cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Minimum Information Dominating Set for Opinion Sampling in Social Networks

We consider the problem of sampling a node-valued graph. The objective is to infer the values of all nodes from that of a minimum subset of nodes by exploiting correlations in node values. We first introduce the concept of information dominating set (IDS). A subset of nodes in a given graph is an IDS if the values of these nodes are sufficient to infer the values of all nodes. We focus on two fundamental algorithmic problems: (i) how to determine whether a given subset of nodes is an IDS; (ii) how to construct a minimum IDS. Assuming binary node values and the local majority rule for information correlation, we first show that in acyclic graphs, both problems admit linear-complexity solutions by establishing a connection between the IDS problems and the vertex cover problem. We then show that in a general graph, the first problem is co-NP-complete and the second problem is NP-hard. We develop two approaches to solve the IDS problems: one reduces the problems to a hitting set problem based on the concept of essential difference set , the other a gradient-based approach with a tunable parameter that trades off performance with time complexity. The concept of IDS finds applications in opinion sampling such as political polling and market survey, identifying critical nodes in information networks, and inferring epidemics and cascading failures in communication and infrastructure networks.
Investigating Sources of Ozone over California Using AJAX Airborne Measurements and Models: Assessing the Contribution from Long Range Transport

High ozone (O3) concentrations at low altitudes (1.5e4 km) were detected from airborne Alpha Jet Atmospheric eXperiment (AJAX) measurements on 30 May 2012 off the coast of California (CA). We investigate the causes of those elevated O3 concentrations using airborne measurements and various models. GEOS-Chem simulation shows that the contribution from local sources is likely small. A back trajectory model was used to determine the air mass origins and how much they contributed to the O3 over CA. Low-level potential vorticity (PV) from Modern Era Retrospective analysis for Research and Applications 2 (MERRA-2) reanalysis data appears to be a result of the diabatic heating and mixing of airs in the lower altitudes, rather than be a result of direct transport from stratospheric intrusion. The Q diagnostic, which is a measure of the mixing of the air masses, indicates that there is sufficient mixing along the trajectory to indicate that O3 from the different origins is mixed and transported to the western U.S.The back-trajectory model simulation demonstrates the air masses of interest came mostly from the mid troposphere (MT, 76), but the contribution of the lower troposphere (LT, 19) is also significant compared to those from the upper troposphere/lower stratosphere (UTLS, 5). Air coming from the LT appears to be mostly originating over Asia. The possible surface impact of the high O3 transported aloft on the surface O3 concentration through vertical and horizontal transport within a few days is substantiated by the influence maps determined from the Weather Research and Forecasting Stochastic Time Inverted Lagrangian Transport (WRF-STILT) model and the observed increases in surface ozone mixing ratios. Contrasting this complex case with a stratospheric-dominant event emphasizes the contribution of each source to the high O3 concentration in the lower altitudes over CA. Integrated analyses using models, reanalysis, and diagnostic tools, allows high ozone values detected by in-situ measurements to be attributed to multiple source processes.
Field study suggests that sex determination in sea lamprey is directly influenced by larval growth rate

Sex determination mechanisms in fishes lie along a genetic-environmental continuum and thereby offer opportunities to understand how physiology and environment interact to determine sex. Mechanisms and ecological consequences of sex determination in fishes are primarily garnered from teleosts, with little investigation into basal fishes. We tagged and released larval sea lamprey (Petromyzon marinus) into unproductive lake and productive stream environments. Sex ratios produced from these environments were quantified by recapturing tagged individuals as adults. Sex ratios from unproductive and productive environments were initially similar. However, sex ratios soon diverged, with unproductive environments becoming increasingly male-skewed and productive environments becoming less male-skewed with time. We hypothesize that slower growth in unproductive environments contributed to the sex ratio differences by directly influencing sex determination. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study suggesting that growth rate in a fish species directly influences sex determination; other studies have suggested that the environmental variables to which sex determination is sensitive (e.g. density, temperature) act as cues for favourable or unfavourable growth conditions. Understanding mechanisms of sex determination in lampreys may provide unique insight into the underlying principles of sex determination in other vertebrates and provide innovative approaches for their management where valued and invasive.
Factors related to lifestyle goal achievement in a diabetes prevention program dissemination study.

The U.S. Diabetes Prevention Program (DPP) showed that lifestyle participants who achieved ≥7% weight loss and ≥150 min/week physical activity experienced the greatest reduction in type 2 diabetes incidence. Demographic, clinical, and program factors that are related to achieving both these lifestyle goals have seldom been explored in community-delivered DPP programs. The purpose of this investigation is to examine factors associated with concurrent achievement of weight loss and physical activity goals in a 12-month community DPP lifestyle intervention. Adults [n = 223; age = 58.4 (SD = 11.5); BMI = 33.8 (SD = 6.0)] with glucose or HbA1c values in the pre-diabetes range and/or metabolic syndrome risk factors enrolled from one worksite and three community centers in the Pittsburgh, PA metropolitan area between January 2011 and January 2014. Logistic regression analyses determined the demographic, clinical and program adherence factors related to goal achievement at 6, 12, and 18 months. Participants achieving both intervention goals at 6 months (n = 57) were more likely to attend sessions [Adjusted Odds Ratio (AOR) =1.48], self-weigh (AOR = 1.19), and self-monitor behaviors (AOR = 1.18) than those meeting neither goal (n = 35; all p < 0.05). Baseline BMI (AOR = 0.87, p < 0.01), elevated glycemic status (AOR = 0.49, p < 0.05), and female sex (AOR = 0.52, p < 0.05) were inversely related to goal achievement at 6 months. Meeting either lifestyle goal at 6 months had the strongest association with meeting both goals at 12 and 18 months. Our study supports the importance of early engagement, regular attendance, self-monitoring, and self-weighing for goal achievement. Dissemination efforts should consider alternative approaches for those not meeting goals by 6 months to enhance long-term success.
The effect of phase angle and wing spacing on tandem flapping wings

In a tandem wing configuration, the hindwing often operates in the wake of the forewing and, hence, its performance is affected by the vortices shed by the forewing. Changes in the phase angle between the flapping motions of the fore and the hind wings, as well as the spacing between them, can affect the resulting vortex/wing and vortex/vortex interactions. This study uses 2D numerical simulations to investigate how these changes affect the leading dege vortexes (LEV) generated by the hindwing and the resulting effect on the lift and thrust coefficients as well as the efficiencies. The tandem wing configuration was simulated using an incompressible Navier-Stokes solver at a chord-based Reynolds number of 5 000. A harmonic single frequency sinusoidal oscillation consisting of a combined pitch and plunge motion was used for the flapping wing kinematics at a Strouhal number of 0.3. Four different spacings ranging from 0.1 chords to 1 chord were tested at three different phase angles, 0°, 90° and 180°. It was found that changes in the spacing and phase angle affected the timing of the interaction between the vortex shed from the forewing and the hindwing. Such an interaction affects the LEV formation on the hindwing and results in changes in aerodynamic force production and efficiencies of the hindwing. It is also observed that changing the phase angle has a similar effect as changing the spacing. The results further show that at different spacings the peak force generation occurs at different phase angles, as do the peak efficiencies.
Industry/University R&D: Improving Interaction between the University and the Technical Community

(1976). Industry/University R&D: Improving Interaction between the University and the Technical Community. Research Management: Vol. 19, No. 3, pp. 25-27.
Calculating Special Points of the Solution Curve

One of the main purposes of numerical continuation methods concerns the accurate determination of certain points on a smooth curve c(s) in H−1(0), which are of special interest.
“I Could Not Believe That Would Happen”: Challenges and Opportunities in a Critical, Project-Based Clinical Experience

As part of a youth summer program—a partnership between a large Southeastern university and the local school district—middle-school-aged youth, preservice teachers, and doctoral candidates interest...
Measuring the impact of higher education on student development regarding racial attitudes and support for race-based policy

v CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION 1 CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW 6 THE SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGICAL APPROACH 11 THE SOCIAL STRUCTURAL AND DOMINANT GROUP APPROACH 13 THE PRINCIPLED CONSERVATIVISM PERSPECTIVE 16 CHAPTER 3 : THE RACIAL SOCIALIZATION PERSPECTIVE 18 CHAPTER 4: METHODOLOGY 33 WEB-BASED SURVEY DESIGN AS A METHOD OF DATA COLLECTION 33 CHAPTER 5: RESULTS 49 CHAPTER 6: DISCUSSION OF FINDINGS 99 CHAPTER 7: CONCLUSIONS 111 APPENDIX A: WEB SURVEY 121 APPENDIX B: CONSENT AND PARTICIPATION LETTER 134 APPENDIX C: VARIABLE CODING AND CONSTRUCTION 136 APPENDIX D: FACTOR ANALYSIS 141 APPENDIX E: STEPWISE REGRESSION SUMMARY OF ALL SIGNIFICANT PREDICTORS 143 REFERENCES 146 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 154 The purpose of this study was to examine the educational effect of diversity course graduation requirements on undergraduate students' racial attitudes and support for racebased policy at a predominantly White Midwest university. The present research utilized social structural variables as well as classical and contemporary measures of prejudice and racism to analyze undergraduate students' racial attitudes toward African Americans and support for race-based policy. There were four major objectives in this study: 1) To consider whether or not the diversity course graduation requirements at a Midwest university reduce racial prejudice and racism which in turn would increase support for race-based policy. 2) To examine how political conservatism and interracial friendship before college could moderate the diversity course effect on racial prejudice and racism. 3) To identify the nature of Whites' racial attitudes toward Blacks, and 4) To offer a sociohistorical explanation of why racial conflict and controversies still persist in higher education, especially in predominantly White universities. To accomplish these four major objectives, an 85-question survey on the Internet was administered to undergraduate students at two different time periods during the 2000-01 academic year employing two different data collection techniques. Undergraduate students were contacted in their classes and asked to complete an 85-question survey on the Internet that consisted of primarily five-point Likert items with responses ranging from "strongly disagree" to "strongly agree." Factor analyses were used to ascertain the empirical independence of the classical and contemporary measures of prejudice and racism. Similar to some previous studies, even though there were strong correlations between some of the classical and contemporary measures of prejudice and racism, the factor analysis yielded old-fashioned and contemporary measures of prejudice
Release of Proinflammatory Peptides by Complement in Porphyrin-induced Photosensitivity

Almost 100 years after Bordet’s observation on the hemolytic function of a substance in serum [1], it now becomes increasingly apparent that the role of complement as a complex system of proteins involved in the elicitation of the acute inflammatory response is a highly important one. This is the result of the characterization of the different factors in serum comprising this system (complement components) as distinct proteins, and the increasing progress in isolating and identifying the byproducts generated during its activation. Specific biologic functions have been ascribed to each distinct Polypeptide [2], and of particular interest are those peptides known as “anaphylatoxins,” a term introduced by Friedberger in 1910 [3] when he described a substance capable of inducing shock in experimental animals. Since this initial observation, inulin, dextran, yeast cells, agar and an active component of cobra venom were also noted to generate anaphylatoxin activity [4] by activating the complement system.
Weakly vs. Strongly Coupled Data Fusion: A Classification of Fusional Methods

Chapter 2 introduced the Bayesian approach to the processing of sensory information. One of the notable aspects of the Bayesian formulation is the ease with which constraints can be embedded. The constraint embedding was seen to be performed through the specification of suitable image formation and prior models. The image formation model typically involved the physical, and to a lesser extent natural, constraints, while the prior model typically involved natural and artificial constraints.
A three-electrode system for EKG recording and aversive shock.

The use of three electrodes to produce digitizable EKG’s and to deliver shocks to the tail of the monkey is described. Cardiac signals are taken from a head electrode and a “ground” tail electrode. Shock is administered through a “hot” tail electrode and the “ground” tail electrode.
I-Q Mismatch Estimation and Compensation in Millimeter-Wave Wireless Systems

A salient feature of millimeter-wave (mmW) wireless systems is their large bandwidths. A direct consequence is that radio frequency (RF) non-idealities, such as phase noise, I-Q imbalance, and non-ideal frequency response of bandpass filters, become more pronounced compared to existing systems operating below 6 GHz. However, investigations of the impact of such nonidealities and techniques for their compensation are limited. In this paper, the problem of I-Q mismatch is investigated, motivated by the authors' recent work on mmW prototype design and development. First, a model for the non-ideal system is developed by modeling the in-phase (I) and quadrature (Q) passband channels separately, rather than the common complex baseband representation. The resulting channel matrix reveals the structure of interference introduced across I-Q channels and frequencies. Second, a new approach is developed for estimating the non-ideal channel using the new model. Third, a linear receiver architecture is developed to compensate for the interference caused by the I-Q mismatch. Finally, the performance of the new proposed system is compared to a baseline conventional system which ignores I-Q mismatch. The results indicate significant loss in performance even for modest values of I -Q mismatch parameters. In particular, the baseline system exhibits a saturation of output signal-to-interference-and-noise ratio (SINR) regardless of the input SNR. The new proposed system does not suffer from such saturation and its SINR can be increased indefinitely by increasing the input SNR. The analytical results are validated with experimental evaluation on a 28 GHz mmW wireless testbed.
OUR FAMILY, OUR WAY: IMPACT OF A STRUCTURED GUIDE ON FAMILY CAREGIVING COMMUNICATION BARRIERS

The ability of many older adults to remain at home with care needs is especially dependent on a “primary” family caregiver; other family members are often underutilized or marginalized. Inequitable care arrangements are one consequence of poor communication, including perceptual incongruence about what is needed, wanted and possible; and implicit and exclusionary decision making. In a study funded by the Retirement Research Foundation, we developed and tested a family communication and care coordination guide for aging parents and their adult children, designed to address these communication challenges. In a self-guided, highly structured process, family members complete individual tools prior to a family meeting where tools are exchanged, a shared assessment is conducted, and a family care plan is established. Nine families (each including a parent with care needs, one primary filial or spousal caregiver, and at least one secondary filial or spousal caregiver) (n=36) participated in the intervention. Individual interviews, including scales and open-ended questions, were conducted pre-and post-intervention; completed tools and guides were also analyzed. We found that: the process for inclusive and explicit decision making can work; the independent completion of individual tools and their exchange in the family meeting facilitated the recognition/reconciliation of perceptual incongruence; and families were able to negotiate a shared assessment and either affirm or make changes in their care arrangement. Finally, when changes were made, they were generally more equitable. The study has implications for applications to different family compositions, to professionals supporting caregiving families, and to further studies of family communication processes.
Maximizing on-farm groundwater recharge with surface reservoir releases: a planning approach and case study in California, USA

A hydro-economic approach for planning on-farm managed aquifer recharge is developed and demonstrated for two contiguous sub-basins in California’s Central Valley, USA. The amount and timing of water potentially available for recharge is based on a reoperation study for a nearby surface-water reservoir. Privately owned cropland is intermittently used for recharge with payments to landowners that compensate for perceived risks to crop health and productivity. Using all cropland in the study area would have recharged approximately 4.8 km3 (3,900 thousand acre-feet) over the 20-year analysis period. Limits to recharge effectiveness are expected from (1) temporal variability in recharge water availability, (2) variations in infiltration rate and few high-infiltration recharge sites in the study area, and (3) recharged water escaping from the study area groundwater system to surface water and adjacent sub-basins. Depending on crop tolerance to ponding depth, these limitations might be reduced by (1) raising berm heights on higher-infiltration-rate croplands and (2) creating dedicated recharge facilities over high-infiltration-rate sites.
Quantitative evaluation of liver-specific promoters from retroviral vectors after in vivo transduction of hepatocytes

Hepatic gene therapy could be used to treat a number of inherited blood diseases such as hemophilia or thrombophilia. Although liver-directed retroviral transduction can result in long-term gene expression in vivo, the low level of protein production has limited its clinical application. We reasoned that the insertion of liver-specific promoters into retroviral vectors would increase gene expression in vivo. The 347-bp human alpha 1-antitrypsin (hAAT), the 810-bp murine albumin (mAIb), the 490-bp rat phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase (rPECK), and the 596-bp rat liver fatty acid binding protein promoters were inserted into a Moloney murine leukemia retroviral backbone containing the hAAT reporter gene. Vectors that produced appropriately sized RNA and hAAT protein in vitro were tested in vivo by transducing regenerating rat livers. Long-term serum expression of the hAAT reporter gene was normalized to retroviral transduction efficiency as determined by using a polymerase chain reaction-based assay of genomic DNA from transduced rat livers. The hAAT, mAIb, and rPEPCK promoters were, respectively, 35-, 8-, and 0.02-fold as strong as the previously studied constitutive Pol-II promoter. We conclude that the hAAT promoter resulted in the highest expression from a retroviral vector and may result in therapeutically significant expression of other clinically significant blood proteins.
A survey on hybrid problem-based learning in a digital image processing course

A hybrid problem-based learning (h-PBL) strategy was developed and executed in a digital image processing (DIP) course at the South Dakota State University. The newly developed curriculum encompasses the design and implementation of a problem-based learning (PBL) project: a three dimensional (3D) imaging project using fringe projection. The PBL project requires students to build a digital fringe projection system using a digital projector, to use a digital camera to capture the deformed fringe patterns projected onto the object under study, and to process the captured images using the software Matlab in order to retrieve the 3D profile of the object. The course was taught in a hybrid fashion with a mixture of both traditional lecturing (TL) and PBL, to replace the previous TL course. This paper presents the curriculum development activity and investigates the student perspectives on the developed h-PBL approach through a survey study. Longitudinal data from the open-ended surveys administered after the completion of the PBL project were collected from the multiple year study of the DIP course taught by the same instructor. Data analysis reveals that a higher level of student satisfaction was achieved after h-PBL. The h-PBL approach, albeit more challenging and time-consuming in comparison with TL, motivated and stimulated student self-regulated learning, improved student problem solving skill, and promoted student critical thinking.
School District Anti-Bullying Policies: a State-Wide Content Analysis

Although all states in the United States require school districts to adopt anti-bullying policies, relatively little research explores the content of bullying policies. A content analysis of anti-bullying policies from 76 school districts across the State of Louisiana was conducted. A 63-item coding scheme was developed to guide the analysis. The overall compliance to the coding framework by the Louisiana school districts considered in this study was 64%, with many policies covering logistical aspects of bullying response such as definitions, reporting, investigating, monitoring, disseminating policies, and consequences for perpetrators. While many school districts addressed evidenced-based practices and mental health support for victims and perpetrators, few school district policies addressed the use of personally owned technology, mental health support for witnesses, evaluating programs, or enumeration of vulnerable groups. There was also a noticeable gap in policies that were culturally responsive in nature. Implications are discussed for educators, policy-makers, and researchers.
A High-order Accurate Meshless Method for Solution of Incompressible Fluid Flow Problems

Abstract Meshless solution to differential equations using radial basis functions (RBF) is an alternative to grid based methods commonly used. Since the meshless method does not need an underlying connectivity in the form of control volumes or elements, issues such as grid skewness that adversely impact accuracy are eliminated. Gaussian, Multiquadrics and inverse Multiquadrics are some of the most popular RBFs used for the solutions of fluid flow and heat transfer problems. But they have additional shape parameters that have to be fine tuned for accuracy and stability. Moreover, they also face stagnation error when the point density is increased for accuracy. Recently, Polyharmonic splines (PHS) with appended polynomials have been shown to solve the above issues and give rapid convergence of discretization errors with the degree of appended polynomials. In this research, we extend the PHS-RBF method for the solution of incompressible Navier-Stokes equations. A fractional step method with explicit convection and explicit diffusion terms is combined with a pressure Poisson equation to satisfy the momentum and continuity equations. Systematic convergence tests have been performed for five model problems with two of them having analytical solutions. We demonstrate fast convergence both with refinement of number of points and degree of appended polynomials. The method is further applied to solve problems such as lid-driven cavity and vortex shedding over circular cylinder. We have also analyzed the performance of this approach for solution of Euler equations. The proposed method shows promise to solve fluid flow and heat transfer problems in complex domains with high accuracy.
Participatory Media Cultures: Virality, Humour, and Online Political Contestations in Kenya:

The increase in access to affordable mobile technologies has created an interesting, sometimes complicated, relationship between Internet users and the Kenyan government. On the one hand, the latte...
Moving beyond Cronbach's Alpha and Inter-Rater Reliability: A Primer on Generalizability Theory for Pharmacy Education.

Background: When available, empirical evidence should help guide decision-making. Following each administration of a learning assessment, data becomes available for analysis. For learning assessments, Kane’s Framework for Validation can helpfully categorize evidence by inference (i.e., scoring, generalization, extrapolation, implications). Especially for test-scores used within a high-stakes setting, generalization evidence is critical. While reporting Cronbach’s alpha, inter-rater reliability, and other reliability coefficients for a single measurement error are somewhat common in pharmacy education, dealing with multiple concurrent sources of measurement error within complex learning assessments is not. Performance-based assessments (e.g., OSCEs) that use raters, are inherently complex learning assessments. Primer: Generalizability Theory (G-Theory) can account for multiple sources of measurement error. G-Theory is a powerful tool that can provide a composite reliability (i.e., generalization evidence) for more complex learning assessments, including performance-based assessments. It can also help educators explore ways to make a learning assessment more rigorous if needed, as well as suggest ways to better allocate resources (e.g., staffing, space, fiscal). A brief review of G-Theory is discussed herein focused on pharmacy education. Moving Forward: G-Theory has been common and useful in medical education, though has been used rarely in pharmacy education. Given the similarities in assessment methods among health-professions, G-Theory should prove helpful in pharmacy education as well. Within this Journal and accompanying this Idea Paper, there are multiple reports that demonstrate use of G-Theory in pharmacy education.
What I Say Means What I Do: Risk Concerns and Mobile Application-Selection Behaviors.

ObjectiveThe goal of this study was to examine the relation between users’ reported risk concerns and their choice behaviors in a mobile application (app) selection task.BackgroundHuman users are t...
“Starting from Scratch?”: Adaptation After Deportation and Return Migration Among Young Mexican Migrants

This chapter examines how young adults adapt to life in Mexico after growing up and attending school in the United States. Experiencing a dramatic increase in immigration enforcement in the United States, the young migrants highlighted in this chapter felt compelled to leave or were deported from the United States. Interruptions in education, work, and, most devastatingly, family life marked their initial returns to Mexico, and continued to affect their opportunities and social embeddedness years later. They all lost precious time, money and autonomy as they adapted to their country of birth.
How important are the park size and shape to a park system’s performance? An exploration with big data in Tucson, Arizona, USA

Parks are essential for high-quality urban life. However, few studies have assessed a city’s park system performance from spatial planning and design. We analyzed the spatial distributions of visits to 141 parks in Tucson, Arizona (USA), using cellphone geolocation data and GIS spatial analysis. We developed two easy-to-use and easy-to-adapt metrics (visit/day and visit/month) to compare visits across different park types and during different days and seasons. Principal results include: (1) on average, each Tucson resident paid 2.02 visits to parks in 2019; (2) for each 100-m2 park area, river/linear parks and other types of parks can attract 9.8 and 2.6 visits, respectively, on an annual basis; (3) smaller parks are popular during the weekdays, whereas larger parks attract more visits over the weekends; and (4) park perimeter is another critical design variable in addition to park size in explaining park visits. We conclude that big data on park visits can provide a robust quantitative assessment of a city’s park system performance, and targeted planning and design interventions can elevate the performance. The assessment framework presented in this study can be instrumental in guiding park management decisions, including resource allocation, and making connections to public health and economic development goals and initiatives.
Acetylcholine receptor aggregation at nerve-muscle contacts in mammalian cultures: induction by ventral spinal cord neurons is specific to axons

We used a novel mammalian coculture system to study ACh receptor (AChR) redistribution and synaptic structure at nerve-muscle contacts. Ventral spinal cord (VSC) neurons were plated on cultures containing extensive myotubes but few fibroblasts. Neurite-induced redistribution of AChRs occurred within 6 hr after plating neurons and was maximal between 36-48 hr. This AChR redistribution appeared in two patterns: (1) AChR density at sites directly apposed to the neurite where neurites crossed preexisting AChR patches was sharply reduced, (2) Newly aggregated AChRs formed swaths lateral to the neurite path. VSC neurons induced more AChR aggregation than hippocampal, superior cervical ganglion and dorsal root ganglion neurons. The 43 and 58 kDa postsynaptic proteins were colocalized with AChR-enriched domains in all VSC neurite-induced aggregates whereas the colocalization of laminin was variable. Electron microscopy of regions with neurite-induced AChR aggregation showed postsynaptic membrane specializations characteristic of developing synapses and, in older cultures, features of more mature synaptic structure. Thus, the coculture system is useful for studying early stages of neuromuscular junction (NMJ) formation. Neurites in these cocultures were identified as axons or dendrites by morphological criteria and by their immunoreactivity for synaptophysin and phosphorylated heavy neurofilament subunits or for microtubule associated protein 2 (MAP2), respectively. Axons showed a 10-fold higher induction of AChR aggregation than did dendrites. Thus, at least one essential signaling molecule necessary for the induction of AChR aggregation at sites of interaction with muscle appears to be expressed in a polarized fashion in developing VSC neurons.
The Impact of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) on Rural Children and Families in Mexico: Transnational Policy and Practice Implications

ABSTRACT This article presents findings from an exploratory study of the impact of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) on the welfare of rural families in Mexico. NAFTA's devastating effect on Mexican agriculture has led to an unprecedented migration of people from the Mexican countryside to the United States, with serious consequences to the women and children left behind in rural Mexico. Participant observation in a Mexican child welfare center and interviews of 65 Mexican women were conducted. Findings include the importance of documents to the family left behind; the change in scale of emigration; and the structural nature of solutions given by the women interviewed. Transnational child welfare policy implications and solutions based on rural practice concepts are presented.
Comparative Zone Electrophoresis of Enzymes of Pseudomonas solanacearum and Pseudomonas cepacia

Abstract The technique of starch-gel electrophoresis with specific staining for a series of enzymes was used to compare 21 Pseudomonas strains representing both P. cepacia and P. solanacearum. These experiments produced no evidence for close similarity of the two species. Twelve strains of P. solanacearum were compared by means of data obtained from nine different enzymes, and the data indicate that these strains belong in two biotypes. Except for the assignment of two strains, these groups are the same as the two major groups previously derived from nutritional properties and from deoxyribonucleic acid hybridization experiments. Eleven enzymes were available for comparisons of the P. cepacia strains. Eight of these strains form a homogeneous group, but the last strain, number 249, differs considerably from the other representatives of the species.
A randomized, blinded, controlled trial of the antiemetic effect of ondansetron on dexmedetomidine-induced emesis in cats.

Abstract Objective To determine the effect of ondansetron on the incidence of vomiting in cats pre-medicated with dexmedetomidine and buprenorphine. Study design Randomized, blinded, controlled trial. Animals Eighty-nine female domestic shorthair cats, aged 3–60 months (median, 12 months) and weighing 1.2–5.1 kg. Methods Each cat received dexmedetomidine (40 μg kg−1) plus buprenorphine (20 μg kg−1), intramuscularly as pre-anesthetic medication. Cats were assigned to three treatment groups: ondansetron (0.22 mg kg−1, intramuscular [IM]), either 30 minutes before the pre-anesthetic medication (ONDA group, n = 31) or with the pre-anesthetic medication (OPM group, n = 30) mixed with the pre-anesthetic medications in the same syringe, or not to receive the antiemetic (control group, n = 28). Emesis was recorded as an all-or-none response. The number of episodes of emesis and the time until onset of the first emetic episode were recorded for each cat. Clinical signs of nausea were recorded whenever they occurred, and a numerical rating scale was used to quantify these signs. Data were analyzed using Kruskal–Wallis and Chi-square test; a Bonferroni correction was made for six comparisons; thus, the two-sided p for significance was 0.05/6 = 0.008. Results There was a significant reduction in the number of cats vomiting, in the episodes of vomiting/cat, the time elapsed between the premedication and the first vomiting and the severity of nausea in the OPM group compared to the ONDA and control groups. Conclusions and clinical relevance In cats, the administration of ondansetron (0.22 mg kg−1) ameliorates and reduced the severity of dexmedetomidine-induced nausea and vomiting only when it was administered in association with this drug.
Eye Injuries in Childhood

A 3-year survey was conducted of all children with eye injuries admitted to Wills Eye Hospital to determine demographic, etiologic, and prophylatic factors. There were 278 cases, representing 22% of all ocular injuries in children requiring admission. The frequency of childhood ocular injuries is high, often resulting in serious visual impairment. Many of these injuries are preventable. The causes of pediatric eye injuries and preventive measures are discussed.
Tests of spatial and temporal factors influencing extra‐pair paternity in red‐winged blackbirds

Extra-pair paternity (EPP) is a widespread and highly variable reproductive phenomenon in birds. We tested the effects of habitat, spatial factors, and timing of breeding on the occurrence of EPP in red-winged blackbirds (Agelaius phoeniceus). We used PCR-amplified microsatellites to assess the paternity of 1479 nestlings from 537 broods on 235 territories over four breeding seasons. Over 4 years, 40% of nestlings were extra-pair. At least 27% of actual sires were non-neighbours, suggesting that males or females interacted over longer distances than in other populations of red-winged blackbirds. The level of EPP was significantly clumped within broods and males but not within females across broods. EPP was negatively related to the area of a male's territory. The spatial proximity of a female's nest to the territory boundary had no effect on total EPP, but tended to increase the probability of an EPP by a nearby male. We found no influence on EPP of the type of habitat on the territory or the level of nesting activity nearby. The time in the season when a nest was started and the synchrony of breeding also had no significant effect on the level of EPP. The age of the male, the age of his neighbours, and the interaction between the two had no effect on total EPP. However, older males were less likely to have an offspring sired by a neighbour on their territory. Males with older neighbours were also less likely to have offspring sired by a neighbour, particularly if they were new territory owners. The high variability in who gained and lost paternity, and the limited impact of spatial and temporal factors influencing it, have some interesting implications for theories seeking to explain mating patterns.
Molecular Dynamics Studies of Homo-Oligomeric Ion-Channels

Ion-channels embedded within biological membranes help maintain osmotic equilibrium, facilitate bioenergetics, and provide the means for transmitting environmental signals. For the rational design of new therapeutics, it is imperative to understand ion-channels interactions in the ‘interfacial' region between the aqueous phase and the hydrophobic core of the bilayer. using molecular dynamics simulations of synthetic LS2 and LS3 channels ranging from 1-6 peptides, the structural dynamics of alpha-helices in their membrane environment was characterized. Results show that higher order bundles do not remain in a symmetric packing arrangement but rather form lower order bundles that interact with each other. For example, the LS2 channel is most stable as a tetrameric bundle that is composed of a “dimer of dimers”, while the LS3 channel is most stable as a hexamer comprised of a “dimer of trimers”. In addition, lipid perturbation was found to be strongest for bundles consisting of three or less peptides, where it was found that there is a strong correlation between the tilt angles of the helix/helices of each system with the hydrophobic lipid mismatch and the lipid orientational distribution. These structural results affect the flux of water through the channel, where LS2 was found to have the a maximul flux of water as a tetrameric structural arrangement while water flux through LS3 was maximul as the hexameric arrangement, in agreement with experiment. By understanding the interactions of ion-channels embedded within the membrane, it provides pivotal information in the design of antimicrobial, antiviral, and pharmaceutical agents that target ion-channels.
Distortion of Excited Molecules in Organic Solids

In this paper we present some ideas concerning the role of the crystal field in stabilizing dynamically distorted electronic states of aromatics. It is shown that a crystal field term of appropriate symmetry reveals in a dramatic way the result of strong vibronic coupling in emission spectra. Conditions under which these distortions are bound to occur are discussed with an emphasis on qualitative understanding. In this context the role of predissociating modes in spectra of aromatics is touched upon and the ideas are demonstrated through discussions of the emission spectra of pyrazine, p-dibromobenzene and m-dichloropyrazine.
On obtaining a stationary process isomorphic to a given process with a desired distribution

Let e denote the set of distributions of all stationary, ergodic, aperiodic processes with a given finite state space, and let the metric $$\bar d$$ on e be Ornstein's process distance. Suppose ℳ is a subset of e which is a δ in the weak topology and for which $$\bar d$$ (µ n ,ℳ)→0 whenever {μ n } is a sequence from e converging weakly to a positive entropy measure in ℳ. It is shown that ifX is a stationary ergodic aperiodic process with entropy rate less than the entropy of one of the distributions in ℳ, thenX is isomorphic to a process whose distribution lies in ℳ. As special cases, one obtains the invulnerable source coding theorem of information theory and also the Grillenberger-Krengel theorem on the existence of a generator whose process has a desired marginal distribution.
Spin physics with polarized electrons: MIT-bates program

The recent experiments at MIT-Bates, exploiting the use of polarized electrons and the measurement of spin observables, point to the importance of such studies in understanding nucleon and nuclear structure. In many instances we find both increased sensitivity and new observables which allow the accurate determination of small amplitudes. A major component of the proposed future program at MIT-Bates, NIKHEF, MAINZ and CEBAF, will involve the use of polarized beams, polarized targets and recoil polarimetry.
Video coding for ESL

Abstract Coding is a valuable and hitherto unexploited technique for teaching ESL. When applied in the area of couples interaction, it not only improves basic communicative skills but works toward the metagoal of enhancing psychological insight. The tasks here given are designed to investigate relationships from the points of view of: social evaluation, control, agreement/disagreement, positive and negative exchanges, getting one's way/power, self disclosure, and communication of affect. Results are given with reference to Arthur Miller's Death of a Salesman . Each task is followed by a debriefing. Non-video based coding is discussed as well as the virtues of soaps and of veridical video representations. The student emerges with a deeper understanding of what makes relationships/marriages sink or swim. She also is sensitized to subtleties in language exchanges in a way that cannot be achieved except by coding. And the more serious scholar will find that some of the counter-intuitive results of the Death of a Salesman coding provide new insight into the man/wife relationship.
Development of membrane purge and trap for measurement of volatile organics in water

Volatile organics in water are analyzed by first removing them from the water matrix. For example in purge and trap, the organics are sparged using an inert gas before analysis by GC or GC/MS. The objective of this research is to develop an equivalent of a purge and trap system based on membrane extraction. Instead of purging, the VOCs are separated from the aqueous phase via membrane permeation. The permeated organics are pneumatically transported to a micro-sorbent trap referred to as the microtrap. The trapped organics are then injected into a GC by rapid desorption of the microtrap.
On the relation between the strain rate sensitivity parameter and deformation mechanism in superplasticity

It is shown that the strain rate sensitivity parameter determined by strain rate change cannot be used to assess the deformation mechanism in superplasticity. (FS)
ELISA analyses of malate dehydrogenases from nonsulfur purple phototrophic bacteria

An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay using F(ab′)2 fragments of IgG immobilized on a solid surface was used to quantitatively compare the immunological cross-reactivities of the enzyme malate dehydrogenase from purple phototrophic bacteria. The method was found to be reproducible, reliable, and valid for comparative immunological studies of bacterial enzymes. Antisera prepared against purified Rhodobacter capsulatus malate dehydrogenase cross-reacted strongly with the homologous antigen and with that from the related species, R. sphaeroides. Significantly lower cross-reactivities were observed against Rhodospirillum species. Antisera prepared to Rhodospillum rubrum malate dehydrogenase gave just the opposite results. Neither antiserum cross-reacted with malate dehydrogenase from Rhodocyclus species. The taxonomic/phylogenetic conclusions drawn from immunological analyses of phototrophic bacterial malate dehydrogenases were consistent with the grouping of these organisms by 16S ribosomal RNA sequence analyses and with the biochemical properties of their purified malate dehydrogenases. This ELISA method should be applicable for immunological comparisons of enzymes in crude cell extracts and for systematic studies of various bacterial groups.
The inexhaustible mouse nose. Focus on "olfactory epithelia exhibit progressive functional and morphological defects in CF mice".

the ability to eliminate any gene in mice and the increasing ability to identify specific genes responsible for human single-gene diseases is providing a cornucopia of biological information on the relation of genotype to phenotype. Tracing the pleiotropic effects of genes is greatly facilitated
A mathematical framework for passenger screening optimization via a multi-objective evolutionary approach

Concerns regarding the smuggling of dangerous items into commercial flights escalated after the failed Christmas day bomber attack. As a result, the Transportation Security Agency (TSA) has strengthened its efforts to detect passengers carrying hazardous items by installing novel screening technologies and by increasing the number of random pat-downs performed at security checkpoints nationwide. However, the implementation of such measures has raised privacy and health concerns among different groups thus making the design and evaluation of new inspection strategies strongly necessary. This research presents a mathematical framework to design passenger inspection strategies that include the utilization of novel and traditional technologies (i.e. body scanners, explosive detection systems, explosive trace detectors, walk-through metal detectors, and wands) offered by multiple manufacturers, to identify three types of items: metallic, bulk explosives (i.e. plastic, liquids, gels), and traces of explosives. A multiple objective optimization model is proposed to optimize inspection security, inspection cost, and processing time; an evolutionary approach is used to solve the model. The result is a Pareto set of quasi-optimal solutions representing multiple inspection strategies. Each strategy is different in terms of: (1) configuration, (2) the screening technologies included, (3) threshold calibration, and consequently, (4) inspection security, inspection cost, and processing time.
Microbial keratitis in children

In a five-year review, we identified 29 cases of microbial infection in 28 patients who were 16 years old or younger. Herpes simplex infections were excluded. Predisposing factors included trauma (ten cases, 34%), severe systemic illness (eight cases, 27%), contact lens use (seven cases, 24%), exposure keratopathy (seven cases, 24%), and previous ocular surgery (six cases, 21%). A total of 24 microorganisms were identified in cultures of corneal scrapings from 22 of the 29 cases; two cases involved polymicrobial infections. Of the 24 identified pathogens, gram-positive cocci were the most common (12). Other microorganisms included gram-negative bacteria (five) and fungi (four). Isolated cases of Acanthamoeba species, Borrelia burgdorferi, and Bacillus species were also present. Therapy with intensive topical antibiotics was successful in this series. The rate of surgical intervention (6/29, 21%) was similar to that of previous reports.