cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Mark of a Cane

“The tragedy of old age,” as Oscar Wilde writes, “is not that one is old, but that one is young.” Though we inevitably age and fall ill, we continue to regard ourselves as young and healthy. When t...
Mechanical Engineering Upgrades to the DARHT-II Induction Cells

Recent performance and reliability upgrades to the dual axis radiographic hydrodynamic test (DARHT) facility second axis induction cells have impacted various cell mechanical components. To attain a higher level of performance and reliability, key mechanical elements comprising the induction cells were redesigned. These elements include the oil-vacuum insulator assembly, cathode cap, oil and vacuum region cell extension hardware, induction cores' insulating material and configuration, and the high voltage drive plate. While developing these upgrades, other enhancements, unrelated to the electrical performance, were implemented as well. These enhancements include the solenoid assembly oil- water interface, the oil plumbing and ventilation, and the vacuum bellows assembly. Mechanical processes were also developed to attain high assembly quality during the cell refurbishment process. This paper presents and discusses each mechanical attribute associated with these upgrades of the DARHT second axis induction cells.
Impact of the muon anomalous magnetic moment on supersymmetric models

The recent measurement of aµ = gµ−2 2 by the E821 Collaboration at Brookhaven deviates from the quoted Standard Model (SM) central value prediction by 2.6�. The difference between SM theory and experiment may be easily accounted for in a variety of particle physics models employing weak scale supersymmetry (SUSY). Other supersymmetric models are distinctly disfavored. We evaluate aµ for various supersymmetric models, including minimal supergravity (mSUGRA), Yukawa unified SO(10) SUSY GUTs, models with inverted mass hierarchies (IMH), models with non-universal gaugino masses, gauge mediated SUSY breaking models (GMSB), anomaly-mediated SUSY breaking models (AMSB) and models with gaugino mediated SUSY breaking (inoMSB). Models with Yukawa coupling unification or multi-TeV first and second generation scalars are disfavored by the aµ measurement.
Azide mechanisms for the production of NCl metastables

The production of both the b1Σ+ and a1Δ states of NCl has been observed from the reaction of HN3 with flowing streams of Cl and F atoms. The results suggest that a two-step reaction sequence is responsible for the production of excited NCl, as follows: The rate contant (all products) for the first step is k(F + HN3) > 1 × 10−11 cm3/molecule sec. Comparison of this value to results obtained in a previous study of the F + HN3 system yields a value k(F + N3) = 2 × 10−12 cm3/molecule sec. The rate constant for the reaction of chlorine atoms with HN3 was determined to be k(Cl + HN3) 1 × 10−12 cm3/molecule sec. The difference between the Cl + HN3 and F + HN3 rates is interpreted in terms of an addition–elimination mechanism.
The communication of policy meanings: Implementation as interpretation and text

Interpretive approaches to policy analysis introduce a set of questions about how policy meanings are communicated to multiple audiences, and exploring these questions is a useful alternative to more traditional positivist approaches to understanding policy implementation. The article explores the theoretical background for one such approach illustrated by a case study of the Israel Corporation of Community Centers from 1969 to 1981 which shows how meanings were communicated through agency objects, language, and acts that represented policy and societal values. Agency artifacts are shown to symbolize tacitly known meanings as well as those which are part of a policy's explicit language. Not only do implementors and other situational actors interpret these artifacts; the policy and these interpretations may be “read” as a “text” about societal values and identity.
Black Cohosh (Cimicifuga racemosa L.) Protects against Menadione-Induced DNA Damage through Scavenging of Reactive Oxygen Species: Bioassay-Directed Isolation and Characterization of Active Principles

The roots/rhizomes of Cimicifuga racemosa L. (Nutt.) (black cohosh) have traditionally been used to treat menopausal symptoms through an unknown mechanism of action. In an effort to determine if black cohosh had additional health benefits, methanol extracts were investigated for their potential to scavenge reactive oxygen species and to protect against menadione-induced DNA damage. These extracts effectively scavenged 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) free radicals. In addition, the extracts showed dose-dependent decreases in DNA single-strand breaks and oxidized bases induced by the quinone menadione using the comet (single-cell gel electrophoresis assay) and fragment length associated repair enzyme assays, respectively. Bioassay-directed fractionation of the methanolic extracts using the DPPH assay as a monitor led to the isolation of nine antioxidant active compounds: caffeic acid (1), methyl caffeate (2), ferulic acid (3), isoferulic acid (4), fukinolic acid (5), cimicifugic acid A (6), cimicifugic acid B (7), cimicifugic acid F (8), cimiracemate A (9), and cimiracemate B (10). Six of these antioxidants were found to reduce menadione-induced DNA damage in cultured S30 breast cancer cells with the following order of potency: methyl caffeate (2) > caffeic acid (1) > ferulic acid (3) > cimiracemate A (9) > cimiracemate B (10) > fukinolic acid (5). These data suggest that black cohosh can protect against cellular DNA damage caused by reactive oxygen species by acting as antioxidants.
The occurrence and characterization of fouling during membrane evaporative cooling

This study focuses on fouling while utilizing hollow fiber membranes as wetting media in evaporative cooling applications. A duct-mountable, hollow fiber membrane array is fed tap water or water with a known concentration of calcium sulfate or calcium carbonate to simulate evaporative cooling with scale forming waters. Mass transfer coefficients are experimentally derived from collected data, and concentration polarization effects and fouling mechanisms are quantified from changes in the measured mass and heat transfer coefficients along with visual verification from SEM imaging. Results indicate that membrane fouling can be characterized by a decrease in the effective porosity, the extent of fouling can be related to mineral solution concentrations within the membrane, and that a fouling induction period and wasting flow rates influence fouling rates.
When is intervention warranted

A chemoprevention trial in prostate cancer would be a formidable but potentially rewarding study. The current status of knowledge of drug interactions with, biomarkers of, and even the natural history of prostate cancer is insufficient to study all levels of men at risk. Currently, the most promising group to study is group I--those men with a high probability of developing prostate cancer but who do not currently have evidence of the disease. This could be a placebo-controlled, prospective and randomized study with the endpoint being clinically-detected prostate cancer. In addition, much may be gained from short-term pilot studies of "chemo-active" agents on morphologic and other biomarkers of prostate cancer initiated immediately before surgical removal. It is hoped that such studies may provide rationale for future efforts directed at preventing progression of premalignant or early prostate cancer lesions.
Ordinary women and men: superintendents and Jews in the Budapest yellow-star houses in 1944–1945

The present article investigates how everyday people shaped the outcome of discriminatory measures during the Nazi persecution of Budapest Jews, primarily by looking into micro-level social interactions between superintendents and confined Jews during ghettoization in the Hungarian capital (1944). I argue that besides a multiplicity of relevant political, social and military reasons determining the fate of Budapest Jews, the urban specificity of the Holocaust also needs to be taken into account, given that location and access to urban space enabled different personal strategies to contest or aggravate anti-Semitic persecution. Especially older, nineteenth-century apartment buildings fostered the autonomy of superintendents, who could act independently of various authorities, exploiting certain Jews while aiding others. The article demonstrates how many superintendents made use of this power effectively as the successive regimes toughened their anti-Semitic policies. In addition, the investigation of individual motives and the micro levels of segregation and discrimination highlight major differences between and within apartment buildings, despite the supposedly homogeneous discrimination against Jews envisaged by Nazi policy makers.
Mapping chainable continua onto dendroids

Abstract We prove that every chainable continuum can be mapped into a dendroid such that all point-inverses consist of at most three points. In particular, it follows that there exists a finite-to-one map from a hereditarily indecomposable continuum (the pseudoarc) onto a hereditarily decomposable continuum. This answers a question by J. Krasinkiewicz.
The Center for Healthy Weight: an academic medical center response to childhood obesity

Childhood obesity represents a worldwide medical and public health challenge. Academic medical centers cannot avoid the effects of the obesity epidemic, and must adopt strategies for their academic, clinical and public policy responses to childhood obesity. The Center for Healthy Weight at Stanford University and Lucile Packard Children's Hospital at Stanford provides an example and model of one such strategy. The design provides both breadth and depth through six cores: Research, Patient Care, Community Programs, Advocating for Public Policy Change, Training and Professional Education, and the Healthy Hospital Initiative. The Center and its cores are designed to facilitate interdisciplinary collaboration across the university, medical school, children's hospital and surrounding community. The foci of these cores are likely to be relevant to almost any academic medical center's mission and functions.
Discovery of common marburgvirus protective epitopes in a BALB/c mouse model.

Marburg virus (MARV) causes acute hemorrhagic fever that is often lethal, and no licensed vaccines are available for preventing this deadly viral infection. The immune mechanisms for protection against MARV are poorly understood, but previous studies suggest that both antibodies and T cells are required. In our study, we infected BALB/c mice with plaque-purified, nonlethal MARV and used overlapping peptides to map H2 d -restricted CD8+ T-cell epitopes. Splenocytes from mice infected with nonlethal MARV were harvested and stimulated with multiple overlapping 15-mer peptide pools, and reactive CD8+ T cells were evaluated for antigen specificity by measuring upregulation of CD44 and interferon-γ expression. After confirming positive reactivity to specific 15-mer peptides, we used extrapolated 9-mer epitopes to evaluate the induction of cytotoxic T-cell responses and protection from lethal MARV challenge in BALB/c mice. We discovered a CD8+ T-cell epitope within both the MARV glycoprotein (GP) and nucleoprotein (NP) that triggered cytotoxic T-cell responses. These responses were also protective when epitope-specific splenocytes were transferred into naive animals. Epitope mapping of MARV GP, NP, and VP40 provides the first evidence that specific MARV-epitope induction of cellular immune responses is sufficient to combat infection. Establishment of CD8+ T-cell epitopes that are reactive to MARV proteins provides an important research tool for dissecting the significance of cellular immune responses in BALB/c mice infected with MARV.
Cognitive aspects of panic disorders

Abstract The cognitions associated with panic were examined in 30 patients diagnosed according to DSM-III as having panic disorder. In all cases, arousal of panic was associated with thoughts and images related to physical and mental catastrophe. Imagery of physical catastrophe included fainting, death, heart attack, loss of breath, and choking. Images of mental or behavioral catastrophe included loss of control and going crazy. The initial episode of panic was precipitated by either psychosocial or physical stress. On questioning, all patients showed that misattribution of somatic or psychological experiences triggered panic attacks, although initially some appeared to occur “out of the blue.” These internal experiences were typically brought on by social situations, phobic situations, or being alone, but sometimes occurred as the result of physiological factors such as orthostatic hypotension, exercise, or hypoglycemia.
Evidence of population mixing based on the geographical distribution of childhood leukemia in Ohio

Background This ecologic study examined the geographic distribution of childhood leukemias in Ohio, 1996–2000, among children aged 0–19 for evidence that population mixing may be a factor. Procedure (1) State incidence rates were compared to Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) rates for each year and for the 5-year period, 1996–2000; (2) incidence rates for each of Ohio's 88 counties were compared to statewide rates; and (3) county incidence rates were compared based on population density, population growth, and rural/urban locale. SEER*Stat version 5.0 was used to derive age-specific and 0–19 age-adjusted rates. Expected values, standardized incidence ratios (SIRs), and Poisson P-values were calculated with Excel using the indirect method of standardization. Results Of the 585 cases, 73.3% were acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL), 16.6% acute myelogenous leukemia (AML), 3.2% acute monocytic leukemia (AMoL), and 2.6% chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML). Rates for total leukemia burden were significantly below national levels for all races (P = 0.00001), likely due to poor ascertainment of cases. Yearly incidence rates for 1996–2000 were stable for ALL and AML; CML rates declined over the period. Based on 2000 Census and intercensal population estimates for 1996–2000, statistically higher rates for ALL were noted for counties experiencing >10% population change 1990–2000 (P < 0.05), especially for ages 1–4 (P < 0.03) in counties with 10–20% growth. Counties 67.9–99.2% urban experienced fewer than expected cases of AML + AMoL (P < 0.06). Conclusion Data support Kinlen's theory of population mixing and warrant further studies in Ohio, the US and other countries. Pediatr Blood Cancer 2007;49:797–802. © 2007 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Pinocytosis in fertilized sea urchin (Arbacia punctulata) eggs

Fertilized and unfertilized Arbacia eggs were incubated with extracellular tracers in an effort to: (1) correlate the onset of pinocytosis with egg activation and its possible role in restructuring the zygote's surface and (2) determine the fate of internalized vesicles and their contents. Zygotes incubated with horseradish peroxidase (HRP), native ferritin, or cationized ferritin incorporated tracers within coated vesicles by 4–7 minutes postinsemination. In contrast, endocytosis by unfertilized eggs was not observed. Zygotes taken at intervals up to cleavage (60 minutes postinsemination) exhibited all three tracers within coated and uncoated vesicles and lysosomes. HRP reaction product was identified within Golgi cisternae in only a few zygotes; native and cationized ferritin were never observed within Golgi elements. The sequential appearance of tracers in pinocytotic vesicles and lysosomes of fertilized eggs suggests that surface-related components are interiorized and then modified or degraded. Because the zygote surface undergoes a reduction in area, temporally correlated with the onset of pinocytosis, it is possible that endocytosis may be instrumental in the accommodation of the plasmalemma. The interiorization of surface membrane in fertilized eggs may represent a mechanism for the alteration of developmentally related cell surface components.
Survival of individuals with spinal muscular atrophy on ventilatory support

Six ventilator-assisted individuals (VAIs) with spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) are described. All six survived by using intermittent positive pressure ventilation via an indwelling tracheostomy for a mean of 11.7 +/- 17.7 yr despite frequent episodes of mucus plugging and pneumonia. Four of the VAIs also received all nutrition via indwelling gastrostomy tubes because of severe bulbar muscle weakness. Four VAIs used tracheostomy intermittent positive pressure ventilation with their tracheostomy cuffs deflated and could communicate verbally. Five of the six VAIs remained institutionalized from the onset of ventilatory use. Two SMA VAIs survived for 15 and 4 yr, respectively, despite need for ventilatory support since early infancy. All four SMA VAIs who could communicate remained socially active and one, gainfully employed. We conclude that for patients with advanced SMA markedly prolonged survival is possible with ventilatory assistance despite severe respiratory and bulbar muscle dysfunction.
In vitro evaluation of Poly(D,L-lactide-co-glycolide) polymer-based implants containing the α-melanocyte stimulating hormone analog, Melanotan-I

Abstract The release of the melanotropic peptide, Melanotan-I (MT-I), from biodegradable implants of poly( d , l lactide-co-glycolide) (PLGA) copolymer was studied. The implants were prepared by a melt-extrusion method. The in vitro release of MT-I exhibited a triphasic profile with an initial rapid release followed by a secondary phase of slow release, then a tertiary phase of rapid release due to erosion of the polymer. The initial rapid release observed with PLGA (50:50 molar ratio of lactic/glycolic acid) polymers was less than 5% of the drug load and the tertiary phase commenced after about 3 weeks. The factors controlling the drug release are degradation and erosion of the polymer which may, in turn, be controlled by the physical properties of the polymer such as molecular weight and viscosity. The influence of viscosity (0.2–1.08 dl/g) of the polymer, on the release kinetics of MT-I were analyzed and the polymer having a viscosity of 0.6 dl/g was selected for preparing a 1-month implant system. Molecular weight distribution analysis indicated a biphasic rate of molecular weight reduction and within 12 days, the molecular weight had decreased to 50% of the initial value. The release rate was examined at different drug loading levels and in the presence of some hydrophilic additives. The effect of gamma radiation on the release kinetics of the peptide was analyzed to determine the optimal radiation sterilization dose for the PLGA implants. There was no significant difference in the total duration of MT-I release between the implants exposed to no radiation and the 2.5 Mrad dose selected.
Large-scale ethanol production from corn and grain sorghum and improving conversion technology

Abstract A linear programming model is used to assess the impacts of large-scale ethanol production from corn and grain sorghum on U.S. agriculture. Annual ethanol production of 22.7 and 45.4sx109 L, corresponding to approximately 6 and 12%, respectively, of U.S. gasoline consumption is examined. Current conversion technology allows 387 L of ethanol to be obtained from a metric tonne of corn or grain sorghum, and more advanced conversion technology would allow up to 447 L. U.S. agriculture has the capacity to produce both food and large quantities of ethanol. If large-scale ethanol production occurs, the major change in production is the substitution of corn for soybeans in the north central states. With current ethanol production technology, per unit production cost increases for individual crops range from 3 to 12% and from 6 to 30% for annual ethanol production of 22.7 and 45.4×109 L, respectively. Advanced ethanol production technology allows crop production costs to be reduced significantly, about 100o million dollars if 45.4×109 L of ethanol are produced.
Experimental and numerical study of melting in a cylinder

Well-controlled and well-characterized experimental measurements are obtained during the melting of a moderate-Prandtl-number material (n-eicosane) in a cylindrical enclosure heated from the side. The study aims to provide benchmark experimental measurements for validation of numerical codes. Experimental results in terms of measured temperatures and melt front locations are reported in both graphical and tabular forms. The melt front was captured photographically and its location ascertained using digital image processing techniques. To facilitate numerical validation exercises, a complete set of experimental results have been made available on a website for public access. An illustrative numerical comparison exercise was also undertaken using a multiblock finite volume method and the enthalpy method for a range of Stefan numbers. The experimental boundary conditions can be adequately represented with a constant and uniform side wall temperature, a constant and uniform lower surface temperature, and an adiabatic top wall. Very good agreement was obtained between the predictions and the experiment for Stefan numbers of up to 0.1807. The experimental results for a Stefan number of 0.0836 are recommended as being the most suitable for numerical benchmarking, since the boundary conditions are best controlled in this set of experiments.
Is Public Performance Reporting Living up to its Expectations?: A Bibliographic Essay

Public information reports may have begun with the budget or annual report, but now they may also include performance measures. I focus my discussion on communicating government performance to external audiences in the form of public performance reports. Specifically, I offer an analysis of current public performance reporting principles and a summary of performance reporting studies, including the unintended consequences of reporting performance information to the public. The article concludes with a discussion of the challenges and issues of public performance reporting that lie ahead for the field and practice of public administration, including research needs.
Disorder dependence of phase transitions in a Coulomb glass

We have performed a Monte Carlo study of a three dimensional system of classical electrons with Coulomb interactions at half filling. We systematically increase the positional disorder by starting from a completely ordered system and gradually transitioning to a Coulomb glass. The phase transition as a function of temperature is second order for all values of disorder. We use finite size scaling to determine the transition temperature TC and the critical exponent ν. We find that TC decreases and that ν increases with increasing disorder. (© 2003 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Network Forensics: Network Data and State Seizures in the United States

Network systems capture data about electronic activity in new, sometimes unprecedented forms. These new forms offer new, powerful tactical tools for investigations of electronic malfeasance under traditional leg al regulation of state power, particular that of Fourth Amendment limitations on police searches and seizures under the U.S. Constitution. But mis- appreciation of identity and authenticity issues with electronic data, particularly IP addresses and account numbers, raise issues of public policy, privacy and proper oversight network forensic investigations. The digital age uses digital facts, particularly alphanumerical identifiers used for addressing, hashing and authentication and identification in online transactions. These artifacts become the evidence supporting a state search or seizure Given the technical issues with evidence preservation and examination in electronic storage media, search warrants relating to computers may direct the seizure of computers and removal off-site for examination in a computer forensics facility. This can disrupt or even destroy records, objects and systems on those computers. This reliance on simple digital identification with minimal authentication further corrodes privacy and liberty rights in new ways. Technical security cannot protect privacy and security with such attitudes towards data. Security policy must extend into all domains of society. The challenge will be to establish a balance where courts set a stricter boundary for state searches and seizures based on electronic evidence of questionable reliability. As the United States v. Gourde court observed "We are acutely aware that the digital universe poses particular challenges with respect to the Fourth Amendment." That awareness still needs greater knowledge of the facts of identity and authenticity of electronic data as evidence, its mutability and evanescence, if the rights, liberties, and privacy of Americans are to be protected.
Corrosion Study of AA2024‐T3 by Scanning Kelvin Probe Force Microscopy and In Situ Atomic Force Microscopy Scratching

The localized corrosion of AA2024-T3, and the behavior of intermetallic particles in particular, were studied using different capabilities of the atomic force microscope (AFM). The role of intermetallic particles in determining the locations and rates of localized corrosion was determined using scanning Kelvin probe force microscopy in air after exposure to chloride solutions. Al-Cu-Mg particles, which have a noble Volta potential in air because of an altered surface film, are actively dissolved in chloride solution after a certain induction time. Al-Cu(Fe, Mn) particles are heterogeneous in nature and exhibit nonuniform dissolution in chloride solution as well as trenching of the matrix around the particles. Light scratching of the surface by rastering with the AFM tip in contact mode in chloride solution results in accelerated dissolution of both pure Al and alloy 2024-T3. The abrasion associated with contact AFM in situ resulted in the immediate dissolution of the Al-Cu-Mg particles because of a destabilization of the surface film.
Single Stranded DNA Decorated Carbon Nanotube Transistors for Chemical Sensing

We demonstrate that single walled carbon nanotube field effect transistors (swCN-FET) decorated with single stranded DNA (ss-DNA) form a new, versatile, and highly sensitive class of nanoscale chemical sensors. These sensors are based on ss-DNA as the chemical recognition site and swCN-FET as the electronic read-out component. The ss-DNA decorated swCN-FETs are sensitive to chemical species (odors) that do not cause a detectable response in bare, as-fabricated swCN-FETs. Furthermore, odor responses ss-DNA decorated FETs differ in sign and magnitude for different odors, and the response characteristics depend on the base sequence of the ss-DNA used to decorate the swCN. The sensor surface is self-regenerating: samples maintain a constant response with no need for sensor refreshing through at least several dozens gas exposure cycles. These remarkable attributes suggest that DNA-decorated swCN-FET sensors could be created with sensitivity to a large variety of compounds, as required for “electronic-nose” and “electronic tongue” applications in medicine and homeland security.
Factors Affecting Outcomes in Patients with Hepatocellular Carcinoma Treated with Transarterial Chemoembolization

Background: Outcome after transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is highly variable. Aims: To identify factors affecting outcome after TACE forHCC. Methods: We conducted a retrospective analysis of HCC patients treated with TACE from January 2001 to December 2010 at the VA Medical Center, Gainesville, Florida using Fisher's exact test and Mann Whitney U testfor univariate analysis and the Kaplan-Meier method and Cox proportional hazard models to compare survival. Results:Of the 82 patients included in the analysis, 45 received doxorubicin drug eluting beads (DEB TACE) and 37 received conventional (CON) TACE. The two TACE groups had similar characteristics except for MELD score being higher in the CON TACE. Univariate analysis showed survival to be associated with type of TACE (p= 0.022), Child-Pugh (CP) class (p= 0.038), MELD score (p= 0.028), AFPmax (p=0.0002) and response after first TACE (p= 0.006). Kaplan Meier analysis showed significant survival benefit (p=0.014) in the DEB TACE group over the CON TACE group -26.4 months VS 15.8 months respectively and in patients with lower MELD scores (p=0.005). A multivariable analysis showed a significant interaction between type of TACE and MELD score ( p=0.395), with DEB TACE patients experiencing a better survival than CON TACE patients but the effect diminishing as MELD scores increased. In addition the risk of death increased significantly with AFPmax (Hazard ratio 1.15, 95%CI= (1.06, 1.26), p=0.0001). Conclusions: Survival after TACE for HCC is better after DEB TACE, in CP class A, with lower MELD score and lower AFPmax.
The Impact of Group Purchasing Organizations on Healthcare-Product Supply Chains

This paper examines the impact of group purchasing organizations (GPOs) on healthcare-product supply chains. The supply chain we study consists of a profit-maximizing manufacturer with a quantity-discount schedule that is nonincreasing in quantity and ensures nondecreasing revenue, a profit-maximizing GPO, a competitive source selling at a fixed unit price, and n providers (e.g., hospitals) with fixed demands for a single product. Each provider seeks to minimize its total purchasing cost (i.e., the cost of the goods plus the provider's own fixed transaction cost). Buying through the GPO offers providers possible cost reductions but may involve a membership fee. Selling through the GPO offers the manufacturer possibly higher volumes, but requires that the manufacturer pay the GPO a contract administration fee (CAF), i.e., a percentage of all revenue contracted through it. Using a game-theoretic model, we examine questions about this supply chain, including how the presence of a GPO affects the providers' total purchasing costs. We also address the controversy about whether Congress should amend the Social Security Act, which, under current law, permits CAFs. Among other things, we conclude that although CAFs affect the distribution of profits between manufacturers and GPOs, they do not affect the providers' total purchasing costs.
Human Figure-Drawing Performance of LD Children: Research and Clinical Perspectives:

Based on a critical review of research on the human figure-drawing performance of learning disabled children, it is concluded that such research is sparse and suffers from methodological weaknesses, particularly vague and shifting sample selection criteria. As a result, it has contributed little to our understanding of learning disorders in children or added to current knowledge of specific relevance to the child clinician. Suggestions for future research directions and implications of this research for the child clinician are discussed.
Strontium isotopic composition of Pliocene and Pleistocene molluscs from emerged marine deposits, North American Arctic

High-precision strontium (Sr) isotopic measurements were obtained for 53 Pliocene and Pleistocene molluscan shells from emerged marine deposits around the coasts of Arctic North America to test whether such data can be used for chronostratigraphic purposes. 87Sr/86Sr ratios from Sr isotopic measurements on many marine fossils from Arctic Ocean borderland sites are broadly consistent with their expected values based on independent age control and on a comparison with the Sr isotopic evolution of seawater recorded in deep-sea cores. All 87Sr/86Sr ratios measured for shells from Middle and Late Pleistocene deposits are consistent with expected values, but only 9 of 22 ratios in shells from older deposits are consistent with independent age estimates. Aberrant 87Sr/86Sr ratios are consistently higher than expected. At Nome, Alaska, and Baffin Island, Canada, all 87Sr/86Sr ratios are higher than expected. Because these shells were formed along the Pacific Ocean and Atlantic Ocean margins, respectively, their h...
MEASURING SOCIAL CAPITAL: AN EXPLORATION IN COMMUNITY- RESEARCH PARTNERSHIP

Large numbers of social policy initiatives and community organizations are currently engaged in “community building” efforts that seek, in part, to strengthen informal relationships and the organizational infrastructure of communities and to build the capacity of communities to manage and foster community change. One critical requirement for improving such practice is for communities to have greater access and capacity to use information for planning, advocacy, and assessment. There are, however, a number of challenges to this, especially as it concerns understanding complex, sometimes elusive, dimensions of community circumstances and dynamics—the level of community “social capital,” for example—that are of central interest to those involved in community-building efforts. The authors describe what was learned through a community–research partnership that attempted to test practical options for community-based organizations (CBOs) to measure aspects of community social capital for their own purposes and within the constraints of budget, time, and skills under which they work. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Health literacy in the ''oral exchange'': An important element of patient-provider communication

Abstract Objective Oral communication between health care providers and patients—the “oral exchange”—greatly impacts patient health outcomes; however, only recently have health literacy inquiries been incorporated into this field. This review examines the intersection between oral and aural literacy and the oral exchange. Methods A systematic literature search was carried out. Papers published in English since 2003 that specifically examine oral/aural literacy and oral patient–provider communication were included. Results The search yielded 999 articles, 12 of which were included in this review. Three tools have been developed to measure either patient or provider oral/aural literacy. There is a discrepancy between patient and provider oral/aural literacy levels, and high literacy demand is associated with reduced patient learning. Low patient oral/aural literacy is associated with poor health outcomes. Two interventions have been developed to reduce literacy demand. Conclusion This review demonstrates the critical role of oral and aural literacy in the oral exchange, the importance of reducing literacy demand, and the need for future research in this field. Practice implications Recommendations include the use of plain language and teach-back by providers, as well as incorporation of awareness of oral and aural literacy into community programs and health care provider education and training.
Role of Pyridine Nucleotides in 5-Fluorouracil-Mediated Reactivation of Ultraviolet Radiation Damage

Ultraviolet irradiation (520 ergs/mm2 at 254 nm) causes the respiration of Escherichia coli B/r cells to cease after about 90 min postirradiation incubation in a minimal medium containing glycerol as the sole source of carbon. The cessation of respiration is associated with loss of pyridine nucleotides. Agents which interfere with postirradiation transcription and translation prevent cessation of respiration. We have studied the effects of one of these agents, 5-fluorouracil (FU), on respiration, pyridine nucleotide levels, viability, capacity to support phage growth, and the repair of irradiated deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA). Addition of FU to cells immediately after irradiation results in the continuance of respiration at a linear rate and the maintenance of high levels of pyridine nucleotides. Cellular viability increases dramatically during the first 60 min of postirradiation incubation in the presence of FU. The ability of irradiated cells to support the growth of phage T4 is also greatly increased. FU treatment has no effect on the kinetics of pyrimidine dimer excision or the degradation of DNA. However, treated cells repair single-strand breaks resulting from early steps in excision repair slightly more efficiently than do untreated cells. The results support the hypothesis that one of the causes of death in these irradiated cells is the disappearance of pyridine nucleotides, coenzymes of certain respiratory dehydrogenases, and, in the case of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide, for polynucleotide ligase, the enzyme responsible for the final step in the repair of DNA.
Plant RNAi: How aViral Silencing Suppressor Inactivates siRNA

The three-dimensional structure of an siRNA bound to the tombusvirus p19 protein--a suppressor of gene silencing--provides a first glimpse into how plant viruses can defeat their host's anti-viral RNAi defenses.
The Impact of Benefit Spillovers upon Economic Efficiency in Public School Finance

The hypothesis that public school funding is sensitive to gain or loss of residence related external benefits was tested using two stage least squares. No statistically significant relationship was detected. Arguments for providing school funding relief to declining rural areas must be defended upon equity rather than efficiency grounds.
Bursts in oscillatory systems with broken D 4 symmetry

A new mechanism responsible for generating regular and irregular bursts of large dynamic range near onset of an oscillatory instability is identified. The bursts are present in systems with nearly square symmetry and are the result of heteroclinic cycles involving infinite amplitude states created when the square symmetry is broken. All possible cycles of this type are identified and the resulting bursts described. Global connections involving finite amplitude states are also present. The intricate sequence of bifurcations that result is described in several cases. ©2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.
Genotype by Environment Interaction of Quantitative Traits: A Case Study in Barley

Genotype by environment interaction is a phenomenon that a better genotype in one environment may perform poorly in another environment. When the genotype refers to a quantitative trait locus (QTL), this phenomenon is called QTL by environment interaction, denoted by Q×E. Using a recently developed new Bayesian method and genome-wide marker information, we estimated and tested QTL main effects and Q×E interactions for a well-known barley dataset produced by the North American Barley Genome Mapping Project. This dataset contained seven quantitative traits collected from 145 doubled-haploid (DH) lines evaluated in multiple environments, which derived from a cross between two Canadian two-row barley lines, Harrington and TR306. Numerous main effects and Q×E interaction effects have been detected for all seven quantitative traits. However, main effects seem to be more important than the Q×E interaction effects for all seven traits examined. The number of main effects detected varied from 26 for the maturity trait to 75 for the heading trait, with an average of 61.86. The heading trait has the most detected effects, with a total of 98 (75 main, 29 Q×E). Among the 98 effects, 6 loci had both the main and Q×E effects. Among the total number of detected loci, on average, 78.5% of the loci show the main effects whereas 34.9% of the loci show Q×E interactions. Overall, we detected many loci with either the main or the Q×E effects, and the main effects appear to be more important than the Q×E interaction effects for all the seven traits. This means that most detected loci have a constant effect across environments. Another discovery from this analysis is that Q×E interaction occurs independently, regardless whether the locus has main effects.
Adaptive zero-current switching control scheme for diode emulation operation

A voltage regulator typically can achieve higher efficiency at very light load by operating in diode emulation mode rather than in continuous conduction mode. A very common approach to detect zero current crossing is to compare the phase-node voltage with zero volts or a few millivolts (mV) reference voltage. However the parasitic inductance may introduce some extra offset, resulting in early turn-off of the LGATE and extra power losses. The impact of power-train parasitics and operating conditions in diode emulation operation are studied in detail in this paper. A novel technique to compensate these variables and achieve zero-current switching (ZCS) diode emulation operation is presented. Experimental results are provided to verify the concept.
Coven-a framework for high performance problem solving environments

Presents the design of the Coven framework for construction of problem solving environments (PSEs) for parallel computers. PSEs are an integral part of modern high performance computing (HPC) and Coven attempts to simplify PSE construction. Coven targets Beowulf cluster parallel computers but independent of any particular domain for the PSE. Multithreaded parallel applications are created with Coven that are capable of supporting most of the constructs in a typical parallel programming language. Coven uses an agent-based front-end which allows multiple custom interfaces to be constructed. Examples of the use of Coven in the construction of prototype PSEs are shown, and the effectiveness of these PSEs is evaluated in terms of the performance of the applications they generate.
Quantification of 15 bile acids in lake charr feces by ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry

Many fishes are hypothesized to use bile acids (BAs) as chemical cues, yet quantification of BAs in biological samples and the required methods remain limited. Here, we present an UHPLC-MS/MS method for simultaneous, sensitive, and rapid quantification of 15 BAs, including free, taurine, and glycine conjugated BAs, and application of the method to fecal samples from lake charr (Salvelinus namaycush). The analytes were separated on a C18 column with acetonitrile-water (containing 7.5mM ammonium acetate and 0.1% formic acid) as mobile phase at a flow rate of 0.25mL/min for 12min. BAs were monitored with a negative electrospray triple quadrupole mass spectrometer (Xevo TQ-S™). Calibration curves of 15 BAs were linear over the concentration range of 1.00-5,000ng/mL. Validation revealed that the method was specific, accurate, and precise. The method was applied to quantitative analysis of feces extract of fry lake charr and the food they were eating. The concentrations of analytes CA, TCDCA, TCA, and CDCA were 242.3, 81.2, 60.7, and 36.2ng/mg, respectively. However, other taurine conjugated BAs, TUDCA, TDCA, and THDCA, were not detected in feces of lake charr. Interestingly, TCA and TCDCA were detected at high concentrations in food pellets, at 71.9 and 38.2ng/mg, respectively. Application of the method to feces samples from lake charr supported a role of BAs as chemical cues, and will enhance further investigation of BAs as chemical cues in other fish species.
Effects of different vaccine combinations against Mycoplasma gallisepticum on the digestive and reproductive organ characteristics of commercial egg-laying hens

Mycoplasma gallisepticum (MG) is a major and economically significant pathogen of avian species. When administered before lay, F-strain MG (FMG) can reduce egg production during lay, but the ts-11 strain of MG (ts11MG) does not exert this effect. Two trials were conducted to determine the effects of pre-lay vaccinations of ts11MG, MG-Bacterin (MGBac), or their combination, in conjunction with an FMG vaccination overlay after peak production on the digestive and reproductive organ characteristics of Hy-Line W-36 layers housed in biological isolation units (4 units per treatment, 10 birds per unit). The following vaccination treatments were administered at 10 wk of age (woa): 1) Control (no vaccinations); 2) MGBac; 3) ts11MG; and 4) ts11MG and MGBac combination (ts11MG+MGBac). At 45 woa, half of the birds were vaccinated with a laboratory stock of high passage FMG. In both trials, parameters determined in 4 birds per unit at 55 woa included: BW; fatty liver hemorrhagic syndrome incidence; mean number of mature ovarian follicles; ovarian, oviduct, and small intestine weights; and the weights and lengths of the various portions of the oviduct and small intestine. Treatment effects were observed for the weights of the entire small intestine and the duodenum, jejunum, and ileum, as percentages of BW; and for vagina weight as a percentage of total oviduct weight. In general, the weights of the small intestine and its 3 components were increased in response to the FMG vaccine that was administered at 45 woa. An FMG vaccination at 45 woa may increase relative intestine weight in layers; however, use of a prelay MGBac vaccine alone or in combination with ts11MG, with or without an FMG overlay, does not affect the gross characteristics of their digestive and reproductive organs, and may be used without having an adverse effect on their performance, as was observed in a previous companion study.
Extending Bayesian induction

Abstract This article comments on “Harold Jeffreys’s Default Bayes Factor Hypothesis Tests: Explanation, Extension, and Application in Psychology” by Ly, Verhagen and Wagenmakers (2016). Their article represents an excellent summary of the seminal contributions of Harold Jeffreys to Bayesian induction. We comment on a method to extend Bayesian induction that places the emphasis on data rather than models. Models are always wrong, acting as approximations to the data from which they derive and thereby explaining some of the main factors operating in the experiment. Our simple extension places priors and posteriors on the possible distributions of data outcomes, one of which represents the true state of the world—the observed data is a sample from that unknown true state. The proposed system infers the probability that a given data distribution is the true one, based on the observed sample of data; the posterior probabilities that given model instances provide best approximations to the truth can then be obtained directly.
Spotlight on the June 2015 issue

This first issue of Neurology® Genetics is out and it reflects very well the diversity of today's genetics. The approaches employed range from genome-wide association studies(1) to whole-exome sequencing (WES)(2-5) and targeted resequencing of a single gene.(6) One study examines the effects of disease-causing mutations on subcellular compartmentalization.(7) The disease phenotypes examined are just as diverse and include episodic disorders as well as diseases of the central and peripheral nervous systems.
Violent and Nonviolent Misconduct Among Female Inmates: An Exploration of Competing Theories

AbstractExtant literature on prison misconduct focuses primarily on male inmates or pooled samples of male and female inmates. Moreover, this research typically combines several types of misconduct into one global measure. To add to the literature, the current study gathered self-report data from over 300 female inmates to explore the impact of variables from three different theoretical perspectives upon four types of misconduct (i.e., physical assaults, nonviolent sexual activity, drug/alcohol, and property). Results show that importation and social control variables predict all types of misconduct, whereas deprivation variables provided some modest support for sexual misconduct and property misconduct.