cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Economic Decision Making: How Our Brain Works

With the rise of behavioral economics, we have become much more aware that we humans do not make decisions like the rational, solely self-interested beings depicted in neoclassical economics. There is now much greater realism in the description of human decision making. Humans are recognized to be predictably irrational as they regularly err in making certain kinds of decisions. This paper explores and integrates important understandings concerning how our brain works with respect to economic decision making. From scholars like Herbert Simon, Daniel Kahneman and George Loewenstein we have learned that people have limited cognitive capacity to deal with the complexity of the real world, make many cognitive errors, and generally make poor decisions when strong negative emotions are aroused. Also, our minds in decision making are too often oriented to seeking what we want or desire, not what is really good for us. Besides this bad news about human decision-making, there is some good news. It is that we can learn how to avoid error and become more skilled, good enough decision makers. Gerd Gigerenzer has explained how successful decision makers typically use heuristics to deal with complex situations and that these heuristics are not only faster but may be able to achieve at least as good performance as rationally oriented methods that use much more information.This paper also provides illustrative analyses of food-related decision making that are related to the obesity social problem, thereby suggesting some of the ways in which our less than rational brain functioning contributes to the incidence of obesity. An important economic implication of this research is that decision-making deficiencies could be a significant contributor to low national productivity, and thus may be an important reason for an economy’s underperformance.
The Characteristics of Pressure Injury Photographs from the Electronic Health Record in Clinical Settings

Aims and objectives To analyze and understand the characteristics of pressure injury (PI) images stored in the electronic health record (EHR). Background To improve the quality of PI documentation, photographing PIs and storing the images in the EHR is standard practice in many hospitals. As new technologies develop, the utilization of computer-assisted image processing makes automatic measurement of PI size and tissue segmentation through PI images possible. The translation of new technological developments to PI photography conducted in clinical environments faces obstacles such as the complexity of conditions in which photographs are taken. Design A cross-sectional descriptive study. Methods A set of 360 PI images were obtained from a hospital in western Pennsylvania. These images were taken in clinical settings during daily wound care service. The authors reviewed the PI images to analyze the relative position of the PI in the images, the shooting angle of the digital camera, and the clinical objects in the background. Results Only 5.9% of the PI images were confined to only the wound region. In 80.1% of the images, the PI is located in the central part of the image. In 54.0% of the images, the lens of the digital camera was not pointed perpendicularly to the plane of the PI. Conclusions Bedside wound assessment of PIs and assessment from photographs of PIs display reasonable agreement with PI staging. To extract wound information (e.g., size and tissue type) from PI images through novel image processing technologies, the characteristics of PI images in clinical settings should be better understood during the development of tools for PI image processing. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
Methane absorption spectroscopy on a silicon photonic chip

Infrared tunable diode-laser absorption spectroscopy (IR-TDLAS) is an enabling technology for trace-gas detection, with applications ranging from air-quality monitoring to medical diagnostics. However, such sensors typically utilize discrete optical components that pose practical cost limits for large-scale network deployments. Here, we leverage silicon photonics technology to demonstrate IR-TDLAS on an integrated CMOS-compatible platform for methane (CH4) spectroscopy. Using near-IR (1650 nm) light from a distributed-feedback laser and an uncooled InGaAs detector, the evanescent optical field of a high-index contrast nanoscale silicon waveguide is used to probe ambient CH4, yielding Gaussian-noise-limited sub-100 parts-per-million by volume detection limits. Our results demonstrate the feasibility of chip-scale photonic integration for realizing compact, cost-effective, and versatile gas sensors capable of tackling diverse energy and environmental challenges, such as natural-gas leak quantification and localization for fugitive-emissions monitoring.
Reasons for Optimism About Survey Research

Survey research is facing some really serious challenges. There are reasons to be concerned about the methods that are being used in many cases and the potential for improving them. One could take that as a downer, but before I get into the downer part I thought it would be nice to look at an upper part. LinChiat Chang and I have been attempting to answer the question, “How accurate are surveys?” As many people know, this is thought of as a difficult question to answer, because in order to assess accuracy of, for example, reports of cigarette smoking, you need to know the truth of cigarette smoking. But for some things, such as voter turnout from government records, we think we know something about the truth.
Attentional fluctuations in preschoolers: Direct and indirect relations with task accuracy, academic readiness, and school performance.

Attentional control fluctuates in the presence of internal and external distractors, wandering on and off a given task. The current study investigated individual differences in attentional fluctuations in 250 preschoolers. Attentional fluctuations were assessed via intra-individual variability in response time in a Go/No-Go task. Greater fluctuations in attentional control were linked to lower task accuracy. In addition, greater attentional fluctuations predicted lower performance in a task of cognitive flexibility, the Dimensional Change Card Sort task. Attentional fluctuations were also associated with laboratory measures of academic readiness in preschool, as assessed by the Applied Problems and Letter–Word Identification subscales of the Woodcock–Johnson III Tests of Achievement, which in turn predicted teacher reports of academic performance in first grade. Attentional fluctuations also had indirect associations with emergent math skills in preschool, via cognitive flexibility, as well as indirect associations with first-grade teacher reports of academic performance, via the relations between cognitive flexibility and emergent math skills in preschool. These results suggest that consistency is an important aspect of attentional control during early childhood.
Falsely elevated salicylate concentration in a patient with hypertriglyceridemia

Because salicylism is a clinical diagnosis, the serum concentration should be interpreted in conjunction with the clinical presentation. A 26-year-old man presented to the Emergency Department with...
Self-interaction of NPM1 modulates multiple mechanisms of liquid–liquid phase separation

Nucleophosmin (NPM1) is an abundant, oligomeric protein in the granular component of the nucleolus with roles in ribosome biogenesis. Pentameric NPM1 undergoes liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS) via heterotypic interactions with nucleolar components, including ribosomal RNA (rRNA) and proteins which display multivalent arginine-rich linear motifs (R-motifs), and is integral to the liquid-like nucleolar matrix. Here we show that NPM1 can also undergo LLPS via homotypic interactions between its polyampholytic intrinsically disordered regions, a mechanism that opposes LLPS via heterotypic interactions. Using a combination of biophysical techniques, including confocal microscopy, SAXS, analytical ultracentrifugation, and single-molecule fluorescence, we describe how conformational changes within NPM1 control valency and switching between the different LLPS mechanisms. We propose that this newly discovered interplay between multiple LLPS mechanisms may influence the direction of vectorial pre-ribosomal particle assembly within, and exit from the nucleolus as part of the ribosome biogenesis process.
Adjunctive Therapies During Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation to Enhance Multiple Organ Support in Critically Ill Children.

Since the advent of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) over forty years ago, there has been increasing interest in the use of the extracorporeal circuit as a platform for providing multiple organ support. In this review, we will examine the evidence for the use of continuous renal replacement therapy, therapeutic plasma exchange, leukopheresis, adsorptive therapies, and extracorporeal liver support in conjunction with ECMO.
Effects of nonuniform viscosity on ciliary locomotion

The swimming efficiency of an idealized microswimmer is theoretically examined where the pointwise viscosity depends weakly on the surrounding nutrient. Results show that optimal swimming efficiency is achieved differently in the constant- and variable-viscosity cases.
Reliable and practical fall prediction using artificial neural network

The growing elder population has inspired remarkable research in the prevention of fall injuries. A reliable technique to predict fall incidence, along with a corresponding mobile phone app, is proposed in this paper. The technique combines the benefits of traditional medical history based paradigm and non-historical paradigm. The app analyzes single leg motion to predict if the carrying individual is about to fall with a desirably practical alert time, not too long like in the medical history based paradigm, not too short like in the non-historical paradigm. Furthermore, this approach utilizes leg motion instead of torso motion to gain considerable longer alert time. This fall prediction technique will be a perfect fit into a real time automated system for fall prevention.
Teaching Mathematics Using Standards-Based and Traditional Curricula: A Case of Variable Ideas

This chapter discusses approaches to teaching algebraic concepts like variables that are embedded in a Standards-based mathematics curriculum (CMP) and in a traditional mathematics curriculum (Glencoe Mathematics). Neither the CMP curriculum nor Glencoe Mathematics clearly distinguishes among the various uses of variables. Overall, the CMP curriculum uses a functional approach to teach equation solving, while Glencoe Mathematics uses a structural approach to teach equation solving. The functional approach emphasizes the important ideas of change and variation in situations and contexts. The structural approach, on the other hand, avoids contextual problems in order to concentrate on developing the abilities to generalize, work abstractly with symbols, and follow procedures in a systematic way. This chapter reports part of the findings from the larger LieCal research project. The LieCal Project is designed to investigate longitudinally the impact of a Standards-based curriculum like CMP on teachers’ classroom instruction and student learning. This chapter tells part of the story by showing the value of a detailed curriculum analysis in characterizing curriculum as a pedagogical event.
Geodesic currents on negatively curved groups

A negatively curved or hyperbolic group, as introduced by M. Gromov, is a finitely generated group whose Cayley graphs asymptotically behave at infinity like a tree. Considering the action of a negatively curved group on one of its Cayley graphs, we study asymptotic directions in the set of conjugacy classes of this group. We then discuss some applications to group actions on ℝ — trees and manifolds of negative curvature.
Imaging in the Management of Gynecologic Cancers

In the management of gynecologic cancers, the physical exam remains an essential component of diagnostic staging and treatment response assessment. Despite this, advanced imaging can often offer complementary clinical information that may guide therapy or alter management. This chapter will provide a detailed description of how imaging is used in the current management of gynecologic cancers during the diagnostic, treatment, and follow-up phases of therapy with an emphasis on practical considerations for the radiation oncologist.
International student networks as transnational social capital: illustrations from Japan

This paper examines how social isolation in a non-Anglophone context where English is not the main language of instruction for local students but is for international students, has unintend...
Nrf2 Activation by Curcumin Improves Exercise Performance of Mice with Chronic Heart Failure

One of the hallmarks in chronic heart failure (CHF) is exercise intolerance, which profoundly impacts patients’ quality of life and worsens prognosis. There are no effective pharmacological interve...
Increased Prevalence of t(8;9)(p21-23;p23-24) Translocations within 9p24 Abnormalities in Patients with Myeloid Malignancies Identified from the Mitelman Database

Abstract Background: Advances in detailing the interaction between tumor cells and host immune system has led to the potential of targeted immunotherapy. One target is the programmed death 1 (PD-1) pathway, which cancer cells up-regulate to evade T-cell-mediated immune response. Blockade of PD-L1 or PD-L2 has shown efficacy in solid tumors, as well as classic Hodgkin's lymphoma (cHL) and primary mediastinal b-cell lymphoma (PMBCL). In cHL and PMBCL, amplification or rearrangement of chromosome 9p24.1 is implicated in their pathogenesis. The genes PDL1 and PDL2 are located on 9p24.1, along with JAK2, which further induces PDL1 and PDL2. Targeted inhibitors of JAK2 are utilized in some myeloid malignancies (MM), mostly as gain of function point mutations. The aim of this study is to determine the prevalence of and classify 9p24.1abnormalities across subtypes of MM to guide future studies for targeted therapy. Methods: A service of the National Cancer Institute, theMitelman Database of Chromosome Aberrations and Gene Fusions in Cancer database is manually updated from the literature and organized into three sub-databases: cases of chromosomal aberrations, molecular biology and clinical associations, and references. We searched for the 9p24 breakpoint within hematologic malignancies with no other search limits and subsequently divided the cases into myeloid and lymphoid subtypes. The incidence of rearrangements and additions in chromosome 9p24 for myeloid subtypes were determined. Those with either incidence >0.5% ort(8;9)(p21-23;p23-24) translocations are reported. Results: 9p24 alterations occurred in 92 of 25,284 cases ( Conclusions: Despite a low incidence of 9p24 rearrangements and additions across all MM within the Mitelman database, t(8;9)(p21-23;p23-24) translocations were seen in 8 MM subtypes and accounted for 22.8% of observed alterations. This translocation results in the fusion of PCM1-JAK2, leading to activation of Janus Kinase 2. Other than two patients with t(9;22)(p24;q11), harboring fusion of BCR-JAK2,no other rearrangements involving JAK2 were identified.While the use of JAK2 inhibitorruxolitinib has been described in 3 patients with t(8;9)(p21-23;p23-24), 2 with chronic eosinophilic leukemia and 1 with myeloproliferative disease, other MM subtypes with this translocation have not been evaluated. Further, no study has assessed such cases with FISH and other testing to streamline potential forPD-L1 or PD-L2 inhibitors. This data supports the utility of theMitelman database to identify alterations that can be further evaluated for targeted therapy and clinical trials. Download : Download high-res image (121KB) Download : Download full-size image Disclosures No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.
Christian Metaphysics: Between East and West

John Betz here proposes ‘analogical’ metaphysics as the shared metaphysics both of Catholic and Protestant traditions, as well as of the Christian West as a whole and its separated brethren in the Christian East. Analogical metaphysics is the ‘common’ metaphysical basis of Christian faith. It is the only metaphysics implied by Christian revelation in Scripture and the only one suited to the task of theology. It also implies a basic Christian ontology of personhood: we must become (existentially realize) what we are (essentially). Professor Betz first presents the metaphysics of the analogia entis in Western theology, as represented by Erich Przywara. He emphasizes that the analogia entis is a working-out of the God-creation relationship implied by Christian revelation, and that historically it has been articulated on the basis of scripture and dogma, and not independently of them. After developing further the ontology of personhood, Professor Betz takes up Russian sophiology in order to demonstrate the formal compatibility between the analogical metaphysics of the West and the sophiological metaphysics of the Christian East. Betz’s tentative conclusion is that there is such a thing as a common Christian metaphysics, notwithstanding its various manifestations and accentuations. His proposal, then, aims to contribute to ecumenical dialogue by showing that the metaphysical visions of the churches are similar and that their material metaphysical differences are ultimately complementary within a single, universal Christian metaphysics of creation and deification.
A method for determining surface tension, viscosity, and elasticity of gels via ultrasonic levitation of gel drops

A method for obtaining the elasticity, surface tension, and viscosity of ultrasonically levitated gel drops is presented. The drops examined were made of agarose, a hydrogel. In contrast to previous studies where fluid properties are obtained using ultrasonic levitation of a liquid drop, herein the material studied was a gel which has a significant elasticity. The work presented herein is significant in that gels are of growing importance in biomedical applications and exhibit behaviors partially determined by their elasticities and surface tensions. Obtaining surface tension for these substances is important but challenging since measuring this quantity using the standard Wilhelmy plate or DuNuoy ring methods is not possible due to breakage of the gel. The experiments were conducted on agarose gels having elasticities ranging from 12.2 to 200.3 Pa. A method is described for obtaining elasticity, surface tension, and viscosity, and the method is experimentally demonstrated for surface tension and viscosity. For the range of elasticities explored, the measured surface tension ranged from 0.1 to 0.3 N/m, and the viscosity ranged from 0.0084 to 0.0204 Pa s. The measurements of surface tension are, to the authors' knowledge, the first obtained of a gel using ultrasonic levitation.
Symmetry reduction of δ-plutonium: an electronic-structure effect

Using first-principles density-functional theory calculations, we show that the anomalously large anisotropy of δ-plutonium is a consequence of greatly varying bond-strengths between the 12 nearest neighbors. Employing the calculated bond strengths, we expand the tenants of classical crystallography by incorporating anisotropy of chemical bonds, which yields a structure with the monoclinic space group Cm for δ-plutonium rather than face-centered cubic Fm3m. The reduced space group for δ-plutonium enlightens why the ground state of the metal is monoclinic, why distortions of the metal are viable, and has considerable implications for the behavior of the material as it ages. These results illustrate how an expansion of classical crystallography that accounts for anisotropic electronic structure can explain complicated materials in a novel way.
6 – The Data

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the data analyzed in the case history of Genie's condition. Reports gathered from weekly interviews with Genie's mother by the clinical social worker on the case are a primary source of information on Genie's life prior to her emergence. Videotapes, which number in the hundreds, provide data on all aspects of Genie's behavior and development, including language. They are catalogued by number, date, and subject matter. Because of Genie's special problems associated with speech, especially her reluctance to speak unless required doing, the tape recordings that are made consist largely of either silence or of someone other than Genie talking. Although tape recordings of Genie continue to be made, they do not serve as a principal means of collecting speech data. The primary source of data for Genie's productive language is the detailed notes taken on the spot, during the sessions with Genie. The chapter describes a series of syntactic and semantic comprehension tests developed to determine the extent of Genie's receptive knowledge of language.
All Men are Created Equal. Does President Trump Agree

Trump seems determined to lead a Divided States of America. To be not commander-in-chief, but divider-in-chief. Past presidents met divisive times with united visions. When terrorist Dylann Roof met the open arms of his Christian hosts with a closed mind of hatred, President Obama pushed for “unity and … fellowship”; in the confused aftermath of 9/11, President Bush implored Americans that Muslims “need to be treated with respect.” To Bush and Obama, Muslims and African Americans are as American as Protestant Whites. Trump’s different. Rather than closing gaps, he opens them. As Mitt Romney wrote in reference to Trump’s equivocating Charlottesville speech, “In homes across the nation, children are asking their parents what this means. Jews, blacks, Hispanics, Muslims are as much a part of America as whites and Protestants. But today they wonder. Where might this lead? To bitterness and tears, or perhaps to anger and violence?” These are the words of a leader — of a deeply religious man who sees all humans as God’s children. They call to mind President Jimmy Carter’s New Testament Christianity — a devotion that gave Carter an inner peace that, on a summer day in Camp David, helped him forge outer peace between Egypt and Israel. Carter brought people together; Trump drives them apart. One wonders what resides in Trump’s heart. One wonders whether he sees all Americans as children of God with a sacred core of equal dignity. It’s indisputable that a segment of his base doesn’t; does he?
Interaction of functional gastrointestinal disorders with postpartum conditions related to mother and baby.

Background Functional gastrointestinal disorders (FGID) may affect or may be affected by postpartum depression (PPD), mode of feeding and postpartum life quality. We aimed to evaluate the interaction between FGID and these parameters in infants. Methods The study group consisted of babies attending our outpatient clinics. There were three age groups: 4-6 weeks, 3-4 months and 6-7 months. Demographic data of the babies and mothers, and data of feeding were collected. For the diagnosis of FGID, Rome III criteria were used. Mothers were screened with the Edinburgh Depression Scale. Quality of life (QoL) scores were obtained by using the `Maternal Postpartum Quality of Life Questionnaire`. Factors affecting the presence of FGID, PPD and quality of life were analyzed. Results Two hundred thirteen infants were enrolled during the study period. FGID was present with similar rates in both genders and was lower (31.5%) in the 6-7 month-old group (p=0.001). Infantile colic was higher in girls (68.6% vs. 31.4%, p=0.016). In 4-6 week-old infants with infantile dyschesia, the delivery route was mostly cesarean (83.3% vs. 16.7%, p=0.006). Similarly, regurgitation was more frequent in 6-7 month-old infants born by cesarean (88.9% vs. 11.1%, p=0.035), and was more frequent in infants being exclusively breastfed (60.9%, p=0.037). QoL scores were lower in mothers with depression (20.9±3.4 vs. 23.9±3.6, p=0.003). Infantile colic was higher in mothers with depression, but not significantly (29.3% vs. 11.4%, p=0.057). Conclusions Caesarian section delivery and breastfeeding were influential on infantile dyschesia and regurgitation subgroups. No other studied factor seemed to affect FGID.
Constructive Distributed Work: An Integrated Approach to Sustainable Collaboration and Research for Distributed Teams:

Academic work increasingly involves creating digital tools with interdisciplinary teams distributed across institutions and roles. The negative impacts of distributed work are described at length i...
Increased neurovirulence and reactivation of the herpes simplex virus type 1 latency-associated transcript (LAT)-negative mutant dLAT2903 with a disrupted LAT miR-H2

At least six microRNAs (miRNAs) appear to be encoded by the latency-associated transcript (LAT) of herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1). The gene for ICP0, an important immediate early (IE) viral protein, is anti-sense to, and overlaps with, the region of LAT from which miRNA H2 (miR-H2) is derived. We recently reported that a mutant (McK-ΔH2) disrupted for miR-H2 on the wild-type HSV-1 strain McKrae genomic background has increased ICP0 expression, increased neurovirulence, and slightly more rapid reactivation. We report here that HSV-1 mutants deleted for the LAT promoter nonetheless make significant amounts of miR-H2 during lytic tissue culture infection, presumably via readthrough transcription from an upstream promoter. To determine if miR-H2 might also play a role in the HSV-1 latency/reactivation cycle of a LAT-negative mutant, we constructed dLAT-ΔH2, in which miR-H2 is disrupted in dLAT2903 without altering the predicted amino acid sequence of the overlapping ICP0 open reading frame. Similar to McK-ΔH2, dLAT-ΔH2 expressed more ICP0, was more neurovirulent, and had increased reactivation in the mouse TG explant-induced reactivation model of HSV-1 compared with its parental virus. Interestingly, although the increased reactivation of McK-ΔH2 compared with its parental wild-type (wt) virus was subtle and only detected at very early times after explant TG induced reactivation, the increased reactivation of dLAT-ΔH2 compared with its dLAT2903 parental virus appeared more robust and was significantly increased even at late times after induction. These results confirm that miR-H2 plays a role in modulating the HSV-1 reactivation phenotype.
Mathematical Models of Narcolepsy

Mathematical modeling offers a way to critically test experimentally derived theories, integrate experimental results across spatial and temporal scales, and generate predictions to drive bench science and influence clinical practice. Although, in general, mathematical modeling approaches have been applied to narcolepsy only recently, developments in modeling normal sleep/wake behavior have laid an excellent foundation for linking the experimental insights about the orexin (also known as hypocretin) system to the observed features of the narcolepsy phenotype. Thus, many recent models have addressed aspects of narcolepsy including fragmentation of sleep and wake behavior, altered cycling between rapid eye movement (REM) and non-REM (NREM) sleep, sleep onset REM periods (SOREMPs), and cataplexy.
Cell Injury, Degeneration and Necrosis

A. Classification of pathology can be divided into general pathology (the study of the general reactions of cells and tissues to insults and injuries that are basic to all disease processes) and systemic pathology (the study of specific disease processes or reactions as they affect particular organs or organ systems). B. Application of these classes can be further refined into: 1. Anatomic pathology including necropsy (the study of cadavers in the interest of elucidating the cause or causes of death and contributing to the education of primary care practitioners in their endeavor to provide concise diagnostic protocols and improved treatment modalities), surgical pathology (examination or study of tissues excised from living patients in an effort to establish a specific diagnosis or to exclude specific disease processes) and cytopathology (the study of individual cells primarily as a method to detect malignant (cancer) cells scraped from surface tissues or suspended in body fluids). 2. Clinical pathology or the analysis of various specimens (whole blood, serum, plasma, urine, feces, spinal fluid, sputum, etc.) from patients to facilitate diagnosis, direct therapeutic approach and monitor therapy. 3. Experimental pathology which is the study or investigation of the causes and mechanisms of disease. 4. Forensic pathology — medicolegal investigation of death. C. Pathology includes consideration of all aspects of a disease: etiology (cause), pathogenesis (mechanisms of its development), morphologic alterations (structural changes induced in cells and organs of the body) and clinical significance (functional consequences of the morphologic alterations).
The Acquisition of Dialectal Phonemes in a Study Abroad Context: The Case of the Castilian Theta

This exploratory study investigates the incorporation of dialectal variants in second language (L2) pronunciation and how the learning context intersects with this acquisition. Specifically, this research examines to what extent L2 learners of Spanish acquire the regional phoneme /θ/ from north-central Spain in both study abroad (SA) and at-home (AH) programs. Native versus nonnative L2 pronunciation over time in potential [θ] contexts is also considered. The findings suggest that students rarely produce [θ] after contact with native speakers in either learning context, yet the use of the phone is facilitated by a SA experience and conditioned by select linguistic and extralinguistic factors. Moreover, beginning and intermediate students appear to make greater gains in nativelike pronunciation as a result of the SA experience as compared to advanced students.
Number Theory and Cryptography

The treatment of number theory is elementary, in the technical sense. Number systems, factorization, the Euclidean algorithm, and greatest common divisors are covered, as is the reversal of the Euclidean algorithm to express a greatest common divisor (GCD) as a linear combination. Modular arithmetic and congruence are discussed. Simultaneous congruences are solved, and this leads to the Chinese remainder theorem.
Narcolepsy in Children

Narcolepsy is a neurological syndrome characterised by daytime somnolence and cataplexy which often begins in childhood. Failing to recognise the condition may lead to mislabelling a child as lazy or depressed. The diagnostic criteria for narcolepsy vary with age. In children 8 years and older a Multiple Sleep Latency Test with an average latency of less than 8 minutes, and 2 or more sleep onset REM episodes supports the diagnosis.
Spare the Rod? Principals, Agents, and Corporal Punishment in Public Schools

Previous studies have found a puzzlingly insignificant relationship between public school students' performance and school inputs. This study uses the principal-agent framework to investigate the teacher's role in explaining this puzzle. For this purpose, it addresses the issue of corporal punishment in elementary and secondary public schools. Using a panel of data on 50 U.S. states and the District of Columbia, followed from 1990 to 2000, I find that, in the relevant range, corporal punishment has a negative effect on student performance as measured by eight and fourth graders NAEP mathematics test scores. This result indicates a misalignment between students' and teachers' incentives that leads to an inefficient use of inputs.
Reducing Free Edge Effect on Laminate Strength by Edge Modification

A method for reducing free edge interlaminar stresses in quasi-isotropic laminates is investigated. This method involves creating narrow and shallow notches along the straight edges of a coupon specimen in order to disrupt the load path along the free edges. Experimental results indicate that laminate strength can be increased significantly. A failure criterion for laminate specimens with notched edges is introduced to predict the strength.
EFFECTS OF RYANODINE IN NORMAL DOGS AND IN THOSE WITH DIGITALIS-INDUCED ARRHYTHMIAS. HEMODYNAMIC AND ELECTROCARDIOGRAPHIC STUDIES.

Abstract The hemodynamic and electrocardiographic effects of ryanodine were studied in normal anesthetized dogs and in those with digitalis-induced ventricular arrhythmias. The electrocardiographic effects of ryanodine may be divided into three sequential overlapping phases: (1) Peaking of the T waves, broadening and flattening of the P waves, loss of the P-R segment, S-T segment depression and sinus slowing; (2) complex paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardias without impairment of A-V conduction; (3) prolonged periods of sinoatrial arrest or bradycardia with A-V block. In all phases the QRS complex was unchanged, and ectopic ventricular beats did not occur. Ryanodine reversed digitalis-induced ventricular arrhythmias in the dog by suppressing ventricular pacemakers without prolonging intraventricular conduction. The conversion to sinus rhythm was usually transient, since complex supraventricular arrhythmias probably attributable to the combined action of the two drugs often supervened. A profound negative inotropic action of ryanodine, previously demonstrated in vitro, was shown to be significant in the intact animal. This was manifested by a significant fall in the cardiac output and a rise in the left ventricular end-diastolic pressure prior to a change in rate or rhythm. The electrocardiographic and negative inotropic effects of ryanodine are similar to those of hyperkalemia, although it is probable that all the observed changes cannot be explained by this mechanism. Since the negative inotropic effects of ryanodine were observed at the same dose required for reversal of the digitalis-induced ventricular arrhythmia, it is likely that the toxicity of this drug precludes its use in the treatment of digitalis intoxication in human beings. However, it may be useful for the study of myocardial metabolism and function.
Using Multiple Imputation to Incorporate Cases with Missing Items in a Mental Health Services Study

When data analysis tools require that every variable be observed on each case, then missing items on a subset of variables force investigators either to leave potentially interesting variables out of analysis models or to include these variables but drop incomplete cases from the analysis. For example, in a study considered here, mental health patients were interviewed at two time points about a variety of topics that reflect successful adaptation to outpatient treatment, such as support from family and friends and avoidance of legal problems, although not all patients were successfully interviewed at the second time point. In a previous analysis of these data, logistic regression models were developed to relate baseline patient characteristics and recent treatment cost history to binary outcomes capturing aspects of adaptation. In these models, years of education was omitted as a covariate because it was incompletely observed at baseline. Here, we carry out analyses that include information from partially observed cases. Specifically, we use a multivariate model to produce multiple plausible imputed values for each missing item, and we combine results from separate logistic regression analyses on the completed data sets using the multiple imputation inference technique. Although the majority of inferences about specific regression coefficients paralleled those from the original study, some differences are noted. We discuss the implications of having flexible analysis tools for incomplete data in health services research and comment on issues related to model choice.
Borderline and Narcissistic Personality Disorders

It is fitting to include both the borderline and narcissistic personality disorders (BPD and NPD, respectively) in one chapter. They are in some respects close brethren, yet in other respects distant relatives. Both diagnoses were new additions to the third edition of the American Psychiatric Association’s (APA) Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-III; APA, 1980). Both represent current psychoanalytic interest in severe personality disorders (Frances, 1980; Gunderson, 1983). In fact, from a psychodynamic perspective, all of the “various personality disorders represent examples of two basic varieties of pathology of self-esteem, namely, those diagnosable as borderline and those diagnosable as narcissistic” (Rinsley, 1984, p. 2). It is with respect to their impact that they diverge. To use a popular phraseology of dissertations, there is a plethora of research on BPD and a dearth on NPD.
A porphyrin-PEG polymer with rapid renal clearance.

Tetracarboxylic porphyrins and polyethylene glycol (PEG) diamines were crosslinked in conditions that gave rise to a water-soluble porphyrin polyamide. Using PEG linkers 2 kDa or larger prevented fluorescence self-quenching. This networked porphyrin mesh was retained during dialysis with membranes with a 100 kDa pore size, yet passed through the membrane when centrifugal filtration was applied. Following intravenous administration, the porphyrin mesh, but not the free porphyrin, was rapidly cleared via renal excretion. The process could be monitored by fluorescence analysis of collected urine, with minimal background due to the large Stokes shift of the porphyrin (230 nm separating excitation and emission peaks). In a rhabdomyolysis mouse model of renal failure, porphyrin mesh urinary clearance was significantly impaired. This led to slower accumulation in the bladder, which could be visualized non-invasively via fluorescence imaging. Without further modification, the porphyrin mesh was chelated with (64)Cu for dynamic whole body positron emission tomography imaging of renal clearance. Together, these data show that small porphyrin-PEG polymers can serve as effective multimodal markers of renal function.
Ad Libitum Choline Intake in Healthy Individuals Meets or Exceeds the Proposed Adequate Intake Level

Choline, an essential nutrient, plays a number of vital roles in the body. It is used to synthesize phosphatidylcholine, a molecule needed for the structural integrity and signaling functions of cell membranes, as well as for lipid transport and metabolism (1). Choline directly affects cholinergic neurotransmission via synthesis of the neurotransmitter, acetylcholine (1). Finally, choline functions as a major source of methylgroups in the diet (1). Betaine, used by the kidney as an osmolyte (2), is a metabolite of choline and participates in the methylation of homocysteine to form methionine (3). Methyltetrahydrofolate is the alternative dietary methylgroup donor and is metabolically interrelated with betaine. Both regulate the formation of S-adenosylmethionine, and thereby influence methylation reactions. Diminished folate availability increases the demand for choline as a methylgroup donor and decreases choline availability for other functions in the body (4,5). Many foods eaten by humans such as eggs, meats, cruciferous vegetables, and legumes contain substantial amounts of choline and choline esters (6). This ubiquitous distribution of choline in foods likely prevents the majority of healthy individuals from becoming choline deficient. The Institute of Medicine (IOM)4 of the National Academy of Sciences set an Adequate Intake (AI) level for choline at 550 mg/d for adult men and 425 mg/d for adult women [both equivalent to 7 mg/(kg body weight · d)] (7), based on experimental data in humans showing that this amount prevents liver damage and fatty liver associated with choline-deficient diets (8). Although the exact Dietary Reference Intake (DRI) for choline remains to be established experimentally, setting such a requirement will be informed by data on the range of usual dietary intake of choline in humans. Because the choline content of foods was not included in major nutrient databases until quite recently, such calculations have never been made. In this study, using new and recently published data on food choline values (6,9) [(also available from the USDA Nutrient Data Laboratory (10)], we describe self-reported and measured ad libitum intake of choline, betaine, folate, vitamin B-12, and methionine in healthy adult men and women.
Integración monetaria en el CARICOM

Este articulo intenta determinar si los paises del CARICOM deberian formar una union monetaria. Se sostiene que, aunque el CARICOM puede no satisfacer los criterios propuestos por Mundell para la formacion de una union monetaria, los costos incurridos por los paises individuales que entregan su derecho a llevar una politica monetaria independiente son minimos, mientras que los beneficios de la eliminacion del riesgo cambiario y la incertidumbre en los precios y los beneficios para los consumidores relacionados con una mayor conveniencia, mas competencia y mayor eficiencia, pueden ser enormes. Asi, la formacion de una union monetaria podria todavia ser deseable.
Making the surface of nanocrystalline Ni on an Si substrate ultrasmooth by direct electrodeposition

Nanocrystalline (50-μm-thick) Ni films with controlled surface morphology at the nanoscale were synthesized by direct-current electrodeposition of Ni on an Si substrate under different electrochemical conditions. A relationship between spatial roughness scaling and mean grain size in electrodeposited Ni was established using X-ray diffraction and atomic force microscopy. Fractal analysis showed a transition from self-affine to ultrasmooth surfaces. A non-destructive method is demonstrated to estimate the grain size distribution of ultrasmooth nanocrystalline Ni surfaces by atomic force microscopy with high-resolution probes.
Mass of the Charged Σ Hyperons

Twenty-nine examples of SIGMA /sup +/ hyperon decays at rest into protons were used to determine the mass of the SIGMA /sup +/ hyperon. The stopping power for each batch of emulsions containing these events was determined by making use of mu /sup +/-meson ranges obtained from the decay of pi /sup +/ mesons at rest. The mean range of protons from SIGMA /sup +/ decays was found to bs 1656.5 plus or minus 6.0 microns. The rms deviation was 37.2 plus or minus 6.0 microns. The Q value for the decay ( SIGMA /sup +/ yields p + pi / sup 0/ was found to bs 116.37 plus or minus 0.4 Mev and the mass of the SIGMA / sup +/ hyperon, (2328.1 plus or minus 0.8)m/sup e/. An analysis of three collinear events, which resulted from the interaction of stopped K/sup -/ mesons with hydrogen nuclei of the emulsion, gave the SIGMA - hyperon mass to be (2341.6 plus or minus 2.O)m/sub e/ and the mass difference between SIGMA /sup - / and SIGMA /sup +/ hyperons (13.5 plus or minus 2.0)m/sub e/. (auth)
Measurement of the niobium/sapphire interface toughness via delamination

Niobium films were deposited on sapphire substrates using both physical vapor deposition (PVD) and ion beam assisted deposition (IBAD) at an ion energy of 1000 eV and an ion-to-atom arrival rate ratio of 0.4. The interface between the niobium film and the sapphire substrate was doped with up to 7.6 monolayers of silver. The films were patterned into fine lines using photolithography. During the photolithography process, curling and buckling were observed. The curling indicated a stress gradient in which the top of the film is tensile with respect to the bottom of the film, while buckling demonstrated that a portion of the film thickness must have been in compression. An analysis of the delamination showed that the critical energy release rate for the interface was on the order of 1 J m−2, and that the compressive stress is of the order 1 GPa. The higher energy release rate of the IBAD samples confirmed that the stronger interface is due either to the orientation relationship between the ion beam textured niobium film and the (0001) sapphire surface or the interface mixing caused by ion bombardment.
Supporting-cell and extracellular responses to acoustic clicks in the free-standing region of the alligator lizard cochlea.

Abstract 1. 1. Acoustic clocks were delivered to the tympanic membrane of anesthetized alligator lizards, and electric responses were measured within the free-standing region of the cochlea using glass micropipettes. Responses were recorded intracellularly in supporting cells and extracellularly in the receptor organ and in the scalae. Gross responses were also recorded with wire electrodes in scala tympani. 2. 2. Intra- and extracellular responses contain two components: (1) an early (with latent period less than 0.15 ms after the onset of the click), rate-independent component presumed to originate in the receptor cells, which we call the ‘receptor component’; and (2) a later (with latent period from 2 to 5 ms after the onset of the click), rate-dependent component presumed to originate in the primary neurons, which we call the ‘neural component’. 3. 3. The receptor component consists of a positive, slow, polarity-independent potential which is superimposed on a small, oscillatory, polarity-dependent potential. The average magnitude of the receptor component in supporting cells (0.72 mV for −20 dB clicks) is about 10 times that in the extracellular spaces and about 1 5 of that recorded in receptor cells. This component depends nonlinearly on the sound stimulus in the −20 to −55 dB range of click levels. 4. 4. The average magnitude of the neural component in supporting cells (0.3 mV for clicks at −20 dB and 10 clicks/s) is about 5–10 times larger than that in the extracellular spaces. 5. 5. The receptor and neural components have different distributions within the cochlea. The slow potential of the receptor component has positive polarity within the receptor organ and in scala tympani, and negative polarity in scala media. In contrast, the neural component has approximately the same biphasic (negative then positive) waveform in all extracellular compartments where it was detected. However, the neural component has a larger magnitude and an inverted (positive then negative) waveform in supporting cells. The neural component has not been detected in receptor cells.
Role of circular dimer DNA in the primary recombination mechanism of bacteriophage S13

BACTERIOPHAGE S13 contains a circular single-stranded DNA molecule which replicates as a double-stranded replicative form (RF). A small population (2–3%) of multigenomic length DNA molecules has been identified by Rush, Kleinschmidt, Hellmann and Warner1 in RF preparations. A circular dimer would be the product of a reciprocal breakage and reunion process involving two monomeric circles, so they proposed that circular dimers are intermediates in recombination. This was supported by the observation that when monomers and dimers were isolated from cells infected with two S13 mutants, the frequency of recombinants was higher among dimers than among monomers2. Unfortunately, dimer preparations contain a mixture of circular and catenated dimers2 (two interlocked monomers) and the higher frequency of recombinants observed in dimers could therefore be due to either component.
Case report 864

An extremely rare case of multicentric periosteal osteoid osteoma in a child was presented. The lesions were found to be embedded in a narrow elliptical strip, suggesting the possibility that lesional tissue was stretched in a longitudinal fashion as a result of the rapid skeletal growth. In young patients with stretched periosteal reaction who complain of pain, multicentric osteoid osteoma should be suspected. These nidi can be obscured by the exuberant periosteal reaction. Accurate evaluation of the radiographic findings is very important.