cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
is Courtship intensity a signal of male parental care in red-winged blackbirds (Agelaius phoeniceus)?

--We studied Red-winged Blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus) behavior in marsh and prairie habitats to determine whether courting males provide cues of their nest defense, whether females prefer males that defend nests vigorously, and whether male nest defense affects nest success. We found no evidence that courtship behavior provides cues of male nest defense, or that females prefer males that court intensely. We found evidence that females nesting in marshes prefer males that defend nests intensely, but no evidence that intensely defending males in the prairie habitat achieve high nest success. We found differences, however, between marsh and prairie habitats that suggest a coarse-grained relationship between male parental quality and female choice of mate in this species. Received 31 October 1986, accepted 20 March 1987. THERE have been numerous attempts to identify the parameters by which females choose their mates (e.g. Halliday 1978, 1983; Janetos 1980; Wittenberger 1981a; Parker 1983). In territorial species of birds, these parameters include territory quality, male parental quality, and male genetic quality (e.g. Searcy 1979, 1982). One territorial species of bird commonly used to study female choice of mate is the Red-winged Blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus). While there is general agreement on the importance of territory quality in influencing female mate choice in this species (e.g. Searcy 1979, Orians 1980, Weatherhead and Robertson 1981, Yasukawa 1981), there is considerable disagreement about the role of male quality (Weatherhead and Robertson 1979, 1981; Heisler 1981; Searcy and Yasukawa 1981; Wittenberger 1981b; Weatherhead 1984; Kirkpatrick 1985; Alatalo et al. 1986; IVfuldal et al. 1986; Eckert and Weatherhead 1987). It has been hypothesized that females should choose mates so as to maximize their own fitness, and that the choice should be based on characteristics that affect female reproductive 4 Present address: Department of Fishery and Wildlife Biology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado 80523 USA. s Present address: Institute for Environmental Studies, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington
Progress, Economy and Environment: Toward a Declining State

It is widely accepted that the idea of progress is quite new, that the idea of a world rapidly evolving to a better and better state was a product of the industrial revolution. The new Victorian concept of progress was inevitably intertwined with notions of perfectibility through commercial enterprise. The idea of struggle and competition honing and perfecting individuals and enterprises moved rapidly from the commercial to the biological world, from Malthus and other political economists to Darwin and Alfred Russel Wallace (Worster 1977, chapter 14). Constant change and struggle came to be seen as part of the natural order of things. In both the biological and economic worlds progress became almost synonymous with the struggle for survival through competitive selection. As Darwin (1872, p. 669) put it, in a famous passage, “as natural selection works solely by and for the good of each being, all corporeal and mental endowments will tend to progress towards perfection”. In the economic world, according to Wimsatt and Schank (1988, p. 231), “‘Progress’ became a tool for justifying the free market, for colonial domination and exploitation for non-Western ‘primitive’ societies, and for the manipulation and exploitation of our natural and biological environment.”
Applications of Educational Data Mining and Learning Analytics Tools in Handling Big Data in Higher Education

In the past decade, we have witnessed a tremendous rise in the use of electronic devices in education. Starting from nursery classes at the preschool level to the postgraduate programs at the universities, electronic devices are being used extensively to enhance and facilitate quality of education. Although the use of computer networks is an inherent feature of online learning, the traditional schools and universities are also making extensive use of network-connected electronic devices such as mobile phones, tablets, and computers. However, it is humanly impossible to analyze enormous volume of data generated from the active usage of devices connected through a large network. The educators and academic administrators can benefit from their counterparts in business and service industries where a complex system of methods and techniques, usually referred to as data analytics or data mining, is being used to analyze a large influx of real-time data in decision-making. Researchers have started paying attention to the application of data mining and data analytics to handle big data generated in the educational sector. In the context of education, these techniques are specifically referred to as educational data mining (EDM) and learning analytics (LA). Generally, EDM looks for new patterns in data and develops new algorithms and/or new models, while LA applies known predictive models in instructional systems. This chapter starts by describing major EDM and LA techniques used in handling big data in commercial and other activities. It will also provide a brief description of how EDM and LA are affecting the typical stakeholders of a higher education institution. Furthermore, the chapter will provide a detailed account of how these techniques are used to analyze the learning process of students, assessing their performance and providing them with detailed feedback in real time. These Technologies can also assist in planning administrative strategies to provide quality services to all stakeholders of an educational institution. Not all the stakeholders involved in providing education are experts of big data. However, in order to meet their analytical requirements, the researchers have developed easy-to-use data mining and visualization tools. In this chapter, we have provided the necessary details of some of these tools. The institutions/governments across the world are adopting EDM/LA to frame strategic policies, to understand the students’ learning behaviors, etc. As case studies, we have also discussed some implementation of EDM and LA techniques in universities in different countries.
Dose escalation of radiation therapy with or without induction chemotherapy for unresectable locally advanced pancreatic cancer.

Dose escalation of conventionally fractionated radiation therapy (CFRT) above 45–54 Gy has an unclear survival benefit. Prior National Cancer Database (NCDB) analyses have shown improved overall survival with induction chemotherapy (iC) prior to concurrent chemoradiation (CRT) in locally advanced pancreatic cancer. Our study compared dose-escalated CFRT with and without iC. The NCDB was queried for primary stage III, cT4 N0–1 M0 LAPC treated with CRT with or without iC (2004–2015). CFRT was stratified by < 55 Gy and ≥ 55 Gy. Cohort iC + CRT and CRT included those with and without iC, respectively. The primary endpoint was overall survival (OS). Kaplan-Meier analysis, Cox proportional hazards method, and propensity score matching were used. Among 2029 patients, cohort iC + CRT had 738 patients (n = 601 for 45–55 Gy and n = 137 for ≥55 Gy) and cohort CRT had 1291 patients (n = 1066 for 45–55 Gy and n = 225 for ≥55 Gy). Median follow-up was 24.3 months and 24.6 months for cohorts iC + CRT and CRT, respectively. Dose escalation showed improved survival in the multivariable analysis in cohort iC + CRT (HR 0.77, p = 0.013) but not in cohort CRT (HR 0.91, p = 0.19). Using 2:1 propensity score matching, a total of 387 patients for cohort iC + CRT and 549 patients for cohort CRT were matched. After matching, dose escalation remained significant for improved overall survival in cohort iC + CRT (median OS 16.2 vs 15.2 months; 2-yr OS 33.4% vs 25.4%; p = 0.022) but not in cohort CRT (median OS 11.8 vs 10.6 months; 2-yr OS 13.3% vs 10.1%; p = 0.16). Patients with locally advanced pancreatic cancer who undergo iC have improved survival with radiation dose escalation above 55 Gy. For patients without iC, there is no clear association between radiation dose escalation and survival.
The Laboratory Bird

Laboratory animals, including birds, play an important role in biomedical research. The humane care and management of these animals is an ongoing concern. A new addition to the acclaimed Laboratory Animal Pocket Reference series, The Laboratory Bird is the first publication dedicated to the care and use of avian species in the research setting.Cove
Increasing Babesiosis in Southeastern Pennsylvania, 2008–2017

Tick-borne illnesses are increasing but are often underreported. Few cases of babesiosis have been reported from Pennsylvania. Our 4-hospital system in southeastern Pennsylvania saw a rise in cases from 7 or fewer yearly in 2008-2014 to 26 cases in 2015. There appear to be multiple potential causes of this increase in frequency.
Cost-constrained Handoff in Next Generation Heterogeneous Wireless Networks

The future 5G networks are emerging with an integrated network architecture that will incorporate various radio access technologies (RAT) and radio frequency bands, e.g. millimeter wave (mmWave), microwave and ISM band in a single network to offer various services such as voice, video, TV etc.. To avail these services, user equipment will also be equipped with multi-connectivity support over different RAT and frequency bands. However, due to mobility, user needs to switch to BS that may/may not be operating in the same RAT and/or same frequency bands. As each RAT has different handoff mechanism and each frequency bands have different nature of propagation, especially in mmWave bands, it becomes necessary for the user end (UE) device to determine the optimal BS to switch to, from among the candidate BS in its proximity. In this work-in-progress article, we study handoff policy in such a multi-RAT and multi-band 5G network environment using Markov Decision Process (MDP) to reach an optimal decision. The optimal policy is determined by taking into account bandwidth available at the BS, channel condition between the UE and BS and user’s maximum budget. The efficacy of the proposed scheme is evaluated using numerical results. The ultimate goal of the paper is to design an optimal handoff scheme when users are mobile and have multiple BSs in its proximity that can be either mmWave BS, or traditional microwave BS or a Wi-Fi access points, however, the complete solution will be presented in extended version of this paper.
Memory at Play: Personalizing Online Advertisements Based on Consumers’ Autobiographical Memory

AbstractTargeted advertising promises to increase relevance to consumers, but risks backfiring if it seems overly intrusive. In the present study, we examined whether personalizing online advertise...
Best Practice: Management Consulting and the Ethics of Financialization in China

Kimberly Chong’s Best Practice: Management Consulting and the Ethics of Financialization in China offers a thought-provoking ethnography of a global consultancy firm named Systeo (pseudonym), which...
Chapter 7 – Eric Fromm

The core of Fromm’s psychoanalytic theoretical writings on religion takes on an existential/humanistic and social learning emphasis, saying that many humans opt to refuse acting on their higher levels of reasoning and love by conforming to the will of a higher authority and/or the masses. Fromm provides numerous examples from the scriptures of the Old Testament that humans’ major dilemma is that they fear having so much power. As a result, they succumb to a higher authority and/or the masses. To Fromm, formalized religion may be beneficial (humanistic) or detrimental (authoritarian). He outlines how the authoritarian religions are governed by conformity, strict conscience derived from an outside authority, and aggressive masochistic/sadistic tendencies. Thirty years of research by the empiricist Altemeyer and others unwittingly support Fromm’s theory on authoritarianism in religion. Future research on authoritarianism would be wise to at least take a more concerted look at Fromm’s theoretical writings on religion.
Unilateral multifocal choroiditis following EBV-positive mononucleosis responsive to immunosuppression: a case report.

Multifocal choroiditis (MFC) is a relatively uncommon bilateral inflammatory chorioretinopathy affecting Caucasian young women with myopia. We present images from a case of completely unilateral multifocal choroiditis following EBV-positive mononucleosis that demonstrated a dramatic clinical response to immunosuppression. A 20-year-old woman with bilateral high myopia (−6D) and a documented normal prior retinal examination presented with visual loss in the right eye 2 months following confirmed Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) positive mononucleosis. Ophthalmoscopic examination showed completely unilateral placoid lesions of variable age. The left eye was unaffected. Fluorescein angiography revealed active leakage, especially in the parafovea. Spectral domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) demonstrated sub-retinal pigment epithelial nodular deposits, some of which were confluent with overlying intra-retinal fluid and indistinct margins. Upon treatment with the immunosuppressant azathioprine there was significant resolution of the lesions in her right eye along with improvement in vision. This is a rare case of completely unilateral MFC following an episode of EBV positive mononucleosis that showed a dramatic response to immunosuppression.
Dihedral Rigidity of Parabolic Polyhedrons in Hyperbolic Spaces

In this note, we establish the dihedral rigidity phenomenon for a collection of parabolic polyhedrons enclosed by horospheres in hyperbolic manifolds, extending Gromov's comparison theory to metrics with negative scalar curvature lower bounds. Our result is a localization of the positive mass theorem for asymptotically hyperbolic manifolds. We also motivate and formulate some open questions concerning related rigidity phenomenon and convergence of metrics with scalar curvature lower bounds.
Must Reasons Be Either Theoretical or Practical? Aesthetic Criticism and Appreciative Reasons

A long debate in aesthetics concerns the reasoned nature of criticism. The main questions in the debate ask whether criticism is based on (normative) reasons, whether critics communicate reasons fo...
Framing undergraduate education approaches in speech and hearing sciences—Liberal arts, vocational, or skill-set oriented?

Human communication is complex and the academic disciplines associated with speech and hearing sciences are necessarily interdisciplinary. In the past few years, the role of and models for undergraduate education in this discipline have been debated within the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) and the Council of Academic Programs in Communication Sciences and Disorders (CAPCSD). Traditionally, these undergraduate programs are collectively referred to as Communication Sciences and Disorders (CSD) education, and historically they employed a broad educational perspective based in the liberal arts and sciences. However, many programs today have evolved to focus more primarily on pre-professional education in the clinical fields of speech-language pathology and audiology. From the standpoint of education in acoustics, how should we frame our undergraduate courses to provide the necessary broad general knowledge and skills while satisfying an expectation of vocational preparation from students and other clinically oriented professional organizations? In this talk, I argue that a skill-set oriented approach may be more suitable to prepare CSD undergraduates for a variety of career paths.
Synthesis and biological activity of conformationally restricted indole-based inhibitors of neurotropic alphavirus replication: Generation of a three-dimensional pharmacophore.

Abstract We have previously reported the development of indole-based CNS-active antivirals for the treatment of neurotropic alphavirus infection, but further optimization is impeded by a lack of knowledge of the molecular target and binding site. Herein we describe the design, synthesis and evaluation of a series of conformationally restricted analogues with the dual objectives of improving potency/selectivity and identifying the most bioactive conformation. Although this campaign was only modestly successful at improving potency, the sharply defined SAR of the rigid analogs enabled the definition of a three-dimensional pharmacophore, which we believe will be of value in further analog design and virtual screening for alternative antiviral leads.
A New Data Modulation and Demodulation Scheme for THz Communications

In this paper, a new data modulation and demodulation scheme are proposed for the terahertz (THz) communications. The new data modulation scheme is named as M-ary pi/2 amplitude phase shift keying (APSK) modulation, which modulates data bits to data symbols with two kinds of phases separated by pi (180°) and then rotates the data symbols by pi/2 in alternating symbol. So the new data modulation scheme can resist the large phase noise (PN) and reduce the peak-to-average power ratio (PAPR). Accordingly, a new data demodulation scheme is also designed to apply for the receiver based on Log-likelihood ratio (LLR) in a polar coordinate instead of conventional cartesian coordinate. The simulation results show that the proposed data modulation and demodulation scheme can achieve superior PAPR and BLER performance in THz frequency bands.
Clinical Features and Outcomes of Streptococcus pneumoniae Meningitis in Children: A Retrospective Analysis of 26 Cases in China

BACKGROUND Streptococcus pneumoniae is an important cause of pediatric meningitis. OBJECTIVE The aim of this study was to analyze the clinical features and outcomes of children with pneumococcal meningitis at our hospital in China, so as to provide basis for improving the clinical treatment effect. METHODS This retrospective analysis included patients aged <16 years treated for pneumococcal meningitis at the Department of Neurology, Children's Hospital of Shanxi (January 2014-February 2016). Clinical data were extracted from the medical records. Patients were followed up for 6 months after discharge. RESULTS The analysis included 26 children aged 2 months to 13 years, with 17 (65.4%) aged <3 years. Presenting symptoms included fever (100%), lethargy (100%), impaired consciousness (88.5%), neck stiffness (69.2%), seizures (53.8%), and headache (50.0%). All patients had positive cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) cultures. The final treatment was vancomycin combined with a third-generation cephalosporin or other antibiotics in 25 patients. Eleven patients (42.3%) were recovered, 3 (11.5%) had neurological sequelae, and 12 (46.2%) died. Impaired consciousness (p = 0.035), cerebral hernia (p = 0.037), respiratory failure (p = 0.004), heart failure (p = 0.044), septic shock (p = 0.037), low CSF white blood cell count (p = 0.036), high CSF protein levels (p = 0.028), low white blood cell count (p = 0.036), and low blood neutrophil ratio (p = 0.016) are associated with a poor prognosis to pneumococcal meningitis. CONCLUSION Pneumococcal meningitis is associated with a poor prognosis in many children. Poor prognosis might be related to early ineffective antibiotic therapy, a combination of systemic failure, neurological problems, and changed inflammatory response. It is important to rapid initiation of appropriate antibiotic therapy if meningitis is suspected.
Intraspecific Niche Partitioning and Ecosystem State Drive Carbon Pathways Supporting Lake Food Webs

Individual behavior drives population-level patterns, yet few studies have integrated how intraspecific niche partitioning influences energy pathways that support consumer production across multiple ecosystem states. We used stable isotope analyses to assess the individual foraging behavior of a dominant consumer, yellow perch (Perca flavescens), in a single lake (Oneida Lake, NY) under both eutrophic (1960s) and mesotrophic (2000s) conditions and at different yellow perch densities. We then integrated this data with intensive population surveys to assess how variation in foraging behavior between individuals and lake trophic status interacts to drive energy pathways supporting consumer production. Stable isotope analyses highlight that individual yellow perch varied greatly in their reliance on benthic and pelagic energy pathways even within a given year. At the population-level, benthic reliance increased from 2 to 20% under eutrophic conditions to 30–70% under mesotrophic conditions. At low densities, individual fish primarily selected inshore habitats and were reliant on benthic carbon, increasing population-level reliance on benthic carbon. This pattern was present during both trophic states, but was more pronounced during mesotrophic conditions. Our results highlight that variation in foraging behavior between individuals can affect the integration of benthic and pelagic energy pathways at the population-level, and that this integration is dependent on ecosystem state and consumer population density. We propose that models that incorporate variation between individual consumers across multiple habitats can more accurately represent energy flows within ecosystems.
(Re)forming the Jury: Detection and Disinfection of Implicit Juror Bias

This Article investigates whether one of the most intractable problems in trial procedure can be ameliorated through the use of one of the most striking discoveries in recent social science. The intractable problem is selecting a fair jury. Current doctrine fails to address the fact that jurors harbor not only explicit, or conscious, bias, but also implicit, or unconscious, bias. The discovery is the Implicit Association Test (“IAT”), an online test that aims to reveal implicit bias.This Article conducts the first comparison of proposals that the IAT be used to address jury bias. They fall into two groups. The first group would use the IAT to “screen” potential jurors for implicit bias; the second group would use the IAT to educate jurors about implicit bias. These proposals merit deeper consideration. Implicit bias is pervasive, and affects crucial juror functions: evaluation of evidence, recall of facts, and judgment of guilt. Juries are generally told nothing about implicit bias. The judiciary has expressed concern about implicit juror bias, and sought help from the academy in addressing the problem.This Article provides what these two groups of proposals lack: critique and context. It shows that using the IAT to screen jurors is misguided. However, the Article contends that the educational project has merit because implicit bias can be countered through knowledge of its existence and motivation to address it. To refine the project, this Article identifies two vital issues that distinguish the proposals: when jurors should learn about implicit bias, and how they should learn about it.On the issue of when, this Article argues that the education should begin while the jurors are still being oriented. Orientation is not only universal, but, as research into “priming” and “framing” suggests, a crucial period for the forming of first impressions. On the issue of how, this Article argues that those proposals that would include the jurors taking an IAT are superior to those that would simply instruct jurors on what the IAT shows. In an area fraught with denial, mere instruction would likely be dismissed as irrelevant. This Article uses pedagogical theory to show that experiential learning about bias is more likely to be effective.Finally, this Article brings when and how together, proposing a model that would include the use of the IAT as an experiential learning tool during orientation. This model would harness the civic energy of jurors to an educational purpose, rather than letting it morph into boredom; by putting jurors in an active mindset, it would enhance their satisfaction with the process, and their ability to perform optimally. As for potential jurors who are never selected, their participation would honor the long-standing educational function of jury service.
Recursive single frequency estimation

A common problem in communications is the estimation of the frequency of a single complex sinusoid in additive noise. Since the wireless environment is often characterized by poor SNR, it is of interest to find methods of frequency estimation that work well in low SNR environments. A new divide-and-conquer method for estimating the frequency of a single complex sinusoid in additive uncorrelated noise is proposed. Its computational complexity is comparable to previous fast methods (roughly 2N complex multiplies and log2(N) arctangents for N a power of 2). However, it nearly achieves the Cramer-Rao bound for a wider range of input frequency and signal-to-noise-ratio (SNR) values. Simulations are presented to demonstrate its performance.
Spatially-Localized Compressed Sensing and Routing in Multi-hop Sensor Networks

We propose energy-efficient compressed sensing for wireless sensor networks using spatially-localized sparse projections. To keep the transmission cost for each measurement low, we obtain measurements from clusters of adjacent sensors. With localized projection, we show that joint reconstruction provides significantly better reconstruction than independent reconstruction. We also propose a metric of energy overlap between clusters and basis functions that allows us to characterize the gains of joint reconstruction for different basis functions. Compared with state of the art compressed sensing techniques for sensor network, our simulation results demonstrate significant gains in reconstruction accuracy and transmission cost.
School Discipline and Disruptive Classroom Behavior: The Moderating Effects of Student Perceptions

This study examines the relationship between school discipline and student classroom behavior. A traditional deterrence framework predicts that more severe discipline will reduce misbehavior. In contrast, normative perspectives suggest that compliance depends upon commitment to rules and authority, including perceptions of fairness and legitimacy. Using school and individual-level data from the National Education Longitudinal Study of 1988 and multilevel regression modeling, the author finds support for the normative perspective. Students who perceive school authority as legitimate and teacher–student relations as positive are rated as less disruptive. While perceptions of fairness also predict lower disruptions, the effects are mediated by positive teacher–student relations. Contrary to the deterrence framework, more school rules and higher perceived strictness predicts more, not less, disruptive behavior. In addition, a significant interaction effect suggests that attending schools with more severe punishments may have the unintended consequence of generating defiance among certain youth.
Infrared and Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Absorptions of Common Liquid Stationary Phases for Preparative Gas Chromatography

It is well known that many liquid stationary phases for gas chromatography have a tendency to bleed at high temperature and/or at high flow rate. This problem is especially important in preprative applications, since the liquid phase may then be the contaminant of a pure component. Such contaminant can hardly be deteced by gas chromatography. However, for routine spectral analysis it may introduce certain extraneous peaks in both infrared and nuclear magnetic resonance spectra of the pure component. Consequently, it is desirable to have handy references to avoid misleading by those peaks.
Relationship of spasticity to soft tissue body composition and the metabolic profile in persons with chronic motor complete spinal cord injury.

Background/Objective: To determine the effects of spasticity on anthropometrics, body composition (fat mass [FM] and fat-free mass [FFM]), and metabolic profile (energy expenditure, plasma glucose,...
Fruit and vegetable intake and risk of cardiovascular disease in US adults: the first National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey Epidemiologic Follow-up Study

BACKGROUND Epidemiologic studies report inconsistent findings on the association of fruit and vegetable intake with the risk of cardiovascular disease. OBJECTIVE The objective was to examine the relation between fruit and vegetable intake and the risk of cardiovascular disease. DESIGN We studied 9608 adults aged 25-74 y participating in the first National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey Epidemiologic Follow-up Study and free of cardiovascular disease at the time of their baseline examination between 1971 and 1975. Fruit and vegetable intake at baseline was measured with a food-frequency questionnaire. The incidence of and mortality from cardiovascular disease were obtained from medical records and death certificates. RESULTS Over an average of 19 y, 888 strokes (218 fatal), 1786 ischemic heart disease events (639 fatal), 1145 cardiovascular disease deaths, and 2530 all-cause deaths were documented. Consuming fruit and vegetables > or = 3 times/d compared with <1 time/d was associated with a 27% lower stroke incidence [relative risk (RR): 0.73; 95% CI: 0.57, 0.95; P for trend = 0.01), a 42% lower stroke mortality (0.58; 0.33, 1.02; P for trend = 0.05), a 24% lower ischemic heart disease mortality (0.76; 0.56, 1.03; P for trend = 0.07), a 27% lower cardiovascular disease mortality (0.73; 0.58, 0.92; P for trend = 0.008), and a 15% lower all-cause mortality (0.85; 0.72, 1.00; P for trend = 0.02) after adjustment for established cardiovascular disease risk factors. CONCLUSION We showed an inverse association of fruit and vegetable intake with the risk of cardiovascular disease and all-cause mortality in the general US population.
Evaluation of Packaging Film Mechanical Integrity Using a Standardized Scratch Test Instrument

A new method for evaluating the mechanical integrity of food packaging films is developed. The standardized linear increasing load scratch test (ASTM D7027-05/ISO 19252:2008) approach has been successfully utilized to evaluate the mechanical integrity of a set of model packaging films. Mechanical clamp and vacuum fixtures were considered for securing the films to a set of backing materials and tested under various testing rates and film orientation conditions. Film performance was evaluated according to their puncture load. Based on the aforementioned study, the vacuum fixture offers the most consistent and meaningful results by providing a more intimate contact between film and backing and minimizing extraneous motion of the film during testing. Additional testing was also carried out on a commercial film to confirm similarity between damages observed in the scratched films and that from the field. The scratch test gives good correlation between field performance and scratch test results on a set of commercial films. The usefulness of the scratch test methodology for packaging film mechanical integrity evaluation is discussed. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
TESTING THE DURABILITY OF JOB CHARACTERISTICS AS PREDICTORS OF ABSENTEEISM OVER A SIX‐YEAR PERIOD

The purpose of this study was to test the relationships between job characteristics and absence over a 6-year period. Civilian employees from a large military organization participated. The results indicated that job characteristics continued to correlate significantly with a measure of absence frequency up to 6 years after the job characteristics had been assessed. The job characteristics measures also correlated significantly with a measure of time-lost absenteeism. Regression analyses revealed that job characteristics predicted absence frequency significantly over a 6-year period and time-lost absence for up to 4 years after job characteristics were assessed. The magnitudes of these relationships remained fairly constant across time. Results from regression analyses controlling for demographic variables indicated that job characteristics predicted time-lost and absence frequency for most years. Competence and need for achievement failed to moderate the job characteristics-absence relationships.
Spatial distribution of vacuum ultraviolet radiation in an inductively coupled plasma

Spatially resolved emission maps of an ICP as a function of torch design, power, and gas flow rate have been obtained for O, N, Cl, Br, and C in the vacuum ultraviolet with the use of an Abel inversion data reduction algorithm. Two coolant tube configurations were studied, one a standard strait coolant tube with a
GABAB receptor modulation of serotonin neurons in the dorsal raphé nucleus and escalation of aggression in mice.

The serotonin (5-HT) system in the brain has been studied more than any other neurotransmitter for its role in the neurobiological basis of aggression. However, which mechanisms modulate the 5-HT system to promote escalated aggression is not clear. We here explore the role of GABAergic modulation in the raphe nuclei, from which most 5-HT in the forebrain originates, on escalated aggression in male mice. Pharmacological activation of GABA(B), but not GABA(A), receptors in the dorsal raphe nucleus (DRN) escalated aggressive behaviors. In contrast, GABA agonists did not escalate aggressive behaviors after microinjection into the median raphe nucleus. The aggression-heightening effect of the GABA(B) agonist baclofen depended on the activation of 5-HT neurons in the DRN because it was blocked by coadministration of the 5-HT(1A) agonist 8-OH-DPAT [((+/-)-8-hydroxy-2-(di-n-propylamino)tetralin) hydrobromide] (DPAT), which acts on autoreceptors and inhibits 5-HT neural activity. In vivo microdialysis showed that GABA(B) activation in the DRN increased extracellular 5-HT level in the medial prefrontal cortex. This may be attributable to an indirect action via presynaptic GABA(B) receptors. The presynaptic GABA(B) receptors suppress Ca(2+) channel activity and inhibit neurotransmission, and the coadministration of N-type Ca(2+) channel blocker facilitated the effect of baclofen. These findings suggest that the indirect disinhibition of 5-HT neuron activity by presynaptic GABA(B) receptors on non-5-HT neurons in the DRN is one of the neurobiological mechanisms of escalated aggression.
Effects of the cosmic radiation on terrestrial isotope distribution

The effects of the cosmic radiation in building up and altering the terrestrial isotope distribution are computed. The most striking effect is the production of radiocarbon, but as this beta-decays to nitrogen it does not alter the distribution permanently. The second important process is the production of tritium, and its subsequent decay into helium three. The problem is discussed quantitatively. Finally it is shown that several other possible reactions do not contribute in an important degree to the existing distribution.
Pressure ulcer pain.

Objective To describe and interpret the complexities of the pain experienced by persons with painful pressure ulcers. Design Heideggerian hermeneutic phenomenology. Setting and subjects Ten participants with pressure ulcers hospitalized in an acute-care community hospital were interviewed. Methods Multiple taped interviews, transcripts, and field notes were collected over an 8-month period. Data analysis occurred over a 16-month period and included an initial process of naming the text, identifying themes, and writing the interpretations of each participant's story. Secondary analysis comprised reading across the texts for commonalities and shared meanings. These data were related to other literature sources, shared with a team of researchers familiar with the Heideggerian hermeneutic phenomenology process, and with wound, ostomy, and continence nurses. Results A total of 22 themes and 1 constitutive pattern were identified. Participants with varying stages of pressure ulcers shared poignant stories about their pain. Many related their accounts and instances of actions by health personnel and the treatment interventions that were painful. Some related their accounts of communication failures that contributed to stress, tension, and anxiety. Conclusions The findings of this study clearly indicate the need for increased attention to pain assessment and pain management in nursing education, nursing practice, and nursing research. The findings also suggest that the commonly used definition of pain is insufficient and needs revision.
Cooling of Shell Eggs with Cryogenic Carbon Dioxide: a Finite Element Analysis of Heat Transfer

Cryogenic carbon dioxide cooling of shell eggs was simulated using an axisymmetric unsteady state finite element heat transfer model. The egg was assumed to be a composite system of elliptical shape, consisting of yolk, albumen, air cell, and shell, each isotropic. An enthalpy formulation of the heat transfer problem was used to account for ice formation and growth in the region between the albumen and the shell during cooling. Simulated temperature profiles were compared with analytical and observed data and showed good agreement. The numerical simulation was used to gain an understanding of the two processes encompassed by cryogenic cooling, rapid cooling and equilibration.
Discontinuation of medications after successful epilepsy surgery in children.

To evaluate the need for antiepileptic drugs after successful epilepsy surgery in pediatric patients, we retrospectively reviewed patients who had epilepsy surgery and were seizure free or had rare nondisabling auras during the first 6 postoperative months. Association between drug discontinuation and seizure recurrence was evaluated using Cox proportional hazards multivariable survival analysis. Medications were withdrawn in 68 of 97 patients, seizure free (or with rare nondisabling auras) for >6 months after surgery; 57 of the 68 (84%) remained seizure free; the other 11 (16%) had seizure recurrence after 68 months (median). Seizure recurrence was controlled with medication in 7 of the 11 patients (3 have rare seizures, 1 frequent auras). Discontinuing medications at P = 0.003). Of 29 patients who continued drugs, 28 (97%) remained seizure free after 37 months (median). Freedom from seizures 6 months after surgery predicted good outcome (95% seizure free, with or without medication). If discontinuation is offered after 6 months, the majority of patients (84%) can be expected to remain seizure free with no further need for medication. Although seizure breakthrough is possible in a smaller percentage, restarting drugs is likely to restore seizure control.
Altered development of basal and forskolin-stimulated adenylate cyclase activity in brain regions of rats exposed to nicotine prenatally.

Abstract Exposure of the fetus to nicotine is known to affect cellular development, synaptogenesis and synaptic activity of a wide variety of neurotransmitter pathways in the central nervous system. In the current study, pregnant rats received nicotine infusions of 6 mg/kg/day throughout gestation, administered by osmotic minipumps. After birth, offspring of the nicotine infused dams displayed marked alterations in membrane-associated adenylate cyclase activity; the regional selectivity correlated both with nicotinic cholinergic receptor concentration and the maturational timetable of each region. In the midbrain and brainstem, which display relatively high receptor concentrations and earliest cell development, basal adenylate cyclase activity in the nicotine group was elevated in the immediate period postpartum, returned to normal by the end of the first month, but then became subnormal in young adulthood. The initial promotion of basal activity was mirrored by forskolin-stimulated activity, suggesting that in this phase, the alterations were occuring at the level of the adenylate cyclase catalytic unit itself. The lack of effect on forskolin stimulation in the later phase, where basal activity was subnormal in the nicotine group, suggests that some alterations in regulatory subunits are responsible for the maturational switch in nicotine's effects on adenylate cyclase. In the cerebellum, where cell replication occurs primarily after birth and receptor concentrations are low, basal adenylate cyclase showed only a deficit in the nicotine group; again, although forskolin stimulation was significantly affected, the actions on basal activity were much more prominent, suggesting defects at the level of G-proteins. The forebrain, with intermediate profiles for receptor concentration and cell maturation, also displayed effects on adenylate cyclase midway between those of the other two regions. Thus, prenatal nicotine exposure disrupts basic cellular transduction systems shared by numerous trophic factors and neurotransmitters. These results can explain, in part, why neurobehavioral teratology attributable to nicotine is expressed across multiple neuronal pathways, rather than being confined to cholinergic systems.
The Fruits of FISSURES Ripen

It has been seven years since the original FISSURES Workshop (Malone, 1997). FISSURES, the ES looked up, stands for “Framework for Integration of Scientific Software for University Research in Earth Sciences.” FISSURES was the blueprint for a revolution in seismological software. As luck would have it, back in 1997, no one (with the possible exception of the ES) was in the mood for a revolution. So it was that the revolution turned into a …
National Review on Use and Performance of Uncoated Weathering Steel Highway Bridges

Uncoated weathering steel (UWS) bridges have been in use in the United States for nearly 50 years, now enabling the long-term performance of these structures to be assessed. This was accomplished by surveying the varied experiences of 52 U.S. transportation agencies, along with data analysis on all UWS bridges known within these and other agencies, which total nearly 10,000 structures. Climate and age were key considerations in this data analysis. Contrary to previous, more limited research, this analysis showed that there is not a strong trend in UWS bridge performance as a function of climate. A similar climate analysis for non-UWS bridges also showed a counterintuitive relationship between some climate types and these bridges. This suggests that design and maintenance practices may be more influential to UWS performance than climate, and further research to cultivate current best practices in this regard is recommended. Comparison between the UWS and non-UWS data sets also reveals that UWS bridges generally perform well in relation to non-UWS bridges.
Compilation and analysis of DNA sequences associated with apparent streptomycete promoters

The DNA sequences associated with 139 apparent streptomycete transcriptional start sites are compiled and compared. Of these, 29 promoters appeared to belong to a group which are similar to those recognized by eubacterial RNA polymerases containing sigma 70-like subunits. The other 110 putative promoter regions contain a wide diversity of sequences; several of these promoters have obvious sequence similarities in the -10 and/or -35 regions. The apparent Shine-Dalgarno regions of 44 streptomycete genes are also examined and compared. These were found to have a wide range of degree of complementarity to the 3' end of streptomycete 16S rRNA. Eleven streptomycete genes are described and compared in which transcription and translation are proposed to be initiated from the same or nearby nucleotide. An updated consensus sequence for the E sigma 70-like promoters is proposed and a potential group of promoter sequences containing guanine-rich -35 regions also is identified.
Clinical pharmacokinetic study of tiazofurin administered as a 1-hour infusion

Tiazofurin, 2-beta-D-ribofuranosylthiazole-4-carboxamide, is cytotoxic to murine and human tumor cells. In earlier Phase-I/-II trials performed in other centers in patients with solid tumors, the drug was given mainly as a 10-min bolus or as a continuous i.v. infusion for 5 days. These protocols were associated with serious side effects, including neurotoxicity, pleuropericarditis, and occasional myelosuppression. In our study, 26 patients with end-stage leukemia were treated with tiazofurin with 1-hr daily i.v. infusions, resulting in lower incidence and less severity of side effects. In this group, 7 attained complete remission and 7 showed hematologic responses. Out of 12 evaluable patients with myeloid blast crisis of chronic granulocytic leukemia, 10 (83%) responded to therapy, with 6 attaining complete response. We present pharmacokinetic parameters of our clinical study and examine some of the reasons for the lower toxicity found in our trials. In leukemic patients during and after infusion at doses of 1,100, 2,200 and 3,300 mg/m2 tiazofurin peak plasma concentrations were 245, 441 and 736 microM, respectively, values one-half of those calculated from other reports with a 10-min bolus administration. In our 1-hr infusion method, biphasic pharmacokinetics were noted with alpha t1/2 and beta t1/2 of 0.5 and 6.2 hr, and tiazofurin was eliminated at a faster rate than in previous trials with continuous infusion. The area under the curve with our 1-hr infusion was 52% of that reported for the same dose given by continuous infusion. Our 1-hr infusion method and prompt and effective treatment of side effects enabled us to administer higher doses and larger total amounts of tiazofurin in longer treatment cycles than in any previous trials elsewhere. Tiazofurin therapy using 1-hr infusion may be feasible for other carefully selected types of malignancies.
CHEW--LOW MODEL FOR REGGE-POLE COUPLINGS.

The couplings of a meson trajectory α(t) to the baryon octet B and the decimet Δ are studied in the Chew-Low model. The model predicts ratios, though not absolute magnitudes, for SU(3)-symmetric couplings of the 0- octet Π, 1- octet V, and 2+ octet T trajectories at the small t of either sign for which static kinematics is applicable. For non-spin-flip, the V and T trajectories are predicted to couple to B B like F+1 / 4D, independent of t. For magnetic dipole terms, the Π, V, and T trajectories are all predicted to couple to B B like D+2 / 3F, and to Δ B with the same relative strength as the 0- octet, independent of t. The electric quadrupole couplings of the Π, V, and T trajectories are predicted to be small, independent of t. These results generally agree with existing data, improve Sawyer's explanation of the Johnson-Treiman relations, provide a partial justification of the recent suggestion that V and T couplings are similar, predict that T exchange produces large spin flips, and predict certain ratios such as dσ / dt(π-p→π0n) / (dσ / dt)(π+p→π0N*++).
Increased frequency of coronary heart disease in relatives of wives of myocardial infarct survivors: assortative mating for lifestyle and risk factors?

The frequency of myocardial infarction (MI) and coronary artery disease (CAD) was studied among the first-degree relatives of 126 spouses of male survivors of MI, and compared with the frequency of MI and CAD among relatives of 126 age-matched control subjects. MI and CAD were as frequent among the relatives of the wives as among the relatives of their husbands with MI. MI and CAD were less frequent among the relatives of control subjects. Familial aggregation of CAD, therefore, is not limited to patients' relatives, but also affects the wives' families. This finding can be explained by assortative mating, i.e., marriage partners choose mates with similar lifestyles and risk factors that lead to CAD.