cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Towards Consensus: Training in Procedural Skills for Diagnostic Radiology Residents-Current Opinions of Residents and Faculty at a Large Academic Center.

Rationale and Objectives The Diagnostic Radiology Milestones Project provides a framework for measuring resident competence in radiologic procedures, but there are limited data available to assist in developing these guidelines. We performed a survey of current radiology residents and faculty at our institution as a first step toward obtaining data for this purpose. The survey addressed attitudes toward procedural standardization and procedures that trainees should be competent by the end of residency. Materials and Methods Current residents and faculty members were surveyed about whether or not there should be standardization of procedural training, in which procedures residents should achieve competency, and the number of times a procedure needs to be performed to achieve competency. Results Survey data were received from 60 study participants with an overall response rate of 32%. Sixty-five percent of respondents thought that procedural training should be standardized. Standardization of procedural training would include both the list of procedures that trainees should be competent in at the end of residency and the standard minimum number of procedures to achieve competency. Procedures that both residents and faculty agreed are important in which to achieve competency included central line/port procedures; CT-guided abdominal, thoracic, and musculoskeletal procedures; minor fluoroscopic-guided procedures; general fluoroscopy; peripheral line placements; and US-guided abdominal procedures. For most of these categories, most respondents believed that these procedures needed to be performed 6-20 times to achieve competency. Conclusion Both resident and faculty respondents agreed that procedural training should be standardized during residency, and competence in specific procedures should be achieved at the completion of residency. Although this study is limited to a single institution, our data may provide assistance in developing future guidelines for standardizing image-guided procedure training. Future studies could be expanded to create a national consensus regarding the implementation of the Diagnostic Radiology Milestones Project.
Hyperviscosity-based stabilization for radial basis function-finite difference (RBF-FD) discretizations of advection-diffusion equations

We present a novel hyperviscosity formulation for stabilizing RBF-FD discretizations of the advectiondiffusion equation. The amount of hyperviscosity is determined quasi-analytically for commonly-used explicit, implicit, and implicit-explicit (IMEX) time integrators by using a simple 1D semi-discrete Von Neumann analysis. The analysis is applied to an analytical model of spurious growth in RBF-FD solutions that uses auxiliary differential operators mimicking the undesirable properties of RBF-FD differentiation matrices. The resulting hyperviscosity formulation is a generalization of existing ones in the literature, but is free of any tuning parameters and can be computed efficiently. To further improve robustness, we introduce a simple new scaling law for polynomial-augmented RBF-FD that relates the degree of polyharmonic spline (PHS) RBFs to the degree of the appended polynomial. When used in a novel ghost node formulation in conjunction with the recently-developed overlapped RBF-FD method, the resulting method is robust and free of stagnation errors. We validate the high-order convergence rates of our method on 2D and 3D test cases over a wide range of Peclet numbers (1-1000). We then use our method to solve a 3D coupled problem motivated by models of platelet aggregation and coagulation, again demonstrating high-order convergence rates.
The Treatment of Somatization

Somatizing patients have been regarded by many authors to have a poor prognosis (Kellner, 1986). In outcome studies of psychotherapy they have been found to respond less well to conventional psychotherapy than patients with emotional symptoms (Rosenberg, 195A; Stone, Frank, Nash, and Imber, 1961) and generally have been judged to be poor candidates for psychotherapy. However, these views are in conflict with good outcomes reported in several uncontrolled studies of patients with functional somatic symptoms. For example, a large proportion of patients with benign chest pain (Cope, 1969) or neurocirculatory asthenia (Cohen and White, 1951), treated only with reassurance and explanation, apparently recovered. In general medical practice a substantial proportion of patients with functional somatic symptoms recover without specific treatments (Thomas, 1978).
Advancing the Education of Students with Visual Impairments Through Evidence-Based Practices

Abstract Increasingly, educators are being challenged to use educational strategies that have been proven to be effective through high-quality research. As could be expected of a low-incidence disability in a field with few researchers, educators of students with visual impairments have limited research-based information to guide practice. The purpose of this chapter is to selectively examine the current state of evidence-based practices for the education of students with visual impairments and to briefly review the context for the evidence-based practice movement. In addition to identifying evidence-based practices and potential evidence-based practices for students with visual impairments, recommendations for advancing the identification of effective practices for students with visual impairments are presented.
Dynamic coagulability after injury: Is delaying venous thromboembolism chemoprophylaxis worth the wait?

BACKGROUNDSeverely injured patients often progress from early hypocoagulable to normal and eventually hypercoagulable states, developing increased risk for venous thromboembolism (VTE). Prophylactic anticoagulation can decrease this risk, but its initiation is frequently delayed for extended periods
A Unique Case of Diagnosed Monocryl Allergy Following Hip Arthroscopy

Following arthroscopic hip labral repair, trochanteric bursectomy and iliotibial band lengthening, a patient presented with signs and symptoms that are consistent with allergic reactions that were localized to incision sites. The patient reported discomfort due to pain and pruritus about the surgical sites and was treated with antibiotics, antihistamines, and anti-inflammatory medication. Her skin was kept under close observation and, upon consulting with a dermatologist, the diagnosis of Monocryl allergy was made. Amidst the rarity of skin irritation due to the material of sutures, it is important to monitor for a possible Monocryl allergy, and suture necessitation is crucial.
The role of Epstein-Barr virus in cervical cancer: exploring the immunological mechanisms for production of anti-Estein-Barr virus IgA in high risk women with dysplasia (HUM6P.250)

Human papillomavirus (HPV) alone is a necessary but insufficient cause of cervical cancer due to the high number of infections that spontaneously resolve. We have evidence supporting Epstein-Barr Virus (EBV), a known oncovirus implicated in several cancer types, as a co-factor for cervical disease in HIV+ women. Longitudinal analysis of ELISA data from 453 serum samples, collected over a five year time period from 89 HIV+ women, indicated IgA, but not IgG, against EBV viral capsid antigen (VCA) predicted cervical dysplasia. Sera were also tested for IgG and IgA against HPV16,18 L1 protein and EBV nuclear antigen-1, but no predictive value was observed for these additional targets. Measures of HIV disease control, HIV viral load and CD4 T cell count, were also not predictive of dysplasia. Multivariate models indicated that HPV IgG status did not alter the significance of the EBV VCA IgA prediction. Cervical EBV DNA detection suggests local EBV infection; however, cervical Ab responses are generally IgG. The repetitive structure of the EBV capsid may trigger T cell independent Abs, but the longevity of IgA detection opposes this notion. We hypothesize EBV in the cervix may result in formation of lymphoid-like follicles, as seen in cervicitis, for Ab production. We are collecting dysplastic cervical tissue to establish the existence and functionality of these structures as well as assessing for molecules influencing IgA class switching, such as CXCL-13, BAFF and APRIL.
Can Delivery Platforms Benefit Restaurants

In the restaurant industry, delivery platforms collect customer orders via mobile apps or the web, transmit them to restaurants, and deliver the orders to customers. Platforms claim they provide value to restaurants by expanding their markets, but critics claim they destroy restaurant profitability by taking a percentage of revenues from delivery orders and generating congestion that negatively impacts dine-in customers. We consider these tensions using a stylized model of a restaurant as a congested service system, with a goal of understanding how best to structure relationships between restaurants and platforms to maximize joint profits. First, we analyze the efficacy of the most commonly used contracts, “simple revenue sharing,” in which the platform takes a percentage cut of each delivery order. We show that such contracts fail to coordinate the system because the platform does not internalize the effect of its price on dine-in revenues, setting its price too low and attracting many delivery customers who generate congestion for dine-in customers; the restaurant is forced to respond to this by setting dine-in prices that are too low, which in turn negatively impacts restaurant revenues compared to a centralized system in which both prices are set to maximize joint revenue. We then investigate several proposed mechanisms to improve the relationship between restaurants and platforms and coordinate the system. We show that commission caps, which have been legally mandated in some US states and localities, are ineffective at coordinating the system because they do not solve the structural problem with simple revenue sharing contracts. Allowing the restaurant to set price floors for the delivery platform is similarly incapable of coordination, generating double marginalization that leads to prices that are too high relative to the central optimum. Finally, we propose an alternative, practical coordinating contract that is a variation of simple revenue sharing: for each delivery order, the platform pays the restaurant a fixed, flat fee and a percentage revenue share. For appropriately chosen contract parameters, we show that this contract coordinates the system, protects restaurant margins by ensuring a lower bound on its revenue per delivery order, and allocates revenue with a high degree of flexibility between the restaurant and the platform.
Understanding Hydrogen Bonding Interactions in Crosslinked Methylammonium Lead Iodide Crystals: Towards Reducing Moisture and Light Degradation Pathways.

Methylammonium lead halide perovskite-based solar cells have demonstrated efficiencies as high as 24.2 %, highlighting their potential as inexpensive and solution-processable alternatives to silicon solar cell technologies. Poor stability towards moisture, ultraviolet irradiation, heat, and a bias voltage of the perovskite layer and its various device interfaces limits the commercial feasibility of this material for outdoor applications. Herein, we investigate the role of hydrogen bonding interactions induced when metal halide perovskite crystals are crosslinked with alkyl or π-conjugated boronic acid small molecules (-B(OH)2 ). The crosslinked perovskite crystals are investigated under continuous light irradiation and moisture exposure. These studies demonstrate that the origin of the interaction between the alkyl or π-conjugated crosslinking molecules is due to hydrogen bonding between the -B(OH)2 terminal group of the crosslinker and the I of the [PbI6 ]4- octahedra of the perovskite layer. Also, this interaction influences the stability of the perovskite layer towards moisture and ultraviolet light irradiation. Morphology and structural analyses, as well as IR studies as a function of aging under both dark and light conditions show that π-conjugated boronic acid molecules are more effective crosslinkers of the perovskite crystals than their alkyl counterparts thus imparting better stability towards light and moisture degradation.
Myt Transcription Factors prevent stress-response gene over-activation to enable postnatal pancreatic β cell proliferation and function

Although stress response maintains cell function and survival under adverse conditions, over-activation of late-stage stress-gene effectors causes dysfunction and death. Here we show that the Myelin Transcription Factors (Myt 1, 2, and 3 TFs) prevent this over-activation. Co-inactivating Myt TFs in mouse pancreatic progenitors compromised postnatal {beta}-cell function, proliferation, and survival, preceded by upregulation of late-stage stress-response genes Activating Transcription Factors (e.g., Atf4) and Heat Shock Proteins (Hsps). Myt1 binds the putative enhancers of Atf4 and Hsps, whose over-expression in mouse {beta} cells largely recapitulated the Myt mutant phenotypes. Moreover, Myt(MYT)-TF levels were upregulated in functional mouse and human {beta} cells by metabolic stress but downregulated in those of type 2 diabetic islets that display ATF4 and HSP over-activation. Lastly, human MYT knockdown caused stress-gene over-activation and death in Endo-{beta}H1 cells. These findings suggest that the Myt TFs restrict stress-response to physiologically tolerable levels in mice and human.
Correlation Between the Movement Disorder Society's Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale and Nonmotor Scales in Patients with Parkinson's Disease.

Objective: Our study evaluates the potential psychiatric impact of the full phase of the moon on patients in a state psychiatric hospital in Buffalo, New York, between September 2013 and July 2018. Methods: This relationship is presented as the average number of restraints or seclusions (R&S) and code green psychiatric emergencies (CG) recorded 14 days before and 14 days after a full moon. Since the timeframe of the analysis included the August 21, 2017, solar eclipse, we also highlight the correlation between a partial solar eclipse and the number of CG events. We also compared full moon phase effects in 2017 to other years to benchmark whether the solar eclipse appeared to influence behavioral effects from baseline. Results: While there was a slight decrease in mean R&S on days where there was a full moon or in the month of a partial solar eclipse, the results were not considered to be significant or associated with human behavior. Conclusion: There was no real association between lunar and solar behavior and the actions of patients with psychiatric disorders.
A Hierarchical Hybrid Heuristic-Optimization Approach for Multi-Product Assembly Line Design Problem

Abstract In this research, an alternative parallel assembly line design strategy for multi products is proposed. Assigning operators to the parallel assembly stations optimally is an essential task specifically when the production volume is considerably high and the numbers of required operators are more than the number of assembly operations. The primary objective in the parallel assembly line problem is to balance more than one assembly line together. To deal with this problem a three phase hierarchy methodology is developed: (1) based on the assembly network for each product, operations are grouped into stations for various configuration. (2) In order to determine how many operators should be assigned to each station, a mathematical model is used and parallel stations are designed. (3) The number of assembly lines is determined with the objective of minimizing total number of operators required in the system. This approach guarantees that minimum number of workers is obtained thus maximizing overall system efficiency. This study is the extension of Suer’s (1998) study in which only one product was considered.
The impacts of connected vehicle technology on network-wide traffic operation and fuel consumption under various incident scenarios

ABSTRACTIncidents are a major source of traffic congestion and can lead to long and unpredictable delays, deteriorating traffic operations and adverse environmental impacts. The emergence of connec...
Subarachnoid space trabeculae architecture.

Introduction The motion of the brain relative to the skull is influenced by the architecture of the subarachnoid space (SAS), and in particular, by the arachnoid trabeculae. In previous studies of these structures, specific shapes were identified. However, the work presented here shows much finer detail of the SAS geometries using SEM and TEM. Materials and methods These images were acquired by maintaining the SAS structure of a rat using glutaraldehyde formaldehyde to strengthen the tissues via crosslinking with the biological proteins. Results The results showed the detailed shape of five dominant arachnoid trabeculae structures: single strands, branched strands, tree like shapes, sheets, and trabecular networks. Each of these architectures would provide a different response when exposed to a tensile load and would provide different levels of resistance to the flow of the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) within the SAS. Conclusion This very detailed level of geometric information will therefore allow more accurate finite element models of the SAS to be developed.
Numerical Simulations of Fourth Avenue Landslide Considering Cyclic Softening

AbstractCyclic softening of fine-grained soils poses a significant hazard to geotechnical infrastructure in many parts of the world. Methods to numerically evaluate the cyclic softening and subsequ...
Out of Sight, out of Mind: Use of Order Sets to Reduce Viral Respiratory Ordering Rates

Background: Bronchiolitis is the most common admitting diagnosis for children ages 1 to 23 months. Guidelines published by the American Academy of Pediatrics in 2014 recommend against routine viral testing for bronchiolitis, but viral respiratory panels (VRPs) are commonly ordered on patients admitted to our institution with bronchiolitis. A Bronchiolitis Clinical Pathway and associated order set was implemented at …
Beyond Eastern Noir: reimagining Russia and Eastern Europe in Nordic cinemas: by Anna Estera Mrozewicz, Edinburgh, Edinburgh University, 2018, viii+230 pp., illustrations, bibliography, filmography £19.99 (paperback), ISBN 9781474452267; £75.00 (hardback), ISBN 9781474418102; £75.00 (eBook), ISBN 9781474418126, ISBN 9781474418119 (PDF)

Beyond Eastern Noir is a compact and ambitious book, where the author, Anna Estera Mrozewicz, aims at a broad discussion of how Russia and Eastern Europe (including the former GDR) are presented in...
The discovery of “Tatooine”: Kepler-16b

Abstract We describe the discovery of Kepler-16b, the first widely accepted detection of a circumbinary planet.
Exertional Sickling in Football Players with Sickle Cell Trait

In football players, youth to collegiate, exertional sickling (ES) in the face of sickle cell trait (SCT) is a leading cause of nontraumatic death. Regarded as generally benign, SCT in an athlete can carry a grave risk with sustained, intense activity. The potential ensuing metabolic cascade from fulminant rhabdomyolysis presents a medical emergency. Athletics health care providers must know ES signs and symptoms and the characteristics of collapse for early recognition, intervention, and provision of indicated medical care. Knowledge of SCT status is key in preventing fatality and enabling safe participation for these athletes. Status knowledge from screening for SCT in the pre-participation examination, paired with precautions, has prevented death due to ES in National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I football players with SCT. Applying the lessons and successes of NCAA in high school and youth levels of sport offers potential for additional prevention of ES morbidity and mortality.
Reconceptualizing Leadership From a Neurodiverse Perspective

While scholarship has increased on the topic of neurodiversity in organizations, which refers to individuals with pervasive developmental disorders in the workforce, leadership theory and research ...
Force Field Optimization Guided by Small Molecule Crystal Lattice Data Enables Consistent Sub-Angstrom Protein–Ligand Docking

Accurate and rapid calculation of protein-small molecule interaction free energies is critical for computational drug discovery. Because of the large chemical space spanned by drug-like molecules, ...
Urban wastewater bacterial communities assemble into seasonal steady states

Microorganisms in urban sanitary sewers exhibit community properties that suggest sewers are a novel ecosystem. Sewer microorganisms present both an opportunity as a control point for wastewater treatment and a risk to human health. If treatment processes are to be improved and health risks quantified, then it is necessary to understand microbial distributions and dynamics within this community. Here, we use 16S rRNA gene sequencing to characterize raw influent wastewater bacterial communities in a 5-year time series from two wastewater treatment plants in Milwaukee, WI; influent wastewater from 77 treatment plants across the USA; and wastewater in 12 Milwaukee residential sewers. In Milwaukee, we find that in transit from residences to treatment plants, the human bacterial component of wastewater decreases in proportion and exhibits stochastic temporal variation. In contrast, the resident sewer community increases in abundance during transit and cycles seasonally according to changes in wastewater temperature. The result is a bacterial community that assembles into two distinct community states each year according to the extremes in wastewater temperature. Wastewater bacterial communities from other northern US cities follow temporal trends that mirror those in Milwaukee, but southern US cities have distinct community compositions and differ in their seasonal patterns. Our findings provide evidence that environmental conditions associated with seasonal change and climatic differences related to geography predictably structure the bacterial communities residing in below-ground sewer pipes.
Rotor Orientation Optimization for Direct 6 Degree of Freedom Control of Multirotors

Standard multirotor designs typically arrange their propellers in the same plane, which results in an under-actuated system whose pose cannot track an arbitrary trajectory over time in 6 DoFs. Some researchers have explored 6-DoF control authority for multirotors with six or more rotors to resolve this drawback. This paper presents a multi-objective optimization (MOO) algorithm to determine the rotor tilt angles for the fixed-tilt configuration by inputting desired frame parameters and performance characteristics. While existing tilt-optimization methods seek to optimize a common inward tilt and twist for each rotor resulting in a two parameter search space, we explore an optimization method that covers independent orientation of each rotor resulting initially in 12 parameters. It then shows how the search space can be reduced to five parameters without impacting the global minimum and explore the inherent isomerism that results in the solution. The proposed objective function for the optimization is constructed to be easily understood and tuned during product design. This paper also compares the proposed optimization result with other fixed-tilt hexrotor layouts claiming to realize full actuation, and quantifies the improved control authority of the new design with experiments via both a test jig and in-flight testing.
Anti-oppressive Early Childhood Teacher Training Through Humility, Intersectionality, and Love

This chapter examines my nearly 4 years of experience teaching in a collaborative educational program designed to bring people from immigrant communities into the early care and education field. Using an autoethnographic, intersectional framework, I examine my positionality as a white, female professor in relation to the complex identities of economically, linguistically, and culturally diverse adult students of immigrant communities. Explorations include analyzing identity and power; questioning teacher indoctrination; practicing cultural humility, student-centered leadership, agency, innovation, and love; and making transformative curricular collaborations as a result.
Large-scale allosteric switch in the 7SK RNA regulates transcription in response to growth and stress

7SK is a highly conserved non-coding RNA that regulates eukaryotic transcription by sequestering positive transcription elongation factor b (P-TEFb). 7SK regulatory function likely entails changes in RNA structure, but characterizing dynamic RNA-protein complexes in cells has remained an unsolved challenge. We describe a new chemical probing strategy (DANCE-MaP) that uses maximum likelihood deconvolution and probabilistic read assignment to define simultaneously (i) per-nucleotide reactivity profiles, (ii) direct base pairing interactions, and (iii) tertiary and higher-order interactions for each conformation of multi-state RNA structural ensembles, all from a single experiment. We show that human 7SK RNA, despite significant heterogeneity, intrinsically codes for a large-scale structural switch that couples dissolution of the P-TEFb binding site to structural remodeling at distal release factor binding sites. The 7SK structural equilibrium is regulated by cell type, shifts dynamically in response to cell growth and stress, and can be exogenously targeted to modulate transcription in cells. Our data support that the 7SK structural ensemble functions as an integrator of diverse cellular signals to control transcription elongation in environment and cell specific ways, and establishes DANCE-MaP as a powerful strategy for comprehensively defining RNA structure and dynamics in cells.
Perspectives about COVID-19 vaccination among the paralysis community in the United States.

Purpose/objective We sought to explore perspectives among the paralysis community and caregivers or persons with paralysis (PWP) about the COVID-19 vaccination. Research Method/Design: Data were collected via online survey with multiple choice and open-ended questions from adult PWP and family members and/or caregivers (FC) of PWP. Multiple choice questions were analyzed using descriptive statistics and chi-square analyses were conducted to compare the two groups (PWP and FC); open-ended responses were coded using Hamilton's rapid assessment process. Results A total of 1,017 respondents (831 PWP, 186 FC). PWP shared the same levels of COVID-19 vaccination hesitancy and received similar levels of information about the vaccine as the general population. Unique concerns about the COVID-19 vaccine expressed solely by PWP included fear of death after the vaccine, concerns about vaccine efficacy, and concerns about Federal Drug Administration approval. At the time, the majority of PWP plan to seek a COVID-19 vaccination and were vaccinated at a higher rate than was the general population. Conclusions Although PWP share many similar concerns to the general population, there are some concerns unique to PWP that must be noted to ensure that the paralysis community is considered fully and equitably in public health efforts related to the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).
A Response Quality Model for Online Health Communities

It has been reported that about 113 million Americans has looked for health information on the internet. Patient safety can therefore be very easily compromised if the advice/information that people receive is incorrect. Particularly in case of a chronic and debilitating disease like Parkinson’s disease, patients are very vulnerable to false information. Spread of misinformation can be a serious deterrent to information system use. However, the literature has been weak in linking the prevalence of misinformation on online social networks to the factors contributing to misinformation. This study seeks to reduce this gap by exploring the factors impacting the extent of misinformation in online social networking forum. Our findings show that the quality of a response is affected by clarity of the thread question, cumulative information quality and the users’ potential for making useful contributions. The results from this study provide practical suggestions to reduce misinformation on social networks.
A Defense of Proxy Advisors

Proxy advisors have dramatically transformed shareholder voting. Traditionally, even large institutional investors tended to follow the Wall Street Rule — vote with management or sell your stock — because the economics did not justify incurring any expense in deciding how to vote. The emergence of proxy advisors who perform proxy research for a modest fee paid by each of thousands of institutions now enables these investors to vote intelligently. New laws and rules have also expanded the range of matters on which shareholders vote. Because of these developments, business managements can no ignore but must cater to shareholder interests. However, corporate managers resent being dethroned. They are mounting a campaign to press the SEC to impose new regulations to hobble proxy advisors and, thereby, to neutralize institutional shareholders. This article reviews the charges leveled against proxy advisors and the new regulations proposed by their critics. It finds the complaints mostly unwarranted. Institutional investors are sophisticated and market forces minimize any problems with proxy advisors. With a few minor exceptions, new regulations are not needed and would be counterproductive.
Chapter 14 Computational Studies of Hydrogen-Containing Complexes in Semiconductors

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the research of computational theorists on the microscopic properties of hydrogen-containing complexes in semiconductors. The theory of the ubiquitous class of hydrogen-containing complexes forms is described in the chapter. The goal of defect computations is normally to complement or guide corresponding experimental studies so that the defect is either properly identified or otherwise better understood. In addition, computational simulations can provide essential insight for understanding the classes of defects that are either undetectable by electron paramagnetic resonance or electrically inactive. The chapter reviews the theoretical framework and computational methods that have been developed for point defects in crystalline solids and applied to hydrogen-containing complexes in semiconductors. It also discusses (1) hydrogen interactions with silicon dangling bonds, (2) hydrogen-shallow donor and hydrogen-shallow acceptor complexes in silicon (their structure, migration, reorientation, and vibrational characteristics), (3) hydrogen donor/ acceptor pair complexes, (4) hydrogen–dopant complexes in compound semiconductors, and (5) hydrogen molecules in crystalline silicon.
The effect of woodland proximity and wetland characteristics on larval anuran assemblages in an agricultural landscapeThis is contribution No. 82 of the MacArthur Agro-Ecology Research Center.

Changes to landscapes for agricultural activities often result in reduction and fragmentation of forested habitat. Land conversion for cattle ranching in south-central Florida has resulted in increases in pasture land interspersed with remnant patches of hardwood hammock. To examine the importance of these hammocks to anurans, we sampled 78 seasonally inundated wetlands to examine the relative importance of proximity of hardwood hammock patches (>20 ha) and wetland characteristics and used generalized linear models to determine which factors had a significant effect on larval anuran species richness or abundance. Species richness was significantly influenced by pH, conductivity, and water depth. Proximity to hammock did not influence species richness; however, assemblage composition differed between wetlands near hammocks and wetlands surrounded by pasture. Barking treefrogs (Hyla gratiosa LeConte, 1856), pine woods treefrogs (Hyla femoralis Bosc in Daudin, 1800), and oak toads (Bufo quercicus Holbrook, 1...
Bristlecone: A Language for Robust Software Systems

We present Bristlecone, a programming language for robust software systems. Bristlecone applications have two components: a high-level organization description that specifies how the application's conceptual operations interact, and a low-level operational description that specifies the sequence of instructions that comprise an individual conceptual operation. Bristlecone uses the high-level organization description to recover the software system from an error to a consistent state and to reason how to safely continue the software system's execution after the error. We have implemented a compiler and runtime for Bristlecone.We have evaluated this implementation on three benchmark applications: a web crawler, a web server, and a multi-room chat server. We developed both a Bristlecone version and a Java version of each benchmark application. We used injected failures to evaluate the robustness of each version of the application. We found that the Bristlecone versions of the benchmark applications more successfully survived the injected failures.
Insertions using geometric analysis and hybrid force- position control on a PUMA 560 with VAL II

Automatk programming of insertions is an essential step in achieving a truly flexible manufacturing environment. We present techniques based on active compliance implemented with hybrid force-position control capable of inserting a wide variety of shaped pegs. These techniques provide a significant step towards an automatically programmed flexible manufacturing environment.
Role of neurosteroids in the anticonvulsant activity of midazolam.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Midazolam is a short-acting benzodiazepine that is widely used as an i.v. sedative and anticonvulsant. Besides interacting with the benzodiazepine site associated with GABAA receptors, some benzodiazepines act as agonists of translocator protein (18 kDa) (TSPO) to enhance the synthesis of steroids, including neurosteroids with positive modulatory actions on GABAA receptors. We sought to determine if neurosteroidogenesis induced by midazolam contributes to its anticonvulsant action.
Functional connectivity between simple cells and complex cells in cat striate cortex

In the cat primary visual cortex, neurons are classified into the two main categories of simple cells and complex cells based on their response properties. According to the hierarchical model, complex receptive fields derive from convergent inputs of simple cells with similar orientation preferences. This model received strong support from anatomical studies showing that many complex cells lie within the range of layer IV simple-cell axons but outside the range of most thalamic axons. Physiological evidence for the model, however, has remained elusive. Here we demonstrate that layer IV simple cells and layer II and III complex cells show correlated firing consistent with monosynaptic connections. As expected from the hierarchical model, all connections were in the direction from the simple cell to the complex cell, most frequently between cells with similar orientation preferences.
A current-mode FDNR circuit element using capacitive gyrators

A current-mode implementation of a frequency-dependent negative resistance (FDNR) element is presented using a novel capacitive gyrator. This FDNR element lends itself well to the design of low-pass ladder filters and its use will result in a more efficient integrated circuit implementation than filters that simulate floating inductors using resistive gyrators. >
TransLexis: An Integrated Environment for Lexicon and Terminology Management

The IBM lexicon and terminology management system TransLexis provides an integrated solution for developing and maintaining lexical and terminological data for use by humans and computer programs. In this paper, the conceptual schema of TransLexis, its user interface, and its import and export facilities will be described. TransLexis takes up several ideas emerging from the reuse discussion. In particular, it strives for a largely theory-neutral representation of multilingual lexical and terminological data, it includes export facilities to derive lexicons for different applications, and it includes programs to import lexical and terminological data from existing sources.
African—American Art: Redefining the Canon

(2010). African—American Art: Redefining the Canon. Critical Interventions: Vol. 4, Transformations, pp. 16-26.
Economics of sugar-based ethanol production and related policy issues.

The feasibility of integrating ethanol production into an existing sugar mill was analyzed by a stochastic spreadsheet model. As the price of corn continues to rise, ethanol producers will eventually need to look at other feedstock alternatives. Sugarcane has been proven to work well in the production of ethanol in Brazil. The results indicated existing U.S. sugar mills could economically switch to ethanol production. As imports into the United States threaten to undermine the U.S. sugar program, sugarcane producers have a viable alternative. At the very least, the alternative exists to diversify their income streams with ethanol production.
Chemical affinity systems—I: pH dependence of boronic acid-diol affinity in aqueous solution

Abstract A comprehensive theory of complex formation between boronic acids (RB(OH)2) and organic diols is introduced and compared with experimental results for two exemplary systems using a direct spectrophotometric method over a wide range of pH values. The complexes of benzeneboronic acid with 4,5-dihydroxynaphthalene-2,7-disulfonate (4,5-diol) and with 2,3-dihydroxynaphthalene-6-sulfonate (2,3-diol) were found to dissociate to the extent of one part in 3.39 × 104 and 4.37 × 104, respectively, at optimal pH values. The conjugate acid form of a complex is observed for the first time in equilibria of this type.
Embracing the Second Best? Synchronization of Reform Speeds, Excess High Discretion Slack, and Performance of Transition Economy Firms

I extend the institution-based view by adopting a horse race perspective on pro-market reforms. Specifically, I study how the synchronization of reform speeds (the extent of coordination across a country's reform rates of implementation) affects the performance of transition economy firms. I suggest that synchronized faster reforms (the horse race) yield mutually reinforcing and complementary benefits that enhance firm performance. Additionally, I propose that greater excess high discretion slack (the degree of internally generated excess liquidity a firm has after external demands on the firm's financial resources are met) further strengthens this positive relationship because it allows firms to pursue aggressively the market opportunities that proliferate in the rapidly transforming economy. Tests on a sample of 211 firms from 14 transition economies during 1991 to 2009 support this framework.
Structural elucidation of complex carbohydrates.

The ability to recognize the chemical markers that distinguish “self” from “foreign” molecules is the first and most important step in the initiation of an immune response. The recognition process essentially involves two components, the antibody/receptor and the antigen. The complete structures of these two components need to be established so that the highly specific process can be understood at the molecular level. In the past decade the application of recombinant DNA technology to dissect the immune system has provided a great deal of insight into the structure and function of antibodies and antigens.
The active ClpP protease from M. tuberculosis is a complex composed of a heptameric ClpP1 and a ClpP2 ring

Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) contains two clpP genes, both of which are essential for viability. We expressed and purified Mtb ClpP1 and ClpP2 separately. Although each formed a tetradecameric structure and was processed, they lacked proteolytic activity. We could, however, reconstitute an active, mixed ClpP1P2 complex after identifying N-blocked dipeptides that stimulate dramatically (>1000-fold) ClpP1P2 activity against certain peptides and proteins. These activators function cooperatively to induce the dissociation of ClpP1 and ClpP2 tetradecamers into heptameric rings, which then re-associate to form the active ClpP1P2 2-ring mixed complex. No analogous small molecule-induced enzyme activation mechanism involving dissociation and re-association of multimeric rings has been described. ClpP1P2 possesses chymotrypsin and caspase-like activities, and ClpP1 and ClpP2 differ in cleavage preferences. The regulatory ATPase ClpC1 was purified and shown to increase hydrolysis of proteins by ClpP1P2, but not peptides. ClpC1 did not activate ClpP1 or ClpP2 homotetradecamers and stimulated ClpP1P2 only when both ATP and a dipeptide activator were present. ClpP1P2 activity, its unusual activation mechanism and ClpC1 ATPase represent attractive drug targets to combat tuberculosis.
Migratory paths and phenotypic choices of clonally related cells in the avian optic tectum

Abstract We used retrovirus-mediated gene transfer to study the migration of clonally related cells in the developing chicken optic tectum. Clonal cohorts initially form radial arrays in the ventricular zone (∼ E5), but eventually divide into three separate migratory streams. In the first migration, a minor population of cells migrates tangentially along axon fascicles in medio-laterally directed files (∼ E6–E7); these eventually differentiate into multipolar efferent cells. After E7, the majority of cells in each clone migrate radially along fascicles of radial glia to form the tectal plate, wherein they differentiate into neurons and astrocytes. Around E9, a set of small cells leaves the radial arrays in superficial layers to form a second tangential migration; at least some of these differentiate into astrocytes. Thus, as the tectum develops, cells derived from a single multipotential precursor migrate along three separate pathways, follow separate guidance cues, and adopt distinct phenotypes.
Digital reference: reference librarians' experiences and attitudes

This article reports the results of a survey of reference librarians in public and academic libraries of various sizes in the United States, asking them about their experiences with and attitudes towards the use of digital and networked technologies and resources in reference work. A total of 648 responded. In general, respondents were positive and optimistic in their outlook, but not unreservedly so. Among the strongest findings was a correlation between recent experience at doing digital reference and positive attitudes towards it, a clear set of opinions about what such services would be best and worst at, and differing perspectives and patterns of responses between academic and public librarians. In addition, questions asking about characteristics of librarians, their current and planned reference services, and some of their professional choices in doing reference work are reported.
Isoelectric heterogeneity of the major polypeptide of human serum high density lipoproteins

Abstract The major polypeptide of human serum high density lipoproteins was subfractionated by isoelectric focusing in narrow pH gradient. Five isoelectrically distinct subfractions were isolated with isoelectric points of 5.62, 5.54, 5.46, 5.39, and 5.32, respectively. The relative protein distribution of these five fractions was 12:32:34:17:5. These isoelectric distinct subfractions had identical amino acid compositions.
Tension stiffening model for concrete beams reinforced with steel and FRP bars

Cracking is an important aspect of concrete behavior that considerably affects the overall response of concrete structures. The initiation of cracks is governed by concrete tensile properties. The propagation of cracks is a complicated phenomenon that plays a significant role in the nonlinear analysis of concrete structures. The cracking process in tension starts at a relatively low tensile strain, causing plain concrete to exhibit a gradual softening behavior. This softening is augmented by the tension stiffening of reinforcing bars. The smeared crack approach is typically combined with nonlinear finite-element analysis to generate an accurate global response. The key to such representative accurate predictions relates to material parameters, especially those of tension stiffening effects. For a complete understanding of the crack development process, tests should be performed on concrete specimens at various load histories. However, due to the difficulty of testing concrete in uniaxial tension, only limited and often conflicting results are available. The present work develops an inverse approach combining nonlinear numerical analysis and global experimental response to develop the tension stiffening model parameters needed to simulate homogenized concrete behavior in tension. The results of the study provide good model parameters to use in the case of concrete beams reinforced with steel and fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) bars.
A nonlinear least-squares inverse analysis of strike-slip faulting with application to the San Andreas fault

A nonlinear weighted least-squares analysis was performed for a synthetic elastic layer over a viscoelastic half-space model of strike-slip faulting. Also, an inversion of strain rate data was attempted for the locked portions of the San Andreas fault in California. Based on an eigenvector analysis of synthetic data, it is found that the only parameter which can be resolved is the average shear modulus of the elastic layer and viscoelastic half-space. The other parameters were obtained by performing a suite of inversions for the fault. The inversions on data from the northern San Andreas resulted in predicted parameter ranges similar to those produced by inversions on data from the whole fault.
Population dynamics in a stochastic environment: spectral theory for the linearized N-species Lotka-Volterra competition equations.

Abstract A linear model for population dynamics in a stationary stochastic environment is introduced based on linearizing the N -species Lotka-Volterra competition equations in discrete time. Iteration of the linear model shows the sequence of population sizes to be formed from a simple linear operation on the sequence of carrying capacities. The transfer function for this operation is calculated and the spectral properties of time series data on population size follow directly. The above approach is illustrated with a symmetrical two-species competition system assuming white noise variation in the carrying capacities. The results are interpreted in detail with the following ideas. (1) The intrinsic rate of increase governs the “responsiveness” of the population to changes in the carrying capacity; (2) one effect of competition is to reduce the “effective rate of increase” of the population. Increasing competition can produce effects identical to that of lowering the intrinsic rate of increase; (3) the other effect of competition is to communicate the stochastic variation in one species' carrying capacity to its competitors. The end result of this communication depends critically on the cross-correlation scheme among the carrying capacities of the competing species.