cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Differences in health risk behaviors across understudied LGBT subgroups.

Objective The purpose of the current study was to conduct a large-scale, geographically diverse comparison of health risk behaviors between a broad range of sexual orientation and gender identity groups to more fully understand the health risks of subgroups within the LGBT community. Method A total of 3,279 individuals self-identifying as LGBT (e.g., lesbian, gay, bisexual, pansexual, transgender, genderqueer, and/or another gender or sexual minority) were recruited from across the United States through 2 sequentially implemented online recruitment methods. Participants completed a demographic assessment and the Health Risk Questionnaire (assessing diet and exercise, substance use and smoking, motor vehicle risks, sexual behaviors, violence, and medical risk-taking). Results Significant differences were found across genders for 18 of the 28 health risk behaviors investigated and across sexual orientations for 23 behaviors. Major differences emerged particularly with relation to diet and exercise behaviors, as well as sexual risk-taking, substance use, and medical risk-taking. Groups with notably elevated health risk behaviors included transgender women (diet and exercise behaviors), cisgender men (alcohol-related risk-taking), bisexual participants (substance use), and both transgender men and pansexual participants (self-harm). Differences between transgender participants and genderqueer or nonbinary participants were stark, indicating that these frequently combined groups have distinct health risk profiles. Conclusions Results suggest that there are extensive and largely variable levels of engagement in health risk behaviors within the LGBT community. In addition, gender and sexual orientation subcategories that are traditionally collapsed into 1 category (i.e., transgender and bisexual) evidenced strikingly different risks when examined independently. Recommendations for future research and LGBT health promotion efforts are discussed.
Effects of parietalectomy and sustained temperature on thyroid of lizard, Sceloporus occidentalis.

Summary1. Parietalectomized lizards (Sceloporus occidentalis), free living in the field, presented evidence of above-normal thyroid activity in animals collected in winter and spring, but not in summer. 2. An annual cycle of thyroid activity is exhibited by both parietalectomized and sham-operated lizards. 3. Thyroid hypertrophy induced by 3 weeks of constant temperature (35°C) is mediated by the hypophysis.
Preservation of the Fertilizing Capacity of Cock Semen Incubated In Vitro at 41 C

Abstract Cock spermatozoa were incubated for 6 and 24 hr at 41 C with minimum essential medium (MEM), tissue culture fluid (TCF) removed from tissue cultured cells and in the presence of tissue cultured cells (TCC). The TCC were obtained from whole 9-day-old chick embryos. Fertility following intravaginal artificial insemination was 75, 77, and 80% for semen incubated at 41 C for 6 hr in MEM, TCF, and TCC, respectively. Fertility of semen incubated for 24 hr was approximately 50% for all three treatment groups. The MEM alone was as beneficial as TCF or TCC in maintaining in vitro sperm survival. These observations provide a method for maintaining in vitro the fertilizing capacity (as evaluated by intravaginal insemination) of large numbers of cock spermatozoa under conditions of temperature comparable to those of the hen's oviduct.
Arylzinc Alkoxides: [ArZnOCHP ]2 and Ar2Zn3(OCHP )4 When Ar = C6H5, p-CF3C6H4, 2,4,6-Me3C6H2, and C6F5

From the reactions between diarylzinc compounds (Ar2Zn) and the alcohol (P CHOH) in toluene, the compounds [ArZn(OCHP )]2 (Ar = C6H5, C6F5, p-CF3C6H4, and 2,4,6-Me3C6H2) have been isolated and shown to exist in equilibra with the trinuclear complexes Ar2Zn3(OCHP )4 and Ar2Zn when Ar = C6H5, C6F5, and p-CF3C6H4. The trinuclear complexes have also been prepared from reactions of the Ar2Zn compounds with the alcohol, which reveals that the ease of Zn−C(aryl) bond cleavage is sensitive to the nature of the Ar group: C6H5 > 4-CF3C6H4 > C6F5. The molecular structures of Ar2Zn3(OCHP )4 where Ar = p-CF3C6H4 and C6F5 and [ArZn(OCHP )]2 where Ar = C6F5, p-CF3C6H4, and 2,4,6-Me3C6H2 are reported based on single-crystal X-ray diffraction studies. The X-ray structure of Zn(p-CF3C6H4)2 is also reported. The reactivity of these new compounds toward the polymerization of propylene oxide (PO) and the copolymerization of PO and CO2 have been investigated along with related reactions involving the partial hydrolysis of the...
A Multi-iron System Capable of Rapid N2 Formation and N2 Cleavage

The six-electron oxidation of two nitrides to N2 is a key step of ammonia synthesis and decomposition reactions on surfaces. In molecular complexes, nitride coupling has been observed with terminal nitrides, but not with bridging nitride complexes that more closely resemble catalytically important surface species. Further, nitride coupling has not been reported in systems where the nitrides are derived from N2. Here, we show that a molecular diiron(II) diiron(III) bis(nitride) complex reacts with Lewis bases, leading to the rapid six-electron oxidation of two bridging nitrides to form N2. Surprisingly, these mild reagents generate high yields of iron(I) products from the iron(II/III) starting material. This is the first molecular system that both breaks and forms the triple bond of N2 at room temperature. These results highlight the ability of multi-iron species to decrease the energy barriers associated with the activation of strong bonds.
The Effect of Gender Norms in Sitcoms on Support for Access to Abortion and Contraception

Can ostensibly nonpolitical television programming affect policy opinions? In this article, I use a laboratory experiment to test whether the gender norms portrayed on two primetime sitcoms can alt...
The Contextual Complexity of Privacy in Smart Homes and Smart Buildings

Smart technologies allow unprecedented visibility into activities in homes and buildings, while they enable new services that householders and workers will value. As people become increasingly aware of the magnitude and potentially sensitive nature of the data being collected through these technologies, privacy is emerging as a potential barrier to user adoption. In this paper, we apply leading privacy models to the results of qualitative research in which we solicited ideas for adding intelligence to homes and buildings, paying particular attention to information sensitivity about everyday activities that take place in those settings. We identify locations and activities that are particularly information-sharing sensitive, prioritize the salience of different types of privacy violations for householders and workers, and examine the influence of privacy attitudes on smart device ownership and desired future smart experiences.
Ecological distributions, phenological isolation, and genetic structure in sympatric and parapatric populations of the Larrea tridentata polyploid complex

Premise of the study Polyploidy is widely recognized as a mechanism of diversification. Contributions of polyploidy to specific pre- and postzygotic barriers-and classifications of polyploid speciation as "ecological" vs. "non-ecological"-are more contentious. Evaluation of these issues requires comprehensive studies that test ecological characteristics of cytotypes as well as the coincidence of genetic structure with cytotype distributions. Methods We investigated a classical example of autopolyploid speciation, Larrea tridentata, at multiple areas of cytotype co-occurrence. Habitat and phenological differences were compared between diploid, tetraploid, and hexaploid populations on the basis of edaphic, community composition, and flowering time surveys. Frequency of hybridization between diploids and tetraploids was investigated using a diploid-specific chloroplast DNA (cpDNA) marker; genetic structure for all cytotypes was assessed using amplified fragment length polymorphisms (AFLPs). Key results Across contact zones, we found cytotypes in habitats distinguished by soil and vegetation. We observed modest differences in timing and production of flowers, indicating a degree of assortative mating that was asymmetric between cytotypes. Nonetheless, cpDNA analyses in diploid-tetraploid contact zones suggested that ∼5% of tetraploid plants had hybrid origins involving unilateral sexual polyploidization. Genetic structure of AFLPs largely coincided with cytotype distributions in diploid-tetraploid contact zones. In contrast, there was little structure in areas of contact between tetraploids and hexaploids, suggesting intercytotype gene flow or recurrent hexaploid formation. Conclusions Diploid, tetraploid, and hexaploid cytotypes of L. tridentata are segregated by environmental distributions and flowering phenology in contact zones, with diploid and tetraploid populations having corresponding differences in genetic structure.
Delirium: Risk Identification, Mitigation, and Intervention

Delirium is an acute change in attention and other cognitive functions, which may also include altered consciousness and disorganized thinking. Delirium is a direct result of an underlying medical condition that occurs when the brain is overwhelmed by stressors in the body and environment. While all are susceptible to delirium, the elderly and those with cognitive impairment are at heightened risk. Delirium may present as a short-term reversible condition or persist for months and is often associated with long-term negative medical and functional outcomes. This chapter highlights the importance of delirium risk identification and present methods for risk identification and a standardized treatment protocol to reduce the incidence or mitigate complications using an empirically studied intervention program. Delirium risk identification, prevention, and treatment can hinder the long-term medical, functional, and cost outcomes associated with this common syndrome.
The International Professional Perspective: Reflections on the Third International Mathematics and Science Study

AbstractThe purpose of this feature is to summarize some of the data from the Third International Mathematics and Science Study and to offer commentary from colleagues in Korea and Singapore, two of the top-scoring Asian countries, on their perceptions of key features of school-based practices in their countries. This article first presents an overview of the results of the study for Japan, Korea, Singtpore, and the United States and describes some of thefindingsfrom the in-depth study of classroom practices in Japan and the U.S. Next is the sharing of information from contacts in Korea and Singapore as a point of comparison for schools in other countries, including perceptions of important differences which contributed to the stratification of student performance. The article draws implications for research and practice based on the success of the Third International Mathematics and Science Study and the substantive database generated.
The Money Multiplier Framework

The purpose of this chapter is to derive expressions for the basic money multipliers referred to throughout the text. There are two reasons we devote an entire chapter to these derivations. First, it is best, for ease of reference, to place all these mechanical calculations in one readily accessible chapter rather than to scatter them throughout the text as they come up. Second, the multipliers we forecast for the new post-1980 definitions of the money stock are not, conceptually speaking, identical to the pre-1980 multipliers. Since the differences have not as yet been discussed in the existing literature, we discuss them here.
Solitary Leiomyomas Arising from the Tunica Dartos Scroti

Of 127 patients with primary neoplasms of the scrotal wall 10 had a solitary leiomyoma arising from the tunica dartos. These benign asymptomatic lesions occur in middle-age white men and are often incorrectly diagnosed. Simple surgical excision is curative. The 11th case is described because of the malignant course that followed irradiation. A cell arising from single smooth muscle cells within the corium is proposed as the cell of origin.
Crystal structure refinement of nitroguanidine

The crystal and molecular structure of nitroguanidine was refined using X-ray single-crystal diffraction methods. Previous structure determinations achieved with single crystal photographic or neutron powder techniques yielded values for the C—N ‘formal’ double bond-length that either equaled or exceeded the ‘formal’ C—N single-bond lengths. Bond lengths were more precisely and accurately determined here than in the previous studies, but the ‘formal’ double-bond length still exceeds the ‘formal’ single bond lengths. Comparisons of crystal bond lengths with ab initio derived bond lengths of an isolated nitroguanidine molecule and hydrogen-bonded clusters of nitroguanidine molecules suggest that observed bond-length abnormalities are caused by intermolecular forces in the crystal. The crystal is orthorhombic, with a = 17.6390(5), b = 24.8730(7), c = 3.5903(1) A, V = 1575.19 A3, Z = 16, and Dcalc = 1.736 g cm−3.
Analysis of the flow of a thin liquid film on the surface of a rotating, curved, axisymmetric substrate

Spin coating is frequently used by the coating industry to achieve a very uniform final coating layer on a given substrate. Most of the research into this area has focused on flat substrates, but in this work we use scaling arguments and perturbation methods to derive the lubrication form of the equations governing the fluid motion of a thin liquid film on a curved, rotating, axisymmetric substrate. Though the substrate must be axisymmetric, the coating need not be. Though the slope of the substrate must be continuous, the curvature of the substrate need not be. One application for this work is the spin coating of food and beverage cans, most of which have a curved bottom due to structural reasons. Using an implicit finite difference scheme, we use our derivation to develop a numerical model to simulate the spin coating of the interior of a model soup can. We assume that the coating is initially uniform and model how centrifugal forces drive the coating outward past a series of axisymmetric undulations on the can bottom.
Sub-constituencies and Legislative Responsiveness: Evidence from the States

This article tests whether theories of congressional behavior that link legislative responsiveness to the preferences of sub-constituencies at the expense of party preferences apply to the state le...
From Global Ambition to Local Reality: Initiatives for the Dissemination of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in Norway, 1948–1952

Dissemination of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and its content started immediately upon its adoption in December 1948. This article is an exploration into how an early UNESCO initiative...
A giant left atrial mass-Clinical treatment dilemma.

A 74-year-old female current 75 pack-year smoker presented with shortness of breath and mild hemoptysis. Chest computed tomography showed a large right upper lobe mass compressing the superior vena cava, invading the right pulmonary veins, and occupying the majority of the left atrium. Brain magnetic resonance imaging revealed a 13 mm right parietal lesion with surrounding edema consistent with metastasis. A 3D TEE showed a large mobile mass in the left atrium. Bronchoscopy confirmed that the tumor mass was consistent with a moderately to poorly differentiated squamous cell carcinoma. She underwent chemotherapy, radiation, and immune therapy. She was also started on warfarin for anticoagulation after the initial chemotherapy with resolution of the left atrial mass. We feel that the patient most likely had carcinogenic thrombus in the pulmonary veins and left atrium.
Political Participation in Local Government Planning Processes as Change Agent in Reducing Inequality to Increase Economic Growth

Inequality can be reduced through greater political participation, and reduced inequality often results in increased economic growth (Solt, 2008). This research begins with the examination of the City of Miami, Florida and the City of Denver, Colorado as case studies as part of a Qualitative and Mixed Methods Research Design to consider how inclusion, economic growth, and inequality are affected by these processes. The aim is to consider the quality of participatory methods and analyses while exploring the need for ongoing participation. Externalities such as changing property values are considered as a factor in evaluating inequality to more holistically analyze processes and outcomes. The research objectives include measuring and analyzing how a multi-faceted research design with the use of visual communication within public planning processes can further economic growth, while advancing inclusion and levels of collaboration within local government public planning participation processes in the United States. To maximize the impact of this study and to uncover reflexive benefits, the need for further research of local contexts internationally has been uncovered. This will serve as a test in achieving maximum, true diversity and the highest and best returns in terms of economic growth through the reduction of inequality. As such, this study acknowledges the need to continue to replicate this research domestically and internationally for comparative purposes to ensure the opportunity for maximum collaboration and the most thorough investigation and findings into the achievement of economic growth through the reduction of inequality.
Encoding the complete electric field of an ultraviolet ultrashort laser pulse in a near-infrared nonlinear-optical signal

We introduce a variation on the cross-correlation frequency-resolved optical gating (XFROG) technique that uses a near-infrared (NIR) nonlinear-optical signal to characterize pulses in the ultraviolet (UV). Using a transient-grating XFROG beam geometry, we create a grating using two copies of the unknown UV pulse and diffract a NIR reference pulse from it. We show that, by varying the delay between the UV pulses creating the grating, the UV pulse intensity-and-phase information can be encoded into a NIR signal. We also implemented a modified generalized-projections phase-retrieval algorithm for retrieving the UV pulses from these spectrograms. We performed proof-of-principle measurements of chirped pulses and double pulses, all at 400 nm. This approach should be extendable deeper into the UV and potentially even into the extreme UV or x-ray range.
Antithymocyte induction dosing and incidence of opportunistic viral infections using steroid-free maintenance immunosuppression.

BACKGROUND Currently, there is limited literature evaluating rATG induction dosing and incidence of opportunistic viral infections when using steroid-free maintenance immunosuppression. METHODS This single-center, retrospective, study compared high rATG (>4.5 mg/kg) versus low (<4.5 mg/kg) induction dosing and the overall incidence of early opportunistic viral infection at 180 days in the setting of maintenance immunosuppression consisting of tacrolimus, mycophenolate, rapid steroid withdrawal, and a tiered antiviral prevention strategy based on donor-recipient Cytomegalovirus (CMV) serostatus. RESULTS A total of 209 patients were included; 76 patients received low-dose and 133 patients received high-dose rATG. Incidence of overall opportunistic viral infection occurred more frequently in patients who received high compared to low dose (29.8% vs 25% p = .030). Incidence of CMV infection was also significantly increased in the high-dose group (31.6% vs 18.4% p = .039). In a multivariable model, rATG dose, as a continuous variable, remained a significant independent predictor of infection along with CMV risk (OR 1.46, 95% CI 1.02-2.09) controlling for age and CMV risk. There were no differences in graft-related outcomes at 180 days. CONCLUSION Higher cumulative rATG induction dose was associated with increased incidence of opportunistic viral infections, in the setting of a steroid-free maintenance immunosuppression in the early post-transplant period.
Video Denoising via Dynamic Video Layering

Video denoising refers to the problem of removing “noise” from a video sequence. Here, the term “noise” is used in a broad sense to refer to any corruption or outlier or interference that is not the quantity of interest. We develop a novel solution framework, which we call layering denoising (LD), for denoising highly noisy or otherwise corrupted videos that are well modeled as the sum of a low-rank matrix plus a sparse matrix. We show that the performance of existing state-of-the-art denoisers can be significantly improved (especially in large noise settings) if the video is first decomposed into the two layers and the denoiser is applied on each layer separately. Our proposed solution uses a recursive projected compressive sensing (ReProCS) based algorithm for the layering task and video block matching and three-dimensional filtering for denoising each layer. We show the power of our proposed approach, ReProCS-LD, using exhaustive experimental comparisons.
Design requirements for the Wide-field Infrared Transient Explorer (WINTER)

The Wide-field Infrared Transient Explorer (WINTER) is a 1x1 degree infrared survey telescope under devel- opment at MIT and Caltech, and slated for commissioning at Palomar Observatory in 2021. WINTER is a seeing-limited infrared time-domain survey and has two main science goals: (1) the discovery of IR kilonovae and r-process materials from binary neutron star mergers and (2) the study of general IR transients, including supernovae, tidal disruption events, and transiting exoplanets around low mass stars. We plan to meet these science goals with technologies that are relatively new to astrophysical research: hybridized InGaAs sensors as an alternative to traditional, but expensive, HgCdTe arrays and an IR-optimized 1-meter COTS telescope. To mitigate risk, optimize development efforts, and ensure that WINTER meets its science objectives, we use model-based systems engineering (MBSE) techniques commonly featured in aerospace engineering projects. Even as ground-based instrumentation projects grow in complexity, they do not often have the budget for a full-time systems engineer. We present one example of systems engineering for the ground-based WINTER project, featuring software tools that allow students or staff to learn the fundamentals of MBSE and capture the results in a formalized software interface. We focus on the top-level science requirements with a detailed example of how the goal of detecting kilonovae flows down to WINTER’s optical design. In particular, we discuss new methods for tolerance simulations, eliminating stray light, and maximizing image quality of a fly’s-eye design that slices the telescope’s focus onto 6 non-buttable, IR detectors. We also include a discussion of safety constraints for a robotic telescope.
Corruption, business environment, and small business fixed investment in India

This paper estimates a structural dynamic business investment equation and an error correction model of fixed assets growth on a sample of predominantly small and mid-size manufacturers in India. The results suggest that excessive labor regulation, power shortages, and problems of access to finance are all significant factors in industrial growth in the country. The estimated effects of labor regulation, power shortages and access to finance on the rate of business investment all vary by states' levels of industrial development and. Perhaps more importantly, they also depend on a fourth institutional factor, namely, corruption. The rate of fixed investment is significantly lower where power shortages are more severe and labor regulation is stronger over the full sample, but each of these impacts is also greater for businesses self-reportedly affected by corruption. Although access to finance does not seem to influence the rate of investment for most firms, there is evidence that investment decisions are constrained by cash flow in enterprises that are unaffected by corruption or power shortages. There are nuances to this story as we take into account regional specificity, but the key result always holds that labor regulation, power shortages and access to finance influence the rate of fixed investment in ways that depend on the incidence of corruption. In interpreting this finding, we would like to think of corruption as a proxy for the quality of property rights institutions in the sense of Acemoglu and Johnson (2005). On the other hand, we regard labor regulation and the financial environment of small businesses in India as instances of what Acemoglu and Johnson (2005) call 'contracting institutions'. The analysis finds that the interaction between corruption and other aspects of the institutional environment of fixed investment decisions could be seen consistent with the Acemoglu-Johnson view that the quality of property rights institutions exerts more abiding influence on economic outcomes than the quality of contracting institutions.
Zig-zag wanderer: Towards adaptive tracking of time-varying coherent structures in the ocean

Similar to the atmosphere, coherent structures, e.g., fronts, exist in the ocean. These frontal structures are known to be highly productive, supporting the whole spectrum of marine life. Ocean fronts are dynamic in time and space, and are a key component to a comprehensive knowledge of ocean dynamics and aquatic ecosystems in relation to climate change. However, dynamic features such as fronts are difficult to study through conventional oceanographic techniques. In this paper, we build upon our previous work in sampling and tracking an ocean front based on predictions and/or priors. Specifically, given a prior (that may not be accurate or up-to-date) we present and experimentally validate a method for an autonomous surface or underwater vehicle to plan a mission and adapt this mission on-the-go to track a dynamic, but coherent, structure. Experimental results using a novel indoor testbed, capable of creating controllable fluidic features in an indoor laboratory setting, are presented. These results demonstrate that the vehicle is able to adapt its path to follow a desired, time-varying contour.
The Association Between Strength of Religious Faith and Coping with Daily Stress

Recent research has examined the positive relationship between religious faith and both physical and mental health. The current study investigated the association between strength of religious faith and the ability to cope with daily stress over a 7-day period. The participants consisted of 68 students and 64 faculty or staff from a Catholic, liberal arts university. Measures included the Santa Clara Strength of Religious Faith Questionnaire, the Marlowe-Crowne Social Desirability Scale, the Symptom Check List-90-Revised, the Weinberger Low Self Esteem Scale, and a 10-point daily stress, coping, and strength of faith scale. Results suggest that religious faith was not associated with coping with daily stress.
Molecular differentiation of the rabbit ovum: II. During the preimplantation development of in vivo and in vitro matured oocytes☆

Abstract The developmental capacity of in vitro matured rabbit oocytes was assessed after transfer to inseminated, ovariectomized recipients such that fertilization and preimplantation development occurred in vivo . The results demonstrate that of the total number of transferred oocytes (1) 75% were fertilized, (2) 50% underwent cleavage, and (3) 13% developed into expanded blastocysts. By light microscopic criteria, embryos recovered at representative stages of preimplantation development were morphologically indistinguishable from embryos recovered at comparable stages from normally mated animals. Autoradiographs produced by high resolution, two-dimensional polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis demonstrated that changes in the pattern of polypeptide synthesis during the preimplantation stages were directly and entirely comparable for embryos derived either from normally mated animals or from in vivo or in vitro matured and transferred oocytes. Up to approximately the eight-cell stage, the translational patterns indicate the progressive disappearance of numerous oocyte-characteristic polypeptides from the autoradiographs as well as the appearance of some new species of polypeptides. Between the eight-cell and early blastocyst period, extensive and complex changes (qualitative and quantitative) occur in the patterns, whereas, in contrast, the phase of blastocyst growth and expansion that occurs during the latter portion of the preimplantation period is characterized by a fairly uniform and constant translational pattern.
A discrete event XML based system of systems hardware-in-the-loop simulation for robust threat detection

In a system of systems (SoS) consisting of heterogeneous independently operable systems, successfully sending, receiving, and understanding data is necessary to achieve interoperation among the systems. Extensible Markup Language (XML) is applied to wrap the data in a way that is commonly understood in the SoS while the asynchronous nature of the interactions among systems is viewed as an event driven system. Discrete event specification (DEVS) formalism is used to describe the models composing the SoS. Simulation provides a means to examine and analyze systems and their interactions as well as how a new system effects the SoS but can hide issues that arise during final implementation. Hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) simulation provides a bridge between simulation and implementation in order to reduce build cost and more readily verify a system's desired performance. A Groundscout robot is used as a real system in the simulation of a robust threat detection scenario.
Relationships between Nonlinear Viscoelastic Behavior and Rheological, Sensory and Oral Processing Behavior of Commercial Cheese

Cheese texture is primarily determined by its structure. Structural differences can significantly alter rheological, sensory and oral processing behaviors. Large amplitude oscillatory testing (LAOS) has been used to study nonlinear viscoelastic properties of gels, which were related to sensory and oral processing characteristics. Therefore, nonlinear viscoelastic properties of several types of commercial cheese were measured and correlated with rheological, sensory and oral processing characteristics to determine the relationships among these characteristics for more complex food systems. Cheddar, Mozzarella and American cheese were selected for evaluation. Cheddar displayed the greatest degree of nonlinear behavior under LAOS; American cheese displayed the least. Rheological, sensory and oral processing evaluation revealed significant (α = 0.05) differences in behavior of the different cheese. Correlations were found between nonlinear viscoelastic, rheological, sensory and oral processing behaviors. Thus, LAOS testing may be used to gain insight into solid food structure and structural breakdown, yielding additional information on textural properties. Practical Applications This work extends the use of large amplitude oscillatory shear (LAOS) to real food systems, showing the applicability of this technique to a variety of materials. In addition, LAOS may be used to test foods with a range of textures, from liquids to semisolids to soft solids. Using LAOS to measure the nonlinear viscoelastic properties of foods allows nonlinear behavior to be quantified in foods that cannot be tested with traditional large-strain rheology due to sample limitations. The nonlinear viscoelastic properties may be used to make inferences on texture and breakdown of food during mastication.
Perimeters of Democracy: Inverse Utopias and the Wartime Social Landscape in the American West

Review of: "Perimeters of Democracy: Inverse Utopias and the Wartime Social Landscape in the American West," by Heather Fryer.
Neuroadaptive control for safe robots in human environments: A case study

Safety is an important consideration during physical Human-Robot Interaction (pHRI). Recently the community has tested numerous new safety features for robots, including accurate joint torque sensing, gravity compensation, reduced robot mass, and joint torque limits. Although these methods have reduced the risk of high energy collisions, they rely on reduced speed or accuracy of robot manipulators. Indeed, because lightweight robots are capable of higher velocities, knowledge of dynamical models is required for precise control. However, feedforward compensation is difficult to implement on lightweight robots with flexible and nonlinear joints, links, cables, and so on. Furthermore, unknown objects picked up by the robot will significantly alter the dynamics, leading to deterioration in performance unless high controller gains are used. This paper presents an online learning controller with convergence guarantees, that is able to learn the robot dynamics on the fly and provide feed-forward compensation. The resulting joint torques are significantly lower than conventional independent joint control efforts, thus improving the safety of the robot. Experiments on a PR2 robot arm are conducted to validate the effectiveness of the neuroadaptive controller to reduce control torques during high speed free-motion, lifting unknown objects, and collisions with the environment.
Youth Participatory Action Research as an Approach to Sociopolitical Development and the New Academic Standards: Considerations for Educators

Administrators and teachers face changes prompted by the shift to Common Core State Standards (CCSS) and Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS). Youth Participatory Action Research (YPAR) offers a promising approach to supporting students in mastering new content standards, while also offering experiences that promote their sociopolitical development and civic agency. In YPAR, students work with a teacher or other adult ally to critically reflect upon the social and political forces influencing their lives, identify a pressing problem or school need, study it through systematic research, and then develop an action plan to raise awareness or change a policy. Because of its emphasis on educational relevance, critical consciousness, and social justice, YPAR is an especially promising strategy with young people who experience racism or other forms of marginalization in school. In this article we describe the YPAR cycle, make an argument for how it creates opportunities for academic learning, sociopolitical development, and youth leadership, and provide examples of what this might look like in practice. YPAR offers a curricular approach that addresses academic objectives while also supporting democratic education and the sociopolitical development of students.
Hirsch's Attack on Ontologese

According to Eli Hirsch, non-commonsensical ontological claims just couldn’t be true. Oversimplifying: there is strong metasemantic pressure to charitably interpret natural language—correct interpretations must, unless all else is highly unequal, count a sentence (especially a perceptual sentence) as true if ordinary speakers regard it as being obviously true. Ordinary speakers regard sentences like “There is at least one building in New York City” and “Nothing is composed of Mayor Bloomberg’s nose and the Chrysler Building” as being obviously true; these are perceptual sentences (in the relevant sense); and there is no countervailing metasemantic pressure; so correct interpretations count them as true; so they are true. So non-commonsensical ontological views that say otherwise can be seen to be wrong—simply by attending to metasemantics.1 One source of countervailing metasemantic pressure might be Lewisian reference magnetism. David Lewis (1983, 1984) has argued on independent grounds that metasemantics cannot be based solely on charity, and that another source of metasemantic pressure is “eligibility”: good interpretations must, as much as possible, assign meanings that “carve at the joints”. So one reply to Hirsch, which I offered in my paper “Ontological Realism” and elsewhere, is that i) there are joint-carving meanings that are suitable to be meant by quanti ers; ii) Lewisian reference magnetism is true; and iii) charity is trumped by the eligibility of an interpretation that assigns the joint-carving meanings to the quanti ers.2 I also proposed a backup reply (to which I’m increasingly partial). Suppose that i) is true but either ii) or iii) is false. Suppose, that is, that although there are indeed joint-carving quanti er meanings, either Lewis is wrong that eligibility counts in metasemantics or else eligibility does count but not enough or in the right way to outweigh charity in this case. Then Hirsch would be right about ontological claims in natural language; but ontology could instead be conducted in “Ontologese”, a language in which quanti ers are stipulated to stand for the joint-carving meanings. (Indeed, ontological questions in Ontologese would be better questions than ontological questions in natural language, since they would concern reality’s fundamental structure.)
Neuraminidase of Corynebacterium diphtheriae

Neuraminidase activity has been found in a variety of strains of Corynebacterium diphtheriae , both toxinogenic and nontoxinogenic. The enzyme has been shown to be intracellular, possibly associated with the cytoplasmic membrane. Toxinogenic strains of the diphtheria bacillus, grown under conditions unsuitable for maximal toxin production, produce neuraminidase, and the enzyme has been purified from cells of the Park Williams no. 8 strain grown under such conditions. Diphtherial toxin and diphtherial neuraminidase have similar molecular weights and remain associated during column chromatography; immunochemically, and in their electrophoretic behavior, they appear distinct. Images
Long-term plasticity in cingulate cortex requires both NMDA and metabotropic glutamate receptor activation

We tested whether induction of homosynaptic long-term potentiation and long-term depression of synaptic strength in posterior cingulate cortex requires NMDA and/or metabotropic glutamate (mGlu) receptor activation. In in-vitro slices of rat posterior cingulate cortex, the NMDA receptor antagonist D-2-amino-5-phosphonopentanoic acid (D-AP5; 15-20 microM) blocked induction of both long-term potentiation and long-term depression of mono- and polysynaptic population potentials in deep laminae. In contrast, DL-2-amino-3-phosphonopropionic acid (DL-AP3; 15-25 microM), a selective mGlu receptor antagonist, blocked homosynaptic long-term potentiation and long-term depression of monosynaptic transmission, but was ineffective in blocking the induction of either type of plasticity at polysynaptically-driven sites. The selective mGlu receptor agonist, trans-1-aminocyclopentane-1,3-dicarboxylic acid (ACPD), induced a marked depression of subicular-evoked monosynaptic potentials which reversed upon drug washout, but produced little depression of polysynaptic responses. We conclude that metabotropic glutamate receptor activation is necessary for the induction of long-term synaptic plasticity only at monosynaptic subiculo-cingulate terminals, while NMDA receptor activation is necessary for the induction of long-term potentiation/long-term depression of both mono- and polysynaptic pathways.
Comparative evidence about the verbal and analytical aptitude of accounting students

Abstract Concern over the declining quality of accounting students has led to widespread changes in accounting education. Yet, surprisingly little evidence exists to indicate that we can draw better students by changing curricula and teaching methodologies. This study adds to the rather small sampling of work on the relative quality of accounting majors. It focuses on the retention and attraction of high quality students with both analytical and verbal skills. The results show that the accounting major attracted and retained top students from the University. Students who chose an accounting major, however, tended to be stronger in analytical than verbal skills and this gap widened with attrition. Analytical skills related more strongly than verbal to performance in the introductory accounting course, although verbal skills became more important in more advanced coursework.
Anti-muscarinic toxins from Dendroaspis angusticeps

Toxins from the venom of the African green mamba, Dendroaspis angusticeps, fulfill a major need for selective ligands for some of the five genetically defined subtypes of muscarinic acetylcholine receptors (m1-m5). Two toxins have been found that are highly selective antagonists for m1 and m4 receptors (m1-toxin and m4-toxin, respectively). Two other toxins (MT1 and MT2) bind with high affinity to both m1 and m4 receptors, and are agonists. Components of the venom also modify the binding of radiolabeled antagonists to m2 receptors, but an m2-selective toxin has not yet been isolated, m1-Toxin can bind to m1 receptors at the same time as typical competitive antagonists, suggesting that this toxin binds to the N-terminal and outer loops of m1 receptor molecules, rather than within the receptor pocket where typical agonists and antagonists bind. The binding of toxins to the outer parts of receptor molecules probably accounts for their much higher specificity for individual receptor subtypes than is seen with smaller ligands. Toxins are useful for identifying, counting, localizing, activating and blocking m1 and m4 receptors with high specificity.
Developing a self-administered tool to predict adherence to antiretroviral therapy: design, method, and objectives.

Noncompliance to current antiretroviral therapy may be one of the greatest public health challenges associated with the management of HIV/AIDS. The public health consequences extend beyond an individual’s health decisions, judgements, and responsibilities to include societal concerns and ethical considerations. Understanding the predictors of compliance and noncompliance to current antiretroviral therapies, and identifying individuals according to their expected compliance outcomes are important aspects associated with the successful management of HIV-infected individuals. The stepwise methodological approach utilized to develop the self-administered survey instrument predictive of compliance to complex antiretroviral drugs regimens and adherence to other medical recommendations is reported, and the implications discussed.
A volumetric method for representing and comparing regions of electrostatic focusing in molecular structure

Algorithms for protein structure comparison employ diverse and effective representations of molecular shape. However, they do not generally represent the shape of the electrostatic potential field, except at the molecular surface. This approach neglects the geometry of the field on the outside of the molecular surface, where electrostatic focusing can play an important role in molecular recognition: Narrow clefts and grooves can partially shield charged atoms from the high dielectric solvent, enhancing potentials inside the cavity and projecting the lines of the electric field outwards from the cavity. This interplay between molecular shape and electrostatic potential is an essential means of recognition in many biomolecular systems. To leverage this phenomenon for more accurate protein structure comparison algorithms, this paper presents the first comparative representation of the region where focusing occurs. We first verified our representation in a case study of superoxide dismutase, where electrostatic focusing was first observed. Our method accurately identified the site where electrostatic focusing was established in the past. We then applied our representation to compare regions of electrostatic focusing with the positions of charged amino acids, to determine where they coincide. Over 866 protein-DNA complexes, our representations correctly detected the enrichment of arginines that contact regions of electrostatic focusing in the minor grooves of DNA. These results indicate that our novel methods precisely represent and accurately compare regions where electrostatic focusing occurs. They also describe a novel and elegant technique for seamlessly integrating molecular shape and electrostatic focusing into the same structure comparison framework.
PW04-02 Integral self therapy: A novel transpersonal psychotherapeutic method

This paper summarizes the results of Integral Self Therapy in the treatment of a group of 30 patients with mild anxiety and depression, and explains the steps involved in this novel psychotherapeutic method. Integral Self Therapy (IST) is best defined as a transpersonal, nondual, psychotherapeutic method. It is a form of transpersonal psychotherapy since practitioners of IST incorporate a spiritual understanding of the nature of the self into the therapeutic practice. IST has its theoretical foundations in the eastern paradigm of self-concept. “Non-Dual” refers to the eastern concept of the lack of an inherent difference between the observer and observed - a personal identity is considered to be a part of a larger whole. While this has traditionally been seen as a metaphysical concept, it has powerful therapeutic implications. For example, a person with depression and anxiety might feel a great deal of relief if they are able to experience what Maslow called “peak experiences”. Integral Self Therapy uses meditation, and gentle confrontation to create transcendent experiences. These experiences are then placed into context by the therapist, comparing these experiences with the patient's own sense of depression and anxiety. In this manner, patients are moved towards a more expansive self-concept. This has a significant therapeutic benefit, with a concomitant decrease in symptoms of depression and anxiety, with results seen in 6 to 8 sessions.
Convergence of a Fully Conservative Volume Corrected Characteristic Method for Transport Problems

We consider the convergence of a volume corrected characteristics-mixed method (VCCMM) for advection-diffusion systems. It is known that, without volume correction, the method is first order convergent, provided there is a nondegenerate diffusion term. We consider the advective part of the system and give some properties of the weak solution. With these properties we prove that the volume corrected method, with no diffusion term, gives a lower order $L^1$-convergence rate of $\mathcal{O}(h/\sqrt{\Delta t}+h+(\Delta t)^r)$, where $r$ is related to the accuracy of the characteristic tracing. This result compares favorably to Godunov's method, but avoids the CFL constraint, so large time steps can be taken in practice. In fact, Godunov's method converges at $\mathcal{O}(h^{1/2})$, which is our result for $\Delta t=Ch$, where now $C$ is not limited. However, the optimal choice, $\Delta t=Ch^{2/(2r+1)}$, gives a better rate, $\mathcal{O}(h^{2r/(2r+1)})$, than Godunov's method, e.g., $\mathcal{O}(h^{2/3})$ if $r=1$. With a nondegenerate diffusion term, we obtain an $L^2$-error estimate for the problem. We also prove the existence of, and give an error estimate for, a perturbed velocity field for which the volume is locally conserved. Finally, some convergence tests are given to verify the optimal convergence rate for $r=1$.