cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Relation of School Grade to Ages and Stages in Vocational Development.

Abstract Using data provided by 1,695 Australian primary and high school male students, this study examines the extent to which school grade is related to stages in vocational development. All subjects in grades 5 to 12 completed Crites' Vocational Development Inventory (VDI) and either the Otis Intermediate Test or the Otis Higher Test. Subjects in grades 7 to 12 also completed the author's Student Survey. Both vocational choice attitudes (VCA) and realism of vocational choice increased with grade, but no “stages” in their development were evident. On the other hand, the distributions of subjects' reasons for their vocational choices revealed some support for the existence of stages. Although inconclusive, the results are sufficiently encouraging to warrant further research in more diverse educational settings.
Response of Strip-Tilled Peanut to Broiler Litter, Starter Fertilizers, and Fungicide in an Irrigated Cropping System

Peanut(Arachis hypogaeaL.)production in the South­ ern Coastal Plain of the V.S. is being impacted by increased use of broiler litter and by conservation tillage. There are no studies on the use of broilerlitter for peanut grown in strip tillage and very little information on the use of starter fertilizers. Runner-type peanut was in­ cluded in a 3 yr, double-cropped, irrigated rotation to determine the effects of broiler litter rates and starter fertilizers on disease development, pod yield, market grade, and gross economic value of runner market type peanut. Broiler litter rates of 0, 4.5, 9.0, and 13.5 Mglha were applied to the soil surface without incorporation prior to seeding. Within each broiler litter rate there were three starter fertilizer regimes (none, 93 L 10-34-0/ ha, and 93 L 12-22-5/ha) each with and without flutolanil (N-[3-(1-methylethoxy) phenyl]-2-(trifluoromethyl) benzamide}applied twice at 1.12 kg ai/ha/application. Over 4 yr, broiler litter either decreased or did not affect pod yield, market grade, or gross economic value of peanut. Southern stem rot (Sclerotium rolfsii) incidence was not affected by broiler litter, but Rhizotonia limb rot (Rhizoctonia solani, AG-4) incidence increased with broiler litter rate, possibly accounting for some of the decreases in production variables. Broiler litter applica­ tion was neither an agronomic nor economic best man­ agement practice for peanut in this strip-tilled study. Flutolanil increased pod yield, market grade, and gross economic value ofpeanut regardless of broiler litter rate by decreasing the incidence of southern stem rot and Rhizotonia limb rot. Starter fertilizer had little effect on any of the measured parameters.
Comparing methods for the multi-response design problem

One approach to solving multiple response engineering problems is to combine the individual responses into one unifying objective. In tility theory, several characteristics are used to compare and contrast multiple objective techniques. These are risk aversion, marginal rates of substitution, and the relationship of the responses in the combined function. Perhaps unknown to the user, multiple response techniques carry strong assumptions regarding these characteristics. This paper investigates four commonly-used multiple objective techniques and demonstrates that each method contains assumptions about these characteristics which are not intuitively evident to a user. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd
Plasma beta-lipotropin levels in Parkinson's disease

Previous reports have indicated that patients with Parkinson's disease have elevated plasma levels of immunoreactive (IR) beta-melanocyte stimulating hormone (β-MSH), which may have implications as to its pathogenesis and treatment. Recent methodological advances, however, have demonstrated that what had originally been measured in human plasma asβ-MSH actually representsβ-lipotropin (β-LPH), and thatβ-MSH as such does not normally circulate in human plasma. With the capacity to specifically measure immunoreactiveβ-LPH in human plasma, we have determined plasma levels of immunoreactiveβ-LPH as well as ACTH and prolactin in three groups of subjects: A. Parkinson patients untreated with levodopa (n=11); B. Parkinson patients on levodopa therapy (n=21); C. Controls (n=6).
Mass Spectrometry-based Footprinting Reveals Structural Dynamics of Loop E of the Chlorophyll-binding Protein CP43 during Photosystem II Assembly in the Cyanobacterium Synechocystis 6803

The PSII repair cycle is required for sustainable photosynthesis in oxygenic photosynthetic organisms. In cyanobacteria and higher plants, proteolysis of the precursor D1 protein (pD1) to expose a C-terminal carboxylate group is an essential step leading to coordination of the Mn4CaO5 cluster, the site of water oxidation. Psb27 appears to associate with both pD1- and D1-containing PSII assembly intermediates by closely interacting with CP43. Here, we report that reduced binding affinity between CP43 and Psb27 is triggered by the removal of the C-terminal extension of the pD1 protein. A mass spectrometry-based footprinting strategy was adopted to probe solvent-exposed aspartic and glutamic acid residues on the CP43 protein. By comparing the extent of footprinting between HT3ΔctpAΔ27PSII and HT3ΔctpAPSII, two genetically modified PSII assembly complexes, we found that Psb27 binds to CP43 on the side of Loop E distal to the pseudo-symmetrical D1-D2 axis. By comparing a second pair of PSII assembly complexes, we discovered that Loop E of CP43 undergoes a significant conformational rearrangement due to the removal of the pD1 C-terminal extension, altering the Psb27-CP43 binding interface. The significance of this conformational rearrangement is discussed in the context of recruitment of the PSII lumenal extrinsic proteins and Mn4CaO5 cluster assembly. In addition to CP43's previously known function as one of the core PSII antenna proteins, this work demonstrates that Loop E of CP43 plays an important role in the functional assembly of the Water Oxidizing Center (WOC) during PSII biogenesis.
The IBM expressive text-to-speech synthesis system for American English

Expressive text-to-speech (TTS) synthesis should contribute to the pleasantness, intelligibility, and speed of speech-based human-machine interactions which use TTS. We describe a TTS engine which can be directed, via text markup, to use a variety of expressive styles, here, questioning, contrastive emphasis, and conveying good and bad news. Differences in these styles lead us to investigate two approaches for expressive TTS, a "corpus-driven" and a "prosodic-phonology" approach. Each speaker records 11 h (excluding silences) of "neutral" sentences. In the corpus-driven approach, the speaker also records 1-h corpora in each expressive style; these segments are tagged by style for use during search, and decision trees for determining f0 contours and timing are trained separately for each of the neutral and expressive corpora. In the prosodic-phonology approach, rules translating certain expressive markup elements to tones and break indices (ToBI) are manually determined, and the ToBI elements are used in single f0 and duration trees for all expressions. Tests show that listeners identify synthesis in particular styles ranging from 70% correctly for "conveying bad news" to 85% for "yes-no questions". Further improvements are demonstrated through the use of speaker-pooled f0 and duration models
Identification of strategies used to cope with chronic pain in older persons receiving primary care from a Veterans Affairs Medical Center.

Objectives: To identify the strategies used by older persons to cope with chronic noncancer pain, determine the perceived effectiveness of the strategies, and ascertain factors associated with their use. Design: Cross-sectional telephone survey. Setting: Primary care practice located at a Veterans Affairs Medical Center in New England. Participants: Two hundred forty-five patients (aged 65–90) with chronic pain. Measurements: Qualitative methods were used to ascertain participants' coping strategies, and their effectiveness was determined using a five-category response scale (1=not at all effective to 5=extremely effective). In multivariate analyses, associations between participants' demographic, medical, psychosocial, and pain characteristics and prevalent coping strategies were assessed. Results: Participants had a mean age±standard deviation of 75±5.1; 84% were male. Overall, 240 (98%) participants had employed at least one coping strategy in the previous month; the mean number used per participant was 2.8±1.4. Prevalent coping strategies included analgesic medications (used by 187/240=78% participants), exercise (35%), cognitive methods (37%), religious activities (21%), and activity restriction (20%). The proportion of participants who used a given strategy and rated it quite a bit or extremely effective exceeded 50% for only five of the 15 identified strategies. Women were more likely than men to use cognitive coping methods (odds ratio (OR)=3.2, 95% confidence interval (CI)=1.5–6.8) and religious activities (OR=2.6, 95% CI=1.2–5.7). Participants with chronic pain due to a musculoskeletal cause were more likely to use analgesic medications than those with pain due to all other causes (OR=3.2, 95% CI=1.6–6.4), whereas those with trauma-related pain were less likely to use exercise than those with pain due to all other causes (OR=0.2, 95% CI=0.1–0.7). Conclusion: Older primary care patients use a broad variety of coping strategies to cope with chronic pain. Studies are needed to confirm these findings in other older populations and to characterize the longitudinal effects of the coping strategies. Given the finding that the perceived effectiveness of most coping strategies was modest, efforts to increase their effectiveness in older persons are indicated.
Thyroid Cancer in Young Adults

The incidence of thyroid cancer in young adults is rising. Differentiated carcinoma (ie, papillary, follicular, and their variants) and medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC) represent the two most common subtypes, with differing etiologies, prognoses, and management strategies. Ultrasound (US)-guided fine needle aspiration (FNA) is the best initial test for evaluating a nodule or mass suspicious for malignancy. Tumor histology, in addition to radiographic findings and clinical presentation, guides surgical management, the need for adjuvant therapies, and the optimal approach to long-term follow-up. Radioactive iodine (RAI) is used to reduce recurrence and improve survival for differentiated thyroid carcinomas (DTCs). Emerging systemic therapies provide options for patients with progressive metastatic MTC or radio-resistant DTC. Overall, the prognosis for the most common thyroid malignancy, papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC), is excellent. The treatment of young adult thyroid cancer patients occurs optimally as part of a multidisciplinary coordination of care.
Sex Differences in Self-reported Infidelity and its Correlates

We examined sex differences in the prevalence, incidence, reasons for, and consequences of infidelity. Participants (Study 1, 543 undergraduates in the North- western US; Study 2, 313 undergraduates and 233 community members in the Mid-Atlantic US), reported on infidelity by questionnaire. Using a broad definition of cheating, women reported being as unfaithful or more unfaithful than men. Men were more suspicious about cheating and more likely to discover the cheating than women. Women were more likely to break up with their partners, to begin new relationships after cheating, and to report reasons for cheating that may indicate a desire to switch long-term mates, such as being unhappy in the current relationship. Results are discussed in the context of evolutionary theory.
The blood-brain barrier and glutamate

Glutamate concentrations in plasma are 50–100 μmol/L; in whole brain, they are 10,000–12,000 μmol/L but only 0.5–2 μmol/L in extracellular fluids (ECFs). The low ECF concentrations, which are essential for optimal brain function, are maintained by neurons, astrocytes, and the blood-brain barrier (BBB). Cerebral capillary endothelial cells form the BBB that surrounds the entire central nervous system. Tight junctions connect endothelial cells and separate the BBB into luminal and abluminal domains. Molecules entering or leaving the brain thus must pass 2 membranes, and each membrane has distinct properties. Facilitative carriers exist only in luminal membranes, and Na+-dependent glutamate cotransporters (excitatory amino acid transporters; EAATs) exist exclusively in abluminal membranes. The EAATs are secondary transporters that couple the Na+ gradient between the ECF and the endothelial cell to move glutamate against the existing electrochemical gradient. Thus, the EAATs in the abluminal membrane shift glutamate from the ECF to the endothelial cell where glutamate is free to diffuse into blood on facilitative carriers. This organization does not allow net glutamate entry to the brain; rather, it promotes the removal of glutamate and the maintenance of low glutamate concentrations in the ECF. This explains studies that show that the BBB is impermeable to glutamate, even at high concentrations, except in a few small areas that have fenestrated capillaries (circumventricular organs). Recently, the question of whether the BBB becomes permeable in diabetes has arisen. This issue was tested in rats with diet-induced obesity and insulin resistance or with streptozotocin-induced diabetes. Neither condition produced any detectable effect on BBB glutamate transport.
Quasi-periodic climate teleconnections between northern and southern Europe during the 17th–20th centuries

The North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) is the leading mode of atmospheric variability in the North Atlantic region, influencing storm tracks and creating a dipole pattern of precipitation from north to south across Western Europe. This distinct spatial distribution of precipitation provides a framework that can be potentially used to identify and reconstruct patterns of past NAOforced climate variability. In this study we use tree-ring width series from Western Europe, in conjunction with principal components analysis and advanced spectral methods, to prospect for quasi-periodic climate signals that are forced by the NAO. We identify a robust 25-yr anti-phased synchronization in climate variability between Scandinavia and the Mediterranean during the 17th–20th centuries. The amplitude of the 25-yr beat displays a long-term modulation in northern and southern Europe, with minimum amplitude during the late Maunder Minimum. This amplitude minimum coincides with a maximum in Δ 14 C, suggesting
Bile acids induce arrhythmias: old metabolite, new tricks

Bile acids (BAs) have traditionally been viewed as mere ‘detergent’ molecules responsible for absorption of dietary fats and lipid-soluble vitamins. However, over the past decade, research in the field of bile acid biology has provided evidence which redefine BAs as potent circulating signalling molecules with the ability to regulate cell biology, metabolism and function of various extrahepatic organs,1 with potential effects on the heart. BAs are secreted in the duodenum and then reabsorbed efficiently from the ileum back to the liver via mesenteric and portal veins. This tightly regulated enterohepatic circulation is disrupted in diseases of the liver such as obstructive jaundice, intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy, chronic viral hepatitis and cirrhosis, which leads to spillage of these metabolites into the systemic circulation at pathologically high concentrations (>100–200 µmol/L), resulting in organ dysfunction.2 ,3 It has long been known that high levels of bile acids are toxic to the heart. The cardiotoxicity of bile acids was documented as early as 1863, by Rohrig, who showed that filtered ox bile when injected into the jugular veins of rabbits caused bradycardia, while repeated doses caused cardiac arrest, a phenomenon he described as ‘cardiac paralysis’. At the same time, Landois …
Assessing the productive benefits of nutrition and health: An integrated human capital approach

Abstract Nutrition programs may be evaluated by comparing the productivity of individuals who have benefited from a program to the productivity of similar individuals who have not benefited. To perform such an evaluation a model of the demand for several distinct forms of human capital may be required, of how public agencies and private firms work with households to produce human capital, and of how these investments increase the productivity of individuals. An integrated wage function with endogenous human capital might then be estimated that provides policymakers with a tool for simulating the private and social returns to nutrition.
A Geometric Morphometric Study of Regional Craniofacial Variation in Mexico

Spanish speaking populations in the USA have long been categorised under the umbrella term ‘Hispanic’, which is a cultural construct. The term Hispanic ignores the unique ethnohistories and biological variation among Hispanic groups with various European, African and indigenous American influences. Considerable heterogeneity has been identified in pre-contact America and has continued to influence the cultural and biological compositions of various regions today. The purpose of this research is to examine biological variation in Mexico, which was influenced by indigenous migration patterns and the Old World conquests of the Americans. Using multivariate statistics, this paper compares 16 three-dimensional craniometric landmarks of samples from northern Central Mexico, northern Yucatan and western Mexico to examine the regional biological variation present in Mexico in both prehistoric and historic groups and also compares Mexican, Spanish and African American groups to examine patterns of Old World conquests. Multivariate statistics detected significant group differences for both size and shape (centroid size, p < 0.0001; shape, p < 0.0001) and showed that while significantly different, all the Mexican groups are more similar to one another except for one prehistoric inland-western Mexican group, which is morphologically distinct from the other Mexican groups. Previous mtDNA research in these areas shows a low prevalence of African American admixture and a high indigenous component in the northern Mexican groups, which is consistent with the findings of this paper. The prehistoric and historic Mexican groups were the most similar indicating the retention of indigenous admixture after contact. The results from this analysis demonstrate that all groups are significantly different from one another supporting other findings that have shown that the indigenous populations of the New World are heterogeneous and that this variation may also contribute to the heterogeneity of contemporary populations. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Design of a handheld electronic pain, treatment and activity diary

Effective tools for recording and analyzing data on patients' pain experience, use of pain treatments, and physical function are needed to improve communication between providers and patients with noncancer chronic pain. A handheld electronic diary (HED) that can be used throughout the day may provide more useful and accurate information about pain, treatments, and function than available paper and on-line diaries that are designed to be used once daily, weekly or less often. Based on user-specified requirements we designed and built a prototype HED with 7 modules. Diary queries are followed by multiple choice responses customized to the patients' expected responses. Usability testing confirmed user comprehension and acceptability of the queries, response sets, and interface.
An FM Detector for Low S/N

Conventional frequency-modulation (FM) detectors show a marked decrease in output S/N below an input S/N of 5 to 10 dB. This threshold effect is caused by "clicks" or phase slips of multiples of π. This effect is related to a normalization (clipping) which is very beneficial at high S/N . A detector is described which has no normalization and is superior to the ideal detector below zero to 10 dB input S/N . The noise at the output of the detector is additive for all input S/N ratios and in this sense is comparable to synchronous detection of AM. Plots of output noise spectrum and output S/N with and without sine-wave modulation are given. Another detector is also proposed that is asymptotic to the ideal detector at high S/N and the aforementioned detector at low S/N . Comparison is made with conventional detectors. The results indicate that this detector may be especially useful in the detection of frequency-shift keying and phase-shift keying in telemetry systems.
Andere Viruserkrankungen des Nervensystems

Rabies ist eine akute Infektionskrankheit des Zentralnervensystems, die stets todlich verlauft. Das Virus wird auf den Menschen im allgemeinen durch den Bis eines tollwutigen Tieres ubertragen.
Neutron stars, β -stable ring-diagram equation of state, and Brown-Rho scaling

Neutron star properties, such as mass, radius, and moment of inertia, are calculated by solving the Tolman-Oppenheimer-Volkov (TOV) equations using the ring-diagram equation of state (EOS) obtained from realistic low-momentum $\mathit{NN}$ interactions ${V}_{\mathrm{low}--\mathrm{k}}$. Several $\mathit{NN}$ potentials (CDBonn, Nijmegen, Argonne V18, and BonnA) have been employed to calculate the ring-diagram EOS where the particle-particle hole-hole ring diagrams are summed to all orders. The proton fractions for different radial regions of a $\ensuremath{\beta}$-stable neutron star are determined from the chemical potential conditions ${\ensuremath{\mu}}_{n}\ensuremath{-}{\ensuremath{\mu}}_{p}={\ensuremath{\mu}}_{e}={\ensuremath{\mu}}_{\ensuremath{\mu}}$. The neutron star masses, radii, and moments of inertia given by the aforementioned potentials all tend to be too small compared with the accepted values. Our results are largely improved with the inclusion of a Skyrme-type three-body force based on Brown-Rho scalings where the in-medium meson masses, particularly those of $\ensuremath{\omega}$, $\ensuremath{\rho}$, and $\ensuremath{\sigma}$, are slightly decreased compared with their in-vacuum values. Representative results using such medium-corrected interactions are maximum neutron-star mass $M~1.8{M}_{\ensuremath{\bigodot}}$ with radius $R~9$ km and moment of inertia $~60{M}_{\ensuremath{\bigodot}} {\mathrm{km}}^{2}$, values given by the four $\mathit{NN}$ potentials being nearly the same. The effects of nuclei-crust EOSs on the properties of neutron stars are discussed.
Roles for motility in bacterial–host interactions

The ability to move in a directed manner may confer distinct advantages upon host-adapted prokaryotes. Potential benefits of motility include increased efficiency of nutrient acquisition, avoidance of toxic substances, the ability to translocate to preferred hosts and access optimal colonization sites within them, and dispersal in the environment during the course of transmission. The costs of motility also may be significant. These include the metabolic burden of synthesizing flagellar components, the energetic expense of fuelling flagellar motors and the presentation of polymeric and highly antigenic targets to the immune system. It is therefore not surprising that synthesis of the motility apparatus is usually subject to strict control. Studies of a variety of bacterial-host interactions demonstrate roles for motility, and its regulation, at points throughout the infectious cycle.
Gamma-Ray Induced Radiation Damage in Large Size LSO and LYSO Crystal Samples

This paper presents a study of the gamma-ray induced radiation damage effect in large size (2.5 times 2.5 times 20 cm3) LSO and LYSO crystal samples. Optical and scintillation properties, including longitudinal transmittance and photo-luminescence spectra, light output and light response uniformity with PMT and APD readout, are measured before and after gamma-ray irradiations with an integrated dose up to 106 rad for three LSO and LYSO samples from different vendors. It was found that 300degC thermal annealing removes all radiation induced absorption. The photo-luminescence spectra measured before and after the irradiations were found to be consistent, indicating that the scintillation mechanism is not damaged. The radiation damage recovers very slow under the room temperature, indicating that the radiation damage level in LSO and LYSO crystals is not dose rate dependent. It was also found that the overall radiation damage in LSO and LYSO crystals is small as compared to other crystal scintillators commonly used in high energy and nuclear physics experiments.
Guided Text Analysis Using Adaptive Visual Analytics

This paper demonstrates the promise of augmenting interactive visualizations with semi-supervised machine learning techniques to improve the discovery of significant associations and insight in the search and analysis of textual information. More specifically, we have developed a system-called Gryffin-that hosts a unique collection of techniques that facilitate individualized investigative search pertaining to an ever-changing set of analytical questions over an indexed collection of open-source publications related to national infrastructure. The Gryffin client hosts dynamic displays of the search results via focus+context record listings, temporal timelines, term-frequency views, and multiple coordinated views. Furthermore, as the analyst interacts with the display, the interactions are recorded and used to label the search records. These labeled records are then used to drive semi-supervised machine learning algorithms that re-rank the unlabeled search records such that potentially relevant records are moved to the top of the record listing. Gryffin is described in the context of the daily tasks encountered at the Department of Homeland Security's Fusion Centers, with whom we are collaborating in its development. The resulting system is capable of addressing the analysts information overload that can be directly attributed to the deluge of information that must be addressed in search and investigative analysis of textual information.
Multifold Euclidean geometry codes

This paper presents a class of majority-logic decodable codes whose structure is based on the structural properties of Euclidean geometries (EG) and codes that are invariant under the affine group of permutations. This new class of codes contains the ordinary EG codes and some generalized EG codes as subclasses. One subclass of new codes is particularly interesting: they are the most efficient majority-logic decodable codes that have been constructed.
Sensor undistortion using hyperbolic splines in least squares sense

This paper focuses on the removal of static non-linearity from a set of monotone increasing input-output data points, e.g. from a sensor. Mobius transformations are used to fit a spline to the data points to ensure smoothness and analytic invertibility of the interpolant. A new method is proposed to identify the coefficients of the Mobius transformation so as to minimize the twistiness of the resulting interpolant in a least-squares sense. Simulation results are provided to demonstrate the effectiveness of the method. Performance of the method in the presence of observation noise is also investigated.
Computer-Generated Microwave Kinoforms

Reflective computer-generated holographic elements are used in a quasi-optical fashion to modify both the phase and polarization of a high power, coherent microwave beam. Theory and design for both one- and two-component systems are discussed along with some experimental results.
Modeling and energy consumption evaluation of a stochastic wireless sensor network

In this article, we consider a stochastic model of wireless sensor networks (WSNs) in which each sensor node randomly and alternatively stays in an active mode or a sleep mode. The active mode consists of two phases, called the full-active phase and the semi-active phase. When a referenced sensor node is in the full-active phase of the active mode, it may sense data packets, transmit the sensed packets, receive packets, and relay the received packets. However, when the phase of the sensor node switches from the full active phase to the semi-active phase, it is only able to transmit/relay data. When the referenced sensor node is in a sleep mode, it does not interact with the external world. In this article, first, we develop a stochastic model for the sensor node of a WSN, and then we derive an explicit expression of the stationary distribution of the number of data packets in the sensor node. Furthermore, we figure out some important performance measures, including the sensor node’s energy consumption for transmission, the energy consumption of the sensor operations, and the average energy consumption of the sensor node in a cycle of active and sleep modes. Also, a numerical analysis is provided to validate the proposed model and the results obtained. The novel aspects of our research are the development of a stochastic model for WSN with active and sleep features and the development of important analytical formulae for evaluating the energy consumption of a WSN. These results are expected to be useful as significant contributions to the fundamental theory of the design of various WSNs with active and sleep mode considerations.
High-mobility pentacene-based organic thin film transistors

We recently reported pentacene-based organic thin film transistors (TFTs) with field-effect mobility and on/off current ratio comparable to hydrogenated amorphous silicon devices. However, these devices had large threshold voltage (typically >+20 V; that is, the devices are on at zero gate bias) and large subthreshold slope (typically >5 V/decade), which makes application in low-voltage circuits problematic. We have now fabricated pentacene-based TFTs with field-effect mobility as large as 1.5 cm/sup 2//V-s, low threshold voltage, and subthreshold slope as low as 1.6 V/decade.
Theory of Modal Analysis

As shown in the preceding chapter, the motion of a dynamic structure or system may be represented by a set of simultaneous differential equations using some discretization scheme, such as the finite element method, if necessary. The dynamic characteristics (dynamic responses, strains, stresses, etc.) of the system can be obtained from these equations using the direct integration methods (finite difference method, Newmark method, for example) in the time domain. Alternatively, these coupled equations of motion may be solved by transforming them into a set of independent (uncoupled) equations by means of a modal matrix. This procedure is the classic meaning of modal analysis. Actually, the procedure of determining the system’s modal parameters, including natural frequency, natural mode, damping factor, modal scaling, etc., is also referred to as modal analysis. The determination of these modal parameters may be by the way of either a theoretical (analytical or numerical) approach or an experimental approach and termed theoretical modal analysis and experimental modal analysis, respectively.
FIRST OCCURRENCE OF AN IN SITU ANTHASPIDELLID SPONGE IN A DENDROLITE MOUND (UPPER CAMBRIAN; GREAT BASIN, USA)

Abstract Small silicified anthaspidellid sponges identified as Gallatinospongia conica Okulitch and Bell, 1955 are described for the first time from the Upper Cambrian of the Great Basin where the sponges are found in situ within dendrolitic microbial reefs. This association forms the oldest anthaspidellid-microbial reefs of Laurentia.
Yidishe Nachas: A Glance at the Jewish Mother

“Yidishe Nachas,” is an essay about the American Jewish mother and her unique relationship between her children in an ever-changing cultural dynamic that seemed to not only challenge, but maximize her intrinsic motherhood qualities. Jenna Weissman Joselit, the author of this essay, rejects the claim by cultural anthropologists who believe that the behavior of the Jewish mother to smother her children with excessive affection is rooted in “centuries of persecution and tension.” In fact, Joselit goes as far as to explain how Jewish mothers struggled to synthesize both American culture with their own traditional values and concerns. Thus, this analysis will briefly point out what Joselit meant by her statement that the cultural anthropologists “mistook a specific cultural moment for a millenial tradition." In addition, an overview of the material that supports Joselit argument will also be presented.
Improvement of surgery duration estimation using statistical methods and analysis of scheduling policies using discrete event simulation

The United States health care system currently faces many challenges, with the most notable one being rising costs. In an effort to decrease those costs, health providers are aiming to improve efficiency in their operations. A primary source of revenue for hospitals and some clinics is the surgery department, making it a key department for improvement in efficiency. Surgery schedules drive the department and affect the operations of many other departments. The most significant challenge to creating an efficient surgery schedule is estimating surgery durations and scheduling cases in a manner that will minimize the time a surgery is off schedule and maximize utilization of resources. To identify ways to better estimate surgery durations, an analysis of the surgery scheduling process at UnityPoint Health Des Moines, in Des Moines, Iowa was completed. Estimated surgery durations were compared to actual durations using a t test. Multiple linear regression models were created for the most common surgeries including the input variables of age of the patient, anesthesiologist, operating room (OR), number of residents, and day of the week. To find optimal scheduling policies, simulation models were created, each representing a series of surgery cases in one operating room during one day. Four scheduling policies were investigated: shortest estimated time first, longest estimated time first, most common surgery first, and adding an extra twenty minutes to each case in the existing order. The performance of the policies was compared to those of the existing schedule. Using the historical data from a one-year period at UnityPoint Health Des Moines, the estimated surgery durations for the top four surgeries by count and top surgeons were found to be statistically different in 75% of the data sets. After creating multiple linear regression models for each of the top four surgeries and surgeons performing those surgeries, the β values for each variable were compared across models. Age was found to have a minimal impact on surgery
The kinetics of repair in mouse lung after fractionated irradiation.

SummaryThe kinetics of repair of sublethal damage in mouse lung was studied after fractionated doses of 137Cs γ-rays. A wide range of doses per fraction (1·7–12 Gy) was given with interfraction intervals ranging from 0·5 to 24 h. The data were analysed by a direct method of analysis using the incomplete repair model. The half-time of repair (T1/2) was 0·76 h for the pneumonitis phase of damage (up to 8 months) and 0·65 h for the later phase of damage up to 12 months. The rate of repair was dependent on fraction size for both phases of lung damage and was faster after large dose fractions than after small fractions. The T1/2 was 0·6 h (95 per cent c.1. 0·53, 0·69) for doses per fraction greater than 5 Gy and 0·83 h (95 per cent c.1. 0·76, 0·92) for doses per fraction of 2 Gy. Repair was nearly complete by 6 h, at least for the pneumonitis phase of damage. To the extent that extrapolation of these data to humans may be valid, these results imply that treatments with multiple fractions per day that involve t...
Testing for Outliers in Linear Regression

The problem of outliers in the regression model is considered. For the case of one outlier at most, the use of the maximum absolute studentized residual, Rn, for identification of the outlier has been suggested by a number of authors. Simulation studies of the power of a conservative test based on Rn for identifying single outliers in regression models with one, two, and three independent variables are reported. The case of multiple outliers is also considered and techniques for their identification are discussed. A simulation study of a sequential procedure for handling two outliers is reported.
Getting Down to Earth: Getting Personal About Environmentalism

In this essay, Professor Hanna explores (and pokes a little fun) at the "greening" of America. She argues that the success of the environmental movement will depend on its ability to transform from a movement that is based on consumerism to a larger political and social agenda.
Reducing the Digital Divide: Connecting Older Adults to iPad Technology.

America’s older adult population is increasing at a dramatic rate due to better health care, technology, and improved living conditions. However, as individuals 65 years and older begin to live lon...
Urinary Phthalates and Leukocyte Telomere Length: An Analysis of NHANES 1999–2002

The International Agency for Research on Cancer classified the di-2-ethylhexyl phthalate (DEHP) as “possibly carcinogenic to humans”. In vitro studies reported that phthalate exposure resulted in induction of several nuclear transcription factors that are activators of telomerase reverse transcriptase (TERT) and telomerase activity of the human telomerase complex. The objective of this study was to determine whether there is an association between urinary phthalate metabolites [mono-ethyl phthalate (MEP), mono-butyl phthalate (MBP), mono-(2-ethyl)-hexyl phthalate (MEHP), and mono-benzyl phthalate (MBzP) and leukocyte telomere length (LTL) in the adult population of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 1999–2002 (n = 2472). After adjustment for potential confounders, participants in the 3rd and 4th quartiles of urinary MEHP had statistically significantly longer LTL (5.34%, 95% CI: 1.31, 9.53; and 7.14%, 95% CI: 2.94, 11.63; respectively) compared to the lowest quartile, with evidence of a dose–response relationship (p-trend = 0.01). The association remained when the analyses were stratified by age groups (20–39 years, 40–59 years, and 60 years and older), and sex. Furthermore, MBP and MBzP were associated with higher LTL in older participants. The age independent association between longer LTL and MEHP (a metabolite of DEHP) might suggest a possible role of MEHP as tumor promoter.
The Effect of Salt Concentration and Brining Time on Organoleptic Characteristics of Smoked Broiler Breeder Hens

Abstract In each of two trials, 84 Cobb color-sexed broiler breeder hens were slaughtered at 52 weeks of age using standard techniques except for subscald and overnight chilling (1°C). After four weeks frozen storage, 12 birds were randomly assigned to each of seven treatments, a control, and a 2 × 3 factorial arrangement of two brining times (16 and 32 hrs.) and three brine concentrations (2.5, 5.0 and 7.5% NaCl). The treated birds were slow-cooked with smoke. Both light and dark meat samples were evaluated for flavor, juiciness and tenderness by a taste panel. In addition, these samples were subjected to shear force analysis. As the salt concentration was increased, the panelists scored dark meat significantly higher for flavor, regardless of brining time. Light meat which had been brined for 16 hrs. was also scored singificantly more juicy as the salt concentration was increased. There were no significant differences observed for tenderness, juiciness or flavor for any other combinations of taste panel scores. It appeared, however, that increasing the salt concentration did improve scores numerically. The shear force analysis indicated that meat from birds brined at a 7.5% salt concentration for 16 or 32 hrs. or 5.0% salt concentration for 32 hrs. was significantly more tender than the meat from unbrined birds. Generally, all treatments appeared to increase tenderness of die meat.
Innovations in surgical stone disease

Purpose of reviewUrinary stone disease is a condition characterized by a rich history of surgical innovation. Herein, we review the new ideas, devices and methods that are the cornerstones of contemporary surgical innovation in stone disease, specifically flexible ureteroscopy and percutaneous nephr
Abstract 5465: LY2875358, a bivalent MET antibody with anti-tumor activity through blocking HGF as well as inducing degradation of MET, differentiates from a one-armed 5D5 MET antibody.

MET is involved in many mechanisms of cancer proliferation and metastasis. Inappropriate activation of MET can be induced by HGF-independent mechanisms such as gene amplification, specific genetic mutations, and transcriptional up-regulation, or by HGF-dependent autocrine or paracrine mechanisms. LY2875358 is a novel humanized bivalent MET antibody currently in phase I clinical testing (trial NCT01287546). LY2875358 has high neutralization and internalization activities against MET for inhibiting HGF-dependent and HGF-independent MET pathway activation and tumor growth. In HGF-dependent MET activation, LY2875358 blocks HGF binding to MET, HGF-induced MET phosphorylation and tumor growth both in cell culture and in mouse xenograft models, resembling activities of a humanized one-armed 5D5 MET antibody (monovalent antibody similar to Onartuzumab). In tumors with HGF-independent MET activation through MET gene amplification, LY2875358 induces internalization and degradation of MET, which results in decreased pMET and total MET, inhibition of cell proliferation and tumor growth in MKN45 and SNU5 gastric tumor lines and EBC-1 and H1993 NSCLC tumor lines. Moreover, LY2875358 enhances antitumor activity in combination with cisplatin or 5-FU in vitro and in vivo in MET amplified tumor cells. However, under the same ligand-independent conditions, the one-armed 5D5 antibody did not have anti-tumor activities. When HGF is added to tumor cells with high MET gene amplification, LY2875358 decreases cell proliferation, while the one-armed 5D5 antibody does not. In contrast to other bivalent MET antibodies, LY2875358 has no or otherwise negligible agonist activity and does not stimulate biological activities such as cell proliferation, scattering, invasion, tubulogenesis, apoptosis protection or angiogenesis in various HGF responsive cells. These findings indicate that LY2875358 has a different mechanism of action from the humanized one-armed 5D5 MET antibody. LY2875358 may be a promising therapy for treatment of patients whose tumors are driven by HGF-dependent and HGF-independent MET activation. Citation Format: Wei Zeng, Victoria Peek, Mark Wortinger, Jonathan Tetreault, Jinqi Xia, Jennifer Stephens, Kelly Credille, Darryl Ballard, Trish Brown-Augsburger, Jirong Lu, Chi-Kin Chow, Peter Vaillancourt, Ying Tang, Sau-Chi B. Yan, Ling Liu. LY2875358, a bivalent MET antibody with anti-tumor activity through blocking HGF as well as inducing degradation of MET, differentiates from a one-armed 5D5 MET antibody. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 104th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2013 Apr 6-10; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2013;73(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 5465. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2013-5465
Information Construction of Children's Vaccination in Earthquake-striken Area of Sichuan

Objective To realize the current situation of Childhood Immunization Information Management(CIIM) work in earthquake stricken areas,analyze the difficulty to build the CIIM and find out the solution.Methods The CIIM related investigation was conducted in the areas suffured extremely serious earthquake,including 6 cites(prefectures) and 20 counties.Result Among 20 counties in the earthquake stricken areas of Sichuan,all townships throughout 2 counties carried out the childhood immunization information technology work,and part of the townships in 5 counties carried out the work.The units which have two or more information management staff in the city,county and town level were 50.0%,80.0%,and 49.6% respectively.The information management staff in city and county level which at or above the intermediate level in computer accounted for 92.3% and 78.0% respectively.About 74.9% of the inoculated units mainly provide monthly vaccination services.About 91.3% vaccination units have the average inoculation to less than 300 children monthly.About 98.2% vaccination units make an appointment after each vaccination.Conclusion It is feasible to build the CIIM in personnel,technique and equipment although there is just few earthquake stricken areas in Sichuan carried out the CIIM work.
Reevaluation of organ transplantation criteria. Allocation of scarce resources to borderline candidates.

Organ transplantation in the 1960s proceeded according to a “lifeboat” ethics formula with physicians acting as “gatekeepers.” Selection of transplant recipients is now based on medical urgency and waiting time. Some candidates continue to be given low priority by virtue of psychological impairment. The three As—advanced age, acquired immune deficiency syndrome (or positive human immunodeficiency virus status), and alcoholism—also stand out as characteristics that tend to exclude candidates. Cancer is another relative or absolute contraindication to transplantation. This article focuses retrospectively on the psychosocial and medical aspects of the decision to include six patients at Massachusetts General Hospital who were selected for organ transplantation despite their borderline candidacy. The authors introduce four lines of thinking that decision-makers might use to either include or exclude marginal candidates (e.g., the physician's interpretation of what duty requires, the patient's or surrogate's wishes, cost-benefit considerations, or the need for research to improve our scientific understanding of transplantation issues) and discuss an ethical approach that supports each line of thinking. The authors conclude that not all of the ethical approaches lead practitioners and policymakers to the same conclusions regarding the optimum size of or who should be a part of the recipient pool. The future of who receives transplants and why depends at least in part on the underlying ethical considerations that are deemed appropriate as determinants of practice and policy.
Risk Analysis of Transporting Crude Oil by Rail: Methodology and Decision Support System

In 2014, there were around 500,000 carloads of petroleum crude oil on the U.S. railroad network, an 80-fold increase since 2005. A spate of crude oil release incidents has attracted national attention to railroad transportation safety. A practical probabilistic risk analysis model to estimate the in-transit risk of transporting crude oil by rail in unit trains on main lines is described. The goal of the research for the model was to provide methods and tools for optimal safety risk management of rail transport of crude oil and other hazardous materials. The model accounts for track segment specific characteristics, including segment length, FRA track class, method of operation, and annual traffic density; train-specific characteristics such as train length, train speed, and tank car safety design; and population density along each segment. The risk model estimates segment-specific risk that is measured by the expected number of affected persons. Also, the model estimates the average interval between relea...
Inter-app communication between Android apps developed in app-inventor and Android studio

Communications between mobile apps are an important aspect of mobile platforms. Android is specifically designed with inter-app communication in mind and depends on this to provide different platform specific functionalities. Android Apps can either be designed with the help of Android SDK and using IDEs such as Android Studio or by using a browser based platform called App Inventor. These two development platforms provide their own technique for inter-app communication in the same platform, however lack an established method of inter-app communication when apps are developed using the two seperate development platforms. This paper provides the missing information required for the app communications and presents the method for sending and receiving arguments between apps developed in these two platforms. The paper also outlines the significance of the result, and examines their limitations.