cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Dimensions Affecting the Assessment of Reading Comprehension

The assessment of reading comprehension has a long and storied history in educational research (Pearson, 1998). There are multiple approaches to the assessment of reading comprehension, reflecting the evolution of theory and pedagogical shifts in reading education and assessment. The recent report of the Rand Reading Study Group (2002) identified three broad categories that represented the outcomes of reading comprehension. The outcomes were as follows: (a) knowledge, which involves successful comprehension of the content, integration of new content with previously stored information, and critical evaluation of the information; (b) application, which represents the utility of content when it is applied to practical problems and tasks; and (c) engagement, which reflects involvement with the ideas, experience, and style of the text. It is clear that the assessment of reading comprehension is multidimensional. Yet many contemporary assessments of reading comprehension involve only the assessment of content knowledge. Comprehension of print that addresses the integration and evaluation of the information is infrequently assessed. Even rarer are assessments that address application or engagement.
Spectral-slicing noise in polarization-modulated optical links

Polarization-shift keying offers multi-dimensional signaling for optical links to achieve high data rates using low-coherence sources. In binary systems with spectrally sliced broadband sources, on–off keying with a finite extinction ratio causes non-Gaussian noise distributions that lead to bit-error-rate floors. We show theoretically and experimentally that binary polarization-shift keying eliminates these error floors as well as improves sensitivity under all tested conditions.
Focus on the fatal-four: Implications for construction hazard recognition

Abstract Much effort has been devoted to improving hazard recognition in the construction industry. One such effort is the training outreach program pioneered and promoted by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) – commonly known as the Construction Focus Four or the Construction Fatal Four program. This program which is integrated in much of the training efforts offered in the construction industry seeks to promote hazard recognition and management by focusing on the four leading causes of fatal incidents – namely falls, caught-in/between, struck-by, and electrocution (i.e., fatal-four) hazards. Given the emphasis of these hazards in most training efforts, the objective of the current research was to explore if there are any performance disparities among workers in recognizing hazards that fall under the fatal-four and the non-fatal-four hazard categories. To accomplish this research goal, more than 280 workers were recruited from 57 construction workplaces in the United States to participate in a hazard recognition activity. The results of the study reveal that workers fail to recognize a disproportionate number of safety hazards in both the fatal-four and the non-fatal-four hazard categories. However, workers are relatively more proficient in recognizing hazards in the fatal-four hazard category than the non-fatal-four hazard category. More specifically, on average, the participating workers roughly recognized 57% of the fatal-four safety hazards while only recognizing 18% of the non-fatal-four safety hazards. Collectively, these findings suggest that apart from focusing on the fatal-four hazards, training efforts must also focus on the non-fatal-four safety hazards – given the relative poor performance.
Circulating fibrocytes traffic to the lung in murine acute lung injury and predict outcomes in human acute respiratory distress syndrome: a pilot study

Fibrosis is an integral component of the pathogenesis of acute lung injury and is associated with poor outcomes in patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). Fibrocytes are bone marrow-derived cells that traffic to injured tissues and contribute to fibrosis; hence their concentration in the peripheral blood has the potential to serve as a biomarker of lung fibrogenesis. We therefore sought to test the hypothesis that the concentration and phenotype of circulating fibrocytes in patients with ARDS predicts clinical outcomes. For the animal studies, C57Bl/6 mice were infected with experimental Klebsiella pneumoniae in a model of acute lung injury; one-way ANOVA was used to compare multiple groups and two-way ANOVA was used to compare two groups over time. For the human study, 42 subjects with ARDS and 12 subjects with pneumonia (without ARDS) were compared to healthy controls. Chi-squared or Fisher’s exact test were used to compare binary outcomes. Survival data was expressed using a Kaplan-Meier curve and compared by log-rank test. Univariable and multivariable logistic regression were used to predict death. In mice with acute lung injury caused by Klebsiella pneumonia, there was a time-dependent increase in lung soluble collagen that correlated with sequential expansion of fibrocytes in the bone marrow, blood, and then lung compartments. Correspondingly, when compared via cross-sectional analysis, the initial concentration of blood fibrocytes was elevated in human subjects with ARDS or pneumonia as compared to healthy controls. In addition, fibrocytes from subjects with ARDS displayed an activated phenotype and on serial measurements, exhibited intermittent episodes of markedly elevated concentration over a median of 1 week. A peak concentration of circulating fibrocytes above a threshold of > 4.8 × 106 cells/mL cells correlated with mortality that was independent of age, ratio of arterial oxygen concentration to the fraction of inspired oxygen, and vasopressor requirement. Circulating fibrocytes increase in a murine model of acute lung injury and elevation in the number of these cells above a certain threshold is correlated with mortality in human ARDS. Therefore, these cells may provide a useful and easily measured biomarker to predict outcomes in these patients.
How to sit

Far from being a fast track to ill-health, sitting can be good for us, find Herman Pontzer and David Raichlen. The trick is how you do it
A 65-Year-Old Woman With Dyspnea After Atrial Fibrillation Ablation.

Case Presentation A 65-year-old woman with a history of chronic persistent atrial fibrillation, tobacco use, and COPD was admitted to the hospital 2 months after catheter ablation for persistent atrial fibrillation and dyspnea. Her dyspnea was present at rest and worsened by exertion with limitation to ambulating less than two blocks. She also endorsed a 1-month history of cough with minimally productive whitish sputum with frequent nocturnal exacerbations and orthopnea. She denied any fevers, chest pain, or hemoptysis.
A teenager with Kikuchi-Fujimoto disease and brachial plexus neuritis

Introduction: Kikuchi- Fujimoto disease (KFD) is a benign and self-limiting condition of unknown etiology. Neurologic manifestations involving the brachial plexus is extremely rare with only two cases reported in adults. We hereby present the first case in pediatrics and review the literature on the subject. Case: A 14 years old female of Iraqi descent presented with right neck swelling and pain for 3 weeks duration but no fevers. There was limited range of motion of the neck as well as significant persistent tender lymphadenopathy in the right post-auricular and posterior cervical chains. The rest of the physical examination was unremarkable. …
An Algebraic Approach to Efficient Identification of a Class of Wiener Systems

Abstract This paper considers the problem of identifying the linear portion of a Wiener system, for the case of a known, but non-invertible non-linearity. It is well known that this scenario, common in many practical applications, leads to NP-hard problems in the number of experiments. Thus, existing techniques scale poorly and are typically limited to relatively few points. We show that this difficulty can be circumvented by considering an algebraic motivated approach. Specifically, we show that it is equivalent to identification of a switched linear system generated from the data. In turn, we can solve this problem by recasting it as the problem of finding the vanishing ideal of an arrangement of subspaces, a task that reduces to finding the null space of an embedded data matrix constructed from observed data.
From All About Eve (1950) to Clouds of Sils Maria (2014): Adapting a Classic Paradigm

In Clouds of Sils Maria (2014), Olivier Assayas develops a film about an “aging” actress according to the paradigm set by Joseph Mankiewicz’s All About Eve (1950). In Sils Maria, a stage and screen star (Juliette Binoche) are cast in the play that first made her famous in her youth, though she now plays an older character, lover of her younger self. As she rehearses with her assistant (Kristen Stewart), she suffers an identity crisis that is further aggravated by a shifting media landscape in which her celluloid-based star persona is fading. Assayas’s film tracks closely its unacknowledged model, with Binoche, like Bette Davis, creating a performance that similarly explores the existential question of where an actor’s performance ends and her authentic self begins.
Optimal Design for Prescribed Buckling Loads

A gradient method is formulated for the least-weight design of structural systems, reporesented by finite element assemblages, that must sustain prescribed buckling loads. An approach applied previously to free vibration problems is extended to stability problems. Included are the effects of nonlinear wieght-stiffness relationships and a lower-bound constraint on the design parameter. Results are compared with existing analytical solutions for single-span columns involving nonlinear weight-stiffness relations and the method is applied to cases of continuous columns and frameworks. A further practical use of the method incorporates an averaging technique whereby design parameters over prescribed segments are constrained to vary uniformly.
Anaphora and Abstract Entities

The investigations of previous chapters suggest that subDRSs and predicative DRSs, as well as discourse referents, may serve as terms of anaphoric relations. The use of DRSs as anaphoric antecedents has already pointed to the curious ability of pronouns to refer anaphorically to a sum of what seem to be disparate, abstract objects. In this chapter, I discuss various types of abstract entity anaphora within the DRT framework--in particular, anaphoric reference to events, facts, and propositions, which are representative of eventuality and abstract object anaphora generally. I will indicate how various anaphoric phenomena involving eventualities and abstract entities have a uniform analysis within the DRT framework. This will lay the groundwork for the next three chapters, in which I examine the intricate effects of discourse structure on these anaphoric relations. Even without bringing in discourse structure, however, there is much to say about abstract entity anaphora.
Courts Grapple over Responsibility

In May 2010, Yeardley Love was murdered by her ex-boyfriend, George Huguely. Love was a member of the women’s lacrosse team and Huguely a member of the men’s lacrosse team at the University of Virginia. Huguely was eventually convicted of second-degree murder and awaits sentencing. Love’s mother, Sharon, subsequently filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Huguely, and, more controversially, the men’s lacrosse team coaches along with various University staff and UVA itself. However, while universities may hold coaches responsible for unsavory actions or negligence internally, a court may not do the same.
Enzymic and immunochemical properties of lysozyme. XI. Conformation and immunochemistry of the two-disulfide peptide and the tryptophan and lysine residues in its antigenic reactivity.

Abstract The previously described peptide 62–68 (Cys 64-Cys 80) 74–96 (Cys 76-Cys 94) (Atassi, M. Z., Suliman, A. M. and Habeeb, A. F. S. A. (1975) Biochim. Biophys. Acta 405, 452–463), which accounted for about one-third of the total antigenic reactivity of native lysozyme, was isolated here with lysine 97 attached to it. The peptide was subjected to specific modification reactions in order to determine some of the residues which formed part of its antigenic reactive site. ORD measurements showed that the peptide was greatly unfolded in solution relative to its expected mode of folding within the intact lysozyme molecule. Modification of the two tryptophan residues in the peptide by reaction with 2,3-dioxo-5-indolinesulfonic acid provided a derivative which possessed similar conformational parameters to those of the unmodified peptide. However, the derivative retained only about half the immunochemical reactivity of the peptide. Succinylation of the amino groups afforded a derivative whose conformational parameters were identical to those of the unmodified peptide but in which half of the immunochemical reactivity was lost. Modification of the two tryptophan residues followed by succinylation of the amino groups resulted in almost complete loss of the antigenic reactivity, and the loss was not due to conformational differences. The antigenic reactivity of the peptide was also destroyed on removal of tryptophans 62 and 63, of sequence 84–93 from the loop 74–79 and of sequence 74–75 by chymotryptic digestion. From these and previous results it was concluded that the antigenic reactive site in this part of the lysozyme molecule incorporates one or both of tryptophans 62 and 63 as well as one or both lysines 96 and 97. The two disulfides 64–80 and 76–94 bring these two parts of the lysozyme molecule into a single reactive site. The intactness of the disulfides is essential for maintenance and reactivity of the site.
The FAAH inhibitor PF-04457845 has THC-like rewarding and reinstatement effects in squirrel monkeys and increases dopamine levels in the nucleus accumbens shell in rats (838.6)

FAAH inhibitors (like URB597), that increase brain levels of anandamide, OEA and PEA, show promise for treatment of several neuropsychiatric disorders, including addiction. We previously showed that URB597, unlike THC and anandamide, is not rewarding in squirrel monkeys (Justinova et al., 2008). Here we assessed abuse liability of the FAAH inhibitor PF-04457845, currently in clinical testing for treatment of cannabis withdrawal. In squirrel monkeys trained to self-administer anandamide (FR10 schedule, 60-s timeout), PF-04457845 maintained higher numbers of self-administered injections per session and higher rates of responding than vehicle at doses of 3 and 10 µg/kg/injection. The cannabinoid CB1 inverse agonist/antagonist rimonabant (0.3 mg/kg, i.m.) blocked self-administration of the peak dose of PF-04457845 (10 µg/kg/injection). In abstinent monkeys that had previously self-administered THC, PF-04457845 caused moderate reinstatement of drug-seeking behavior over a narrow dose range. In rats, PF-0445784...
The University and Local Economic Development

Increasing pressures on universities and educational institutions to be more involved in the communities that house them have led to a wave of interactions that have been both creative and mutually supportive. These ‘town-gown’ relations have stemmed not only from pressures by government leaders, but also from the sense of civic responsibility and the drive for ‘service learning’ where students move beyond the academic walls to engage in real life situations as part of the learning process. The resultant merits are invaluable lessons and experiences that are mutually beneficial to the students and the communities. Similarly, the involvement of community residents with events on campus fosters a mutual relationship and a positive perception towards the university. Challenges with such partnerships include the resentment between the community residents and the university members and the ‘us and them’ mentality that leads to communication blocks, mistrust and resentment. Overcoming these sentiments requires perseverance, patience, and creative thinking. This paper discusses one successful partnership between the University of Massachusetts at Amherst and the City of Springfield in Massachusetts. This collaboration was targeted to benefit the City by helping with their economic revitalization efforts, and the University by giving them a space in downtown Springfield for a ‘Design Center’, where students have a meeting space for studio and field work and can then exhibit their work. The paper ends with a set of principles that can guide other institutions and communities in developing strategic outreach and engagement activities.
Assessment of the strategic benefits of robotic operations: a case study of a thermal spraying robot

It is pointed out that the economic analysis methods, which are currently available to assess the cost-effectiveness of robotic systems are limited. The authors present a methodology to address this issue. To demonstrate the methodology, a case study involving the use of a thermal spraying robot in a rapid tool manufacturing system is presented. The authors provide a framework of analysis to identify the best economic combination of alternative spraying specifications and thermal spraying robots with different accuracy levels. With slight modifications the methodology can be applied to other areas of manufacturing automation, such as robotic assembly and robotic welding. >
Modelling of quench in CICC with a central channel in the conduit

This paper presents a theoretical model describing quench propagation in cable in conduit conductors (CICC) with an additional central flow channel. The central channel is used to enhance the flow capabilities in the conduit during steady state operation as well as during quench events. Such a system is the proposed design for certain conductors in the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER). Here, the additional channel is formed by a metal spring located at the center of the conduit. We describe the separate thermal evolution in both the cable bundle and the central channel; in particular, the mass, momentum and heat transfer due to flow between the cable bundle and the central channel are included in the model. Several simplifications are introduced which greatly reduce the complexity of the model without sacrificing accuracy. The resulting reduced model is solved both numerically and approximately analytically for ITER parameters.
Chapter 4 Models for Mid-Gap Centers in Gallium Arsenide

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses models for the centers [in a semiconductor, such as gallium arsenide (GaAs)] that provide localized states in the central part of the intrinsic gap. The presence of large concentrations of mid-gap states in GaAs became apparent when semi-insulating crystals were first inadvertently grown. Both native defect states and impurity states near mid-gap exert a variety of influence on GaAs, which is not necessarily semi-insulating. Thus, shallow donors (such as Si or Se) in n-type GaAs are obliged to provide electrons to any mid-gap acceptor impurities, such as Cr Ga or Fe Ga . The effective activity of a shallow-donor dopant in providing conduction band electrons is thus reduced by this compensation. Among the various energy transformation processes that are possible for a deep-level center, those involving photon absorption or emission attract considerable attention, both for experimental study and for theoretical speculation and modeling.
Staining of glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) in lumbar spinal cord increases following a sciatic nerve constriction injury.

Abstract The change in staining density of glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) was analyzed in rats that sustained a chronic constriction injury produced by sutures tied loosely around one sciatic nerve. This injury model of peripheral neuropathy resulted in a behavioral hyperalgesia evidenced by a decrease in mean foot withdrawal latency to radian heat. Increased GFAP immunostaining was observed in the gray matter of the spinal cord ipsilateral to the lesion and specific to spinal segments in which the sciatic nerve is distributed. Elevated GFAP staining density was attributed primarily to hypertrophy of astrocytes rather than their proliferation or migration since counts of astrocyte profiles demonstrated no significant difference when comparing the lesioned to the control side. The magnitude of the increase in GFAP staining correlated with the degree of hyperalgesia. Thus, these data suggest that astrocytes participate in the sequelae occurring in the dorsal horn following constriction injury of a peripheral nerve.
Two-dimensional apodized silicon photonic phased arrays

In this Letter, we demonstrate an 8×8 apodized silicon photonic phased array where the emission from each of 64 nanoantennas was tailored to exhibit Gaussian-shaped intensity distributions in the near field so that the sidelobes of the generated far-field optical beam were suppressed compared to that of a uniform phased array. With the aid of the 72 thermo-optic phase tuners directly integrated within the phased array, we dynamically shaped the generated optical beam in the far field in a variety of ways.
Effect of spectral shape on acoustic fatigue life estimates

Methods for estimating fatigue life due to random loading are briefly reviewed. These methods include a probabilistic approach in which the expected value of the rate of damage accumulation is computed by integrating over the probability density of damaging events and a method which consists of analyzing the response time history to count damaging events. It is noted that it is necessary to employ a time domain approach to perform Rainflow counting, while simple peak counting may be accomplished using the probabilistic method. Data obtained indicate that Rainflow counting produces significantly different fatigue life predictions than other methods that are commonly used in acoustic fatigue predictions. When low-frequency oscillations are present in a signal along with high-frequency components, peak counting will produce substantially shorter fatigue lives than Rainflow counting. It is concluded that Rainflow counting is capable of providing reliable fatigue life predictions for acoustic fatigue studies.
Occupational dust exposure and head and neck squamous cell carcinoma risk in a population-based case–control study conducted in the greater Boston area

Head and neck cancers account for an estimated 549,000 global cancer diagnoses each year. While tobacco use, alcohol consumption, and HPV16 infection are considered to be the major risk factors for this disease, occupational risk factors, including exposure to asbestos, have also been described, although dust exposures other than asbestos have been historically understudied. We have investigated the relationship between occupational exposures to five types of dusts, including sawdust, concrete dust, leather dust, metal dust, and chimney soot, and head and neck squamous cell carcinomas (HNSCC) in the greater Boston area. We report findings from a population-based case–control study involving 951 incident HNSCC cases and 1193 controls, frequency matched on age (±3 years), sex, and town/neighborhood of residence. Multivariable logistic regression was used to assess the association between occupational exposure to each type of dust and HNSCC, overall and by primary tumor site. After adjusting for age, sex, race, smoking, alcohol consumption, education, and HPV16 serology, laryngeal carcinoma risk increased for each decade of occupational exposure to sawdust (OR = 1.2, 95% CI: 1.0, 1.3) and metal dust (OR = 1.2, 95% CI: 1.0, 1.4); and HNSCC risk increased for each decade of occupational leather dust exposure (OR = 1.5, 95% CI: 1.2, 1.9). We have provided evidence for an association between occupational sawdust and metal dust and laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma, and leather dust and HNSCC, with increasing risk with longer duration at the exposed occupation.
Regulation of metallothionein synthesis in HeLa cells by heavy metals and glucocorticoids

Metallothioneins (MTs) are low molecular weight, cysteine-rich proteins that bind heavy metals. MT induction occurs in liver in response to either heavy metal (Zn/sup + +/ or Cd/sup + +/) administration or stress. The synthesis of MT can also be induced by either heavy metals or glucocorticoid hormones in HeLa cells cultured in serum-free medium. Induction of MT by zinc is subject to desensitization. In contrast, dexamethasone (dex) induction results in a continued elevation in the rate of MT synthesis. The stability of MT is dependent on the availability of metal; consequently, MT induced by dex is degraded much more rapidly (half-life of 11 to 12 hours) than MT induced by elevated zinc levels (half-life of 36 to 38 hours). Removal of either inducer results in biphasic degradation curves, as apothionein and zinc come into balance. In contrast, deinduction kinetics for MT synthesis following removal of the two inducers (zinc and dex) are the same, with a half-life of two and one-half hours. Inhibition of RNA synthesis blocks deinduction after removal of inducer. Induction of MT occurs in a wide variety of species, from blue-green algae to man. This system should provide an excellent model for the comparative biochemistry ofmore » regulation of gene expression.« less
Indoleacetic Acid and Abscisic Acid Antagonism I. On the Phytochrome-Mediated Attachment of Mung Bean Root Tips on Glass

The phytochrome-mediated attachment of mung bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L., var. Oklahoma 612) root tips on glass is quickly affected by indoleactic acid and abscisic acid at concentrations of 10 nm or less. Indoleacetic acid induces detachment, whereas abscisic acid induces attachment. Both plant regulators rapidly antagonize the action of the other. None of several cytokinins, gibberellins, and ethylene tested over a wide range in concentration had any effect on either attachment or detachment of root tips. It is postulated that phytochrome could control the endogenous levels of indoleacetic acid and abscisic acid and perhaps other hormones under certain circumstances, that this action is the first process initiated by phytochrome, and that indoleacetic acid and abscisic acid act on the plasmalemma to bring about opposing changes in the surface electric charges of plant cells.
Structures in the Stream: Water, Science, and the Rise of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers

As the Mississippi and other midwestern rivers inundated town after town during the summer of 1993, concerned and often angry citizens questioned whether the very technologies and structures intended to "tame" the rivers did not, in fact, increase the severity of the floods. Much of the controversy swirled around the apparent culpability of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the designer and builder of many of the flood control systems that failed. In this book, Todd Shallat probes the origins of the United States' oldest and largest water management agency and explores how the Corps' emphasis on scientific planning cut against the grain of a nation deeply committed to private enterprise and community rights. Combining extensive research with a lively, engaging style, Shallat follows the technological elite of the army from European antecedents through the boom years of river building after the Civil War. He tells the story of monumental construction and engineering fiascoes, public service and public corruption, and the rise of science and the army expert as agents of the state. Information on engineering during the Civil War, the influence of women and family on the political and organizational philosophy of the Corps, and numerous historical illustrations add interesting highlights to the story. Much more than an institutional history, Structures in the Stream offers significant insights into American society, which has alternately supported the massive public works projects that are a legacy of our French heritage and opposed them based on the democratic, individualist tradition inherited from Britain. It will provide important reading for a wide audience in environmental andmilitary history, the history of science and technology, policy studies, and American cultural history.
An edge extremal result for subcohesion

Abstract The edge-subconnectivity of a graph is defined to be the largest of all the subgraph edge connectivities. A graph is said to be type ( n , l ) if no subgraph on l or more points is n -edge connected. A canonical class of ( n , l ) graphs called star-like-( n, l ) graphs are introduced. It is then shown that no ( n , l ) graph has more edges than these canonical graphs.
Survey of optometric low vision rehabilitation training methods for the moderately visually impaired

Abstract Purpose The goal of this survey study is to determine the low vision rehabilitation training practices of optometrists who prescribe near magnifying devices for low vision patients who have moderate visual impairment from age-related macular degeneration. Methods A total of 2,028 surveys were sent electronically or by mail. A total of 136 optometrists reporting a special interest in low vision rehabilitation responded to an 18-item survey about practice mode, educational background, affiliations, and other demographic information. They were queried on methodology, frequency, and specific strategic content of rehabilitation training. Results Sixty-eight percent of the 136 respondents were private practitioners. Fifty-four percent of all respondents agreed that they train patients for 1 hour or less. Nine percent provided 3 or more training visits and were more likely to utilize an occupational therapist. Forty-six percent of respondents reported using various other personnel to perform the training. The majority of respondents spend 25% of their time examining low vision patients. Eighteen percent of all respondents were low vision residency trained. Conclusions Descriptions of current practice patterns are difficult to ascertain without consensus on terminology and management criteria among low vision practitioners. This survey and accompanying literature review support the need for clinical research and education that will establish an efficacious and cost-effective model for private outpatient low vision rehabilitation for individuals with various levels of vision impairment to determine the true availability of low vision rehabilitation care in the United States.
Implant contamination during spine surgery

Abstract Background context Postoperative spine infections have been reported to occur in 1% to 15% of patients and subsequently lead to significant morbidity and cost, with an elevated risk for instrumented cases. Every effort should be made to minimize the risk of intraoperative wound contamination. Consequently, certain practices are followed in the operating room to prevent contamination, many of which are not evidence based. Conversely, certain objects believed to be sterile are frequently overlooked as potential sources of contamination. Purpose To assess to what degree contamination of spinal implants occurs during spine surgery and evaluate whether coverage of implants alters the rate of contamination. Study design Prospective study. Study sample This study included 105 consecutive noninfection surgical cases performed by a single spine surgeon that required the use of instrumentation. Outcome measure Spinal implant contamination. Methods Cases were randomized to have all implant trays either remain uncovered (n=54) or covered (n=51) with sterile surgical towels on opening until implants were required for the case. After the last implant was placed, a sterile culture swab was used to obtain a sample from all open implants that had been present at the start of the case. The paper outer wraps of the implant trays were sampled in each case as a positive control, and an additional 105 swabs were capped immediately after they were opened to obtain negative controls. Swab samples were assessed for bacterial growth on 5% sheep blood Columbia agar plates. Of note, only departmental funding was used and no applicable financial relationships exist with any author. Results No growth was observed on any of the 105 negative controls, whereas 99.1% of positive controls demonstrated obvious contamination. Cultures from implant samples demonstrated a 9.5% overall rate of contamination with 2.0% (n=1) of covered implants versus 16.7% (n=9) of uncovered implants demonstrating contamination. Length of time implant trays were open before sample collection; implant type (plate, rods, vs. polyetheretherketone), number of scrubbed personnel, and number of implants used were all not found to be significantly associated with implant contamination (p>.05). However, coverage of implants was found to significantly reduce the implant contamination rate (p=.016). Conclusions The contamination of sterile implants during spine surgery was found to occur. However, this contamination was independent of the amount of time the implant trays remained open. Coverage of implants significantly reduces this contamination. Therefore, no matter the expected duration of a case, implant coverage is a simple modifiable way to reduce the risk of intraoperative wound contamination and potentially reduce postoperative infections.
Elastic creep of stressed solids due to time-dependent changes in elastic properties

The suggestion is made that creep in solids can occur by time-dependent changes in elastic properties. Specific mechanisms include cavity formation and growth, crack nucleation and growth, grain boundary migration in polycrystalline solids with elastically anisotropic grains and the redistribution of the individual phases within a composite. Creep rates by these four mechanisms are analysed and discussed for simple mechanical models. Recommendations are made for the interpretation of creep data in order to clearly separate the contribution of elastic creep from the total creep deformation.
Prediction of boiling points of alcohols from molecular structure

Abstract The normal boiling points for 120 C 5 –C 8 aliphatic alcohols have been predicted using multiple linear regression analysis of topological descriptors calculated directly from molecular structure. The best predictive equation contained seven calculated structural descriptors, had a standard error of 2.24°C and a multiple correlation coefficient of 0.993. Other models with two to six independent variables were also generated, and showed interesting results. The structural descriptors found to be most important in these correlations are analyzed.
Zebrafish Express the Common Parathyroid Hormone/Parathyroid Hormone-related Peptide Receptor (PTH1R) and a Novel Receptor (PTH3R) That Is Preferentially Activated by Mammalian and Fugufish Parathyroid Hormone-related Peptide

Abstract To further explore the evolution of receptors for parathyroid hormone (PTH) and PTH-related peptide (PTHrP), we searched for zebrafish (z) homologs of the PTH/PTHrP receptor (PTH1R). In mammalian genes encoding this receptor, exons M6/7 and M7 are highly conserved and separated by 81–84 intronic nucleotides. Genomic polymerase chain reaction using degenerate primers based on these exons led to two distinct DNA fragments comprising portions of genes encoding the zPTH1R and the novel zPTH3R. Sequence comparison of both full-length teleost receptors revealed 69% similarity (61% identity), but less homology with zPTH2R. When compared with hPTH1R, zPTH1R showed 76% and zPTH3R 67% amino acid sequence similarity; similarity with hPTH2R was only 59% for both teleost receptors. When expressed in COS-7 cells, zPTH1R bound [Tyr34]hPTH-(1–34)-amide (hPTH), [Tyr36]hPTHrP-(1–36)-amide (hPTHrP), and [Ala29,Glu30,Ala34,Glu35, Tyr36]fugufish PTHrP-(1–36)-amide (fuguPTHrP) with a high apparent affinity (IC50: 1.2–3.5 nm), and was efficiently activated by all three peptides (EC50: 1.1–1.7 nm). In contrast, zPTH3R showed higher affinity for fuguPTHrP and hPTHrP (IC50: 2.1–11.1 nm) than for hPTH (IC50: 118.2–127.0 nm); cAMP accumulation was more efficiently stimulated by fugufish and human PTHrP (EC50: 0.47 ± 0.27 and 0.45 ± 0.16, respectively) than by hPTH (EC50: 9.95 ± 1.5 nm). Agonist-stimulated total inositol phosphate accumulation was observed with zPTH1R, but not zPTH3R.
Improving rates for screening colonoscopy: Analysis of the health information national trends survey (HINTS I) data

Colonoscopy is an effective modality for colorectal cancer screening. The objectives of this study were to identify colorectal cancer knowledge and barriers to screening colonoscopy in the general US population. Data was obtained from the health information national trends survey (HINTS I). The dataset (n = 6369) examined the influence of age, race, gender, education, income, media usage, and interactions with health care providers on knowledge, attitudes, and behavior regarding colonoscopic screening for colorectal cancer. The term ‘colonoscopy’ was recognized by 80% of participants (over the age of 35), however only 35% of respondents perceived it as a major method for colon cancer screening. Hispanics had the least awareness of colonoscopic screening (16% versus 39% non-Hispanic). Female gender, education, and income all correlated with knowledge and use of colonoscopic screening. There was a positive correlation between media usage and having a colonoscopy (r = 0.095, p < 0.01). Having a health care provider was strongly correlated with having undergone a colonoscopy (r = 0.249, p < 0.01). Reasons for not having a colonoscopy were ‘no reason’ (29%), ‘doctor didn’t order it’ (24%), and ‘didn’t know I needed the test’ (15%). Personalized materials were the preferred media for receiving cancer-related information. Knowledge of and participation in screening colonoscopy is low in the US population, especially among Hispanics. The most important immediate action is to increase physician referral for screening colonoscopy. Education materials focused on specific sociodemographic segments and targeted communication campaigns need to be developed to encourage screening.
Semiparametric maximum likelihood variance component estimation using mixture moment structure models.

Nonnormal phenotypic distributions introduce significant problems in the estimation and selection of genetic models. Here, a semiparametric maximum likelihood approach to analysing nonnormal phenotypes is described. In this approach, distributions are explicitly modelled together with genetic and environmental effects. Distributional parameters are introduced through mixture constraints, where the distribution of effects are discretized and freely estimated rather than assumed to be normal. Semiparametric maximum likelihood estimation can be used with a variety of genetic models, can be extended to a variety of pedigree structures, and has various advantages over other approaches to modelling nonnormal data.
Direct IBD mapping: Identical-by-descent mapping without genotyping

Direct identical-by-descent (IBD) mapping is a technique, that combines genomic mismatch scanning (GMS) and DNA microarray technology, for mapping regions shared IBD between two individuals without locus-by-locus genotyping or sequencing. The lack of reagents has limited its widespread application. In particular, two key reagents have been limiting, 1). mismatch repair proteins MutS, L and H, and 2). genomic microarrays for identifying the genomic locations of the GMS-selected IBD fragments. Here, we describe steps that optimized the procedure and resources that will facilitate the development of direct IBD mapping.
Imaging Signatures of Molecular Pathology in Behavioral Variant Frontotemporal Dementia

Pathology underlying behavioral variant frontotemporal dementia (bvFTD) is heterogeneous, with the most common pathologies being Pick’s disease (PiD), corticobasal degeneration (CBD), and FTLD-TDP type 1. Clinical features are unhelpful in differentiating these pathologies. We aimed to determine whether imaging atrophy patterns differ across these pathologies in bvFTD subjects. We identified 15 bvFTD subjects that had volumetric MRI during life and autopsy: five with PiD, five CBD, and five FTLD-TDP type 1. Voxel-based morphometry was used to assess atrophy patterns in each bvFTD group compared to 20 age- and gender-matched controls. All three pathological groups showed gray matter loss in frontal lobes, although specific patterns of atrophy differed across groups: PiD showed widespread loss in frontal lobes with additional involvement of anterior temporal lobes; CBD showed subtle patterns of loss involving posterior lateral and medial superior frontal lobe; and FTLD-TDP type 1 showed widespread loss in frontal, temporal, and parietal lobes. Greater parietal loss was observed in FTLD-TDP type 1 compared to both other groups, and greater anterior temporal and medial frontal loss was observed in PiD compared to CBD. Imaging patterns of atrophy in bvFTD vary according to pathological diagnosis and may therefore be helpful in predicting these pathologies in bvFTD.
Detection in Human Serum by Radioimmunoassay of Histidyl-Proline Diketopiperazine, a Metabolite of Thyrotropin-Releasing Hormone

Cyclo(His-Pro) is believed to be a metabolite of TRH. A specific antiserum directed against cyclo(His-Pro) was used to detect immunoreactive material in human serum. Gel filtration column chromatography was used to establish that cyclo(His-Pro)-like immunoreactivity was found not only in a free form established to be identical to cyclo(His-Pro) by high pressure liquid chromatography analysis on reverse phase and cation exchange columns, but also in a fraction of about 100,000 mol wt. Free cyclo(His-Pro) was released by heating column fractions of 70,000 mol wt that were not immunoreactive before heating. A procedure for estimation of the content of free cyclo(His-Pro) in human serum was developed. Normal levels of cyclo(His-Pro) determined by this procedure were in the range of 11–33 pmol/ml. The level of cyclo(His-Pro) in sera of individuals with hypothyroidism, hyperthyroidism, or alcoholic cirrhosis was in the normal range, while patients with renal failure had approximately 3-fold elevated levels of t...
Evidence of the invisible: toward a credibility revolution in the empirical analysis of tax evasion and the informal economy

Empirical research about tax evasion and the informal economy has exploded in the past few decades, seeking to shed light on the magnitude and (especially policy) determinants of these phenomena. Quantitative information informs the analysis of policy choices, enables the testing of hypotheses about determinants of this phenomenon, and can help with the accurate construction of national income accounts. Even as empirical analysis has burgeoned, some have expressed doubts about the quality and usefulness of some prominent measures. The fact that high-quality data is elusive is neither surprising nor a coincidence. The defining characteristic of tax evasion and informal economic activity—that they are generally illegal—often renders unreliable standard data collection methods such as surveys. Unlike invisible phenomena in the natural sciences, these invisible social science phenomena are hard to measure because of choices made by individuals. Analysis of tax evasion and the informal economy must proceed even in the absence of the direct observability of key variables, and theory should guide the construction and interpretation of evidence of the “invisible.” In this paper, we address what can be learned using micro or macro data regarding tax evasion and the informal economy under given conditions and assumptions, and critically review some of the most common empirical methods in light of our conclusions. We conclude with an entreaty for researchers in this field to enlist in the “credibility revolution” (Angrist and Pischke in J. Econ. Perspect. 4(2):3–30, 2010) in applied econometrics.
Purges in Comparative Perspective: Rules for Exclusion and Inclusion in the Scientific Community under Political Pressure

During the intense political upheaval that dominated the middle decades of the twentieth century, modern states intensified their drives to discipline broad sectors of society and ensure their political reliability. Subjected to such pressures, scientific institutions faced the challenge of admitting new, officially mandated criteria into the regulation of scientific life. We examine the effects of these policies on the Kaiser Wilhelm Society in National Socialist Germany, the Max Planck Society in occupied Germany after 1945, the USSR Academy of Sciences throughout the Stalin era, and the National Academy of Sciences in early cold war America. In all these cases, while academic elites largely accepted the required radical changes in the rules for membership in the scientific community, they also sought to manipulate the process to their own institutional advantage.
Antibody deposition in the stria vascularis of the MRL-Faslpr mouse

The MRL-Fas(lpr) mouse, a model of multisystemic, organ non-specific autoimmune disease, has been proposed as a model of immune-mediated inner ear disease. Preliminary studies indicate that it develops cochlear pathology focused in the stria vascularis including intracellular edema and degeneration which develops in the absence of an inflammatory infiltrate but in the presence of antibody deposition. It was thus hypothesized that the antibodies found in the stria were mediating a direct pathologic effect on this structure, without recruiting classical inflammatory mediators. It was further hypothesized that the antibodies deposited within the stria would be derived from the non-complement fixing isotypes and subclasses, which are known to be able to mediate direct pathologic effects on target tissues. This study utilized immunohistologic techniques to identify the antibody isotypes and subclasses deposited within the stria vascularis of the MRL-Fas(lpr) mouse. Results indicate that all antibody isotypes and subclasses can be identified within the stria vascularis in the absence of complement. Thus, antibody deposition was not restricted to non-complement fixing antibodies. While it is possible that antibodies are mediating direct pathologic effects within the stria, the non-specific nature of the antibody deposition may indicate that these antibodies are not responsible for the observed pathology. Rather, other mechanisms, such as metabolic and genetic etiologies, must also be considered.
A Viable Future for Small and Rural Libraries

This document uses the issues and the findings of the 2008 national Summit on Rural and Small Libraries to introduce the two documents that follow this brief article. These reports mark efforts by librarians in the states of Delaware and Tennessee to deal with the issues—finances, staffing, training and what users want—that they see as imperative to solve to move their state's libraries forward. These three documents offer a convenient summary of the pressures that rural and small libraries are facing at the beginning of the 21st century.
Cummings's a Man who had Fallen Among Thieves

(2002). Cummings's a Man who had Fallen Among Thieves. The Explicator: Vol. 60, No. 4, pp. 209-211.
Tensile properties of a free-standing Cu/Zr nanolaminate (or compositionally-modulated thin film)

Recently, the research and development of advanced structural materials has emphasized two major areas: nanocrystals and composites. The goals of these two developments have considerable overlap even though the synthesis and processing approaches are quite different for each class of material. In this paper, the authors will present some interesting experimental results obtained from a free-standing ({approximately}140 {micro}m-thick) Cu/Cu{sub 3}Zr{sub 4} nanolaminate, prepared by sputter deposition, in which the Cu layers are nanocrystalline but the Cu{sub 3}Zr{sub 4} layers are in an amorphous state (metallic glass).