cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Demographic Dynamics, Savings, Investment and Current Account

The upturn in the world economy brought with it the renewed attention to the issues of current account imbalances. Whereas large part of it is political, the issue still attracts some economic attention. In this paper the empirical side of the current account dynamics is addressed. We enquire of the relationships between the current account and savings dynamics, with the emphasis on the role of the “high savings” demographic cohorts (the population and/or labor force between 40 and 64). With the emphasis on the EUs “large” countries, we conclude that there is a significant role of this “high saving” population group in determining the current account dynamics for the consistent “high” surpluses countries of Germany and Netherlands. The role of this population group is, however, rejected for France, Italy and Spain. In those countries the current account dynamics is dominated by (seemingly unexpected) liberalization of capital flows and the subsequent need for stabilization policies. Similarly, the dominant role of the demographic dynamic is rejected for the comparison, floating exchange rate countries of USA and Japan.
Suture methods for flexor tendon repair: A biomechanical analysis during the first six weeks following repair

This review describes the evolution of recently developed multi-strand, multi-grasp flexor tendon suture techniques. Analyses of digital angular joint rotation, tendon excursion, and ultimate tensile load at the time of repair and at three and six weeks following repair allowed comparison of a variety of innovative grasping and non-grasping multi-strand techniques. The first series of experiments describes an analysis of the Tajima, Tsuge, Savage, Kessler, double loop locking suture, and recently developed eight-strand suture techniques at the time of repair. The Tajima, Savage, and eight-strand repair methods were found to have statistically significant improved gliding function compared to those methods that featured external knots (Kessler and Tsuge) and methods that tended to bunch at the repair site (double loop locking suture). With regard to ultimate tensile load, the eight-strand repair was found to have the greatest strength (69N) of all tested methods (p < 0.05). The second series of experiments examined the Tajima, Kessler, Savage, and eight-strand suture methods at three and six weeks following tendon repair. A high percentage of failure within the Kessler repairs precluded their inclusion for final comparative analysis. The results for the remaining three techniques were normalized (experimental/control) to allow inter-group comparison. For intrasynovial tendon repair gliding function, all prepared specimens were found to have significantly less tendon excursion, proximal interphalangeal joint rotation, and distal interphalangeal joint rotation than their respective controls. However, no statistical differences were noted in gliding function between the Tajima, Savage, and eight-strand repair at three and six weeks (p < 0.05). Ultimate tensile testing ascertained that the eight strand method demonstrated significantly greater strength at three (52.6N) and six (70.9N) weeks than both the Tajima and Savage techniques (p < 0.05), while the Savage repair had significantly greater strength than the Tajima repair (p < 0.05). On the basis of these findings, we suggest that early controlled active motion protocols be devised using the multi-strand multi-grasp techniques, as exemplified by the eight strand tendon repair method, in an effort to achieve consistently improved results for intrasynovial flexor tendon repairs.
High-Throughput Screening, Microfluidics, Biosensors, and Real-Time Phenotyping

Key opportunities for the field of stem cell engineering involve identification of cues that regulate stem cell fate, constructing a systems level understanding of how cells sense and process information provided by the microenvironment, and designing environments to elicit the desired cell fate. Meeting these opportunities will be facilitated by collaborative, interdisciplinary interactions among engineers, scientists, and clinicians. Chapters “Physical and Engineering Principles in Stem Cell Research” and “Computational Modeling and Stem Cell Engineering” in this report address the principles by which physical cues can affect stem cells and how mathematical modeling can provide insight into mechanisms of stem cell regulation. For these efforts to be successful, spatial and dynamic control over the microenvironment is needed. This chapter will focus on how recent advances in cell culture platform design and manufacture permit systematic application of regulatory cues to stem cells, and the insight these systems have provided in stem cell biology and engineering.
24-hour cancer clinic: An approach to same-day care.

6544Background: Managing healthcare delivery and optimizing the cost of care for cancer patients is a difficult task for healthcare systems. Cancer patients are at risk for complications of their d...
The Funicular and Moments

In Chap. 3 it was shown that the funicular is a powerful tool that has multiple levels of meaning. It has a physical interpretation, namely the shape that a chain would take on due to multiple loads. That shape can then be used to identify the precise location of the resultant of these loads, by intersecting the starting and ending slopes of the funicular. But in this chapter, yet another meaning of the funicular is revealed and explained. The funicular automatically generates a bending moment diagram. This was introduced in Chap. 3. It will be helpful to summarize what a bending moment actually is and how it links to a funicular. In Fig. 4.1, consider a force F and find its moment about point O. This diagram Fig. 4.1 is the form diagram, although there is very little information other than verticality of F and distance to O.
Building Bridges: A Cross-Disciplinary Peer-Coaching Self-Study.

Cross-disciplinary self-studies and peer coaching have separately been shown to offer teacher educators meaningful professional development opportunities. However, the teacher educator literature h...
U.S. Farm Policy as Fraught Populism: Tracing the Scalar Tensions of Nationalist Agricultural Governance

The scalar tensions of nationalism manifest acutely in agriculture—particularly in the contemporary United States. This is paradoxical because farm policy calls for and enacts nativist governance t...
White matter connectomes at birth accurately predict cognitive abilities at age 2.

Abstract Cognitive ability is an important predictor of mental health outcomes that is influenced by neurodevelopment. Evidence suggests that the foundational wiring of the human brain is in place by birth, and that the white matter (WM) connectome supports developing brain function. It is unknown, however, how the WM connectome at birth supports emergent cognition. In this study, a deep learning model was trained using cross-validation to classify full-term infants (n = 75) as scoring above or below the median at age 2 using WM connectomes generated from diffusion weighted magnetic resonance images at birth. Results from this model were used to predict individual cognitive scores. We additionally identified WM connections important for classification. The model was also evaluated in a separate set of preterm infants (n = 37) scanned at term-age equivalent. Findings revealed that WM connectomes at birth predicted 2-year cognitive score group with high accuracy in both full-term (89.5%) and preterm (83.8%) infants. Scores predicted by the model were strongly correlated with actual scores (r = 0.98 for full-term and r = 0.96 for preterm). Connections within the frontal lobe, and between the frontal lobe and other brain areas were found to be important for classification. This work suggests that WM connectomes at birth can accurately predict a child's 2-year cognitive group and individual score in full-term and preterm infants. The WM connectome at birth appears to be a useful neuroimaging biomarker of subsequent cognitive development that deserves further study.
EFL Learners’ Creativity and Their Listening Comprehension Strategies

Listening is one of the fundamental language skills which plays a crucial role in facilitating language learning. However, very little research has been conducted on the relationship between EFL learners’ listening strategy use and their individual differences. Listening strategies are the techniques that we use consciously or unconsciously to understand and interpret the text we are listening and they are directly contributed to the comprehension and recall of listening input. Despite the relatively small number of investigation in the realm of listening strategies, there is a lack of research study investigating them in relation to specific traits or skills. This study aimed at investigating the relationship between creativity and the use of listening comprehension strategies by EFL learners. To this end 45 students at the advanced level were chosen out of 88. The adapted version of Listening Strategy Questionnaire was administered to the subjects to identify their listening strategies. Then, Torrance Test of Creative Thinking was administered to measure their creative abilities. The descriptive analysis indicated that these EFL learners employed meta-cognitive listening strategies more than cognitive strategies and they used cognitive strategies more than socio-affective strategies. The Pearson Correlation analysis showed that there was a statistically high, significant and positive association between Iranian EFL learners’ creative abilities and their listening strategies at <0.01 level. The correlation between creativity and meta-cognitive strategies was higher than those of other strategies, followed by the correlation between creativity and cognitive strategies and then the correlation between creativity socio-affective strategies. In the end, pedagogical implications and areas for further research were provided.
Neoadjuvant FOLFIRINOX versus adjuvant gemcitabine in pancreatic cancer.

4123Background: In the metastatic or adjuvant setting for pancreatic cancer, the combination chemotherapy of fluorouracil, leucovorin, irinotecan, and oxaliplatin (FOLFIRINOX) resulted in longer ov...
Learning to Play and Playing to Learn: Enhancing Interactions in Young Children With ASD.

* Abbreviation: ASD — : autism spectrum disorder Being the parent of a young child can be hard: managing tantrums, unpredictable behavior, unsupportive looks, and unsolicited advice, often with little sleep or time for yourself. Being the parent of a young child with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) comes with added challenges, which the study by Gengoux et al1 aims to address. Studies show that parents of children diagnosed with ASD report feeling dismissed or blamed by their health care providers at a higher frequency than parents of typically developing children, possibly contributing to delays in diagnosis and mistrust of the medical system.2–4 Systems issues and inconsistent messaging can exacerbate these issues. Despite improvements in screening and earlier diagnosis, the time between parental concerns and diagnosis is close to 3 years,4 yet we emphasize the importance of early intervention. After diagnosis occurs, parents may experience a sense of grief or loss, eventually coming to the realization that their parenting journey will look much different from what they had envisioned.5 Next is the search … Address correspondence to Rebecca A. Baum, MD, Division of Developmental Behavioral Pediatrics, Department of Pediatrics, Nationwide Children’s Hospital, 700 Children’s Dr, LA Suite 5A, Columbus, OH 43205-2664. E-mail: rebecca.baum@nationwidechildrens.org
Extracellular vesicles and chemotherapy resistance in the AML microenvironment

Extracellular vesicle (EV) trafficking provides for a constitutive mode of cell-cell communication within tissues and between organ systems. Different EV subtypes have been identified that transfer regulatory molecules between cells, influencing gene expression, and altering cellular phenotypes. Evidence from a range of studies suggests that EV trafficking enhances cell survival and resistance to chemotherapy in solid tumors. In acute myeloid leukemia (AML), EVs contribute to the dynamic crosstalk between AML cells, hematopoietic elements and stromal cells and promote adaptation of compartmental bone marrow (BM) function through transport of protein, RNA, and DNA. Careful analysis of leukemia cell EV content and phenotypic outcomes provide evidence that vesicles are implicated in transferring several known key mediators of chemoresistance, including miR-155, IL-8, and BMP-2. Here, we review the current understanding of how EVs exert their influence in the AML niche, and identify research opportunities to improve outcomes for relapsed or refractory AML patients.
Utility of targeted sequence capture for phylogenomics in rapid, recent angiosperm radiations: Neotropical Burmeistera bellflowers as a case study.

Abstract Targeted sequence capture is a promising approach for large-scale phylogenomics. However, rapid evolutionary radiations pose significant challenges for phylogenetic inference (e.g. incomplete lineages sorting (ILS), phylogenetic noise), and the ability of targeted nuclear loci to resolve species trees despite such issues remains poorly studied. We test the utility of targeted sequence capture for inferring phylogenetic relationships in rapid, recent angiosperm radiations, focusing on Burmeistera bellflowers (Campanulaceae), which diversified into ~130 species over less than 3 million years. We compared phylogenies estimated from supercontig (exons plus flanking sequences), exon-only, and flanking-only datasets with 506–546 loci (~4.7 million bases) for 46 Burmeistera species/lineages and 10 outgroup taxa. Nuclear loci resolved backbone nodes and many congruent internal relationships with high support in concatenation and coalescent-based species tree analyses, and inferences were largely robust to effects of missing taxa and base composition biases. Nevertheless, species trees were incongruent between datasets, and gene trees exhibited remarkably high levels of conflict (~4–60% congruence, ~40–99% conflict) not simply driven by poor gene tree resolution. Higher gene tree heterogeneity at shorter branches suggests an important role of ILS, as expected for rapid radiations. Phylogenetic informativeness analyses also suggest this incongruence has resulted from low resolving power at short internal branches, consistent with ILS, and homoplasy at deeper nodes, with exons exhibiting much greater risk of incorrect topologies due to homoplasy than other datasets. Our findings suggest that targeted sequence capture is feasible for resolving rapid, recent angiosperm radiations, and that results based on supercontig alignments containing nuclear exons and flanking sequences have higher phylogenetic utility and accuracy than either alone. We use our results to make practical recommendations for future target capture-based studies of Burmeistera and other rapid angiosperm radiations, including that such studies should analyze supercontigs to maximize the phylogenetic information content of loci.
The Association between Chronic Conditions, End-of-Life Health Care Use, and Documentation of Advance Care Planning among Patients with Cancer.

Background: Multiple chronic conditions (MCCs) are associated with increased intensity of end-of-life (EOL) care, but their effect is not well explored in patients with cancer. Objective: We examined EOL health care intensity and advance care planning (ACP) documentation to better understand the association between MCCs and these outcomes. Design: Retrospective cohort study. Setting/Subjects: Patients aged 18+ years at UW Medicine who died during 2010-2017 with poor prognosis cancer, with or without chronic liver disease, chronic pulmonary disease, coronary artery disease, dementia, diabetes with end-stage organ damage, end-stage renal disease, heart failure, or peripheral vascular disease. Measurements: ACP documentation 30+ days before death, in-hospital death, and inpatient or intensive care unit (ICU) admission in the last 30 days. We performed logistic regression for outcomes. Results: Of 15,092 patients with cancer, 10,596 (70%) had 1+ MCCs (range 1-8). Patients with cancer and heart failure had highest odds of hospitalization (odds ratio [OR] 1.67, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.46-1.91), ICU admission (OR 2.06, 95% CI 1.76-2.41), or in-hospital death (OR 1.62, 95% CI 1.43-1.84) versus patients with cancer and other conditions. Patients with ACP 30+ days before death had lower odds of in-hospital death (OR 0.65, 95% CI 0.60-0.71), hospitalization (OR 0.67, 95% CI 0.61-0.74), or ICU admission (OR 0.71, 95% CI 0.64-0.80). Conclusions: Patients with ACP 30+ days before death had lower odds of high-intensity EOL care. Further research needs to explore how to best use ACP to ensure patients receive care aligned with patient and family goals for care.
Autism Traits Predict Self-reported Executive Functioning Deficits in Everyday Life and an Aversion to Exercise

Are Autism Quotient (AQ) scores related to executive functioning (EF)? We sampled 200 students of normal intelligence and examined the relationship between AQ scores and: (a) 5 self-ratings of EF, (b) 5 performance-based measures of EF, and (c) 5 types of activities or experiences that are assumed to recruit EF and sometimes enhance EF. Our findings reveal that as AQ scores increase, self-rated EF ability decreases. AQ scores and self-reported EF measures do not correlate with objective EF task performance. Furthermore, AQ scores were shown to be negatively associated with many specific types of physical activity. As AQ scores increase, individuals report fewer positive reasons for exercise and more rationalizations for not engaging in more exercise.
Model-less Source Location for Forced Oscillation based on Synchrophasor and Moving Fast Fourier Transformation

Forced oscillations in power systems occur when the grid is driven by an external and periodic force. To quickly detect and locate the source of the forced oscillation is critical in terms of ensuring the reliability of an interconnected power grid. This paper explores the electromechanical wave propagation theory and the Fast Fourier Transformation to analyze the forced oscillations. It proposes a model-less, adaptive, fast, and accurate source location algorithm. The proposed algorithm is extensively evaluated through simulation data from a 70k-bus U.S. Eastern Interconnection test system and field-collected synchrophasor data from the distribution-level wide-area monitoring system, FNET/GridEye. The evaluation results demonstrate the correctness and effectiveness of the proposed model-less forced oscillation source location algorithm.
The Implications of Strategic Inventory for Short-Term vs. Long-Term Supply Contracts in Non-Exclusive Reselling Environments

Problem Definition: Although it is well known that a reseller’s ability to hold strategic inventory under a short-term supply contract can potentially benefit both the reseller and a supplier, existing research on strate- gic inventory focuses almost exclusively on exclusive reselling environments. However, in practice, multiple suppliers often sell to the same non-exclusive reseller, and many supply contracts involve long-term commit- ments to the price and quantity from both the supplier and the reseller. We investigate how the possibility of strategic inventory influences competing suppliers’ choices between short-term transactional and long-term commitment contracts to a non-exclusive reseller. Methodology/Results: Using a game-theoretic model, we consider the interactions between two partially sub- stitutable suppliers and a single, non-exclusive reseller over a two-period horizon in which demand is deter- ministic. We demonstrate that in non-exclusive reselling environments, where more than one supplier sells its product through the same reseller, the use of strategic inventory under short-term contracts intensifies the price competition between suppliers. We show how this effect can be mitigated when one or both suppliers offer a long-term contract. Moreover, we show that long-term contracts can arise as an equilibrium outcome, particularly when products are more substitutable or holding costs are large. Managerial Implications: By considering the interactions between two partially substitutable suppliers and a non-exclusive reseller in a multi-period setting, we contribute to the literature on strategic contracting and long versus short-term contracts. Our research provides managers with a new explanation, beyond the need to encourage idiosyncratic investments or eliminate the possibility of hold-up, for why long-term contracts may benefit manufacturers in practice, who face competition while selling through a non-exclusive reseller.
Examining the perceived value of a prestigious science engagement award: views of applicants, finalists, and awardees

Recent public engagement with science (PES) scholarship has discussed the importance of designing and implementing extrinsic reward systems to recognize the scientists involved in PES work and pote...
Synthesis, Quantification, Characterization, and Signaling Properties of Glutathionyl Conjugates of Enals

Oxidation of lipids generates large quantities of highly reactive α,β-unsaturated aldehydes (enals). Enals and their protein adducts accumulate in the tissues of several pathologies. In vitro, low concentrations of enals such as HNE (4-hydroxy trans-2-nonenal) affect cell signaling whereas high concentrations of enals are cytotoxic. Direct conjugation of the C2–C3 double bond of enals with the sulfhydryl group of GSH is a major route for the metabolism and detoxification of enals. Recently, we found that glutathionyl conjugate of HNE (GS-HNE) enhances the peritoneal leukocyte infiltration and stimulates the formation of proinflammatory lipid mediators. Moreover, the reduced form of the glutathione conjugate of HNE (GS-DHN) elicits strong mitogenic signaling in smooth muscle cells. In this chapter we discuss the methods to study the metabolism of enals and the redox signaling properties of glutathionyl conjugates of HNE.
Evolving Solutions: The Genetic Algorithm and Evolution Strategies for Finding Optimal Parameters

This chapter provides an introduction to evolutionary algorithms (EAs) and their applicability to various biological problems. There is a focus on EAs’ use as an optimization technique for fitting parameters to a model. A number of design issues are discussed including the data structure being operated on (chromosome), the construction of robust fitness functions, and intuitive breeding strategies. Two detailed biological examples are given. The first example demonstrates the EA’s ability to optimize parameters of various ion channel conductances in a model neuron by using a fitness function that incorporates the dynamic range of the data. The second example shows how the EA can be used in a hybrid technique with classification algorithms for more accuracy in the classifier, feature pruning, and for obtaining relevant combinations of features. This hybrid technique allows researchers to glean an understanding of important features and relationships embedded in their data that might otherwise remain hidden.
Surface reactions of SO2 with NO2 on hydrated silica gel

Abstract The surface oxidation of sulfur dioxide to sulfate ions by nitrogen dioxide on hydrated silica gel has been followed by observing the photoelectron spectrum of the S(2p) electron. The reaction, carried out at 25°C, results in extensive surface coverage of sulfate ions over a period of several hours.
Constraints on the equation of state of dark energy and the Hubble constant from stellar ages and the CMB

We place tight constraints on the redshift-averaged, effective value of the equation of state of dark energy, w, using only the absolute ages of Galactic stars and the observed position of the first peak in the angular power spectrum of the CMB. We find w -1, this finding suggests that within our uncertainties, dark energy is indistinguishable from a classical vacuum energy term. We detect a correlation between the ages of the oldest galaxies and their redshift. This opens up the possibility of measuring w(z) by computing the relative ages of the oldest galaxies in the universe as a function of redshift, dz/dt. We show that this is a realistic possibility by computing dz/dt at z~0 from SDSS galaxies and obtain an independent estimate for the Hubble constant, H_0 = 69 \pm 12 km s-1 Mpc-1. The small number of galaxies considered at z>0.2 does not yield, currently, a precise determination of w(z), but shows that the age--redshift relation is consistent with a Standard LCDM universe with $w=-1$.
TLR2 Is Constitutively Expressed within the Kidney and Participates in Ischemic Renal Injury through Both MyD88-Dependent and -Independent Pathways

TLRs are an evolutionarily conserved family of cell membrane proteins believed to play a significant role in innate immunity and the response to tissue injury, including that induced by ischemia. TLR signaling pathways activate transcription factors that regulate expression of prosurvival proteins, as well as proinflammatory cytokines and chemokines through one of two proximal adapter proteins, MyD88 or Toll/IL-1R domain-containing adaptor-inducing IFN-β (Trif). Our study defines the constitutive protein expression of TLR2 in kidneys of humans and mice, and provides insight into the signaling mechanisms by which a deficiency of TLR2 protects from ischemic organ injury. Our study compared and contrasted the effects of renal ischemia in wild-type mice and mice deficient in TLR2, MyD88, Trif, and MyD88 × Trif. TLR2 protein was evident in many cell types in the kidney, including renal tubules of the outer stripe of the medulla, glomeruli, and in the renal vasculature. The pattern of protein expression was similar in humans and mice. The absence of TLR2, MyD88, and MyD88 × Trif conferred both physiologic and histologic protection against sublethal ischemia at 24 h. Interestingly, TLR2-deficient mice were better protected from ischemic renal injury than those deficient for the adapter protein MyD88, raising the intriguing possibility that TLR-2-dependent/MyD88-independent pathways also contribute to kidney injury. We conclude that TLR2 protein is constitutively expressed in the kidney and plays an important role in the pathogenesis of acute ischemic injury by signaling both MyD88-dependent and MyD88-independent pathways.
Query optimization in object-oriented knowledge bases☆

Abstract We define an object-oriented knowledge base to be a deductive knowledge base that is based on an object model. One of the major advantages provided by object-oriented knowledge bases is that the first order language used for object description can be used as a query language as well. Since object-dependent procedures are included in this framework, the problem of query processing is nontrivial. On one hand some attributes involved in a query need to be derived from a procedure and constrained by some other relations, and therefore combinatorial explosion may occur; on the other hand a query may be specified in an improper order such that the search space becomes intolerable large. In this paper we first describe two approaches to optimize the query evaluation process: the semantic optimization approach and the conjuct reordering approach. Next, we examine the problem of logical query processing when an object-oriented knowledge base is built on a relational database such as Ingres.
Peter Miller, Producer and Director, The Internationale. New York: First Run/Icarus Films, 2000. 30 minutes. $225 VHS.

In this award-winning documentary, producer and director Peter Miller uses an impressive collection of film clips and interviews to illustrate the connections between emotion, social politics, and music in the song “The Internationale.” Miller traces the history of this song as a rallying point for workers, activists, socialists, and communists, from its beginnings in the Paris Commune in 1871, through the Russian Revolution, the Spanish Civil War, labor struggles in the United States, and Tiananmen Square, to its recent reworking and revival by British musician Billy Bragg. The power of this documentary is its focus on the potent solidarity and optimism that “The Internationale” has inspired in workers and activists around the globe. Due to its combination of musical and social history, in addition to its accessibility, this film has the potential to reach a variety of audiences. It is suitable for public television broadcast and as an educational resource either for the classroom or for an activist or labor meeting.
Double-staining technique allows electrophysiological identification of monoamine-containing neurons

Electrophysiological recording provides important evidence for positive identification of many neurons in gastropods. We describe a technique which combines intracellular recording and injection of a persistent, non-fluorescent dye (Fast Green) with subsequent histofluorescence treatment using a modification of the wholemount glyoxylic acid procedure developed by Barber (1983) to establish the presence or absence of monoamine transmitters in positively identified single gastropod neurons.
Principles for scaling of distributed direct potable water reuse systems: A modeling study

Scaling of direct potable water reuse (DPR) systems involves tradeoffs of treatment facility economy-of-scale, versus cost and energy of conveyance including energy for upgradient distribution of treated water, and retention of wastewater thermal energy. In this study, a generalized model of the cost of DPR as a function of treatment plant scale, assuming futuristic, optimized conveyance networks, was constructed for purposes of developing design principles. Fractal landscapes representing flat, hilly, and mountainous topographies were simulated, with urban, suburban, and rural housing distributions placed by modified preferential growth algorithm. Treatment plants were allocated by agglomerative hierarchical clustering, networked to buildings by minimum spanning tree. Simulations assume advanced oxidation-based DPR system design, with 20-year design life and capability to mineralize chemical oxygen demand below normal detection limits, allowing implementation in regions where disposal of concentrate containing hormones and antiscalants is not practical. Results indicate that total DPR capital and O&M costs in rural areas, where systems that return nutrients to the land may be more appropriate, are high. However, costs in urban/suburban areas are competitive with current water/wastewater service costs at scales of ca. one plant per 10,000 residences. This size is relatively small, and costs do not increase significantly until plant service areas fall below 100 to 1000 homes. Based on these results, distributed DPR systems are recommended for consideration for urban/suburban water and wastewater system capacity expansion projects.
Aromatase activity and regulation of sexual behaviors in the green anole lizard

Sexual behaviors in green anoles are regulated by steroid hormones. Androgens activate the display of masculine courtship and copulatory behaviors, and estradiol activates feminine receptivity. Testosterone can also facilitate receptivity in females. The present study was conducted to test the role of converting testosterone to estradiol (aromatization) in the regulation of sexual and aggressive behaviors. Adult males and females were gonadectomized and implanted with a Silastic capsule containing either testosterone propionate (T) or estradiol benzoate (E) or with an empty (blank, BL) capsule. T- and BL-treated animals were then given injections of either Fadrozole (FAD, an aromatase inhibitor) or saline (SAL). E-treated animals received saline injections. Each individual was then tested alternately with male and female stimulus animals. Overall, T stimulated masculine sexual behaviors and receptivity, but the androgen had little effect on the display of aggressive behaviors. The inhibition of aromatase activity by treatment with Fadrozole eliminated the effect of T on receptivity. In contrast, Fadrozole treatment had no effect on mounting behavior or the frequency of courtship bouts. The inhibition of aromatase activity did increase the number of dewlap extensions (the display of a red throat fan) during courtship. These results suggest that the metabolism of testosterone to estradiol is a mechanism through which androgens can facilitate receptivity, and that such aromatization of testosterone is not required for the display of masculine sexual behaviors. In addition, females performed courtship and mounting behaviors less frequently than males, suggesting that an organizational component to steroid hormone regulation of sexual behaviors may exist in the anole.
Influences of coarse bank roughness on flow within a sharply curved river bend

Abstract An experiment was performed to assess the influence of coarse bank roughness on flow within a sharply curved bend of the Ocklawaha Creek, a sand-bedded stream in northern Florida. This involved obtaining systematic measurements of flow velocity and water-surface topography when the outer bank was rough with natural vegetation, and obtaining an identical set of measurements after removing the vegetation and constructing a smooth wall along the outer bank. Results suggest that the roughness from bank vegetation systematically influences the flow field, particularly the secondary current strength and the position of the high-velocity core, because of its effect on the transverse boundary layer. The roughness essentially produces a backwater effect that inhibits outwardly directed surface flow from closely approaching the outer bank. This suppresses super-elevation on the outside bank and, therefore, weakens the inwardly directed transverse pressure gradient and secondary current. The flow is steered in a downstream direction, and the core of high velocity is nearly centered in the channel. In absence of roughness from vegetation, outwardly directed surface flows approach the outer bank more directly (and earlier in the bend), superelevation on the outside bank is enhanced, and the transverse pressure gradient and secondary current are strengthened. The core of high velocity is displaced toward the outer bank, and its magnitude is increased. Moreover, the streamwise position where the high-velocity core is closest to the outer bank shifts downstream from its position of closest approach in the presence of roughness. This, in principle, should contribute to asymmetrical bend migration, whereas migration in presence of roughness should be nearly in phase with bend curvature such that bends grow in amplitude, albeit slower, and with less asymmetry.
Evidence for an intermediate state in the production of energetic neutral excitations in He II

It has been shown that energetic neutral excitations are produced when a tritium ( BETA - emitter) source is immersed in He II. These neutrals have the same characteristics as those observed by Surko and Reif for a /sup 210/Po ( alpha emitter) source. However, a strong electric field in the ionization region of the source is required in the tritium case to produce neutrals. Using this effect it is possible to produce pulses of neutrals and obtain information about their physical properties. A three-level decay scheme with an intermediate state is suggested to explain the experimental results. (auth)
Phase transformations and equation of state of praseodymium metal to 103 GPa

Pressure-induced structural phase transformations in a trivalent rare-earth metal praseodymium (Pr) were studied at room temperature in a diamond anvil cell to 103 GPa by energy dispersive x-ray diffraction using a synchrotron source. Our x-ray diffraction studies document the following crystal structure sequence: $\mathrm{dhc}\stackrel{\ensuremath{\rightarrow}}{p}\mathrm{fc}\stackrel{\ensuremath{\rightarrow}}{c}\mathrm{distorted}\mathrm{}\mathrm{fcc}(hR24\mathrm{type})\ensuremath{\rightarrow}\mathrm{monoclinic}(C2/m)\ensuremath{\rightarrow}\ensuremath{\alpha}\ensuremath{-}$uranium with increasing pressure. We measure a 16.7% volume collapse at the transition to the \ensuremath{\alpha}-uranium phase at 20 GPa. The high-pressure \ensuremath{\alpha}-uranium phase in Pr was found to be stable to the highest pressure of 103 GPa, which corresponds to a volume compression ${V/V}_{0}=0.407.$
Stepped care for obsessive-compulsive disorder: A pilot study * **

Cognitive-behavioral therapy incorporating exposure and ritual prevention (EX/RP) is the first-line psychosocial treatment of choice for obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). However, several barriers to care prevent many OCD patients from receiving this treatment. Previous research has indicated that some OCD patients may benefit from less intensive treatment options, such as bibliotherapy; however, it is not clear how to assign patients to their appropriate level of treatment. We suggest that an optimal approach may be to use a stepped care protocol, in which patients begin with a low-intensity treatment and then progress to more costly (but perhaps more efficacious) treatments as needed. In this pilot study, 11 adults with OCD initially received bibliotherapy EX/RP treatment; 20% of patients completing this treatment met stringent responder criteria. The remaining patients were then assigned to a therapist who provided brief education and EX/RP advice but did not actually assist patients with exposure exercises. Twenty-nine percent of patients who completed this treatment were classified as responders. The remaining patients then received the more traditional therapist-administered EX/RP; 67% of patients completing this treatment were responders. Across the entire protocol, 86% of treatment completers and 80% of the intent-to-treat sample were rated as “much improved” or “very much improved.” Cost-effectiveness analyses, in which the total cost of treatment was divided by the degree of symptom reduction, showed that stepped care compared favorably to other forms of EX/RP delivery. We provide a detailed case discussion that illustrates the clinical decision-making process and one patient's response to different levels of treatment.
Improved radiographic visualization of calculus in distal ureter

Roentgenographic visualization of a calculus in the distal ureter is often made difficult by gas or bowel contents in the region of the pelvis. Filling the bladder with sterile water raises the bladder dome and displaces the bowel upward. Any calculus in the lower 4 to 5 cm. of the distal ureter is then clearly demonstrated on roentgenograms taken against the water-filled bladder instead of against the bowel filled with gas and feces. This maneuver also aids in differentiation of a calculus in the distal ureter from a phlebolith in the bladder wall, and has improved visualization of distal ureteral calculus in 50 patients during the last six years.
Measurements of the SH response from Ag(111) at the long-wavelength limit

Abstract We report the first measurements correlating both the dispersion in the intensity and the phase in the optical second harmonic response with the linear optical properties of a metal surface as the incident energy is varied from resonant to nonresonant conditions. The results for Ag(111) show that even under nonresonant excitation at 1.53 μm, the response is anisotropic with respect to the rotation of the crystal. A convergence of the phase and the intensity of the nonlinear response is found as excitation is varied from the visible to the infrared region.
Environment, cognition, and culture: Reconsidering the cognitive map

Abstract When psychological research is formulated from an interactionist point of view, the individual and environment are treated as independent, if interacting factors. From such an approach, cultural influences tend to be marginalized as ‘contextual’ causal factors standing apart from psychological processes. This viewpoint fails to appreciate adequately that cultural–historical processes play a constitutive rather than solely a causal role in human development. This claim is examined using the concept of the cognitive map as a case study. A review of a body of experimental research as well as evidence from cultural anthropology indicates that configurational (survey) thinking is properly viewed as being contingent on the intersection of social–historical processes, an individual's ontogenetic history, and the character of the immediate circumstances confronting the individual. When prototypical attributes of cognitive maps – such as their geometric, configurational character and the underlying notion of three-dimensional space – are considered with respect to their origins in Western cultural history, configurational thinking can be seen as arising out of sociocultural processes that play a constitutive role in ontogenesis. This view of environmental cognition is in keeping with a transactional approach, which takes the psychological domain to be embedded in a network of processes that constitute and sustain human functioning.
The Association Between Filial Piety and Suicidal Ideation: Findings From a Community-Dwelling Chinese Aging Population

Background. Suicidal ideation is a public health issue that has a significant impact at the individual, family, community, and societal levels. This study aimed to examine the association between filial piety and suicidal ideation among U.S. Chinese older adults.
Pediatric spinal glioblastoma multiforme: current treatment strategies and possible predictors of survival

Purpose Pediatric spinal glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is rare. Evidence-directed management relies on studies in which such cases are only a subset of a larger group. We reviewed cases of pediatric spinal GBM to assess outcomes and identify prognostic factors related to treatment.
High-pressure liquid chromatographic assay for the determination of thyrotropin-releasing hormone and its common metabolites in a physiological salt solution circulated through the isolated perfused rat lung

Abstract A specific and sensitive assay for TRH ( l -pyroglutamyl- l -histidyl- l -proline amide), 3 H-TRH ( l -proline 3,4- 3 H(N),histidyl-3- 3 H(N)), and four possible metabolites of TRH, present in the recirculated perfusate of an isolated perfused rat lung preparation, was developed. Unlike previous methods, the method developed does not require extraction of the analytes from the biological matrix. The crude sample was adjusted to a pH of 3.2 with concentrated trifluoroacetic acid and injected on to a PRP-1 (polystyrene divinylbenzene) column (10 μm, 25 cm × 4.6 mm i.d.). The mobile phase was 10% v/v acetonitrile and 90% v/v 0.75 g l −1 1-hepantanesulfonic acid in 0.004 M trifluoroacetic acid, adjusted to a pH of 2.4 with concentrated NaOH. The flow rate was 0.5 ml min −1 and the analytes were detected by UV absorption at a wavelength of 26 nm and by radiochemical detection utilizing a liquid scintillation counter. The nominal retention times for l -PRO, l -PRO-NH 2 , TRH, cyclo(HIS-PRO) and TRH-OH were 4.0 ± 0.9, 10.0 ± 0.2, 15.5 ± 0.4, 19.2 ± 0.5 and 25.3 ± 0.5 min respectively. The assay performs well in terms of precision and accuracy as indicated by linear regression and intra-assay variability analysis.
Synthetic biology: Automated design of RNA devices

RNA molecules have diverse functional roles, including silencing genes, catalyzing biochemical reactions and sensing chemicals that control gene expression. Biologists have drawn from nature's toolbox to construct engineered RNA molecules with versatile capabilities and can now begin to automate the design of libraries of regulatory RNAs.
The shippingport atomic power plant

With the ground breaking for the first full-scale nuclear-energy plant for producing electric power, a project was started which in a few years will provide invaluable information on many phases of construction, operation, manpower, and costs.
A process for free-space laser communications system design

We present a design methodology for free-space laser communications systems. The first phase includes a characterization through numerical simulations of the channel to evaluate the range of extinction and scintillation. The second phase is the selection of fade mitigation schemes, which would incorporate pointing, acquisition, tracking, and communication system parameters specifically tailored to the channel. Ideally, the process would include sufficient flexibility to adapt to a wide range of channel conditions. We provide an example of the successful application of this design approach to a recent set of field experiments. This work was sponsored by the Department of Defense, RRCO DDR&E, under Air Force Contract FA8721-05-C-0002. Opinions, interpretations, conclusions and recommendations are those of the authors and are not necessarily endorsed by the United States Government.
Capsule commentary on Tang et al., Evaluation of a primary care-based post-discharge phone call program: keeping the primary care practice at the center of post-hospitalization care transition.

Post-hospital care transitions are potentially complex clinical events. A significant number of patients experience confusion or discontinuity of their care, which has important implications for patient safety and cost containment. In this issue, Tang and colleagues report a study of post-discharge phone calls from a primary care office.1 Among 486 full-scripted calls, nurses uncovered at least one problem in 371 discharges, of which 25 % included new symptoms and 47 % included medication issues. Discharges with full-scripted and message-scripted encounters were associated with higher rates of follow-up appointment attendance, but there was no significant difference in 30-day readmission rates. Post-discharge telephone follow-up plays a valuable role in many situations, including post-discharge emergency department visits and hospital admissions.2 Many discharge transitions are inadequately orchestrated, as unanticipated medical problems occur on nights or weekends and involve clinicians who may not have an ongoing relationship with the patient. The phone call becomes an opportunity for the patient to engage their chronic care team and inform them of current issues in what may be an evolving situation. Although primary care-based calls achieve some clinical goals, it has not been proven that this model is superior to calls from other comprehensive practices such as dialysis, transplant, or cancer centers. With the new CMS reimbursement for transitional care services, such calls should become an important self-sustaining component of the patient-centered medical home or neighborhood. Despite the growing use of primary care-based telephone follow-up in the post-discharge period, there are few high-quality studies demonstrating its full potential benefit.2,3 Recurrent hospitalizations are responsible for significant health care expenses, and a substantial proportion of readmissions are preventable through effective discharge planning and patient follow-up. Patients at high risk for readmission can be identified using data available at the time of hospital discharge, and all patients may benefit from a call. High-risk patients who receive a discharge call seem most likely to benefit from lower rates of readmission and reduced costs.4