cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Psychosocial Correlates of Smokeless Tobacco Use Among Indiana Adolescents

Adolescent tobacco use is influenced by intrapersonal (e.g., impulse control) and external factors, such as behaviors of friends and peers. The relationships of these factors to smokeless tobacco (ST) use are not yet fully understood. This is especially true as it pertains to the simultaneous examination of psychological and normative perceptions. Using constructs of the Biopsychosocial Model, this study investigates factors associated with lifetime ST use among middle and high school students. Data were analyzed from 938 Indiana middle and high school students. Binary sequential logistic regression was performed to examine the relationship of personal characteristics and psychosocial measures to adolescent lifetime ST use. Approximately 9 % reported having ever used ST, among which 78.6 % were male. Females and younger students were less likely to have used ST in their lifetime, whereas participants with a sibling smoker and those who compared their life to the lives of others were more likely to report lifetime ST usage. In the presence of psychological and normative variables, sex, age, and comparing one’s life to others remained significant. Additionally, participants who perceived higher friend approval of substance use were significantly more likely to report lifetime ST use. Understanding the normative perceptions of adolescents may lend insight into the drivers of ST use adolescent subgroups and, which may enable community and school officials to tailor interventions to prevent ST initiation and promote cessation.
An Experimental Study of Package Cushioning for the Human Head

An experiment was performed to determine the container acceleration and pressure distribution in a Plexiglass cylinder, filled either with water or 3 percent set-gelatin, and impacted against a wall. This experiment serves to quantitatively validate a theoretical model simulating an one-dimensional closed-head impact given earlier. The experiments showed important differences between the theoretical and experimental pressure measurements. When the medium contained within the cylinder was water the coup pressure as found by experiment, was higher than the mathematical model prediction while the contrecoup pressure was in good agreement. When the container was filled with a set gel, the coup pressure was in agreement with the mathematical model but the contrecoup pressure is considerably lower than the calculated result. Since the brain is neither water nor gel, in vivo animal experiments are needed to obtain meaningful tolerance limits for injury due to cavitation at the contrecoup region in closed-head impacts.
Implementation of a photorefractive arithmetic logic unit for multiwavelength information processing

We propose and demonstrate a multiwavelength arithmetic logic unit in photorefractive media wherein the polarization states of optical waves are used to encode the binary numbers 1 and 0. The process of writing and reading of photoinduced gratings in photorefractive media is utilized to implement and/or logic gates and an arithmetic full adder, which are the key elements of an arithmetic logic unit. To take advantage of wavelength-domain parallelism and to reduce the hardware needed for multibit operations, optical wavelengths are used to represent specific bits of binary words. Because of the broad bandwidth of optics, multiwavelength operations can be realized simultaneously within a single crystal. In this way, multibit operations can be performed in a single arithmetic logic unit. Experimental results are presented and discussed.
Collaborating across cultural and technological boundaries: team culture and information use in a map navigation task

The increased globalization of the workplace and the availability of collaboration technologies are making CMC a necessary aspect of teamwork [27]. Culturally diverse teams are becoming the norm in knowledge-intensive projects that involve making sense of incomplete, ambiguous, and complex information (e.g., software development, new product design, customer service). The ability of teams to perform such tasks effectively is often a function of the media they use to collaborate and the culturally conditioned expectations of team members. We conducted a laboratory study to examine how different collaboration media and cultural backgrounds influence the sense-making process of culturally mixed and homogenous dyads. American, Chinese, and intercultural American-Chinese pairs of participants collaborated on two map navigation tasks using one of three technologies: video, audio, or IM. As predicted, culture and media interacted to affect the content and pattern of participants' communication.
Morphological differentiation of a murine neuroblastoma clone in monolayer culture induced by dexamethasone

Abstract Dexamethasone induces morphological differentiation in murine neuroblastoma cells in culture. The percentage of differentiated cells depends on the concentration of dexamethasone in the medium and duration of treatment. After drug removal (with or without replating), many cells maintain their differentiated phenotype. Dexamethasone-treated cells have larger soma and contain more protein. Dexamethasone also produces a concentration-dependent inhibition of population growth. Growth inhibition is complete by 2 days following treatment with dexamethasone 50 μg/ml. Complete growth inhibition is achieved prior to the complete expression of morphological differentiation. Androstenedione, testosterone, and 17-β-estradiol—all steroids without glucocorticoid activity—have no differentiating effect, although they inhibit growth or cause cell death at higher concentrations.
Almost periodic solutions of nonlinear parabolic equations

In this note the recent result of Corduneanu on almost periodicity of L 2 ( G )-bounded solutions of nonlinear parabolic equations is extended to the case when the nonlinear growth rate is beyond the first eigenvalue of the associated elliptic boundary value problem.
Efficient inhibition of HIV-1 replication in human immature monocyte-derived dendritic cells by purified anti–HIV-1 IgG without induction of maturation

During mucosal HIV transmission, immature dendritic cells (DCs) present in the mucosa are among the first cellular targets of the virus. Previous studies have analyzed the inhibition of HIV-1 transfer from human mature DCs to T lymphocytes by neutralizing IgG, but so far no in vitro data regarding the capacity of antibodies to inhibit HIV-1 infection of immature DCs have been reported. Here, we found an increased HIV-inhibitory activity of monoclonal IgG and purified polyclonal IgG when immature monocyte-derived dendritic cells (iMDDCs) were used as target cells instead of autologous blood lymphocytes. We showed that FcγRII is involved in the mechanism for inhibiting HIV-1 infection of iMDDCs by IgG, whereas no induction of maturation was detected at concentrations of IgG that result in a 90% reduction of HIV replication. After induction of FcγRI expression on iMDDCs by IFN-γ, an augmentation of the HIV-inhibitory activity of IgG, related to the expression of FcγRI, was observed. Taken together, our results demonstrate the participation of FcγRs in HIV-1 inhibition by IgG when iMDDCs are the targets. We propose that IgG is able to efficiently inhibit HIV-1 replication in iMDDCs and should be one of the components to be induced by vaccination.
On-Line Noble Gas Fission Product Monitoring in Experimental Breeder Reactor II

As part of the defective-cladding detection program at Experimental Breeder Reactor II, the Reactor Cover Gas Monitor was installed to provide on-line monitoring for noble gas fission products in t...
Evaluation of power output for fixed and step tracking photovoltaic arrays

Abstract A computer program, simulating the insolation on a flat plate photovoltaic array and the energy obtained from it, assuming maximum power point operation, is developed. Unlike old models, the diffuse insolation is not considered isotropic and is estimated by a formula derived by Klucher. A correction is made to this formula, to avoid overestimation of the diffuse insolation. The input data are those of the Typical Meteorological Year, available for 26 locations around United States. Using this program the insolation available on fixed arrays, at different orientations and tilts, for Phoenix, Az., Madison, Wi., and Miami, Fl., is evaluated on a monthly basis. Tracking and stepwise tracking arrays are examined and the advantages of various tracking modes are pointed out. The effect of ambient temperature and reflection from the array's surface on the energy is investigated on a quantitative basis. Finally, the energy output from fixed and continuous tracking arrays is correlated to insolation and ambient temperature and an empirical formula is developed.
Cycles of fat deposition and molt in white-crowned sparrows in constant environmenal conditions

1. 1. Zonotrichia leucophrys gambelii were confined for 400 days to a simulated natural photocycle and to LD 20 : 4 and LD 8 : 16, beginning in early May after reproductive development and migration had begun under natural conditions. 2. 2. Cycles of molt and fat depression persist for 1 year with essentially normal frequency and intensity in conditions (LD 20 : 4) previously assumed to maintain a photorefractory state indefinitely. 3. 3. A cycle of fat deposition (but not molt) will occur in conditions (LD 8 : 16) previously regarded as nonstimulatory for both functions. 4. 4. The overt effects of the constant photoperiods and of the stimulated natural photocycle appeared to be exerted principally on the frequency and phasing of the physiological periodicities.
Bioinformatic analyses of the publicly accessible crustacean expressed sequence tags (ESTs) reveal numerous novel neuropeptide-encoding precursor proteins, including ones from members of several little studied taxa

ESTs have been generated for many crustacean species, providing an invaluable resource for peptide discovery in members of this arthropod subphylum. Here, these data were mined for novel peptide-encoding transcripts, with the mature peptides encoded by them predicted using a combination of online peptide prediction programs and homology to known arthropod sequences. In total, 70 mature full-length/partial peptides representing members of 16 families/subfamilies were predicted, the vast majority being novel; the species from which the peptides were identified included members of the Branchiopoda (Daphnia carinata and Triops cancriformis), Maxillopoda (Caligus clemensi, Caligus rogercresseyi, Lepeophtheirus salmonis and Lernaeocera branchialis) and Malacostraca (Euphausia superba, Marsupenaeus japonicus, Penaeus monodon, Homarus americanus, Petrolisthes cinctipes, Callinectes sapidus and Portunus trituberculatus). Of particular note were the identifications of an intermediate between the insect adipokinetic hormones and crustacean red pigment concentrating hormone and a modified crustacean cardioactive peptide from the daphnid D. carinata; Arg(7)-corazonin was also deduced from this species, the first identification of a corazonin from a non-decapod crustacean. Our data also include the first reports of members of the calcitonin-like diuretic hormone, FMRFamide-related peptide (neuropeptide F subfamily) and orcokinin families from members of the Copepoda. Moreover, the prediction of a bursicon alpha from the euphausid E. superba represents the first peptide identified from any member of the basal eucaridean order Euphausiacea. In addition, large collections of insect eclosion hormone- and neuroparsin-like peptides were identified from a variety of species, greatly expanding the number of known members of these families in crustaceans.
Bilinear space-time estimates for homogeneous wave equations

Abstract In this paper, we pursue a systematic treatment of the regularity theory for products and bilinear forms of solutions of the homogeneous wave equation. We discuss necessary and sufficient conditions for the validity of bilinear estimates, based on L 2 norms in space and time, of derivatives of products of solutions. Also, we give necessary conditions and formulate some conjectures for similar estimates based on L q t L x r norms.
SU-E-T-583: Feasibility of Constraining Dose to the Nausea Center (area Postrema and Dorsal Vagal Complex) in IMRT Treatment Planning of the Head and Neck.

Purpose: Nausea and vomiting have been known to occur in patients undergoing external beam radiation treatments for head&neck cancers. We sought to determine the feasibility of limiting the dose delivered to the nausea center, area postrema (AP) and dorsal vagal complex (DVC), for these patients without compromising target coverage and critical organdoses.Methods: In a retrospective study 23 oropharyngeal cancer patients were identified as being treated with definitive or adjuvant radiotherapy at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. Patients were treated solely with external beam radiation using intensity modulated radiation therapy(IMRT). The nausea center was carefully contoured in the treatment CT with the assistance of a board certified neuroradiologist. The doses delivered to the nausea center were calculated for each plan delivered. Cases were replanned offline to determine the lowest achievable nausea center dose that does not compromise the overall PTV coverage or critical structures doses, these being brainstem, spinal cord, cochleas, and temporal lobes. Results: Patients reporting higher nausea grade had median AP and DVC doses of 38.7Gy and 40.4Gy, respectively. Patients reporting higher vomiting grade had median AP and DVC doses of 39.5Gy and 44.7Gy, respectively. Replanning resulted in reduced dose to AP by an average of 18% and to the DVC by an average of 16% while maintaining adequate target coverage and doses to the critical organs the same or decreased by 1–4% . We aim to achieve a max dose of 36Gy to AP and 38Gy to DVC for these cases. Conclusions: It is feasible to limit the doses to the nausea center without compromising target coverage or critical organ limits for oropharyngeal cancer patients undergoing IMRTtreatment. Clinical results indicating an association between radiationdose to the nausea center and development of nausea and/or vomiting can potentially be addressed by implementing this technique.
Prostaglandin modulation of the mechanism of ACTH action in the human adrenal.

Abstract PGE 1 and PGE 2 significantly increased human adrenal cAMP levels in vitro ; cortisol output was also increased in a dose related fashion. In contrast, PGF 1a and PGF 2a depressed adrenal cAMP (except PGF 2a at 100 μg/ml). PGF 1a and PGF 2a depressed cortisol levels at all doses. Indomethacin or 7-oxa-13-prostynoic acid did not affect these parameters. However, when applied in conjunction with ACTH they inhibited or enhanced hormonal action depending upon the temporal sequence of application. The findings indicate that prostaglandins modulate ACTH-adrenocortical cell interaction bidirectionally, initially potentiating and subsequently depressing ACTH stimulated events.
Vowel perception by adults and children with normal language and specific language impairment: Based on steady states or transitions?

The current investigation studied whether adults, children with normally developing language aged 4–5 years, and children with specific language impairment, aged 5–6 years identified vowels on the basis of steady-state or transitional formant frequencies. Four types of synthetic tokens, created with a female voice, served as stimuli: (1) steady-state centers for the vowels [i] and [ae]; (2) voweless tokens with transitions appropriate for [bib] and [baeb]; (3) “congruent” tokens that combined the first two types of stimuli into [bib] and [baeb]; and (4) “conflicting” tokens that combined the transitions from [bib] with the vowel from [baeb] and vice versa. Results showed that children with language impairment identified the [i] vowel more poorly than other subjects for both the voweless and congruent tokens. Overall, children identified vowels most accurately in steady-state centers and congruent stimuli (ranging between 94%–96%). They identified the vowels on the basis of transitions only from “voweless” tokens with 89% and 83.5% accuracy for the normally developing and language impaired groups, respectively. Children with normally developing language used steady-state cues to identify vowels in 87% of the conflicting stimuli, whereas children with language impairment did so for 79% of the stimuli. Adults were equally accurate for voweless, steady-state, and congruent tokens (ranging between 99% to 100% accuracy) and used both steady-state and transition cues for vowel identification. Results suggest that most listeners prefer the steady state for vowel identification but are capable of using the onglide/offglide transitions for vowel identification. Results were discussed with regard to Nittrouer's developmental weighting shift hypothesis and Strange and Jenkin's dynamic specification theory.
Quality of abstracts in articles submitted to a scholarly journal: A mixed methods case study of the journal Research in the Schools

The present formatting and content of abstracts in educational research might be one barrier preventing wider dissemination and use of such research. Structured abstracts, with specific formatting and content requirements, might help researchers disseminate their work more effectively and efficiently. The purpose of this study was to investigate 2 years of abstracts of empirical research articles submitted to Research in the Schools and to determine the extent to which the abstracts were underdeveloped, thereby suggesting the need for structured abstracts. Of the 74 articles reviewed, 35 (44.3%) contained an underdeveloped abstract. Articles with underdeveloped abstracts were approximately twice as likely to be rejected than were articles with developed abstracts. Finally, 34.3% of the articles contained information in the abstract (e.g., purpose statement, sample size, findings) that was inconsistent with information provided elsewhere in the article.
IS THE WAR ON DRUGS RACIALLY BIASED

ABSTRACT The War on Drugs (WoD) popularized aggressive law enforcement tactics and punitive sanctions aimed at low-level drug offenders. These punitive practices have affected Americans of all races; however, African-Americans, in particular, have been affected. This article examines whether racial disparities in arrest and incarceration can be explained by racial differences in drug offending. The evidence indicates that African-Americans are no more likely to use or sell drugs than whites; thus, racial differences in the extent of drug offending cannot explain these disparities. Disparities in arrest and incarceration are better explained by the combination of the policy decision to focus on low-level drug offenders, racial differences in the nature of drug offending, and the discretionary decisions of criminal justice officials, which appear to be affected by racial stereotypes of drug offenders.
A three-dimensional model of step flow mediated crystal growth under the combined influences of stress and diffusion

This paper presents a three-dimensional model of step flow mediated crystal growth which carefully accounts for both stress and terrace diffusion. Two regularization schemes are proposed to deal with the primary difficulty, an infinite elastic self-interaction force on a curved step. The merger of impinging islands and the dynamics of step bunching in a step train are studied numerically using a two-dimensional version of this model.
The Relative Deprivation of U.S. Elderly Households as Judged by their Housing Problems

A substantial number of U.S. elderly households have excessive housing costs or live in physically deficient dwellings. It is unclear, however, whether they are more likely than nonelderly households to experience these housing problems. Using American Housing Survey data, this study investigates whether elderly households are more likely than nonelderly households to have these problems after controlling for their owner-renter status, race, and income. The findings do not support the more deprived housing status of elderly households.
Modeling granular materials: A test bed for framing and analysis

Neal Amundson's seminal contributions in chemical engineering stem from the mathematically framed elegance of his research and the consequences of rigorous analysis. However, many significant problems in chemical engineering have resisted couching in elegant formalisms, the flow of granular materials being a particularly important example. There are valuable lessons that come sharply into focus by examining the nature of the difficulties. Here, we focus on questions of framing and analysis—determining a theoretical approach, choosing an appropriate level of description, and selecting from multiple quantitative tools—using examples spanning vibration, mixing, surface flow, and segregation and pattern formation. © 2013 American Institute of Chemical Engineers AIChE J, 59: 3237–3246, 2013
The response to inhaled nitric oxide in patients with pulmonary artery hypertension is not masked by baseline vasodilator use.

Background Assessment of pulmonary vasodilator responsiveness is important in determining the prognosis and management of patients with pulmonary hypertension. Many patients, however, are already on vasodilators at the time of testing. It is unclear if these agents should be temporarily discontinued to improve the sensitivity of testing. Methods We examined the hemodynamic effects of nitric oxide (NO) inhalation in 60 patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension. Thirty-one of these patients were receiving medications with vasodilating properties. Vasodilator testing was performed with invasive measurement of pressure of the right side of the heart at baseline and during inhalation of 40 ppm NO. Results No significant demographic differences were seen between patients receiving and not receiving vasodilators. Similar reductions in mean pulmonary artery pressure (19 ± 12% vs 20 ± 12%, P = .734) and pulmonary vascular resistance (31 ± 18 vs 32 ± 16, P = .967) were seen in patients receiving and not receiving vasodilators. Using the definition of positive vasodilator response (≥20% drop in mean pulmonary artery pressure), 55% (17/31) of patients in the baseline vasodilator group had a positive response compared with 62% (18/29) of the patients not on vasodilators ( P = .570). Conclusions Concurrent use of oral vasodilators does not appear to mask a significant response to inhaled NO on the pulmonary vasculature. Therefore, routine discontinuation of pulmonary vasodilators is likely unnecessary before vasodilator testing in patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension.
AMS Radiocarbon Dating and Shell Bead Chronologies: Middle Holocene Trade and Interaction in Western North America

Direct AMS radiocarbon dating can be used effectively to examine the stylistic evolution of shell beads and ornaments. Requiring only a small amount of shell, this technique has the potential to test and refine bead chronologies that were developed before radiocarbon dating. As an example, eight Olivella Grooved Rectangle (OGR) beads, collected from archaeological sites throughout western North America, were dated using the AMS technique. The results produced a consistent suite of dates, clustering between 4400 and 5400 cybp. Most OGR beads come from the California Channel Islands, where they are found in a variety of contexts and exhibit a high degree of stylistic variation. On the mainland, they are found most commonly in large coastal villages and in sites along natural corridors through the Transverse Ranges and the Great Basin. OGR beads are recovered almost exclusively within the historic territories of Uto-Aztecan speaking peoples, which may indicate possible ethnic or linguistic connections. This example serves to illustrate how AMS radiocarbon dating can be used to test and refine artifact typologies and classificatory schemes.
Impact of follicle stimulating hormone receptor variants in fertility.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW Genetic variation plays a crucial role in modification of normal or disease pathophysiology. Follicle stimulating hormone receptor (FSHR) signaling is necessary for normal development and function of the ovaries and testes. Here, we review the associations between FSHR polymorphisms and fertility or subfertility. RECENT FINDINGS FSHR polymorphisms consist of single nucleotide changes within the coding and regulatory regions and/or alternatively spliced products. Most of the investigations focused on two single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the coding region of the receptor, which result in amino acid changes (p.307Thr/Ala, p.680Asn/Ser). In women, these SNPs were associated with variable response to ovarian stimulation with FSH during infertility treatment. Not all studies revealed an association, and those that did showed a small effect. Alternative splice variants of the receptor affecting the extracellular domain without causing a frameshift have been found in women undergoing ovarian stimulation, and in infertile men. Associations with polycystic ovary syndrome, premature ovarian failure, osteoporosis, and cancer found small effect. SUMMARY The identification of FSHR variants in a select infertility patient population has significant clinical implications in demonstrating a possible genetic cause to female infertility and improves our understanding of the genetic basis of infertility as a whole. Pharmacogenomics is a new field aiming to devise individualized treatments for disorders based on the genetic signature of the patients.
Monthly Steer and Heifer Supply

The manner in which producers form price expectations is often a destabilizing influence on observed prices. Recent price trends are extrapolated, leading to delayed or accelerated marketings which reinforce the existing price trend. An analysis of monthly steer and heifer slaughter yields this conclusion. The theoretical framework links capital theory with the hypothesis concerning extrapolation of price trends. Apparent conflicts in previous studies of the short-term response of slaughter to prices are clarified and partially resolved by the theoretical and empirical results.
WETLAND COVER DYNAMICS DRIVE HEMORRHAGIC DISEASE PATTERNS IN WHITE-TAILED DEER IN THE UNITED STATES

While vector-borne diseases are known to be particularly influenced by environmental factors, the impact of land-cover change on vector-borne wildlife disease patterns is poorly understood, largely due to the paucity of data on disease occurrence at extensive spatial and temporal scales. Widespread and rapid anthropogenic land-cover change, especially urbanization, has transformed the US landscape during the last century. Epizootic hemorrhagic disease virus and blue tongue virus, vectored by Culicoides biting midges, are two RNA viruses in the Orbivirus genus that cause severe hemorrhagic disease (HD) in white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus). We examine the spatial dynamics of HD affecting white-tailed deer in the contiguous United States in two periods covering 1980 to 2007 in connection with land-cover change over the same time. Using spatial statistical modeling, wetland cover emerges as a critical driver of HD morbidity, whereas the drivers of mortality patterns are more complex. Increasing wetland cover is positively associated with HD morbidity, which is consistent with the ecologic requirements of the Culicoides vector. Wetland cover is inherently dynamic due to its importance to biodiversity and water quality as well as its utility for other purposes when drained. Accordingly this analysis helps in understanding the consequences of changing wetlands on vector-borne disease patterns, to identify disease hotspots in a large landscape, and to forecast the spatial spread of HD and related diseases.
The Geography of Fish: The Use of Remote Sensing and Spatial Analysis Tools in Fisheries Research

Rather than seeing the oceans as an expansive void, researchers using acoustic technologies can detect the heterogeneity of biological resources and view the marine environment as a three-dimensional landscape. Underwater remote sensing, using acoustics, provides high resolution maps of the spatial distribution of organisms in aquatic ecosystems. Analyzing the spatial pattern of species distribution within the water column and the impact of that organization on ecological processes bridges the fields of fisheries and spatial analysis. Tools and concepts familiar to geographers, such as remote sensing, GIS, and landscape ecology, contribute to the investigation of large lake and marine ecosystems.
Cerebrospinal fluid ceramides from patients with multiple sclerosis impair neuronal bioenergetics

Axonal damage is a prominent cause of disability and yet its pathogenesis is incompletely understood. Using a xenogeneic system, here we define the bioenergetic changes induced in rat neurons by exposure to cerebrospinal fluid samples from patients with multiple sclerosis compared to control subjects. A first discovery cohort of cerebrospinal fluid from 13 patients with multiple sclerosis and 10 control subjects showed that acute exposure to cerebrospinal fluid from patients with multiple sclerosis induced oxidative stress and decreased expression of neuroprotective genes, while increasing expression of genes involved in lipid signalling and in the response to oxidative stress. Protracted exposure of neurons to stress led to neurotoxicity and bioenergetics failure after cerebrospinal fluid exposure and positively correlated with the levels of neurofilament light chain. These findings were validated using a second independent cohort of cerebrospinal fluid samples (eight patients with multiple sclerosis and eight control subjects), collected at a different centre. The toxic effect of cerebrospinal fluid on neurons was not attributable to differences in IgG content, glucose, lactate or glutamate levels or differences in cytokine levels. A lipidomic profiling approach led to the identification of increased levels of ceramide C16:0 and C24:0 in the cerebrospinal fluid from patients with multiple sclerosis. Exposure of cultured neurons to micelles composed of these ceramide species was sufficient to recapitulate the bioenergetic dysfunction and oxidative damage induced by exposure to cerebrospinal fluid from patients with multiple sclerosis. Therefore, our data suggest that C16:0 and C24:0 ceramides are enriched in the cerebrospinal fluid of patients with multiple sclerosis and are sufficient to induce neuronal mitochondrial dysfunction and axonal damage.
Attentional prioritizations based on spatial probabilities can be maintained on multiple moving objects

Previous studies have shown that attention prioritizes locations that frequently contain a target. The present study examines whether these spatial prioritizations can be maintained on multiple independently moving objects. Observers viewed two line objects undergoing translational and rotational motion and detected probes appearing on the objects. The probabilities of probes appearing on the centers and ends of objects were manipulated. Experiment 1 showed that attention within moving objects is affected by location probabilities and is also heavily biased toward objects’ centers. Experiment 2 showed that if the observer is not informed about location probabilities, the probabilities can be learned. Experiment 3 showed that with multiple-region objects, the center bias is reduced, but the effect of probabilities is unchanged. Experiment 4 showed that two distinct patterns of spatial prioritizations can be maintained on two objects simultaneously. These results suggest that attentional prioritizations based on spatial probabilities can occur in an object-based reference frame.
VERY HIGH ENERGY ASTROPHYSICS

This paper summarizes some recent experimental results in very high energy astrophysics, a very active research area with many exciting developments both in theory and observation.
Research Note: Evaluation of Direct Plating for Detecting Salmonella enteritidis in Pools of Egg Contents

Abstract The effectiveness of direct plating of incubated egg contents pools onto selective agar media for detecting contamination by Salmonella enteritidis (SE) was evaluated in comparison to several broth enrichment strategies. Pools of mixed liquid whole egg were inoculated with very small number of SE cells, incubated for 4 days at 25 C, and sampled by direct plating or both enrichment culture. Methods involving broth nonselective (pre-enrichment) and selective broth culture steps detected a significantly higher percentage of contaminated egg pools than did direct plating, but required 48 h longer to provide results. Methods involving direct selective broth enrichment, without prior pre-enrichment, did not perform significantly better than direct plating. Direct plating appears to provide a relatively rapid and inexpensive method for detecting SE in egg pools, although greater sensitivity is attainable with more intensive methods.
Mapping onto three classes of parallel machines: a case study using the cyclic reduction algorithm

Mapping cyclic reduction, a known approach for the parallel solution of tridiagonal systems of equations, onto the MasPar MP-1, nCUBE 2, and PASM parallel machines is discussed. Each of these represents a different mode of parallelism. Issues addressed are SIMD/MIMD trade-offs, the effect on execution time of increasing the number of processors used, the impact of the inter-processor communications network on performance, the importance of predicting algorithm performance as a function of the mapping used, and the advantages of a partitionable system. Analytical results are validated by experimentation on all three machines. >
Net-Shape Knitting for Complex Composite Preforms

Net-shape weft knitting is used to produce preforms for complex shape composite parts, as illustrated by the wheel wells of the Sunrise all-composite electric ehicle. An integrated design for the m...
The role of maternal responsiveness in predicting infant affect during the still face paradigm with infants born very low birth weight

There is limited empirical literature addressing infants' response to a standardized stressor with infants born very low birth weight (VLBW). The purpose of this study was to assess the relative strength of maternal responsiveness in predicting infant affect in response to the Still Face (SF) paradigm in a cross- sectional cohort of ethnically diverse infants born VLBW and their mothers (N = 50; infants 6-8 months old). Infant affect and maternal responsiveness were coded in 1-s intervals while dyads participated in the SF. In addition, perinatal medical status, developmental status, and infant temperament were assessed. Findings revealed that positive infant affect during and after the SF stressor were strongly associated with baseline infant positive affect and maternal responsiveness at the reunion episode, respectively. In contrast, when predicting negative infant affect during and after the SF stressor, prior infant negative affect was strongly and uniquely significant. Infant positive affect, negative affect, and maternal responsiveness were not significantly associated with gender, infant perinatal medical history, developmental status, or temperament. Future research is warranted to determine how these findings relate to infants' stress reactions in naturalistic settings and if relationship-focused interventions may reverse infant negative emotionality, enhance positive emotionality, and thereby improve self-regulation and longer term social and cognitive developmental outcomes in medically at-risk infants.
Rotavirus vaccination: short-term indirect herd protection, long-term uncertainty

Implementation of pediatric immunization against organisms such as Haemophilus influenzae and Streptococcus pneumoniae has led to a decrease in disease in vaccinated children and also indirectly pr...
The third virial coefficient in d(=2, 3) dimensions and its asymptote

The two-dimensional third virial coefficient is recalculated because of an error found in the calculation of the previous workers. Since the method of calculation of the two- and three-dimensional third virial coefficient is similar, both are calculated in a general manner following the method of Kihara. Asymptotic expressions are obtained for the expansion coefficient and the virial coefficient itself. A correction is made to Kihara's asymptotic formula for the expansion coefficient and his work is extended to the term of the next order. The calculation of the low temperature asymptote of the second virial coefficient is used to illustrate the method.
Regular Educators' Modification Preferences For Mainstreaming Mildly Handicapped Children:

A questionnaire designed to solicit information on types of modifications facilitative of regular class teachers' acceptance of elementary-age exceptional children into their classrooms drew responses from 100 regular education teachers. Data indicated that regular educators' participation in the mainstreaming process, rather than availability of specific classroom modifications, was an important factor in their accepting handicapped students. While no significant differences were noted in number of modifications as a function of diagnostic label, teachers did indicate that preferences for mainstreaming modifications differed from their current situation. The data are discussed relative to mainstreaming and current educational trends.
Chip-level soft error estimation method

This paper gives a review of considerations necessary for the prediction of soft error rates (SERs) for microprocessor designs. It summarizes the physics and silicon process dependencies of soft error mechanisms and describes the determination of SERs for basic circuit types. It reviews the impact of logical and architectural filtering on SER calculations and focuses on the structural filtering of soft radiation events by nodal timing mechanisms.
Routing schemes for multiple random broadcasts in arbitrary network topologies

We consider the problem where packets are generated at each node of a network according to a Poisson process with rate /spl lambda/, and each of them has to be broadcast to all the other nodes. The network topology is assumed to be an arbitrary bidirectional graph. We derive upper bounds on the maximum achievable broadcast throughput, and lower bounds on the average time required to complete a broadcast. These bounds apply to any network topology, independently of the scheme used to perform the broadcasts. We also propose two dynamic broadcasting schemes, called the indirect and the direct broadcasting scheme, that can be used in a general topology, and we evaluate analytically their throughput and average delay. The throughput achieved by the proposed schemes is equal to the maximum possible, if a half-duplex link model is assumed, and is at least equal to one half of the maximum possible, if a full-duplex model is assumed. The average delay of both schemes is of the order of the diameter of the trees used to perform the broadcasts. The analytical results obtained do not use any approximating assumptions.
Application of Light Scattering to Polymers, Liquid Crystals, and Biological Systems

The applications of elastic and quasi elastic light scattering techniques to polymers in dilute solution, ther­ motropic liquid crystals and biological membrane vesicles are presented. It is focused on how we extract specific structural features or dynamic processes of these condensed medium samples through the light scattering methods. The paper reviews the light scattering studies that were carried out at the author's laboratory in Wisconsin from 1973 until 1980.
Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap–And Others Don't

The article reviews the book “Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap—And Others Don't,” by Jim Collins.
Comparison of immediate and one-year outcome after coronary angioplasty of narrowing <3 mm with those ≥3 mm (the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute Dynamic Registry)

Balloon angioplasty of small coronary artery lesions has been associated with lower success and higher complication rates than large coronary artery lesions. This study evaluates the in-hospital and 1-year outcome of the treatment of small coronary artery lesions in the modern era of interventional cardiology and compares it with the outcome of treating large coronary artery lesions. Of 1,658 patients with a single lesion treated from July 1997 to February 1998 in the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) Dynamic Registry, there were 587 patients with small coronary artery lesions (<3 mm) and 1,071 patients with large coronary artery lesions (≥3 mm). Success, in-hospital, and 1-year outcomes between both groups were compared. Patients with lesions in small coronary arteries were more often women, insulin-treated diabetics, and had undergone more prior coronary bypass graft surgery. Conventional angioplasty alone was performed more often and angioplasty with stents was performed less often in the small coronary artery than in the large coronary artery group. Angiographic success was slightly lower in the small coronary artery group (94.2% vs 96.9%, p <0.05). Periprocedural and in-hospital complication rates were similar in both groups. Likewise, at 1-year follow-up, major adverse cardiac events including death, myocardial infarction, and coronary artery bypass graft surgery were relatively low and comparable between the 2 groups, although patients with small coronary arteries were more likely to undergo repeat revascularization (17.4% vs 13.6%, p <0.05). Treatment of lesions in small coronary arteries in the modern era is associated with high success and low complication rates, comparable to the treatment of large coronary artery lesions, although the incidence of repeat revascularization was significantly greater at follow-up even if stents were used.
The Dating Preferences of Liberals and Conservatives

American politics has become more polarized. The source of the phenomena is debated. We posit that human mate choice may play a role in the process. Spouses are highly correlated in their political preferences, and research in behavioral genetics, neuroscience, and endocrinology shows that political preferences develop through a complex interaction of social upbringing, life experience, immediate circumstance, and genes and hormones, operating through one’s psychological architecture by Hatemi et al. (J Theor Politics, 24:305–327, 2012). Consequently, if people with similar political values produce children, there will be more individuals at the ideological extremes over generations. This said, we are left with a mystery: spousal concordance on political attitudes does not result from convergence over the course of the relationship, nor are spouses initially selecting one another on political preferences. We examine whether positive mate assortation—like seeks like—on non-political factors such as lifestyle and demographics could lead to inadvertent assortation on political preferences. Using a sample of Internet dating profiles we find that both liberals and conservatives seek to date individuals who are like themselves. This result suggests a pathway by which long-term couples come to share political preferences, which in turn could be fueling the widening ideological gap in the United States.
Steroid and Gonadotropin Responses to Ergocryptine-Suppressed Prolactin Secretion in Hysterectomized, Pseudopregnant Hamsters

The influence of ergocyrptine (ECR) on suppressing PRL secretion and on steroid and gonadotropin levels was investigated in hysterectomized, pseudopregnant (HS-PSP) hamsters. At 0900 h of day 8 of PSP, hamsters were injected sc with ethanol or 10–100 μg ECR; hamsters were then either inspected daily for a postovulatory discharge (indicating termination of PSP) or decapitated on days 8 (controls only), 9, 10, or 11, and serum was saved for RIA. Ten micrograms of ECR affected neither serum PRL levels nor shortened the duration of PSP. Twenty-five micrograms or more of ECR altered serum PRL levels and shortened the duration of PSP to 12 days or less compared to approximately 16 days in control HS-PSP animals. Fifty or 100 μg ECR lowered serum PRL concentrations and induced luteal regression, as evidenced by declining levels of serum progesterone (P). These findings indicated that PRL was necessary for luteal P secretion on day 8 of HS-PSP and the serum PRL level could not be lowered without shortening the du...
Functional phylogenomics analysis of bacteria and archaea using consistent genome annotation with UniFam

Phylogenetic studies have provided detailed knowledge on the evolutionary mechanisms of genes and species in Bacteria and Archaea. However, the evolution of cellular functions, represented by metabolic pathways and biological processes, has not been systematically characterized. Many clades in the prokaryotic tree of life have now been covered by sequenced genomes in GenBank. This enables a large-scale functional phylogenomics study of many computationally inferred cellular functions across all sequenced prokaryotes. A total of 14,727 GenBank prokaryotic genomes were re-annotated using a new protein family database, UniFam, to obtain consistent functional annotations for accurate comparison. The functional profile of a genome was represented by the biological process Gene Ontology (GO) terms in its annotation. The GO term enrichment analysis differentiated the functional profiles between selected archaeal taxa. 706 prokaryotic metabolic pathways were inferred from these genomes using Pathway Tools and MetaCyc. The consistency between the distribution of metabolic pathways in the genomes and the phylogenetic tree of the genomes was measured using parsimony scores and retention indices. The ancestral functional profiles at the internal nodes of the phylogenetic tree were reconstructed to track the gains and losses of metabolic pathways in evolutionary history. Our functional phylogenomics analysis shows divergent functional profiles of taxa and clades. Such function-phylogeny correlation stems from a set of clade-specific cellular functions with low parsimony scores. On the other hand, many cellular functions are sparsely dispersed across many clades with high parsimony scores. These different types of cellular functions have distinct evolutionary patterns reconstructed from the prokaryotic tree.
Pathways to the Presidency: Biographical Sketches of Women of Color Firsts

According to recent data, only 3 percent of all college and university presidents are women of color. While the numbers remain disturbingly low, some of these women of color are making history as the "first" of their gender, race, and ethnicity to become president of a public, baccalaureate degree–granting college or university. In this article, Caroline Sotello Viernes Turner presents biographical sketches of three of these women. They are acknowledged to be the first Mexican American, Native American, and Asian Pacific/Asian American women who are presidents of such colleges in the United States. Women from these respective racial and ethnic groups have become university presidents only recently. Using in-depth interviews and cross-case comparisons, the author examines the paths these women presidents have taken and how their narratives contribute important information about women of color in higher education administration. She asserts that from their stories we can learn about the "pathway to the pres...