cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
TORT REFORM: THE CASE OF MEDICAL MALPRACTICE

In most countries the prevailing rule of liability for medical injuries is some form of negligence rule (Schwartz, 1992). Many countries, including the UK, the US, and Canada, are increasingly dissatis fied with this traditional system. In theory, the tort system is designed to deter medical negligence and to compensate patients injured as a result of negli gent care. The evidence suggests that it performs these functions imperfectly, at best, and at high cost, including high overhead costs. Although rough estimates suggest that the frequency and cost of malpractice claims is several-fold higher in the US than in other countries (Danzon, 1990), there is a common concern over the frequency of medical injuries and claims, and the costs of compensation and of malpractice insurance premiums.
Job suburbanization, zoning and the welfare of urban minority groups

Abstract This paper poses a model of the effects of job suburbanization and suburban exclusionary zoning on the welfare of blacks and other urban minority groups. It explores the circumstances under which blacks take suburban jobs and whether they are made better off if they do so. The possibilities that blacks outcommute from central area ghettos and that they relocate to suburban housing near the jobs are each considered. A hypothetical governmental project to subsidize the creation of 10,000 suburban jobs for blacks is explored in a cost-benefit framework, stressing the effects of suburban exclusionary zoning on the project's feasibility.
Aggregate supply considerations and the St. Louis equation

Abstract This study presents the theoritical analysis of expanding the St. Louis equation to incorporate aggregate supply variables and an initial examination of the impact of monetary and fiscal policy is the expanded equation. The regression results suggest that including the producer price index for crude petroleum (COP) with or without a labor strike variable (WS) falls to influence the dominance of monetary over fiscal policy for the 1953I- 76IV period. However, fiscal policy's significance increases while monetary policy's significance decreases for the 1970I-17IV period. The impact of COP is particularly strong in the 1970s while WS is important in the overall period, 1953I-76IV.
Transcutaneous ultrasonography can be used to guide and monitor ballon angioplasty

Abstract Purpose: Percutaneous balloon angioplasty is an accepted technique for the treatment of short segmental stenoses of the iliac and superficial femoral arteries. Some surgeons have not embraced this technique because of lack of training, unfamiliarity with radiologic equipment, or poor-quality fluoroscopy equipment in the operating room. A new technique, ultrasound-directed balloon angioplasty, enables the vascular surgeon to guide the catheter and evaluate the progress of the procedure without the use of radiographic imaging. Methods: The new catheter is integrated externally into a standard duplex scanner. A spherical brass bead positioned on the catheter shaft in the middle of the balloon is covered with a piezoelectric material. This omnidirectional receiver is connected through a wire to a catheter interface system, which allows the exact position of the balloon to be represented on the screen of a duplex unit. The catheter is advanced under visual control with use of the scanner. Results: The system has been used to perform balloon angioplasty on 21 lesions (16 superficial femoral, 3 iliac, 2 popliteal arteries) in 17 patients. Procedures in 16 patients were performed percutaneously; in an additional patient bilateral angioplasties were performed during operation. The balloon was successfully positioned in each case with use of ultrasonography alone; each procedure was confirmed by use of angiography. Angioplasty was accomplished in 16 (76%) of 21 with the ultrasound-guided catheter alone. Supplemental use of a high-pressure balloon or atherectomy device was necessary in five patients. Conclusions: This technique records physiologic and anatomic data in real time so that the progress of the angioplasty can be monitored. In three patients the inadequacy of the initial angioplasty was recognized by a persistent velocity increase but not by angiography. As a result corrective measures were taken. This new procedure allows vascular surgeons to use equipment with which they are familiar, reduces the risk of ionizing radiation and contrast nephropathy, and permits the monitoring of the angioplasty with hemodynamic parameters. (J VASC SURG 1993;17:23-31.)
Chemical composition and nutrient digestibility of pearl millet (Pennisetum glaucum) fed to growing pigs

Abstract Pearl millet grown at two different locations in the U.S.A., pearl millet A (PMA) and pearl millet B (PMB), were analyzed for chemical composition and nutrient content and compared to corn. The two samples of pearl millet and corn were incorporated into diets and fed to 24 growing pigs in a metabolism trial to determine nitrogen and mineral balance and digestibilities of energy, fat and amino acids. Pearl millet (PMA and PMB) was found to be richer in crude protein, gross energy, ether extract, acid detergent fiber, amino acid profile and mineral content than corn. However, digestibilities of dry matter (corn, 86·8%; PMA, 80·5%; PMB, 82·0%) and energy (corn, 85·3%; PMA, 78·8%; PMB, 80·5%) were higher (P
Comments on “DTA studies on the liquidus temperatures of Cr complex with the addition of an anhydrous Ni complex”

Apolemic is presented in regards to a recent paper by Premkumar et al. [Materials Letters 58 (2004) 474].
Correlation between array-comparative genomic hybridization-defined genomic gains and losses and survival: identification of 1p31-32 deletion as a prognostic factor in myeloma

In this study, we correlated array-comparative genomic hybridization-defined abnormalities with survival in two different cohorts of patients treated with therapy based on high-dose melphalan with autologous stem-cell transplantation (64 from the Mayo Clinic and 67 from the University of Arkansas Medical School) and identified that several regions of genomic gains and losses were significantly associated with poorer survival. Three noncontiguous survival relevant regions covering 1p31-33 and two noncontiguous regions covering 20p12.3-12.1 were common between the two datasets. The prognostic relevance of these hotspots was validated in an independent cohort using fluorescent in situ hybridization, which showed that 1p31-32 loss is significantly associated with shorter survival (24.5 months versus 40 months, log-rank P-value=0.01), whereas 20p12 loss has a trend toward shorter survival (26.3 months versus 40 months, log-rank P-value=0.06). On multivariate analysis, 1p31-32 loss is an independent prognostic factor. On further analysis, the prognostic impact of 1p31-32 loss is due to shortening of post-relapse survival as there is no impact on complete response rates and progression-free survival.
Analytics as heuristics: technical considerations for DOC

Abstract: This paper is an initial effort to articulate the rhetorical work of analytics for technical writers and designers of technical information. We situate analytics as a heuristic process, the intentional creation of forms and events for aggregating and assessing data within and across systems. Using examples from healthcare and library science we highlight: (1) The opportunities and complications of working with comprehensive data sets (100% of population) rather than representative samples; (2) The importance of outliers, and (3) The social dynamics associated with inventing concepts. We suggest that analytics is equally a social, technical, and rhetorical activity. Meaningful queries will invent and aggregate concepts that enable description, assessment, and change throughout a social system. We stress the contextual and social dynamics of analytics noting that like any rhetorical activity, analytics simultaneously construct, reflect, and impose value and meaning on systems under scrutiny.
A new version of PRT software for sibling groups reconstruction with comments regarding several issues in the sibling reconstruction problem

Pedigree reconstruction using genotypic markers has become an important tool for the study of natural populations. The nonstandard nature of the underlying statistical problems has led to the necessity of developing specialized statistical and computational methods. In this article, a new version of pedigree reconstruction tools (PRT 2.0) is presented. The software implements algorithms proposed in Almudevar & Field (Journal of Agricultural Biological and Environmental Statistics, 4, 1999, 136) and Almudevar (Biometrics, 57, 2001a, 757) for the reconstruction of single generation sibling groups (SG). A wider range of enumeration algorithms is included, permitting improved computational performance. In particular, an iterative version of the algorithm designed for larger samples is included in a fully automated form. The new version also includes expanded simulation utilities, as well as extensive reporting, including half-sibling compatibility, parental genotype estimates and flagging of potential genotype errors. A number of alternative algorithms are described and demonstrated. A comparative discussion of the underlying methodologies is presented. Although important aspects of this problem remain open, we argue that a number of methodologies including maximum likelihood estimation (COLONY 1.2 and 2.0) and the set cover formulation (KINALYZER) exhibit undesirable properties in the sibling reconstruction problem. There is considerable evidence that large sets of individuals not genetically excluded as siblings can be inferred to be a true sibling group, but it is also true that unrelated individuals may be genetically compatible with a true sibling group by chance. Such individuals may be identified on a statistical basis. PRT 2.0, based on these sound statistical principles, is able to efficiently match or exceed the highest reported accuracy rates, particularly for larger SG. The new version is available at http://www.urmc.rochester.edu/biostat/people/faculty/almudevar.cfm.
The effect of fungicides on urediniospore germination and disease development of daylily rust

Abstract In response to the recent introduction and rapid spread throughout the United States of daylily rust caused by Puccinia hemerocallidis, research was conducted on the relative efficacy of seven fungicides (myclobutanil, propiconazole, flutolanil, triadimefon, chlorothalonil, mancozeb, and azoxystrobin) for control of this disease. Fungicides were applied at varying rates 24 h before spray–inoculation of daylilies (Hemerocallis sp. cv. Pardon Me) with urediniospore suspensions. Disease development was evaluated by counting rust pustules on six to eight leaves per plant after 15 days. Nearly all fungicides reduced the number of pustules cm−1 of leaf length compared to the untreated control in all greenhouse trials. The protectant fungicides chlorothalonil and mancozeb significantly reduced pustule development. Of three sterol-biosynthesis inhibiting compounds, triadimefon provided greatest reduction in pustule development. Myclobutanil and propiconazole did not affect in vitro urediniospore germination on fungicide-amended potato dextrose agar (PDA). All concentrations of azoxystrobin and chlorothalonil significantly reduced urediniospore germination. A 24 h exposure to PDA amended with azoxystrobin (1.0–100.0 μg a.i. ml−1), chlorothalonil (100 μg a.i. ml−1) or mancozeb (10.0 and 100.0 μg a.i. ml−1) eliminated subsequent urediniospore germination on non-amended PDA. The data indicate that daylily rust can be controlled under greenhouse conditions by applications of fungicides.
Peroxiredoxin-1 from the Human Hookworm Ancylostoma ceylanicum Forms a Stable Oxidized Decamer and Is Covalently Inhibited by Conoidin A

Summary Hookworms are parasitic nematodes that have a devastating impact on global health, particularly in developing countries. We report a biochemical and structural analysis of a peroxiredoxin from the hookworm Ancylostoma ceylanicum , AcePrx-1. Peroxiredoxins provide antioxidant protection and act as signaling molecules and chaperones. AcePrx-1 is expressed in adult hookworms and can be inactivated by 2,3-bis(bromomethyl)quinoxaline-1,4-dioxide (conoidin A). Conoidin A inactivates AcePrx-1 by alkylating or crosslinking the catalytic cysteines, while maintaining the enzyme in the "locally unfolded" conformation. Irreversible oxidation of the resolving cysteine may contribute additional inhibitory activity. A crystal structure of oxidized AcePrx-1 reveals a disulfide-linked decamer. A helix macrodipole near the active site increases the reactivity of the catalytic cysteines to conoidin A. This work demonstrates the promise of conoidin compounds as probes to evaluate peroxiredoxins as drug targets in human parasites.
Protestant Theories and Anthropological Knowledge: Convergent Models in the Ecuadorian Sierra

Anthropologists, from the first, have paid attention to the thought and behavior of the people about whom they have written. Even in the positivist or structuralist preoccupation with "getting beneath" the surface, or the Marxist wariness of false consciousness, there is an obvious concern with what people are saying or showing us by their actions. Those of a more humanistic bent, of course, have argued that these approaches unduly privilege the anthropologist's explanation of supposedly "raw data." And the point is well and widely taken. Yet reconceiving what actors say and do as an "emic" (or "informant" or "local," or call it what we will) world, can still allow us to view that world as the subject, even the object, in other words, the text upon which we work. It is the grist for our mill, the inchoate, opaque material that we shape or illuminate.' This double standard for indigenous thought is seen perhaps most commonly in the distinction between our "knowledge" and their "belief," with its implicit devaluation of the truth-claims of the latter. What are we to do, then, when we meet up with Anthony Giddens's counter-thesis that "there is no logical difference between the criteria of validity in terms of which belief-claims (hypotheses, theories) are to be judged in respect of lay members of society and [professional] social observers" (1984:91)? It might lead us to investigate his further assertion that "social theory is by no means the special and insulated province of academic thinkers" (Giddens 1984:335). Both professional social scientists and lay members of society are perfectly capable of theorizing about society.2 Gregory Bateson was one of the first to realize that, if this claim is true, it would change the results of professional (and lay?) theoretical practice. Out of the current postmodernist debate has come a related focus on the irrevocable changes that would also emerge in how
Impact of adjuvant external beam radiotherapy on survival in surgically resected gallbladder adenocarcinoma: a propensity score-matched Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results analysis.

Background We sought to define the utilization and effect of adjuvant external-beam radiotherapy (XRT) on patients having undergone curative-intent resection for gallbladder cancer (GBC). Methods Using the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database, we identified 5,011 patients with GBC who underwent resection between 1988 and 2009. The impact of XRT on survival was analyzed by the use of propensity-score matching by comparing clinicopathologic factors between patients who received resection only versus resection plus XRT. Results Median age was 72 years, and most patients were female (73.4%); 66.2% patients had intermediate to poorly differentiated tumors, and 19.1% had lymph node metastasis. The majority (75.0%) had “localized” disease by Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results classification. A total of 899 patients (17.9%) received XRT whereas 4,112 patients did not. Factors associated with receipt of XRT were younger age (odds ratio [OR] 5.33), tumor extension beyond the serosa (OR 1.55), intermediate- to poorly differentiated tumors (OR 1.56), and lymph node metastasis (OR 2.59) (all P Conclusion A total of 18% of patients with GBC received XRT after curative intent surgery. The use of adjuvant XRT was associated with a short-term survival benefit, but the benefit dissipated over time.
An Experimental Investigation of the Mini-Sandwich Laminate as Used to Obtain Unidirectional Composite Compression Strengths:

A mini-sandwich laminate configuration was used to test unidirectional AS4/3501-6 carbon/epoxy and S-2/5216 glass/epoxy composite material systems in established shear- and end-loaded compression test fixtures. Four different analysis techniques were used to predict the unidirectional lamina strength and stiffness from the measured tabbed and untabbed mini-sandwich specimen strength. The unidirectional composite compressive strengths obtained from both co-cured and adhesively bonded mini-sandwich specimens tested in the IITRI fixture using a nonlinear laminate theory analysis technique produced the highest strength values. Although the unidirectional composite compressive strengths measured using these specimens were higher than strengths typically obtained using conventional unidirectional specimen configurations, the adhesive bond between the face sheets and the 3501-6 epoxy resin core of the co-cured mini-sandwich specimens and the Poisson's effect in the core material were identified as possible limit...
Comparison of Line Tension Measurement Techniques in Phase Separated Multi-Component Lipid Monolayers

Langmuir monolayers of multi-component lipid compositions have been used to study the mixing behavior of sterol-phospholipid systems. Using traditional Langmuir pressure-area isotherms and fluorescence microscopy techniques we compare line tension measurements using two methods of image analysis. Line tension between coexisting phases of sterol-rich and sterol-poor domains can be extracted from a Fourier analysis of domain boundary fluctuations (J. Phys. Chem. B, 111:11091-11094). These measurements will be compared to a recently developed non-perturbative technique based on domain size distribution (Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. 110:13272-1327). Until now these two measurement techniques have not been compared on the same data set. The compositions studied include 30:70 mixtures of cholesterol and DMPC, DLPC, and DCPC. As well as 25:75 mixtures of 25-hydroxycholesterol DMPC systems.
The effects of being a reader and of observing readers on fifth-grade students' argumentative writing and revising

Opportunities to read and analyze others’ writing or to observe readers as they analyze writing might enhance one’s own sense of audience and improve one’s own writing. This mixed-methods study investigated whether reader and observer activities in comparison to writing practice activities affected fifth-grade students’ persuasive writing and revising. After writing a first draft of a persuasive letter, 87 fifth-grade students were randomly assigned to one of three conditions: being a reader, observing readers, or practicing writing. The reader group read and discussed three persuasive letters, considering whether they were persuasive and why and selecting the most persuasive. The observer group listened to the reader group’s discussions and took notes; then they had their own discussion to generate a list of criteria for what made the letters persuasive. The practice-writing control group practiced writing persuasive letters. Afterwards, all groups revised their first drafts. The reader group produced second drafts that were of better quality and contained more evidence of audience awareness than the control group. The observer group did not differ from either group. The groups did not differ on a transfer task occurring 1-week later. The authors discuss implications for designing writing curriculums that utilize reader and observer activities.
Shifting meanings of time, productivity and social worth in the life course in Meru, Kenya.

Formal ‘age sets’ and ‘age grades’ no longer function as integral components of social organization among the Meru of Mt. Kenya. Three analytic perspectives-historical time, life time, and social time-reveal the changes in the life course which accompany the decline of age set social organization in Meru. These changes include: (1) an increasingly flexible and informal age grade structure for both men and women and (2) a fundamental shift in the meanings of time and social worth. In the past, the life course was conceptually organized around age-graded variations in reciprocal kinship interactions. Today, age-related abilities to produce and reproduce provide the underlying conceptual anchor.
Linking the Chassigny meteorite and the Martian surface rock Backstay: Insights into igneous crustal differentiation processes on Mars

In order to use igneous surface lithologies to constrain Martian mantle characteristics, secondary processes that lead to compositional modification of primary mantle melts must be considered. Crystal fractionation of a mantle-derived magma at the base of the crust followed by separation and ascent of residual liquids to the surface is common in continental hotspot regions on Earth. The possibility that this process also takes place on Mars was investigated by experimentally determining whether a surface rock, specifically the hawaiite Backstay analyzed by the MER Spirit could produce a known cumulate lithology with a deep origin (namely the assemblages of the Chassigny meteorite) if trapped at the base of the Martian crust. Both the major cumulus and melt inclusion mineral assemblages of the Chassigny meteorite were produced experimentally by a liquid of Backstay composition within the pressure range 9.3 to 6.8 kbar with bulk water contents between 1.5 and 2.6 wt%. Experiments at 4.3 and 2.8 kbar did not produce the requisite assemblages. This agreement suggests that just as on Earth, Martian mantle-derived melts may rise to the surface or remain trapped at the base of the crust, fractionate, and lose their residual liquids. Efficient removal of these residual liquids at depth would yield a deep low-silica cumulate layer for higher magmatic water content; at lower magmatic water content this cumulate layer would be basaltic with shergottitic affinity.
Absorption Line Width in the Infrared Spectrum of Atmospheric Carbon Dioxide

Line width in the 15-micron band of atmospheric carbon dioxide has been determined by direct observation of line contour. The influence of finite width of slit has been eliminated by numerical correction. 0.12 ${\mathrm{cm}}^{\ensuremath{-}1}$ is an upper limit for the C${\mathrm{O}}_{2}$ absorption coefficient half-width at half-height.
Gender differences in alcohol choice among Russians: evidence from a quantitative study.

Aims: Qualitative studies find that men and women in Russia have different preferences for alcoholic beverages, but quantitative evidence for gender differences in beverage type choice remains scarce. The purpose of this article is to test numerically whether and to what extent men and women in Russia differ in terms of preferences for type of drink, such as vodka, wine and beer. Methods: Results are based on multinomial logistic regression and ordinary least squares regression analyses of the Russian Longitudinal Monitoring Survey-Higher School of Economics 2008 data. Results: We observed significant gender differences in preferences for alcoholic beverages. Men have strong preferences for vodka, and they drink it in much larger amounts in comparison with women. Women are more likely to either refrain from drinking or drink mild types of alcoholic beverages, such as wine and beer. Gender differences remain statistically significant even when sociodemographic factors are well accounted for. Conclusions: The present study confirms the previous research findings about gender differences in drinking practices among Russians. Our results provide quantitative evidence of the pronounced differences in beverage types consumed by men and women.
AlAs/InAlAs-InGaAs QCLs grown by gas-source molecular-beam epitaxy

Active region designs of QCLs containing composite barriers based on AlAs allow short wavelength emission, improved injection efficiency, and high values of T0 and T1. On the other hand, AlAs introduces challenges, not only in strain compensation and growth, but also in effects on thermal management, thermal stability, and scattering. Leakage current, allowing electrons to bypass transitions between upper and lower laser levels occur due to scattering of electrons into higher-lying states via phonons and interface roughness scattering. This interface roughness scattering is exacerbated by large values of ΔEc and by the rms roughness itself, both of which are pronounced at the AlAs/InGaAs interface. The resulting leakage current noticeably reduces the slope efficiency, leading to more heating to achieve a given emission power. Efficient thermal management requires a buried heterostructure design; the re-growth of InP:Fe, however, needs to be carried out at temperatures consistent with maintaining the highly strained AlAs/InGaAs interfaces. This paper describes the physics of intersubband electron scattering due to strained interfaces and some partially optimized structures with Jth = 1.7 kA/cm2 at 300 K, slope efficiency η = 1.4 W/A, T0 = 175 K, and T1 = 550 K. Re-growth of InP:Fe using gas-source MBE at substrate temperatures below 550°C results in packaged lasers with 7 μm width having high thermal conductance.
An Evaluation of a Markov Chain Monte Carlo Method for the Rasch Model.

The accuracy of the Gibbs sampling Markov chain monte carlo procedure was examined for estimating item and person (.) parameters in the one-parameter logistic model. Four datasets were analyzed usi...
Nearfield vertical displacement in the creeping segment of the San Andreas fault, central California, 1975 to 1994

Abstract Nearfield precise spirit leveling reveals progressive, aseismic (?) height changes in the creeping segment of the San Andreas fault between Gold Hill in Cholame Valley and San Juan Bautista over time periods from 8 to 18 years. Height changes are greatest at each end of the creeping segment, whereas the rate of horizontal creep is greatest in the center of the creeping segment. Both vertical and horizontal displacements take place at the surficial trace of the fault, whereas surficial downwarping is evident as much as 500 m from the mapped fault trace. The large height changes at San Juan Bautista, Parkfield, and Gold Hill may be related to compaction-induced subsidence where groundwater is pumped from unmonitored irrigation wells on one side of the fault. At San Juan Bautista, however, the water table has remained nearly constant according to local farmers, even though the height change there is the greatest among the six sites. Therefore, it is concluded here that the vertical displacements are tectonic and result from local deviations of the direction of fault slip relative to the far-field slip vector, or alternatively to deceleration of horizontal creep and dissipation of horizontal strain into the transition zones between the end of the creeping fault segment and the adjacent locked segments.
Randomized cross-over trial of short-term water-only fasting: metabolic and cardiovascular consequences.

Abstract Background and aims Routine, periodic fasting is associated with a lower prevalence of coronary artery disease (CAD). Animal studies show that fasting may increase longevity and alter biological parameters related to longevity. We evaluated whether fasting initiates acute changes in biomarker expression in humans that may impact short- and long-term health. Methods and results Apparently-healthy volunteers ( N = 30) without a recent history of fasting were enrolled in a randomized cross-over trial. A one-day water-only fast was the intervention and changes in biomarkers were the study endpoints. Bonferroni correction required p ≤ 0.00167 for significance ( p p = 1.1 × 10 −4 ), hemoglobin ( p = 4.8 × 10 −7 ), red blood cell count ( p = 2.5 × 10 −6 ), hematocrit ( p = 3.0 × 10 −6 ), total cholesterol ( p = 5.8 × 10 −5 ), and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol ( p = 0.0015), and decreased triglycerides ( p = 1.3 × 10 −4 ), bicarbonate ( p = 3.9 × 10 −4 ), and weight ( p = 1.0 × 10 −7 ), compared to a day of usual eating. For those randomized to fast the first day ( n = 16), most factors including human growth hormone and cholesterol returned to baseline after the full 48 h, with the exception of weight ( p = 2.5 × 10 −4 ) and (suggestively significant) triglycerides ( p = 0.028). Conclusion Fasting induced acute changes in biomarkers of metabolic, cardiovascular, and general health. The long-term consequences of these short-term changes are unknown but repeated episodes of periodic short-term fasting should be evaluated as a preventive treatment with the potential to reduce metabolic disease risk. Clinical trial registration (ClinicalTrials.gov): NCT01059760 (Expression of Longevity Genes in Response to Extended Fasting [The Fasting and Expression of Longevity Genes during Food abstinence {FEELGOOD} Trial]).
Gauge theories with strong coupling in four dimensions

Abstract The long distance behavior of singlet current correlation functions of gauge theories on a lattice are found approximately using the renormalization group. For strong coupling the behavior is similar to that found in the lattice massive Schwinger model.
Hazards from Fires Involving Organophosphorus Insecticides

An investigation was undertaken to define the toxic hazards of fires involving organophosphorus insecticides. Solutions of malthion and of parathion in a variety of solvents were burned and the fire gases and residues were analyzed. Most of the insecticide present was destroyed by decomposition or combustion during the fire. Some polymerization products were found. Distilled vapors of the insecticides escaping the fire were considerably diluted. A method for estimating the potential concentrations and hazards for a given situation is described.
CONCERNING THE RELATION OF ENVIRONMENTAL TEMPERATURE TO RESISTANCE TO THYROID AND THYROXINE, AND THE CREATINE CONTENT OF THE HEART AND OTHER TISSUES IN EXPERIMENTAL HYPERTHYROIDISM

Experiments have shown that the survival period of thyrotoxic rats is markedly influenced by the environmental temperature, being of much longer duration at low than at high temperatures. Between 22 degrees and 37.5 degrees C., the relation of temperature to the survival period is approximately linear. The tolerance to relatively large doses of thyroid and thyroxine is considerably increased below 20 degrees C., but is especially striking at 4-6 degrees C. Hyperplasia of the thyroid, which results from exposure to cold, may be prevented by the administration of desiccated thyroid or thyroxine. The diminished concentration of creatine of the myocardium, which is a conspicuous finding in rats treated with thyroid substance, does not occur in physiological hyperthyroidism resulting from long continued exposure to a low thermal environment. In rats kept at high temperatures, whether treated with thyroid substance, or not, there is apparently no storage of colloid in the gland. The significance of the relatively high values for heart creatine in these animals at time of death is briefly discussed.
Coordination, atom reorganization, and catalysis of palladium in zeolite cages

Zeolite encaged palladium clusters undergo thorough atomic reorganizations when exposed to an adsorptive such as carbon monoxide or when used as catalysts e.g. in CO hydrogenation. Exposure to carbon monoxide of metal particles, which are initially anchored to zeolite walls via proton bridges, transforms the metal clusters into small, highly mobile carbonyl clusters. They coalesce and form larger clusters. At low temperature, this process is limited by the geometric constraints of the cage windows. At higher temperatures, further growth of metal particles occurs, conceivably via partial destruction of the zeolite matrix. The interaction of the metal particles with zeolite protons gives rise to electrondeficient metal clusters, which catalyze neopentane at a much higher rate than neutral metal particles. Such clusters might also act as collapsed bifunctional sites in bifunctional catalysis.
A Picomole-Scale Method for Charge Derivatization of Peptides for Sequence Analysis by Mass Spectrometry

A highly activated ester containing a fixed positive charge, S-pentafluorophenyl [tris(2,4,6-trimethoxyphenyl)phosphonium]acetate bromide (TMPP-AcSC6F5 bromide), has been synthesized as a reagent for N-terminal modification of peptides. Stable in aqueous acetonitrile solution during extended storage, TMPP-AcSC6F5 bromide reacts with unprotected peptides through p-(dimethylamino)pyridine (DMAP)-promoted amidation in aqueous acetonitrile (15 min, ambient temperature) to form N-TMPP-Ac derivatives of peptides. These peptide derivatives are readily amenable to analysis by fast atom bombardment (FAB) and matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization (MALDI) mass spectrometry. Greater than 90% conversion has been observed in transforming low-nanomole quantities of analyte using molar ratios of 1:5:10 (peptide/reagent/DMAP). For reactions at the picomole level a slightly modified stoichiometry, with molar ratios of 1:10:500, is employed. Owing to the high reaction efficiency and the tolerance to moderate excess re...
From peds to paradoxes: linkages between soil biota and their influences on ecological processes.

Abstract Soils and their biota have been studied by a variety of observational and experimental methods that have allowed biologists to infer their structural and functional interactions. Viewing progress made over the last 10 years, it is apparent that an increasing diversity of analytical and chemical methods are providing much more detailed information about feeding preferences and niche overlaps of speciose groups such as oribatid mites. Other topics in which considerable progress has been made include new advances in knowledge of root and mycorrhiza production and turnover and their impacts on soil ecosystems; soil biota, exudations and secretions and soil aggregation phenomena; the biology of invasive species in soils; soil biodiversity, legacies and linkages to soil processes; and soil biodiversity and ecosystem functional responses. Throughout the review I suggest ways for new progress to be made in future research.
Long-Term Outcome of Functional Childhood Constipation

We investigated whether functional childhood constipation (FCC) is an early expression in the continuum of functional disorders such as adult constipation, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), and dyspepsia. Adults ≥18 years with a diagnosis of FCC verified by one pediatric gastroenterologist participated in the questionnaire-based study. Controls were comprised of adults who underwent tonsillectomy as otherwise healthy children during the period corresponding to the FCC diagnosis. The prevalence of constipation, IBS, and dyspepsia was determined by the Bowel Disease Questionnaire. Twenty FCC adults (8 females), median age 22 years, were compared with 17 adult controls (10 females), median age 22.9 years. The frequency of constipation in FCC adults was not different from that in controls (25% versus 23.5%). The frequency of IBS in FCC adults was higher than in controls (55% versus 23.5%; P < 0.05). Dyspepsia was reported by 25% of both groups. The median follow-up period of the FCC adults was 14 years. In a long-term follow-up of a small sample, the prevalence of constipation in FCC adults is comparable to that in controls. Childhood constipation appears to be a predictor of IBS in adulthood.
The Effect of Dietary Fat on Turkey Hen Resistance to High Environmental Temperature

Abstract Two trials were conducted to determine the effect of 0, 3.5 and 7.0% added dietary fat levels on Broad Breasted White turkey hen resistance to hyperthemia. Level of added dietary fat had no effect on the hen’s resistance to hyperthemia as measured by body temperature at death and thermal death time. Thermal death time is denned as the length of time until death after increasing the environmental temperature from the acclimation temperature to the maximum stress temperature.
The Network Autocorrelation Model using Two-mode Data: Affiliation Exposure and Potential Bias in the Autocorrelation Parameter

Abstract The network autocorrelation model has been a workhorse for modeling network influences on individual behavior. The standard network approaches to mapping social influence using network measures, however, are limited to specifying an influence weight matrix (W) based on a single mode network. Additionally, it has been demonstrated that the estimate of the autocorrelation parameter ρ of the network effect tends to be negatively biased as the density in W matrix increases. The current study introduces a two-mode version of the network autocorrelation model. We then conduct simulations to examine conditions under which bias might exist. We show that the estimate for the affiliation autocorrelation parameter (ρ) tends to be negatively biased as density increases, as in the one-mode case. Inclusion of the diagonal of W, the count of the number of events participated in, as one of the variables in the regression model helps to attenuate such bias, however. We discuss the implications of these results.
Hispanic population change in southwestern Detroit and surrounding suburbs, 1990–2000: a study of the succession process

Rapid growth in Hispanic population in southwestern Detroit during the 1990s led to a transformation of the area from predominantly non-Hispanic white to Hispanic. Focusing on the Hispanic population, a typology of racial/ethnic changes between 1990 and 2000 is undertaken in 99 census tracts in southwestern Detroit and surrounding suburbs. Two of the tract types that experienced the greatest transition to Hispanic underwent substantial declines in non-Hispanic white population, but still experienced growth in total population. At the same time, these tracts experienced a decline in housing stock, which undoubtedly put pressure on the ability to secure housing. Although Hispanics could afford to reside in predominantly black tracts, few did so, probably indicating competition for scarce housing resources. Contiguous to the rapidly transitioning tracts is the suburb of Dearborn, which contains an established Arab enclave. Median housing values in these tracts were about three times that of tracts in the are...
Impact resistance of TiC-based cermets

Abstract The present article describes a comparative study of the impact resistance of two commercial TiC/Ni cermets and an armor-grade alumina, each in the form of plates backed by thin steel sheets. Performance is assessed on the basis of the ballistic limits of the targets and, below the ballistic limit, on the magnitude and the shape of the back-sheet deflection profile. The operative damage and deformation mechanisms are characterized via optical and scanning electron microscopy on plugs of material recovered from the impact site. We find that, over the range of conditions probed by the present experiments, the cermets exhibit ballistic performance comparable to that of the alumina on an areal density basis yet suffer significantly less extended cracking and fragmentation. Furthermore, for both of the cermets and the alumina, failure at the highest velocities occurs via shear plugging, thereby producing cylindrical plugs with diameter somewhat greater than that of the projectile. Complementary finite element simulations of impulsively loaded steel sheets show that the magnitude and the shape of the deflection profile are dictated by the size of the loading patch. Upon comparison of the simulations with experimentally-measured profiles we find that the inferred effective radius over which the impact load is transmitted from the striker-plate to the backing sheet is broadly consistent with the observed radii of ejected plugs. Furthermore, this radius generally decreases with increasing projectile velocity. On this basis, we suggest that the combination of the maximum back-sheet deflection and the shape of the deflection profile provides a useful measure of the efficacy of the plates in spreading the impact load and mitigating the effects of the impact on back-sheet deflection.
Flavor avoidance learning and its implications in reducing strychnine baiting hazards to nontarget animals

In reforested areas, underground strychnine baiting to control pocket gophers (Thomomys mazama) poses a hazard to golden mantled ground squirrels (Spermophilus lateralis) and yellow pine chipmunks (Eutamias amoenus). We designed this study to assess whether: 1) chemical insensitivity to bitter tastes might explain the ingestion of strychnine; 2) pocket gophers would avoid four bitter-tasting compounds: quebracho (QUEB), sucrose octaacetate (SOA), quinine hydrochloride (QHCl), and denatonium benzoate (DB); and 3) nontarget species could be trained to avoid strychnine paired with the most aversive compound. Our results showed that while all species readily consumed strychnine, the nontarget species could be conditioned to avoid it. Moreover, while high (0.1%) concentrations of DB, quinine hydrochloride, and quebracho reduced consumption by pocket gophers, 0.05% DB was inoffensive. Nontarget animals readily avoided 0.05% DB, and avoidance was stronger after conditioning. Together, our results suggest that all of the rodents tested are insensitive to strychnine, high concentrations of some bitter tastes may be effective pocket gopher repellents, and lower concentrations of DB may selectively repel nontarget animals from strychnine baits.
Relation of Temperature and Population Density to First‐Year Recruitment and Growth of Smallmouth Bass in a Wisconsin Lake

Abstract The effect of air and water temperature and biological variables on the number and first-year growth of age-0 smallmouth bass Micropterus dolomieui in Nebish Lake, Wisconsin, during 1974–1981 was investigated. The number of young-of-the-year smallmouth bass present in fall was positively correlated with water and air temperatures during June and during the period June-August combined. Numbers of age-0 fish in fall were not significantly affected by number of adults or number of age-0 smallmouth bass in the previous year(s). First-year growth of smallmouth bass was independent of the density of the age-0 cohort but was positively related to water and air temperatures during August.
Dose-related effects of 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) in C57BL6J and DBA2J mice

The dose-related effects of 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) were studied in B6D2F1/J (B6D), C57BL/6J (C57), and DBA/2J (DBA) mice. A 14-fold difference in lethality was observed in C57 and DBA mice, based upon 30-day LD50 values of 182 and 2570 micrograms TCDD/kg body wt, respectively. The 30-day LD50 for B6D mice was 296 micrograms TCDD/kg body wt. A progressive loss of body weight in all strains of mice was observed during the 30-day LD50 studies, with maximal weight losses of 24.7, 34.0, and 33.4% prior to death of C57, B6D, and DBA mice, respectively. In separate experiments, it was found that decreased feed consumption did not contribute to weight loss in C57 mice exposed to lethal or sublethal doses of TCDD until the animals were moribund. Time-course studies in C57 mice treated with 200 micrograms TCDD/kg body wt indicated that decreases in serum glucose and triglyceride concentrations and increases in hepatic triglyceride content occurred within 4 to 8 days of exposure, and were maximally altered within 17 to 21 days postexposure, concomitant with a 25% body weight loss. C57 mice fasted for 24 to 96 hr lost 18% of body weight and also exhibited alterations in glucose and lipid parameters; however, these changes were substantially different than the effects of TCDD exposure. In concert, these observations demonstrate that decreased feed consumption (hypophagia) does not account for weight loss and changes in carbohydrate and lipid metabolism in TCDD-treated C57 mice. Dose-response experiments resulted in comparable changes in glucose and lipid parameters when DBA mice were exposed to 10-fold higher doses of TCDD than C57 mice. Parallel LD50 responses and parallel changes in carbohydrate and lipid metabolism, at 10- to 15-fold differences in dose range, are indicative of a common mechanism of toxicity in TCDD-treated C57 and DBA mice.
Arbitrary Lagrangian-Eulerian formulation for element-free Galerkin method

Abstract Arbitrary Lagrangian-Eulerian (ALE) formulation of the Element Free Galerkin (EFG) method is presented. EFG is a meshless method for solving partial differentia] equations in which the trial and test functions employed in the discretization process result from moving least square interpolants. The most significant advantage of the method is that it requires only nodes and a description of internal and external boundaries and interfaces, such as cracks, of the model: no element connectivity is needed. However, as for any discretization method, acceptable solutions can only be obtained for a sufficiently refined discretization. In dynamic fracture problems, where the crack path can be arbitrary and is thus a priori unknown, this necessitates a refined discretization in large parts of the computational domain which can lead to prohibitive computation costs. ALE formulation allows to continuously relocate nodes on the computational domain. By combining EFG with ALE, it is thus possible, in a crack propagation problem, to refine locally the spatial discretization in the neighborhood of a propagating crack-tip. Results are presented for a wave propagation problem as well as for 2-D dynamic crack propagation problems.
Noise cancellation in the electrosensory system of the thornback, ray; common mode rejection of input produced by the animal's own ventilatory movement

1. The use of electroreception in feeding depends on the detection of the weak fields of the prey above the interference produced by the predator's own bioelectric fields. 2. In this study, the ray's ventilatory movements are shown to produce powerful modulation of electroreceptive afferent input. 3. The afferent discharge pattern results mainly from changes of the electric fields within the animal, since it is similar in afferents which innervate ampullary canals of opposite orientation. 4. If inputs from canals of opposite orientation are subtracted by the CNS, the sensitivity to external fields is enhanced, and the ventilatory interference removed by common mode rejection. 5. Recordings from secondary electrosensory neurons provide evidence that the appropriate inputs exist for common mode rejection, and that ventilation related activity is greatly reduced in these cells and virtually absent in recordings from a mesencephalic electrosensory area.