cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Ballis's Benchmark (A)

In this case series, Margaret Ballis, a soon-to-be Darden School of Business graduate, is about to begin her dream job at a leading investment management firm. On her way to becoming a fund manager, she cannot help wondering about her future success. Ballis is trying to assess her ability to consistently outperform the stock market; she questions whether it is even possible to achieve persistent performance as a fund manager. Using data downloaded from Morningstar, Inc., on 2,852 mutual funds, students are prompted to investigate whether funds that beat the S&P 500 Index benchmark during a five-year period are more likely to beat the Index over the next five-year period. Students are asked to take a closer look at the “hot hand” phenomenon by investigating investors' reactions to streaks of outperformance and examining whether funds that outperformed their peers several years in a row also outgrow their peers in terms of size.The A case (UVA-F-1621) can be used to support an introductory class in data analysis with an emphasis on PivotTables, data filtering, and regressions. The B case (UVA-F-1622) can be used to support a more advanced financial analysis for students with some exposure to the CAPM model. There are two supplemental spreadsheets: one for students (UVA-F-1621X) and one for instructors (UVA-F-1621TNX). Excerpt UVA-F-1621 Rev. Aug. 16, 2012 Ballis's Benchmark (A) As Margaret Ballis, a second-year student at the Darden Graduate School of Business Administration, boarded the bus for Foxfield, a popular spring social event, she couldn't help thinking that her life in Charlottesville, Virginia, would soon be over. Although she had come to business school at the height of the worst financial crisis since the Great Depression, she had found her dream job at a leading investment management firm. She was convinced her two years at Darden had paid off already. She was well prepared to be an outstanding research analyst and was on her way to becoming a fund manager. Nonetheless, something was bothering her as her summer 2010 start date approached. As fund manager, would she be able to consistently outperform the stock market? By the time she retired from the job, would she have achieved anywhere near the consistent performance of such greats as Peter Lynch, the famed fund manager who beat the market 11 of 13 years? Ballis couldn't get away from the industry's advertising. She heard its usual disclaimer everywhere. From Fidelity, “Past performance is no guarantee of future results.” From Vanguard, “The performance data shown represent past performance, which is not a guarantee of future results.” She knew the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission with its amendment to Rule 482 in 2003 required mutual funds to include in their advertising “a statement that past performance does not guarantee future results,” but Ballis hadn't thought much about its intent in terms of consumer protection. . . .
Поиск точек соприкосновения теории Большого взрыва и доктрины creatio ex nihilo

Наука и богословие значительно расходятся в методологии исследования и используют разные инструменты. Несмотря на глубокие различия обе дисциплины иногда пытаются ответить на идентичные вопросы. Один из таких вопросов является происхождение вселенной. Настоящая статья является попыткой описать, как определенные научные достижения в области космологии подтверждают библейское учение о начале творения. Биб­лия говорит, что в определенный момент времени мир был создан Богом из ничего. Современная космология придерживается позиции, которая известна в широких кругах под названием Теория Большого Взрыва. Согласно данной теории вселенная появилась из состояния бесконечной плотности около 15 миллиардов лет назад. Данное революционное утверждение подразумевает, что современные физики более не считают, что вселенная вечна. Таким образом, Библия и современная космология утверждают, что вселенная начала свое существование в определенный момент. Некоторые физики-теоретики предполагают, что вселенная произошла из ничего. Более подробное изучение данной теории выявило, что несмотря на её кажущуюся идентичность доктрине creatio ex nihilo, она отличается от последней. Однако имеющиеся различия не аннулируют возможности соотношения обоих взглядов.
Activities of contemporary Mayan elders.

Social gerontology researchers have investigated various aspects ofelder activities in diverse culture contexts. This project assessed theknowledge that Mayan people have about the activities of their elders.Data were collected through two interview procedures. The firstprocedure, free-listing, was conducted with an initial sample of Mayansubjects (n = 31), who provided terms representing their culturalknowledge of elder Mayan activities. A second sample (n = 56)performed a pile sort task using 18 of those activities. The pile sortfindings were subjected to multidimensional scaling, and that techniqueproduced a two-dimensional visual representation of three distinctclusters of activities: productive work, serious socio-religiousundertakings and frivolous ventures. Besides the coherentmultidimensional scaling representation for that total sample of 56subjects, scalings for subsamples based on generational affiliation wererun. Two-dimensional pictures or visual maps for the aged, middle-agedand young adult subjects are remarkably similar to each other and to thepicture for the total sample. From a methodological perspective theresearch findings demonstrate that elder Mayan activities, andpresumably those of elders in other societies, are amenable to interviewprocedures that have high validity and high reliability.
Emotion regulation choice: the role of orienting attention and action readiness

People frequently do not regulate their emotions even when doing so would be adaptive. Further, people often use maladaptive emotion regulation strategies, despite knowledge of more adaptive strategies. We propose that such anomalies can be explained at least in part by the orienting attention/action readiness (OAAR) framework according to which people are more likely to implement a particular emotion regulation strategy when (1) they direct a sufficient level orienting attention towards initiating it, and/or (2) they have a sufficient level of action readiness with respect to that strategy because they have recently/frequently implemented it in similar contexts. We provide evidence for the OAAR framework and discuss how it might be leveraged to promote more effective regulation of undesirable emotions.
Water and Its Relation to Soils and Crops

Publisher Summary The asymmetric distribution of charge in a water molecule is the fundamental cause of the highly significant properties—high dipole moment and hydrogen bonding—that are primarily responsible for such unique properties of water as its high heat of vaporization, viscosity, surface tension, and solvent properties. These and other physical properties, all arising from the tendency of water molecules to associate with one another and with other molecules, are responsible for the observed behavior of water. Water use by crops is primarily an energy-dependent process. The rate of transfer of vapor away from the evaporating surface, and, in certain cases, the rate at which liquid water is supplied to such a surface, serve to modify the energy dependence of evapotranspiration from the soil and leaf surfaces. Water use can be estimated from the losses from standardized evaporimeters, from calculations based on the energy balance of vegetated surfaces, from aerodynamic measurements of energy and vapor fluxes, and from “inventory” calculations based on precipitation and soil moisture records.
Can a Technology Transfer Office Make a Difference in Increasing Licensing Numbers: Incorrect Assumptions and Inadequate Context?

Data suggests that an overwhelming majority of patented technologies remain unlicensed. It is generally believed that if access to technologies is provided or simplified, commercial partners will be more likely to come, license and commercialize the technologies. While access to technologies will facilitate commercialization, there are other factors that need to be considered. While some reasons for lack of licenses can be remedied or at least minimized by technology transfer offices (TTO), there are three factors on which TTOs have little or no impact. They are: economic viability issues; adoption/perception issues and scientific progress. The TTOs can however have impact by engaging in several activities, namely, information gathering, judicious patenting, skillful claim drafting, holistic view of the portfolio, mindful approach to incremental patenting, and marketing.
EFFECTS OF CENTRIFUGAL STRETCHING ON THE INTENSITY OF ROTATIONAL LINES IN WATER VAPOR

Summary * A calculation has been made of the alterations in the intensity of the pure rotational lines of water vapor caused by centrifugal stretching of the molecule. Two types of effects are of principal importance: (1) changes in the effective dipole moment when the geometrical shape of the molecule is altered by the centrifugal forces, and (2) changes in line strengths resulting from the altered transformation coefficients required to compute the asymmetric-top transitions from those of symmetric tops. The first-named effect is important in all transitions between states of high rotational energy; the second effect can become significant in low-probability transitions with δ K > 1.
Latino parents’ science beliefs and support of high school students’ motivational beliefs: Do the relations vary across gender and familism values?

Based on the Eccles’ expectancy-value theory, the objectives of this study were (1) to examine the longitudinal relations between Latino parents’ science beliefs, parents’ science support, and high school students’ science motivational beliefs, and (2) to test whether these relations varied by familism values and adolescent gender. Multi-informant longitudinal survey data were collected from 104 Latino parents and adolescents during 9th and 10th grade. Parents’ perceptions of their adolescents’ science ability and value of science in 9th grade predicted higher parent science support at home in 10th grade if they were parents of boys. In contrast, these relations were not statistically significant for parents of daughters. Parent support in 9th grade predicted higher adolescent motivational beliefs one year later. This work provides evidence that parent support is important for high school student success in this understudied population.
Comparison of 90-Day Perioperative Outcomes in Shoulder Arthroplasty Between the Elderly and Nonelderly Patients.

Introduction:As life expectancy increases, the incidence of shoulder arthroplasty continues to increase as well. There are few shoulder arthroplasty studies investigating perioperative complication...
Preface of the 18th Electroactive Polymers Actuators and Devices

This SPIE’s Electroactive Polymers Actuators and Devices (EAPAD) Conference is the leading international forum for presenting the latest progress and holding discussions among the attendees regarding the capabilities, challenges and potential future directions. The conference this year was Chaired by Yoseph Bar-Cohen, JPL/Caltech, and Co-Chaired by Frederic Vidal, University de Cergy-Pontoise (France) and it included 128 presentations.
Depressive Symptoms Predict Change in Telomere Length and Mitochondrial DNA Copy Number Across Adolescence

Objective Several studies have found associations between a diagnosis or symptoms of major depressive disorder and markers of cellular aging and dysfunction. These investigations, however, are predominantly cross-sectional and focus on adults. In the present study, we used a prospective longitudinal design to test the cross-sectional association between depressive symptoms in adolescents and telomere length (TL) as well as mitochondrial DNA copy number (mtDNA-cn). Method A total of 121 adolescents (mean age = 11.38 years, SD = 1.03; 39% male adolescents and 61% female adolescents) were followed for approximately 2 years. At baseline and follow-up, participants provided saliva for DNA extraction, from which measures of TL and mtDNA-cn were obtained. Depressive symptoms were obtained via the Children’s Depression Inventory. Results There was no association between depressive symptoms and markers of cellular aging at baseline; however, depressive symptoms at baseline predicted higher rates of telomere erosion (β = −0.201, p = .016) and greater increases in mtDNA-cn (β = 0.190, p = .012) over the follow-up period. Markers of cellular aging at baseline did not predict subsequent changes in depressive symptoms. Furthermore, including the number of stressful life events did not alter these patterns of findings. Conclusion These results indicate that depressive symptoms precede changes in cellular aging and dysfunction, rather than the reverse.
Disease-Associated Mutant Tau Prevents Circadian Changes in the Cytoskeleton of Central Pacemaker Neurons

A hallmark feature of Alzheimer's disease (AD) and other Tauopathies, like Frontotemporal Dementia with Parkinsonism linked to chromosome 17 (FTDP-17), is the accumulation of neurofibrillary tangles composed of the microtubule-associated protein Tau. As in AD, symptoms of FTDP-17 include cognitive decline, neuronal degeneration, and disruptions of sleep patterns. However, mechanisms by which Tau may lead to these disturbances in sleep and activity patterns are unknown. To identify such mechanisms, we have generated novel Drosophila Tauopathy models by replacing endogenous fly dTau with normal human Tau (hTau) or the FTDP-17 causing hTauV337M mutation. This mutation is localized in one of the microtubule-binding domains of hTau and has a dominant effect. Analyzing heterozygous flies, we found that aged hTauV337M flies show neuronal degeneration and locomotion deficits when compared to wild type or hTauWT flies. Furthermore, hTauV337M flies are hyperactive and they show a fragmented sleep pattern. These changes in the sleep/activity pattern are accompanied by morphological changes in the projection pattern of the central pacemaker neurons. These neurons show daily fluctuations in their connectivity, whereby synapses are increased during the day and reduced during sleep. Synapse formation requires cytoskeletal changes that can be detected by the accumulation of the end-binding protein 1 (EB1) at the site of synapse formation. Whereas, hTauWT flies show the normal day/night changes in EB1 accumulation, hTauV337M flies do not show this fluctuation. This suggests that hTauV337M disrupts sleep patterns by interfering with the cytoskeletal changes that are required for the synaptic homeostasis of central pacemaker neurons.
Non-ischemic cardiomyopathy with focal segmental glomerulosclerosis.

Focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS) is a common cause of nephrotic syndrome, accounting for 40% of nephrotic syndrome in adults. FSGS has diverse clinical and morphological features and under...
The Latin American and Caribbean digital divide: a geospatial and multivariate analysis

This paper examines spatial patterns of information and communication technology (ICT) adoption and utilization and seeks to understand underlying reasons for the digital divide in Latin America an...
Update on neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder

Purpose of review Neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder is an autoimmune disease that causes optic neuritis and transverse myelitis. Attacks can cause severe neurological damage leading to blindness and paralysis. Understanding of the immunopathogenesis of this disease has led to major breakthroughs in diagnosis and treatment. In the past 18 months, three successful phase 3 clinical trials have been published using targeted approaches to preventing relapses. Recent findings Updates in epidemiology, imaging, quality of life and treatment for acute relapse and prevention have been published in the past 18 months. Epidemiology studies are distinguishing patients based on their antigen specificity for aquaporin-4 and myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein, which are increasingly recognized as separate immunological conditions. Imaging by MRI and optical coherence tomography continue to be developed as tools to distinguish neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorders (NMOSD) from other diseases. This is especially relevant as the recent clinical trials showed differences in response between aquaporin-4 seropositive and seronegative patients. The three drugs that were tested for prevention of NMOSD relapses were eculizumab, inebilizumab, and satralizumab. All of the trials were worldwide, placebo-controlled, double-masked studies that demonstrated a clear benefit with each approach. Summary Recent research in NMOSD has resulted in improved diagnosis and approved treatments.
Plasticity of sentence processing networks: evidence from a patient with agrammatic variant of primary progressive aphasia (PPA)

This study reports the results of a longitudinal study examining the effects of treatment for sentence processing deficits for a 70-year-old gentleman (DK) with the agrammatic variant of Primary Pr...
Evaluating Cryptographic Performance of Raspberry Pi Clusters

ARM-based single board computers (SBCs) such as the Raspberry Pi capture the imaginations of hobbyists and scientists due to their low cost and versatility. With the deluge of data produced in edge environments, SBCs and SBC clusters have emerged as low-cost platform for data collection and analysis. Simultaneously, security is a growing concern as new regulations require secure communication for data collected from the edge. In this paper, we compare the performance of a Raspberry Pi cluster to a power-efficient next unit of computing (NUC) and a midrange desktop (MRD) on three leading cryptographic algorithms (AES, Twofish, and Serpent) and assess the general-purpose performance of the three systems using the HPL benchmark. Our results suggest that hardware-level instruction sets for all three cryptographic algorithms should be implemented on single board computers to aid with secure data transfer on the edge.
Ensemble Learning based Linear Power Flow

This paper develops an ensemble learning-based linearization approach for power flow with reactive power modeled, where the polynomial regression (PR) is first used as a basic learner to capture the linear relationships between the bus voltages as the independent variables and the active or reactive power as the dependent variable in rectangular coordinates. Then, gradient boosting (GB) and bagging as ensemble learning methods are introduced to combine all basic learners to boost the model performance. The inferred linear power flow model is applied to solve the well-known optimal power flow (OPF) problem. The simulation results on IEEE standard power systems indicate that (1) ensemble learning methods can significantly improve the efficiency of PR, and GB works better than bagging; (2) as for solving OPF, the data-driven model outperforms the DC model and the SDP relaxation in both accuracy, and computational efficiency.
Making a First Impression: Exploring What Instructors Do and Say on the First Day of Introductory STEM Courses

Observations of the first day of class are reported for 23 introductory STEM courses at three different institutions. The topics instructors discuss and the noncontent Instructor Talk they use on t...
Difficult binds: A systematic review of facilitators and barriers to treatment among mothers with substance use disorders.

Abstract Background The United States and Canada have observed sharp increases in substance use disorder among women of child-bearing or child-rearing age. Substance use disorder can have deleterious effects on children, families, and communities. Many evidence-based treatments exist, but engaging mothers in treatment is difficult. No recent review is available to help systems and providers understand the facilitators of and barriers to treatment for mothers. Objective To systematically identify facilitators and barriers to substance use and mental health treatment for mothers with substance use disorder who are pregnant or parenting young children in the United States and Canada. Methods We systematically searched the literature using five online databases and performed a gray literature search. We included studies published in the past two decades focused on parent or provider perspectives. Results Our search identified 23 high-quality papers. The majority of papers qualitatively examined the perspectives of treatment-seeking pregnant women and mothers diverse in race/ethnicity, region, and treatment settings. Our synthesis of findings revealed the compelling and complex centrality of motherhood, which served as both a facilitator and barrier. Motherhood often interacted with relational (e.g., perceiving stigma vs. support from providers, family, friends, partners) and structural (e.g., time commitments, childcare) factors to both hinder and help engagement in treatment. Conclusions Our findings can help policy-makers and practitioners make tangible improvements to the financing and delivery of substance use treatment for mothers. Our review points to specific areas for future research, including an examination of the relationships between various structural factors and treatment outcomes.
Corrosion of rebar in concrete. Part III: Artificial Neural Network analysis of chloride threshold data

Abstract Active corrosion of carbon steel in reinforced concrete occurs when the chloride ion concentration exceeds the chloride threshold (CT). CT is affected by many physical and chemical parameters including primary variables (pH, corrosion potential, breakdown potential, and temperature) and secondary variables (cemenet composition, concreete porosity, and water/cement ratio). A Kohonen-self organized map (KSOM) and regression artificial neural network (ANN) coupled methodology was developed to find the missing values of independent variables in the sparse database and for quantitatively evaluating the effects of these variables on CT values that are expressed in %TotalCl/cem (or %FreeCl/cem), and [Cl−]/[OH−].
Assessment of Prehospital Monitor/Defibrillators for Clostridioides difficile Contamination.

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to determine if Clostridioides difficile (C. diff) was present on the electrocardiogram (ECG) right arm leads, blood pressure cuffs, and fingertip pulse oximetry sensors of monitor/defibrillators used in the prehospital setting. Methods: On March 22, 2019, a total of 20 prehospital monitor/defibrillators located at an Emergency Medical Service (EMS) station in Alabama (USA) were assessed for C. diff. The inside area of the fingertip pulse oximetry sensor, patient contact side of the blood pressure cuff, and right arm ECG lead of monitor/defibrillators (n = 60) were swabbed using a sterile cotton-tipped applicator saturated in a 0.85% Sodium Chloride solution. These cotton-tipped applicators were then inserted, scored, and released into Banana Broth vials. The vials were then sealed tightly and immediately transported to the laboratory, where they were incubated at 36°C for 72 hours. Colorimetric change from red to yellow was considered a positive indication for the presence of C. diff. Results: Of 20 blood pressure cuffs, 15 had C. diff contamination (75%); C. diff was also present on 19 of 20 fingertip pulse oximeter sensors (95%) and 20 of 20 ECG right arm monitor leads (100%). Conclusion: Prehospital monitor/defibrillators may represent a significant reservoir of C. diff and other pathogenic bacteria. Improved disinfection protocols for reusable monitoring equipment and transition to disposable monitoring equipment used in the prehospital setting may reduce the risk of patient and EMS provider infection.
MLDemon: Deployment Monitoring for Machine Learning Systems.

Post-deployment monitoring of the performance of ML systems is critical for ensuring reliability, especially as new user inputs can differ from the training distribution. Here we propose a novel approach, MLDemon, for ML DEployment MONitoring. MLDemon integrates both unlabeled features and a small amount of on-demand labeled examples over time to produce a real-time estimate of the ML model's current performance on a given data stream. Subject to budget constraints, MLDemon decides when to acquire additional, potentially costly, supervised labels to verify the model. On temporal datasets with diverse distribution drifts and models, MLDemon substantially outperforms existing monitoring approaches. Moreover, we provide theoretical analysis to show that MLDemon is minimax rate optimal up to logarithmic factors and is provably robust against broad distribution drifts whereas prior approaches are not.
Risky decision-making as an antecedent or consequence of adolescent cannabis use: findings from a 2-year longitudinal study.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS Although poor decision-making (DM) has been correlated with problematic cannabis use (CU), cross-sectional designs make it difficult to determine whether poor DM represents an antecedent and/or consequence of CU. The current study measured bidirectional associations between CU and DM among adolescents over 2 years and compared these findings to those observed with episodic memory, which is consistently reported as a consequence of CU. We also measured the role of DM as a risk factor for cannabis use disorder (CUD) onset. DESIGN Two-year longitudinal study with five bi-annual assessments. PARTICIPANTS Participants were 401 adolescents aged 14-17 years at baseline. SETTING Miami, Florida, USA. MEASUREMENTS CU frequency and CUDs were assessed at each time-point through the Drug Use History Questionnaire and Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV, respectively. Neurocognition was assessed at odd time-points throughout the Iowa Gambling Task, Game of Dice Task and Cups Task [decision-making (DM)] and the Wechsler Memory Scale IV and California Verbal Learning Test II (episodic memory). We used latent growth curve modeling to examine bidirectional influences between CU and neurocognition over time. We applied discrete time survival analyses to determine whether baseline DM predicted CUD onset. FINDINGS Greater lifetime CU frequency was associated with poorer episodic memory at baseline (bs = -14.84, -16.44, Ps = 0.038, 0.021). Greater CU escalation predicted lesser gains in immediate episodic memory (b = -0.05, P = 0.020). Baseline DM did not predict CU escalation (b = 0.07, P = 0.421), nor did escalation in CU predict changes in DM (b = 0.02, P = 0.352). Baseline DM also did not predict CUD onset (adjusted OR = 1.01, 95% confidence interval = 0.98-1.06). CONCLUSIONS This study replicates findings that poorer episodic memory in adolescents appears to be a consequence of cannabis use, even among adolescents at earlier stages of use. Poor decision-making does not appear to be either a consequence of or a risk factor for escalating cannabis use or onset of cannabis use disorder among adolescents.
Insufficient Assessment and Treatment of Vitamin D in the Medical Management of Adolescents with Anorexia Nervosa

Abstract Purpose Suboptimal vitamin D levels are implicated in low bone mineral density, a common medical complication of anorexia nervosa. This study aimed to examine the frequency of vitamin D assessment and treatment for adolescents with anorexia nervosa in outpatient medical management. Design and methods Retrospective chart review was used to examine 179 adolescents (M age = 15.5 years, SD = 2.2), newly diagnosed with anorexia nervosa at a tertiary care medical center in the United States between January 2000 and July 2016. Results Only 16% of patients (n = 29) received serum vitamin D assessments following diagnosis, of whom 52% had suboptimal vitamin D levels (n = 15). Only three patients with suboptimal vitamin D were advised to begin supplementation. No patients in our sample were encouraged to begin prophylactic vitamin D supplementation. Conclusions/practice implications Findings from this study highlight the critical need for widespread care team education about vitamin D assessment and treatment in the medical management of adolescents with anorexia nervosa, particularly in light of the potentially serious consequences of bone mineral density.
The phonology of nasal consonants in five Spanish dialects

The processes of nasal place assimilation, neutralization, velarization and absorption are analyzed in terms of three independent markedness constraints: Agree(Place), Place Hierarchy, and Align-C(Nasal), which despite being concerned with different aspects of the structure of output forms, conspire to undermine the place features of nasal consonants in the syllable coda. Data from five different Spanish dialects support the view that coronal is the unmarked place for consonants, and that the tendency of syllable-final nasals to become velar is not a consequence of assigning them an unmarked place articulator but of assimilating them to the preceding vowel. From this standpoint, velarization is only an intermediate step in a larger-scale process, whereby the nasal consonant is incorporated into the structure of the nuclear segment for the sake of segment-to-syllable alignment.
Inexpensive Jacob's Staff with Laser Sight

This paper provides information on the construction and use of an inexpensive fiberglass Jacob's staff and laser sighting device. Laser technology can facilitate high-precision sighting over long and short distances when measuring stratigraphic sections.
An Empirical Analysis of the Motives for Fully Funded Defined Benefit Plan Terminations

Statistics gathered by the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation indicate that an average of 7,000 defined benefit plans were terminated per year between 1988 and 1997. Prior studies exploring motives for defined benefit pension plan terminations have focused exclusively on overfunded plans. This article expands upon the previous termination literature by examining motives for termination of fully funded defined benefit plans. The results indicate that fully funded terminations are partially driven by the firm’s ability to access capital. The results also suggest that motives for termination vary depending on the size of the firm.
Trellis codes for recording

The author describes a method of combining trellis-coded (or coset-coded) modulation concepts with those from the design of run-length limited coding. The method is referred to as the trellis-constrained, run-length code approach. It is shown that this approach, which introduces redundancy in the transition sequence, provides improved noise immunity and can be used in recording systems to increase the data density while maintaining data integrity, without increasing the density of transition. >
Pregnancy in women 50 or more years of age: outcomes of 22 consecutively established pregnancies from oocyte donation

Objective To describe the reproductive and obstetric outcomes of women ≥ 50 years attempting pregnancy using donor oocytes. Setting The IVF program at the University of Southern California. Patients Thirty-six postmenopausal women aged 50 to 59 years, mean 52.3 ± 2.6 years (mean ± SD) were screened medically, reproductively, and psychologically and enrolled in a trial of oocyte donation. Interventions Recipients underwent hormone replacement therapy using oral micronized E 2 and IM administered P. Oocytes were provided by designated gamete donors (mean age 30.5 ± 4.4 years). Embryos (4.3 ± 1.2) were transferred transcervically. Main Outcome Measures Rates for embryo implantation, spontaneous abortion, ongoing and delivered pregnancies, as well as the gestational age at delivery, birthweights, complications, and postpartum outcomes. Results Forty-five aspirations resulted in 22 pregnancies (48.9%): 3 preclinical, 2 ending in spontaneous abortion, and 17 viable pregnancies (37.8%). The embryo implantation rate was 20.6%. Nine of 17 pregnancies (52.9%) were multiple gestations (6 twins; 1 triplet; and 2 quadruplets, selectively terminated to twins). All pregnancies delivered beyond 32 weeks: mean gestational age for singletons was 38.4 ± 1.9 weeks (range 35 to 41 weeks); mean gestational age for twins was 36.3 ± 1.4 weeks (range 34 to 38 weeks); the triplet pregnancy delivered at 32 weeks. Complications occurred in eight patients; gestational hypertension (n = 7), preterm labor (n = 3), gestational diabetes (n = 2), and pre-eclampsia (n = 1). One infant was trisomy-21. Conclusion Patients ≥ 50 years experience similar pregnancy rates after oocyte donation as younger women and are at equal risk for multiple gestation. Antenatal complications were experienced by the majority of patients, underscoring the importance of high risk obstetric surveillance and care.
Mechanical properties of homogeneous and heterogeneous layered 2D materials

Transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDC) such as molybdenum disulfide (MoS 2 ) are 2D materials that are promising for flexible electronics and piezoelectric applications, but their low mechanical strength limits practical use. In this work, we study the mechanical properties of heterostructures containing MoS 2 and graphene, another 2D material with exceptional mechanical properties, using atomistic molecular dynamics simulations of nanoindentation. We consider bi- and tri-layer heterostructures where graphene either supports or encapsulates MoS 2 , and we compare to the monolayers and homogeneous bilayers. We extract mechanical properties (Young's modulus) from nanoindentation simulations. All of the heterostructures have larger Young's moduli than the mono- and bi-layer MoS 2 , demonstrating that graphene provides mechanical reinforcement regardless of layer stacking order. Our results demonstrate the potential of heterostructures to improve the mechanical properties of TMDC materials, which would increase their utility for device applications.
C-PR neuron of Aplysia has differential effects on "Feeding" cerebral interneurons, including myomodulin-positive CBI-12.

C-PR neuron of Aplysia has differential effects on “feeding” cerebral interneurons, including myomodulin-positive CBI-12. Head lifting and other aspects of the appetitive central motive state that ...
Density Resolution Artifacts Encountered When Scanning Infant Heads With X-Ray Computed Tomography (CT)

Density resolution the accuracy of CT numbers) is generally recognized by radiologists w'ao interpret Children's, CT to be very poor. A CT scanning phantom was made. in order to document the brain attenuation inaccuracies which do occur and also to derive normal brain attenuation values for varying sized heads, given. the skull diameters and thicknesses. In scanning' this phantom, other factors, some of equal importance, to small head size, were found to affect the Hounsfield numbers of brain. The phantom was scanned in order to determine the magnitude of these specific factors, using the GE 8800 model scanner. After head size (412 to 25, H), the variables of the head support (up to 15 H) and centering within the field of view (6-23 H) were of similar importance, for small heads. Kilovoltage, software, and machine drift were less, important, although only kVp settings, of 105 and 120 were employed. Manufacturers may improve CT number accuracy if they recognize the relative, magnitude of the various factors which alter measured attenuation.
A nonlocal singular perturbation problem with periodic well potential

For a one-dimensional nonlocal nonconvex singular perturbation problem with a noncoercive periodic well potential, we prove a Γ -convergence theorem and show compactness up to translation in all Lp and the optimal Orlicz space for sequences of bounded energy. This generalizes work of Alberti, Bouchitte and Seppecher (1994) for the coercive two-well case. The theorem has applications to a certain thin-film limit of the micromagnetic energy.
The Influence of Contralateral Disease on the Natural History of Nonoperated Significant Carotid Stenosis

The influence of contralateral disease on the natural history of ipsilateral nonoperated carotid stenosis >50% was analyzed in 90 carotid arteries imaged by contrast arteriography or duplex scanning with a mean follow-up of 23.6 months. Ipsilateral stenosis was >80% in 24 arteries and 50–79% in 66 arteries. Contralateral disease was present in 30 (Group I) and absent in 60 (Group II) patients. In Group I, the contralateral disease consisted of total occlusion in nine (30%), >80% stenosis in five (17%), 50–79% stenosis in 12 (40%) with a mean of 78.6%. No significant difference existed in the incidence of initially asymptomatic vessels (57% versus 67%), stroke (13% versus 2%), or transient ischemic attack (17% each) between Groups I and II on the ipsilateral side (p > .05). New ipsilateral neurologic events occurred significantly more often in arteries with >80% ipsilateral stenosis than those with 50–79% stenosis (p .05). Combined ipsilateral and contralateral neurologic events occurred significantly more often in patients with contralateral disease (p < .05). Whereas in Group I, new ipsilateral symptoms were significantly more common in initially symptomatic vessels compared to asymptomatic ones (61.5% versus 17.6%, p < .04), no such difference existed in Group II.
The Occultation of SAO 78505 by Jupiter

On 13 December 1989, Jupiter occulted a star with visual magnitude 8.7 and an estimated K magnitude of 7. We observed the event from Kitt Peak, Arizona, using a 64 x 64 infrared camera at a wavelength of 2.16 microns. The resulting data on refractive defocusing of the stellar signal give information on the temperature of the jovian atmosphere at pressures approximately 2 to 10 microbar, at near-equatorial latitudes. These are the first new stellar-occulation data for the high jovian atmosphere since the widely observed occulation of beta Sco A and C in 1971. Because of improvements in instrumental capability, our data are comparable to the best beta Sco A data though the star is six magnitudes fainter. We derive a mean atmospheric temperature of 176 +/- 12 K on a level surface corresponding to an equatorial radius of 71,880 km and a pressure of 1.8 microbar at a jovi- centric latitude of 8 deg. This result complements the beta Sco results by providing improved precision at low jovicentric latitudes where the fainter star beta Sco C was used in 1971.
Distribution of fos‐like immunoreactivity within the rat brain following intraventricular injection of the selective NK3 receptor agonist senktide

Neurokinin B (NKB) is one member of an evolutionarily conserved family of neuropeptides, the tachykinins. Preferential binding of NKB to endogenous NK3 receptors affects a variety of biological and physiological processes, including endocrine secretions, sensory transmission, and fluid and electrolyte homeostasis. In light of its widespread biological actions, immunohistochemical detection of the c-Fos protein product was used to study the distribution of neuronal activation in the rat brain caused by intraventricular (icv) injections of the selective NK3 receptor agonist (succinyl-[Asp6, N-Me-Phe8] substance P [6–11]), senktide. Quantitative analysis revealed that treatment with isotonic saline or 200 ng senktide resulted in the differential expression of Fos-like immunoreactivity (FLI) throughout the brain. Senktide induced the highest number of FLI neurons in the lateral septum, bed nucleus of the stria terminalis, amygdala, paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus, median preoptic nucleus, organum vasculosum of the lamina terminalis, supraoptic nucleus, periaqueductal gray, and medial nucleus of the solitary tract compared to isotonic saline controls. Additional regions that contained elevated FLI following icv injection of senktide, relative to saline injection, included the cerebral cortex, lateral hypothalamic nucleus, suprachiasmatic nucleus, ventral tegmental area, substantia nigra, inferior colliculus, locus coeruleus, zona incerta, and arcuate nucleus. Our data indicate that activation of NK3 receptors induces the expression of FLI within circumscribed regions of the rat brain. This pattern of neuronal activation overlaps with nuclei known to regulate homeostatic processes, such as endocrine secretion, cardiovascular function, salt intake, and nociception. J. Comp. Neurol. 426:413–428, 2000. © 2000 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Electronic viscosity in a quantum well : A test for the local-density approximation

In the local density approximation (LDA) for electronic time-dependent current-density functional theory (TDCDFT) many-body effects are described in terms of the visco-elastic constants of the homogeneous three-dimensional electron gas. In this paper we critically examine the applicability of the three-dimensional LDA to the calculation of the viscous damping of 1-dimensional collective oscillations of angular frequency $\omega$ in a quasi 2-dimensional quantum well. We calculate the effective viscosity $\zeta(\omega)$ from perturbation theory in the screened Coulomb interaction and compare it with the commonly used three-dimensional LDA viscosity $Y(\omega)$. Significant differences are found. At low frequency $Y(\omega)$ is dominated by a shear term, which is absent in $\zeta(\omega)$. At high frequency $\zeta(\omega)$ and $Y(\omega)$ exhibit different power law behaviors ($\omega^{-3}$ and $\omega^{-5/2}$ respectively), reflecting different spectral densities of electron-hole excitations in two and three dimensions. These findings demonstrate the need for better approximations for the exchange-correlation stress tensor in specific systems where the use of the three-dimensional functionals may lead to unphysical results.
The Role of the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service in Preventing Later Depressive Disorder: Problems and Prospects

Child mental health professionals are being urged to play a greater role in the prevention of mental disorders. But are we yet in a position to advocate that scarce and increasingly hard-pressed clinical resources should be diverted to preventive activities? This paper considers this question, with particular reference to the role that child and adolescent mental health services could play in the prevention of depressive disorders in late adolescence and early adult life. It is evident that prevention of depressive disorders is a complex problem and that we lack information about the efficacy of many of the interventions that might be effective. Moreover, some interventions could be harmful. However, there are some opportunities to prevent depressive disorders later in life, particularly by vigorous and early treatment of the disorder. There are also several other areas where possibilities are promising and where further research is indicated.
Thyroid hormone regulates expression of the thyrotropin β-subunit gene from both transcription start sites in the mouse and rat

Thyroid hormones suppress transcription of the gene for the beta-subunit of thyrotropin (TSH beta). Since the TSH beta gene in both the mouse and the rat contains two start sites of transcription in exon 1, we have investigated whether expression of the gene from each start site is differentially regulated by thyroid hormones in each species. RNase protection analysis was used to assay the levels of mRNA specifically transcribed from the upstream (TSS 1) and downstream (TSS 2) transcription start sites in the mouse and rat pituitary. In euthyroid and hypothyroid pituitaries there was an approximately 5-fold and 2-fold greater abundance of mRNA derived from TSS 2 than TSS 1, respectively. Hypothyroidism induced an 18- and a 9-fold increase in TSH beta gene expression from TSS 1 and TSS 2, respectively. Treatment of hypothyroid animals for 1 day with triiodothyronine (T3) reduced expression from both start sites by about 50%; after 4 days of T3 treatment, TSH beta mRNAs derived from both start sites were below detectable levels. These results were confirmed in the rat by primer extension analysis. Expression from TSS 1 in the mouse was also shown to be dependent on thyroid status using the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technique. In contrast to previous results from primer extension studies, PCR analysis demonstrated that alternative splicing of the TSH beta RNA primary transcript can occur when transcription is initiated at the upstream start site. We conclude that, in both the mouse and the rat pituitary, expression of the TSH beta gene from both transcription start sites is regulated by thyroid hormones.
PCR Classification of CTX-M-Type β-Lactamase Genes Identified in Clinically Isolated Gram-Negative Bacilli in Japan

Of 1,456 strains isolated from 2001 to 2003 demonstrating resistance to either oxyimino-cephalosporin, 317 strains, isolated in 57 of 132 clinical facilities, were found to harbor bla(CTX-M) genes by PCR. Fifty-seven, 161, and 99 strains harbored bla(CTX-M) genes belonging to the bla(CTX-M-1), bla(CTX-M-2), and bla(CTX-M-9) clusters, respectively.
Dynamic analysis of severance taxation in a competitive exhaustible resource industry

Abstract This paper analyzes the effects of a severance tax on the behavior of a profit maximizing firm which explores and produces an exhaustible resource. The producer's response to the tax is studied and the deadweight losses from the tax are calculated. Time paths of exploratory effort, extraction and prices are computed. It is shown that, in this dynamic equilibrium process. severance taxes induce the producer to reduce production and exploration and cause a shift in the time path for prices, similar to the static results. The deadweight losses associated with the tax are found to be very low, especially for low tax rates.
Thermodynamic Comparison of Dysferlin C2A Wild Type, and C2A V-1 Domains, to the Synaptotamin I C2A and C2B Domains

Through regular use the plasma membrane or, sarcolemma, of myocytes undergoes a number of physical disruptions which in order for the cell to survive must be effectively and rapidly repaired. Currently, it is believed that small lesions in the cellular membrane are repaired through a calcium dependent mechanism which patches the lesion through the rapid exocytosis of intracellular vesicles. Synaptotagmin I is a transmembrane protein which has been shown to play an integral role in vesicular fusion in neurons. Dysferlin is highly homologous to Synaptotamin I which has led to speculation that it plays a critical role in the final steps of vesicular fusion leading to the formation of a membrane patch over the lesion. Dysferlin consists of a single transmembrane region linked to seven C2 domains and two DYSF domains. A C2 domain is a structural motif that consists of an eight strand β-sandwich; these domains are involved in binding both calcium and phospholipids. In the present study, the stability of the wild type Dysferlin C2A domain and an isoform of the C2A domain, V-1, are compared to the stabilities of the C2A and C2B domains of Synaptotagmin I. By comparing these domains we have gained valuable insight into the physiological function of Dysferlin. In the absence of ligand the free energy of denaturation at 37°C of the Dysferlin C2A domains was found to be 0.17±0.02 and 0.51±0.02 in (kcal/mol) for the wild type and V-1 isoform respectively, compared to 2.32±0.05 and 1.74±0.9 in (kcal/mol) for the Synaptotagmin I C2A and C2B domains.
Organochlorine residues in adipose tissue of residents of the Texas Gulf Coast.

Humans are exposed to organochlorine coni0ounds mainly through the food chain. Chronic exposure to these chemicals leads to accurm/lation of the parent cei~pounds alld/or their metabolites ~ the adipose tissue, apparently due to their lipophilic nature. Several investigators have ~lalyzed various tissues to estimate the body burden of xenobiotic cor~unds (Hayes 1975, 19825 in exposed workers as well as in the general population. We analyzed fat tissues collected at autopsy from 109 persons for 2,2-bis(4chlorophenyl)-i ,l-dicl~lorcethylene (DDE), hexachlorobenzene (HCB), and the hexachlorobiphenyls (HCBP) isomers {2,4,5,2',4',5'and 2,3,4,2', 4' ,5'-5.