cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Functional Measures Upon Admission to Acute Inpatient Rehabilitation Predict Quality of Life After Ischemic Stroke.

Abstract Objective To evaluate the association between functional measures at admission to acute inpatient rehabilitation (AIR) and health-related quality of life (HRQOL) scores at 3 months after ischemic stroke. Design Consecutive patients with ischemic stroke admitted to AIR were consented to a prospective registry. Setting Large academic referral inpatient rehabilitation hospital. Participants Patients (N=113) with ischemic stroke (mean age 70.6 ± 14.5y; 54.0% male; 56.6% white) were included in the analysis. Interventions Not applicable. Main Outcome Measures Admission FIM and Berg Balance Scores (BBS) were abstracted when available. The Neuro-Quality of Life questionnaire was used to assess 3-month HRQOL in 4 domains: upper extremity (UE), lower extremity (LE), executive functions (EF), and general concerns (GC). Associations of FIM and BBS scores with impaired HRQOL at 3 months were evaluated. Results The median time from stroke onset to admission FIM and BBS was 6.4 (interquartile range [IQR] 4.2-11.3) and 8.9 (IQR 5.8-14.4) days, respectively. A 5-point increase in admission FIM score decreased the likelihood of impairment in HRQOL at 3 months by 25% for GC (odds ratio [OR] 0.75, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.61-0.93, P=.01), 31% for EF (OR 0.69, 95% CI 0.56-0.85, P=.001), 16% for UE function (OR 0.84, 95% CI 0.73-0.96, P=.01), and 21% for LE function (OR 0.79, 95% CI 0.67-0.93 P=.004). A 5-point increase in admission BBS decreased the likelihood of impairment in HRQOL domains at 3 months by 15% for UE function (OR 0.85, 95% CI 0.75-0.98, P=.02) and 25% for LE function (OR 0.75, 95% CI 0.64-0.89, P=.001). Conclusions Admission FIM and BBS were strongly associated with 3-month HRQOL associated across multiple domains following stroke. These findings indicate that HRQOL can be predicted earlier in a patient’s course during AIR.
The Earliest Stages of Tree Growth: Development, Physiology and Impacts of Microclimate

Although the germinant and young seedling life stage of trees has the highest mortality rates, our understanding of their fundamental physiology is surprisingly limited in naturally-occurring environments. Field measurements for this life stage are particularly important because of the uniquely harsh environment these small trees experience: their proximity to the soil surface results in an exceptionally dynamic microclimate with large daily shifts in such parameters as temperature, humidity and radiation. The impact of these changing conditions is discussed with respect to seedling survival. Our current knowledge of anatomical and morphological responses of early seedlings to variation in light and water conditions is also reviewed. For example, research has shown that differences in light intensity result in divergence in vessel diameters and number in Eucalyptus grandis seedlings. Using these data, we calculated the theoretical hydraulic conductivity for high and low light-grown seedlings. This comparison showed that after 7 weeks the differences in xylem anatomy would result in the high light seedlings having two times the theoretical leaf-specific hydraulic conductivity of the low light seedlings. Future research in this field should include developing new techniques specific to the unique fragility and size of seedlings, determining the adaptive nature of different cotyledon structures, and better quantifying the physiological and developmental characteristics of early germinants.
Building Resilience in All Children: A Public Health Approach

In this chapter, we present a conceptual framework for the promotion of resilience in children that integrates concepts from the study of resilience with a public health approach to improving mental health at the population level. The chapter begins with a review of resilience and public health concepts and describes how these perspectives can be integrated within a broad framework for the promotion of health and prevention of dysfunction. We then present examples of evidence-based preventive interventions and policies that have successfully implemented components of this framework. Given our focus on promoting resilience, we limit discussion and examples of interventions to those designed to create resources for children not diagnosed with mental health disorder, although the framework could readily be extended to interventions for children with clinical levels of dysfunction. Finally, we provide an overview of how the framework might be used by planners to create resources in their communities that will promote resilience, as well as examples of tools currently available to assist planners in this process.
Optimization in logical analysis of data

Logical Analysis of Data (LAD) is a machine learning/data mining methodology that combines ideas from areas such as Boolean functions, optimization and logic. In this thesis, we focus on the description and the application of novel optimization models to the construction of improved and/or simplified LAD models of data. We address the construction of LAD classification models, proposing two alternative ways of generating patterns, or rules. First, we show how to construct LAD models based on patterns of maximum coverage. We show, through a series of computational experiments, that such models are as good as, if not better than those obtained with the standard LAD implementation and other machine learning methods, while requiring a much simpler calibration for optimal performance. We formulate the problem of finding the most suitable LAD model as a large linear program, and show how to solve it using column generation. For the subproblem phase, we describe a branch-and-bound algorithm, whose performance is significantly superior to that of a commercial integer programming solver. The LAD models produced by this algorithm are virtually parameter-free and practically as accurate as the calibrated models obtained with other machine learning methods. Finally, we propose a novel regression algorithm that extends the LAD methodology for the case of a numerical outcome and show that it constitutes an attractive alternative to other regression methods in terms of performance and flexibility of use.
Eyelid Classical Conditioning

Classical conditioning is one of the most important tools for behavioral and neural scientists. The inherent simplicity and universal nature of classical conditioning has led to advances in discovering behavioral laws and in delineating the neural substrates of associations. Many of these recent advances have been due to the ease of implementing a type of classical conditioning using the eye blink as the response. Eye blink classical conditioning is the most studied somatic response analog of Pavlovian conditioning.
[14C]-aflatoxin B1 metabolism in lactating goats and rats.

Four dairy goats in the second to third month of lactation were administered [14C]-Aflatoxin B1 ( [14C]-AFB1). Two goats were dosed intravenously (iv) with 130 muCi (182 muCi/mumol) and two were dosed orally with 196 muCi (256 muCi/mumol). Urine, milk and feces were collected for 120 h after [14C]-AFB1 administration. Recoveries (average of two animals) of 14C in urine, milk and feces were, respectively; 22.7, .97 and 65% (iv dose) and 30.9, 1.05 and 52.3% (oral dose). Aflatoxin M1 (AFM1) was found in milk in the highest concentration. Aflatoxin Q1 (AFQ1) and aflatoxicol (AFL) were found in trace quantities in milk of animals administered the oral dose. In general, AFM1 could account for the majority of dicholromethane-soluble 14C. Liver contained 7.3 and 4.9% of the dose after 120 h for the iv and oral doses respectively. Kidney, heart, lung and spleen all contained .1% or less of the dose at 120 h. Muscle contained .48% of the dose at 120 h from the goats administered [14C]-AFB1 orally. There was no detectable radioactivity in the fat of any goat at 120 h. Six lactating Sprague-Dawley rats with 12 nursing pups were used for comparison of ruminants and simple-stomached animals. Rats were administered 2 muCi of [14C]-AFB1 (125 muCi/mumol) iv (three animals) and orally (three animals). Mean recovery of 14C in urine, mammary plus milk and feces were, respectively; 9.5, 2.0 and 60.7% (iv) and 8.8, 2.6 and 65.0% (orally).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Reliable Usable Signals to Prevent Masquerade Attacks

In the nineties the disconnection between physical experience and the digital networked experience was celebrated - individuals were said to move into cyberspace, become virtual and leave the constraints of the physical realm. Despite the very real existence of tracking and surveillance software, it remains the case that identity assertions online remain problematic at best. While there are many benefits to this relative anonymity online, it also creates a serious problem of distinguishing between valid merchants and criminal enterprises, between reliable web sites and sites that install malware. The paucity of information exacerbates poor understanding of the risks involved in particular transactions, exposing users to losses and driving out parties who would otherwise engage in productive behavior. This paper describes a mechanism to create highly usable economic signals that enable users to evaluate sites on the Internet, and in particular to specifically identify masquerade attacks. By integrating both peer production and centralized information, the system utilizes both personal local histories and centralized information sources. Limiting the distribution of personal histories to user-defined social networks enables users to constrain and control their own information.
Oral Versus Aerosolized Ribavirin for the Treatment of Respiratory Syncytial Virus Infections in Hematopoietic Cell Transplant Recipients.

Background The use of oral ribavirin (RBV) for respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infections is not well studied. With the drastic increase in the cost of aerosolized RBV, we aimed to compare outcomes of hematopoietic cell transplant (HCT) recipients treated with oral or aerosolized RBV for RSV infections. Methods We reviewed the records of 124 HCT recipients with RSV infections treated with oral or aerosolized RBV from September 2014 through April 2017. An immunodeficiency scoring index (ISI) was used to classify patients as low, moderate, or high risk for progression to lower respiratory infection (LRI) or death. Results Seventy patients (56%) received aerosolized RBV and 54 (44%) oral RBV. Both groups had a 27% rate of progression to LRI (P = 1.00). Mortality rates did not significantly differ between groups (30-day: aerosolized 10%, oral 9%, P = 1.00; 90-day: aerosolized 23%, oral 11%, P = .10). Classification and regression tree analysis identified ISI ≥7 as an independent predictor of 30-day mortality. For patients with ISI ≥7, 30-day mortality was significantly increased overall, yet remained similar between the aerosolized and oral therapy groups (33% for both). After propensity score adjustment, Cox proportional hazards models showed similar mortality rates between oral and aerosolized therapy groups (30-day: hazard ratio [HR], 1.12 [95% confidence interval {CI}, .345-3.65, P = .845). Conclusions HCT recipients with RSV infections had similar outcomes when treated with aerosolized or oral RBV. Oral ribavirin may be an effective alternative to aerosolized RBV, with potential significant cost savings.
Not Quite Human: Artificial Intelligence, Animals, and the Regulation of Sentient Property

The advent of artificial intelligence promises to revolutionize nearly every aspect of civil society. AIs will perform complex tasks, occupy jobs traditionally performed by humans, develop groundbreaking inventions, provide familial comfort, and even offer sexual companionship. In part because the versatility of AI makes it suited to perform so many disparate roles, policymakers will need to confront the question of legal status: what are AI in the eyes of the law? Are they mere property? Are they “people” too? Are they something in between? This Article takes a first step in answering that question by analogizing AI to another form of sentient property: nonhuman animals. Four centuries of domestic animal rights law offer critical insights into the legal values that AI regulations ought to protect. These include protection of AIs as property (including allocation of responsibility for damage done by AIs); protecting human emotional attachments to companion and romantic AIs; limiting extreme antisocial behavior involving AIs—such as the realistic torture of physically embodied AIs—because of the psychologically harmful consequences it has for humans; and potentially protecting the AIs as intrinsically valuable. These values can be protected by a number of regulatory regimes that have analogously emerged in reaction to animal rights concerns, including anticruelty legislation, private ordering for leased AIs, federal administrative oversight, public nuisance litigation, and research or grant conditions. The practical lessons of animal rights law avoid unhelpfully abstract theorizing and offer a realistic model for regulation of artificial intelligence in the twenty-first century.
Do Expectations of Divorce Predict Union Formation in the Transition to Adulthood

Objective This study describes the association between explicit expectations to divorce and subsequent first union formation over the transition to adulthood (ages 18-28). Background Expectations for marriage in young adulthood predict union formation. Even before marrying, young adults may express a perceived risk of eventual divorce, and expectations of divorce may also have implications for union formation over the transition to adulthood. Method Data from the 2005-2015 years of the Panel Study of Income Dynamics Transition to Adulthood Supplement (n = 2052) were used to estimate the association between expectations to divorce and entry into first premarital cohabitation and first marriage using discrete-time logistic and multinomial logistic survival models. Results As hypothesized, greater expectations for divorce predicted slower entrance into first marriage, even controlling for expectations for marriage and various sociodemographic characteristics, and predicted a greater likelihood of both remaining single and being first observed cohabiting instead of marrying in young adulthood for both men and women. Conclusion Despite desiring to marry, young adults may delay marriage if they are concerned about their risk of future divorce.
Recensione di Le parole necessarie. Tecniche della scrittura e utopia della lettura, di Giuseppe Pontiggia

Recensione di Le parole necessarie. Tecniche della scrittura e utopia della lettura , di Giuseppe Pontiggia, a cura di Daniela Marcheschi. Review of Le parole necessarie. Tecniche della scrittura e utopia della lettura , by Giuseppe Pontiggia , edited by Daniela Marcheschi.
Advances in the Development of Spectrally Pure Microwave Photonic Synthesizers

Microwave Photonics is promising for generation and synthesis of radio frequency, microwave as well as millimeter wave signals of outstanding spectral purity and arbitrary wave form. High optical quality factors lead to the low noise of the signals. Small size of the optical components results in small form factor of the photonic devices. As such, the photonic oscillators outperform the majority of high frequency microwave ones of purely electronic nature. In this letter we review the major recent advances and trends as well as discuss future steps in the development of the field.
Real-Time Nonparametric Anomaly Detection in High-Dimensional Settings

Timely detection of abrupt anomalies is crucial for real-time monitoring and security of modern systems producing high-dimensional data. With this goal, we propose effective and scalable algorithms. Proposed algorithms are nonparametric as both the nominal and anomalous multivariate data distributions are assumed unknown. We extract useful univariate summary statistics and perform anomaly detection in a single-dimensional space. We model anomalies as persistent outliers and propose to detect them via a cumulative sum-like algorithm. In case the observed data have a low intrinsic dimensionality, we find a submanifold in which the nominal data are embedded and evaluate whether the sequentially acquired data persistently deviate from the nominal submanifold. Further, in the general case, we determine an acceptance region for nominal data via Geometric Entropy Minimization and evaluate whether the sequentially observed data persistently fall outside the acceptance region. We provide an asymptotic lower bound and an asymptotic approximation for the average false alarm period of the proposed algorithm. Moreover, we provide a sufficient condition to asymptotically guarantee that the decision statistic of the proposed algorithm does not diverge in the absence of anomalies. Experiments illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed schemes in quick and accurate anomaly detection in high-dimensional settings.
Interventional Radiology Image-Guided Suprapubic Cystostomy Using Trocar versus Seldinger Technique: A Comparative Analysis of Outcomes and Complications

Abstract Objective To compare two techniques—trocar and Seldinger—for performing percutaneous suprapubic cystostomy. Materials And Methods 125 patients, mean age 71.8 ± 16.5 years (range, 15-102 years), underwent primary suprapubic cystostomy from January 2013 to December 2018. Trocar access (N = 60) was performed as a single step using a puncture cannula without guidewire access. Seldinger access (N = 65) involved needle puncture, guidewire placement, and serial dilation. A retrospective review of patient records was conducted. Results All procedures were technically successful. Mean catheter size was 13.1 ± 2.0 and 13.9 ± 2.0 French for trocar and Seldinger, respectively (P = .044). Mean procedure time was significantly reduced using trocar technique, 12.4 ± 7.7 versus 25.7 ± 12.1 minutes (P Conclusion Suprapubic cystostomy via trocar is associated with faster procedure time, lower anxiolytic dose, and less radiation. While major complications are rare, catheter occlusion is a common occurrence that may be overlooked. Although we detected more occlusions with trocar technique, this may be confounded by a catheter-tract size discrepancy.
Risk stratification for bladder cancer: Biomarkers of inflammation and immune activation.

Abstract Objective Recent development is reviewed in biomarkers of inflammation and immune activation in risk stratification of bladder cancer (BC). Methods PubMed, Wiley Online Library, and Science Direct databases were reviewed in November 2019 for relevant studies limited to those published in English from 2008 to 2019. Articles were included if they contained references to BC, urological cancers, inflammation, immune activation, disease risk, disease progression, genomics, proteomics, and biomarkers. Results Inflammatory biomarkers show promise in prognostication in BC, including neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio, C-reactive protein, selected cytokines and stress proteins. Most of the current evidence, however, stems from retrospective studies. None of these biomarkers are sufficient by themselves to be used for prognostication. Using a panel of different biomarkers, alongside clinical and pathological data, seems to improve risk stratification. More robust data is necessary, however, before these biomarkers will be suitable for use in routine practice. Conclusion Biomarkers of inflammation and immune system activation can assist in risk stratification of BC. Currently most of these biomarkers lack robust external validity. In the future these biomarkers likely will have an important role in augmenting the conventional clinical and pathological predictors of outcomes in BC.
Impacts of Low Self-control and Opportunity Structure on Cyberbullying Developmental Trajectories: Using a Latent Class Growth Analysis:

This study tested self-control and opportunities theories to examine cyberbullying developmental trajectories through the estimation of a latent class growth analysis. Data from a 6-year longitudin...
Exploiting Functional Impurities for Fast and Efficient Incorporation of Manganese into Quantum Dots.

Incorporation of manganese (Mn) ions into Cd(Zn)-chalcogenide QDs activates strong spin-exchange interactions between the magnetic ions and intrinsic QD excitons that have been exploited for color ...
Investigating Travel Needs and Traffic Conditions in the TNC Era with Taxi Data

This paper uses Philadelphia’s taxi data between January 2015 and December 2017 to analyze the spatial and temporal characteristics of taxi trip declines after the launch of transportation network ...
A meta-analysis of prosody in autism, Williams syndrome, and Down syndrome

Prosody, the rhythm and melody of speech, is an important component of effective communication, and it is an area of difficulty for many populations who struggle with communication. This paper is a meta-analysis of nine studies (and two sets of unpublished data) that assessed prosody using the Profiling Elements of Prosody in Speech-Communication (PEPS-C; Peppe & McCann, 2003) in autism spectrum disorder, Williams syndrome, and Down syndrome. Our original goal was to include studies involving any neurodevelopmental disorder that is commonly associated with intellectual disability, yet our systematic search, which included three databases (i.e., PsychInfo, ERIC, and PubMed), only identified studies involving these three groups. To be included in the meta-analysis, studies had to include a group (n ≥ 3 participants) with a neurodevelopmental disorder commonly associated with intellectual disability and a typically developing comparison group matched on chronological age, nonverbal abilities, or verbal abilities. Studies also needed to report original data using the PEPS-C and be available in English. Study quality was assessed using a checklist adapted from Downes et al. (2016). Results revealed that prosodic form was a weakness for each etiology, while unique patterns of strengths and weaknesses were evident for prosodic functions. Groups with autism (n = 5), all classified as high-functioning or with Asperger's syndrome, exhibited weakness in emotional affect but some relative strengths with turn-end and focus tasks. Groups with Williams syndrome (n = 4) demonstrated weaknesses on phrase/sentence-level tasks and relative strengths on word-level tasks. Groups with Down syndrome (n = 2) had the greatest difficulty overall, though performance was better on receptive (vs. expressive) function tasks. By combining studies and related subtasks of the PEPS-C, we are able to more confidently generalize findings for each population and identify targets for intervention. However, given the limited number of studies identified, this paper also highlights the need for more research on prosody in intellectual disability.
Melanoma toolkit for early detection for primary care providers: A pilot study.

Introduction Primary care providers have greater access to patients despite often lacking the appropriate training or time to implement effective skin cancer screenings in their busy practices.1 Through collaborative efforts with Oregon's War on Melanoma public health campaign and other primary care trainings, we created "Melanoma Toolkit for Early Detection" (MTED): a training curriculum and resource repository for primary care providers. Methods and results MTED consisted of three self-paced modules. Each participant completed a pre- and post-test consisting of demographic, confidence, and image identification questions. A subsequent optional 6-month follow-up image identification test was also provided. Of the 96 participants, 40 completed all the modules, the pre, and post-test. On average, scores increased by 6.0 (95% CI: 3.5 to 8.6) percentage points (P Discussion This study shows that an online curriculum such as MTED has the potential to increase PCPs confidence and knowledge. This could subsequently lead to improved early melanoma diagnosis by primary care providers.
Quantifier variance, semantic collapse, and “genuine” quantifiers

Quantifier variance holds that different languages can have unrestricted quantifier expressions that differ in meaning, where an expression is a “quantifier” just in case it plays the right inferential role. Several critics argued that J.H. Harris’s “collapse” argument refutes variance by showing that identity of inferential role is incompatible with meaning variance. This standard, syntactic collapse argument has generated several responses. More recently, Cian Dorr proved semantic collapse theorems to generate a semantic collapse argument against variance. The argument is significantly different from standard collapse, so it requires a new response. Here I clarify and analyze the semantic collapse argument, and explain how variantists can and should respond to it. The paper also includes an appendix showing the difficulties of positing identity variance without quantifier variance. The argument in the appendix has yet to appear in print, but is familiar to specialists.
PathoClock and PhysioClock in mice recapitulate human multimorbidity and heterogeneous aging

Multimorbidity is a public health concern and an essential component of aging and healthspan but understudied because investigative tools are lacking that can be translatable to capture similarities and differences of the aging process across species and variability between individuals and individual organs. To help address this need, body organ disease number (BODN) borrowed from human studies was applied to C57BL/6 (B6) and CB6F1 mouse strains at 8, 16, 24, and 32 months of age, as a measure of systems morbidity based on pathology lesions to develop a mouse PathoClock resembling clinically-based Body Clock in humans, using Bayesian inference. A mouse PhysioClock was also developed based on measures of physiological domains including cardiovascular, neuromuscular, and cognitive function in the same two mouse strains so that alignment with BODN was predictable. The results revealed between- and within-age variabilities in PathoClock and PhysioClock, as well as between-strain variabilities. Both PathoClock and PhysioClock correlated with chronological age more strongly in CB6F1 than C57BL/6. Prediction models were then developed, designated as PathoAge and PhysioAge, using regression models of pathology and physiology measures on chronological age. PathoAge better predicted chronological age than PhysioAge as the predicted chronological and observed chronological age for PhysioAge were complex rather than linear. In conclusion, PathoClock and PhathoAge can be used to capture biological changes that predict BODN, a metric developed in humans, and compare multimorbidity across species. These mouse clocks are potential translational tools that could be used in aging intervention studies.
Difference in rates of net portal absorption between crystalline and protein-bound lysine and threonine in growing pigs fed once daily

Net portal absorption of AA during the 6-h postprandial period was measured in eight gilts (48.5 +/- 1.6 kg BW) in a crossover design. The pigs had chronic catheters placed in the portal vein, carotid artery, and ileal vein, and were trained to consume 1.2 kg of a standard grower diet once daily. Blood samples were taken every 30 min for 4 h and then hourly until 6 h after feeding. The first set of blood samples was taken after pigs were fed a meal of the test 16% CP corn-soybean meal diet (16% CP) or the test 12% CP corn-soybean meal diet supplemented with crystalline lysine, threonine, and tryptophan (12% CP + AA) to equal the three AA levels in the 16% CP diet. Pigs were then fed the standard diet for 2 d. Following that, blood samples were again taken after the pigs were fed a meal of the test diet that was not given to them at the first sampling period. Net portal AA absorption was calculated by multiplying porto-arterial plasma AA concentration difference by portal vein plasma flow rate (PVPF), estimated by an indicator-dilution technique employing p-aminohippuric acid as the indicator infused into the ileal vein. Plasma concentrations of lysine and threonine of pigs were affected by the diet x time interaction (P < 0.01). Portal and arterial plasma lysine and threonine concentrations in pigs attained the maximal level by 1 h postprandial when the 12% CP + AA diet was fed, but reached the peak level at 2.5 h postprandial when the 16% CP diet was given. The PVPF of pigs over the 6 h postprandial was less (P < 0.01) when the 12% CP + AA diet was given than when the 16% CP diet was fed. Net portal absorptions of lysine and threonine also were affected (P < 0.05) by time x diet interaction. The peak portal absorption of both lysine and threonine in pigs appeared at 0.5 h postprandial when the 12% CP + AA diet was given, but at 2.5 h postprandial with the feeding of the 16% CP diet. The early appearance of peak portal absorption of lysine and threonine from feeding the 12% CP + AA compared with the 16% CP diet indicates that crystalline lysine and threonine are absorbed more rapidly than protein-bound lysine and threonine in pigs fed once daily.
Home is My Area Code: Thinking About, Teaching, and Learning Globalization in Introductory World Religions Classes

There has been significant and growing interest in teaching religious studies, and specifically world religions, in a “global” context. Bringing globalization into the classroom as a specific theoretical and pedagogical tool, however, requires not just an awareness that religions exist in an ever-globalizing environment, but a willingness to engage with globalization as a cultural, spatial, and theoretical arena within which religions interact. This article is concerned with the ways that those of us interested in religion employ globalization in the classroom conceptually and pedagogically, and argues that “lived religion” provides a useful model for incorporating globalization into religious studies settings.
Certain Trends in Eastern Woodlands Salt Production Technology

From the Late Woodland period until the end of the eighteenth century, the American Indians of the Eastern Woodlands produced salt by evaporating brine in ceramic containers. These vessels, often termed saltpans, exhibited a range of variability in size, form, and surface treatment. Data from eight salt-making localities discussed here support the idea that in parts of the Deep South bowls and jars were preferred over thicker basin-shaped vessels, but this does not seem to have been the case throughout the rest of the Eastern Woodlands. While there is some evidence to suggest that salt bowls and jars were supported over a fire using clay pedestals and that salt was traded in small cups, or augets, very few of these ceramic forms have been identified thus far in eastern North America.
Pulmonary Effects of Stachybotrys chartarum in Animal Studies

Publisher Summary Stachybotrys chartarum is one of the several environmental fungi that can produce very potent toxic compounds. Animal models provide physicians and environmental scientists with useful tools for assessing risks associated with the respiratory effects of air pollutants. The animal studies to date support the view that pulmonary exposure to the spores of S. chartarum leads to hemorrhagic inflammation and impairment of growth. This has been demonstrated by increases in bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid of inflammatory cells, proinflammatory mediators, hemoglobin, and proteins along with changes in pulmonary surfactant. Although the earlier experiments were conducted with relatively high doses, recent findings indicate that lower doses, which appear to be closer to the concentrations encountered in indoor air, can elicit similar symptoms. The results of animal studies based on different experimental designs are difficult to compare because of many variables—including spore toxicity, viability, and content of fungal proteins in addition to species, strains, age of animals, and route of administration.
A finite state modeling of AFDX frame management using spin

Data exchange with strong data transmission time guarantees is necessary in the internal communication of an aircraft. The Avionics Full Duplex Switched Ethernet (AFDX) has been developed for this purpose. Its design is based on the principle of a switched network with physically redundant links to support availability. It should also be tolerant to transmission and link failures in the network. Recent research on an industrial case study by Anand et. al. reveals that AFDX frame management design is vulnerable to faults such as network errors, network babbling etc. Their proposed modifications, though are able to solve these problems, degrades the performance of network in terms of delay at receiving end and delay before the receiving end-system gets reset. They also do not present any performance analysis. We propose new solutions to alleviate these problems in AFDX frame management design, formally model it in Spin incorporating our proposed solution, thus also showing a finite state modeling of the above is possible. We also verify some of its relevant properties and carry out a performance analysis of the same.
Educational Interventions for Students with Attention Deficit Disorder

This article reviews the current research-based knowledge on nonpharmacological interventions for students with ADD and highlights findings related to behavior management, academic instruction, home-school collaboration, and comprehensive programming. The literature on educationally relevant interventions is exploratory, not prescriptive; and findings are inconsistent. Investigators have tested relatively few interventions that speak to the day-to-day issues teachers face or to the larger issues related to developing comprehensive educational programs for these students.
Social and environmental influences on pacing in a female Malayan sun bear (Helarctos malayanus)

Pacing behaviour is complex and identifying the motivational basis for pacing and designing an effective remedial strategy can be challenging. Details of the behaviour may provide insight into the motivational basis of behaviour and should be carefully examined. A long-term observational study of pacing by a female Malayan sun bear ( Helarctos malayanus ) was conducted to gather detailed information on the pacing behaviour and guide husbandry changes. Full-day behaviour observations were conducted (n=60; mean duration=5.9 hrs/observation). Pacing data were recorded using continuous sampling methodology with all-occurrences recording of events before and after pacing bouts. Solitary behaviour and social interaction between the focal female and a male and female exhibit partner were recorded using instantaneous sampling and all-occurrences methodologies, respectively. All pacing bouts occurred between tunnels to off-exhibit indoor holding areas, bouts were short in duration and variable, and pacing often began after the male bear entered a shift tunnel. Social interactions between the two females were frequently agonistic. Based on these findings, the non-focal female bear was removed from the group and the focal female and male were given access to indoor holding areas on most days. The focal female only paced once when provided access to indoor holding. When the bears did not have off-exhibit access, pacing characteristics appeared similar to bouts before modifications but pacing no longer appear to be influenced by the male’s behaviour. Our detailed analysis of pacing by the female sun bear provided insight regarding motivation, the need for husbandry changes, and evaluation of those changes.
Ultrastructural events and kinetics of microcyst germination in the myxomycete Didymium iridis

Microcysts of the myxomycete Didymium iridis were induced to excyst by transfer to 5mM potassium phosphate buffer. After 1 h in suspension, 90% of the microcysts had germinated into myxamoebae distinguishable by phase contrast microscopy and staining with Lugol's iodine. Both pH and osmolarity affected the kinetics of excystment. The rate and extent of excystment were decreased by cycloheximide but remained unaffected by actinomycin D, suggesting a requirement for protein synthesis but not RNA synthesis. Initially, the outer wall layers separated from the inner layer, which gradually expanded and loosened. The protoplast rehydrated and reverted to a vegetative morphology. Excysting cells were characterized by nucleolar inclusions, changes in the nuclear envelope and plasma membrane, appearance of ringed cisternal elements and microbodies in the cytoplasm, and formation of a densely fibrous zone adjacent to the site of emergence. Excysting populations have been classified into characteristic stages: mature, initiated, swollen, and pre-emergent microcysts.
Contamination of conductivity measurements by waterborne particles

Abstract Electrical conductivity sensors used in CTD profilers and microstructure instruments are sensitive to contamination by particulates in the water. These particles impact the sensor or pass through the cell volume and produce spurious and usually negative going “spikes” in the data. In addition, they occasionally get caught, fouling the sensor and causing significant high frequency noise and calibration offsets. Examples of both the discrete contamination and fouling problems are exhibited, evidence is presented which identifies the source, and methods of minimizing their effects are examined.
Laser-scanning confocal microscopy and three-dimensional volume rendering of biological structures

Confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM) is a significant improvement over conventional epifluorescence microscopy for observing biological structures. In addition to the increase in resolution and reduction of stray light by CLSM, the serial optical sections of fluorescently-labelled structures produced by CLSM are suitable for computer rendering techniques to produce three dimensional (3D) images of biological structure in the light microscope. The collection and properties of data sets obtained by CLSM and their subsequent computer rendering are described and the biological application of the technology is discussed and illustrated by reconstructions of fluorescently-labelled nuclei and mitotic spindles.© (1990) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Comparative metabolism of dibenzo[a,l]pyrene by liver microsomes from rainbow trout and rats

Abstract In order to assess the differences in the ability of fish and rat liver to metabolize carcinogenic polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), we have investigated the metabolism of dibenzo[a,l]pyrene (DB[a,l]P), a highly potent carcinogenic PAH, by liver microsomes from 3-methylcholanthrene-treated Shasta rainbow trout ( Oncorhynchus mykiss ) and rats. Rat liver microsomes metabolized DB[a,l]P at a slightly higher rate (1.3-fold) than trout liver microsomes. Compared to benzo[a]pyrene (B[a]P), DB[a,l]P was metabolized at a significantly lower rate by both rat and trout liver microsomes. Although the microsomes from the two species metabolized DB[a,l]P to qualitatively similar metabolites, they showed significant differences in the profile of the metabolites formed. The proportion of DB[a,l]P-11,12-diol, the proximate carcinogen of DB[a,l]P, formed by trout microsomes was over two-fold greater (32.6%) than the corresponding value for rat microsomes (15.6%). Unlike rat microsomes, trout microsomes metabolized DB[a,l]P to its K-region diol (8,9-diol) to a small extent (26.1 vs 3.6%). As previously noted with B[a]P, trout liver, compared to rat liver, appears to be more efficient in forming the proximate carcinogenic metabolite of DB[a,l]P but less efficient in producing its K-region diol, a non-carcinogenic metabolite.
A Probabilistic Approach To Joint Cost Allocation in Public Projects

It is well known that joint cost allocations should not be used in making output decisions, but they might be required for budgeting or accounting purposes. This article develops approaches to join...
The Ohio Scales Youth Form: Expansion and Validation of a Self-Report Outcome Measure for Young Children

We examined the validity and reliability of a self-report outcome measure for children between the ages of 8 and 11. The Ohio Scales Problem Severity scale is a brief, practical outcome measure available in three parallel forms: Parent, Youth, and Agency Worker. The Youth Self-Report form is currently validated for children ages 12 and older. The Ohio Scales Problem Severity scale was administered to a clinical and comparison sample of children, ages 8–11, then readministered 1 week later to a subsample of children in order to examine test-retest reliability. The Ohio Scales demonstrated acceptable internal consistency and reliability. The Ohio Scales was significantly correlated with the Behavior Assessment System for Children (BASC) across both samples, providing evidence for concurrent validity. Children of the clinical sample reporting higher scores (i.e., more symptomatic) than the children of the comparison sample on the Ohio Scales, thereby demonstrating construct validity.
COMPENSATION ILLNESS AS A RETIREMENT CHANNEL

This report concerns three categories of employees who are retired from work early because of a disability for which they can claim compensation: 1) the “worn out” worker with no special plans, 2) the man who has a hobby which he intends to pursue actively, and 3) the man who wants to engage in a different occupation after retirement. Extensive tests reveal no physical basis for the disability and treatment does not alter its course. Both patient and physician are involved in the transition from occupational function to subjective non-function. Unless the situation is recognized, rehabilitation workers and vocational counselors are led to futile activity. Most of these patients are happy in retirement. However, the fulfillment of their desires is very costly to society in time, money and frustration. It would seem to make social and economic sense to retrain certain motivated persons into new occupations before they become disabled in this manner. This applies particularly to persons in occupations that require great physical stamina and agility—occupations in which the workers wear out early.
Towards reducing impact-induced brain injury: lessons from a computational study of army and football helmet pads

We use computational simulations to compare the impact response of different football and U.S. Army helmet pad materials. We conduct experiments to characterise the material response of different helmet pads. We simulate experimental helmet impact tests performed by the U.S. Army to validate our methods. We then simulate a cylindrical impactor striking different pads. The acceleration history of the impactor is used to calculate the head injury criterion for each pad. We conduct sensitivity studies exploring the effects of pad composition, geometry and material stiffness. We find that (1) the football pad materials do not outperform the currently used military pad material in militarily relevant impact scenarios; (2) optimal material properties for a pad depend on impact energy and (3) thicker pads perform better at all velocities. Although we considered only the isolated response of pad materials, not entire helmet systems, our analysis suggests that by using larger helmet shells with correspondingly thicker pads, impact-induced traumatic brain injury may be reduced.
High-resolution magnetic resonance imaging of the human median nerve.

Objectives. It is widely accepted that peripheral nerve repairs performed within 6 weeks of injury have much better outcomes than those performed at later dates. However, there is no diagnostic technique that can determine if a traumatic peripheral nerve injury requires surgical intervention in the early postinjury phase. The objective of this article was to determine whether novel, noninvasive magnetic resonance imaging techniques could demonstrate the microstructure of human peripheral nerves that is necessary for determining prognosis and determining if surgery is indicated following traumatic injury. Methods. Ex vivo magnetic resonance imaging protocols were developed on a 9.4-T research scanner using spin-echo proton density and gradient-echo imaging sequences and a specially designed, inductively coupled radio frequency coil. These imaging protocols were applied to in situ imaging of the human median nerve in 4 fresh-frozen cadaver arms. Results. Noninvasive high-resolution images of the human media...
A quantitative study of the developmental expression of nerve growth factor (NGF) receptor in rats.

A quantitative immunoprecipitation assay was conducted to study the developmental expression of nerve growth factor (NGF) receptor by using a monoclonal antibody (192-IgG) against rat NGF receptor. Either homogenates or plasma membrane enriched preparations from isolated tissues or whole rat embryos were bound with 125I-NGF and crosslinked by 1-ethyl-3-(3-dimethylaminopropyl)carbodiimide. The receptor was then solubilized by 2% octylglucoside, bound with 192-IgG, and precipitated by secondary antibodies against mouse IgG prebound to Pansorbin. The complex, 125I-NGF/receptor/antibodies/Pansorbin, was separated from free ligand by rapid centrifugation through a 0.15 M sucrose cushion. The tube was frozen, and the tip containing the radioactivity was cut and counted. In some cases, the pellet was resuspended in SDS-PAGE sample buffer and subjected to a SDS-PAGE autoradiographic analysis.
GaN HEMT reliability at 125 °C for 1000 hours

With the growing popularity of GaN HEMTs, the reliability of the transistors after prolonged exposure and use at high temperatures is of increasing importance. Previous work has shown that GaN FETs can operate at temperatures higher greater than 500°C for short amounts of time, but need to be tested at rated operating temperatures. In order to determine whether commercial GaN HEMTs can be reliable at a more typical operating temperature, three EPC parts were tested. The EPC2001, EPC2014, and EPC2015 parts were characterized before temperature testing with a curve tracer. The parts were tested at and above their rated voltage for 1000 hours at a constant 125°C. After the 1000 hours of testing, each EPC part was characterized again on the curve tracer. No failures were observed during the 1000 hours of testing, but during the posttest characterization the RDS(ON) of all the parts increased, parts failed at their rated maximum of 6 V to the gate, and some of the EPC2014s failed at all voltages.
EFFECTS OF METAL CATIONS, RETINAL, AND THE PHOTOCYCLE ON THE TRYPTOPHAN EMISSION IN BACTERIORHODOPSIN

— The picosecond fluorescence kinetics of tryptophan residues in bacteriorhodopsin and some perturbed analogs are measured to study the different tryptophan environments and their changes upon metal cation removal, retinal removal, and M412 trapping. In bacteriorhodopsin, the emission shows four decay components designated Or, C2r, C3r, and C4r in order of increasing lifetimes. The emission wavelength of C3r and C4r is near that found in aqueous solution, while that of C1r is the shortest. The removal of retinal triples the total emission intensity and reduces the number of components to two, suggesting that the observed variation of the lifetimes in bacteriorhodopsin results from the variation of the energy transfer efficiency between different tryptophans and retinal. We conclude that the Or and C2r emission is from the closest tryptophans to the retinal. The quenching of the C3r emission by all metal cations, including those that cannot act as energy acceptors, e.g. Ca2+, is attributed to protein conformation changes caused by metal cation binding which leads to a stronger energy transfer coupling between tryptophans and retinal. The additional quenching of the C2r emission in Eu3+bound bacterioopsin is proposed to result from direct energy transfer between tryptophans and Eu3+.