cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
OCULTOS A PLENA LUZ: LOS NIÑOS NACIDOS DE LA VIOLENCIA SEXUAL EN TIEMPOS DE GUERRA

During the last decade alone, it is estimated that tens of thousands of children have been born worldwide as a result of wartime rape and sexual exploitation, yet we know very little about these living legacies of sexual violence. I complement research in Peru with comparative data to explore four themes. Influenced by encouragement to "break the silence," the Peruvian Truth and Reconciliation Commission actively sought out first-person accounts of rape, which is understood to be the emblematic womanly wound of war. I analyze what a focus on rape and sexual violence brings into our field of vision and what it may obscure. I turn next to local biology and theories of transmission. Children conceived through rape face stigma and infanticide in many societies, which in part reflects the theories of transmission that operate in any given social context. Theories of transmission lead to "strategic pregnancies" as women seek to exert some control over their reproduction and identify the father of their child. The effort to determine paternity involves names and naming practices and the patriarchal law of the father. I conclude with questions to assist in making these issues part of the anthropological research agenda.
INVESTIGATION ON THE NEONATAL ENVIRONMENTAL HYGIENE AND DISINFECTION IN XI'AN HOSPITALS

Objective To survey the sanitation and disinfection situation in the neonatal medical services,and to provide references for prevention and control of nosocomial infection in newborns.Methods Sampling and environmental monitoring on the spot were used to evaluate sanitation and the material used in the newborn wards in 21 hospitals in Xi'an.Results The average hygienic qualified rates on object surface and staffs' hand were 84%,and pathogenic bacteria were detected on hands of medical staff.The hygienic qualified rates of of neonat humidifier water and swimming water were 68% and that of talcum powder was 43%.The hygienic quality of nursing bottles,pacifiers,medical instruments and the disinfectant were all qualified but pathogens were detected in some staffs' hands' swabs and Staphylococcus aurous was detected in some talcum powder.Conclusion More attention should be paid for the sanitation and disinfection situation especially the articles directly used for the newborn.
Experimental Design and Data Analysis of In Vivo Fluorescence Imaging Studies

The objective of this chapter is to provide researchers who conduct in vivo fluorescence imaging studies with guidance in statistical aspects in the experimental design and data analysis of such studies. In the first half of this chapter, we introduce the key statistical components for designing a sound in vivo experiment. Particular emphasis is placed on the issues and designs that pertain to fluorescence imaging studies. Examples representing several popular types of fluorescence imaging experiments are provided as case studies to demonstrate how to appropriately design such studies. In the second half of this chapter, we explain the fundamental statistical concepts and methods used in the data analysis of typical in vivo experiments. We also provide specific examples in in vivo imaging studies to illustrate the key steps of analysis procedure.
Healthy screened bias in epidemiologic studies of cancer incidence

The term "healthy screenee bias" has at least several possible meanings. It was coined by Morrison1 to de? scribe a phenomenon in nonrandomized studies seeking to measure the efficacy of screening for a particular cancer, by comparing the cancer mortality experience of screened persons with that of unscreened persons. In these studies, a bias is likely to result because persons undergoing screening, by definition, have neither a his? tory of the cancer nor symptoms of it. Unless persons in the unscreened, comparison group have their eligibility for screening assessed, there will be some who already have been diagnosed with that cancer, and still others who have not yet been diagnosed but who have symp? toms of the cancer. As a result, the unscreened group would be expected to have a relatively higher mortality from the cancer than would screened persons, at least in the immediate weeks and months after the time of screening, even in the absence of a true mortality reduc? tion resulting from screening. This term also describes the situation in which persons who choose to be screened may for other reasons be at low risk of devel? oping (and therefore dying of) a particular cancer. Finally, healthy screenee bias can be present in studies of the effects of a therapeutic intervention on cancer occurrence, when persons who are being considered for a particular intervention are first evaluated for the pres? ence of one or more forms of cancer (or a condition that gives rise to the cancer). If receiving the intervention requires the absence of a given cancer or its antecedent, then for a certain period of time the reported incidence of that cancer in treated patients will be lower than the incidence in a comparison group of untreated persons who have not been similarly screened, even if there is no biological effect of the intervention on the occurrence of the cancer. This form of healthy screenee bias also can be present in studies of the relation of a particular characteristic or pathologic condition to the subsequent
Constructing Citizenship: Gender and Changing Discourses in Tunisia

Citizenship means belonging to a community defined in political terms and nation-states have historically constituted the most relevant political community. A matter of inclusion and exclusion, citizenship can be understood as involving rights and obligations as codified in the laws and regulations of a country. It can also be seen in its more symbolic form in terms of how different categories of people in a given political community are represented in public discourse or in culturally significant national texts such as constitutions. This chapter uses a multifaceted conceptualization of citizenship that highlights its several dimensions. We show how different dimensions of “being a citizen” come to the fore in national politics in different political contexts. Taking the example of Tunisia, a small majority Muslim population country that stands out in the Arab world for its long history of legislation relatively favorable to women, we consider two critically important political contexts, postcolonial state formation in the 1950s and democratization in the Arab Spring revolution in 2011. We first show how the first national postcolonial state addressed issues of gendered citizenship in the 1950s in making reforms in rights in family law. We then consider how women themselves debated issues of representation in the drafting of a new constitution following the 2011 revolution. Our analysis demonstrates how gendered the discourse and debates on citizenship have been, regardless of the particular issues at stake.
Roadmap to a Unified Measure of Housing Insecurity

We argue for the development of a unified measure of housing insecurity, which includes the creation of a consistent definition and an instrument that allows researchers to accurately measure the problem. Our survey of the literature uncovers that there are multiple terms and definitions used to describe housing insecurity. Based on our analysis, we argue for one term, housing insecurity, and we put forth a definition that captures the various dimensions of this issue. Ultimately, we believe expert policy makers, practitioners, and academicians should convene to define and develop this measure, and that the development of the U.S. Food Security Survey Module provides a blueprint for how this can be accomplished.
Out, Out, Brief Candle? The Meaning of Meaninglessness

This inquiry will seek to clarify two apparently contradictory positions and their relationship to one another: (1) Meaning is lived in every moment of our lives, and (2) meaninglessness is one of those moments. I will challenge two typical attempts to resolve this dilemma: (1) Meaninglessness is the absence, or privation, of meaning, and/or (2) we should see meaninglessness as anonymously meaningful. Both of these solutions dismiss meaninglessness as a phenomenon with its own integrity, and, moreover, they operate within a deficit-correction enframing of therapeutic care that is untenable if meaninglessness is viewed as an act of significance rather than a pathogen to be excised. Instead, I will invite us on a perilous but necessary journey to let “meaninglessness” show itself, in its own way, as it is, which calls us to let go of, or expand, our understanding of the meaning of “meaning” to include the meaning of meaninglessness as meaninglessness. Doing so requires releasing our allegiances to arche (principle, purpose, and “oughtness”) and telos (design, order, direction). Finally, these reflections will explore the therapeutic meaning of what meaninglessness provides us, rather than takes from us, and the power of “being with” others during this “event” in a vigilant way.
Robotics to promote STEM learning: Educational robotics unit for 4th grade science

Educational robotics or Robotics in Education (RiE) is the term widely used to describe the educational use of robotics as a learning tool. Educational robotics is an effective learning tool for promoting and encouraging students' STEM learning. It is rich with opportunities to integrate not only STEM but also many other disciplines, including literacy, social studies, dance, music and art, while giving students the opportunity to find ways to work together to foster collaboration skills, express themselves using the technological tool, problem-solve, and think critically and innovatively. It is a learning tool that enhances students' learning experiences through hands-on mind-on learning. Most importantly, educational robotics provides a fun and exciting learning environment because of its hands-on nature and the integration of technology. The paper introduces an educational robotics unit that is integrated into a 4th grade science curriculum. Included in the paper is also an overview of the unit, the sequence of lessons, and an examination of key instructional strategies. In addition, it explains how the learning standards are addressed in the unit.
Unmet Primary Care Needs in Diabetic Patients with Multimorbidity in a Medically Underserved Area

Background:Diabetic patients with multimorbidity in medically underserved minority communities are less engaged in primary care and experience high emergency department (ED) utilization. This study assesses unmet primary care needs among diabetic patients in a medically underserved area (MUA).Community Context:A suburb of Memphis—Whitehaven, Tennessee (Shelby County, ZIP codes 38109 and 38116)—majority African American (96.6%) with 30.5% below the poverty level.Methods:Community case study using multiple data sources including diabetes registry, individual interviews, focus groups, and a survey of 30 ED patients with diabetes and multimorbidity.Results:Diabetes registry data indicated that 95.5% of 5723 diabetic patients had multimorbidity. Over 91.5% were uncontrolled at some point in 2014 to 2015. Only 83% of patients with diabetes and multimorbidity reported having a primary care provider (PCP) and those without a PCP were more likely to report delays in needed care. Patients expressed strong interest ...
Re‐racialization of Addiction and the Redistribution of Blame in the White Opioid Epidemic

New York City has the largest number of opioid dependent people of U.S. cities, and within New York, Whites have the highest rate of prescription opioid and heroin overdose deaths. The rise of opioid abuse among Whites has resulted in popular narratives of victimization by prescribers, framing of addiction as a biological disease, and the promise of pharmaceutical treatments that differ from the criminalizing narratives that have historically described urban Latino and black narcotic use. Through an analysis of popular media press and interviews with opioid prescribers and community pharmacists in Staten Island-the epicenter of opioid overdose in New York City and the most suburban and white of its boroughs-we found that narratives of white opioid users disrupted notions of the addict as "other," producing alternative logics of blame that focus on prescribers and the encroachment of dealers from outside of white neighborhoods.
Field hypotension in patients who arrive at the hospital normotensive: a marker of severe injury or crying wolf?

INTRODUCTION Trauma patients with hypotension in the field who arrive at a hospital with a normal blood pressure (BP) may not be recognized as significantly injured. METHODS Over a 5-year period, demographic, injury severity, and disposition data were retrospectively analyzed for patients > or =16 years of age with documented hypotension in the field (systolic BP 90 mmHg) on hospital arrival (hypotensive group). This group was compared to patients with normal BP in the field and on hospital arrival (normotensive group). RESULTS During the study, 2207 patients with documented BP were transported directly from the scene. Of this number 44 (2%) were assigned to the hypotensive group, 2086 (94%) were assigned to the normotensive group, and 77 (4%) patients were hypotensive on hospital arrival. The hypotensive group had a systolic BP in the field of 70 +/- 26 mmHg compared to 140 +/- 26 mmHg in the normotensive group (p < 0.0001). Arrival BP at the hospital was normal in both groups. Compared to the normotensive group, the hypotensive group had higher Injury Severity Scores (22.0 vs. 11.1, p < 0.0001), lower Glasgow Coma Scores (10.8 vs. 14.0, p < 0.0001), lower Revised Trauma Scores (65 vs. 7.4, p < 0.0O01), more emergency department deaths (7% vs. 0%, p < 0.001), longer lengths of stay in the intensive care unit (8.6 vs. 7.0 days, p < 0.0001) and hospital (14.0 vs. 7.0 days, p < 0.0001), and increased hospital mortality (18% vs. 4%, p < 0.001). LIMITATIONS The retrospective design and exclusion of patients without documentation of BP in the field may have resulted in selection bias. CONCLUSION Despite these limitations, field hypotension is a marker of significant injury in patients arriving at the hospital normotensive.
Total and Transmural Perfusion of the Hypertrophied Heart

Vulnerability of subendocardial muscle to ischemia is enhanced by acquired hypertrophy. The basis of subendocardial ischemia is that an imbalance between myocardial oxygen supply and demand causes selective loss of coronary flow reserve in subendocardial vessels. This can be demonstrated in experiments in which left ventricular work and oxygen consumption are constant while coronary perfusion pressure is lowered in stages. At first, flow remains constant because vessels in all muscle layers dilate. There is, however, a progressive loss of coronary flow reserve, i.e. the extra flow that can be obtained at any pressure when the coronary vessels are maximally dilated. At some lower limit of pressure, total flow decreases due to a selective decrease in subendocardial blood flow. At this stage subendocardial vessels have lost their coronary flow reserve, while the remaining myocardial vessels still have some: thus any decrease in pressure below to critical pressure decreases subendocardial flow causing ischemia.
Lensfree Computational Microscopy Tools for On-Chip Imaging of Biochips

The use of optical imaging for medical diagnostics at the point of care (POC) has great potential, but is limited by cost and the need for highly trained personnel. To this end, the cost, complexity, and size of optical microscopy devices can be reduced through the use of computation. These techniques can perform particularly well at specific tasks such as cytometry, water quality management, and disease diagnostics. This chapter focuses on lensfree on-chip imaging techniques that are based on partially coherent digital in-line holography and are especially promising for imaging of biochips toward field-use and telemedicine applications. This emerging imaging platform discards most optical components that are found in traditional microscopes such as lenses and compensates for the lack of physical components in the digital domain. Widely available image sensors and abundant computational power are used to digitally process the acquired raw data to recover traditional microscope-like images with submicron resolution over large sample volumes within biochips.
Marfan’s Syndrome and Other Microfibrillar Diseases

During the past twenty years, the molecular causes of several heritable disorders of connective tissue have been firmly established. These advances have been facilitated by the development of new means of experimental analysis, and by the identification of new extracellular matrix (ECM) components. Most of the progress has increased our understanding of collagenopathies and the contribution of the fibrillar collagens to the structural integrity of bone, cartilage, skin, ligaments and internal organs (Lee et al., 1991a). We have also discovered causal associations between mutations in nonflbrillar collagens and the clinical manifestations of epidermolysis bullosa, Alport’s syndrome, and the Schmid form of metaphyseal chondrodysplasia (Uitto and Christiano, 1992; Hudson et al., 1993; Jacenko et al., 1994).
The Warburg effect and lactate signaling augment Fgf signaling to promote sensory-neural development in the otic vesicle

Recent studies indicate that many developing tissues modify glycolysis to favor lactate synthesis, but how this promotes development is unclear. Using forward and reverse genetics in zebrafish, we show that disrupting the glycolytic gene phosphoglycerate kinase-1 (pgk1) impairs Fgf-dependent development of hair cells and neurons in the otic vesicle and other neurons in the CNS/PNS. Focusing on the otic vesicle, we found that Fgf signaling underperforms in pgk1-/- mutants even when Fgf is transiently overexpressed. Wild-type embryos treated with drugs that block synthesis or secretion of lactate mimic the pgk1-/- phenotype, whereas pgk1-/- mutants are rescued by treatment with exogenous lactate. Lactate treatment of wild-type embryos elevates expression of Etv5b/Erm even when Fgf signaling is blocked. Thus, by raising steady-state levels of Etv5b (a critical effector of the Fgf pathway), lactate renders cells more responsive to dynamic changes in Fgf signaling required by many developing tissues.
Reflections on Questions of Race, Nation, and Revolution [Plenary Address, 2017 AHS Annual Meeting]:

Issues of racism, nationalism, and revolution are at the core of the humanist struggle for social justice. This article, initially a plenary address at the historic 2017 Association for Humanist So...
Are Virtual Particles Less Real

The question of whether virtual quantum particles exist is considered here in light of previous critical analysis and under the assumption that there are particles in the world as described by quantum field theory. The relationship of the classification of particles to quantum-field-theoretic calculations and the diagrammatic aids that are often used in them is clarified. It is pointed out that the distinction between virtual particles and others and, therefore, judgments regarding their reality have been made on basis of these methods rather than on their physical characteristics. As such, it has obscured the question of their existence. It is here argued that the most influential arguments against the existence of virtual particles but not other particles fail because they either are arguments against the existence of particles in general rather than virtual particles per se, or are dependent on the imposition of classical intuitions on quantum systems, or are simply beside the point. Several reasons are then provided for considering virtual particles real, such as their descriptive, explanatory, and predictive value, and a clearer characterization of virtuality—one in terms of intermediate states—that also applies beyond perturbation theory is provided. It is also pointed out that in the role of force mediators, they serve to preclude action-at-a-distance between interacting particles. For these reasons, it is concluded that virtual particles are as real as other quantum particles.
The effect of clinical coronary disease severity on outcomes of carotid endarterectomy with and without combined coronary bypass.

Abstract Objective The management of patients with carotid stenosis and symptomatic coronary artery disease (CAD) is challenging. This study assessed the impact of clinical coronary disease severity on carotid endarterectomy (CEA) with and without combined coronary artery bypass (CCAB). Methods Using the Vascular Quality Initiative, patients with symptomatic CAD who underwent CCAB or isolated CEA (ICEA) from 2003 to 2017 were identified. Patients were stratified by CAD severity: stable angina (SA) and recent myocardial infarction/unstable angina (UA). Primary outcomes, including perioperative stroke, myocardial infarction (MI), and stroke/death/MI (SDM), were assessed between procedures within each CAD cohort. Results There were 9098 patients identified: 887 CCAB patients (215 [24%] SA, 672 [76%] UA) and 8211 ICEA patients (6385 [78%] SA, 1826 [22%] UA). Overall, CCAB patients had higher rates of stroke (2.6% vs 1.3%; P = .002) and SDM (7.3% vs 3.5%, P Conclusions In patients with symptomatic CAD, both clinical CAD severity and operative strategy affect outcomes. In SA patients, CCAB does not increase perioperative morbidity. However, CCAB in UA patients prevents MI while not appreciably increasing stroke risk. This suggests that coronary revascularization before or concomitant with CEA should be considered in UA patients but that prioritizing coronary intervention is less important in SA patients.
On Distributed Averaging for Stochastic k-PCA

In the stochastic k-PCA problem, we are given i.i.d. samples from an unknown distribution over vectors, and the goal is to compute the top k eigenvalues and eigenvectors of the moment matrix. In the simplest distributed variant, we have 'm' machines each of which receives 'n' samples. Each machine performs some computation and sends an O(k) size summary of the local dataset to a central server. The server performs an aggregation and computes the desired eigenvalues and vectors. The goal is to achieve the same effect as the server computing using m*n samples by itself. The main choices in this framework are the choice of the summary, and the method of aggregation. We consider a slight variant of the well-studied "distributed averaging" approach, and prove that this leads to significantly better bounds on the dependence between 'n' and the eigenvalue gaps. Our method can also be applied directly to a setting where the "right" value of the parameter k (i.e., one for which there is a non-trivial eigenvalue gap) is not known exactly. This is a common issue in practice which prior methods were unable to address.
Detection and Tracking of Melt Pool in Blown Powder Deposition through Image Processing of Infrared Camera Data

Blown powder deposition is an additive manufacturing procedure and has the ability to fabricate complicated and intricate geometries with excellent material properties. Reliable fabrication of complicated shapes and geometries necessitates precise control over the fabrication process. In order to do so, process monitoring tools capable of visualizing various phenomena that occur during the deposition process are needed. Knowledge of process dynamics is critical in optimizing and developing robust and effective deposition procedures.
The influence of hospital‐based intravenous immunoglobulin and home‐based self‐administrated subcutaneous immunoglobulin therapy in young children with primary immunodeficiency diseases on their parents’ / caregivers’ satisfaction

Background Immunoglobulin replacement has been standard therapy for patients with primary immunodeficiency diseases (PIDD). Intravenous immunoglobin (IVIg) is delivered at the hospital, whereas subcutaneous immunoglobin (SCIg) is used for home-based treatment. The aim of the study was to determine the advantages and disadvantages of IVIg and SCIg in Polish children aged 1-5 years, with PIDD, and the satisfaction of their parents / caregivers regarding immunoglobulin replacement. Methods The research involved parents of 23 children with PIDD, aged 1-5 years. All children were given IVIg therapy and after at least 6 months they were switched towards home SCIg therapy for at least 6 months. A questionnaire assessing advantages and disadvantages of preferred types of treatment and the quality of life of PIDD patients' families' lives was used. Results The research showed that IVIg therapy was better accepted by parents than SCIg therapy (P = 0.034) for the following reasons: It made it possible for the children to receive treatment once per month (60%); it reduced the fear of injecting the children (60%), and it provided better control of the disease through regular visits to the hospital (53.33%). Parents noticed, however, that IVIg had a significant impact on absence at school or work (70%). Parents who preferred SCIg for their children were guided mainly by the smaller number of side effects (40%), and the fact that the treatment did not interfere with parents' work or the children's school (40%). Conclusion The results showed that IVIg therapy was better accepted by parents than SCIg therapy Parents of children with SCIg are less satisfied with their life, and feel anxiety about their children disease, which is related to administering the medicine by themselves.
Correlates of the Dysregulation Profile Among Emerging Adults

The Child Behavior Checklist-Dysregulation Profile has been utilized as a potential predictive measure of future psychopathology among children and adolescents. Previous studies have examined the differences between individuals with and without an elevated profile on variables such as parenting, temperament, parental psychopathology, personality, and more. The current study extended the literature to examine similar variables among an emerging adult population as well as gender differences among the profile groups determined from a parallel form of the Child Behavior Checklist for adults, the Adult Self Report. Emerging adults were recruited at a large Southern university in the United States (410 females and 189 males). A latent profile analysis was conducted to determine profile group membership (i.e., elevation of dysregulation) and differences were examined on temperament, parental and emerging adult psychopathology, parent-child relationship, and discipline and harsh parenting. Significant differences were demonstrated between the elevated dysregulated profile and the group with low dysregulation on all observed variables. Analyses of gender differences indicated that males with an elevated dysregulation profile may be particularly vulnerable on several variables.
Why would a professor self-publish a book?

Self-publishing is common outside the academy, but faculty members rarely publish their own books. In this essay, a University of California professor explains why she chose to self-publish her boo...
Differences in online reviews caused by distribution channels

Abstract Since the use of social networks has become part of daily life for most people, many online travel agencies (OTAs) are allowing customers to log in using account credentials for social network services like Facebook (social network interface systems, SNIS) without having to create a local account on OTA sites themselves. This research explores the roles of SNIS in review generation on OTAs. For this purpose, we collected more than 174,000 online reviews for London hotels, posted from 2015 to 2016 on TripAdvisor.com. Through a series of analyses, we find that (1) concerning review generation, the portion of online reviews posted via SNIS shows no significant increase during the period; (2) reviews posted via SNIS tend to have lower ratings and be shorter than reviews posted via local accounts; (3) the channel itself, whether SNIS or a local account, does not have a direct impact on perceived review helpfulness.
Differential operators, pullbacks, and families of automorphic forms on unitary groups

This paper has two main parts. First, we construct certain differential operators, which generalize operators studied by G. Shimura. Then, as an application of some of these differential operators, we construct certain p-adic families of automorphic forms. Building on the author’s earlier work, these differential operators map automorphic forms on a unitary group of signature (n, n) to (vector-valued) automorphic forms on the product \(U^\varphi \times U^{-\varphi }\) of two unitary groups, where \(U^\varphi \) denotes the unitary group associated to a Hermitian form \(\varphi \) of arbitrary signature on an n-dimensional vector space. These differential operators have both a p-adic and a \(C^{\infty }\) incarnation. In the scalar-weight, \(C^{\infty }\)-case, these operators agree with ones studied by Shimura. In the final section of the paper, we also discuss some generalizations to other groups and settings. The results from this paper apply to the author’s paper-in-preparation with J. Fintzen, E. Mantovan, and I. Varma and to her ongoing joint project with M. Harris, J. -S. Li, and C. Skinner; they also relate to her recent paper with X. Wan.
Choosing the right tool for the job: A comprehensive assessment of serological assays for SARS-CoV-2 as surrogates for authentic virus neutralization

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) emerged in late 2019 and has since caused a global pandemic resulting in millions of cases and deaths1-4. Diagnostic tools and serological assays are critical for controlling the outbreak5-7, especially assays designed to quantitate neutralizing antibody levels, considered the best correlate of protection8-11. As vaccines become increasingly available12, it is important to identify reliable methods for measuring neutralizing antibody responses that correlate with authentic virus neutralization but can be performed outside of biosafety level 3 (BSL3) laboratories. While many neutralizing assays using pseudotyped virus have been developed, there have been few studies comparing the different assays to each other as surrogates for authentic virus neutralization9,10,13,14. Here we characterized three enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs) and three pseudotyped VSV virus neutralization assays and assessed their concordance with authentic virus neutralization. The most accurate assays for predicting authentic virus neutralization were luciferase and secreted embryonic alkaline phosphatase (SEAP) expressing pseudotyped virus neutralizations, followed by GFP expressing pseudotyped virus neutralization, and then the ELISAs.
Dispersion EPR: Considerations for Low-Frequency Experiments

The hypothesis is made that the dispersion electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectrum can yield a higher signal-to-noise ratio than the absorption spectrum in diagnostic examinations if phase noise in the bridge is under control. The rationale for this hypothesis is based on the observation that the dispersion spectrum becomes more intense than the absorption spectrum at high incident powers. The rationale is dependent on optimization of high microwave efficiency (Λ; mT/W1/2) and low-quality factor (Q-value) sample resonators as well as the use of microwave sources with reduced phase noise. Microwave frequencies from 1.2 to 94 GHz are considered. Although the dispersion display appears to be observable with an adequate signal-to-noise ratio for most EPR research initiatives, a weakness of microwave bridges for studies at high incident microwave power was identified. Spurious leakage of incident microwave power through the circulator, thereby bypassing the probe leading to the resonator, can result in a decreased signal-to-noise ratio in both absorption and dispersion because of phase noise. For dispersion EPR with low Q-value sample resonators, this leakage is the primary contributor to phase noise at the receiver. In this work, we focus on the design of microwave reflection bridges and discuss possible methods to ameliorate this source of noise.
Market Information, Bank Holding Company Risk, and Market Discipline

This paper assesses the timing and magnitude of equity market valuations of bank holding companies (BHCs) in relation to changes in their risk assessments, as proxied by changes in supervisory ratings for these organizations. In particular, equity market indicators such as market-to- book value, abnormal returns, return volatility, market valuation, price covariance, and trading volume are used to determine if they can provide timely market signals as well as add incremental value to models predicting changes in supervisor-assigned BOPEC ratings of bank holding company risk. To analyze this issue, we took 3,974 bank holding company inspections from a sample of bank holding companies whose stock was publicly traded on major exchanges over the 1988-2000 period. We specify two statistical models: (1) an ordered logistic model, which is used to test the ability of lagged financial market variables, lagged financial accounting data, and past supervisory assessments to predict BOPEC rating changes; and (2) an OLS model, which is used to test the relationship of lagged BOPEC rating changes and lagged financial accounting ratios to predict financial market variables. These models taken jointly are used to test the hypotheses that (1) equity market information adds to the ability to forecast changes in banking company risk, as measured by changes in BOPEC ratings, and (2) supervisory risk ratings have the ability to lead stock market valuations of banking companies' performance. The analysis is conducted for three distinct economic and banking periods: recession and banking crisis (1988-1992), economic recovery (1993-1995), and economic expansion (1996-2000). The findings for the first model show that financial markets can add forecast value to financial accounting data and supervisory factors in predicting future BOPEC ratings. The results reveal a relationship between market indicators and supervisory rating changes of BHCs, reflecting risk conditions that flow from market valuations to supervisory rating changes. The findings for the first model were statistically significant for all three of the periods studied. Out-of-sample forecasts show that market information sometimes improves the ability of the models to forecast upgrades, downgrades and no-rating changes. This suggests that a multiple-model approach may be superior to one using a single model to forecast BHC risk assessments. The findings for the second model reveal that regressing financial market variables on lagged BOPEC changes and lagged financial accounting information is only moderately suggestive of a relationship between lagged supervisory rating changes and equity market variables. In summary, the findings provide empirical support for the presence of market discipline to the extent that the hypothesized market variables add incremental value to the model in predicting changes in bank holding company risk ratings. To this extent, the financial markets appear to be providing some degree of independent oversight to BHC management, besides the oversight provided by bank supervisors and holding company directors.
Inhibition of Cell Proliferation by a Nuclear Type II Ligand: Methyl P-Hydroxyphenylactate

Previous studies from our laboratory demonstrated that a variety of rat tissues contain endogenous ligands for nuclear type II sites. Since type II sites bind to [3H]estradiol with a relatively low affinity (Markaverich and Clark, 1979) and have a higher affinity for the endogenous ligands (Markaverich et al., 1983; 1984), we proposed that these compounds may regulate cell growth by their association with unclear type II binding sites. This hypothesis was supported by a number of studies which suggest that nuclear type II sites may be involved in cell growth regulation by estrogenic hormones (Markaverich et al., 1981, Clark et al., 1982). Moreover, our earlier experiments demonstrated that normal tissues contained two type II ligands (α and β) which we separated on Sephadex LH-20 (2). In contrast, malignant tissues contained only the α-peak component, suggesting that a deficinecy in the β-peak material was characteristic of tumor tissue (Markaverich et al., 1984). Our preliminary experiments also demonstrated that partially purified pareparations of the β-peak component inhibited the growth of MCF-7 human breast cancer cells in vitro, whereas this inhibition was not observed with the α-peak component.
Bolted Bridge Behavior During Erection and Service

Measurements were made of the movements at connections of a 310-ft railway bridge over a period of 3-1/2 yr. The study was initiated during shop-assembly of a truss and was ended after 3 yr of service loading. As might be expected, substantial relative movements of the bridge joints occurred during erection with the addition of dead load, bracing, and floor systems. The effects of the measured movements on changes in camber are examined and compared with level readings taken during the 3 yr of traffic. In essence, no service movements were found; no evidence of a marked change in camber was found. These findings suggest that a properly designed structure with properly installed high-strength bolts will not slip under normal service loadings.
Origins of symptoms in heart failure.

Chronic heart failure is accompanied by disabling symptoms, poor quality of life, and marked exercise limitation. Despite being initiated by a reduction in left ventricular pump function, the syndrome that develops in treated heart failure is one in which a vast array of noncardiac abnormalities develop, many of which may limit exercise in their own right, and some of which may lead to progressive deterioration in left ventricular performance and prognosis. The conventional explanations for the development of symptoms and exercise limitation in heart failure are now seen as being inadequate in many respects. Exercise is usually limited by either dyspnea or muscular fatigue, and it was originally thought the former reflected elevated pulmonary capillary wedge pressures producing pulmonary congestion and edema, whereas the latter was due to inadequate cardiac output, leading to poor muscular perfusion. Recent evidence has shown, however, that there is little correlation between left ventricular function and exercise limitation; that the limiting symptoms can be changed by relatively minor alterations in the exercise test procedure; and that the hemodynamic characteristics of patients do not predict whether fatigue or dyspnea is the predominant symptom. Abnormal peripheral blood flow, endothelial dysfunction, abnormal skeletal muscle structure and function, and skeletal muscle wasting all appear better correlated with symptom generation in heart failure than hemodynamic status. An early metabolic change in skeletal muscle, due in part to abnormal muscle metabolism, activates work-sensitive neural afferents (ergoreceptors) in the muscle, which reflexly increase sympathetic drive, ventilation, and generalized vasoconstriction as well as being prime candidates for carrying the fatigue signal to the cortical centers. Treatments that correct skeletal muscle abnormalities in chronic heart failure, such as ACE inhibitors and physical training, have been shown to improve exercise tolerance and to reduce both fatigue and dyspnea. In addition, such treatments, in particular exercise training of muscle, reduce the overactivity of the work-sensitive ergoreceptors, giving a possible mechanism for both the generation of symptoms and the beneficial response to treatments that improve either muscle blood flow or metabolism in heart failure. The importance of peripheral factors in chronic heart failure stresses the multiorgan nature of this syndrome.
An Intelligent Agent to Aid in UNIX System Administration

An intelligent agent is “anything that can be viewed as perceiving its environment through sensors and acting upon its environment through effectors”. An agent performs its work by using rules (or knowledge) that maps the information its sensors give it to actions it is supposed to perform. In order to assist system administrators with some very important yet routine tasks, an intelligent agent was developed. The agent monitors certain system parameters and situations, decides if corrective action is warranted, and carries out the corrective action. Four of the most important UNIX system administrator tasks are the focus of this intelligent agent. These tasks are: detecting inactive accounts, changing the priority of CPU-intensive processes when the system load is high, deleting old files (such as core files or old backup files), and trimming the wtmp and wtmpx files.
"All Work and No Play" Reconsidered: The Use of Games to Promote Motivation and Engagement in Instruction

Th is study examined the role of games in graduate-level instructional technology courses, where the curriculum includes complex abstract theory and hands-on, practical skills. A qualitative approach was used in the study, relying on classroom observations of student behavior (recorded by digital photographs), informal student verbal comments, formal written feedback, and analysis of student game projects, as sources of data. Participants had the opportunity to serve in one or both roles of ‘ed ucational game player’ and ‘ed ucational game designer’. Issues involved in adapting existing games to classroom use are also discussed. Study findings reveal that games can be very useful in the classroom, helping to stimulate student active participation in the learning process.
A scalable pipelined architecture for biomimetic vision sensors

This work presents a novel scalable and fully pipelined digital hardware implementation for a biomimetic vision sensor that mimics the compound eye of the common house fly. The hardware includes IIR filters, FIR filters, and arithmetic units. By employing techniques such as scattered look-ahead decomposition, retiming, and distributed arithmetic, a fully parallel and pipelined system that produces new outputs at every clock cycle is achieved. Trade-offs among design parameters, accuracy, and resource usage are explored. A generic and parameterized architecture is developed in VHDL and validated using an FPGA implementation. The developed hardware shows great promise as it allows for the implementation of fly-inspired sensing and control algorithms whose motion and edge detection capabilities surpass those of traditional image processing systems.
High Resolution Observations with the Owens Valley Millimeter Wave Interferometer

A variety of star-formation regions have been observed at high resolution using the Millimeter Wave Interferometer of the Owens Valley Radio Observatory. Here we describe some of the more recent results and indicate the direction of future investigations.
Dissolution of Aluminum-, Titanium-, and Zirconium-Based Crystalline Waste Form Components Under Hydrothermal Conditions

Solubility effects were measured on ceramic and single crystal alumina, titania, SrTiO/sub 3/ (perovskite structure), and ceramic zirconia at 300 and 400/sup 0/C for times of 7 and 18 days. Selected fluids were deionized water, a high-bicarbonate, high-sulfate simulated connate water (about 1% total dissolved solids), saturated NaCl brine, and a high-magnesium, high-calcium bittern brine. There is measurable dissolution of Al/sup 3 +/ in the connate water and in the bittern brine only. In both cases this can be related to the low pH conditions expected in these fluids at high temperature and to the increase in aluminum solubility with decreasing pH. The SrTiO/sub 3/ breaks down to some extent in all fluids in the order bittern brine > NaCl > bicarbonate water > deionized water. Dissolution attack on both titanium and zirconium oxides is very small, indicating that the oxides are stable in the pressure-temperature-fluid composition regime. Breakdown of the perovskite phase appears to be by incongruent dissolution with concurrent precipitation of the titanium oxide.
Disruption of Sexual Behaviour By High Ranking Rhesus Monkeys (Macaca Mulatta)

We studied the association between social rank and sexual behaviour in a group of rhesus monkeys (Macaca mulatta) (10 males, 14 females) housed in two adjacent 15.25 x 15.25 m compounds which were separated by a solid metal wall. This wall had a small opening through which the monkeys could move from one compound to another. Because of the position of this opening, most monkeys in one compound were hidden from view of the monkeys that remained in the other compound. It was therefore possible for an observer to record whether sexual behaviour was initiated within or outside the field of view of the four highest ranking animals (two males and two females). About 2/3 of the mount sequences initiated by lower ranking males were begun when the dominant animals were out of view. Such behaviour was usually disrupted if dominant animals entered the compound in which it was taking place. Most disruptions of sexual behaviour were accomplished by means of aggression directed by a dominant animal toward one or both members of the consorting pair. In most such cases, the aggression was directed by a dominant male toward the female member of the consorting pair. This study demonstrates that dominant animals tend to interfere with the sexual behaviour of subordinate animals, and that lower ranking animals are likely to begin copulatory activity out of view of higher ranking males and females. These tendencies may account for previous findings of a strong relationship between frequency of copulatory activity and social rank in group-dwelling rhesus monkeys.
Long-Term Testing of Trenchless Pipe Liners

Due to increasing costs and inconveniences in replacing deteriorated sewer pipelines by conventional excavation methods, the trenchless or ‘no-dig’ technology is being extensively used. In trenchless technology, a polymer or reinforced polymer is applied to the inside of the deteriorated host pipe to prevent ground water from seeping into the sewer pipelines. In this research, a testing method was developed to determine the long-term creep behavior of encased polymer liners used in sewer rehabilitation. Short-term tests, following the ASTM D790 procedure, were conducted on pipe liner samples to determine the initial elastic modulus and compare it to the elastic modulus obtained from long-term testing of the encased liner. Long-term tests were conducted on 6 ft. lengths, 12 in diameter polymer liner samples encased in steel pipes. Fabrication service was provided by the industries participating in the research. The thicknesses of the polymer liners were selected according to the typical use of each product in the field. Three samples each of five liner materials were tested under constant external hydrostatic pressure to find their long-term structural properties and to present creep-buckling models. A pressure regulator, pressure transducer, and several pressure gages at different points in the water line were used to maintain constant hydraulic pressure in the gap between the steel host and the polymer liner. A novel method was developed for sealing the ends of the encased liner samples for testing. The long-term creep data was collected with strain gages bonded along the inner circumference of the liner and connected to a Data Acquisition System (DAS). The temperature of the liners was monitored continuously with the use of a thermocouple. The strain data collected from the DAS was compensated for differences in temperature throughout the period of testing, initial deformation, and coefficient of thermal expansion. Several viscoelastic models were investigated in order to fit the data. The data is used to predict the long-term modulus used in design.Copyright © 2002 by ASME