cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Characteristics and Outcomes of US Patients Hospitalized With COVID-19.

Background Understanding COVID-19 epidemiology is crucial to clinical care and to clinical trial design and interpretation. Objective To describe characteristics, treatment, and outcomes among patients hospitalized with COVID-19 early in the pandemic. Methods A retrospective cohort study of consecutive adult patients with laboratory-confirmed, symptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infection admitted to 57 US hospitals from March 1 to April 1, 2020. Results Of 1480 inpatients with COVID-19, median (IQR) age was 62.0 (49.4-72.9) years, 649 (43.9%) were female, and 822 of 1338 (61.4%) were non-White or Hispanic/Latino. Intensive care unit admission occurred in 575 patients (38.9%), mostly within 4 days of hospital presentation. Respiratory failure affected 583 patients (39.4%), including 284 (19.2%) within 24 hours of hospital presentation and 413 (27.9%) who received invasive mechanical ventilation. Median (IQR) hospital stay was 8 (5-15) days overall and 15 (9-24) days among intensive care unit patients. Hospital mortality was 17.7% (n=262). Risk factors for hospital death identified by penalized multivariable regression included older age; male sex; comorbidity burden; symptoms-to-admission interval; hypotension; hypoxemia; and higher white blood cell count, creatinine level, respiratory rate, and heart rate. Of 1218 survivors, 221 (18.1%) required new respiratory support at discharge and 259 of 1153 (22.5%) admitted from home required new health care services. Conclusions In a geographically diverse early-pandemic COVID-19 cohort with complete hospital folllow-up, hospital mortality was associated with older age, comorbidity burden, and male sex. Intensive care unit admissions occurred early and were associated with protracted hospital stays. Survivors often required new health care services or respiratory support at discharge.
Hierarchical Compressed Sensing for High Frame Rate Tissue Harmonic Imaging

Conventionally echocardiography uses plane or diverging transmit beams to monitor fast movements of hearts. However, reduced sensitivity and increased near field artifacts limits their applications in deep tissue. Tissue harmonic imaging, using focused ultrasound beams, is capable of improving image quality but is associated with a lower frame rate. In this study, we demonstrate the combination of hierarchical compressed sensing with tissue harmonic imaging enables increase in the frame rate. With 50%, 33.3% and 25% of original A-line number, our proposed method suppressed root mean squared error to 6.3%, 7.6% and 8.3%, respectively. In addition, the method was validated with a custom imaging sequence in vivo.
Epilog: Comparative Medicine, One Medicine and Genomic Pathology

The study of breast cancer has involved comparative pathology since the 1890s. Molecular biology has allowed the detailed examination of human, mouse, and rat genomes. The genes that are associated with breast cancer in humans cause cancer in genetically modified mice and rats. Global genomic analyses demonstrate even broader genomic homologies. The pathology illustrates the principle of One Medicine. This issue examines these contributions and opens the way for the examination of other mammalian species. The development of a new discipline, Genomic Pathology, can now be anticipated.
Proceedings of the 5th conference on Information technology education

Welcome to Salt Lake City and SIGITE2004! This is our 5th conference as a professional society and our second as SIGITE. We have experienced much growth and accomplished a great deal in our short history. We have developed accreditation standards for Information Technology (IT) that are currently in the approval process by ABET and we are nearing completion of a proposed model curriculum for IT. Whether you are new or returning I encourage you to introduce yourself to new faces and the SIGITE board members and share with us your ideas for, and needs from, our society. We hope all who attend this conference will share and benefit from the sessions, activities, and many informal contacts which build the IT educational community and the profession as a whole. We benefit as a community from the collective effort of those who share their understanding, insights, and efforts to build IT and our society. Our mission as a society is to focus on the educational and technical issues of Information Technology and provide opportunity for professional growth. We see a great future ahead and we hope you will join our professional family and help us build the future of our Society.
Host specificity of plant viruses. I. Cucumber virus 4.

Abstract A method was developed for isolating infectious RNA from cucumber virus 4 (CV4), based on extraction with phenol at high pH in the presence of bentonite. CV4-RNA was reconstituted with protein from tobacco mosaic virus, forming a “hybrid virus”. Hybrid CV4 and standard CV4 were tested on many species of plants in 22 families. The host ranges for CV4 and hybrid CV4 were identical, from which it was concluded that host specificity is not determined by the nature of the viral protein coat.
Resistance and Representation: Postcolonial Fictions of Nations in Crisis

This article examines the representation of resistance in two recent novels, Rohinton Mistry's A Fine Balance and Timothy Mo's The Redundancy of Courage, in order to draw out some of the challenges that these novels pose to current trends in postcolonial studies. Although both are novels of nations in crisis, and are shaped by the dialectic of repression and resistance, the former has achieved considerable popularity, while the latter remains relatively unknown. I try to account for this discrepancy by studying their respective representations of subaltern agency. I suggest that both novels challenge received postcolonial conceptions of marginality and subalternity. My reading of Mistry's realist novel shows that the search for an "authentic" subaltern voice, which postcolonial theorists have often cautioned against, is fraught with contradictions. However, Mistry's realist representation of the poor and the oppressed does not erase subaltern agency as much as it reduces it to the level of a micro-politics that sits easily with much of postcolonial theory. On the other hand, Mo's novel seems at first sight to bear all the trappings of postcolonialist discourse, with its use of a multiply-determined narrator whose chief characteristic is his marginality. Nevertheless, I argue that the novel resists incorporation into a postcolonial problematic because of its affirmative vision of national liberation.
Duplex Ultrasonography of the Mesenteric Circulation

Arterial occlusive disease of the celiac and superior mesenteric arteries is rare and patients with symptomatic mesenteric ischemia are encountered infrequently. However, the clinical manifestations of mesenteric arterial occlusive lesions remain enigmatic and range from asymptomatic to catastrophic. Acute occlusions of the celiac artery (CA) and the superior mesenteric artery (SMA) due to thrombosis or embolism can produce extensive, irreversible gut ischemia requiring emergency treatment, and the mortality from these events remains among the highest of all vascular emergencies. The true incidence of chronic atherosclerotic occlusive disease of the main mesenteric vessels is not well established, the precise relationship to symptoms is poorly understood, and the rate of disease progression is undocumented. It is well accepted that severe, multivessel disease may initially produce nonspecific symptoms such as pain after eating (“abdominal angina”) and weight loss—symptoms that are often mistaken for more common gastrointestinal disorders such as peptic ulcer, gallstone disease, or an occult malignancy.
Context interchange: representing and reasoning about data semantics in heterogeneous systems

The Context INterchange (COIN) strategy [44; 48] presents a novel perspective for mediated data access in which semantic conflicts among heterogeneous systems are not identified a priori, but are detected and reconciled by a Context Mediator through comparison of contexts associated with any two systems engaged in data exchange. In this paper, we present a formal characterization and reconstruction of this strategy in a COIN framework, based on a deductive object-oriented data model and language called COIN. The COIN framework provides a logical formalism for representing data semantics in distinct contexts. We show that this presents a well-founded basis for reasoning about semantic disparities in heterogeneous systems. In addition, it combines the best features of looseand tight-coupling approaches in defining an integration strategy that is scalable, extensible and accessible. These latter features are made possible by allowing complexity of the system to be harnessed in small chunks, by enabling sources and receivers to remain loosely-coupled to one another, and by sustaining an infrastructure for data integration.
Fossil struthionid eggshells from Laetoli, Tanzania: Taxonomic and biostratigraphic significance

Abstract Recent paleontological investigations at Laetoli and neighboring localities in northern Tanzania have produced a large collection of fossil ostrich eggshells from the Pliocene-aged Laetolil Beds (∼3.5–4.5 Ma) and Ndolanya Beds (∼2.6–2.7 Ma). A detailed analysis of the morphology of the eggshells and their taxonomic affinities indicates that two different species of Struthio are represented. In the Lower Laetolil Beds and in the Upper Laetolil Beds below Tuff 3 a new species is recognized— Struthio kakesiensis . This is replaced in the Upper Laetolil Beds by Struthio camelus , the modern species of ostrich. Since radiometric age determinations are available for the stratigraphic sequence at Laetoli, it is possible to precisely date the first appearance of S. camelus at ∼3.6–3.8 Ma. Comparisons of the Laetoli material with specimens from the well-dated sequences at Lothagam and Kanapoi in northern Kenya, allow the taxonomic and biochronological analysis to be extended back in time to the late Miocene. At about 6.5 Ma, Diamantornis and elephant birds were replaced in East Africa by ostriches belonging to the genus Struthio . Three time-successive species of ostriches are identified in the fossil record of East Africa, beginning with Struthio . cf. karingarabensis (∼6.5–4.2 Ma), followed by S. kakesiensis (∼4.5–3.6 Ma) and then S. camelus (∼3.8 Ma onwards). A similar sequence of taxa has previously been recorded from localities in Namibia, but at these sites there is no possibility to precisely calibrate the ages of the different species using radiometric dating. Nevertheless, the broadly similar evolutionary sequence and the close correspondence in inferred ages for the succession of species in East Africa and Namibia suggest that ostrich eggshells are a very useful tool for biochronological correlation of paleontological sites in sub-Saharan Africa.
Collaborative Network Configuration in Hybrid Electrical/Optical Data Center Networks

Recently, there has been much effort on introducing optical fiber communication to data center networks (DCNs) because of its significant advantage in bandwidth capacity and power efficiency. However, due to limitations of optical switching technologies, optical networking alone has not yet been able to accommodate the volatile data center traffic. As a result, hybrid packet/circuit (Hypac) switched DCNs, which argument the electrical packet switched (EPS) network with an optical circuit switched (OCS) network, have been proposed to combine the strengths of both types of networks. However, one problem with current Hypac DCNs is that the EPS network is shared in a best effort fashion and is largely oblivious to the accompanying OCS network, which results in severe drawbacks, such as degraded network predictability and deficiency in handling correlated traffic. Since the OCS/EPS networks have unique strengths and weaknesses, and are best suited for different traffic patterns, coordinating and collaborating the configuration of both networks is critical to reach the full potential of Hypac DCNs, which motivates the study in this paper. First, we present a network model that accurately abstracts the essential characteristics of the EPS/OCS networks. Second, considering the recent advances in network control technology, we propose a time-efficient algorithm called Collaborative Bandwidth Allocation (CBA) that configures both networks in a complementary manner. Finally, we conduct comprehensive simulations, which demonstrate that CBA significantly improves the performance of Hypac DCNs in many aspects.
Rhessi observations of particle acceleration in solar flares

Abstract The NASA Reuven Ramaty High Energy Solar Spectroscopic Imager (RHESSI) Small Explorer spacecraft was launched on 5 February 2002. Its primary objective is to investigate particle acceleration and energy release in solar flares through imaging spectroscopy of flare hard X-ray/gamma-ray continuum and gamma-ray lines emitted by energetic electrons and ions, respectively. Here we present preliminary results on the hard X-ray imaging spectroscopy of a flare, including the spatial variation with energy of the hard X-ray sources, the energy spectra and timing of the individual sources, and spectral features and total energy content. RHESSI observes continuous solar emission in the 3–10 keV energy range, with many microflares from many active regions. These microflares have a non-thermal power-law component similar to normal flares but with much steeper spectral slopes. We also present the first high-resolution gamma-ray line spectrum and the first imaging of gamma-ray lines, from the large X4.8 flare of 23 July 2002.
Ultraviolet-induced repair synthesis in the duplicated and non-duplicated regions of the Escherichia coli chromosome.

Abstract The comparative extent of repair synthesis after ultraviolet irradiation has been examined in regions ahead of and behind the normal growing point in the partially replicated Escherichia coli chromosome. Our results indicate that the region that has been duplicated undergoes somewhat more repair synthesis than the region awaiting duplication. Recombination events between the duplicated portions of the chromosome are postulated to account for the enhanced repair in these regions.
Chemistry of thienopyridines. VI. Reaction of hydrogen sulfide with pyridines bearing C2‐groups in the 3‐position

3-Substituted pyridines (bearing vinyl, ethyl, α-hydroxyethyl, and acetyl substituents) react with hydrogen sulfide at 630° to give low yields of thieno[2,3-b]pyridine and thieno[3,2-c]-pyridine. For 3-vinylpyridine as substrate, it is proposed that a free-radical process is involved in this synthesis.
Normal Replication of DNA after Repair Replication in Bacteria

AN early step in the dark repair of ultra-violet damaged DNA in bacteria is the excision of the damaged single strand regions1,2. It has been postulated that a later step involves the replacement of the excised segments with undamaged deoxyribonucleotides, utilizing the complementary base pairing with the intact single strand1,2. Direct physical evidence for this repolymerization step has been obtained in our laboratory employing the procedure of DNA density labelling with 5-bromouracil and density distribution analysis in caesium chloride density gradients3 to distinguish semiconservative replication from the non-conservative mode of repair replication4. This non-conservative replication has been observed in bacteria after treatment with ultra-violet4, nitrogen mustard5, nitrosoguanidine (unpublished work of E. Cerda-Olmedo and P. C. Hanawalt), or thymine starvation6. The belief that this is the postulated repair synthesis step is strengthened by the results of a number of control experiments as follows. Non-conservative DNA replication is not observed in bacteria in which ultra-violet induced pyrimidine dimers have been repaired in situ by photo-reactivating conditions before density labelling4. It is not observed after ultra-violet irradiation of a strain, E. coli BS–1, sensitive to ultra-violet light which is unable to perform the excision step in the repair sequence7. Non-conservative replication has also been demonstrated by the use of deuterium oxide and nitrogen-15 as density labels to prevent possible artefacts caused by the pathogenicity of 5-bromouracil8. We report here an additional control experiment which demonstrates that the DNA molecules damaged by ultra-violet irradiation which have undergone non-conservative replication are then capable of normal semiconservative replication.
Charge carrier mobility through vacuum–sublimed glassy films of s-triazine- and carbazole-based bipolar hybrid and unipolar compounds

Abstract Instead of physical mixtures as bipolar charge transport media for organic electronics, chemical hybrids comprising non-conjugated spacers are explored to strive for miscibility and morphological stability. Bipolar TRZ-3Cz(MP)2 and TRZ-1Cz(MP)2 as well as unipolar C3-2TRZ(2 t Bu) , C2-2TRZ(2 t Bu) and C3-2Cz(MP)2 were synthesized with propylene or ethylene spacers serving to decouple the Cz(MP)2 and TRZ moieties. Glassy films were prepared by vacuum sublimation for the characterization of transport properties using the photocurrent time-of-flight technique. The results indicate that both the TRZ:Cz(MP)2 ratio and the spacer length enable charge-carrier mobility to be modulated across orders of magnitude. The C2-2TRZ(2 t Bu) film exhibits the highest electron mobility of all the unipolar TRZ-based glassy films reported to date.
Exclusion, Alienation and the Sectarian Mind: Critical Education versus Dogmatic Training

A consideration of the exclusionary practices and outcomes generated by religious absolutism is perhaps as essential today as it has ever been throughout human history. In this article, the author argues that the exclusionary and anti-dialogical characteristics of religion, which have generated countless atrocities throughout human history, are actually an outcome initially seeded in the exclusion of self – the alienation of man from his full nature. The symptoms of religious alienation supplant the possibility of inclusion on both an individual level, perverting the relationship with ourselves and our fellow man, and on a collective level, diverting the social, political and economic institutions we construct and support with the compulsion of exclusion. Deploying conceptual tools from a range of contributors, including Hegel, Bauer and Feuerbach, this article analyzes these realities. Further, it draws on the writing of Paulo Freire in order to consider the critical role education might play in challeng...
Learning Bayesian network parameters from imperfect data: enhancements to the EM algorithm

The recent years have seen many developments in uncertainty reasoning taking place around Bayesian Networks (BNs). BNs allow fast and efficient probabilistic reasoning. One of the key issues that researchers have faced in using a BN is determining its parameters and structure for a given problem. Many techniques have been developed for learning BN parameters from a given dataset pertaining to a particular problem. Most of the methods developed for learning BN parameters from partially observed data have evolved around the Expectation-Maximization (EM) algorithm. In its original form, EM algorithm is a deterministic iterative two-step procedure that converges towards the maximum-likelihood (ML) estimates. The EM algorithm mainly focuses on learning BN parameters from imperfect data where some of the values are missing. However in many practical applications, partial observability results in a wider range of imperfections, e.g., uncertainties arising from incomplete, ambiguous, probabilistic, and belief theoretic data. Moreover, while convergence is to their ML estimates, the EM algorithm does not guarantee convergence to the underlying true parameters. In this paper, we propose an approach that enables one to learn BN parameters from a dataset containing a wider variety of imperfections. In addition, by introducing an early stopping criterion together with a new initialization method to the EM-algorithm, we show how the BN parameters could be learnt so that they are closer to the underlying true parameters than the converged ML estimated parameters.
Image of all hotel scales on travel blogs: its impact on customer loyalty.

Hotel image has been found to be highly correlated with customer selection of hotels. The consumer's online reviews greatly impact hotel image and, in turn, customer choice of hotels. In addition, the consumers become increasingly demanding and discriminating given the superfluous development of hotels in the past decades. It becomes unprecedentedly important to monitor and assess online customer reviews so as to identify what image generates customers' positive attitudes and behaviors toward hotels. This study utilized online customer reviews to examine the image of hotels of all scales and delineate the attributes that mostly decide the customer choice of hotels and loyalty behaviors. Content analysis of textual reviews and regression analyses of customer online ratings revealed that hotel room condition, location, and staff are the most important attributes in generating the customer revisit intention and the referrals of the hotels.
Temporal code completion and navigation

Modern IDEs make many software engineering tasks easier by automating functionality such as code completion and navigation. However, this functionality operates on one version of the code at a time. We envision a new approach that makes code completion and navigation aware of code evolution and enables them to operate on multiple versions at a time, without having to manually switch across these versions. We illustrate our approach on several example scenarios. We also describe a prototype Eclipse plugin that embodies our approach for code completion and navigation for Java code. We believe our approach opens a new line of research that adds a novel, temporal dimension for treating code in IDEs in the context of tasks that previously required manual switching across different code versions.
Twenty‐five years of nucleic acid simulations

We present a brief, and largely personal, history of computer simulations of DNA and RNA oligonucleotides, with an emphasis on duplex structures and the Amber force fields. Both explicit and implicit solvent models are described, and methods for estimating structures, thermodynamics and mechanical properties of duplexes are illustrated. This overview, covering about two decades of work, provides a perspective for a discussion of prospects and obstacles for future simulations of RNA and DNA.
A triple mutant of Escherichia coli lacking secondary acyl chains on lipid A.

All possible combinations of insertion mutations in the three genes encoding the acyl carrier protein-dependent late acyltransferases of lipid A biosynthesis, designated lpxL(htrB),lpxM(msbB), and lpxP, were generated in Escherichia coli K12 W3110. Mutants defective in lpxM synthesize penta-acylated lipid A molecules and grow normally. Strains lacking lpxP fail to incorporate palmitoleate into their lipid A at 12 °C but make normal amounts of hexa-acylated lipid A and are viable. Although lpxL mutants and lpxL lpxM double mutants grow slowly on minimal medium at all temperatures, they do not grow on nutrient broth above 32 °C. Such mutants retain the ability to synthesize some penta- and hexa-acylated lipid A molecules because of limited induction oflpxP at 30 °C but not above 32 °C. MKV15, an E. coli lpxL lpxM lpxP triple mutant, likewise grows slowly on minimal medium at all temperatures but not on nutrient broth at any temperature. MKV15 synthesizes a lipid A molecule containing only the four primary (R)-3-hydroxymyristoyl chains. The outer membrane localization and content of lipid A are nearly normal in MKV15, as is the glycerophospholipid and membrane protein composition. However, the rate at which the tetra-acylated lipid A of MKV15 is exported to the outer membrane is reduced compared with wild type. The integrity of the outer membrane of MKV15 is compromised, as judged by antibiotic hypersensitivity, and MKV15 undergoes lysis following centrifugation. MKV15 may prove useful as a host strain for expressing late acyltransferase genes from other Gram-negative bacteria, facilitating the re-engineering of lipid A structure in living cells and the design of novel vaccines.
Surface-Initiated Synthesis of Poly(3-methylthiophene) from Indium Tin Oxide and its Electrochemical Properties

Poly(3-methylthiophene) (P3MT) was synthesized directly from indium tin oxide (ITO) electrodes modified with a phosphonic acid initiator, using Kumada catalyst transfer polymerization (KCTP). This work represents the first time that polymer thickness has been controlled in a surface initiated KCTP reaction, highlighting the utility of KCTP in achieving controlled polymerizations. Polymer film thicknesses were regulated by the variation of the solution monomer concentration and ranged from 30 to 265 nm. Electrochemical oxidative doping of these films was used to manipulate their near surface composition and effective work function. Doped states of the P3MT film are maintained even after the sample is removed from solution and potential control confirming the robustness of the films. Such materials with controllable thicknesses and electronic properties have the potential to be useful as interlayer materials for organic electronic applications.
Ultra-High Dose (86.4 Gy) IMRT for Localized Prostate Cancer: Toxicity and Biochemical Outcomes

Purpose To report toxicity and preliminary biochemical outcomes with high-dose intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) to a dose of 86.4 Gy for localized prostate cancer. Methods and Materials Between August 1997 and March 2004, 478 patients were treated with 86.4 Gy using a 5- to 7-field IMRT technique. To adhere to normal tissue constraints, the mean D95 and V100 for the planning target volume were 83 Gy and 87%, respectively. Toxicity data were scored according to the Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events Version 3.0. Freedom from biochemical relapse was calculated. The median follow-up was 53 months. Results Thirty-seven patients (8%) experienced acute Grade 2 gastrointestinal (GI) toxicity. There was no acute Grade 3 or 4 GI toxicity. One hundred and five patients (22%) experienced acute Grade 2 genitourinary (GU) toxicity and three patients (0.6%) had Grade 3 GU toxicity. There was no acute Grade 4 GU toxicity. Sixteen patients (3%) developed late Grade 2 GI toxicity and two patients ( Conclusion This report represents the largest data set of patients treated to ultra-high radiation dose levels of 86.4 Gy using IMRT for localized prostate cancer. Our findings indicate that this treatment is well tolerated and the early excellent biochemical control rates are encouraging.
(Dis)similarity Between Liberals and Conservatives: Predicting Variability in Group Differences on Abortion and Same-Sex Marriage Rights Attitudes

The focus on liberal and conservative differences is extensive, yet there is little attention to variability in these differences. In this study, factors that moderated attitude differences were identified. Group identity strength (i.e., how strongly individuals identified as liberal or conservative), how highly individuals considered the social issue to be personally relevant to their political identity (i.e., issue relevance), attitude strength and ambivalence all moderated the extent to which liberals and conservatives differed in their attitudes toward abortion and same-sex marriage rights. By bridging the attitude strength and social identity literature, these findings begin to characterize which liberals and conservatives are more likely to be polarized and extreme in their attitudes, and which ones, despite their opposing ideology alignments, differ little from one another on attitudes normally polarized around these identities.
Reply: Ecstasy and acute dystonia

The original letter to which this reply refers was published in Movement Disorders 2004;19(12)1386–1387.
Photochemical electrocyclic ring closure and leaving group expulsion from N-(9-oxothioxanthenyl)benzothiophene carboxamides

N-(9-Oxothioxanthenyl)benzothiophene carboxamides bearing leaving groups (LG− = Cl−, PhS−, HS−, PhCH2S−) at the C-3 position of the benzothiophene ring system photochemically cyclize with nearly quantitative release of the leaving group, LG−. The LG− photoexpulsions can be conducted with 390 nm light or with a sunlamp. Solubility in 75% aqueous CH3CN is achieved by introducing a carboxylate group at the C-6 position of the benzothiophene ring. The carboxylate and methyl ester derivatives regiospecifically cyclize at the more hindered C-1 position of the thioxanthone ring. Otherwise, the photocyclization favors the C-3 position of the thioxanthone. Quantum yields for reaction are 0.01–0.04, depending on LG− basicity. Electronic structure calculations for the triplet excited state show that excitation transfer occurs from the thioxanthone to the benzothiophene ring. Subsequent cyclization in the triplet excited state is energetically favourable and initially generates the triplet excited state of the zwitterionic species. Expulsion of LG− is thought to occur once this species converts to the closed shell ground state.
Magnetostratigraphy of the uplifted former atoll of Niue, South Pacific: implications for accretion history and carbonate diagenesis

Abstract Cenozoic carbonate platforms are a potential rich source of information concerning eustasy but their prerequisite dating is fraught with difficulties. Paleomagnetism has long been established as a highly successful tool for dating deep-sea sediments but its applicability to shallow-water reef carbonates has only recently been explored. Here we derive a detailed magnetostratigraphy of the carbonate platform at Niue on the basis of cores drilled into lagoonal facies to a maximum depth of 303 m below surface. The carbonates consist of limestone which has been partially dolomitized and contain 16 zones of meteoric diagenesis caused by a succession of sea-level falls. The paleomagnetic record, spanning Chron C4r (Tortonian) to Chron C2n (late Piacenzian) and covering about 7.1 m.y. of deposition and erosion, was tied to the Geomagnetic Polarity Time Scale (GPTS) using verified control points. Coincidence of high accretion rates (up to 62.1 m/m.y.) and high sea levels caused the Tortonian-early Messinian section to mirror the contemporaneous GPTS polarity reversal intervals. In contrast, decelerated subsidence coupled with frequent eustatic fluctuations yielded compressed and truncated polarity intervals in the younger section. During late Messinian, the accretion rate was anomalously high (114.1 m/m.y.) probably due to a short-lived endogenic heating event. Isothermal remanent magnetization data suggest that magnetite is the dominant magnetic carrier in the Niue carbonates. NRM intensities of limestones (mean 0.126 ± 0.95 mA/m for n = 76) and dolomites (mean 0.121 ± 0.097 mA/m for n = 73) are indistinguishable and their NRM/SIRM ratios are similar (close to 10−2) suggesting they underwent the same process of remanence acquisition. The NRM at Niue are comparable in their intensities to those reported from San Salvador and Mururoa but much weaker than those of deep-sea sediments. In general, meteoric diagenesis and dolomitization did not overprint the primary magnetization record at Niue. One exceptional case of magnetic resetting, depicted within a well-developed meteoric diagenesis zone, suggests that magnetic overprinting cannot be ruled out in carbonate platforms possessing weak primary magnetizations and therefore their polarity records must be evaluated on a case by case basis.
Slip Ramp Spacing Design for Truck Only Lanes Using Microscopic Simulation

For the Corridors of the Future project, slip ramps will provide access to trucks between the proposed truck-only lanes (TOLs) and general purpose lanes (GPLs) for trucks to exit using at-grade interchanges. This paper proposes recommendations for slip ramp spacing between the TOLs and the general GPLs along Missouri rural interstate highways using a microscopic simulation model, VISSIM. Simulation of peak period traffic conditions indicated that heavy vehicle speeds were directly proportional to the lengths of the merge, diverge, and link sections. The proposed design recommendations for slip ramp spacing are based on the results of these section lengths. Central composite design was used to generate the cases required for simulation. To ascertain the findings of the simulation study, Level-of-Service for the segments on GPL was determined. This paper provides practitioners and state Departments of Transportation with design recommendations for slip ramp spacing and lengths of merge, link, and diverge for the Corridors of the Future project.
Relational Learning in Social Work Education: Transformative Education for Teaching a Course on Loss, Grief and Death.

This article explores the relational learning model for teaching clinical social work practice. Evaluations of a course on loss, grief, and death illustrate that relational learning methods enhanced students' relational and communicative knowledge and skills, and contributed to a transformative learning process. Relational learning is a method of teaching that is consistent with the postmodern classroom and with the mission of contemporary social work practice.
Cytosolic pH regulation in density-defined subpopulations of bronchoalveolar macrophages

Bronchoalveolar macrophages (mϕ) represent a heterogeneous population of morphologically and functionally distinct cells. In mixed populations of bronchoalveolar mϕ, cytosolic pH (pH i ) regulation has been shown to involve both Na+-dependent and -independent mechanisms for H+ extrusion, i.e., passive H+ extrusion in exchange for extracellular Na+ (Na+-H+ exchange or NHE) and active H+ extrusion by plasmalemmal vacuolar-type H+-ATPase (V-ATPase), respectively. The present studies explored the possibility that individual subpopulations of bronchoalveolar mϕ possess distinct ensembles of H+ extrusion mechanisms. Rabbit bronchoalveolar mϕ were separated into five density-defined subpopulations using a discontinuous density gradient. Scanning and transmission electron microscopy revealed morphological differences between the subpopulations. The number of plasmalemmal projections and electron-dense inclusions increased with increments in cell density. The subpopulations were also functionally distinct. Fe receptor-mediated phagocytosis increased in the increasing density subpopulations. Despite these differences, all subpopulations displayed Na+-dependent and -independent mechanisms for pH i recovery from intracellular acid loads (ammonia prepulse technique). We conclude that NHE and V-ATPase activities were present in each subpopulation. These findings support the use of mixed populations to study pH i homeostasis in bronchoalveolar mϕ.
The Roles of Protein Level and Diet Form in Water Consumption and Abdominal Fat Pad Deposition of Broilers

Abstract Two experiments were conducted to investigate the possible relationship of water intake and water/feed ratios in explaining abdominal fat changes associated with changes in dietary protein level and diet form. In Experiment 1, day-old male chicks from two commercial broiler stocks were fed diets containing 26, 22, and 17% protein from 0 to 19 days of age. Chicks fed the 26% protein diet consumed more water, had higher water/ feed ratios, and had less abdominal fat than chicks fed lower protein diets. Chicks fed the 22% protein diet were intermediate to the 26 and 17% protein treatments in water consumption, water/feed ratios, and abdominal fat. In Experiment 2, day-old male chicks from two commercial broiler stocks were fed a diet in either mash or crumbled form from 0 to 20 days of age. Chicks fed crumbles had heavier body weights, consumed more feed and water, and had more abdominal fat than birds fed the mash diet. Superior body weights of birds fed the crumbled diet appeared to be due to higher relative growth rates immediately after hatch.
Predation on the Colorado Potato Beetle (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) by Phalangium opilio (Opiliones: Phalangidae)

The predatory role of Phalangium opilio (L.) in the population dynamics of Leptinotarsa decemlineata (Say) was evaluated by studying its seasonal occurrence and synchrony with the beetle in fields of cultivated potato, Solanum tuberosum L. Consumption rates of different Colorado potato beetle life stages by P. opilio were estimated in the laboratory and field. Results suggest that P. apilio is not well synchronized temporally with Colorado potato beetle prey. Laboratory studies of P. opilio feeding showed that predation is restricted to Colorado potato beetle eggs and first and second instars; a sigmoid functional response to increasing prey densities is exhibited. Results of a field cage study suggest P. apilio may not be a major source of mortality for the Colorado potato beetle.
Effects of competition on great and blue tit reproduction: intensity and importance in relation to habitat quality.

Summary 1. In studies on the effect of competition in plant communities two terms are used to describe its effects: the absolute reduction in growth of an individual as a consequence of the presence of another one is called intensity, while the relative impact of competition on an individual as a proportion of the impact of the whole environment is called importance. One school of thought is that the role of competition remains constant across productivity gradients, while the other is that it decreases with increasing severity. J.B. Grace (1991. A clarification of the debate between grime and tilman. Functional Ecology, 5, 583–587.) suggested that the apparent contradiction might be solved if we acknowledge that the two schools are discussing different aspects of competition: the intensity of competition might remain constant while its importance declines with increasing severity. 2. There are no studies that compare intensity and importance of competition in bird populations between areas that differ in quality or productivity and hence it is not possible to make predictions how intensity or importance of competition would vary between them. 3. I compared variation in intensity and importance of competition of three demographic variables between five plots that differ strongly in quality for great Parus major L. and blue tit Cyanistes caeruleus (L.). 4. Both intensity and importance of competition are larger in great than in blue tit populations meaning that the effect of competition on demographic variables is stronger in great than in blue tits and that the contribution of competition to variation in these variables is relatively higher in great than in blue tits. 5. Intensity of competition is higher in low quality than in high quality plots for both species, a result not expected from studies in plant communities. 6. Importance of competition varies strongly between plots. It is larger in oak-dominated plots than in mixed deciduous plots. 7. In birds breeding density increases with habitat quality but is limited by territorial behaviour. As a result competition for food is reduced in high quality habitats resulting in a reduction of competition intensity in high quality sites in which birds breed at high densities. 8. It can be predicted that in studies of territorial species density dependent effects on reproduction are more likely to be detected in low quality sites explaining in part differences in results between studies.
Masking and triggered unmasking of targeting ligands on nanocarriers to improve drug delivery to brain tumors

Long-circulating nanocarriers have been extensively studied to deliver chemotherapeutics; however, the inclusion of targeting agents compromises circulation times thereby offsetting the benefits of active targeting. Here, we formulated cysteine-cleavable phospholipid–polyethylene glycol (PEG) to ‘mask’ nanocarrier bound targeting ligands from RES clearance and prolong circulation times of liposomes to allow passive targeting to tumors. This detachable polymer coating can be removed after nanocarrier extravasation to tumor is achieved to expose targeting ligands and promote active targeting to tumor cells. In vivo studies on folate receptor-targeted liposomes demonstrated our ability to prolong circulation in the bloodstream using this system thereby verifying the ‘masking’ capacity of cleavable phospholipid–PEG5000. Controlled modulation of uptake and cytotoxicity of targeted nanocarriers using cleavable phospholipid–PEG was demonstrated through in vitro studies. Finally, studies analyzing uptake by tumor cells in vivo confirmed enhanced intracellular delivery when tumor-inoculated animals received targeted liposomes containing cleavable phospholipid–PEG5000 followed by a cysteine infusion to expose folate after liposomes had extravasated to tumor. These results indicate that cleavable phospholipid–PEG can be used in nanocarrier formulations for controlled exposure of targeting ligands to ensure that circulation times remain uncompromised by the inclusion of targeting agents while enabling active targeting to tumors after removal of the polymer coating.
The reliability of a modified Kalamazoo Consensus Statement Checklist for assessing the communication skills of multidisciplinary clinicians in the simulated environment.

Abstract Objective With increased recognition of the importance of sound communication skills and communication skills education, reliable assessment tools are essential. This study reports on the psychometric properties of an assessment tool based on the Kalamazoo Consensus Statement Essential Elements Communication Checklist. Methods The Gap-Kalamazoo Communication Skills Assessment Form (GKCSAF), a modified version of an existing communication skills assessment tool, the Kalamazoo Essential Elements Communication Checklist-Adapted, was used to assess learners in a multidisciplinary, simulation-based communication skills educational program using multiple raters. 118 simulated conversations were available for analysis. Internal consistency and inter-rater reliability were determined by calculating a Cronbach's alpha score and intra-class correlation coefficients (ICC), respectively. Results The GKCSAF demonstrated high internal consistency with a Cronbach's alpha score of 0.844 (faculty raters) and 0.880 (peer observer raters), and high inter-rater reliability with an ICC of 0.830 (faculty raters) and 0.89 (peer observer raters). Conclusion The Gap-Kalamazoo Communication Skills Assessment Form is a reliable method of assessing the communication skills of multidisciplinary learners using multi-rater methods within the learning environment. Practice implications The Gap-Kalamazoo Communication Skills Assessment Form can be used by educational programs that wish to implement a reliable assessment and feedback system for a variety of learners.
Performance of improved genotypes of loblolly pine across different soils, climates, and silvicultural inputs

Abstract Deployment of improved loblolly pine (Pinus taeda L.) genotypes across the southern United States is a standard silvicultural practice. Most planting is conducted using open-pollinated (OP) families from first- or second-generation seed orchards, and these OP families typically display remarkable rank stability for productivity and quality traits across a range of site characteristics, climates, and silvicultural systems. With only a few exceptions, families are generally stable in performance across all sites within a climatic zone. As tree improvement and nursery programs progress towards deployment of more intensively selected genotypes and less genetically diverse full-sib families or clones, there may be a greater likelihood that genotype by environment (G × E) interactions will become important, particularly as the level of silvicultural treatment intensity increases. We present evidence from numerous trials with full-sib families and clones demonstrating that G × E for growth and other traits is no more significant than for OP families. At present and for the foreseeable future, G × E does not appear to be a major concern for the majority of deployed genetic sources under most silvicultural systems.
A calibration method for phoswich detectors

Abstract A new method of particle identification and energy calibration is proposed for phoswich detectors consisting of a fast plastic scintillator optically coupled to a CsI(Tl) crystal. In this method, functional relationships between integrated yields of three properly selected portions of the observed composite light output signal are parameterized in terms of three physical components (overlapping in time) of this signal. Then, a complete set of calibration constants is derived, linking these integrated partial yields to particle atomic numbers ( Z ) and energies ( E ). The calibration is based on the correlations between partial yields observed in actual data from the physics or “production” runs, and energy deposits calculated for detector elements. The method is found suitable for a wide range of incident particle species and energies, largely eliminating the need for costly and time-consuming conventional calibration experiments with a variety of beams, targets, and bombarding energies.
Recombination in large RNA viruses: Coronaviruses

Abstract Coronaviruses contain a very large RNA genome, which undergoes recombination at a very high frequency of nearly 25% for the entire genome. Recombination has been demonstrated to occur between viral genomes and between defective-interfering (DI) RNAs and viral RNA. It provides an evolutionary tool for both viral RNAs and DI RNA and may account for the diversity in the genomic structure of coronaviruses. The capacity of coronaviruses to undergo recombination may be related to its mRNA transcription mechanism, which involves discontinuous RNA synthesis, suggesting the nonprocessive nature of the viral polymerase. Recombination is used as a tool for the mutagenesis of viral genomic RNA.
A sequential decision framework for increasing college students' support for organ donation and organ donor registration.

Context—Despite the fact that college students support social causes, this age group has underparticipated in organ donor registration. Little research attention has been given to understanding deeper, higher-order relationships between the antecedent attitudes toward and perceptions of organ donation and registration behavior.Objective—To test a process model useful for understanding the sequential ordering of information necessary for moving college students along a hierarchical decisionmaking continuum from awareness to support to organ donor registration.Design and Setting—The University of Wisconsin organ procurement organization collaborated with the Collegiate American Marketing Association on a 2-year grant funded by the US Health Resources and Services Administration. A total of 981 association members responded to an online questionnaire.Measures—The 5 antecedent measures were awareness of organ donation, need acknowledgment, benefits of organ donation, social support, and concerns about organ d...
A structural model for cyanine dyes templated into the minor groove of DNA

Abstract 3,3-Diethylthiadicarbocyanine (DiSC 2 (5)) is a monocationic dye which forms cofacial dimers that insert into the minor groove of DNA [J. Seifert, R. Conner, S. Kushon, M. Wang, B. Armitage, J. Am. Chem. Soc. 121 (1999) 2987]. These dyes self-assemble into long helical aggregates in AT-rich regions with the dimers aligned in an end-to-end fashion. A model is presented that allows for the construction of large helical aggregates with continuously variable structural parameters. The spectra or excited states are computed using a direct intermediate neglect of differential overlap (INDO) single configuration interaction (SCI) method. Results are reported for both H- and J-type aggregates ranging in size from 2 to 6 dimers. A more approximate model based on transition charge densities enables calculations of larger aggregates. These models are used to derive structural parameters of both H- and J-type aggregates from the available spectral data, resulting in a new structural model for J-type aggregation in these systems.