cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A Comparative Investigation Into Press–State Relations: Comparing Source Structures in Three News Agencies’ Coverage of the North Korean Missile Crisis

News media are on the frontline of international conflicts. Media messages play a pivotal role in increasing the diplomatic leverage at the negotiation table, which represents press–state relations. The present study applied indexing theory to examine these press–state relations from a global perspective. Using social network analysis, this research analyzed the development of source structures of news on the North Korean missile crisis by examining news agencies in the United States, China, and South Korea. The study found that these agencies conformed to their respective national interests; thus, their issue framings were an extension of each country’s domestic politics. These results add more insight into not only press–state relations, but also the complex system of global politics.
Intranasal oxytocin in eighteen hundred patients. A study on its safety as used in a community hospital.

Abstract Of 9,557 deliveries, 1,806 patients received intranasal oxytocin. Thirteen hundred and fifty-seven, or 75 per cent, received it for elective stimulation of labor. Four hundred forty-nine, or 25 per cent, received it for induction of labor. There was a total success rate of induction of 88 per cent. There was an over-all cesarean rate of 1.5 per cent, and there were no major maternal complications. There were 11 cervical lacerations, no ruptured uteri, and one inversion of the uterus. There was a total of 6 depressed infants, one of whom required prolonged hospitalization. There were 2 fetal deaths which could indirectly be related to the use of intranasal oxytocin.
A Comparison of the Different Measures of Error Rates in Discriminant Analysis using Small Samples

The present study discusses different measures of error rates, a measure of practical significance, in discriminant analysis. The error rates obtained by different measures is compared using sales force data. A new statistic, R, is provided for comparing error rates directly with R2. The main finding was that the leaving-one-out method provided the best measure of error rate.
Alienation: the Loss of the Sacred

Ours is an age of scientifically based technology. Most Westerners consume 20, 30 or even 40 times more energy and resources than any earlier human society. We live in luxury once reserved for kings. We live long lives, mostly free from physical pain. Most of us are never hungry except when on a self-inflicted diet. We are seldom too cold or too hot; we do not have to do much hard physical work. We have amusement at the touch of our finger-tips. We are, quite literally, immersed in the wonders of technology — yet we are increasingly less satisfied.
Sallust and Corruption

Gaius Sallustius Crispus wrote a simpler, easier Latin than Tacitus, but his themes were much the same, and Tacitus considered him Rome’s ‘most brilliant’ historian.1 Sallust became the most popular Roman historian of the Middle Ages,2 and he remained in the grammar-school curriculum throughout the Western world, which would have made him familiar to most educated Americans.3 John Adams echoed Tacitus in 1781, calling Sallust ‘one of the most polished and perfect of the Roman Historians, every Period of whom, and I had almost said every Syllable and every Letter is worth Studying’.4 Even so, ‘the splendid authority of Sallust’ took place behind Cicero and Tacitus in Adams’s Defence, 5 and this reflected his relative popularity among American revolutionaries generally6
Patients' Comorbidities and Overall Survival in Primary Myelofibrosis (PMF)

Abstract 5164 Background: Cancer patients often experience comorbidities that may affect their therapeutic options, outcome of therapy, and their prognosis. However, none of the prognostic scoring systems for PMF account for an impact, if any, of patients9 comorbidities on their prognosis. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of comorbidities on the survival of patients (pts) with PMF. Methods: We reviewed the medical records of 349 consecutive PMF pts who presented to our institution from 2000 to 2008. The Adult Comorbidity Evaluation-27 (ACE-27) form, a validated 27-item comorbidity index for cancer pts, was used to assess the severity of comorbid conditions in these patients at the time of presentation. Data on demographic characteristics including age, performance status (PS), complete blood profile, karyotype, International Prognostic Scoring System (IPSS), stem cell transplant (SCT) and outcomes (leukemic transformation and survival) was also collected. Kaplan-Meier method and log-rank test were used to assess survival. Multivariate analysis was performed using the Cox Proportional Hazards Model. Results: Of the 349 pts included in this study, 222 (64%) were male and 311 (89%) were white; median age at presentation was 62 years (20–82); median duration of follow-up was 37 months (range 0 – 133). The ACE-27 comorbidity scores were as follows: none, 125 pts (36%); mild, 128 (37%); moderate, 63 (18%); and severe, 33 (9%). Hypertension was the most common comorbidity (31%) followed by diabetes mellitus (14%) and prior solid tumor (11%). Of the 238 pts assessed for JAK2 mutation status, 141 (59%) showed the mutation. One hundred and ninety-three (55%) patients died, 41 (12%) suffered leukemic transformation and 27 (8%) patients underwent SCT. Overall median survival using the Kaplan-Meier method was 39 months. Median survival according to ACE-27 scores was: 52, 38, 36 and 28 months for none, mild, moderate and severe comorbidity scores, respectively (p=0.028). In addition to comorbidities, age >=65 years, male gender, increased performance status (PS) based on the Zubrod Scale, white cell count >25K, platelets =65 years), PS of >=2, platelet Conclusion: Comorbidities in general are known to impact survival in cancer pts. However, our study failed to show comorbidities to independently effect survival in pts with PMF. Factors like advanced age and poor PS (>=2) were noted to be better predictors of survival. Current prognostic scoring systems however do not include PS as part of risk assessment. Newer prognostic models incorporating PS should be developed to determine survival in pts with PMF. Disclosures: No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.
Healing Pains of the Past Using Neuronal Transplantation.

Yang et al. (2016) show that transplantation of GABAergic inhibitory neurons into the amygdala boosts the persistence of fear extinction in mice. Transplantation was found to degrade perineuronal nets on endogenous inhibitory neurons and enhance synaptic plasticity in host amygdala.
Visual acuity testability in African-American and Hispanic children: the multi-ethnic pediatric eye disease study.

Purpose To compare the age- and gender-specific testability rates for the Amblyopia Treatment Study (ATS) HOTV visual acuity testing protocol using the electronic visual acuity (EVA) tester in African-American and Hispanic preschool children. Design Population-based, cross-sectional study. Methods Measurement of presenting monocular distance visual acuity using the ATS HOTV protocol was attempted in all African-American and Hispanic children aged 30 to 72 months from the population-based Multi-Ethnic Pediatric Eye Disease Study (MEPEDS). Children able to be tested monocularly in both eyes were considered able. Age-, gender-, and ethnicity-specific testability rates were calculated. Comparisons of testability among different groups were performed using Chi-square analyses and the Cochran trend test. Results Testing was attempted on 3,126 children (1,471 African-American, 1,655 Hispanic; 50% female). Overall, 84% (83% African-American, 85% Hispanic; 86% female, 82% male) were testable. Older children were more likely to complete testing successfully than younger children ( P P = .12). Girls (86%) were slightly more likely to be testable than boys (82%; P > .003). Conclusions Monocular threshold visual acuity testing using the ATS HOTV protocol on the EVA tester (Jaeb Center for Health Research, Tampa, Florida, USA) can be completed by most African-American and Hispanic preschool children, particularly those older than 36 months of age. This protocol therefore may be used in minority preschool children as an integral part of the diagnosis and management of amblyopia and other forms of visual impairment.
Case report: Muscle adaptation by serial sarcomere addition 1 year after femoral lengthening

A common complication of reconstructive surgery is muscle contracture and consequent loss of joint motion. This particularly occurs in surgical lengthening procedures where the muscle adaptive capacity seems to limit the extent of possible lengthening. We used intraoperative laser diffraction to det
Coarse Particulate Organic Matter: Storage, Transport, and Retention

Coarse particulate organic matter, or CPOM, is a basal energy and nutrient resource in many stream ecosystems and is provided by inputs from the riparian zone, incoming tributaries, and to a lesser extent from in-stream production. The ability of a stream to retain CPOM or slow its transport is critical to its consumption and assimilation by stream biota. In this chapter, we describe basic exercises to measure (1) the amount of CPOM in the streambed and (2) the retention of CPOM from standardized particle releases. We further describe advanced exercises that (1) experimentally enhance the retentiveness of a stream reach and (2) measure organic carbon transport and turnover (i.e., spiraling) in the channel.
Data that empower: The success and promise of CF patient registries

In this article, we describe existing CF registries with a focus on US registry data collected through the CF Foundation Patient Registry (CFFPR) and the Epidemiologic Study of CF (ESCF); highlight what registries have taught us regarding epidemiology of CF; showcase the impact of registries on research and clinical care; and discuss future directions. This manuscript complements the plenary address given by Dr Wayne Morgan at the 2016 North American CF Conference by summarizing the key points from the presentation and providing additional detail and information.
Low loss delay lines based on suspended thin film of X-cut lithium niobate

Analog signal processing techniques based on surface acoustic wave (SAW) devices have been commercialized in the past 50 years. Delay lines [1] and resonators [2] have been implemented for a wide range of applications [3]. The use of small scale resonators has boomed because of the continuous growth of the cell phone business, whereas components such as delay lines have been relegated to smaller markets such as base stations. Emerging applications related to the Internet of Things have brought up the need for extremely low power and high speed signal processors. The maximum electromechanical coupling (k t 2) of surface acoustics waves in lithium niobate (LiNbO 3 , dubbed LN) is 5.6 % [4]. Lamb waves resonators fabricated on suspended thin films of LN have demonstrated a k t 2 around 30 % [5]. Taking advantage of such high k t 2 to build delay lines is extremely beneficiary. However, due to the nature of Lamb waves, which require suspended plates, achieving long delays poses an important fabrication challenge. We overcome this technological challenge in this work.
High-Performance CuInS2 Quantum Dot Laminated Glass Luminescent Solar Concentrators for Windows

Building-integrated sunlight harvesting utilizing laminated glass luminescent solar concentrators (LSCs) is proposed. By incorporating high quantum yield (>90%), NIR-emitting CuInS2/ZnS quantum dots into the polymer interlayer between two sheets of low-iron float glass, a record optical efficiency of 8.1% is demonstrated for a 10 cm × 10 cm device that transmits ∼44% visible light. After completing prototypes by attaching silicon solar cells along the perimeter of the device, the electrical power conversion efficiency was certified at 2.2% with a black background and at 2.9% using a reflective substrate. This “drop-in” LSC solution is particularly attractive because it fits within the existing glazing industry value chain with only modest changes to typical glazing products. Performance modeling predicts >1 GWh annual electricity production for a typical urban skyscraper in most major U.S. cities, enabling significant energy cost savings and potentially “net-zero” buildings.
Conservative Feminists? An Exploration of Feminist Arguments in Parliamentary Debates of the Bundestag1

Past studies have shown that conservative governments and parties are unlikely places for women’s representation, especially for feminist policy adoption. Contrary to existing studies, this article argues that conservative governments can be places for feminist interests’ representation. To demonstrate this, I analyse the parliamentary discourse surrounding two instances of feminist policy adoption under Germany’s conservative government in 2006 and 2015, respectively. I find that in both instances, feminist arguments dominated the debates and, most importantly, that these findings still hold when controlling for party ideology.
High density epitaxial unwanted growth and its effect on planarization in FINFET process

While epitaxial growth enhances carrier mobility of PMOS devices, it introduces an unwanted growth (UG) defect which is an artifact of Silicon Germanium (SiGe) component that becomes a yield detractor in high volume manufacturing. This paper describes the effect of high density UG defect on downstream CMP processes, detection methods using both defect scan and in-situ metrology. Use of high resolution defect scans and high throughput inline metrology was the key to detection of non-conforming material.
Recent Studies on Complexes of Oxovanadium(IV)

Our original interest in complexes of transition metal oxocations was aroused by the idea that a central molecule-ion would provide special means for studying coordination compounds, beyond those generally available for examining complexes of central atom-ions. This presumes that the oxocation metal-oxygen bond is terminal (i.e., not bridging) and of such strength (bond order higher than 1.5) that it will persist from one complex to another. There are over 50 such transition metal oxocations,1,2 but only a few have received extensive investigation; these are UO 2 2+ , VO2+, MoO3+, and ReO3+. Somewhat less thoroughly studied, but nevertheless common species, are OsO 2 2+ , ReO 2 + , NbO3+, MoO 2 2+ , and WO3+. Our own oxocation research has dealt very extensively with VO2+ complexes and to a much lesser extent with UO 2 2+ , UO 2 + , MoO3+, and CrO3+. Our efforts to isolate compounds of such often-reported species as UO2+, ZrO2+, and TiO2+ have met with only very limited success and we have concluded from both our own and the work of others that these oxocations will only exist under very unusual circumstances. Therefore, they do not meet our interest criterion of persistence from complex to complex. The purpose of this paper will be to report and summarize some of our most recent findings concerning complexes of VO2+, a unique and probably the most stable and persistent diatomic molecule-ion.
Characterizing Watershed and Landscape Management

For several decades, watershed simulation modeling has been an important tool in the domain of scientists. Locally led watershed management approaches require that local citizens and watershed managers become familiar with these tools. How has locally led watershed management developed recently? This chapter takes a brief look at the emergence of locally led watershed management and then looks at current roles of watershed management committees and the watershed management plans they create.
OIV-A-4

BACKGROUND In a warfarin interaction study, Asian Indian and Chinese subjects received racaemic warfarin to establish baseline pharmacokinetics (PK) and anticoagulation. Previous data have suggested ethnic differences in INR response to warfarin, thus INR and PK were compared post-hoc. METHODS 8 Asian Indians (31±7 yrs, 70±10 kg) and 8 Chinese (28±3 yrs, 70±7 kg) healthy male subjects initially received a 25mg oral dose of warfarin, with serial sampling for R- and S-warfarin plasma concentrations and INR for up to 144 hr post dose. Subjects were genotyped for CYP2C9. RESULTS All Chinese subjects were wild-type homozygous for CYP2C9, whilst 3 Indians subjects were heterozygous for *2 or *3. Overall, there were no significant differences between Indian and Chinese subjects for R- or S-warfarin PK (Table 1). Baseline Vitamin K1 levels (Table 1) were also similar. Chinese subjects, however, were found to be more sensitive to warfarin anticoagulant effect, with higher INRAUC and INRmax (Table 1). The 3 CYP2C9 heterozygotes appeared to have higher S-warfarin exposures as compared to wild-type subjects. Table 1. Comparison of Baseline Vit K, PK and INR between Indians and Chinese after 25mg warfarin Indians Chinese Ratio 90% C.I. R-Warfarin Cmax (ng/ml) 1292 1280 1.01 (0.91–1.11) R-Warfarin AUC(0-inf) (ng.h/mL) 106224 95099 1.12 (0.98–1.28) S-Warfarin Cmax (ng/ml) 1247 1256 0.99 (0.90–1.10) S-Warfarin AUC(0-inf) (ng.h/mL) 52328 46894 1.12 (0.86–1.44) INRmax 1.64 2.26 0.72 (0.64–0.83) INRAUC 185 227 0.81 (0.74–0.90) Baseline Vitamin K1 (nmol/L) 0.74 0.62 1.20 (0.38–3.83) CONCLUSIONS Despite similar PK profiles and baseline Vitamin K1 levels, Chinese subjects appeared more sensitive to the anticoagulant effect of warfarin. This does not appear to be related to differences in drug metabolism. Clinical Pharmacology & Therapeutics (2005) 79, P32–P32; doi: 10.1016/j.clpt.2005.12.117
Passive Quench Arrest by a Chimney Induced Deluge at Every Quench Front

A growing quench stops itself spontaneously within a fraction of one winding turn of the magnet described here, because vapor in quench-heated channels generates a progressively increasing downflow of liquid in advance of each of the quench fronts. Since the downflow increases as the quench grows, it eventually becomes a deluge whose mass flux is large enough to stop further quench propagation, in most of the geometries examined theoretically. In one comparison with a fortuitous experiment done in collaboration with S. Wipf, reasonable agreement with the theory is obtained when film boiling is considered.
FIRE HISTORY OF AN OLD-GROWTH PONDEROSA PINE STAND IN THE SHEEP RANGE, DESERT NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE, NEVADA, USA

ABSTRACT Southwestern ponderosa pine forests have experienced reduced fire frequency since Euro-American settlement generally because of successful fire suppression policies. We report here on the ...
Coupled Electron- and Phase-Transfer Reactions at a Three-Phase Interface.

Coupled electron- and phase-transfer reactions are fundamentally important in electrochemical energy conversion and storage, e.g., intercalation of Li+ in batteries and electrochemistry at the thre...
Encoding robotic sensor states for Q-learning using the self-organizing map

The self-organizing map (SOM) [1] reduces a large input space to a fixed-size output space. It is trained by means of an unsupervised learning algorithm. One application of the SOM is to transform a set of robot sensor readings into a state space suitable as the input for the reinforcement learning algorithm Q-learning [5]. We have implemented two different formulations of this concept [2][3] using the Lego Mindstorms NXT robot [8], a robot commonly used in undergraduate computer science courses. We compared the performance of our implementations against a traditional Q-learning implementation. We found that the number and type of sensors encoded by the SOM has a significant impact on the quality of the behavior the robot learns.
RNA markers for ultra-rapid molecular antimicrobial susceptibility testing in fluoroquinolone-treated Klebsiella pneumoniae

Objectives Traditional antimicrobial susceptibility testing (AST) is growth dependent and time-consuming. With rising rates of drug-resistant infections, a novel diagnostic method is critically needed that can rapidly reveal a pathogen's antimicrobial susceptibility to guide appropriate treatment. Recently, RNA sequencing has been identified as a powerful diagnostic tool to explore transcriptional gene expression and improve AST. Methods RNA sequencing was used to investigate the potential of RNA markers for rapid molecular AST using Klebsiella pneumoniae and ciprofloxacin as a model. Downstream bioinformatic analysis was applied for optimal marker selection. Further validation on 11 more isolates of K. pneumoniae was performed using quantitative real-time PCR. Results From RNA sequencing, we identified RNA signatures that were induced or suppressed following exposure to ciprofloxacin. Significant shifts at the transcript level were observed as early as 10 min after antibiotic exposure. Lastly, we confirmed marker expression profiles with concordant MIC results from traditional culture-based AST and validated across 11 K. pneumoniae isolates. recA, coaA and metN transcripts harbour the most sensitive susceptibility information and were selected as our top markers. Conclusions Our results suggest that RNA signature is a promising approach to AST development, resulting in faster clinical diagnosis and treatment of infectious disease. This approach is potentially applicable in other models including other pathogens exposed to different classes of antibiotics.
Telemedicine for Medication Abortion: The Time Is Now

This review will provide an overview of the current restrictions to medication abortion in the USA, strategies for incorporating telemedicine into medical abortion care, and new evidence on the efficacy and safety of telemedicine as a means to provide medication abortions. Newly published data from the TelAbortion study, the first direct-to-patient medication abortion service in the USA, shows that it is as safe, successful, and acceptable to patients as previous international data on similar care delivery systems. Other groups have continued to build upon the existing body of literature supporting the safety of telemedicine-facilitated medication abortion in other countries. All recent studies continue to support telemedicine as a desired method to increase abortion access in a variety of geographical settings. Medication abortion is a safe and common method to end unwanted pregnancy but is often inaccessible to patients remote from an abortion clinic. Telemedicine can be safely utilized for counseling, provision, and follow-up of medication abortion. However, its implementation is limited in the USA due to restrictive, medically unnecessary prescribing laws. Research indicates that telemedicine-based medication abortions have similar rates of completion as in-person medication abortions, with equivalent complication rates. Patients choose telemedicine for medication abortion for a variety of reasons, including privacy, accessibility, and personal preference, but generally report high rates of satisfaction with the method. These data argue for the expansion of telemedicine for medication abortion, expanding the availability of safe abortion with fewer logistical burdens to patients seeking care.
Reimagining theologies of marriage in contexts of domestic violence: when salvation is survival: by Rachel Starr, New York, NY: Routledge, 2018, $155 (hardback), ISBN 9781472472533

While there is no shortage of academic attempts to reimagine theology within contexts of domestic violence, Rachel Starr’s book Reimagining Theologies of Marriage in Contexts of Domestic Violence: ...
Metal-ligand cooperativity in the soluble hydrogenase-1 from Pyrococcus furiosus.

Metal–ligand cooperativity is an essential feature of bioinorganic catalysis. The design principles of such cooperativity in metalloenzymes are underexplored, but are critical to understand for developing efficient catalysts designed with earth abundant metals for small molecule activation. The simple substrate requirements of reversible proton reduction by the [NiFe]-hydrogenases make them a model bioinorganic system. A highly conserved arginine residue (R355) directly above the exogenous ligand binding position of the [NiFe]-catalytic core is known to be essential for optimal function because mutation to a lysine results in lower catalytic rates. To expand on our studies of soluble hydrogenase-1 from Pyrococcus furiosus (Pf SH1), we investigated the role of R355 by site-directed-mutagenesis to a lysine (R355K) using infrared and electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopic probes sensitive to active site redox and protonation events. It was found the mutation resulted in an altered ligand binding environment at the [NiFe] centre. A key observation was destabilization of the Nia3+–C state, which contains a bridging hydride. Instead, the tautomeric Nia+–L states were observed. Overall, the results provided insight into complex metal–ligand cooperativity between the active site and protein scaffold that modulates the bridging hydride stability and the proton inventory, which should prove valuable to design principles for efficient bioinspired catalysts.
Cervical spine manifestations of rheumatoid arthritis: a review

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a progressive autoimmune inflammatory disease affecting 1% of the population with three times as many women as men. As many as 86% of patients suffering from RA have cervical spine involvement. Synovial inflammation in the cervical spine causes instability and injuries including atlantoaxial subluxation, retroodontoid pannus formation, cranial settling, and subaxial subluxation. While many patients with cervical spine involvement are asymptomatic, symptomatic patients often present with nonspecific symptoms resulting from inflammation and additional secondary symptoms that are due to compression of the brainstem, cranial nerves, vertebral artery, and spinal cord. Radiographs are the imaging modality used most often, while MRI and CT are used for assessment of neural element involvement and surgical planning. Multiple classification systems exist. Early diagnosis and treatment of cervical spine involvement is critical. Surgical management is indicated when patients experience symptoms from cervical involvement that result in biomechanical instability and, or a neurological deficit. Atlantoaxial instability managed with atlantoaxial fusion, retroodontoid pannus with neural element compression is managed with posterior decompression and atlantoaxial fusion or occipitocervical fusion. Cranial settling is managed can be managed with anterior decompression and posterior fusion or with dorsal only approaches. Subaxial subluxation is managed with circumferential fusion or posterior only decompression and fusion. Patients with atlantoaxial instability have better functional and neurologic outcomes. RA patients have higher complication rates and more frequent need for revision surgery than the general population of spine surgery patients.
Machine learning in protein structure prediction.

Abstract Prediction of protein structure from sequence has been intensely studied for many decades, owing to the problem's importance and its uniquely well-defined physical and computational bases. While progress has historically ebbed and flowed, the past two years saw dramatic advances driven by the increasing “neuralization” of structure prediction pipelines, whereby computations previously based on energy models and sampling procedures are replaced by neural networks. The extraction of physical contacts from the evolutionary record; the distillation of sequence–structure patterns from known structures; the incorporation of templates from homologs in the Protein Databank; and the refinement of coarsely predicted structures into finely resolved ones have all been reformulated using neural networks. Cumulatively, this transformation has resulted in algorithms that can now predict single protein domains with a median accuracy of 2.1 A, setting the stage for a foundational reconfiguration of the role of biomolecular modeling within the life sciences.
NK cells and oncolytic viruses in cancer therapy

Abstract NK cell and oncolytic virus-based therapies have each shown effectiveness in preclinical and clinical studies. Each of these therapies has multiple complex interactions with the host immune system. Recently, data are emerging that oncolytic viruses and NK cells have interacting biologic effects. Further, host NK cells have been shown to be effectors in oncolytic viral efficacy. This chapter reviews the current data available on the combination of NK cell therapy and oncolytic viral therapy and discusses additional potential future applications.
Introduction to Computer Network Vulnerabilities

System vulnerabilities are weaknesses in the software or hardware on a server or a client that can be exploited by a determined intruder to gain access to or shut down a network. Donald Pipkin defines system vulnerability as a condition, a weakness of or an absence of security procedure, or technical, physical, or other controls that could be exploited by a threat (Pipkin D, Information security: protecting the global enterprise. Prentice Hall PTR, Upper Saddle River, 2000).
Boticinogeny and Actions of the Bacteriocin

The bacteriocin, boticin E, was produced by only a few strains of those clostridia which are nontoxigenic but otherwise identical to Clostridium botulinum type E. Boticin preparations from four different strains had identical spectra against indicator cultures. Experiments with bacterial lawns showed boticin to be sporostatic for all tested nonproteolytic C. botulinum (types B, E, and F) and nontoxigenic type E-related strains which included the producing strains as well as those different from type E in the fermentation of one to three carbohydrates. Boticin had no detectable effect on vegetative cells of boticinogenic strains but killed those of all other strains whose spores were sensitive. Cultures that were growing in an agar medium were more sensitive to the bacteriocin than those growing in broth. Vegetative cells of indicator strains adsorbed boticin, but cells of a boticin-resistant mutant did not. Boticin did not lyse suspensions of vegetative cells which had been killed previously by exposure to air but lysed actively growing protoplasts and L-forms of a strain whose normal vegetative cells are susceptible to lysis. Sporostasis resulted from inhibition of germination rather than of outgrowth. Proteolytic strains of C. botulinum (types A, B, and F) were resistant to boticin E.
Effects of Radiation Exposure From Cardiac Imaging: How Good Are the Data?

Concerns about medical exposure to ionizing radiation have become heightened in recent years as a result of rapid growth in procedure volumes and the high radiation doses incurred from some procedures. This paper summarizes the evidence base undergirding concerns about radiation exposure in cardiac imaging. After classifying radiation effects, explaining terminology used to quantify the radiation received by patients, and describing typical doses from cardiac imaging procedures, this paper will address the major epidemiological studies having bearing on radiation effects at doses comparable to those received by patients undergoing cardiac imaging. These include studies of atomic bomb survivors, nuclear industry workers, and children exposed in utero to x-rays, all of which have evidenced increased cancer risks at low doses. Additional higher-dose epidemiological studies of cohorts exposed to radiation in the context of medical treatment are described and found to be generally compatible with these cardiac dose–level studies, albeit with exceptions. Using risk projection models developed by the U.S. National Academies that incorporate these data and reflect several evidence-based assumptions, cancer risk from cardiac imaging can be estimated and compared with the benefits from imaging. Several ongoing epidemiological studies will provide better understanding of radiation-associated cancer risks.
Academically talented children: the case for early identification and nurturance.

Almost without exception, experts in the field of education of the intellectually gifted agree that early identification of such talented students is important. There is a good deal of evidence to show that many gifted students who are not identified and whose needs are not met adequately at an early age become frustrated and disillusioned with school, falling into a pattern of low achievement and/or behavioral problems.1,2 At the very least, we know that if educational intervention does not take place at an early age, the child is missing out on valuable years of exciting learning. Interest in learning may diminish and important study skills may not develop because the child is never challenged to think and work hard.
An empirical examination of service-oriented organizational citizenship behavior: The roles of justice perceptions and manifest needs

Purpose – The purpose of this study is twofold. First, we explore the relationship between organizational justice and service-oriented organizational citizenship behavior (SOCB). In particular, we focus on perceived distributive and procedural justice. Second, we examine the moderating effect of the need for achievement and need for affiliation. Design/methodology/approach – The paper employed an online cross-sectional survey approach and distributed questionnaires to service employees at a large service organization. Data were analyzed with a two-step structural equation modeling technique using LISREL 8.7. Findings – Perceived procedural justice significantly predicts SOCB. Additionally, the need for affiliation positively moderates the relationship between perceived procedural justice and SOCB, whereas the need for achievement positively moderates the relationship between perceived distributive justice and SOCB. Practical implications – Results confirm the importance of establishing and implementing tr...
Monetary Factors in the Long-Run Co-movement of Consumer and Commodity Prices

This paper estimates a structural VAR model of U.S. consumer and world commodity prices. An equiproportional long-run response of nominal price levels to amonetary shock yields identifying restrictions. Exogenous innovations to monetary policy account for a sizable share of the co-movement of these series, including during episodes more commonly attributed to “supply shocks.”
The Influence of Public Commitment on the Attitude Change Process: The Effects of Attitude Certainty, PFC and SNI

This research investigates the effect of public commitment on resistance to persuasion, and examines the influence of attitude certainty, susceptibility to normative influence (SNI) and preference for consistency (PFC) on resistance to attitude change when subjects make a public commitment to their attitude. In two studies the initial attitude of subjects are measured along with their attitude certainty, SNI and PFC. Change in attitude is measured after exposure to counter attitudinal information. Confirming our hypotheses, we find that subjects who make a commitment in public become more confident in their evaluations, leading to more resistance to attitude change. We are also able to confirm that the dispositional variables SNI and PFC increase resistance to persuasion under conditions of public commitment. This paper extends the research done on resistance to persuasion under conditions of public commitment by studying the influence of two dispositional variables and two mediating variables.
Metal Deposits Related to Advanced Stages of Rifting

The variability in styles of rifting makes generalization of the more advanced stages of rifting a hazardous exercise. Nevertheless, broad patterns can be recognized. If the rifting is destined to result in creation of a new ocean basin, it will at a certain point produce a narrow seaway similar to that of the present Red Sea (Martinez and Cochran 1988). Other rifts that fail may only do so after they have evolved from an early stage of subaerial and very shallow-marine deposition to deep, starved basin-type environments. Still others may receive sufficient supplies of sediment to build up great thicknesses of sedimentary rocks (< 10 km) without acquiring deep-marine environments.
Preoperative statin administration does not protect against early postoperative acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS): A retrospective cohort study

Background: Postoperative ARDS has mortality exceeding 45% in certain surgical populations. Statins have been shown to possess immunomodulatory and anti-inflammatory effects. The objective of this study was to determine if preoperative statin therapy is associated with a reduced frequency of postoperative ARDS in targeted surgical populations at increased risk of developing ARDS. Methods: A retrospective cohort evaluation of the association between preoperative statin therapy and postoperative ARDS was performed. The study population included consecutive patients undergoing elective high-risk thoracic and aortic vascular surgery. The association between preoperative statins and postoperative ARDS was first assessed with univariate analyses. To control for confounding factors a propensity-adjusted multivariate logistic regression analysis was then performed. Results: Out of 1845 surgical patients, 722 were receiving perioperative statin therapy. 120 patients developed ARDS. The frequency of ARDS among those who were receiving statin therapy versus those who were not was 7.2% vs. 6.1% (OR = 1.20, 95% CI = 0.83 – 1.75; p = 0.33). After adjusting for the propensity to receive statin therapy as well as other confounding variables, statins were not associated with a reduced frequency of ARDS (OR 1.02, 95% CI = 0.65 – 1.62; p = 0.93). Conclusions: In patients undergoing high-risk thoracic and aortic vascular surgery, preoperative statin therapy was not associated with a reduction in early postoperative ARDS. These results do not support the use of statins as an ARDS preventative measure in patients undergoing high-risk surgery.
Chromium as an adhesion promoter/diffusion barrier for Cu on parylene

The low dielectric constant of parylene-n (PA-n) and high conductivity of Cu can provide a low RC time constant interconnection scheme. Vapor deposited PA-n and Partially Ionized Beam (PIB) deposited Cu have been employed for this study. Both Cu and Cr formed plasmas during the PIB deposition. The diffusion of Cu in low concentrations into PA-n at temperatures higher than 350 degrees C has been previously observed. Another problem with high temperature anneals (>300 degrees C) in the Cu/PA-n system is the gradual loss of adhesion. Here, chromium has been demonstrated as a diffusion barrier and adhesion promoter. Previous studies of different systems have used Cr with mixed success as a diffusion barrier. Thus, it is essential to determine its efficiency in the specific Cu/Cr/PA-n system. In this system, thin Cr layers, 1000-100 AA, served as a good barrier and adhesion promoter up to the tested temperature of 350 degrees C. These thin layers are essential to minimize the resistive contribution due to skin effect at high frequencies. >
Strategies of eye-head coordination.

Publisher Summary This chapter compares two modes of eye-head coordination: those eye-head movements following the appearance of an unexpected and stationary target in space and the coordination of the eyes with head observed during smooth tracking in monkeys. It was found that the vestibular apparatus not only plays a crucial role in both strategies, but also both strategies depend on a “signal” delivered in parallel and approximately simultaneously to both eye and head motor systems. These similarities indicate that the two strategies have a common structural organization. But while in the visually triggered mode, eye and head movements depend critically on the retinal error signal, during smooth pursuit the coordination depends on a central representation of target motion in space. These different commands for triggered and smooth pursuit are presumably produced by different calculations and perhaps are produced in different central nervous system regions.
Meta-analysis: factors predicting post-operative recurrence with placebo therapy in patients with Crohn's disease.

Summary Background The use of placebo in randomized clinical trials (PC-RCTs) is often required to evaluate drug efficacy in maintenance of Crohn’s disease (CD). Aim To determine pooled estimates of placebo rates of maintaining clinical remission and endoscopic recurrence following surgery for CD and identify factors that influenced placebo outcomes. Methods We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis of PC-RCTs evaluating post-operative maintenance therapies for CD identified from MEDLINE from 1966 to 2005. Results Twelve studies met our inclusion criteria. The pooled placebo rate of maintaining clinical remission was 56% (95% CI 47–64%; range 34–89%) during a median follow-up of 52 weeks (range 12–156 weeks), but significant heterogeneity existed among the studies (P < 0.001). Prior steroid therapy was the only factor found to be associated with maintaining remission (P = 0.04). The pooled placebo endoscopic recurrence rate was 58% (95% CI 51–65%; range 36–80%) during a median follow-up of 52 weeks (range 12–156 weeks), with significant heterogeneity noted (P = 0.0003). Prior surgery, concomitant small bowel and colonic disease, fistulizing phenotype, or prior immunomodulator therapy influenced endoscopic recurrence (P < 0.05). Conclusion Placebo rates in PC-RCTs evaluating post-operative clinical and endoscopic recurrence demonstrate significant variability, which is influenced by specific study characteristics.
A new phase in hydrogen-charged Ti48Al2Cr2Nb

In recent years {gamma}-TiAl has emerged as a promising structural intermetallic system, primarily because of its low density, high strength and stiffness and its demonstrated ability to tolerate component manufacturing processes and the dynamic loads encountered during turbine engine operation. Because of the possibility of future hydrogen-fueled aircraft, the response of these materials in environments containing hydrogen is of interest. Although there have been a number of studies focusing on the behavior of hydrogen-charged {gamma} or {gamma}-{alpha}{sub 2} TiAl-base alloys, no consistent observations have emerged regarding hydride formation in these systems. In this present communication the authors report on a new phase observed in Ti-48Al-2Cr-2Nb following high pressure hydrogen charging at 800 C, and highlight the similarities between the observed phase and hydrides reported for other TiAl alloys subjected to high pressure gas phase hydrogen charging at elevated temperatures.
Chemically disordered Ni3Al synthesized by high vacuum evaporation

Films of chemically disordered fcc Ni3Al were synthesized by the vacuum evaporation of Ni3Al onto room temperature and liquid nitrogen temperature substrates. X-ray diffractometry and transmission electron microscopy showed the material to be single phase with an average grain size of about 4 nm. The formation of the equilibrium L12 ordered phase occurred simultaneously with grain growth at temperatures above 350°C. Differential scanning calorimetry provided ordering enthalpies of 7 kJ/mole and 9 kJ/mole for material evaporated onto room temperature and liquid nitrogen temperature substrates, respectively.
Micromechanics characterization of sublaminate damage

A micromechanics analytical model is developed for characterizing the fracture behaviour of a fibre reinforced composite laminate containing a transverse matrix crack and longitudinal debonding along 0/90 interface. Both the matrix and the fibres are considered as linear elastic. A consistent shear lag theory is used to represent the stress-displacement relations. The governing equations, a set of differential-difference equations, are solved satisfying the boundary conditions appropriate to the damage configuration by making use of an eigenvalue technique. The properties of the constituents appear in the model explicitly. Displacements and stresses in the fibres and the matrix are obtained, and the growth of damage is investigated by using the point stress criterion. The investigation includes fibre stress distribution in zero degree plies, transverse crack and debonding intitiation as functions of laminate geometry, and the effect of fibre breaks in the zero degree ply on damage growth. The predicted damage growth patterns and the corresponding critical strains agree with the finite element and experimental results.
Test–retest reliability of the Extended Complex Figure Test—Motor Independent administration (ECFT-MI)

The Extended Complex Figure Test (ECFT; Fastenau, 1996b, 2003a), adds recognition and matching trials to the Rey-Osterrieth Complex Figure Test (ROCFT). An alternate administration of the ECFT, the ECFT-Motor Independent version (ECFT-MI; Fastenau, 2003a) measures visuospatial memory without the motoric demands of the ROCFT. ECFT-MI test-retest reliabilities were examined in 55 healthy adults tested two times separated by one week. The Recognition Trial showed strong reliability for the Total Score (r = .80, p < .0001). Reliabilities for Recognition Detail Scale and Subscales (r = .62-.74, p < .0001) and for the Global Scale (r = .51, p < or = .005) were attenuated by fewer items per subscale but were comparable to other memory tests. Matching Trial reliability coefficients were attenuated by extreme ceiling effects and restriction of range, but scores were very consistent between the two administrations. This study supports the temporal stability of the ECFT-MI.
Stability of the traction boundary value problem in linear elastodynamics

Abstract It is shown that, provided certain rigid body motions are excluded, a positive definite strain energy is sufficient for the Liapounov stability of the solution to the title problem.
Hybrid solar cells from P3HT and silicon nanocrystals.

We are reporting new hybrid solar cells based on blends of silicon nanocrystals (Si NCs) and poly-3(hexylthiophene) (P3HT) polymer in which a percolating network of the nanocrystals acts as the electron-conducting phase. The properties of composite Si NCs/P3HT devices made by spin-coating Si NCs and P3HT from a common solvent were studied as a function of Si NC size and Si NC/P3HT ratio. The open-circuit voltage and short-circuit current are observed to depend on the Si NC size due to changes in the bandgap and surface-area-to-volume ratio. Under simulated one-sun A.M. 1.5 direct illumination (100 mW/cm2), devices made with 35 wt % Si NCs 3−5 nm in size showed 1.15% power conversion efficiency.
Applying Broom's role scales to Thai public relations practitioners

Abstract This ankle used Broom's role scales to examine roles behaviors of Thai public relations practitioners to see if they perceive their roles similarly to their American counterparts. Four factors and one isolate emerged from the factor analysis: manager, communication liason, media relation specialist, graphic technician, and editor. Overall, Broom's role scales appear to have a cross-cultural application, at least with the Thai sample. The manager and communication liaison factors found in this study were consistent with the findings in a series of role studies conducted by Broom and Dozier.
Mechanisms of epithelial wound detection

Efficient wound healing requires the coordinated responses of various cell types within an injured tissue. To react to the presence of a wound, cells have to first detect it. Judging from their initial biochemical and morphological responses, many cells including leukocytes, epithelial cells, and endothelial cells detect wounds from over hundreds of micrometers within seconds-to-minutes. Wound detection involves the conversion of an injury-induced homeostatic perturbation, such as cell lysis, an unconstrained epithelial edge, or permeability barrier breakdown, into a chemical or physical signal. The signal is spatially propagated through the tissue to synchronize protective responses of cells near the wound site and at a distance. This review summarizes the triggers and mechanisms of wound detection in animals.