cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Modification of the electrokinetic properties of reversible electrophoresis gels for the separation and preparation of DNA. Addition of linear polymers.

The effect of adding linear polymers to a novel reversible electrophoretic media was measured. Reversible gels are formed using the polyanionic carbohydrate polymer, gellan gum. Gellan gum forms strong stable gels in the presence of divalent cations or diamines. The gels are reversible (return to solution) by changing the ionic environment or pH. Gellan gum is an anionic polymer, and the electrophoresis gels have considerable electroosmotic flow (EOF) toward the negative electrode. We measured the EOF in gellan gum electrophoresis gels as a function of gel concentration, buffer composition, and linear polymer additive. The linear polymers used in this study were polyethylene oxide and hydroxyethyl cellulose. Both polymers reduced EOF in the gels, in a manner dependent on molecular weight. Polymers with high molecular weight were more effective at reducing EOF. The addition of polymers increased the resolution of low molecular weight DNA. Native gellan gum resolved DNA from approx 50,000 to 1000 bp. Addition of the polymers resolved DNA down to approx 50 bp, in some instances. The influence of the polymers on circular plasmid DNA was also investigated. Addition of high molecular weight polyethylene oxide reduced the electrophoretic mobility of the nicked circular form compared to the supercoiled form.
Comparison of multi-seasonal Landsat 8, Sentinel-2 and hyperspectral images for mapping forest alliances in Northern California

Abstract The current era of earth observation now provides constellations of open-access, multispectral satellite imagery with medium spatial resolution, greatly increasing the frequency of cloud-free data for analysis. The Landsat satellites have a long historical record, while the newer Sentinel-2 (S2) satellites offer higher temporal, spatial and spectral resolution. The goal of this study was to evaluate the relative benefits of single- and multi-seasonal multispectral satellite data for discriminating detailed forest alliances, as defined by the U.S. National Vegetation Classification system, in a Mediterranean-climate landscape (Sonoma County, California). Results were compared to a companion analysis of simulated hyperspectral satellite data (HyspIRI) for the same study site and reference data (Clark et al., 2018). Experiments used real and simulated S2 and Landsat 8 (L8) data. Simulated S2 and L8 were from HyspIRI images, thereby focusing results on differences in spectral resolution rather than other confounding factors. The Support Vector Machine (SVM) classifier was used in a hierarchical classification of land-cover (Level 1), followed by alliances (Level 2) in forest pixels, and included summer-only and multi-seasonal sets of predictor variables (bands, indices and bands plus indices). Both real and simulated multi-seasonal multispectral variables significantly improved overall accuracy (OA) by 0.2–1.6% for Level 1 tree/no tree classifications and 3.6–25.8% for Level 2 forest alliances. Classifiers with S2 variables tended to be more accurate than L8 variables, particularly for S2, which had 0.4–2.1% and 5.1–11.8% significantly higher OA than L8 for Level 1 tree/no tree and Level 2 forest alliances, respectively. Combining multispectral bands and indices or using just bands was generally more accurate than relying on just indices for classification. Simulated HyspIRI variables from past research had significantly greater accuracy than real L8 and S2 variables, with an average OA increase of 8.2–12.6%. A final alliance-level map used for a deeper analysis used simulated multi-seasonal S2 bands and indices, which had an overall accuracy of 74.3% (Kappa = 0.70). The accuracy of this classification was only 1.6% significantly lower than the best HyspIRI-based classification, which used multi-seasonal metrics (Clark et al., 2018), and there were alliances where the S2-based classifier was more accurate. Within the context of these analyses and study area, S2 spectral-temporal data demonstrated a strong capability for mapping global forest alliances, or similar detailed floristic associations, at medium spatial resolutions (10–30 m).
Haskell and Scheme: a hands on comparison --- tutorial presentation

When teaching an undergraduate survey of programming languages course it is often useful to have students write programs using a non-imperative paradigm. Haskell and Scheme are two good choices of programming languages to use to illustrate functional programming. The goal of this tutorial is for the participants to gain a basic understanding of the similarities and differences between Haskell and Scheme.
Inter-Generational Transmission and the 21st Century Rise in Skilled Mothers' Labor Supply

By most measures, gender progress in the U.S. labor market has stagnated since the 1990s. Yet, this paper reveals that skilled U.S. mothers' full-time employment rate rose by 12 percentage points between 1999 and 2016. After ruling out several standard explanations for such a change, I hypothesize that the surge of skilled mothers entering the full-time workforce in the previous generation has induced a recent shift in household gender norms. I develop a model in which a new mother's ex ante valuation of the disutility of pursuing a career is conditioned by her own mother's prior career behavior, and find empirical support for the model in two-generation datasets constructed from the Panel Study of Income Dynamics. An accounting exercise attributes roughly 30 percent of the recent change to the model's inter-generational mechanism. Shifting norms appear to be promoting gender equality in household labor supply in the 21st century.
Cutaneous vasculitis in SLE.

Objectives We determined the temporal association between clinical and serological disease manifestations and development of cutaneous small vessel vasculitis in a large prospective multiethnic cohort. Methods Patients with SLE diagnosed according to the Systemic Lupus International Collaborating Clinics (SLICC) classification criteria or the revised classification criteria as defined by the American College of Rheumatology (ACR) were enrolled in the Hopkins Lupus Cohort. Cutaneous small vessel vasculitis was determined as a component of the Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Disease Activity Index. SLE-associated cutaneous small vessel vasculitis lesions were reported clinically. They presented as punctate lesions, palpable purpura, tender erythematous plaques or macules with or without necrosis. No histopathological diagnosis was pursued to confirm the diagnosis of vasculitis or to differentiate it from other causes of digital lesions in patients with SLE. Disease manifestations that preceded the first occurrence of cutaneous small vessel vasculitis lesions were analysed using Kaplan-Meier. Cox regression analysis was used to assess the relationship between baseline clinical and immunological manifestations and the development of cutaneous small vessel vasculitis. We adjusted for gender, race and age at SLE diagnosis. Results A total of 2580 patients were studied: 52.4% were Caucasian and 39.4% were African-American. The mean age of the cohort was 45.5±14.5 years. The mean years of cohort follow-up was 7.9±7.6. Cutaneous small vessel vasculitis was observed in 449 (17.3%). The mean time to cutaneous vasculitis after SLE diagnosis was 4.78 years (95% CI 3.96 to 5.60). At least 159 (35%) patients had recurrences of cutaneous vasculitis lesions. Discoid rash, Raynaud’s phenomenon, myositis, anaemia, Coombs’ positivity, leucopenia, anti-Smith and anti-RNP (Ribonucleoprotein) were significantly associated with the development of cutaneous vasculitis. The SLICC/ACR Damage Index score was higher in patients with cutaneous vasculitis compared with those without cutaneous vasculitis. Conclusions Cutaneous vasculitis is frequent (17.3%) and often recurrent (35%). African-Americans are at higher risk of developing cutaneous small vessel vasculitis than Caucasians. Clinical presentations such as myositis and haematological manifestations are predictors of cutaneous vasculitis development. The presence of cutaneous vasculitis is associated with increased organ damage.
Cosmological Implications of the BIMA 30 GHz Sunyaev-Zeldovich Effect Galaxy Cluster Survey

We explore the cosmological implications of seven deep survey fields observed at the Berkeley-Illinois-Maryland Association (BIMA) array with 30 GHz receivers. These observations probe the cosmic microwave background anisotropy on scales corresponding to l ~ 5500, and an earlier analysis of these data detected no galaxy clusters via the Sunyaev-Zeldovich effect (SZE). We use numerical cluster simulations and mock observations to characterize the cluster detection efficiency for each of the BIMA fields. With these detection efficiencies we derive constraints on the cosmological parameters ΩM and σ8, ruling out those models that overproduce galaxy clusters. Using only these seven BIMA fields, we calculate a 2 σ upper limit of σ8 < 1.00Ω for flat models with 0.1 ≤ ΩM ≤ 1. When the power spectrum of density fluctuations is COBE-normalized, we find ΩM < 0.63 at 95% confidence level for flat models. This constraint includes our estimate of the large uncertainties in the SZE flux-virial mass relationship, as well as published uncertainties in the Hubble parameter, the COBE power spectrum normalization, and the primordial power spectrum index. In addition, we account for the effects of sample variance. Thus, given the sensitivity and solid angle of the deepest SZE survey to date, we conclude that no cluster detections were to be expected in a low-ΩM universe. Because of the redshift-independent nature of the SZE, our constraint is driven by the absence of sufficiently massive clusters in the redshift range 0.5 ≤ z ≤ 1, making this analysis quite different and complementary to the deepest existing X-ray cluster survey analyses.
Service-learning experiences for pre-service teachers: cultural competency and behavior management challenges when working with a diverse low-income community

Service-learning is an approach in teacher education to expose pre-service teachers (PSTs) to experiences they will encounter when they enter the profession. During these service-learning experienc...
The Role of Executive Risk-Taking Incentives in Voluntary Disclosure Accuracy

We investigate whether common compensation features can encourage managers to reveal more of their private information. Under the assumption that managers have private knowledge of their firms’ future earnings, we use management forecast accuracy to proxy for the extent to which managers reveal their private information and offer two main findings. First, both the amount of severance pay a manager receives and the convexity of their stock option portfolio (i.e., vega) are positively associated with that manager’s forecast accuracy. This suggests that if shareholders compensate managers in ways that reduce concerns over firm volatility, they are more forthcoming with their private information. Second, these contracting incentives are more strongly associated with forecast accuracy when short-term pressure to conceal private information is higher. Additional analyses suggest that (1) these results are unlikely explained by earnings management activity subsequent to the forecast, (2) managers with these contracting incentives issue less optimistically biased forecasts, and (3) these contracts increase forecast accuracy of both good and bad news. Overall, our results suggest compensation can encourage managers to provide more accurate disclosures, a clear benefit to capital market participants.
Risk aversion and auction design: Theoretical and empirical evidence

Abstract Auctions are inherently risky: bidders face uncertainty about their prospects of winning and payments, while sellers are unsure about revenue and chances of a successful sale. Auction rules influence the allocation of risk among agents and the behavior of risk-averse bidders, leading to a breakdown of payoff and revenue equivalence and a heightened significance of auction design decisions by sellers. In this paper, we review the literature on risk aversion in auctions, with an emphasis on what can be learned about auction design from theoretical modeling and empirical studies. We survey theoretical results relating to the behavior of risk-averse agents in auctions, the comparison of standard auction formats in the presence of risk aversion and implications for auction design. We discuss standard and more recent approaches to identifying risk preferences in empirical studies and evidence for the significance of risk aversion in auction applications. Finally, we identify areas where existing evidence is relatively scant and ask what questions empirical research might ask given the theory and where further theoretical research may be beneficial given existing empirical results.
Illustrated dictionary and resource directory of environmental & occupational health

Examples of new terms include: Endocrine Disrupters. Infectious Microbes and Chronic Disease. Environmental indicator, Adenovirus, Aldoxycarb, Carbofurin, Concentration Factor, Hemorrhagic Fever. Pheromones. Methyl Bromide. Acid Rain. North American Emergency Response Guidebook. Principles of Biosafety. Mobile Source Control Program. Geographic Information Systems. Chemical Hazards in Water.
Antimicrobial-Resistant Food-Borne Pathogens in Imported Food

As background to the relevance of antimicrobial-resistant food-borne pathogens in imported food, this chapter first provides a brief explanation of the mechanisms by which antimicrobial resistance develops in microorganisms. The chapter then focuses on the prevalence of antimicrobial-resistant pathogens both in infections in humans and in food items, followed by a discussion on the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA’s) surveillance of imported foods for this group of pathogens. The magnitude of the public health burden due to infections caused by antimicrobial-resistant food-borne pathogens differs by region and country. Foreign travel and the consumption of imported foods contaminated with drug-resistant strains were suggested as causative factors in the increased incidence of antibiotic-resistant strains of Salmonella enterica serotype Enteritidis between 2000 and 2004, with resistance to nalidixic acid coupled with decreased susceptibility to ciprofloxacin associated with infections in England and Wales. The chapter focuses on antimicrobial-resistant Salmonella isolated from FDA-regulated imported products, in particular, seafood and fresh produce. Imported foods, especially aquatic food products, can be contaminated with antimicrobial-resistant food-borne pathogens. Global trade of foods is expected to increase in dramatic proportion in the future; hence, efforts to provide greater public health protection to foods should address antimicrobial-resistant food-borne pathogens in imported food products. Global surveillance of food-borne pathogens and sharing of antimicrobial susceptibility data among developed and developing countries are also needed to monitor trends and emerging resistance phenotypes.
Non-Linear Forecasting of Energy Futures

This paper proposes the use of the Brownian distance correlation for feature selection and for conducting a lead-lag analysis of energy time series. Brownian distance correlation determines relationships similar to those identified by the linear Granger causality test, and it also uncovers additional non-linear relationships among the log prices of oil, coal, and natural gas. When these linear and non-linear relationships are used to forecast energy futures with a non-linear regression method such as random forest for regression, the forecast of energy futures improve when compared to a forecast based only on Granger causality.
A Pedagogical Framework for Mobile Learning: Categorizing Educational Applications of Mobile Technologies into Four Types.

Instructional designers and educators recognize the potential of mobile technologies as a learning tool for students and have incorporated them into the distance learning environment. However, little research has been done to categorize the numerous examples of mobile learning in the context of distance education, and few instructional design guidelines based on a solid theoretical framework for mobile learning exist. In this paper I compare mobile learning (m-learning) with electronic learning (e-learning) and ubiquitous learning (u-learning) and describe the technological attributes and pedagogical affordances of mobile learning presented in previous studies. I modify transactional distance (TD) theory and adopt it as a relevant theoretical framework for mobile learning in distance education. Furthermore, I attempt to position previous studies into four types of mobile learning: 1) high transactional distance socialized m-learning, 2) high transactional distance individualized m-learning, 3) low transactional distance socialized m-learning, and 4) low transactional distance individualized m-learning. As a result, this paper can be used by instructional designers of open and distance learning to learn about the concepts of mobile learning and how mobile technologies can be incorporated into their teaching and learning more effectively.
The Essence of Economics: Behavior, Choice and Comparison - Essay One 'The Basic Thesis with Lessons from the Economic Analysis of the Common Law'

All economic analysis is about institutional behavior the behavior of decision-making processes such as markets, firms, political processes and courts. In turn, when economists bring these insights about institutional behavior to the analysis of law and public policy, they focus on institutional choice such as the choice between markets and political processes (the regulation issue), the choice between markets and firms (issues of industrial organization) and the choices between courts and markets (law and economics and the common law) and between courts and political processes (law and economics and constitutional law). But at present, most economic analysis of these institutional choices is carried out in a peculiarly non-economic and illogical manner. Rather than comparing these decision-making processes, standard economic analyses of institutional choices focus on the character and imperfections of one alternative. Welfare economics focuses on market malfunction or imperfection. Public choice focuses on the political malfunction or imperfection. These analyses, although often highly sophisticated, are just examinations of necessary conditions for institutional choice. Moreover, these are trivial necessary conditions. Most importantly, the imperfections in institutional alternatives are correlated: institutions tend to move together in response to variations in basic variables such as numbers and complexity. The failure to account for the parallel movements of institutions has deformed the economic analysis of law and public policy by focusing on the wrong issues and on the wrong margins of inquiry. Without comparative institutional analysis, the economic analysis of institutional choice is largely empty and the remarkable insights about institutional behavior provided by economic analysis are wasted. This is the first in a series of essays attempting to correct this problem. It sets out an approach to understanding and comparing institutions based on the dynamics of participation, an approach already inherent in most economic analysis. This essay then shows the problems created by the failure to employ this approach in a comparative institutional manner by examining economic analysis of law in general and the efficiency of the common law in particular.
Pareto optimization of planar fractal-random arrays using the strength Pareto evolutionary algorithm and generator duplication

In this paper, we study how to evolve planar fractal-random arrays using the methods developed for linear fractal-random array optimization and apply them to an existing multi-objective genetic algorithm, the strength Pareto evolutionary algorithm.
The critical place of personalism: Comments on Stern and the special issue

Abstract Reflective commentary on the project of the special issue as a whole and on each of the contributions is offered. Evaluation of the place of critical personalism in the twenty-first century and four efforts needed to secure it are then suggested.
Evidence for spiral growth on the pyramidal faces of KDP and ADP single crystals

Abstract Microscopic observations of the pyramidal {101} faces of KDP (KH2PO4) and ADP (NH4H2PO4) single crystals grown from aqueous solutions revealed that three different types of growth features are possible: growth hillocks, cooperating growth spirals with macro step heights of a few hundredsAngstroms and nucleation. From the correspondence between the locations of the growth hillocks and the etch pits formed after slightly dissolving the crystal in water, the growth hillocks could be identified as growth spirals, mostly originating from single dislocations. The growth spirals consisting of macro steps could be related to dislocation bundles. These bundles are often formed due to lattice closure errors after the formation of a liquid inclusion. Some typical phenomena as pseudo eccentricity of the growth spirals, step retardation due to strain fields and rhythmical bunching have been observed. In the case of highly perfect KDP crystals with hardly no dislocations ending on the {101} faces, crystal growth is governed by a nucleation mechanism.
Reflection and refraction of light on the gifted: An editorial

(1986). Reflection and refraction of light on the gifted: An editorial. Roeper Review: Vol. 8, Reflections: Gifted Child Education - the Last 25 Years, pp. 212-218.
College Students’ Attitudes Toward Blacks and Arabs Following a Terrorist Attack as a Function of Varying Levels of Media Exposure1

Attitudes toward Blacks and Arabs immediately following a terrorist attack on the United States, as well as 1 year later, were investigated. White undergraduate students completed a modified version of the Should-Would Discrepancy Questionnaire (Monteith & Voils, 1998), assessing beliefs about what they should do in certain situations pertaining to race and what they would do in these situations. Additionally, daily self-reported levels of news exposure were measured. The result was that the participants both believed that they should and would be more prejudiced toward Arabs than toward Blacks, at both Time 1 and Time 2. Furthermore, at Time 1, there was a trend for participants reporting high levels of daily news exposure (television, radio, Internet, and newspapers) to be more prejudiced toward Arabs than were participants who reported low levels. No effect of news exposure on attitudes toward Blacks was found at Time 1. At Time 2, however, participants reporting greater amounts of news exposure were more prejudiced toward Blacks than were participants reporting medium or low levels. Possible reasons for and implications of these findings are discussed.
Inhibition of erythroleukemic cell differentiation by normal mouse serum

Abstract The addition of normal mouse serum to otherwise normally cultured Friend erythroid progenitor cells has a significant inhibitory effect on the ability of the cells to differentiate during dimethylsulfoxide stimulation. In contrast, heterologous sera from five different species showed no inhibition of erythroid differentiation when compared to the non-mouse serum-treated control cells. Experiments designed to determine the nature of the serum inhibitory factor led to the following conclusions: (a) delipidating the serum prior to its use does not remove the inhibitory factor; (b) the differentiation-inhibiting factor (DIF) is nondialyzable and (c) the factor is stable to both heat (56°C for 60 min) and repeated freezing. While the nature of the serum inhibitory factor remains to be determined, the evidence obtained so far indicates that the inhibitory response is not due to a cytotoxic effect on the cells, but rather an interaction with the cells in such a manner so as to modulate the expression of the erythroid cell program.
Does computerised perimetry offer practical advances in choice of therapy in the glaucoma patient

Does computerised perimetry offer practical advances in choice of therapy in the glaucoma patient?
Immune tolerance and gene therapy in transplantation

Abstract Induction of tolerance is the major goal in transplantation and has been an active area of immunological research since the pioneering work of Medawar and colleagues. A recent workshop**The workshop ‘Immune tolerance and gene therapy in transplantation' was held at Berlin, Germany on 29–30 April 1999 focused on immune tolerance and gene therapy in transplantation and on corneal transplantation in particular.
A sub-millimeter wave line imaging device

In this paper we present a single mode active device for sub-millimeter wave line imaging. The illuminated scene is imaged through focusing optics onto a device we have developed and have dubbed a spatially selective mask (SSM). This device transmits parts of the image onto a heterodyne receiver. Currently the SSM is capable of transmitting user-selectable parts of one line of the image that is focused on it. Multiple patterns are used to sample a line in the image. The voltage in the receiver resulting from each pattern constitutes an independent measurement of the illuminated scene along a line. A one dimensional image is reconstructed from the measurement results and a priori knowledge of the patterns using methods derived from the theory of compressive sensing. The theory behind the device and the design principles we use are reviewed. We show line images obtained at 640 GHz. Extension of this technique to two dimensional imaging is discussed.
Elevated temperature reduces survivorship and settlement of the larvae of the Caribbean scleractinian coral, Favia fragum (Esper)

The effect of elevated seawater temperatures, such as those plaguing tropical seas during the summers of anomalously warm years, on early life stages of reef corals remains poorly studied. To redress this situation, survivorship of larvae of the brooding coral, Favia fragum, was studied in the laboratory, using both short term (48 h) and long term (156–191 h) exposures to 28, 29, and 31°C. Ability to settle when presented with induction substrates and survival after settlement, at the same exposure temperature and after reciprocal transfers to the other experimental temperatures, were also measured. No significant effect of temperature on survivorship was detected after 48 h of exposure, but larvae incubated for 156 h at the highest temperature (31°C) exhibited a 13% reduced survivorship compared to larvae at 28°C. Induction of settlement further increased mortality at the highest temperature (31°C); survivorship after settlement at 31°C was 27% lower than when larvae were simply maintained at the elevated temperature. These results indicate that elevated temperatures are more detrimental to coral larvae undergoing the developmentally complex settlement process than to the swimming planula stage. This may bode poorly for Caribbean corals with late summer reproductive seasons.
Mechanical characterisation of titanium nitride films formed by low- energy ion beam assisted deposition

Ion beam assisted deposition of thin films has gained widespread acceptance in industrial applications. In this work, fine crystalline titanium nitride films on steel were examined with respect to their mechanical properties. Nanohardness was determined by nanoindentation experiments. The influence of ion current density during the IBAD process on hardness was investigated. Additionally, samples produced by reactive evaporation (RE) and photon assisted deposition (PHAD) were examined. The nanohardness of all the titanium nitride films decreased with increasing indentation depth and ion current density, and increased with exposure time to air. It was found that the nanohardness of TiN films correlates directly with the oxygen content of the films. Therefore, high oxygen concentration in the near-surface region results in a higher hardness.
Rational dosing of antimicrobial agents: pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic strategies.

Purpose. Using the principles of pharmacokinetic (PK) and pharmacodynamic (PD) dosing, the optimal dosing strategies of beta-lactams, macrolides, fluoroquinolones, and aminoglycosides for the treatment of community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) are reviewed. Summary. The optimal dosing of antimicrobials according to PK and PD principles is one method to reduce the misuse and overuse of the agents and antimicrobial resistance. Based on PK/PD profiles, antimicrobial agents are divided into three groups: agents with concentration-dependent killing (e.g., fluoroquinolones, aminoglycosides), agents with time- dependent killing and minimal or no persistent effects (e.g., beta-lactams in most circumstances), and agents with time-dependent killing and moderate-to-prolonged persistent effects (e.g., azithromycin).[19][1] With concentration-dependent agents such as fluoroquinolones, it is the total amount of drug administered that determines efficacy. With time-dependent agents such as macrolides and beta-lactams, it is the duration of exposure to a specific minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC). That part is straight forward. When a concentration-dependent killing drug is able to achieve its optimal peak:MIC, peak:MIC becomes the determinant of efficacy. When such a drug cannot achieve its optimal peak:MIC, AUC:MIC should be used to determine efficacy. Conclusion. Optimizing the dose and duration of antimicrobial therapy via PK/PD principles is one strategy to reduce antimicrobial resistance. PK/PD-based dosing provides patient- and pathogen-specific therapy and have the potential to make antimicrobial therapy safer and more effective by accounting for factors such as renal function, underlying pathogen, and local patterns of resistance. [1]: #ref-19
Evidence-based vaginal birth after Caesarean section

Caesarean section rates are rising globally. Whether vaginal birth after Caesarean (VBAC) is safe and under what circumstances is increasingly important. This chapter reviews the literature about the risks of VBAC, patient and management factors that may alter risk, and discusses ongoing research as well as suggestions for improving future research.
Chemo/radiation with and without surgery in the thoracic esophagus: the Wayne State experience.

Abstract Wayne State University was the site of one of the initial experiences with combination chemotherapy, radiation, and surgery for carcinoma of the thoracic esophagus. This review analyzes all the patients seen with thoracic esophageal carcinoma from 1980 to 1984 inclusive, plus an additional 22 patient pilot study. The great majority of patients seen were treated with combination radiation and chemotherapy, which may have a greater applicability than does esophagectomy. Eighty-nine patients completed planned preoperative treatment consisting of (5-FU cisplatin and radiation therapy). Of these patients, 39 patients refused or were not offered surgery, and 4 patients are still alive and well several years from treatment initiation. Fifty patients underwent esophagectomy. Twelve of this patients were free of tumor at esophagectomy, and 4 of these are still alive and well several years from treatment. One patient with residual tumor in the esophagectomy specimen alone is still alive. Because of disappointing results and surgical mortality risk, 22 patients were entered on the pilot study, increasing the tumor dose of 5000 cGy, and increasing chemotherapy to 4 courses. Six patients are still alive in this small series. Since the results of radiation and chemotherapy combination approximates that of best prior trials of radiation therapy alone, a randomized study has been initiated comparing these treatment plans to determine if the combination of radiation and chemotherapy is superior to radiation alone.
An Exploration of Why People Participate in Second Life Social Support Groups

The present study investigates why people participate in Second Life social support groups. Twenty-three participants in Alcoholics Anonymous and Cancer Caregiver groups that meet in Second Life were interviewed and asked how satisfied they are with those meetings, what influences their satisfaction, what they find most helpful, what they like the least, the nature of their relationships in the group, and what surprised them the most. Their responses identify the text-based anonymity, nearly synchronous communication, visual representation of avatars, and use of time and virtual space as influences that stimulate hyperpersonal relationship development in their Second Life social support groups.
Developing a Measure of Therapist Adherence to Contingency Management: An Application of the Many-Facet Rasch Model.

ABSTRACT A unique application of the Many-Facet Rasch Model (MFRM) is introduced as the preferred method for evaluating the psychometric properties of a measure of therapist adherence to Contingency Management (CM) treatment of adolescent substance use. The utility of psychometric methods based in Classical Test Theory was limited by complexities of the data, including: (1) ratings provided by multiple informants (i.e., youth, caregivers, and therapists), (2) data from separate research studies, (3) repeated measurements, (4) multiple versions of the questionnaire, and (5) missing data. Two dimensions of CM adherence were supported: adherence to Cognitive Behavioral components and adherence to monitoring components. The rating scale performed differently for items in these subscales, and of 11 items evaluated, eight were found to perform well. The MFRM is presented as a highly flexible approach that can be used to overcome the limitations of traditional methods in the development of adherence measures for...
Molecular dynamics simulation of protein hydration: Studies on tuna ferrocytochrome-c and bovine erythrocyte superoxide dismutase

Abstract Some results obtained from recent molecular dynamics simulations of tuna ferrocytochrome-c and bovine erythrocyte superoxide dismutase in water are reviewed. The simulation of cytochrome-c shows that the amplitudes of fluctuation of the protein atoms are similar to those obtained from a previous simulation in which the solvent was represented implicitly. The radial dependence of mobility of water around cytochrome-c exhibits a maximum at about 2 nm from the protein center of mass, similar to a previous simulation of trypsin in water. The simulation of bovine erythrocyte superoxide dismutase shows that the fluctuation of the channel to the active site is rather large, which may be important in allowing superoxide to diffuse to that site. The water structure in the channel is rather pronounced and may modulate the electrostatic environment around the active site and influence the diffusional encounter of superoxide with the enzyme.
Synthesis of porous polymeric membranes by polymerization of micro-emulsions

Abstract In this study the polymerization of monomer-containing micro-emulsions to yield porous polymeric membranes is demonstrated. A micro-emulsion system composed of methyl methacrylate and acrylic acid as monomers, ethyleneglycol dimethacrylate as crosslinking agent, sodium dodecylsulfate as surfactant and water was studied. An identical surfactant-free system, formed using the same monomers, crosslinking agent and water but without surfactant, was also studied and the micro-emulsions formed at certain compositions were polymerized. Our earlier work with these systems had indicated the porous morphology of the polymer to be dependent on the microstructure of the precursor micro-emulsion. In the present study micro-emulsion compositions which showed inferential evidence of a bicontinuous structure were polymerized to form membranes by using photo-initiated polymerization with ultra-violet radiation. The membranes formed had a thickness of 10–12 μm. The swelling characteristics in water of the polymeric material constituting the membranes was evaluated as a function of pH. The tensile properties of the membranes were also evaluated. The permeability of the membranes was examined using aqueous solutions of acrylic acid. The results indicate the permeability of the membranes to be dependent on the composition of the precursor micro-emulsion due to the relationship between the polymer morphology and micro-emulsion structure. This study conclusively shows the feasibility of synthesizing porous polymeric membranes by utilizing the structure of micro-emulsions.
The Madness beyond MAD—Current American Nuclear Strategy

A rational strategy for the employment of nuclear weapons is a contradiction in terms. The enormity of the destruction, either executed or threatened, severs the nexus of proportionality between means and ends which used to characterize the threat and use of force. This does not mean, however, that all nuclear strategies are equally irrational. The nuclear policy of the Reagan administrationwhich is essentially the same as that of the Carter administration and which has its roots in developments initiated by even earlier administrations-is particularly ill-formed. As I will demonstrate, the basic reason for this is that the strategy rests on a profound underestimation of the impact of nuclear weapons on military strategy and attempts to understand the current situation with intellectual tools appropriate only in the pre-nuclear era.
A revised scale for the measurement of open‐mindedness

(1964). A revised scale for the measurement of open‐mindedness. Speech Monographs: Vol. 31, No. 2, pp. 97-102.
Interview with Dr. Art Papier of Logical Images

This interview with Dr. Art Papier, chief scientific officer and co-creator of Logical Images, discusses the company's two main products, VisualDx and Skinsight, as well as the company's background and future plans. The company's mobile product, VisualDx Mobile, is also discussed.
The microstructure of 55 w/o Al—Zn—Si (Galvalume) hot dip coatings

Light metallography, x-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscope (SEM), (EMPA), and scanning transmission electron microscope (STEM) were used to study the microstructural characteristics of 55 w/o Al—Zn-Si (Galvalume) hot-dip coatings on steel. Processing variables of coating thickness and dip time were studied and a thin foil sample preparation technique involving ion beam thinning for the STEM evaluation of coating cross sections was developed. The spangled coating surface was comprised of a fine dendritic network, and correlations between dendrite arm spacing and spangle size with coating thickness have been made. The overlay, or solidified bath, consists of grains of A1-rich dendrites along with Zn-rich interdendritic zones. EMPA in conjunction with TEM imaging showed that these Zn-rich interdendritic regions had a heavy concentration of precipitates. Selective etching of the overlay revealed a forest of Si particles which grew out from the alloy layer. The alloy layer was studied using the EMPA and STEM and it was found that up to five intermetallic phases were present after long dip times.
Some Recent Works on Slavery Outside the United States: An American Perspective. A Review Article

The huge outpouring of works on slavery in the antebellum United States South is now beginning to spill over to other times and places. In addition to a rapidly growing literature on other New World slave systems, there is also evident a new attention to slavery in Africa, Asia, and Europe, as well as renewed interest in formulating sweeping comparative theories. If the 1970s represented preeminently a decade of research on American slavery, the 1980s may well turn out to be remembered as a decade in which scholars made signal contributions to our understanding of slavery outside the United States, and as a general phenomenon. 1 From an American perspective, this new focus yields some noteworthyindeed startling-conclusions, many of which serve to re-emphasize the uniqueness of the "peculiar institution" in the United States South. If we have already learned that slaves in most other places, unlike those in the South, were not self-reproducing, we now find that in many societies slavery was not based on any racial-or even ethnic-distinction between master and bondsman. Although we are accustomed to thinking of slaves as persons assigned to perform society's least pleasant tasks, in a wide variety of places there have existed elite, or high-status, slaves, even including those who served in high-level governmental positions. Finally, whereas most American slaves were agricultural laborers who toiled to enrich their masters, in many slave systems the majority of slaves were not engaged in productive labor. The seven works reviewed here all deal with slavery outside the United States and thus raise important questions not only for students of the particular countries concerned, but also for those of slavery as a whole. All of these
Learned alcohol aversions in rats: gustatory and olfactory components.

Abstract The gustatory and oflactory basis of learned alcohol aversions was examined by testing rats with either gustatory neocortex ablations, olfactory bulb ablations, or a combination of both ablations. In the first experiment operated rats were compared with control rats in the acquisition of a learned alcohol aversion. In the second experiment, the effect of ablations on preoperatively-learned alcohol aversions was examined. Rats lacking gustatory neocortex learned and retained alcohol aversions normally although these rats extinguished the aversions faster than normal rats. Olfactory bulb ablation alone failed to disrupt normal aversion learning but completely eliminated retention of a previously acquired aversion. Combination ablations produced severe deficits both in acquisition and retention of learned alcohol aversions. The results indicate that, besides having gustatory qualities, the odor quality of alcohol is important in determining the associative and memorial characteristics of alcohol.
Wetzel grid analysis of rheumatic children

Summary 1. The distribution of 157 childrenon the Wetzel Grid in their initial episode of acute rheumatic fever is presented and compared with the distribution of 3,366 grade school children. The comparison of the two series points definitely to the presence of growth failure in the series of rheumatic children as compared to the childhood population of the same age range at large. 2. Follow-up Grid position determinationsof 130 of the 157 rheumatic children show a shift in the Grid positions demonstrating marked improvement in growth and development. 3. The application of the Wetzel Grid as an instrument in following the course of the individual child with rheumatic fever is suggested.
Fat body protein associated with the larval diapause of the southwestern corn borer, Diatraea grandiosella: Synthesis and characteristics

Abstract 1. 1. The proteins of the larval fat body of the southwestern corn borer, Diatraea grandiosella, were subjected to isoelectric focusing and disc electrophoresis in polyacrylamide gels to examine the diapause-associated protein (DAP). 2. 2. The fat bodies of last instar pre-diapausing larvae, as well as those of non-diapausing larvae which had been treated with juvenile hormone or a juvenile hormone mimic, were shown to store DAP. 3. 3. The protein fraction has an isoelectric point of 5.9, and appears to be a single polypeptide unit with a molecular weight of about 35,000. 4. 4. The protein was resistant to hydrolysis at 37°C by midgut enzymes and trypsin. 5. 5. De novo synthesis of DAP was demonstrated both in vitro and in vivo in the fat body of pre-diapausing larvae using radioactive leucine. 6. 6. Isolated fat bodies of 33-day old last instar pre-diapausing larvae incubated in macromolecule-free Grace's medium incorporated [3H]leucine selectively into DAP. 7. 7. Experiments employing [14C] and [3H]leucine and cycloheximide, an inhibitor of peptide bond formation, confirmed the synthesis of DAP in vivo. 8. 8. DAP was released unchanged from the fat body of mid-diapausing larvae in vitro. Since the protein does not accumulate in the haemolymph in vivo it may be structurally modified before or after release in vivo. 9. 9. The possible diapause-related functions of DAP are appraised.
Space telescopes after the James Webb Space Telescope

Following the use of the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), there will be a need for space telescopes or interferometers of increasing size and, later, of increasing aperture. Looking ahead to the known problems of the next decade allows a modest extrapolation from JWST to address the currently interesting science. Increasing telescope sizes will also allow exploration with higher angular resolution. Eventually, the telescope/interferometer sizes will be so large that they must be constructed in space.
Automated Detection of Dual p16/Ki67 Nuclear Immunoreactivity in Liquid-Based Pap Tests for Improved Cervical Cancer Risk Stratification

The Papanicolau (Pap) test is a routine cytological procedure for early detection of dysplastic lesions in cervical epithelium. A reliable screening method is crucial for triage of women at risk; however manual screening and interpretation are associated with relatively low sensitivity and substantial interobserver diagnostic variability. P16 and Ki67 biomarkers have been recently proposed as adjunctive tools in the diagnosis of high-risk human papillomavirus (hrHPV) associated dysplasias to supplement the morphological characteristics of cells by additional colorimetric features. In this study, an automated technique for the evaluation of dual p16/Ki67 immunoreactivity in cervical cell nuclei is introduced. Smears stained with p16 and Ki67 antibodies were digitized, and analyzed by algorithms we developed. Gradient-based radial symmetry operator and adaptive processing of symmetry image were employed to obtain the nuclear mask. This step was followed by the extraction of features including pixel data and immunoreactivity signature from each nucleus. The features were analyzed by two support vector machine classifiers to assign a nucleus into one of four types of immunoreactivity: p16 positive (p16+/Ki67−), Ki67 positive (p16−/Ki67+), dual p16/Ki67 positive (p16+/Ki67+) and negative (p16−/Ki67−), respectively. Results obtained by our method correlated well with readings by two cytopathologists (n = 18,068 cells); p16+/Ki67+ nuclei were classified with respective precisions of 77.1% and 82.6%. Specificity in identification of p16−/Ki67− nuclei was better than 99.5%, and the sensitivity in detection of all immunopositive nuclei was 86.3 and 89.4%, respectively. We found that the quantitative characterization of immunoreactivity provided by the additional highlighting of classified nuclei can positively impact the efficacy and screening outcome of the Pap test.
Effects of ingesting nonnutritive sweet substances on subsequent sucrose consumption

An experiment with rats was conducted to verify and further study the drive-reducing effects of nonnutritive sweet substances. Ingestion of 1 ml of.25% pure saccharin or.6% sodium cyslamate solutions significantly suppressed subsequent consumption of a 16% sucrose solution. The data also indicated that the suppression effect following consumption of saccharin disappears within 5 min. It was concluded that the transitory effects of saccharin consumption may account for discrepancies between previous studies on the drive-reducing effects of saccharin.
The Dynamics of Global Dominance: European Overseas Empires, 1415-1980

This survey of the rise and decline of European overseas empires asks how and why these empires were formed, persisted, and eventually fell. In a discussion that encompasses European and non-European actors as well as the economic, social, cultural and political dimensions of empire, David Abernethy explains Europe's long occupation of global centre stage and seeks to throw new light on today's postcolonial world and the legacies of empire.