influence of the LC phase, leading to a reorientation of the morphology that minimizes the interfacial energy of the system. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 45: 3263–3266, 2007
Lenin Reloaded: Towards a Politics of Truth

This review looks back at Lenin Reloaded: Towards a Politics of Truth, the 2007 collection of essays from Slavoj Žižek, Alain Badiou, Fredric Jameson, Sylvain Lazarus, Terry Eagleton, and others. Taking up the volume’s central questions, it moves through the problems posed explicitly and implicitly by an attempt to think the figure and politics of Lenin today. In so doing, the review takes on the Leninist conception of history and revolution, the position of dialectics as description and as method, the role of the partisan, the debate about voluntarism, and the status of the party as historical and contemporary form.
Spatial heterogeneity and seasonal succession of phytoplankton along the longitudinal gradient in a eutrophic reservoir

In order to evaluate the effects of contrasting hydrological scenarios on the spatial and temporal heterogeneity of phytoplankton in a reservoir, vertical chlorophyll and temperature profiles were measured and functional classification of phytoplankton was applied. From April to October 2007, at 1–2 week intervals, seasonal changes in various parameters were studied along the longitudinal axis of the canyon-shaped, eutrophic Řimov Reservoir (Czech Republic). At the river inflow, phytoplankton markedly differed from the rest of the reservoir, being dominated by functional groups D and J (pennate diatoms and chlorococcal algae) without a clear seasonal pattern. From April to mid-June, groups Y and P (large cryptophytes and colonial diatoms) prevailed in the whole reservoir. Phytoplankton spatial heterogeneity was the most apparent during the summer reflecting a pronounced gradient of environmental parameters from the river inflow to the dam (e.g., decreasing nutrients, increasing light availability, etc.). A dense cyanobacterial bloom (groups H1 and M) developed in the nutrient-rich transition zone, while functional Group N (desmids) dominated the phytoplankton at the same time at the dam area. In late summer, a sudden flood event considerably disrupted thermal stratification, altered nutrient and light availability, and later even resulted in cyanobacterial dominance in the whole reservoir. Additionally, our study emphasizes the importance of having an intensive phytoplankton monitoring program, which would allow for detecting severe consequences of sudden flood events on phytoplankton spatial and temporal heterogeneity, which significantly affect water quality at the dam area used for drinking water purposes.
Waist circumference and sleep disordered breathing.

Objectives/Hypothesis: To explore how the different metrics of obesity, specifically body mass index (BMI), Mallampati, neck circumference, waist circumference, and waist-hip ratio, correlate with metrics of sleep disordered breathing (SDB), specifically the apnea/hypopnea index (AHI), and which is/are the most likely to predict and correlate with SDB. Study Design and Methods: Four hundred fourteen patients presenting to the University of California San Diego Head and Neck Surgery Clinic for SDB had a sleep evaluation including a history and physical examination assessing the markers of obesity and a sleep test. Data comparing AHI with BMI, neck circumference, waist circumference, waist-hip ratio, and Mallampati were analyzed by means, standard deviations, and Pearson's correlations. Results: The mean AHI for males was 34, and the mean AHI for females was 24. The mean age was 48 for both sexes. The mean waist circumference for males was 104 cm (41 inches) and for females 99 cm (39 inches). In males and females, waist measurement was most strongly correlated with SDB (males: r = 0.366, P = .00; females: r = 0.445, P = .00). The mean neck circumference for males and females was 43 cm (17 inches) and 38 cm (15 inches) (males: r = 0.358, P = .00; females: r = 0.38, P = .00). The mean waist-hip ratio for males and females was 0.94 and 0.87 (males: r = 0.359, P = .00; females: r = 0.254, P = .03). The mean BMI for males and females was 31 kg/m2 (males: r = 0.325, P = .00; females: r = 0.40, P = .00), and the mean Mallampati for males and females was 2.84 and 2.92 (males: r = 0.176, P = .012; females: r = 0.149, P = .16). A linear regression demonstrated that waist and neck circumference were better correlates of SDB than BMI. Conclusion: Obesity correlates with SDB severity. Waist circumference is a better measure than BMI or neck circumference to predict SDB. Men and women are anthropometrically different. Even with an AHI of 5 or more, only half of SDB patients in this study were clinically obese. An abnormal waist circumference for men and women is 102 cm (40 inches) or more.
Adaptive rule generation for solar forecasting: Interfacing with a knowledge-base library

This paper covers the development of an adaptive, interactive rule generation interface applied to the full scope of solar forecasting techniques, both current and forthcoming. The interface provides a user-friendly platform for detecting patterns and correlations between elements in a database of solar irradiance, weather and photovoltaic generation information. The database consists of 10 years of data obtained from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) data acquisition systems and the Automated Surface Observing System (ASOS). This report discusses how such an interface can be used to improve existing forecasting algorithms and also be used to create new forecasting techniques.
Semi-automatic approach for music classification

Audio categorization is essential when managing a music database, either a professional library or a personal collection. However, a complete automation in categorizing music into proper classes for browsing and searching is not yet supported by today’s technology. Also, the issue of music classification is subjective to some extent as each user may have his own criteria for categorizing music. In this paper, we propose the idea of semi-automatic music classification. With this approach, a music browsing system is set up which contains a set of tools for separating music into a number of broad types (e.g. male solo, female solo, string instruments performance, etc.) using existing music analysis methods. With results of the automatic process, the user may further cluster music pieces in the database into finer classes and/or adjust misclassifications manually according to his own preferences and definitions. Such a system may greatly improve the efficiency of music browsing and retrieval, while at the same time guarantee accuracy and user’s satisfaction of the results. Since this semi-automatic system has two parts, i.e. the automatic part and the manual part, they are described separately in the paper, with detailed descriptions and examples of each step of the two parts included.
The BRST quantization of the O(2) string

Abstract The BRST charge for the N = 2, O(2) superstring theory is given. The O(2) algebra is realized a la Kac-Moody, which would seem to cause problems in the BRST formulation, however, the BRST charge is nilpotent due to the supersymmetry of the model. The nilpotency of the BRST charge determines the critical dimension of the model to be D = 2, and the intercept to the Regge trajectory becomes zero, making the model tachyon-free. We use the BRST charge to construct a free field theory of the model.
Continuing controversies in the recognition and management of premenstrual syndromes.

There have been more studies of premenstrual syndromes (PMS) in the past 26 years than in all preceding years combined. Much of this research has focused on treatment and contributed to greater recognition and more effective therapy for the disorder. However, the diagnosis of PMS continues to lack widely accepted criteria and remains controversial as a medical disorder, in spite of the many women who seek treatment for the problem. Surveys indicate that PMS is among the most common health problems reported by women of reproductive age. Current estimates of the prevalence of severe PMS range from 12.6 to 31% [1], while the severe, dysphoric form termed premenstural dysphoric disorder (PMDD) is limited to 5–8% of women [2]. Wittchen and colleagues used PMDD criteria to define cases in population-based data and found that in addition to the 5–8% who met criteria for PMDD, another 18% were one symptom short of the five symptoms required for the diagnosis [2]. This higher estimate of 23–26% is consistent with the numbers of women who believe they need treatment for PMS, as reported in other survey studies. PMS is characterized by mood, behavioral and physical symptoms that occur several days to 2 weeks before menses and remit with the menstrual flow. The term PMS as used by both clinicians and the general public is generic, imprecise and commonly applied to numerous symptoms that range from the mild and normal physiological changes of the menstrual cycle to clinically significant symptoms that limit or impair normal functioning. While other terms have been employed to indicate a clinical syndrome, such as premenstrual tension, premenstrual dysphoria, cycle-related symptoms, menstrually related symptoms, late luteal phase dysphoric disorder and PMDD, none have been universally accepted. The absence of a widely accepted diagnosis for PMS has significant economic costs resulting from the increased use of healthcare. Medical costs for outpatient visits to clinicians and the emergency room, laboratory testing, and treatment are higher for PMS patients than for women without the disorder [3]. These costs are, in part, due to poor recognition or diagnosis of the disorder, the resulting use of ineffective treatments that do not control the symptoms, and the limitations of effective treatments that do not help all women with PMS. In spite of the evidence that the PMDD diagnosis is limited to 5–8% of menstruating women and excludes a sizeable number who seek treatment for PMS, there is no consensus for the diagnostic criteria of PMS [4]. The controversies partly result from focusing on the myriad of symptoms observed in the premenstrual phase, while disregarding the wide range in severity of the symptoms. The absence of systematic criteria for the diagnosis of PMS maintains acceptance of the observations of more than 200 premenstrual complaints associated with the disorder, and results in a PMS population so heterogeneous that it hinders scientific advances in effective treatments and understanding of the pathophysiology of pure PMS.
Decay Modes and Width of the η Meson

Author(s): Bastien, Pierre L.; Berge, J. Peter; Dahl, Orin I.; Ferro-Luzzi, Massimiliano; Miller, Donald H.; Murray, Joseph J.; Rosenfeld, Arthur H.; Watson, Mason B.
Elucidation of the natural history of ventricular septal defects by serial Doppler color flow mapping studies

Two-dimensional echocardiography has provided information to aid in the diagnosis and management of infants with ventricular septal defect, but its inability to resolve very small ventricular septal defects and problems with defining ventricular septal defect orifice size (because of overlying muscle or tricuspid tissue) have made it unsuitable as a standard for defining the natural history of ventricular septal defect. In this study, 114 serial two-dimensional Doppler color flow mapping studies were performed to define ventricular septal defect anatomy, location and color flow diameter as an indicator of shunt size in 66 patients (over a 40 month period). Twenty-five patients first studied at 6 months of age (mean age at most recent study 15.9 months) had congestive heart failure and 41 (mean age 45 months) did not. In the congestive heart failure group, there were 24 perimembranous and 1 muscular ventricular septal defect and aneurysm formation was present in 17. Mean (+/- SD) color flow diameter was 8.2 +/- 1.9 mm and color flow diameter/aortic root diameter ratio was 0.63. In the 30 patients who underwent cardiac catheterization, color flow diameter bore a close relation to angiographic diameter (r = 0.96) and pulmonary/systemic flow ratio (Qp/Qs) (r = 0.88). In the patients with congestive heart failure, 4 of the 25 ventricular septal defects, all with aneurysm present or positioned adjacent to the tricuspid valve, became smaller but none closed. Of the 41 patients without congestive heart failure, 21 had a perimembranous defect (15 with aneurysm), 18 had a muscular ventricular septal defect and 2 had a supracristal ventricular septal defect.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
A dark matter stream through the solar neighborhood

Abstract A stream of dark matter associated with the Sagittarius dwarf galaxy may be passing by the solar system. In direct searches for weakly interacting dark matter particles (WIMPs) in the stream provide a characteristic signature in the recoil spectrum of target nuclei, namely a new yearly modulation limited to low energy recoils. The maximum recoil energy due to stream WIMPs, and thus the proportion of high energy and low energy recoils, are modulated during the year, in a pattern that would be difficult to attribute to laboratory effects. As such, this new pattern may provide an intrinsic way of ascertaining the WIMP nature of a dark matter signal.
A photon detector with very high gain at low bias and at room temperature

We report on a photon detector aimed at low light detection, which is based on the combination of small sensing volumes and large absorbing regions. Fabricated devices show stable gain values in the range of 1000–10 000 at bias voltages of ∼1V at 1.55μm at room temperature. Submicron devices show dark current less than 90nA and unity gain dark current density values less than 900nA∕cm2. The noise equivalent power (NEP) is measured to be 4fW∕Hz0.5 at room temperature without any gating, which is similar to NEP of current InGaAs∕InP avalanche photodetectors in gated operation.
Measuring emotional valence to understand the user's experience of software

This paper reports on the results of two studies that used facial electromyography (EMG) measures combined with verbal and performance measures to provide feedback in the software design process on the user's emotional state. The first study assessed 16 participant's emotional responses while they passively viewed mock ups of proposed new operating system features. The second study measured the emotional responses of 15 participants while they actively used one of two versions of a media player. This multimodal assessment method was able to provide a sensitive measure of the desirability of the proposed software features, and a measure of emotional tension and mental effort expended in the interactive tasks.
Radiative-collision laser amplifier in helium–nitrogen

Through the use of radiative collisions, sometimes called photon-induced collisions, and the autoionizing properties of N2* (X, υ), a system using He–N2 is presented as a high-efficiency (~15%) ultraviolet laser amplifier when an intense (>1 MW/cm2) photon field, tuned to the transition of interest, is directed into the system. The model is described using rate-equation analysis, and calculations are presented to describe this system.
Finite amplitude waves on barotropic shear layers and jets

Abstract We give a detailed derivation of the amplitude equations governing weak, slowly modulated, varicose wavetrains on a barotropic, triangular jet on a β-plane. As one might expect, at wavenumbers that are neutral by linear theory, well-behaved wavetrain solutions can be found. Such solutions are not unique. The properties of the wavetrain (in particular, the form of the nonlinear coefficient in the amplitude equation) depend upon assumptions that one makes about the structure of the wave field in the region far from the jet. Such assumptions turn out to be equivalent to assumptions made about the initial conditions of the problem. This link is established by a wave packet analysis that retains separate, nondimensional parameters for the amplitude of the wavetrain and the length scale of the modulation envelope. We briefly state similar results for sinuous waves on a triangular jet and for waves on a shear layer composed of a strip of uniform potential vorticity.
Carcinoembryonic antigen in colorectal practice: report of three cases.

CEA, in combination with the time-honored barium enema, sigmoidoscopy, rectal examination with guaiac determinations, and thorough clinical history, is a useful tool for the colorectal surgeon in following the progression of disease in both colorectal carcinoma patients and patients who have certain premalignant conditions. In this high-risk group of patients, CEA determinations as well as colonoscopy are becoming increasingly useful. That tumors on the left side are associated with higher CEA levels than those on the right, side, due to vascular invasion or the grades of the tumors, and that often CEA antigenicity and severity of symptoms in ulcerative colitis correlate well, are emphasized. Finally, following total colectomy in five cases of ulcerative colitis, all CEA titers decreased to the normal range and have remained there.
Perceived Communication Skills and Resultant Trust Perceptions Within the Channel of Distribution

In this study, the link between the perceived appropriateness of a channel manager's communication to distributors and the resultant trust perceptions developed by the distributors is analyzed. Evidence is provided which demonstrates that the degree of trust perceived in a relationship may be contingent upon the perceived adequacy of related communication.
Cavitary pulmonary lesions in type IV Ehlers-Danlos syndrome

Type IV Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (EDS) is characterized by large vessel bleeding, visceral rupture and early death. Pulmonary complications are uncommon. We report an 18-year-old patient with EDS type IV who developed recurrent large, thick-walled lung cavitary lesions, probably a manifestation of focal lung rupture. Such hemorrhagic cavities are probably the basis of the bullous disase and recurrent pneumothoraces occasionally observed in type IV EDS.