cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Participant Perception and HMI Preferences During Simulated AV Disengagements

This study examined drivers’ responses to simulated autonomous technology failures in semi-autonomous vehicles. A population of 40 individuals was tested, considering the following independent variables: age of the driver, speed at disengagement, and time at which the disengagement occurred. Participants received auditory and visual warning at the time of disengagement and were asked to regain control of the vehicle while maneuvering within a S-curve turn. Participants’ perception associated to the estimation of success of the control takeover, estimation of test duration, and estimation of the speed of travel showed poor accuracy. Speed recollection accuracy was lower for older participants, while younger participants showed overconfidence in the assessment of the quality of their control takeover. The employed human-machine interface highlighted concerns on the use of central console displays. Trust in the technology and nervousness to the possibility of a disengagement showed higher levels of anxiety for high speeds.
Diverse morphology and structural features of old and New World hantaviruses

To further understanding of the structure and morphology of the Orthohantavirus, family Hantaviridae, we have employed cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) for three New World hantaviruses: Andes (ANDV), Sin Nombre (SNV), and Black Creek Canal (BCCV). Building upon our prior cryo-EM and cryo-tomography study of the Old World hantavirus, Hantaan virus (HTNV), we have expanded our studies to examine the entire virion population present in cell culture supernatant. Hence, in contrast to the prior cryo-EM/ET studies in which we used a polyethylene precipitation, a sucrose gradient, and a sucrose cushion, we used two sucrose cushions. We inactivated the material after the first cushion. We tested the method using HTNV which has a known cryo-EM structure and observed equivalent results. Therefore, we used this method to assess the particle distribution of the New World hantaviruses by cryo-EM. Cryo-EM images showed a diverse range of sizes and morphologies for the New World viruses that we classified as round, tubular, and irregular. Strikingly, BCCV virions were mostly tubular. These first cryo-EM images of the New World Orthohantavirus confirm prior EM observations that noted tubular projections of SNV at the plasma membrane during virion morphogenesis but were not confirmed. These findings underscore the need for further investigation of virion morphogenesis of the Orthohantavirus.
Allogeneic Transplantation for Chronic Myelomonocytic Leukemia (CMML) Is Associated with High Disease-Free Survival Even in the Setting of High-Risk Disease

Background: CMML has a poor prognosis with a median overall survival of about 30 months and a 15-20% risk of transformation to acute myeloid leukemia. For high-risk patients the median survival is 9 months. The only curative therapy is allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT). While several prognostic models have been proposed in CMML, their predictive value in allograft recipients is not well established. We report the outcome of allo-HSCT in 28 patients (pts) with CMML, and the relationship between five CMML prognostic scoring systems and post-transplant disease-free survival (DFS). Methods: 28 pts with CMML underwent allo-HSCT at MSKCC between 1/2002 and 2/2014. Pt and transplant characteristics are summarized in Table 1. Of the 28 pts, 6 had progressed to CMML-2 and 7 to AML pre-transplant. Except for 3 pts, all received chemotherapy before cytoreduction to decrease disease burden and all patients had Results All pts had sustained donor engraftment. The cumulative incidences of day 100 grade II-IV acute graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) and 1-year chronic GVHD were 18% (95%CI:3-32) and 17% (95%CI:1-33), respectively. The 1-year incidence of transplant-related mortality was 7% (95%CI:0-17) with the most common transplant-related cause of death being infection. Three pts relapsed for a 1-year incidence of 13% (95%CI:0-26). These patients died of their disease. With a median follow-up of survivors of 3.3 years (range 3 months-11.6 years), the 3-year Kaplan-Meier estimate of overall survival is 74% (95%CI: 51-88) and DFS is 71% (95%CI: 47-85). All pts classified as having high-risk disease had similar survival to low risk disease pts (Table 2). Conclusion: This preliminary data suggests that allo-HSCT can achieve a high DFS in pts with CMML, even in the setting of high-risk disease. Thus, allo-HSCT should potentially be considered in all patients with CMML including pts who have a dismal prognosis based on current prognostic scoring systems. Disclosures Boulad:Genzyme Sanofi: Trials partially funded by Genzyme Sanofi Other.
Cardiac Complications in Neurocritical Care Patients

Many types of neurologic injury are known to affect the cardiovascular system. Both rhythm and pump function can be dramatically affected. In this chapter, we review the cardiovascular changes that can be seen after neurologic injury and the specific neurologic diseases most commonly associated with those changes. This chapter covers hypertension, cardiomyopathy, shock, arrhythmias, and myocardial ischemia. These neurocardiogenic changes are important to diagnose, understand, and manage in order to simultaneously optimize neurologic recovery and cardiovascular function. Recognition of these neurocardiovascular connections can help neurointensivists and cardiologists best understand the underlying driving forces behind hemodynamic instabilities that can be seen in patients after acute neurologic injury.
Breakbeat Narratives: A Personalized, Conversational Interactive Storytelling System for Museum Education

We introduce a novel interactive narrative exhibit supporting general public learning about Hip Hop culture and history developed as a collaboration of the MIT Center for Advanced Virtuality, the Universal Hip Hop Museum, and Microsoft and supported by the TunesMap Educational Foundation and internationally known Afrofuturist artists Black Kirby. The exhibit's narrative system is personalized by categorizing users based on evaluating their input data light of a social psychology-based model based in musical identity theory. The system uses user input to determine which interactive narrative and customized music playlist to present to the user. The system has been deployed as the central interactive display within the [R]Evolution of Hip Hop for an exhibit of the Universal Hip Hop Museum. Future work will involve analysis of user feedback data from the thousands of local and international exhibit visitors to determine the impact of personalization on visitor engagement, satisfaction, and learning.
Research Note on Method: Measuring a State's Propensity to Expand International Activities in Conventional and Cyber Domains: Quantifying the Core of Lateral Pressure Theory

Lateral Pressure Theory utilizes a set of variables to quantity the propensity of states to extend activity and control beyond their established boundaries, whether for economic, political, military, scientific, religious, or other purposes. This paper presents the conceptual base, the data sources used and method of calculating Lateral Pressure indices and profiles of states. The basic and modified approaches are presented, as well as the method used for quantifying cyber lateral pressure. This paper focuses on the following three methods we have developed and used: 1. Basic LP methodology as explained in the original text by North and Choucri, (1976) and Choucri, North and Yamakage (2000). a. Definition of master variables, b. Method for construction of profiles, and c. Utilize behavior variable as an observable proxy of resulting LP behavior. 2. Modified IR LP methodology as an extension of the basic LP Methodology. 3. Cyber LP methodology that focuses on the propensity of a state to expand its activities in cyberspace.
Acquisition of Japanese relative clauses by L1 Chinese learners: Evidence from reflexive pronoun resolution:

This article investigates whether first-language (L1) Chinese-speaking learners of Japanese as a second language (L2) can acquire the knowledge that the reflexive pronoun jibun ‘self’ within the he...
The Impact of SAS No. 82 on Perceptions of External Auditor Responsibility for Fraud Detection

This study evaluates whether perceptions of external auditor responsibility to detect fraud in US financial statement audits are greater under Statement on Auditing Standards (SAS) No. 82 than under the superseded SAS No. 53. A series of four fraud vignettes were evaluated by external auditors, internal auditors, and fraud examiners who were either given a summary of the new standard or the old standard to assess auditor fraud detection responsibilities. The vignettes manipulated fraud materiality and fraud type (i.e. fraudulent financial reporting and misappropriation of assets) within-subject. The results provide consistent evidence that perceptions of external auditor responsibility to detect fraud are higher under SAS No. 82 than under SAS No. 53. In addition, the results indicate that the external auditors' perceptions increased more than the perceptions of the internal auditors and fraud examiners. Finally, the findings revealed that while all participant groups were sensitive to fraud materiality, only the external auditors were sensitive to fraud type.
The social organization of methamphetamine manufacturing: Roles, identities and persistence

Abstract Purpose We discuss small batch methamphetamine (i.e., shake meth) cooking as a form of systematic offending using a social organization framework. Method Semi-structured interviews with 33 people who cooked meth and who were living in faith-based transitional facilities in Alabama. This is coupled with data from an 18-month long ethnography of people who used methamphetamine in rural Alabama that consisted of semi-structured interviews with 52 people and observations and conversations. Results Internal and external social organization are dependent on the daily concerns of those who use meth, the social context of their lives, and production imperatives. Small batch meth production is a professional crime; it takes some skill, a network, and organizing capacity. It is influenced by the pharmacological properties and symptoms of meth abuse including being cut off from conventional attachments. Conclusions A defined social organization provides people with roles, expectations, and aspirations. Positions have routines and meanings that embed participants in criminal or drug cultures and contribute to their persistence in crime.
An analysis of characteristics and content of highly used books for the general population in the cancer space on Amazon.com.

e24034Background: Cancer patients and supporters frequently turn to written resources for assistance and empowerment in decision-making. Previous work has analyzed misinformation available on searc...
Comparative Health Status and Characteristics of Respondents of the 2019-2020 National Survey on Health and Disability by Sexual and Gender Minority Status.

Purpose: We examined the health of sexual and gender minority (SGM) adults with disabilities compared with their non-SGM peers. Methods: The National Survey on Health and Disability is an internet-...
Matroid Polytopes and Tilings

Some of the results we explain here are contained in [22, 24]. Another good source on matroid polytopes is [53].
Questions and Answers about Inclusion: What Every Teacher Should Know

ince the passage of the landmark Education for All Handicapped Children Act (Public Law 94-142) in 1975, the special education profession and the school community have been guided by the concept of the least restrictive environment. Whenever possible, children with disabilities must be, and to an ever-growing extent have been, educated with children who are not disabled. However, Public Law 94-142 also stipulates that a continuum of placement options, ranging from institutionalization to education in the regular class, be employed. Traditionally, children with mild learning problems have been mainstreamed into general education classes while those with more serious problems have been sent to the resource room, educated in self-contained classrooms, or placed outside the regular school environment.
Data confidentiality in collaborative computing

Even though collaborative computing can yield substantial economic, social, and scientific benefits, a serious impediment to fully achieving that potential is a reluctance to share data, for fear of losing control over its subsequent dissemination and usage. An organization’s most valuable and useful data is often proprietary/confidential, or the law may forbid its disclosure or regulate the form of that disclosure. We survey security technologies that mitigate this problem, and discuss research directions towards enforcing the data owner’s approved purposes on the data used in grid computing. These include techniques for cooperatively computing answers without revealing any private data, even though the computed answers depend on all the participants’ private data. They also include computational outsourcing, where computationally weak entities use computationally powerful entities to carry out intensive computing tasks without revealing to them either their inputs or the computed outputs.
The Extended H I Distribution of Sextans A

We present a radio interferometer mosaic of H I line emission within a radius of 45' of the small irregular galaxy Sextans A at a resolution of about 1'. Sextans A lies on the edge of the Local Group and was targeted because single-dish observations showed it to have an unusually extended disk of H I. However, we detected H I emission only to a radius of 9' at 8 × 1018 cm-2, whereas single-dish observations detected H I to a radius 3 times that at approximately the same column density. We also recover only 62% of the flux detected in the single-dish maps. We conclude that the missing H I is real and is most likely to be found in a very smooth, low column density distribution whose scale is too large to be resolved with the interferometer. We put limits on the size of density fluctuations in this extended gas on the order of 10'–15'. We argue that this unusually smooth structure implies that Sextans A has not been perturbed by another galaxy for at least 6–10 Gyr. The fact that the current star formation rate is 4–5 times higher than the rate averaged over the galaxy's lifetime implies that internal processes are driving the modest fluctuation in the current star formation rate.
Nonarteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy: natural history of visual outcome.

Objective To investigate systematically the natural history of visual outcome in nonarteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy (NAION). Design Cohort study. Participants Three hundred forty consecutive untreated patients (386 eyes) with NAION, first seen in our clinic from 1973 to 2000. Methods At first visit, all patients gave a detailed ophthalmic and medical history and underwent a comprehensive ophthalmic evaluation. Visual evaluation was done by recording visual acuity, using the Snellen visual acuity chart, and visual fields with a Goldmann perimeter. The same ophthalmic evaluation was performed at each follow-up visit. Main Outcome Measures Natural history of visual acuity and visual field outcome in NAION. Results Of the 386 eyes, 332 had 8 weeks or more of follow-up from the initial visit. At the initial visit, in eyes seen ≤2 weeks from onset of symptoms, 49% had visual acuity of ≥20/30 and 23% had ≤20/200; in these eyes, 38% had minimal to mild visual field defect and 43% marked to severe defect. In those who were first seen ≤2 weeks after onset with visual acuity ≤20/70, there was improvement in 41% at 6 months and in 42% at 1 year after the initial visit. Two years after the initial visit, there was deterioration in 9% of eyes with initial visual acuity of ≥20/60, and in 18% of those with initial visual acuity of ≤20/70. In those who were first seen ≤2 weeks of onset with moderate to severe visual field defect, there was improvement in 26% at 6 months and 27% at 1 year after the initial visit. Two years after the initial visit, 27% of eyes with initial minimal to mild field defects showed worsening, as did 19% of those with moderate to severe defects. Conclusions About half of the eyes with NAION presented with almost normal visual acuity (20/15 to 20/30) at the initial visit. Thus, the presence of normal visual acuity does not rule out NAION. Visual acuity and visual fields showed improvement or further deterioration mainly up to 6 months, with no significant change after that.
Modeling reactive geochemical transport of concentrated aqueous solutions

[1] Aqueous solutions with ionic strength larger than 1 M are usually considered concentrated aqueous solutions. These solutions can be found in some natural systems and are also industrially produced and released into accessible natural environments, and as such, they pose a big environmental problem. Concentrated aqueous solutions have unique thermodynamic and physical properties. They are usually strongly acidic or strongly alkaline, with the ionic strength possibly reaching 30 M or higher. Chemical components in such solutions are incompletely dissociated. The thermodynamic activities of both ionic and molecular species in these solutions are determined by the ionic interactions. In geological media the problem is further complicated by the interactions between the solutions and sediments and rocks. The chemical composition of concentrated aqueous solutions when migrating through the geological media may be drastically altered by these strong fluid-rock interactions. To effectively model reactive transport of concentrated aqueous solutions, we must take into account the ionic interactions. For this purpose we substantially extended an existing reactive transport code, BIO-CORE2D©, by incorporating a Pitzer ion interaction model to calculate the ionic activity. In the present paper, the model and two test cases of the model are briefly introduced. We also simulate a laboratory column experiment in which the leakage of highly alkaline waste fluid stored at Hanford (a U.S. Department of Energy site, located in Washington State) was studied. Our simulation captures the measured pH evolution and indicates that all the reactions controlling the pH evolution, including cation exchanges and mineral dissolution/precipitation, are coupled.
Interactions of Bacterial and Amoebal Populations in Soil Microcosms with Fluctuating Moisture Content

Sterilized soil samples (20 g of soil per 50-ml flask), amended with 600 μg of glucose-carbon and 60 μg of NH4-N · g of dry soil−1, were inoculated with bacteria (Pseudomonas paucimobilis) alone or with bacteria and amoebae (Acanthamoeba polyphaga). We used wet-dry treatments, which involved air drying the samples to a moisture content of approximately 2% and remoistening the samples three times during the 83-day experiment. Control treatments were kept moist. In the absence of amoebae, bacterial populations were reduced by the first drying to about 60% of the moist control populations, but the third drying had no such effect. With amoebae present, bacterial numbers were not significantly affected by the dryings. Amoebal grazing reduced bacterial populations to 20 to 25% of the ungrazed bacterial populations in both moisture treatments. Encystment was an efficient survival mechanism for amoebae subjected to wet-dry cycles. The amoebal population was entirely encysted in dry soil, but the total number of amoebae was not affected by the three dryings. Growth efficiencies for amoebae feeding on bacteria were 0.33 and 0.39 for wet-dry and constantly moist treatments, respectively, results that compared well with those previously reported for Acanthamoeba spp.
Cytokine signaling: birth of a pathway.

Cytokine biology is now recognized as a fundamental component of immunology, and the actions of cytokines are understood to be essential mechanisms underlying host defense, immunoregulation, and autoimmunity. Moreover, cytokines themselves and cytokine antagonists have become some of the most
Impulsive plane‐wave reflection from a homogeneous plasma half space

[1] The reflected-field impulse response for a plane wave obliquely incident on a lossy plasma half space is determined analytically by the inversion of the frequency-domain reflection coefficient. Both TE and TM incident field polarizations are considered. The resulting expressions involve simple functions and, at most, one or two convolutions of these functions. The simplicity of the expressions allows the temporal behavior of the reflected field to be predicted on the basis of the physical parameters of the plasma. The expressions are validated numerically by comparison to the inverse fast Fourier transform of the frequency-domain reflection coefficient. A comparison to the response of a laboratory plasma shows good agreement.
LIN28: roles and regulation in development and beyond

LIN28 is an RNA-binding protein that is best known for its roles in promoting pluripotency via regulation of the microRNA let-7. However, recent studies have uncovered new roles for LIN28 and have revealed how it functions, suggesting that it is more than just a regulator of miRNA biogenesis. Together, these findings imply a new paradigm for LIN28 – as a gatekeeper molecule that regulates the transition between pluripotency and committed cell lineages, in both let-7-dependent and let-7-independent manners. Here, we provide an overview of LIN28 function in development and disease.
Relationship of Egg Weight, Specific Gravity, and Shell Weight to Time of Oviposition and Feeding in Broiler Breeders,

Abstract The relationship of oviposition time (OT) to egg weight, specific gravity, and shell weight was examined in two trials. Trial 1 was at 38 and 39 weeks of age, while Trial 2 was conducted at 44 weeks of age. Two commercial strains were utilized. The feeding time (FT) was 0800 hr in Trial 1 and either 0800 or 1300 hr in Trial 2. Egg weight was greatest for eggs laid before 0900 hr OT in Trial 1. Specific gravity was highest for eggs laid between 1500 to 1900 hr and lowest from 0900 to 1300 hr OT. Shell weight was greatest for 1900 to 0700 hr OT and lowest at 0900 to 1300 hr OT. A significant OT × FT interaction occurred for all parameters in Trial 2, which indicated a differential diurnal distribution due to different FT. No overall change in egg weight or specific gravity was observed. Shell weight was increased significantly by the 1300 hr FT when compared to the 0800 hr FT. It was concluded that there is a diurnal variation in egg weight, specific gravity, and shell weight exhibited by limit-fed broiler breeders and this pattern can be modified somewhat by different FT.
On the theory of linear electro-optical rotation I. The two-photon effect

Abstract It is shown that linear electro-optical rotation is always zero as long as it is considered as a conventional two-photon effect. It follows also that quadratic electro-optical rotation is zero if the field is taken along the beam of light.
High-performance liquid chromatographic studies of coal liquids by laser-based detectors

Abstract Four solvent-refined coals were studied by isolating the asphaltene fractions, using reversed-phase liquid chromatography and detecting with three independent spectroscopic detectors. Simultaneous chromatograms from a UV absorption detector, a visible fluorescence detector, and a two-photon excited fluorescence detector provide an abundance of information, even though baseline chromatographic resolution is not achieved. The chromatograms were found to be good fingerprints of the individual solvent-refined coals.
Electron Microscope Study of Turtle Sperm

The morphology and contents of the adult sperm of Pseudemys scripta elegans have been described. The sperm is fairly representative of the flagellated type occurring everywhere among vertebrates.
Sport Education and Preservice Education

(1998). Sport Education and Preservice Education. Journal of Physical Education, Recreation & Dance: Vol. 69, No. 5, pp. 44-45.
Large diffeomorphisms in 2+1 quantum gravity on the torus.

The issue of how to deal with the modular transformations -- large diffeomorphisms -- in (2+1)-quantum gravity on the torus is discussed. I study the Chern-Simons/connection representation and show that the behavior of the modular transformations on the reduced configuration space is so bad that it is possible to rule out all finite dimensional unitary representations of the modular group on the Hilbert space of $L^2$-functions on the reduced configuration space. Furthermore, by assuming piecewise continuity for a dense subset of the vectors in any Hilbert space based on the space of complex valued functions on the reduced configuration space, it is shown that finite dimensional representations are excluded no matter what inner-product we define in this vector space. A brief discussion of the loop- and ADM-representations is also included.
Axiomatization and the antimean function on paths

An antimean of a sequence π = ( x1, x2, …, xk) of elements of a finite metric space (X, d) is an element x for which is maximum. The function antimean with domain the set of all finite sequences on X and defined by AMean(π) = {x : x is an antimean of π} is called the antimean function on X. In this paper, the antimean function on finite paths is characterized.
Addressing the Instrument Obsolescence Problem - Options and Solutions

Many projects and programs rely upon test systems that were designed at the beginning of a program for on-going system support and maintenance. However, as programs are extended beyond their original life term, the equipment, including test systems, must undergo a modernization phase every few years in order to ensure continued support and maintenance of the system and its sub-assemblies. One of the major issues typically addressed by this upgrade phase is equipment obsolescence. As technology evolves, even programs (and test systems) that were originally designed for a long life term can face obsolescence issues. This paper reviews and compares the options available to program managers and test engineers facing test instrument obsolescence problems. Various options and tradeoffs are discussed including stocking of spare instruments, on-going maintenance & repair of current instrumentation, replacement through the used market, migration of existing test program sets (TPSs) to fit a new test system, replacement using similar products with software or hardware adapters, and replacement using same form-fit-function instrumentation.
Regulation of nerve growth factor receptor mRNA content by dexamethasone: In vitro and in vivo studies

Abstract Northern blot hybridization analysis was used to study regulation of nerve growth factor receptor (NGFR) mRNA content by glucocorticoids. Treatment for 6 h with dexamethasone (1 μM) caused a 40% decrease of NGFR mRNA content in PC12 cells and a 60% decrease in C6-2B glioma cells which was time and dose dependent. Dexamethasone (1 μM/kg) administered s.c. for two days to 21-day-old rats, elicits a 60% decrease in NGFR mRNA content in septum. These results suggest that the expression of NGFR gene in the brain could be inhibited by endogenous glucocorticoids. Whether dexamethasone inhibits NGFR gene expression by directly affecting cis-regulatory elements in the promoter regions of the gene remains to be elucidated.
Second derivatives of the local-density-functional total energy when the local potential is fitted

Second derivatives of the total energy with respect to nuclear coordinates and self-consistent-field parameters within the linear-combination-of-atomic-orbitals approach to local-density-functional theory are discussed. We explicitly include the effects of the fitting procedures for both the electrostatic and the exchange-correlation energies of the electrons in the evaluation of derivative expressions by solving for the fitting coefficients in the appropriate Lagrangian before any differentiation. The advantages and disadvantages of fitting vis--\`a--vis accurate three-dimensional numerical integration are discussed.
Current Concepts in Airway Management for Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation

Objective To describe the methods of maintaining airway patency for oxygenation during cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) that do not require expertise in mask ventilation or endotracheal intubation by direct laryngoscopy. Design A review of rescue breathing and newer methods of providing airway patency is provided. Results Airway patency during CPR is often difficult to achieve. Mask ventilation predisposes to hypoventilation and aspiration pneumonitis. Endotracheal intubation by direct laryngoscopy is the preferred method of maintaining airway patency for CPR. Alternative techniques for airway management include endotracheal intubation by lighted stylet, esophageal tracheal Combitube, laryngeal mask airway, and transtracheal ventilation. These methods are recommended by the American Heart Association and the American Society of Anesthesiologists. They have been approved by the Food and Drug Administration for maintenance of airway patency; they are easy to learn, effective, and applicable to CPR. Advantages and disadvantages of each technique may indicate or contraindicate one method over another in specific circumstances. Conclusion When CPR is compromised by airway obstruction that remains unresponsive to traditional techniques, using alternative methods is appropriate. The techniques selected must be based on individual familiarity and expertise.
Effect of nitrogen on the formation and oxidation behavior of iron aluminide coatings

Abstract The present study focused on the effect of N in ferritic Fe–9Cr–1Mo and austenitic 304 L alloy substrates on the formation and cyclic oxidation behavior of aluminide coatings fabricated by chemical vapor deposition (CVD). Relatively high N contents in the commercial alloys caused the formation of AlN precipitates in the CVD aluminide coating, which adversely affected the adhesion of the as-deposited coatings, particularly on 304 L. The reduction of N content in the substrate alloys resulted in a cleaner coating layer with fewer precipitates and Kirkendall voids. However, the cyclic oxidation behavior of the aluminide coatings in air + 10 vol.% H2O at 700 °C was not noticeably changed by the N reduction.
Roadway mortality of barn owls in Idaho, USA

We examined the temporal, spatial, and demographic factors that influenced roadway mortality of barn owls (Tyto alba) along a 248-km stretch of Interstate 84 in southern Idaho using systematic road surveys. Counts of dead animals from surveys can be underestimated because of sampling biases; therefore, we also conducted experiments to assess the effects of search and removal bias on the estimates of roadway mortality of owls. We conducted surveys every 2 weeks over a 2-year period and detected 812 dead barn owls (unadjusted mortality rate of 1.64 owls/km/yr). After adjusting this estimate for search and removal bias, we documented mortality rates of up to 5.99 owls/km/year. Owl mortality was not random in relation to sex, age class, or location along the highway. Females and juveniles, which represent individuals more likely to disperse long distances, were killed more frequently than males and adults. During the nonbreeding season, owls were killed more often near agricultural lands than in shrub-steppe, but this pattern was not apparent during the breeding season. Owls were also killed more often on portions of the roadway closer to the Snake River canyon, perhaps because of the availability of nest and roost sites. Mortality rates differed markedly between the 2 years of study, which could have been related to variability in weather and its subsequent effect on owl productivity. Our data suggest that barn owls in this region may not persist under this level of mortality without significant immigration or management. Thus, roadway management to reduce or prevent owl use of roadways, reduce rodent populations near major roads, alert motorists to the presence of owls, or otherwise reduce the chances that vehicles and owls collide would improve barn owl survival and population persistence. © 2012 The Wildlife Society.
Modification to the Higashi model for surface diffusion

The model introduced by Higashi, Ito, and Oishi in 1963 (HIO model) was an important advance in the understanding of surface diffusion. It attempted to explain the dependence of surface diffusion rates on adsorbed species and agreed reasonably well with experimental data at surface coverages up to about 60% of a monolayer, that is, up to theta = 0.6. At higher values of theta, the values predicted became greater than those measured. A modification is proposed which reduces the discrepancy between theory and experiment at all coverages. It also provides for a finite value of diffusion coefficient at theta = 1. While the comparison of this modification to the HIO model has been by no means exhaustive, it is felt that it supports the physical credibility by allowing for the possibility of attraction between a diffusing molecule and an occupied site. This simple extension provides better agreement with experiment and more insight with respect to the actual process.
Continued fraction expansion of algebraic numbers

Every irrational x in (0,1) determines uniquely an infinite sequence of positive integers by means of its continued fraction expansion. Richtmyer in 1951 conjectured that algebraic irrationals may have a paucity of large partial denominators. The conjecture was studied in numerical tests. The numerical work yielded a very strange result for one value of x. The present paper reports further tests for this value. It was found that the previous anomalous value was accidental, and resulted from having stopped the expansion at 725 terms; other stopping points gave quite reasonable values. 4 tables. (RWR)
Crystal structure of Mg3TeO6

Abstract Mg3TeO6 is rhombohedral, space group R3, with six molecules in a hexagonal unit cell a = 8.58, c = 10.30 A . The crystal structure is closely related to Y6UO12 with octahedrally coordinated Mg and Te and mean Mg-O and Te-O bond lengths of 2. 18 and 1. 75A.
Bone mineral density and blood metals in premenopausal women

Exposure to metals, specifically cadmium, lead, and mercury, is widespread and is associated with reduced bone mineral density (BMD) in older populations, but the associations among premenopausal women are unclear. Therefore, we evaluated the relationship between these metals in blood and BMD (whole body, total hip, lumbar spine, and non-dominant wrist) quantified by dual energy X-ray absorptiometry in 248 premenopausal women, aged 18-44. Participants were of normal body mass index (mean BMI 24.1), young (mean age 27.4), 60% were white, 20% non-Hispanic black, 15% Asian, and 6% other race group, and were from the Buffalo, New York region. The median (interquartile range) level of cadmium was 0.30 μg/l (0.19-0.43), of lead was 0.86 μg/dl (0.68-1.20), and of mercury was 1.10 μg/l (0.58-2.00). BMD was treated both as a continuous variable in linear regression and dichotomized at the 10th percentile for logistic regression analyses. Mercury was associated with reduced odds of decreased lumbar spine BMD (0.66, 95% confidence interval: 0.44, 0.99), but overall, metals at environmentally relevant levels of exposure were not associated with reduced BMD in this population of healthy, reproductive-aged women. Further research is needed to determine if the blood levels of cadmium, lead, and mercury in this population are sufficiently low that there is no substantive impact on bone, or if effects on bone can be expected only at older ages.
Phylogeny of Cercis based on DNA sequences of nuclear ITS and four plastid regions: implications for transatlantic historical biogeography.

Abstract The disjunct genus Cercis has been used to test models of Northern Hemisphere historical biogeography. Previous phylogenetic estimates employing DNA sequences of the ITS region and (in one study) those of ndhF recovered a well supported clade of North American and western Eurasian species that was nested within a paraphyletic group of Chinese species. Resolution and clade support within the tree were otherwise low and the monophyly of Cercis canadensis was uncertain. Here we conduct a phylogenetic analysis of Cercis with a higher number of regions (ITS, ndhF, rpoB-trnC, trnT-trnD, and trnS-trnG) and samples than in previous studies. Results corroborate the initial divergence between the Chinese species Cercis chingii and the rest of the genus. Support is newly found both for a clade of the two North American species as sister to the western Eurasian species, and for the monophyly of C. canadensis. As in a previous study, divergence between North American and western Eurasian Cercis was estimated as mid-Miocene (ca. 13 million years ago), and the ancestor in which this divergence occurred was inferred to be xerophytic. Contrary to previous studies, however, our data infer strictly east-to-west vicariance. The timing of the transatlantic divergence in Cercis is too recent to be explained by a postulated continuous belt of semi-arid vegetation between North America and Europe in the Paleogene, suggesting instead the presence of a Miocene North Atlantic corridor for semi-arid plants. In the absence of strong evidence from other sources, the possibility that Cercis has been able to quickly adapt from mesophytic antecedents to semi-arid conditions whenever the latter have arisen in the Northern Hemisphere can be considered a plausible alternative, although parsimony optimization renders this scenario two steps longer.
Spatial variability of soil hydraulics and remotely sensed soil parameters

The development of methods to correctly interpret remotely sensed information about soil moisture and soil temperature requires an understanding of water and energy flow in soil, because the signals originate from the surface, or from a shallow surface layer, but reflect processes in the entire profile. One formidable difficulty in this application of soil physics is the spatial heterogeneity of natural soils. Earlier work has suggested that the heterogeneity of soil hydraulic properties may be described by the frequency distribution of a single scale factor. The sensitivity of hydraulic and energetic processes to the variation of this scale factor is explored with a suitable numerical model. It is believed that such an analysis can help in deciding how accurately and extensively basic physical properties of field soils need to be known in order to interpret thermal or radar waveband signals. It appears that the saturated hydraulic conductivity needs to be known only to its order of magnitude, and that the required accuracy of the soil water retention function is about 0.02 volume fraction. Furthermore, the results may be helpful in deciding how the total scene or view field, as perceived through a sensor, is composed from the actual mosaic of transient soil properties, such as surface temperature or surface soil moisture. However, the latter proposition presupposes a random distribution of permanent properties, a condition that may not be met in many instances, and no solution of the problem is apparent.
Distribution of immunoreactive peptide B in the rat brain

Peptide B represents one of the most highly conserved sequences in proenkephalin. To investigate the potential presence of this peptide in the mammalian nervous system, an antiserum raised to this peptide was used to measure the distribution and molecular weight forms of immunoreactive Peptide B in the rat brain. Peptide B-immunoreactivity (ir) was found to be most concentrated in the hypothalamus and the striatum, with lower concentrations in the midbrain and medulla-pons. Characterization of Peptide B-ir by gel filtration demonstrated that the major immunoreactive peak in the hypothalamus corresponded to a peptide with the approximate molecular weight of Peptide B. The major immunoreactive peptide exhibited a retention time on HPLC indicative of a peptide slightly more hydrophilic than bovine Peptide B. The results suggest that proenkephalin in rat brain can be processed to peptides related to bovine Peptide B.
Family of Origin Characteristics and Symptomatology in a Counseling Center Population

Abstract The relationship between family of origin characteristics and symptomatology of a college counseling center population was examined using self-report information on abuse history, parental substance abuse, familial adaptability and cohesion as measured by the FACES-II, and symptomatology. Students indicated substantial clinical symptomatology and/or histories of abuse. Three types of childhood abuse were correlated with each other and with adaptability and cohesion. Adaptability and cohesion were correlated to parental substance abuse. Childhood emotional abuse had higher correlations with symptomatology and predicted depressive symptoms. Adaptability predicted panic symptoms. Childhood abuse predicted the same type of abuse in adulthood. Implications for therapists in college counseling centers are discussed.
Social metrics of song learning

Abstract Five metrics of song learning are described for brown-headed cowbirds ( Molothrus ater ). The intent of these metrics is to capture not only the behavior of the song learner but the social context in which song learning occurs. Playback procedures, observations of mating, and acoustic and functional assessment of song content are combined to yield measures of song potency, functional validity, social dynamics, vocal flexibility, and social reactivity. Taken as a whole, the results revealed by these metrics indicate that males learn to be effective singers by attending to the social consequences of their behavior.
Life-span alterations in visually evoked potentials and inhibitory function.

Abstract Visually evoked potentials (VEPs) elicited by patterned and unpatterned flashes were recorded from 211 healthy males aged 4–90 years. A measure of similarity between the two kinds of VEPs was obtained by correlating the digital values comprising the two waveforms. Across the life-span, correlations followed a U-shaped curve; patterned and unpatterned flash VEPs were most alike for the youngest and oldest subjects. This age effect, localized to scalp areas overlying visual cortex, is compatible with a concept of reduced inhibitory functioning within the visual systems of the young and the old. At central scalp, patterned and unpatterned flash VEP waveforms were more effectively differentiated by the right hemisphere. This observation agrees with reports that the right hemisphere specializes in analyses of spatial material.
Residual Fluid as a Source of Error in Bubble Point Testing

The bubble point test ( ASTM D6767 ) is a method of calculating the pore size distribution of geotextiles. ASTM D6767 allows a variety of wetting fluids to be used in the test. However, different fluids are found to produce different pore size distributions, even though relevant fluid properties are supposedly accounted for in the data reduction ( Elton, D. J., Hayes, D. W., Adanur, S., Geotech. Test. J., Vol. 30, No. 1, 2007, pp. 9–16). The ASTM D6767 data reduction is found to be theoretically incorrect. The effect of residual wetting fluid on the pore size distribution is examined. Residual fluid is defined as fluid that remains on the walls of a previously saturated pore after the critical pressure for the fluid in the pore has been reached (after the bubble point pressure is reached). Since the phenomenon of residual fluid is not considered in ASTM D6767 , it presents a source of error. Bretherton’s law suggests residual fluid errors will be reduced by using fluids with a small viscosity to surface tension ratio.
Differential effects of paced and unpaced responding on delayed serial order recall in schizophrenia.

Abstract Working memory for temporal order is a component of working memory that is especially dependent on striatal systems, but has not been extensively studied in schizophrenia. This study was designed to characterize serial order reproduction by adapting a spatial serial order task developed for nonhuman primate studies, while controlling for working memory load and whether responses were initiated freely (unpaced) or in an externally paced format. Clinically stable schizophrenia patients (n = 27) and psychiatrically healthy individuals (n = 25) were comparable on demographic variables and performance on standardized tests of immediate serial order recall (Digit Span, Spatial Span). No group differences were observed for serial order recall when read sequence reproduction was unpaced. However, schizophrenia patients exhibited significant impairments when responding was paced, regardless of sequence length or retention delay. Intact performance by schizophrenia patients during the unpaced condition indicates that prefrontal storage and striatal output systems are sufficiently intact to learn novel response sequences and hold them in working memory to perform serial order tasks. However, retention for newly learned response sequences was disrupted in schizophrenia patients by paced responding, when read-out of each element in the response sequence was externally controlled. The disruption of memory for serial order in paced read-out condition indicates a deficit in frontostriatal interaction characterized by an inability to update working memory stores and deconstruct ‘chunked’ information.
Characterization of the 2-(α-Carbolinyl)nitrenium Ion and Its Conjugate Base Produced during the Decomposition of the Model Carcinogen 2-N-(Pivaloyloxy)-2-amino-α-carboline in Aqueous Solution

The kinetics of the decomposition of the model ultimate carcinogen 2-N-(pivaloyloxy)-2-amino-α-carboline (4a), and its 9-methyl analogue (4b), in 20 vol % CH3CN−H2O, μ = 0.5 (NaClO4) at 20 °C, are consistent with the uncatalyzed N−O bond heterolysis of the neutral esters. The protonated ester 4aH+ (pKa = 1.6), detected kinetically and by spectrophotometric titration, is unreactive under these conditions. Spectrophotometric titration of 4b also indicates that a protonated species, 4bH+ (pKa = 0.9), is formed under acidic conditions. Both 4a and 4b produce electrophilic intermediates, identified as the nitrenium ions 5a and 5b, that are efficiently trapped by N3-, Br-, and 2‘-deoxyguanosine, d-G, without an increase in the overall rate of decomposition of the esters. N3- and d-G trapping efficiencies, kaz+/ks+ and kd-G+/ks+, for 5a and 5b are very similar to each other and are within a factor of 4 of the trapping efficiencies with N3- and d-G previously measured for the 2-fluorenylnitrenium ion (6). The tra...
Making the transition to collaborative buyer–seller relationships: An emerging framework

Abstract In recent years, many business-to-business marketers have been influenced by the concepts put forth in the area of relationship marketing , with its emphasis on long-term collaborative relationships among trading partners. However, buyers and sellers alike have found it difficult to make the transition from an arm's length, “invisible hand of the market” relationship to one of collaboration, for a variety of reasons. We propose a framework, still emerging, that captures the elements critical to the transition process. We do not advocate collaborative relationships in all buyer–seller relationships; however, where they make sense we demonstrate how to overcome barriers to collaboration. Explicitly recognizing the elements of the framework and their relationship to one another would help potential collaborators better manage the transition process and thereby increase the likelihood of reaping the benefits of a truly more collaborative relationship.