cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Relative Performance of Female and Male Students in Accounting Principles Classes

Abstract The purpose of this study was to determine if female accounting students were high achievers in the classroom. The performance of female and male students in Accounting Principles I and II was compared by using multiple regression techniques to assess the incremental explanatory effects of gender. The regression models used controls for similar gender of the instructor and student, ACT score, cumulative GPA, Accounting Principles I grade, curriculum major, and high school accounting. Data were collected from nine sections of Accounting Principles I and five sections of Accounting Principles II. Simple correlations indicated that males perform better than female students in Accounting Principles I, but the reverse was true (though not significantly) in the second principles course. Multiple regression models with the control variables reveal that male students significantly outperformed female students on the three common examinations given in Accounting Principles I. The student's gender was not ...
Electron Cyclotron Resonance Plasma‐Enhanced Metalorganic Chemical Vapor Deposition of Tantalum Oxide Thin Films on Silicon near Room Temperature

Films of tantalum oxide, ranging in thickness from 25 to 2000 nm, were successfully deposited on silicon by the electron cyclotron resonance plasma-enhanced metalorganic chemical vapor deposition (ECR-MOCVD) process at deposition rates of up to 33 nm/min. The films were produced by decomposition of tantalum pentaethoxide into tantalum oxide in an oxygen ECR microwave plasma. The films were amorphous (but fully dense) since the temperature of the substrate, which was unheated, was estimated to be 76–120°C. The growth of the tantalum oxide films was accompanied by the formation of an interlayer of silicon dioxide at the silicon interface. The tantalum oxide films were oxygen rich (relative to Ta2O5). The effective relative dielectric constant of these dual-layer dielectrics ranged from ɛef= 8.5 to 24; this range was explained in terms of a bilayer consisting of a 13-nm-thick silicon dioxide layer of ɛsx= 4, and a tantalum oxide overgrowth of varying thickness having ɛtx∼ 25. A maximum breakdown strength of the films was 6.9 MV/cm and the leakage current at a field of 1 MV/cm was 3.0 × 10-8. The breakdown properties were related to the presence of stray particles on the substrate; these properties are expected to improve considerably if the processing is carried out in a clean-room environment. The silicon dioxide layer is believed to have grown by the diffusion of oxygen through the tantalum oxide overlayer despite the low substrate temperature.
Accounting for Changes in Alcohol Use and Abuse in the United States

Per capita alcohol consumption, teen drinking, and alcohol-involved traffic fatalities show declines ranging from 16% to 40% since their peaks around 1980. This article examines how beverage prices...
Effects of apical meristem mining on plant fitness, architecture, and flowering phenology in Cirsium altissimum (Asteraceae)

UNLABELLED • PREMISE OF THE STUDY Interactions that limit lifetime seed production have the potential to limit plant population sizes and drive adaptation through natural selection. Effects of insect herbivory to apical meristems (apical meristem mining) on lifetime seed production rarely have been quantified experimentally. We studied Cirsium altissimum (tall thistle), whose meristems are mined by Platyptilia carduidactyla (artichoke plume moth), to determine how apical damage affects plant maternal fitness and evaluate both direct and indirect mechanisms underlying these effects.• METHODS In restored prairie, apical mining was manipulated on tall thistles by applying insecticide, water, or no spray to apical meristems. We quantified effects on lifetime seed production, plant architecture, and flowering phenology. Seed germinability and seedling mass were evaluated in a greenhouse.• KEY RESULTS Apical meristem miners decreased lifetime seed production of C. altissimum, but not seed quality. Higher mortality rates of damaged plants contributed to reduced seed production. Apical damage reduced plant height and increased the proportion of blooming flower heads in axial positions on branches. Apical damage delayed flowering and shortened flowering duration.• CONCLUSIONS Apical meristem mining reduced plant maternal fitness. The shift in the identity of blooming flower heads from terminal to axial positions contributed to this reduction because axial heads are less fecund. Shorter, meristem-mined plants may have been more susceptible to competition, and this susceptibility may explain their higher mortality rates. The kinds of changes in architecture and phenology that resulted from apical damage to C. altissimum have been shown to affect floral visitation in other plant species.
Inter-iteration Scalar Replacement Using Array SSA Form

In this paper, we introduce novel simple and efficient analysis algorithms for scalar replacement and dead store elimination that are built on Array SSA form, a uniform representation for capturing control and data flow properties at the level of array or pointer accesses. We present extensions to the original Array SSA form representation to capture loop-carried data flow information for arrays and pointers. A core contribution of our algorithm is a subscript analysis that propagates array indices across loop iterations. Compared to past work, this algorithm can handle control flow within and across loop iterations and degrade gracefully in the presence of unanalyzable subscripts. We also introduce code transformations that can use the output of our analysis algorithms to perform the necessary scalar replacement transformations (including the insertion of loop prologues and epilogues for loop-carried reuse). Our experimental results show performance improvements of up to 2.29 × relative to code generated by LLVM at -O3 level. These results promise to make our algorithms a desirable starting point for scalar replacement implementations in modern SSA-based compiler infrastructures such as LLVM.
Quantification of gait parameters in freely walking wild type and sensory deprived Drosophila melanogaster

Coordinated walking in vertebrates and multi-legged invertebrates such as Drosophila melanogaster requires a complex neural network coupled to sensory feedback. An understanding of this network will benefit from systems such as Drosophila that have the ability to genetically manipulate neural activities. However, the fly's small size makes it challenging to analyze walking in this system. In order to overcome this limitation, we developed an optical method coupled with high-speed imaging that allows the tracking and quantification of gait parameters in freely walking flies with high temporal and spatial resolution. Using this method, we present a comprehensive description of many locomotion parameters, such as gait, tarsal positioning, and intersegmental and left-right coordination for wild type fruit flies. Surprisingly, we find that inactivation of sensory neurons in the fly's legs, to block proprioceptive feedback, led to deficient step precision, but interleg coordination and the ability to execute a tripod gait were unaffected. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.00231.001
Diazepam-binding inhibitor and corticotropin-releasing hormone in cerebrospinal fluid

Diazepam-binding inhibitor (DBI) is a neuromodulatory peptide for gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) neurotransmission. Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) levels of DBI have been found to be elevated in depression. CSF levels of the peptide corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) have also been found to be elevated in depression. Therefore, we examined for a relationship between DBI and CRH in human CSF. We found significant positive correlations between CSF levels of DBI and CRH in depressed patients, pathological gamblers, and normal controls. These data, along with the elevated CSF levels of DBI in depression, suggest the possibility that DBI may have a role in coordinating responses to stress in humans in addition to its possible role in the pathophysiology of depression.
Parameter convergence in the stochastic gradient adaptive control law

The authors exhibit self-tuning results for the adaptive control law proposed by G.C. Godwin, P.J. Ramadge and P.E. Caines (SIAM J. Control Optim., vol.19, no.6, p.829-53, 1981). They also show how the dimension of the adaptive control law can be reduced in situations where the reference trajectory has a low order of excitation. The results are compared with an adaptive control law proposed by P.R. Kumar and L. Praly (SIAM J. Control Optim., vol.25, no.4, p.1053-71, 1987). >
Challenges to Using Neem (Azadirachta Indica Var. Sianensis Valenton) in Thailand

The use of botanical insecticides based on the neem seed (Azadirachta indica var.siamensis Valeton) shows strong potential in the fight against important agricultural pests. Unfortunately, its use in rural Thailand is extremely limited. This study examines the efficacy of neem extracts processed under rural conditions; identifies factors that influence local farmers’ adoption of neem products; and proposes recommendations to promote the use of neem insecticides. The principal findings are: in field trials conducted under typical rural conditions, neem did not adequately control major pests of yard-long beans (Vigna sesquipedalis); and intensity of vegetable production, knowledge of neem insecticides and availability and accessibility of neem products strongly influence farmers’ adoption of neem products for pest control.
Building Trust in Storage Outsourcing: Secure Accounting of Utility Storage

We are witnessing a revival of storage service providers in the form of new vendors as well as traditional players. While storage outsourcing is cost-effective, many companies are hesitating to outsource their storage due to security concerns. The success of storage outsourcing is highly dependent on how well the providers can establish trust with their consumers. While significant work has been done to ensure confidentiality, integrity, and availability of data, a practical solution for accounting of outsourced storage is still at large missing. This paper presents Saksha, a secure accounting system that enables automated and verifiable metering of the resources utilized by the consumers. A provider that includes Saksha as a part of its storage service can prove to its customers the amount of resources utilized by them. As a result, Saksha will help to enhance trust by preventing any inflation or deflation of the service usage. Saksha is not restricted to any particular pricing model; it can be applied to the popular pay-per-use pricing model for utility storage as well as many of its variants. In addition, it can be used by the consumers to periodically evaluate their usage and reassess their outsourcing requirements. Saksha is developed such that it can be layered on the top of networked file systems. Our performance results demonstrate that Saksha is efficient and can be used in practice.
Monoamine oxidase A imaging in peripheral organs in healthy human subjects.

Monoamine oxidase (MAO) catalyzes the oxidative deamination of many biogenic and dietary amines. Though studies of MAO have focused mainly on its regulatory role in the brain, MAO in peripheral organs also represents a vast mechanism for detoxifying vasoactive compounds as well as for terminating the action of physiologically active amines, which can cross the blood brain barrier. Indeed, robust central and peripheral MAO activity is a major requirement in the safe use of many CNS drugs, particularly antidepressants, and thus an awareness of the MAO inhibitory potential of drugs is essential in therapeutics. In this study, we examined the feasibility of quantifying MAO A in peripheral organs in healthy human subjects using comparative positron emission tomography (PET) imaging with carbon-11 (t1/2: 20.4 min) labeled clorgyline ([11C]clorgyline) a suicide inactivator of MAO A and its deuterium labeled counterpart ([11C]clorgyline-D2). Heart, lungs, kidneys, thyroid, and spleen showed a robust deuterium isotope effect characteristic of MAO and the magnitude of the effect was similar to that of trancylcypromine, an irreversible MAO inhibitor used in the treatment of depression. Liver time-activity curves were not affected by deuterium substitution precluding the estimation of liver MAO in vivo. In organs showing an isotope effect, MAO A is greatest in the lungs and kidneys followed by the thyroid and heart. This method, which has been previously applied in the human brain, opens the possibility to also directly assess the effects of different variables including smoking, dietary substances, drugs, disease, and genetics on peripheral MAO A in humans. Synapse 49:178–187, 2003. Published 2003 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Exposure to the dioxin 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) induces squamous metaplasia in the endocervix of cynomolgus macaques.

Abstract: Female cynomolgus macaques (n = 11) were treated orally with graded doses of 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD). Cervical tissue was recovered at necropsy 1.2–2.7 years later and examined using routine histopathology. Results were compared histologically with cervical tissue from untreated, age- and parity-matched controls. Significant squamous epithelial metaplasia was observed in the endocervix of 9 of 11 TCDD-treated animals, and the degree of severity was dose dependent. In contrast, minimal or no pathological changes were observed in eight of nine control animals and one animal had only mild squamous metaplasia. These results suggest that TCDD exposure induces epithelial transdifferentiation in the primate cervix. Consequently, the TCDD-treated macaque may serve as a predictable animal model for the study of cervical epithelial transdifferentiation and for examining the relationship between squamous metaplasia and cervical oncogenesis both at the cellular and at the molecular level.
Simultaneous stabilization of MIMO systems with integral action controllers

Simultaneous stabilization with asymptotic tracking of step-input references is explored for linear, time-invariant, multi-input multi-output stable plants. Necessary conditions are presented for existence of simultaneous integral-action controllers and existence of simultaneous PID-controllers. A systematic simultaneous PID-controller synthesis method is proposed under a sufficient condition.
Auto tuning of digital deadbeat current controller for grid tied inverters using wide bandwidth impedance identification

By injecting a wide-bandwidth small-amplitude test sequence into the inverter's PWM control signal and utilizing digital network analyzer techniques, an accurate estimation of the output impedance can be obtained without external equipment. This knowledge can then be leveraged to tune the inverter's digital deadbeat controller for optimal performance, i.e. reaching the desired reference in n switching cycles, where n is the order of the system. A pseudo-random binary sequence (PRBS) based injection sequence is chosen for its wideband spectral content.
Correcting for BIAS in the Canonical Redundancy Statistic

The canonical redundancy statistic, an estimate of the amount of shared variance between two sets of variables, has been proposed as an alternative to the squared canonical correlation coefficient in the interpretation of the results of canonical correlation analysis. The present study was undertaken to investigate the bias of the canonical redundancy statistic and to evaluate methods to correct for any bias.Using Monte Carlo methods, the redundancy statistic was found to exhibit an amount of bias similar to that of the first squared canonical correlation coefficient. Bias is most affected by sample size: bias was observed to decrease by half each time the sample size was doubled. Bias also decreases as the intercorrelations between the two sets of variables increase. The number of predictor and criterion variables, as well as the size of the correlations between variables in each set, have relatively minimal effect on bias. Two formulae, Wherry and Olkin-Pratt, that were developed to estimate the populat...
Approximation algorithms for minimum energy transmission scheduling in rate and duty-cycle constrained wireless networks

We consider a constrained energy optimization called minimum energy scheduling problem (MESP) for a wireless network of N users transmitting over M time slots, where the constraints arise because of interference between wireless nodes that limits their transmission rates along with load and duty-cycle (on-off) restrictions. Since traditional optimization methods using Lagrange multipliers do not work well and are computationally expensive given the nonconvex constraints, we consider approximation schemes for finding the optimal (minimum energy) transmission schedule by discretizing power levels over the interference channel. First, we show the toughness of approximating MESP for an arbitrary number of users N even with a fixed M. For any r > 0, we demonstrate that there does not exist any (r, r)-bicriteria approximation for this MESP, unless P = NP . Conversely, we show that there exist good approximations for MESP with given N users transmitting over an arbitrary number of M time slots by developing fully polynomial (1,1+?) approximation schemes (FPAS). For any ? > 0, we develop an algorithm for computing the optimal number of discrete power levels per time slot (O(1/?)), and use this to design a (1, 1+?)-FPAS that consumes no more energy than the optimal while violating each rate constraint by at most a 1+?-factor. For wireless networks with low-cost transmitters, where nodes are restricted to transmitting at a fixed power over active time slots, we develop a two-factor approximation for finding the optimal fixed transmission power value P opt that results in the minimum energy schedule.
Current Management and Long-term Outcomes Following Chorioamnionitis

Chorioamnionitis is defined as the presence of active infection in the amniotic sac that causes inflammatory changes in the mother. Strict diagnosis of chorioamnionitis in the absence of invasive testing is problematic due to a lack of consistency. Multiple signs and symptoms are consistent with chorioamnionitis, diagnosed prior to delivery, and as a result, diagnostic criteria may vary by provider and institution. Therefore, the quantification of the burden of disease of chorioamnionitis is significantly challenging. Chorioamnionitis is traditionally considered to be a polymicrobial process, although there is evidence to suggest that bacterial proliferation may not be the initiating event to cause chorioamnionitis1. Notably, many of the associated bacteria tend to colonize amniotic fluid with low virulence2. It is unclear what causes these bacteria to transition from colonizers to pathologic contributors and, eventually, to chorioamnionitis3. Mycoplasma, in particular, seems to commonly colonize the reproductive tract and can be associated with adverse pregnancy outcomes in certain circumstances.4 Maternal complications of chorioamnionitis are primarily short-term, including postpartum hemorrhage, wound infection and endomyometritis. Pregnancy complications, including preterm labor and delivery, add to the significant burden of disease. Chorioamnionitis in one pregnancy can influence the risk of recurrence in a future pregnancy, although this risk remains low. Obstetrical history of delivering a child with Group B Streptococcus (GBS sepsis) early onset neonatal sepsis is an indication for routine GBS prophylaxis in labor for all future pregnancies. GBS infections, historically, has been a significant contributor to the burden of disease of chorioamnionitis. Recent policies of screening and prophylaxis in labor have been able to significantly decrease its associated morbidity. Despite aggressive GBS prophylaxis, rates of intrauterine infection and associated morbidity remain high. Chorioamnionitis is associated with many short-term and long-term neonatal complications. In cases of preterm birth, the child’s risk cerebral palsy, brain injury and necrotizing enterocolitis are compounded by associated increased risk of prematurity.
Primary stenting of the superficial femoral and popliteal artery

Objectives Over the last decade, the number of endovascular procedures performed on the superficial femoral (SFA) and popliteal arteries (PA) has significantly increased. There is no consensus on the optimal form of intervention used in this arterial segment. While some have advocated balloon angioplasty alone, others have championed either selective or primary stenting of these lesions. It is the purpose of this study to determine the efficacy and durability of primary stenting of the superficial femoral and popliteal artery. Methods All patients undergoing peripheral angioplasty by a single vascular surgeon were prospectively enrolled in an Institutional Review Board-approved, primary-stenting protocol. During a 44-month period, all patients undergoing percutaneous transluminal angioplasty of the SFA or PA also received primary arterial stenting with bare, self-expanding nitinol stents. Patient demographics and risk factors were identified. TransAtlantic InterSociety Consensus (TASC) classifications were determined for all lesions. Loss of primary patency was said to have occurred when an occlusion or a 50% or greater stenosis in any treated arterial segment was diagnosed by arterial duplex or angiography. Only time to loss of primary patency was recorded. Kaplan-Meier survival curves were plotted and differences between groups tested by log rank method. Results Between January 16, 2004 and August 13, 2007, 201 angioplasties with primary stenting were performed on 161 patients. One hundred twenty-three stents were placed for claudication, and 78 for critical limb ischemia. Forty-six segments treated were TASC A, 82 were TASC B, 38 were TASC C, and 35 were TASC D. Patient follow-up ranged from three to 1329 days (mean: 426 days). Primary patency rates for TASC A and B lesions were 79%, 67%, and 57% at 12, 24, and 36 months. For TASC C and D lesions, primary patency rates were 52.7%, 36%, and 19% at the same time intervals. Primary patency rates for TASC A and B lesions were significantly higher than for C and D lesions (P Conclusions Primary stenting of the SFA and PA provides durable results in patients with TASC A and B lesions and may be an effective treatment strategy. This approach is significantly less effective when used in treating those with TASC C and D disease. Based on the results in this series, the use of primary stenting does not extend the anatomic limits of the current treatment recommendations for catheter-based intervention in patients with infrainguinal occlusive disease.
A Discovery‐Learning Classroom Case on Accounting Data Transmission Systems

ABSTRACT: This paper describes a classroom exercise utilizing a technique known as “discovery learning.” The activity involves a hands‐on lab composed of basic building blocks of a simple wireless network. Students engage in a physical activity that demonstrates the operation of individual layers of the seven‐layer Open Systems Interconnect model. In the process, they uncover conceptual knowledge normally delivered via means that are more traditional such as lecture or reading. During one such lab session, students stumbled upon a real‐world control breach. This discovery, completely unplanned by the instructor, vividly illustrated the critical importance of the topical material. The experience greatly increased student interest and motivation. Assessment data confirms that student comprehension and application is significantly enhanced.
Multiple Approaches to Investigate the Transport and Activity-Dependent Release of BDNF and Their Application in Neurogenetic Disorders

Studies utilizing genetic and pharmacological manipulations in rodent models and neuronal cultures have revealed myriad roles of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF). Currently, this knowledge of BDNF function is being translated into improvement strategies for several debilitating neurological disorders in which BDNF abnormalities play a prominent role. Common among the BDNF-related disorders are irregular trafficking and release of mature BDNF (mBDNF) and/or its prodomain predecessor, proBDNF. Thus, investigating the conditions required for proper trafficking and release of BDNF is an essential step toward understanding and potentially improving these neurological disorders. This paper will provide examples of disorders related to BDNF release and serve as a review of the techniques being used to study the trafficking and release of BDNF.
UAV Route Planning for Joint Search and Track MissionsAn Information-Value Approach

A new approach to route planning for joint search and track missions by coordinated unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) is presented. The cornerstone is a novel objective function that integrates naturally and coherently the conflicting objectives of target detection, target tracking, and vehicle survivability into a single scalar index for path optimization. This objective function is the value of information gained by the mission on average in terms of a summation, where the number of terms reflects the number of targets detected while how large each term is reflects how well each detected target is tracked. The UAV following the path that maximizes this objective function is expected to gain the most valuable information by detecting the most important targets and tracking them during the most critical times. Although many optimization algorithms exist, we use a modified particle swarm optimization algorithm along with our proposed objective function to determine which trajectory is the best on the average at detecting and tracking targets. For simplicity, perfect communication with centralized fusion is assumed and the problems of false alarm, data association, and model mismatch are not considered. For analysis, we provide several simplified examples along with a more realistic simulation. Simulation results show that by adjusting the parameters of the objective function, solutions can be optimized according to the desired tradeoff between the conflicting objectives of detecting new targets and tracking previously detected targets. Our approach can also be used to update plans in real time by incorporating the information obtained up to the time (and then reusing our approach).
Predicting Successful Responses to Emergencies: the Emergency Responsiveness Scale

People respond to disasters in a variety of ways. Some individuals respond to disasters or emergencies with panicked activity while others mobilize resources without panicking. In this article, we propose that the individual response to emergencies is determined by Emergency Responsiveness, the manner in which an individual appraises an emergency situation. We believe Emergency Responsiveness consists of four factors: Risk Taking, Experience with Emergencies, Emergency Anxiety, and Emergency Preparation. In Study One, each of the four subscales of Emergency Responsiveness correlated with personality traits in the hypothesized directions, providing evidence of construct validity. In Study Two, we establish criterion-related validity by demonstrating that a sample of first-responders scored significantly higher than a control sample on all four dimensions. Our results support our hypothesis that Emergency Responsiveness is a measurable individual difference. Implications for first responders and emergency services are discussed.
Estimation of activation energies for carbene/alkene additions

Abstract Activation energies for the additions to alkenes of carbenes CXY can be estimated from the carbene selectivity indices, m CXY , which are readily derived from the substituent constants ( σ I and σ R + ) of X and Y .
The impact of the heparin-induced thrombocytopenia (HIT) computerized alert on provider behaviors and patient outcomes.

Objective The aim of this study was to measure the effect of an electronic heparin-induced thrombocytopenia (HIT) alert on provider ordering behaviors and on patient outcomes. Materials and Methods A pop-up alert was created for providers when an individual's platelet values had decreased by 50% or to <100 000/mm3 in the setting of recent heparin exposure. The authors retrospectively compared inpatients admitted between January 24, 2008 and August 24, 2008 to a control group admitted 1 year prior to the HIT alert. The primary outcome was a change in HIT antibody testing. Secondary outcomes included an assessment of incidence of HIT antibody positivity, percentage of patients started on a direct thrombin inhibitor (DTI), length of stay and overall mortality. Results There were 1006 and 1081 patients in the control and intervention groups, respectively. There was a 33% relative increase in HIT antibody test orders (p=0.01), and 33% more of these tests were ordered the first day after the criteria were met when a pop-up alert was given (p=0.03). Heparin was discontinued in 25% more patients in the alerted group (p=0.01), and more direct thrombin inhibitors were ordered for them (p=0.03). The number who tested HIT antibody-positive did not differ, however, between the two groups (p=0.99). The length of stay and mortality were similar in both groups. Conclusions The HIT alert significantly impacted provider behaviors. However, the alert did not result in more cases of HIT being detected or an improvement in overall mortality. Our findings do not support implementation of a computerized HIT alert.
Government Instability Shifts Skin Tone Representations of and Intentions to Vote for Political Candidates

Does government stability shift the way White and Black Americans represent and make voting decisions about political candidates? Participants judged how representative lightened, darkened, and unaltered photographs were of a racially ambiguous candidate ostensibly running for political office (Studies 1-3). When the governmental system was presented as stable, White participants who shared (vs. did not share) the candidate's political beliefs rated a lightened photo as more representative of the candidate, and Black participants who shared (vs. did not share) the candidate's political beliefs rated a darkened photo as more representative (Studies 1-3). However, under conditions of instability, both Whites and Blacks who shared (vs. did not share) the candidate's political beliefs rated a lightened photo as more representative (Study 3). Representations of (Studies 2 and 3) and actual differences in (Studies 4a and 4b) skin tone predicted intentions to vote for candidates, as a function of government stability and participants' race. Further evidence suggested that system stability shifted the motivations that guided voting decisions (Study 4a and 4b). When the system was stable, the motivation to enhance one's group predicted greater intentions to vote for lighter skinned candidates among Whites, and greater intentions to vote for darker skinned candidates among Blacks. When the system was unstable, however, lacking confidence in the sociopolitical system predicted intentions to vote for lighter skinned candidates among both Whites and Blacks. Implications for political leadership and social perception are discussed.
Parental Criminal Justice Involvement and Children's Involvement With Child Protective Services: Do Adult Drug Treatment Courts Prevent Child Maltreatment?

ABSTRACTBackground: In light of evidence showing reduced criminal recidivism and cost savings, adult drug treatment courts have grown in popularity. However, the potential spillover benefits to family members are understudied.Objectives: To examine: (1) the overlap between parents who were convicted of a substance-related offense and their children's involvement with child protective services (CPS); and (2) whether parental participation in an adult drug treatment court program reduces children's risk for CPS involvement.Methods: Administrative data from North Carolina courts, birth records, and social services were linked at the child level. First, children of parents convicted of a substance-related offense were matched to (a) children of parents convicted of a nonsubstance-related offense and (b) those not convicted of any offense. Second, we compared children of parents who completed a DTC program with children of parents who were referred but did not enroll, who enrolled for <90 days but did not comp...
Decolonization Not Inclusion Indigenous Resistance to American Settler Colonialism

American Indians experience forms of domination and resist them through a wide range of decolonizing processes that are commonly overlooked, misidentified, or minimally analyzed by American sociolo...
Primary care-based screening, diagnosis and management of postpartum depression effective for improving symptoms

Commentary on: Yawn BP, Dietrich AJ, Wollan P, et al. In collaboration with the TRIPPD practices. TRIPPD: a Practice-Based Network Effectiveness Study of Postpartum Depression Screening and Management. Ann Fam Med 2012; 10: 320– 9.[OpenUrl][1][Abstract/FREE Full Text][2] Postpartum depression (PPD) is a debilitating mental health disorder that negatively affects maternal functioning and child outcomes. Prevalence rates demonstrate that up to 19.2% of women will develop a major or minor depressive episode within the first 3 months postpartum.1 Depression places the second greatest burden on the health of childbearing women worldwide. Despite the prevalence and negative consequences of PPD, it is a condition that has been under-recognised and undertreated in primary care settings. Universal screening efforts have been implemented in multiple medical and community settings. However, there are drawbacks to universal screening and limited empirical data demonstrating its effectiveness. A major criticism of universal screening is the availability and capacity … [1]: {openurl}?query=rft.jtitle%253DThe%2BAnnals%2Bof%2BFamily%2BMedicine%26rft.stitle%253DAnn%2BFam%2BMed%26rft.issn%253D1544-1709%26rft.aulast%253DYawn%26rft.auinit1%253DB.%2BP.%26rft.volume%253D10%26rft.issue%253D4%26rft.spage%253D320%26rft.epage%253D329%26rft.atitle%253DTRIPPD%253A%2BA%2BPractice-Based%2BNetwork%2BEffectiveness%2BStudy%2Bof%2BPostpartum%2BDepression%2BScreening%2Band%2BManagement%26rft_id%253Dinfo%253Adoi%252F10.1370%252Fafm.1418%26rft_id%253Dinfo%253Apmid%252F22778120%26rft.genre%253Darticle%26rft_val_fmt%253Dinfo%253Aofi%252Ffmt%253Akev%253Amtx%253Ajournal%26ctx_ver%253DZ39.88-2004%26url_ver%253DZ39.88-2004%26url_ctx_fmt%253Dinfo%253Aofi%252Ffmt%253Akev%253Amtx%253Actx [2]: /lookup/ijlink?linkType=ABST&journalCode=annalsfm&resid=10/4/320&atom=%2Febmed%2F18%2F3%2Fe27.atom
A study of maternal electrocardiograms recorded during labor and delivery.

Electrocardiograms monitored labor in 13 pregnant women and were recorded continuously throughout the actual delivery of the baby. The maternal heart rate speeds at delivery of the baby’s head to 125 cycles per minute (c.p.m.), but slows quickly to 83 c.p.m. 3 minutes after delivery, remaining at this same rate in the postpartum period. The maternal heart rate at delivery varies greatly. One patient delivered with a heart rate of 176 c.p.m.; in contrast, the heart rate of another patient at the moment of delivery was 73 c.p.m. Cardiac arrhythmias occurred during labor in all patients. Ventricular repolarization changes (S-T, T, U waves) occurred in 10 patients. None of the changes in cardiac rate, rhythm, or ventricular repolarization appeared to affect the patients in an adverse way. The rapid heart rate which occurred commonly in the second stage of labor is most likely due to excitement, pain, and fear but not to the physical exercise of labor or to any cardiovascular development.
The Schwarz Lemma and Hyperbolic Geometry

This short chapter is devoted to the Schwarz lemma, which is a simple consequence of the power series expansion and the maximum principle. The Schwarz lemma is proved in Section 1, and it is used in Section 2 to determine the conformal self-maps of the unit disk. In Section 2 we formulate the Schwarz lemma to be invariant under the conformal self-maps of the unit disk, thereby obtaining Pick’s lemma. This leads in Section 3 to the hyperbolic metric and hyperbolic geometry of the unit disk.
CHAPTER 8 – A NEW 191Os-191mIr RADIONUCLIDE GENERATOR FOR FIRST PASS ANGIOGRAPHY

Abstract An osmium-191→iridium-191m radionuclide generator suitable for first pass angiography has been developed. 191Os with a physical half-life of 15.4 d is produced in the reactor by the 190Os(η, γ) 191Os reaction and decays by internal conversion to 191mIr. 91mIr has a physical half-life of 4.96 s and decays by isometric transition to stable 191Ir. It emits a gamma ray at 129 keV with 26% abundance. In addition, x-rays at about 65 keV in 58% abundance are emitted as a result of internal conversion from the 129 keV excited state. 191Os metal was converted into chloro-complex of potassium osmate, which was loaded into a column of 0.9 mL of AGMP-1 anion exchange resin. This column was connected in series to another column also of 0.9 mL of Dowex-2 and pyrocatechol. The generator is eluted with 0.6 to 1 mL of 0.9% NaCl, pH 1. One mL of eluent yields 7 to 10% of the 191mIr in the column and there is a 3 to 8% x 10-3% of 191Os breakthrough. The eluant is rapidly diluted and flushed with a buffer solution (25% 0.05M Na2HPO4, 75% 0.9% NaCl) prior to injection. The lowest pH delivered is 3.5. First–pass radionuclide angiography has been carried out in 100 patients ranging from 4 days to 67 years of age (mean = 14 years) for detection and quantitation of left-to-right shunting. Twelve patients underwent cardiac catheterizations with simultaneous 191mIr angiography. They had pulmonary-to-systemic ratios (Qp:Qs) ranging from 1.04 to 3.00. There was good agreement between these two techniques (r=.90). In addition to the quantitation of Qp:Qs, it appears that 191mIr is useful in the evaluation of cardiac function. The relatively long half-life of 191Os will permit transportation of the generator to centers far from the production facility. The major advantages of 191mIr are: 1) low radiation dose to patients; 2) high photon flux and: 3) the possibility of obtaining repeated studies within a short time. 191mIr obtained by this method should find additional applications in nuclear medicine.
Study of Human-Structure Dynamic Interactions

Structural engineers usually consider the building occupants as added weight (or mass). Even though this may be a reasonable assumption for the static analysis and design of structures, it can result in discrepancies between the predicted and measured dynamic responses of a structure. This paper presents the results of a research effort conducted to evaluate the effects of human bodies on the dynamic properties and responses of civil engineering structures. A laboratory test structure and a footbridge were used, and the Component Mode Synthesis technique was applied to compute the structural response. Using a parameter search technique, the dynamic properties of an equivalent single-degree-of-freedom lumped mass model to represent groups of people in different postures on a test structure, were found. The model was used to compute the dynamic properties and response of a footbridge when occupied by people. Comparison of the results with the measured properties and responses of the footbridge demonstrated the validity of the human dynamic model.
On the Problem of Describing the Grammar of Natural Languages

Difficulties encountered in an attempt to describe the syntax of English determiner phrases resulted in a reconsideration of the purpose and organizational principles of grammatical descriptions. Some illumination of the nature of grammatical descriptions is obtained by a consideration of systems of chess-notation. Problems of grammatical description discussed with reference to two specific examples of chess-notations include:(1) The problem of describing the" basic regularities " which determine how the sentences of a language are understood;(2) The problem of translating between two languages with the same " universe of discourse " but with different ways of referring to it ;(3) The problem of explaining the intuitive notion of " grammaticality "which native users of a language possess.The importance, for a useful language description, of describing the" semantic interpretation " process is illustrated and emphasized, and the value of language descriptions in the form of generative grammars is questioned.
Adam Smith's Constitutional Theory

To become an engine of sustained economic growth, markets require various market-supporting infrastructure from the government, such as justice (including property rights and contract enforcement), security, public goods, and, importantly, liberty or the freedom from government predation. Adam Smith’s developed his constitutional theory as part of his unpublished Lectures on Jurisprudence. This theory answers a critical question. If liberty, commerce, and security provide the road to opulence, what incentives do political officials have to sustain them? Smith's constitutional theory provides the answer.Despite several excellent treatments (see, e.g., Evensky 2005, Haakonssen 1981; Hont 2015; Kennedy 2005, and Winch 1978), Smith's constitutional theory remains relatively unknown, especially outside of the literature on Smith. Smith's impressive contributions to this theory parallel those of Locke in his Second Treatise (1689), Montesquieu in his Spirit of the Law (1748), and Madison in the Federalist Papers (1787-88). In many ways, Smith's focus on institutions and incentives is superior to that of the other political theorists who are far more well-known for work on this topic. Topics include Smith’s theory of sovereignty, the separation of powers as a system of mutual monitors, the right of resistance, and, generally, the incentives facing political officials to adhere to the constitutional rules.
Co-entangled actin-microtubule composites exhibit tunable stiffening and power-law stress relaxation

We use optical tweezers microrheology and fluorescence microscopy to characterize the nonlinear mesoscale mechanics and mobility of in vitro co-entangled actin-microtubule composites. We create a suite of randomly-oriented, well-mixed networks of actin and microtubules by co-polymerizing varying ratios of actin and tubulin in situ. To perturb each composite far from equilibrium, we use optical tweezers to displace an embedded microsphere a distance greater than the lengths of the filaments at a speed much faster than their intrinsic relaxation rates. We simultaneously measure the resistive force the filaments exert and the subsequent force relaxation. We find that the presence of a large fraction of microtubules (>0.7) is needed to substantially increase the resistive force, which is accompanied by large heterogeneities in force response. Actin minimizes these heterogeneities by reducing the mesh size of the composites and supporting microtubules against buckling. Composites also undergo a sharp transition from stress-softening to stiffening when the fraction of microtubules (φT) exceeds 0.5, by microtubules suppressing actin bending fluctuations. The induced force following strain relaxes via two time-dependent power-law decays. The first decay phase, with scaling exponents that increase proportionally with the fraction of actin, signifies actin bending fluctuations. Alternatively, the second phase, with a φT-independent scaling exponent of ~0.4, is indicative of filaments reptating out of deformed entanglement constraints. Corresponding mobility measurements of steady-state actin and microtubules show that both filaments are more mobile in equimolar composites (φT=0.5) compared to networks of primarily actin or microtubules. This non-monotonic dependence of mobility on φT, which further demonstrates the important role mesh size plays in composites, highlights the surprising emergent properties that can arise in composites.
Determining the Ecological Validity of Simulation Environments in Support of Human Competency Development

This paper discusses the development and use of an analytical assessment methodology that applies Systems Engineering principles, Ecological Affordance Theory, and Human Abilities, to measure the potential of integrated simulation training environments (ITEs) to support the development of competence in the execution of specific military missions. The results of this research include the development and use of the integrated training environment assessment methodology (ITEAM). ITEAM was used to re-evaluate the ecological validity of several ITEs ability to support the development of specific competencies during training.
Attempted Immunotherapy with Dialyzable Transfer Factor in Hepatitis B Carrier Chimpanzees: Induction of Delayed Hypersensitivity to Hepatitis B Surface Antigen (HBsAg)

Publisher Summary This chapter describes the attempted immunotherapy with dialyzable transfer factor (TF) in hepatitis B carrier chimpanzees. Peripheral blood leucocytes were collected by cytophoresis with an “IBM Cell Separator” from a donor who had a past history of overt type B hepatitis and subsequent re-exposure to HB virus with resulting anamnestic anti-HBs response without evidence of liver damage. This donor had a strongly positive Mantoux test, and migration of her leucocytes was inhibited by HBsAg and PPD. No significant change in serum levels of SGPT or HBsAg was observed. No definite histological change was observed in a liver biopsy performed 8 days later when this was compared blindly to previous biopsies. Skin tests as well as LMI to HBsAg and PPD were negative in both animals when tested three months later. The results of these experiments are summarized. Control chimpanzee #116, who had received no TFD, had no DH to PPD or HBsAg detectable by skin testing or by in vitro LMI testing during the period of the experiments.
Allozyme gene diversities in some leaf beetles (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae).

Gene diversity at allozyme loci was investigatedin the bean leaf beetle, Ceratoma trifurcataForster; the elm leaf beetle, Xanthogalerucaluteola (Muller); the cottonwood leaf beetle,Chrysomela scripta Fabricus; the western cornrootworm, Diabrotica virgifera virgiferaLeConte; the southern corn rootworm, also called thespotted cucumber beetle, D. undecimpunctatahowardi Baker; the northern corn rootworm, D. barberi Smith and Lawrence; and theColorado potato beetle, Leptinotarsa decemlineata (Say).Six of these species are economically important pests ofcrops and display adaptive traits that may correlate with genetic diversity. Gene diversityHE in bean leaf beetles was 17.7 ±4.0% among 32 loci. In western corn rootworms, HE = 4.8 ± 2.0% among 36 loci, and inspotted cucumber beetles, HE = 11.9 ± 2.7%among 39 loci. Diversity among 27 loci was 10.5 ±4.3% in the Colorado potato beetle. The data werecompared with gene diversity estimates from other leafbeetle species in which heterozygosities varied from0.3 to 21% and no correlation was detected amongheterozygosities, geographic ranges, or populationdensities. Distributions of single-locusheterozygosities were consistent with selective neutrality ofalleles.