cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Injection opioid use as a predictor of treatment outcomes among methadone-maintained opioid-dependent patients.

Abstract Background Injection opioid use is associated with more severe health and psychosocial consequences relative to non-injection use, but few studies have examined whether injection use is associated with methadone maintenance treatment outcomes. The present study examined differential MMT outcomes among opioid injectors and non-injectors. Methods Data were extracted from the clinic charts of opioid-dependent MMT patients (N = 290; n = 115 injectors) enrolled in a university-affiliated, urban MMT clinic. Injection status was examined as a predictor of short- (3-month opioid, cocaine, benzodiazepine and cannabis urine drug screens) and long- (days retained in treatment) term MMT outcomes. Results Bivariate analyses revealed injection users were less likely to be African American and to have completed high school, were more likely to have started heroin use before age 21, to report having hepatitis C, to report a baseline cocaine use disorder, and had higher methadone doses at 3-months into treatment. Injection status significantly predicted a greater proportion of cocaine-positive urine drug screens in the first 3 months of treatment, but did not significantly predict opioid, benzodiazepine or cannabis drug screens, or length of treatment retention. Conclusion This is one of a handful of studies to examine injection status as a predictor of MMT outcomes. Injection status is associated with cocaine use early in treatment, which has implications for the focus of treatment.
An Improved Double-Gaussian Closure for the Subgrid Vertical Velocity Probability Distribution Function

AbstractThe vertical velocity probability distribution function (PDF) is analyzed throughout the depth of the lower atmosphere, including the subcloud and cloud layers, in four large-eddy simulatio...
Comparing a Practice-Based Model with a Research-Based Model of social skills interventions for children with autism in schools

Abstract Background Social impairment is the most challenging core deficit for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Several evidence-based interventions address social impairment in children with ASD; however, adoption, use, and implementation of these interventions in schools is challenging. Method Ninety-two children with ASD who received one of three intervention models: a) School personnel adapted and implemented evidence-based social skills intervention (Practice-Based Model; n = 14); b) University researcher developed and implemented evidence-based social skills intervention (Research-Based Model; n = 45); or c) standard educational practices model (Inclusion Only Model; n = 33) participated. The average age was 8.4 (SD = 1.6) years; majority was male (88%) and white (52.2%). Typically developing classmates completed sociometric ratings to determine children’s social network inclusion, and independent raters observed children on the playground using a time-interval behavior coding system to record solitary engagement and frequency of initiations. Results Separate linear regression models were conducted. Children in the Research-Based Model had significantly higher social network inclusion than children in the other two settings (p = .05). Children in the Practice-Based Model had significantly lower solitary engagement (p = .04) and more initiations on the playground than children in the University Developed Model (p = .04). Conclusions The results suggest that researchers: 1) may learn from public school stakeholders who have lived experiences to better understand the context in which implementation occurs; and 2) should partner with schools to learn about their processes of adaptation and adoption in order to facilitate successful implementation of evidence-based practices for children with ASD. Interventions designed with implementation in mind may be more feasible and increase the chances of use in schools.
Situating Moral Agency: How Postphenomenology Can Benefit Engineering Ethics.

This article identifies limitations in traditional approaches to engineering ethics pedagogy, reflected in an overreliance on disaster case studies. Researchers in the field have pointed out that these approaches tend to occlude ethically significant aspects of day-to-day engineering practice and thus reductively individualize and decontextualize ethical decision-making. Some have proposed, as a remedy for these defects, the use of research and theory from Science and Technology Studies (STS) to enrich our understanding of the ways in which technology and engineering practice are intricated in social and institutional contexts. While endorsing this approach, this article also argues that STS scholarship may not sufficiently address the kinds of questions about normativity and agency that are essential to engineering ethics. It proposes making use of the growing body of research in a field called “postphenomenology,” an approach that combines STS research with the traditional phenomenological concern with the standpoint of lived-experience. Postphenomenology offers a method of inquiry that combines STS’s investigation into social and institutional dimensions of technology with phenomenological reflection on our lived experience of embodied engagement with technical objects and sociotechnical systems, particularly the ways in which these involvements affect our moral perception and agency. The aim in using this approach in engineering ethics is thus to illuminate moral dimensions of everyday professional life of which practitioners may not typically be aware. The article concludes with some concrete curricular interventions for engineering ethics classrooms.
Long-Term Stability of the Faunal Community of a Subtropical Estuary: Evaluating Disturbances in the Context of Interannual Variability

Estuarine and coastal marine ecosystems can have significant intra- and interannual variability in faunal community structure, complicating management response to disturbances as disturbance effects must be detectable within normal variability and on timescales relevant to management entities. We examined a long-term, multi-gear dataset on estuarine faunal (fish and select invertebrate) communities to determine if community structure changes due to disturbances could be detected on management-relevant timescales (e.g., years), given that these communities have known seasonal and interannual variability. Results from multivariate, community-based analyses, and several univariate diversity indices for fauna of Tampa Bay, Florida, USA suggested general community stability over the long term, with the exceptions of 2005–2006 (prolonged red tide event) and 2010 (extreme cold event in winter). Community structure was notably outside the typical variability for both time periods. In 2005, species richness decreased by half for one gear type and was the lowest on record for the other two gear types. In 2010, when the relative abundance of a top predator decreased by 50% from cold-related mortality, Simpson’s diversity index was the lowest on record for one gear type. The red tide and extreme-cold events differed in duration and the number of taxa directly impacted (multispecies vs. single-species, respectively) but both multivariate and univariate analyses indicated significant deviation in the faunal community structure during these years. Within 1–3 years after these major events, however, the community seemed to have returned to a structure like that of previous years, suggesting long-term stability and resilience. Our results confirm that multivariate and univariate analyses can detect major disturbances to estuarine faunal communities, which gives management entities options for which analysis approach is appropriate for their needs. Since the Tampa Bay faunal communities recovered within 3 years, we suggest that where long-term monitoring exists, active restoration might be deferred while monitoring for signs of recovery following the removal of a perturbation. This is a fundamental part of sound adaptive management processes to promote sustainable ecosystems.
Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus Keratitis: Initial Treatment, Risk Factors, Clinical Features, and Treatment Outcomes.

Purpose To analyze the clinical characteristics, management choices, and outcomes of cases of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) keratitis. Design Retrospective interventional case series. Methods Fifty-two culture-proven (52 eyes) cases of MRSA keratitis diagnosed and treated at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center were identified and reviewed. Results The mean age was 66.6 ± 19.2 years with a median follow-up time of 147 days. The most prevalent risk factors included a history of ocular surgery (62.5%), topical corticosteroid use (35.4%), and dry eye syndrome (37.5%). There was a high burden of systemic disease (95.8%). The average presenting logarithm of minimal angle of resolution visual acuity was 1.7 ± 0.8 and the average final logarithm of minimal angle of resolution visual acuity was 1.2 + 1.0. Initial antibiotic treatment varied, with 20.8% receiving moxifloxacin alone, 20.8% receiving fortified cefazolin and fortified tobramycin together, and 12.5% receiving fortified vancomycin and fortified tobramycin, although other antibiotics were used during treatment if warranted. Surgical management was often required as 17.3% of eyes perforated: 13.5% required tarsorrhaphy, 5.8% required penetrating keratoplasty, and 1 eye was enucleated. When patients treated with fourth-generation fluoroquinolones were compared with those treated with fortified vancomycin, no difference in final visual acuity, treatment duration, or need for surgery was found. Conclusion MRSA causes fulminant keratitis often requiring surgical management with poor visual acuity outcomes. Poor ocular surface, topical corticosteroid use, previous ocular surgery, and/or a high burden of systemic disease were identified as common risk factors. Patients treated with fluoroquinolones in our study had comparable outcomes to those treated with fortified vancomycin; however, those treated with fortified vancomycin tended to have more severe ulcers at presentation.
Integrative approaches to improve the informativeness of deep learning models for human complex diseases

Deep learning models have achieved great success in predicting genome-wide regulatory effects from DNA sequence, but recent work has reported that SNP annotations derived from these predictions contribute limited unique information for human complex disease. Here, we explore three integrative approaches to improve the disease informativeness of allelic-effect annotations (predicted difference between reference and variant alleles) constructed using several previously trained deep learning models: DeepSEA, Basenji and DeepBind (and a related machine learning model, deltaSVM). First, we employ gradient boosting to learn optimal combinations of deep learning annotations, using fine-mapped SNPs and matched control SNPs (on held-out chromosomes) for training. Second, we improve the specificity of these annotations by restricting them to SNPs implicated by (proximal and distal) SNP-to-gene (S2G) linking strategies, e.g. prioritizing SNPs involved in gene regulation. Third, we predict gene expression (and derive allelic-effect annotations) from deep learning annotations at SNPs implicated by S2G linking strategies | generalizing the previously proposed ExPecto approach, which in-corporates deep learning annotations based on distance to TSS. We evaluated these approaches using stratified LD score regression, using functional data in blood and focusing on 11 autoimmune diseases and blood-related traits (average N=306K). We determined that the three approaches produced SNP annotations that were uniquely informative for these diseases/traits, despite the fact that linear combinations of the underlying DeepSEA, Basenji, DeepBind and deltaSVM blood annotations were not uniquely informative for these diseases/traits. Our results highlight the benefits of integrating SNP annotations produced by deep learning models with other types of data, including data linking SNPs to genes.
To Stop a Predator: Is a Complete Ban on For-Profit Foreclosure Rescue Operations the Best Way to Prevent Equity Stripping?

Crisis presents opportunity, and the U.S. residential foreclosure crisis of 2007-08 is no exception. “Foreclosure rescuers” have capitalized on the unfortunate situation by inducing financially distressed homeowners to enter deceptive and onerous sale-andrepurchase or leaseback agreements under the illusion that the agreements are viable alternatives to foreclosure. On September 1, 2007, Massachusetts became the first state to enact a permanent ban on such for-profit foreclosure rescue practices. The ban was the measure Attorney General Martha Coakley saw as the solution to “an egregious problem at the end of a bad process.” The process to which she refers is the foreclosure process—a common result in the subprime and predatory lending markets.
SEQUIN: An imaging and analysis platform for quantification and characterization of synaptic structures in mouse.

Summary Synapses are crucial to brain function and frequent disease targets, but current analysis methods cannot report on individual synaptic components in situ or present barriers to widespread adoption. SEQUIN was developed to address this challenge. SEQUIN utilizes a widely available super-resolution platform in tandem with image processing and analysis to quantify synaptic loci over large regions of brain and characterize their molecular and nanostructural properties at the individual and population level. This protocol describes quantification of synaptic loci using SEQUIN. For additional details on the use and execution of this protocol, please refer to Sauerbeck et al. (2020) .
Mechanism of Gold-Silver Alloy Nanoparticle Formation by Laser Coreduction of Gold and Silver Ions in Solution.

Photochemical reduction of aqueous Ag+ and [AuCl4]− into alloy Au–Ag nanoparticles (Au–Ag NPs) with intense laser pulses is a green synthesis approach that requires no toxic chemical reducing agent...
Raman chemical imaging of polymer-mediated gene delivery

Polymer-based vehicles that controllably deliver therapeutic nucleic acids to cells show great potential to develop safe and effective gene therapies. Realizing this potential, however, is limited by the lack of understanding of how polymeric vehicles unpackage and release their cargo in the cell. We address this problem by utilizing a novel quinine-containing polymeric vehicle that shows exceptional gene delivery activity. A key aspect of this platform is that the quinine serves as a reporter for DNA binding, which allows us to track cargo release inside the cell using chemical imaging. We find that proteins dominate the unpackaging of DNA encapsulated by these quinine polymers inside cells. This trackable delivery system should be broadly applicable to study gene delivery mechanisms, as well as be used for clinical therapy applications.
The application of principal component analysis to characterize gait and its association with falls in multiple sclerosis.

People with multiple sclerosis (PwMS) demonstrate gait impairments that are related to falls. However, redundancy exists when reporting gait outcomes. This study aimed to develop an MS-specific model of gait and examine differences between fallers and non-fallers. 122 people with relapsing-remitting MS and 45 controls performed 3 timed up-and-go trials wearing inertial sensors. 21 gait parameters were entered into a principal component analysis (PCA). The PCA-derived gait domains were compared between MS fallers (MS-F) and MS non-fallers (MS-NF) and correlated to cognitive, clinical, and quality-of-life outcomes. Six distinct gait domains were identified: pace, rhythm, variability, asymmetry, anterior-posterior dynamic stability, and medial-lateral dynamic stability, explaining 79.15% of gait variance. PwMS exhibited a slower pace, larger variability, and increased medial-lateral trunk motion compared to controls (p < 0.05). The pace and asymmetry domains were significantly worse (i.e., slower and asymmetrical) in MS-F than MS-NF (p < 0.001 and p = 0.03, respectively). Fear of falling, cognitive performance, and functional mobility were associated with a slower gait (p < 0.05). This study identified a six-component, MS-specific gait model, demonstrating that PwMS, particularly fallers, exhibit deficits in pace and asymmetry. Findings may help reduce redundancy when reporting gait outcomes and inform interventions targeting specific gait domains.
Moving Target Defense Games for Cyber Security: Theory and Applications

The recent widespread of using Internet‐connected devices in cyber‐physical systems and the Internet of Things (IoT) has brought forward many security threats. Attackers can exploit the Internet connectivity to cause severe damage to the connected systems. Therefore, it was imperative for such cyber systems to adopt suitable security mechanisms to maintain their operation. One of the recent effective security mechanisms, that was shown to enable the systems to thwart prospective attacks, is known as moving target defense (MTD). MTD enables a system to randomize its configurations in order to harden the attacker's mission and to increase the cost of a successful attack. To this end, the aim of this chapter is to focus on the theoretical frameworks of MTD that can manage and evaluate the effectiveness of MTD implementations. In particular, a number of game‐theoretic models, from literature, are presented and discussed in detail. Then, a promising game‐theoretic model, based on single controller stochastic games, is introduced as a general framework for many MTD applications. A case study pertaining to wireless networks security is introduced as an application to the proposed model where both analytical and simulation results are presented. Finally, some recent applications of MTD in both the IoT and machine learning applications are highlighted.
Acute COVID-19-Associated Decrements in Left and Right Ventricular Function Predict All-Cause Mortality.

Journal of the American Society of Echocardiography - Sous presse. Epreuves corrigees par l'auteur. Disponible en ligne depuis le mercredi 3 novembre 2021
Cogito ergo moveo: cognitive control of eye movement

Eye movements serve the needs of vision. They are used to bring images of eccentric targets to the central fovea, where visual acuity is best, and to keep images sufficiently stable on the retina to allow accurate visual processing. Most models assume that eye movements are driven by low-level sensory signals, such as retinal image position or retinal motion. This chapter shows that eye movements are driven by a higher-level signal, incorporating cognitive states, such as selective attention and expectations. By relying on high-level signals, eye movements become inextricably tied to concurrent cognitive activities, helping ensure that the eye will be directed to objects of current interest with little or no additional effort on the part of the observer. Cognitive control of eye movements, which is so prominent in human beings, may also be a useful principle to apply to the design of robots.
Motion of proton in double-well potential. Its possible role in the process of vision.

Abstract A quantum-mechanical model that allows direct calculation of the rate of proton transfer with possible application to the early events in vision is pre
Use of the Edmonds-Reilly model to model energy-related greenhouse gas emissions

The purpose of this paper is to document the results of our application of the Edmonds-Reilly Model (ERM) using several scenarios provided for an Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) project comparing global models. Because the output of this exercise is data-rich, most of this exposition is in graphical form, with the narrative serving mainly as a roadmap for moving from one highlight to the next. The first two sections of the paper briefly describe the model and some of the special modifications made for this effort. The case-by-case discussion is contained in Section IV, followed by a summary of the potential pitfalls involved in attempting to assess the cost of emissions reduction from the model data.
Deformable mirror near field microwave imaging

The concept of using adaptive optics based deformable mirror for near field micro wave imaging of penetrable objects is presented in this paper. The deformable mirror microwave tomography technique proposed for inverse scattering applications relies on the use of an adaptive mirror to steer the electromagnetic (EM) field for multi-view irradiation of an unknown dielectric object using a fixed EM source. The deformable mirror tomography method offers higher degrees of freedom in that a large number of field measurements can be recorded by adaptively changing the mirror shape during data acquisition. In this paper, the potential of a deformable mirror to yield useful field measurements for reliable permittivity reconstruction is investigated via computer simulations for TM z polarization. The investigation also includes the robustness of the novel imaging technique in recovering the unknown permittivity distribution in the presence of noise.
Mozzarella and Pizza Cheese

Mozzarella is a prominent member of the pasta filata, or stretched curd, cheeses that originated in Italy. Pasta filata cheeses are distinguished by a unique plasticizing and kneading treatment of the fresh curd in hot water, which imparts to the finished cheese its characteristic fibrous structure and melting and stretching properties.
1400 volt, 5 mΩ-cm 2 SiC MOSFETs for high-speed switching

We have demonstrated 1400V SiC power MOSFETs with a specific on-resistance of 5 mΩ-cm2. Discrete SiC MOSFETs (4.5 mm × 4.5 mm) have been demonstrated with a total on-resistance of 30 mΩ. SiC MOSFETs were packaged and characterized for switching losses. When switched at 600V and 15A, SiC MOSFETs with size of 2.25mm × 4.5 mm have a total switching energy of 0.26 mJ per pulse. These devices were characterized in a buck converter to evaluate the device performance in switching applications. SiC gate oxide reliability is predicted to achieve lifetimes > 100 years at 250°C.
Relation of Blood Pressure to Cognitive Function in the Elderly

Clinical case-control studies of the relation between blood pressure and cognitive function have generally found lower function among hypertensives. Most of these studies were small and incompletely controlled for confounders. Two population-based studies have yielded conflicting results. This study examines cognitive function over the entire range of blood pressure in a defined elderly population. A questionnaire administered in the home to 3,809 persons aged greater than or equal to 65 years in East Boston, Massachusetts, in 1982 and 1983 contained four brief cognitive tests: immediate memory, delayed memory, a mental status questionnaire, and digit span. In linear regression analyses adjusting for age, sex, and education, the direction of the association was not consistent among the tests. An increase in diastolic pressure of 10 mmHg was associated with an increase of 1.0 in percentile scores on the immediate memory test (95% confidence interval (CI) -0.04 to 1.9); with an increase of 1.1 in percentile scores on the delayed memory test (95% CI -0.1 to 2.3); with a decrease of -0.8 in percentile scores on the mental status questionnaire (95% CI -1.8 to 0.2); and with a decrease of -0.9 in percentile scores on the attention test (95% CI -1.5 to -0.2). These results suggest that blood pressure is not a substantial contributor to cognitive status in the elderly.
Re-examining pluton emplacement processes

Abstract Previous pluton emplacement studies have attempted to explain how space is made during pluton emplacement. In fact, the only means of ‘making space’ during emplacement of mantle-derived magmas in the crust are (1) lowering the Moho or (2) outward displacement of the Earth's surface. Other ‘pluton emplacement mechanisms’ are material transfer processes (MTPs) that do not increase the volume of the crust. One frequently cited MTP for emplacement of concentrically zoned and ballooning plutons is ductile flow of wall-rocks around the plutons. The expected structures and total strains near such plutons are dependent on the three-dimensional pluton shape, the width of the deforming aureole, whether the pluton is a piercing or non-piercing diapir, and, in the latter case, the number of body radii the pluton travels. We have re-examined a few such plutons and calculated the amount of material transfer caused by ductile flow. In no case is more than 40%, and in most cases only 15–35%, of the required material transfer accommodated by wall-rock flow. The contact aureoles around these plutons are too narrow and/or strains too low, indicating that the plutons are predominantly discordant bodies with narrow (0.1–0.4 pluton radii) concordant aureoles. A comparison of strains in natural contact aureoles and those made in mechanical models of diapirs indicates that natural strains are at least an order of magnitude less than model strains. We suggest that the similarities between models of diapiric ascent of spherical bodies and concentrically zoned plutons are superficial because the models are too simplistic. Instead, we argue that the ascent and emplacement of magmas require multiple near-field and far-field MTPs. These MTPs will show gradients with depth, distance from the magma, and with time. Rates of near-field MTPs must be rapid, whereas far-field rates are probably nearer to long-term average rates of orogenic processes.
Inhibition of fish brain ATPases by aldrin-transdiol, aldrin, dieldrin and photodieldrin.

The sensitivity of catfish, Ictalurus punctatus, brain ATPase activities to cyclodiene compounds was investigated. The ATPase system showed differences in sensitivity to aldrin, dieldrin and photodieldrin. However, aldrin-transdiol (a more terminal metabolite of dieldrin and reported as a more potent neurotoxin than dieldrin) had no effect on any ATPase activity from fish brain homogenates. Mitochondrial Mg2+ ATPase was the most sensitive ATPase to the cyclodiene compounds tested. The possibility that the neurotoxic effects of these compounds is a secondary response resulting from mitochondrial Mg2+ ATPase inhibition is discussed.
Stadium as public sphere.

Though spectator sport is often understood as escapist entertainment, stadiums regularly aggregate thousands of citizens in close physical space, thus making political expression achievable, if not...
Asymmetric cell division and differentiation; fern spore germination as a model. I. Physiological aspects

During germination of Onoclea sensibilis spores, the spore nucleus moves from a central location to one end. Cell division partitions the spore into a small cell which differentiates into a rhizoid, and a larger cell which gives rise, by continued division, to the prothallus. Spore germination is a valuable system in which to study the relationship between asymmetric cell division and the initiation of cell differentiation. It appears that cytoplasmic microtubules and some lipophilic site in the spore are both involved in premitotic nuclear migration. Asymmetric cell division is an obligate step in the initiation of rhizoid differentiation. One hypothesis is that the nucleus must be confined to a small, localised region of the spore for a sufficient time before differentiation can occur, and the confinement is accomplished by the asymmetric cell division. Metal-binding sites are present in the spore coat, specifically on the proximal face. Several types of evidence suggest that the metal-binding region is involved in spore polarity. The sequence of events during germination appears to involve both polarity which is inherent in the spore and polarity which may be imposed by external stimuli. Experiments in which spores are treated with colchicine and polarised red light reveal both types of polarity.
Motor vehicle crash-related mortality is associated with prehospital and hospital-based resource availability

Background To date, attempts to assess the relationship between motor vehicle collision (MVC)-related mortality and medical resources availability have largely been unsuccessful.Methods Information regarding sociodemographic characteristics, prehospital resources, and hospital-based resources for ea
A language for pattern recognition

Abstract A pattern is defined to be any element of a finite Boolean Algebra generated by the elements of a pre-defined set of partitions on an abstract set. An object is defined to be the “atomic patterns” in this Boolean Algebra, i.e. the elements which cover the least element. A description is a statement obtained from a set of basic predicates by the use of the usual logical connectives. Each basic predicate is true for one and only one element of one of the pre-defined partitions. If the partitions and their elements have names which are themselves objects in another Boolean Algebra, then complex patterns can often be described by comparatively simple statements which express relations in the universe of names. Examples have been given to show how the description language can be used to describe complex patterns in the “character-recognition” environment by comparatively simple statements.
Whiggism and Its Sources in Allègre's The Behavior of the Earth

Claude Allegre's recent book on the development and subsequent modification of plate tectonic theory is written from the perspective that history is a tale of progress. Analysis of the text reveals that this point of view originates from (1) a deep emotional attachment to the earth, explanatory theories of the earth, and the earth sciences; and (2) a firm conviction both that nature exists independently of those who seek to know her and that nature is knowable. Such attitudes facilitate research in science but hinder understanding of science.
Expanding aneurysm of aberrant right subclavian artery case report and imaging evaluation

We present a case illustrating the complementary role of CT and angiography in evaluation of a slowly expanding vascular thoracic mass representing aneurysmal enlargement in an aberrant right subclavian artery. Anatomy, embryology, incidence, and imaging of aberrant right subclavian artery, bicarotid trunk, and aneurysmal dilatation of the diverticulum of Kommerell are reviewed.
Study of phase transitions in 4-n-alkoxybenzilidene-4′-n-alkylanilines by one and two dimensional 13C NMR

The phase transition of a series of homologous liquid-crystalline compounds, nO.m (4-n-alkoxybenzilidene-4′-n-alkylanilines), from the nematic phase to the smectic A phase has been studied by 13C N...
Study of Order‐Disorder in Rock‐Salt‐Related Structures by Infrared Spectroscopy

Infrared spectra were determined for a series of oxides related by ordering and distortion to the rock-salt structure. The expected spectrum of the tetragonal 1:1 ordering (space group D4h19) contains 5 ir-active and 8 Raman-active bands. For the trigonally distorted structure (space group D3d5) factor group calculations yield 4 ir and 2 Raman modes. The expected additional structure appears in the spectra of the tetragonal materials but is broadened and washed out by the long-range polarization field. The spectra of the trigonal materials contain twice the predicted number of modes. The broadened bands of the 6-coordinated structures are compared with the sharp spectra of 4-coordinated γ-LiAlO2.
Theoretical and methodological analysis of partial knowledge

Abstract A theory of partial knowledge is proposed as an explanation of cognitive development, and methods are described for testing the theory. The theory consists of three structure-process pairs, each of which postulates a type of cognitive structure and a developmental process specific to that type. In restricted knowledge, a unitary algorithm is the cognitive structure, and amendment is the developmental process. In variable sampling, a structure of unitary substitutes is paired with a process of selection. In variable integration, modular components are paired with self-monitoring. Methods for testing the theory form a sequence of mathematical models. The first model in the sequence, called a model of double assessment, is described both verbally and mathematically. Other models in the sequence are described verbally with reference to other articles for the formal mathematics. Also described are some nonmathematical methods to be used as sequels to the double assessment model.
A Lethal Mutation in New Hampshire Fowl

Abstract Taylor (1949) and Landauer (1951) cite six different forms of micromelia that have been reported: (1) The Creeper fowl has been described by Cutler (1952), Dunn and Landauer (1926), Landauer and Dunn (1930) and Landauer (1931). The Creeper fowl has shortened extremities, and some individuals may have normal viability while others die prematurely. The Creeper fowl is thought to be heterozygous for the Creeper gene, which is autosomal and dominant. (2) Landauer (1935) reported a second type of micromelia in Dark Cornish fowl, which produces a shortening of all extremities and is due to a single autosomal recessive gene. (3) Landauer (1941) found a condition in Houdan crossbred ancestry, that is characterized by shortened extremities and a reduction in length of upper beak. (4) Lamoreux (1942) described a particular form of micromelia termed hereditary chondrodystrophy. It is apparently due to a single autosomal recessive lethal. This condition is characterized by …
Leader influences on training effectiveness: motivation and outcome expectation processes

Training effectiveness is a function of trainee characteristics, training design and contextual factors. Social exchanges in the work environment have received less attention compared with other training effectiveness predictors. We focus on the extent to which leaders (through their relationships and exchanges with followers) influence skill transfer, maintenance and generalization. We also examine two intervening processes (training motivation and outcome expectancy). Our findings, based on surveys from 495 employees, argue for the importance of leader–member exchange for training transfer, with training motivation and outcome expectancy as intervening mechanisms.
Surface Impedance of a Superconductor in a Magnetic Field

Explicit expressions for the static magnetic field variation of the surface impedance in a superconductor are derived. Detailed consideration is given to the two limiting cases of the classical skin effect and of the extreme anomalous skin effect, with the static field either parallel or perpendicular to the rf current. The transport calculation is carried out for a two-fluid model with the supercurrent obeying the London equation and the normal current following a nonlocal relation. It is suggested that a comparison between theory and the experimental data yields information on the energy band structure of normal electrons in the superconducting state.
Effect of preparation procedures on the activity of supported palladium/lanthanum methanol decomposition catalysts

Abstract A series of palladium catalysts promoted with lanthanum were prepared on a silica support and the activities of these catalysts examined for the decomposition of methanol into CO and H 2 . The preparation procedure and the La 2 O 3 /Pd weight ratio of these Pd/La 2 O 3 /SiO 2 catalysts (5 wt.% Pd) was found to be important for high catalytic activities. If Pd is deposited after La 2 O 3 using a precipitation procedure, the methanol decomposition activity increases up to a La 2 O 3 /Pd weight ratio of 1.0. The optimized weight ratio for the methods of co-precipitation and co-impregnation were found to be 0.8 and 0.5, respectively. Relatively low activities are obtained if a sequential procedure with La 2 O 3 deposition in the final step is applied. The effect of the preparation procedure and La 2 O 3 /Pd weight ratio on activity of the resulting catalysts can be explained by: (i) the amount of Pd particles in contact with La 2 O 3 moieties, positively affecting the activity, and (ii) the extent of coverage of Pd particles by La 2 O 3 patches, negatively affecting the activity.
New crystal structures of ColE1 Rom and variants resulting from mutation of a surface exposed residue: Implications for RNA‐recognition

In ColE1, the plasmid encoded RNA one modulator (Rom) protein, which is also referred to as Rop, specifically binds and stabilizes an intermediate RNA loop-loop kissing structure formed between the plasmid encoded transcripts RNA I and RNA II and thereby acts as an auxiliary repressor of replication. Rom folds into a homodimeric, cylindrically packed four helix bundle with an exact twofold symmetry axis (Banner et al., J Mol Biol 1987;196:657-675; Eberle et al., J Biomol 1991;1:71-83). Previous studies (Castagnoli et al., EMBO J 1989;8:621-629; Predki et al., Cell 1995;80:41-50) have localized the RNA binding surface to the H1/H1' face of the helical bundle and found Phe14 to be a key determinant of the binding affinity and specificity for RNA kissing complexes. To investigate the role of Phe14 in RNA recognition, we have determined high-resolution crystal structures of two point mutants of Rom (F14Y and F14W), as well as a high-resolution structure of a crystal form of Rom in which the dimer comprises the asymmetric unit. Although the structures of F14Y and F14W share a very high degree of structural identity with that of the wild-type protein and each other, differences are observed between the three polypeptide chains found in the asymmetric unit of each crystal in the packing of the tryptophan and tyrosine side chains at position 14, as well as some of the other surface exposed side chains of key amino acids involved in RNA binding. In both the wild-type Rom and mutant structures, crystal packing forces can break the exact twofold symmetry of the dimer and influence the conformation of the side chains presented on the H1/H1' face of Rom. Since the new structures show such a high degree of structural identity, the disruption in RNA binding observed for the mutant proteins can be attributed specifically to the chemical nature of the side chain at position 14. Moreover, the fact that even subtle changes in the side chain at position 14 cannot be compensated for by the apparent flexibility of this side chain suggests a highly constrained packing of this residue in the RNA-protein complex.
The fine structure of skeletal muscle triad junctions.

Triad junctions in skeletal muscle of young newts and adult frogs have been examined after a wide variety of fixation procedures. When collidine-osmium is employed, the T-tubules of younger larval newt muscle appear as dilated channels which retain normal junctional relations with adjacent terminal cisterns. In older muscle, or after other fixation techniques, the T-tubule is narrow. This latter condition is less useful for analysis of junctional morphology, particularly when sections parallel to and including the junction are utilized. The images (including stereo electron micrographs) suggest that a given triad junction contains a gap distance of about 150 A bridged by an array of cementing materials. “Dimples” in the terminal cistern membrane bring it into tight or close junctional proximity to the T-tubule membrane. The overall appearance resembles an intermediate junction within which small foci of tight or close junctional contact exist. Evidence of direct pore-like membrane continuities between T-tubules and terminal cisterns was not observed.
An assessment of commercial motor vehicle driver distraction using naturalistic driving data.

Objective: This study analyzed naturalistic driving data from commercial trucks (3-axle and tractor-trailer/tanker) and buses (transit and motorcoach) during a 3-month period. Methods: The data set contained 183 commercial truck and bus fleets comprising 13,306 vehicles and included 1085 crashes, 8375 near crashes, 30,661 crash-relevant conflicts, and 211,171 baseline events. Study results documented the prevalence of tertiary tasks and the risks associated with performing these tasks while driving. Results: Results indicated the odds of involvement in a safety-critical event differed as a function of performing different cell phone–related subtasks while driving. Although the odds ratio for talking/listening on a cell phone while driving was found to not significantly increase the likelihood of involvement in a safety-critical event, other cell phone subtasks (e.g., texting, dialing, reaching) were found to significantly increase the odds of involvement in a safety-critical event. Conclusions: The result...
Polaron Effects in Cd F 2 : m ( polaron ) m ( free ) = 11 ± 1

A polaron mass of $11{m}_{e}$ was measured by cyclotron resonance of photocarriers induced in semiconducting rare-earth-doped Cd${\mathrm{F}}_{2}$ between 1 and 4.5\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}K. A sharp transition at 178 ${\mathrm{cm}}^{\ensuremath{-}1}$ is interpreted in terms of transitions between states of a polaron trapped by a rare-earth ion.
Toxic elements and organochlorines in harbor seals (Phoca vitulina richardsi), Kodiak, Alaska, USA.

Marine and estuarine habitats near urban or industrialized regions are vulnerable to contaminated runoff. Harbor seals (Phoca vitulina richardsi), which occur throughout much of the northern hemisphere, are useful mammalian biomonitors because they feed, reproduce, and rest near or on shore and are high-level trophic consumers. They have often been monitored for contaminants in Europe. To date, no studies have been reported on contaminants in harbor seals from industrialized areas of Alaska. In the vicinity of Anchorage, Alaska's largest urban and industrial city, harbor seals are sedentary and limited to coastal waters; some movements have been documents but there is no evidence of extensive migrations. Although some harbor seals in the Kodiak Archipelago move up to 100 km along the shore, strong fidelity to specific haulout sites is more common. These seals eat mainly non-migratory fishes and octopi. Harbor seal numbers have declined substantially from unknown causes in the southern part of the Kodiak Archipelago. The Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADF G) suggested that the decline is a trend for the entire Kodiak region and other Alaskan waters. Contaminants have been suggested as a possible reason for the precipitous decline of Steller sea lions (Eumetopias jubatus) in themore » region, and were suspected in the decline of harbor seals. In this study, harbor seals were sampled from throughout the Kodiak Archipelago to determine concentrations of certain metals, metalloids, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), and organochlorine pesticides, and to determine if these concentrations varied by sex or accumulated with age. All seals were collected within 75 km of Cook Inlet, an estuary next to Anchorage. The targeted elements or compounds were known to be toxic to a wide spectrum of organisms. 19 refs., 1 tab.« less
Shell Height-To-Weight Relationships for Atlantic Sea Scallops (Placopecten magellanicus) in Offshore U.S. Waters

ABSTRACT Generalized linear mixed models were developed for allometric relationships in Atlantic sea scallops (Placopecten magellanicus). These models used environmental covariates such as depth, latitude, geographic area, fishing pressure, population density, and season. This study makes several technical improvements to existing allometric models. We found depth, latitude, and geographic area to be important covariates in models for scallops on Georges Bank, whereas depth and fishing pressure were important for mid-Atlantic scallops. Our allometric relationships have important implications for stock assessment and fisheries management.
Airborne Studies of the Emissions from the Volcanic Eruptions of Mount St. Helens

The concentrations of particles less than 10 micrometers in diameter in the ash emissions from Mount St. Helens have been more than 1000 times greater than those in the ambient air. Mass loadings of particles less than 2 micrometers in diameter were generally several hundred micrograms per cubic meter. In the ash clouds, produced by the large eruption on 18 May 1980, the concentrations of several trace gases generally were low. In other emissions, significant, but variable, concentrations of sulfur gases were measured. The 18 May eruption produced nuees ardentes, lightning flashes, and volcanic hail.
A study of special abilities in identical twins.

(1961). A Study of Special Abilities in Identical Twins. The Journal of Genetic Psychology: Vol. 99, No. 2, pp. 245-251.
Partitioned Flow Domains of Three Wisconsin Soils

Preferential flow mechanisms have been the subject of increasing research interest because these phenomena contribute to solute transport. Commonly, preferential flow paths are associated with macropores or highly structured soils. Sandy soils are typically weakly structured or structureless. However, they exhibit rapid drainage, which may mimic the hydrology and solute transport effects of macropores. We tested whether a flow domain partitioning scheme could be applied on two sandy soils, by collecting drainage data with time domain reflectometry across small time increments and implementing analytical models using a nonlinear iterative fitting procedure. The analysis was applied to both observed and Leaching Estimation and Chemistry Water Model (LEACHW) drainage of Sparta (mesic, uncoated, Typic Quartzipsamments) and Plainfield sand (mixed, mesic, Typic Udipsamment), as well as strongly structured Dubuque silt loam (fine-silty, mixed, mesic, Typic Hapludalf, where water content was measured with a neutron meter. We found significant differences (P < 0.05) between soils and profile depths relating macropore and matrix flow domains of observed data. Maximum hydrologically effective macropore volumes ranged from 0.018 (1.8%) in Dubuque silt loam to 0.294 (29.4%) in Sparta sand. Mixed results were obtained with flow domain partitioning of drainage simulated with LEACHW. In 5 of 15 cases, macropore and micropore parameter estimates failed to converge. Best agreement of micropore and macropore parameter estimates between observed and modeled drainage was observed in Dubuque soil and poorest concordance in Sparta sand. This analytical scheme may be applied to a wide range of soils if appropriate data describing the hydrological character were available.
Pulse stretching of Q-switched laser emission by intracavity nonlinear ellipse rotation☆

Abstract Stretching of Q-switched laser pulses has been investigated using an intracavity nonlinear loss element based on the ellipse rotation effect in liquid crystals EBBA and MBBA. The roles of Q-switching speed, liquid crystal response time, and ellipse rotation coefficient were studied. Experimental results with a ruby laser and theoretical calculations based on modified Statz-deMars rate equations are presented.
Electronic state detection/partitioning of atomic nickel during resonant laser ablation

Abstract Resonance ionization mass spectrometry studies of atomic species originating from a thermal source have been used to produce intensity/population calibration factors in the 2 + 1 (photons to resonance + photons to ionize) ionization of Ni. In Ni, several low lying excited electronic states provide ionization pathways facilitating measurement of the electronic temperature of the probed atoms. This detection scheme has been used to determine the electronic temperature of laser ablated Ni atoms from an electroplated nickel surface. Assuming Boltzmann behavior, temperatures of approximately 2600 K have been observed. The production of such high temperatures during laser ablation results in significant population of a variety of electronic states, thereby decreasing the overall sensitivity of any state-specific analysis technique that follows such laser sampling.