cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Investigation of the Impact of Recreational Ski Program on Children Who Are Blind and Visually Disabled

While the rationale for recreational programs for those with visual impairments is strong, it is necessary to measure outcomes of these programs in order to ascertain if and how participants benefit. Through this qualitative study, investigators sought to gain insight to the impact of a recreational ski program. Participants in this study were 20 children aged 8 to 18 who were visually disabled and their parents or teachers. These children and their parent(s) were interviewed separately before and after the ski outing. The instrument used for the interview was constructed with closed and open responses and focused on the participants’ perceptions of the ski experience. Descriptive data were collected on all participants. Data were analyzed and broken into themes regarding impact and outcomes. Themes were studied and findings were interpreted. Results of the interviews showed that the organized ski experience promoted five of the nine skill areas of the Expanded Core Curriculum for the Visually Impaired. These areas include: Recreation and Leisure Skills, Social interaction Skills, Self-determination Skills, Orientation and Mobility Skills, and Sensory Efficiency Skills.
A Supraglottic Mass in a Pediatric Patient: An Unusual Presentation of Lymphoma.

Objective:To present a case of laryngeal lymphoma in a pediatric patient and perform a literature review of this rare entity.Patient:A 13-year-old male presented with a rapidly enlarging right neck...
A randomized, controlled trial of video supplementation on the cataract surgery informed consent process.

To assess the effects of the American Academy of Ophthalmology’s 2015 patient education video on patient information retention and anxiety preoperatively, on the day of surgery and postoperatively. This is a prospective, surgeon-blinded randomized controlled trial at the University of Chicago Medical Center. Ninety-one patients with a diagnosis of first-eye cataract were randomized into either a video or control group. Subjects in both groups received face-to-face discussion with the surgeon and an informational brochure at the preoperative evaluation. Participants in the video group then viewed a four-minute educational video at the preoperative evaluation and on the day of surgery. Both groups completed an information retention quiz and a state anxiety assessment at the preoperative visit, on the day of surgery, and on the postoperative week one visit. Subject understanding of cataract surgery was measured using a twelve-question multiple choice quiz. State anxiety was measured by State Trait Anxiety Inventory-Y1 survey score. Participants in the video group did not score significantly higher on the information retention quiz compared with the control group at the preoperative evaluation (8.7 ± 2.4 vs 7.7 ± 2.5, P = 0.07), but did so on the day of surgery (11.2 ± 0.8 vs 8.4 ± 1.7, P < 0.001) and postoperative week 1 visit (10.8 ± 1.5 vs 9.0 ± 2.0, P < 0.001). Subjects in the video group were significantly less anxious on the day of surgery (26.4 ± 5.1 vs 41.1 ± 10.3, P < 0.001). Video supplementation to the traditional informed consent process demonstrated an improvement in patient understanding of cataract surgery at multiple timepoints and decreased anxiety on the day of surgery.
Working Together to Stop Domestic Violence: State-Community Partnerships and the Changing Meaning of Public and Private

The increasing reliance in the United States on state-community partnerships to address social problems represents both new opportunities and new dangers. This article presents examples of both possibilities through a consideration of contemporary collaborations between state and nonstate actors in the development of a public response to domestic violence. This discussion provides the basis for an elaboration of a conceptual approach to public/private relationships that replaces the traditional dichotomy with a triangular relationship, of state, family and community. By improving on our ability to think through the complex relationships between these three spheres, it is argued that this model that can assist those who are committed to pursuing the positive potential of community-state partnerships while avoiding their dangers. John Braithwaite's theory of responsive regulation, and the regulatory pyramid that structures its operation, is discussed in terms of its ability to provide additional insights into the relationship between formal and informal responses to social problems.
Relative Ratios Enhance the Diagnostic Power of Phospholipids in Distinguishing Benign and Cancerous Ovarian Masses

Ovarian cancer remains a highly lethal disease due to its late clinical presentation and lack of reliable early biomarkers. Protein-based diagnostic markers have presented limitations in identifying ovarian cancer. We tested the potential of phospholipids as markers of ovarian cancer by utilizing inter-related regulation of phospholipids, a unique property that allows the use of ratios between phospholipid species for quantitation. High-performance liquid chromatography mass spectrometry was used to measure phospholipid, lysophospholipid, and sphingophospholipid content in plasma from patients with benign ovarian masses, patients with ovarian cancer, and controls. We applied both absolute and relative phospholipid ratios for quantitation. Receiver operating characteristic analysis was performed to test the sensitivity and specificity. We found that utilization of ratios between phospholipid species greatly outperformed absolute quantitation in the identification of ovarian cancer. Of the phospholipids analyzed, species in phosphatidylcholine (PC), lysophosphatidylcholine (LPC), and sphingomyelin (SM) were found to have great biomarker potential. LPC(20:4)/LPC(18:0) carried the greatest capacity to differentiate cancer from control, SM(d18:1/24:1)/SM(d18:1/22:0) to differentiate benign from cancer, and PC(18:0/20:4)/PC(18:0/18:1) to differentiate benign from control. These results demonstrate the potential of plasma phospholipids as a novel marker of ovarian cancer by utilizing the unique characteristics of phospholipids to further enhance the diagnostic power.
Increased genetic diversity from colony merging in termites does not improve survival against a fungal pathogen.

In some species of social insects the increased genetic diversity from having multiple breeders in a colony has been shown to improve pathogen resistance. Termite species typically found colonies from single mated pairs and therefore may lack the flexibility to buffer pathogen pressure with increased genetic diversity by varying the initial number of reproductives. However, they can later increase group diversity through colony merging, resulting in a genetically diverse, yet cohesive, workforce. In this study, we investigate whether the increased group diversity from colony fusion benefits social immunity in the subterranean termite Reticulitermes flavipes. We confirm previous findings that colonies of R. flavipes will readily merge and we show that workers will equally groom nestmates and non-nestmates after merging. Despite this, the survival of these merged colonies was not improved after exposure to a fungal pathogen, but instead leveled to that of the more susceptible or the more resistant colony. Our study brings little support to the hypothesis that colony fusion may improve immunity through an increase of genetic diversity in R. flavipes. Instead, we find that following exposure to a lethal pathogen, one colony is heavily influential to the entire group’s survival after merging.
The United States Constitutional History through the Barristers and Political Theories of the Middle Temple Inn of Court

This article examines the effect of Middle Templars on American law from the early ages of the colonies to the present day Supreme Court leadership. It argues that the stamp of Middle Temple ideals such as representative democracy, the right to a jury trial, and a deep distrust of excesses of power continue to mark American jurisprudence today because Middle Templars helped shape American law, most notably as signatories of the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution. This article explores the different roles of Middle Templars from defending the rights of colonists against the crown during the pre-revolutionary period to proposing a motion in Congress in 1786 for the reorganization of the government, leading to the 1787 U.S. Constitution. It asserts that English legal structures and principles were woven into the U.S. legal system through the leadership of Middle Templars from the early days of the colonies and persist to the present day.
Heterogeneity of large subunits of ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase from Hydrogenomonas eutropha

Abstract Homogeneous ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase purified from autotrophically grown Hydrogenomonas eutropha can be dissociated with sodium dodecylsulfate into small 15,000-dalton subunits and large 56,000- and 52,000-dalton subunits (the latter in a mole ratio of 5:3). The overal mole ratio of small to large subunits is 1.08. Considering the molecular weight of the native enzyme (516,000), the simplest quarternary structure of this enzyme consists of 8 large (mixed) and 8 small subunits. Isolation of the enzyme from cells under conditions that should minimize proteolysis has no effect upon the observed heterogeneity of the large subunits.
Overconfidence, Short-Sale Constraints, and Stock Valuation

There is a recent renaissance in the research of investor differences of opinion and short-sale constraints. This literature usually assumes that investor opinion is generated from an exogenous distribution and hence does not link opinion divergence and stock valuation to stock fundamentals. In addition, most theories simply model short-sale constraints as short-sale prohibition. This paper develops a stock market model based on investor overconfidence and short-sale constraints, in which overconfidence generates differences of opinion and the degree of short-sale constraints is variable. In the model, after receiving private signals, overconfident investors and rational investors exchange one risky asset with which there is a restriction in maximum number of shortable shares. In equilibrium, conditional on private signals, stocks can be overvalued or undervalued. How stocks are mispriced depends on whether private signals are favorable or adverse and, accordingly, what investors are bound by short-sale constraints. However, due to the asymmetry in under- and overvaluation introduced by short-sale constraints, on average, stocks are overvalued. The model produces a distribution of investor differences of opinion that is correlated with stock fundamentals, which explains the cross-sectional differences in opinion divergence. The models also examines the effects of investor overconfidence and short-sale constraints on opinion divergence, trading volume, and short interest. It shows that a variation in overconfidence induces a negative correlation between subsequent stock returns and opinion divergence, trading volume, or short interest. In contrast, a variation in short-sale constraints generates a positive correlation between subsequent stock returns and trading volume or short interest but has no effects on opinion divergence. These relationships provide an explanation for a number of stylized facts in the cross-section. After we further incorporate multiple assets whose payoffs share a common factor, the model gives many implications for the time-series behavior of aggregate returns. It explains the ability of cross-sectional averages of firm valuation measures (such as book-to-market equity and dividend yield) to forecast market returns and returns of various portfolios. It also provides an explanation for the stronger predictability of equal-weight market returns than value-weight market returns. Finally, we suggest a number of new predictors of aggregate returns, including cross-sectional averages of opinion divergence, of trading volume, and of short interest, and cross-sectional dispersions of firm misvaluation and of opinion divergence.
Effect of Nb Alloying Addition on Local Phase Transformation at Microtwin Boundaries in Nickel-Based Superalloys

This work investigates two nominally similar polycrystalline alloys, with a subtle difference in Nb content, intended to elucidate its effect on local phase transformation strengthening during high temperature creep. Tests were conducted at 750 °C and 600 MPa to target the creep regime dominated by superlattice intrinsic and extrinsic stacking faults, as well as microtwinning. Alloy A, with higher Nb and lower Al, was found to be superior in creep strength to Alloy B, with lower Nb and higher Al, as well as previously investigated ME3 and LSHR. Atomic resolution scanning transmission electron microscopy and energy-dispersive spectroscopy found that this increased creep strength was due to a novel local phase transformation occurring along microtwin boundary interfaces as a result of the Nb increase. Complementary density functional theory calculations helped to confirm that this was χ phase formation. It is hypothesized that this transformation was the cause of the increased creep strength exhibited by Alloy A.
Ultra-High Intense Laser on Dense Plasmas : from Periodic to Chaotic Dynamics

The advent of high power femtosecond lasers has paved the way to a promising and still largely unexplored branch of physics called Ultra-High Intensity physics (UHI). Once such a laser is focused on a solid target, the laser intensity I₀ can reach values as large as 10¹⁸⁻²⁰ W.cm⁻², for which matter is fully ionized. The plasma thus formed expands towards vacuum on a spatial scale characterized by a quantity Lg called the density gradient scale length. When Lg << λ₀ (laser wavelength), the dense plasma therefore acts as an optical mirror that specularly reflects the incident light: it is a plasma mirror. This remarkable physical system can be used in many scientific applications as compact source of high-energy and high-charge particle beams (electrons, ions) or bright source of radiations ranging from extreme ultraviolet-rays to X-rays through high harmonic generation processes. In order to finely control these sources, it is required to properly identify the different coupling mechanisms between light and matter at play during the interaction. In this manuscript, this has been made possible by performing accurate Particle-In-Cell (PIC) simulations with the WARP+PXR code. This recently developed code advances Maxwell’s equations in Fourier space, which proves to correctly model harmonic/electron emissions that standard codes fail to accurate describe even at high resolution. Based on WARP+PXR PIC simulations, we investigate the influence of Lg on the experimentally observed emission of light and particles, when a high-power laser pulse (I₀ = 10¹⁹ W.cm⁻²) reflects off a dense plasma. Our study reveals an unambiguous transition from a temporally periodic mechanism to a chaotic process as the interface becomes smoother. In particular, the latter mechanism, named stochastic heating, is fully characterized as well as its domain of validity in terms of laser-plasma parameters. In this regime, electrons in the underdense part of the gradient are exposed to the standing wave formed in front of the overcritical part of the plasma by superposition of incidence and reflected beams. While evolving in the two waves, electrons behave chaotically and absorb an important fraction of the laser energy. The nature of the interaction is revealed by reducing the equations of motion of particles in two waves to physical systems, such Kapitza’s pendulum, well-known to exhibit chaos. That correspondence gives deep physical intuitions on how electrons behave in different laser configurations, which allows us to predict major features of stochastic heating.
Coated floss for drug delivery into the gum pocket.

Abstract The purpose of this study was to develop a drug-coated floss to allow delivery of therapeutics into diseased gum pocket. Periodontal (gum) disease affects nearly 45% of adults over 30 years of age. Bacterial persistence makes treatment challenging. Drug-coated floss is expected to provide a self-administrable and targeted method for drug delivery into the diseased gum pockets. We investigated various types of floss and sutures as potential candidates to coat drug. An un-waxed nylon braided floss was selected and dip-coated with model hydrophilic and hydrophobic drugs either in free form or after encapsulation in poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) particles. By tuning the drug concentration or the number of times a floss is dipped into the coating solution we were able to coat from as little as 0.4 μg to as high as 1.6 mg of drug. Coated floss was passed within the gum pocket of excised porcine mandibles to demonstrate delivery efficiency up to 91%. Utilizing the porcine jaw in an ex-vivo condition we illustrated the ability of the delivered drug to diffuse into the tissue. Overall, the data illustrates the potential of coated floss as an innovative modality for drug delivery to the gum pocket.
Mechanistic analysis and significance of sphingomyelinase-mediated decreases in transepithelial CFTR currents in nHBEs.

Loss of function of the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) causes cystic fibrosis (CF). In the lungs, this manifests as immune cell infiltration and bacterial infections, leading to tissue destruction. Previous work has determined that acute bacterial sphingomyelinase (SMase) decreases CFTR function in bronchial epithelial cells from individuals without CF (nHBEs) and with CF (cfHBEs, homozygous ΔF508-CFTR mutation). This study focuses on exploring the mechanisms underlying this effect. SMase increased the abundance of dihydroceramides, a result mimicked by blockade of ceramidase enzyme using ceranib-1, which also decreased CFTR function. The SMase-mediated inhibitory mechanism did not involve the reduction of cellular CFTR abundance or removal of CFTR from the apical surface, nor did it involve the activation of 5' adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase. In order to determine the pathological relevance of these sphingolipid imbalances, we evaluated the sphingolipid profiles of cfHBEs and cfHNEs (nasal) as compared to non-CF controls. Sphingomyelins, ceramides, and dihydroceramides were largely increased in CF cells. Correction of ΔF508-CFTR trafficking with VX445 + VX661 decreased some sphingomyelins and all ceramides, but exacerbated increases in dihydroceramides. Additional treatment with the CFTR potentiator VX770 did not affect these changes, suggesting rescue of misfolded CFTR was sufficient. We furthermore determined that cfHBEs express more acid-SMase protein than nHBEs. Lastly, we determined that airway-like neutrophils, which are increased in the CF lung, secrete acid-SMase. Identifying the mechanism of SMase-mediated inhibition of CFTR will be important, given the imbalance of sphingolipids in CF cells and the secretion of acid-SMase from cell types relevant to CF.
Reversible Cerebral Vasoconstriction Syndrome resulting from Tyramine-Rich diet while on Antidepressants (P3.9-012)

Objective: NA Background: Reversible cerebral vasoconstriction syndrome (RCVS) is characterized by thunderclap headache (TCH) and cerebral vasospasm. Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) have been strongly associated with RCVS although the mechanism is not clear. We describe a case of a patient who developed RCVS as a result of ingesting several tyramine-rich foods while on an SSRI. Design/Methods: A 54-year-old woman presented with a TCH and vomiting. She was on fluoxetine since age 20. Before symptoms onset, she ate over-ripened avocados, aged-parmesan cheese, and packet soup, with papaya enzymes to aid with digestion. Computed tomography (CT) of the head revealed an acute subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) in the left parasagittal parietal cortical sulcus. CT angiography showed multifocal vessel stenosis involving bilateral posterior and anterior inferior cerebellar arteries, right superior cerebellar artery, right posterior communicating and cerebral arteries, middle and anterior cerebral arteries. Work-up for primary angiitis of the central nervous system (PACNS) was unremarkable. Patient’s symptoms resolved with use of oral acetaminophen, antihypertensive agents and discontinuation of fluoxetine. Six weeks from initial presentation, magnetic resonance angiography of the head revealed resolution of vasospasm. She was diagnosed with RCVS as a result of eating tyramine-rich food combined with an SSRI. Results: Approximately 60% of RCVS cases are particularly after exposure to vasoactive substances. Hypertensive crises have been associated with tyramine-rich diets, especially in combination with a monoamine oxidase inhibitor (MAOI), however this is the first case to our knowledge to suggest an interaction with SSRIs. We propose that SSRIs have inhibitory activity against MOA-A leading to accumulation of norepinephrine. This adrenergic effect is further augmented by tyramine leading to vasoconstriction. Conservative treatment is recommended in the majority of cases. Conclusions: Our case report describes a patient who developed RCVS secondary to ingestion of tyramine-rich diet while on SSRIs. Her symptoms resolved after discontinuation of fluoxetine and dietary modifications. Disclosure: Dr. Sivakumar has nothing to disclose. Dr. Yacoub has nothing to disclose. Dr. Varade has nothing to disclose.
Was There Land on the Early Earth

The presence of exposed land on the early Earth is a prerequisite for a certain type of prebiotic chemical evolution in which the oscillating activity of water, driven by short-term, day–night, and seasonal cycles, facilitates the synthesis of proto-biopolymers. Exposed land is, however, not guaranteed to exist on the early Earth, which is likely to have been drastically different from the modern Earth. This mini-review attempts to provide an up-to-date account on the possibility of exposed land on the early Earth by integrating recent geological and geophysical findings. Owing to the competing effects of the growing ocean and continents in the Hadean, a substantial expanse of the Earth’s surface (∼20% or more) could have been covered by exposed continents in the mid-Hadean. In contrast, exposed land may have been limited to isolated ocean islands in the late Hadean and early Archean. The importance of exposed land during the origins of life remains an open question.
Getting the Best Answer: Specimen Handling and a Quick Review of the Workings of the Pathology Laboratory

A familiarity with the workings of the Anatomic Pathology Laboratory will assist the clinician in receiving and interpreting the best answer. What information the pathologist needs from the clinician, how tissue is processed, limitations, and what a clinician needs to know about special studies are reviewed.
Stress Wave Propagation in Slender Bars

With the availability of today’s advanced technology, experimental data are often available in various types and forms. It is important to examine as many sources of such data as is reasonable in formulating a particle model. In this chapter, we will show how to incorporate available stress and strain measurements for slender aluminum bars in order to simulate stress wave propagation in such bars. As an important byproduct of the development, we will see that the number of particles N in a particle model need not always be large in order to achieve excellent quantitative results. Indeed, we will require only N= 20. In addition, since N is relatively small, there is no substantial disadvantage in allowing square root routines into the leap frog calculations. So for variety, set the exponent parameters to p=2, q=4.
Vibrations and stability of buckled panels.

The small amplitude vibrations of a rectangular panel relative to a static buckled configuration and the stability of that configuration are studied. Both the static and dynamic equations of equilibrium are solved through a perturbation expansion. The stability of buckled configurations is investigated by studying the real and imaginary character of the frequency of vibration about these configurations, from which a lower bound to the secondary buckling load is established.
Pictures from data making good statistical analysis accessible

Efficient data acquisition and effective data analysis form the corner stone of a sound decision making process. However being data driven may be a good management principle but a pre-requisite is that engineers and managers have knowledge of the nature of measurement and variability. All systems from administration, to engineering, to manufacturing are subject to variable inputs, controls, resources, environment and consequently vary in their output. This message has been preached as an integral part of total quality culture for many years. Without this understanding it can be difficult to assess what is happening to the performance of a system. When the measure of performance goes up or down there exists the temptation to judge a system as ‘better’ or ‘worse’ when neither may be true. Senior managers may demand explanations for changes in performance when the only explanation is ‘inherent (common cause) variability’.
Alkaline-Surfactant Flooding

This chapter discusses about these interactions between alkali and surfactant: (1) addition of an alkali in a surfactant solution equivalently adds salt; (2) addition of an alkali in a surfactant solution changes the surfactant phase behavior; and (3) addition of an alkali in a surfactant solution reduces surfactant adsorption. After presenting those fundamentals, two field pilots are presented: Big Sinking field in East Kentucky and White Castle field in Louisiana.
The Middle Ages

Following the collapse of the Roman Empire, interest in science vanished in the West. Some texts, however, were preserved in monasteries, especially in Ireland and Northern Britain. As illustrated in the great and popular books called bestiaries, the perceived purpose of nature was to serve humans by providing food, labor, or moral lessons.
INFLUENCE OF VENOUS PRESSURE (VP) ON CEREBRAL BLOOD FLOW NEWBORN DOGS

Marked increases in VP occur frequently in premature newborns with RDS. Since VP affects cerebral perfusion pressure (CPP) (CPP=Mean arterial pressure (MAP)-VP) it may alter CBF or its autoregulation. To examine this we studied CBF under conditions of normal and elevated VP in 7 anesthetized, paralyzed, ventilated newborn dogs, 4-12d. MAP and sagittal sinus pressure (an estimate of cerebral VP) were measured continuously. CBF, cerebellar-brainstem blood flow (CBrBF) and cardiac output (CO) were measured using microspheres; cerebral vascular resistance was calculated. VP was elevated by a snare-ligature placed about the intrathoracic SVC after ligation of the azygos vein. In each animal, 2 measurements were made with VP normal, and 2 with VP elevated and their order was randomized. PaO2 was > 100 torr. Results as mean ± SEM; * p < 0.01, t-test. Thus with moderate elevation of VP, CBF and CBrBF remain independent of CPP, demonstrating autoregulation.
Zygomycota and Glomeromycota

The phylum Zygomycota is an ecologically diverse and economically important group of fungi, containing two classes, the Zygomycetes and Trichomycetes. The phylum Glomeromycota, a group of mycorrhizal fungi, is derived from the Zygomycota. Keywords: fungi; ecology; insects; plants; humans
Does the Controversy Matter? Comparing the Causal Determinants of the Adoption of Controversial and Noncontroversial Rape Law Reforms

Do the causal determinants of legal change differ for controversial and noncontroversial laws? Using rape law reforms as an example of legal change, I answer this question via a longitudinal examination of the intrastate characteristics and interstate processes that affect the adoption of both controversial and noncontroversial rape law reforms. The results show that the adoption of partial reforms significantly decreases a state's likelihood of passing a stronger version of the reform only for controversial rape law reforms. Other factors, such as women's economic power and the interstate process of diffusion similarly affect both controversial and noncontroversial reforms. Thus, contrary to the idea that the process of diffusion operates differently for controversial reforms, the results indicate that spatial proximity negatively affects the adoption of both controversial and noncontroversial rape law reforms. These findings have important implications for theoretical explanations of legal change, research on rape law reforms, and social movement research and activism.
U.S. Department of Energy security technologies

For over 40 years, the US Department of Energy (DOE) has maintained a program that develops technologies to support safeguards and security policies in the protection of nuclear weapons facilities. Basic security system engineering concepts are still valid, the details of the systems at DOE facilities must constantly be updated to respond to the emerging terrorist threat and capabilities and the need to replace aging components and systems. The mission of the Technology Development Program (TDP) is overwhelmingly diverse, as it must be, to protect a wide array of critical assets such as nuclear weapons, special nuclear material in various forms, components of nuclear weapons, classified nuclear weapons design information, nuclear facilities, national laboratories, cyber systems, and US energy infrastructure. Considering the fact that the nuclear weapons complex consist of dozens of facilities that are located in various regions all over the United States, and that no two facilities are alike, the TDP fulfills a very challenging role.
The Characterization of Nb3Sn Superconductors for Use in Magnets of 19 T and Greater

Increased resolution of NMR spectrometry will require the use of very high field Nb3Sn superconducting magnets. Here we report the results of our investigation into mechanical and temperature effects on internal-Sn superconductors similar to those proposed for use in a 900 MHz, 21 T NMR magnet system. Thermal precompression was found to be about 0.225%, and the irreversible strain was about 0.8%. Fatigue degradation was not observed at cyclic intrinsic strains below 0.575%. Additions of reinforcing steel in cable conductors was found to reduce the critical current by as much as 50% compared to similar, unreinforced cables. Reduction of the testing temperature to 2.3 K did not increase the critical current in steel-reinforced cables to a level significantly above that of unreinforced samples.
A comparison of two nonlinear models for describing intake-response relationships in higher organisms.

Comparison of two nonlinear models for describing intake- response relationships in higher organisms is presented. The first model is based on the assumption that growth processes obey saturation kinetics phenomena while the second model is based on the assumption that the absolute size of the body is the factor which determines the rate of the growth process. Comparison of the two models is illustrated by considering a typical experiment for the evaluation of intake-response relationships. J. Nutr. 110: 765-770, 1980.
The Particles around Mass-Losing Carbon Stars

Mass losing carbon stars are responsible for about half of the mass lost by intermediate mass stars in the solar neighborhood. These stars typically have dust to gas ratios by mass near 5 10-3; most of the matter heavier than helium is apparently contained within solid grains. The relative amounts of large grains (>10-6 cm) and small particles in these outflows is not yet reliably known and may vary from star to star.
Explosive percolation in thresholded networks

Abstract Explosive percolation in a network is a phase transition where a large portion of nodes becomes connected with an addition of a small number of edges. Although extensively studied in random network models and reconstructed real networks, explosive percolation has not been observed in a more realistic scenario where a network is generated by thresholding a similarity matrix describing between-node associations. In this report, I examine construction schemes of such thresholded networks, and demonstrate that explosive percolation can be observed by introducing edges in a particular order.
Changes in Managers’ Forecasting Behavior and the Market’s Assessment of Forecast Credibility during Periods of Financial Misreporting

The capital market benefits of high quality financial reporting create incentives for managers to signal the quality of their voluntary disclosure practices. Prior research focuses on the relations between observable measures of earnings quality and observable measures of voluntary disclosure quality. We examine the characteristics of management earnings forecasts during periods in which managers possess private (i.e., unobservable to the market) knowledge that they are engaging in financial misreporting (i.e., committing accounting fraud). Using a sample of Securities and Exchange Commission enforcement actions, we hypothesize and find that managers issue more bad news forecasts in periods of fraud relative to pre-fraud periods and control firms, consistent with the increased use of voluntary disclosure to manage expectations downward while violating constraints on earnings management. The fraud period forecasts are, when compared to fraudulent earnings observed by the market, less ex post biased and more accurate than pre-fraud period forecasts and thus give the appearance of higher quality voluntary disclosures. However, the fraud period forecasts are not less ex post biased or more accurate when accounting restatements later reveal true actual earnings. A consequence of the perceived increase in quality is greater bad news fraud-period forecast impact on prices relative to pre-fraud periods. Further, the enhanced price reactions do not deteriorate after the fraud is made public, suggesting that the public revelation does not taint investors’ assessment of the credibility of bad news management forecasts.
Cryptdins: endogenous antibiotic peptides of small intestinal Paneth cells.

Despite its nutrient-laden content, only a sparse microbial flora persists within the small intestine’s lumen. How the small intestine controls microbial populations at its critical sites of food absorption and epithelial cell renewal is poorly understood, but multiple factors are likely to contribute. Traditionally, these are believed to include the effects of gastric acidity on organisms that enter it via the oral cavity, the combined mechanical effects of peristalsis and epithelial cell shedding, and possibly the antimicrobial effects of various detergent-like bile salts, fatty acids and lysolipids. A recent report that murine small intestinal Paneth cells contained mRNA encoding a peptide, “cryptdin”,1 that was homologous to the antimicrobial defensins2 found in many mammalian phagocytes, raised the possibility that endogenous antibiotic peptides might also mediate innate small-intestinal resistance to colonization and infection. Because these intestinal defensins had not previously been isolated and tested for antimicrobial activity, we undertook the studies described below.
Microburst escape using altitude guidance

This paper compares three escape strategies for microburst encounters during final landing approach: altitude guidance, maximum angle-of-attack guidance, and constant pitch guidance. Altitude guidance with the lowest possible commanded altitude appears to be the safest strategy in that it yields the lowest probability of crash. Moreover, the safety of this escape strategy is the most robust against variations in microburst size, strength, and location. In the paper, three different approaches are used for the comparison: Deterministic simulations, a semi-analytic approach, and a statistical approach. All three approaches suggest that altitude guidance with the lowest possible commanded altitude is the safest and most robust strategy.
Age and response bias: Evidence from the strength-based mirror effect:

Performance in episodic memory is determined both by accurate retrieval from memory and by decision processes. A substantial body of literature suggests slightly poorer episodic memory accuracy for...
Current status of laparoscopic appendectomy in children

Abstract Appendectomy is the most common surgical emergency in children. Laparoscopic appendectomy (LA), first performed by Semm in 1983, has increased in popularity for both uncomplicated and ruptured appendicitis. The authors perform early laparoscopic appendectomy for acute uncomplicated appendicitis, but use aggressive antibiotic therapy for obvious ruptured appendicitis. Patients presenting with accessible abscesses have drainage using image guidance. Antibiotic therapy is continued at home until the fever has resolved and the white blood cell and differential counts have normalized. An interval appendectomy is performed 2 to 3 months later. Children with ruptured appendicitis for whom aggressive medical management had failed usually had a persistent pattern of small bowel obstruction noted 72 hours after initiation of treatment. The authors' preferred technique for laparoscopic appendectomy employs linear stapling of the mesoappendix and appendix. LA patients had a shorter hospital stay and a lower wound infection rate. The operating times for open and laparoscopic appendectomy were similar. (Semin Pediatr Surg 1998 Nov;7(4):225-7)
RNA analysis from newborn screening dried blood specimens.

We have previously demonstrated that DNA can be extracted from the dried blood specimen of the type used for newborn screening. The technique presented here allows us to extract RNA from newborn screening specimens for cDNA synthesis by reverse transcriptase and amplification by the polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Products of the PCR reaction are then analyzed by restriction enzymes. This method successfully distinguishes β A and β S transcripts in unaffected (AA), carrier (AS), and affected (SS) individuals. The value of this approach for identification of a compound heterozygous patient with S/β-thalassemia, using the original newborn screening specimen, is also demonstrated. This work shows that mRNA is stable in dried blood specimens and that analysis of the mRNA phenotype can be a useful adjunct in the application of molecular genetic technology to newborn screening.
Magnetic field effects on the behaviour of carbene-derived radical pairs in microemulsions. Examination of carbene multiplicities

Abstract Photochemically generated carbenes react with hydrogen donors in a microemulsion solution to yield radical pairs where their triplet multiplicity is reflected in the magnetic field effects on their decay kinetics; this approach is also useful in the study of free radicals in organized systems.
The Coriolis anti-pairing transition in a simplified shell model with the symmetry of R(5)×R(5)

Abstract In previous work cited in the text we have studied a shell model with the symmetry of R(5) and a spectrum interpretable as that of a two-dimensional rotator-vibrator. By considering a direct sum of two such systems and allowing them to exchange angular momentum but not particles, a Mottelson-Valatin phase transition is exhibited under a wide range of values of the parameters characterizing the sytems. Solutions are also studied under conditions of particle transfer, which is found to inhibit the phase transition from occuring. All results were obtained by an approximation method (the algebraic-variational method) substantiated in previous works. It is finally indicated how the mechanism of Stephens and Simon—the decoupling from the core of a few particles with individually large angular momenta—can also be incorporated within the framework of the class of models considered.
Day‐of‐the‐Week Autocorrelations, Cross‐Autocorrelations, and the Weekend Phenomenon

This study examines whether autocorrelations or cross-autocorrelations are more closely associated with the weekend phenomenon. Our results show a significant day-of-the-week pattern in autocorrelations associated with the weekend phenomenon. However, we find no marginal influence of a day-of-the-week pattern in cross-autocorrelations on the weekend phenomenon.
Family of Kunitz proteins from trophoblast: expression of the trophoblast Kunitz domain proteins (TKDP) in cattle and sheep.

Here we report the molecular cloning of several members of a family of novel proteins expressed by the ruminant trophoblast, known as the trophoblast Kunitz domain proteins (TKDPs). Each contains a carboxyl-terminal module of approximately 64 amino acids belonging to the Kunitz family of serine proteinase inhibitors. These Kunitz modules are preceded by one or more structurally related domains, each about 80 amino acids long. The function of these domains is unclear. The TKDPs differ considerably in sequence identity, with much of the diversity due to variability in the amino-terminal domains. However, nine of the ten Kunitz domains described here are themselves unique, ranging in amino acid sequence identity from 90% to 53% to each other and averaging only about 50% identity with bovine pancreatic trypsin inhibitor (BPTI). The "warhead" P1 residues, which govern specificity, are themselves variable and include some unusual amino acids, such as Asn, Thr, and Ile, as well as the more common Lys. The Kunitz domains of three of the TKDPs lack the conserved cysteines at positions 14 and 38 (BPTI numbering) that normally contribute to the orientation of the inhibitory loop. Northern blotting and reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) demonstrated that the TKDP genes do not exhibit identical expression patterns during trophoblast development, although mostly are expressed maximally during early pregnancy. It is possible that the TKDPs provide a broad range of specificities against maternal proteinases that might be damaging to the trophoblast during pregnancy.
The Quarternion Maximum Correntropy Algorithm

We develop a kernel adaptive filter for quaternion data based on maximizing correntropy. We apply a modified form of the HR calculus that is applicable to Hilbert spaces for evaluating the cost function gradient to develop the quaternion kernel maximum correntropy (KMC) algorithm. The KMC method uses correntropy to measure similarity between the filter output and the desired response. Here, the approach is applied to quaternions for improving performance for biased or non-Gaussian signals compared with the minimum mean square error criterion of the kernel least-mean-square algorithm. Simulation results demonstrate the improved performance with non-Gaussian inputs.
Effects of some cholinesterase inhibitors on the squid giant axon. Their permeability, detoxication and effects on conduction and acetylcholinesterase activity.

Abstract The irreversible cholinesterase inhibitors, O , O -diisopropyl S-(2-diisopropyl-aminoethyl) phosphorothioate (Tetriso), O -ethyl Se-(2-diethyiaminoethyl) ethylphosphonoselenoate (Selenophos) and O , O -diethyl S-(2-ethylthioethyl) phosphorothioate (Isosystox), penetrate in their inhibitory forms into the squid giant axon. Tetriso and Selenophos, when applied for 30 min in concentrations as high as 5 × 10 −3 M, did not block axonal conduction. At that concentration, Isosystox caused either a reversible or an irreversible block of conduction depending on the length of time the nerve was exposed to the inhibitor. After pretreatment of the squid axon with cottonmouth moccasin venom, Selenophos (5 × 10 −3 M) caused in 25 min a marked and irreversible reduction in the action potential, while Tetriso (5 × 10 −3 m) caused a rapid and reversible decrease in the action potential. An extremely sensitive, simple radiometric technique for the assay of cholinesterase activity has been developed and is described in detail. Nevertheless, attempts to measure enzyme activity in squid axons exposed to Selenophos or Tetriso were unsuccessful because small amounts of entrapped inhibitor in the tissue were released upon homogenization. Possible explanations for the high concentrations of inhibitors required to affect conduction are discussed.
Effects of Applied Pressure on Densification During Sintering in the Presence of a Liquid Phase

Experimental measurements of the effects of an applied pressure on sintering of powdered materials containing a liquid phase indicate that the applied pressure can be effective by: (a) increasing the extent and rate of particle rearrangement, (b) increasing the rate of solution at particle contacts, and (c) causing plastic flow within the solid particles. Which of these processes predominates depends on the characteristics of each particular system and on the level of applied pressure.
Formation of perfluoropolyether coatings by the rapid expansion of supercritical solutions (RESS) process. Part 1: Experimental results

The rapid expansion of supercritical solutions (RESS) process is a promising environmentally benign technology for fine droplet or particle formation. The absence of organic solvents and narrow size distribution of RESS precipitates make this process attractive for polymer coating applications. In our work, this technique has been used to produce droplets of perfluoropolyethers from CO2 solutions without the aid of cosolvents for the coating of porous materials applied in monumental and civil infrastructures. The present work is aimed at gaining an understanding of the relationship between droplet and spray characteristics and RESS process conditions. As such, a combined experimental/computational approach is applied to a representative binary system consisting of a low-molecular-weight perfluoropolyether diamide (PFD) dissolved in supercritical CO2. Part 1 of this work presents phase equilibria measurements and polymer droplet size characterizations under different operating conditions. The effects of te...
Cultural-societal roots of violence. The examples of genocidal violence and of contemporary youth violence in the United States.

Widespread violence in a society must have its origins in cultural characteristics, current societal conditions, or both. In this article, the cultural, societal, and psychological origins of two very different forms of violence are examined. A conception of the origins of genocide and mass killing is briefly presented, with the Holocaust and the violence in the former Yugoslavia as supporting evidence. Difficult life conditions give rise to scapegoating, destructive ideologies, and the evolution of increasing violence against a designated enemy. Cultural characteristics that make this process more or less probable are described. This is followed by a presentation of the socialization experiences of children that generate youth violence. To explain the increase in youth violence, the presence of difficult life conditions in the United States is noted (due primarily to substantial social change). The effects of difficult life conditions, cultural characteristics, and social conditions such as poverty and discrimination against minority groups on family life and parenting are described. Similarities and differences in the origins of the two forms of violence are examined. The role of unfulfilled or frustrated basic human needs in generating violence is stressed, and conditions and actions required to reduce violence are proposed. Language: en