cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A framework for code-level tracing of map-based algorithm visualizations

This paper presents a framework that has been developed to support code-level tracing of the algorithm visualization capabilities of the Map-based Educational Tools for Algorithm Learning (METAL) project. METAL provides graph data based on real-world highway systems and tools to visualize that data and algorithms which operate on it. Data is shown plotted on maps and in text, color-coded to indicate the progress of the algorithm. The new code-level tracing framework allows specific algorithms to be implemented as a series of small actions, most of which correspond to lines of code that can be highlighted as they are executed. This allows a student to see how specific lines of code affect the data structures and variables as the algorithm makes progress toward a solution.
Affirming, Balanced, and Comprehensive Care for Transgender Teenagers.

The last decade has seen a substantial shift regarding psychological and medical approaches to children and adolescents seeking care for gender dysphoria. Gender identity is now recognized as existing along a spectrum rather then as dichotomous male-female categories.1 The number of gender identity clinics in academic pediatric medical centers has increased dramatically over the last decade.2 The nuances around decision-making regarding interventions for children at various ages and stages of development are still controversial. The World Professional Association for Transgender Health standards of care, now in their seventh edition, guide treatment around the world. Still, there are plenty of unknowns that lead clinicians and multidisciplinary teams to individualize their decisions and their approaches to adolescents and families.3 The standards of care and the ways that they are operationalized in the steadily growing number of clinics has raised awareness of 2 fundamental truths: Every person has a gender identity. Gender identity may or may not match a person’s sexual anatomy. Clinicians who manage children and adolescents with diverse gender identities face questions … Address correspondence to John D. Lantos, MD, Children’s Mercy Kansas City, 2401 Gillham Rd, Kansas City, MO 64108. E-mail: jlantos{at}cmh.edu
Localization of Tfap2β, Casq2, Penk, Zic1, and Zic3 Expression in the Developing Retina, Muscle, and Sclera of the Embryonic Mouse Eye:

Optic development involves sequential interactions between several different tissue types, including the overlying ectoderm, adjacent mesoderm, and neural crest mesenchyme and the neuroectoderm. In an ongoing expression screen, we identified that Tfap2β, Casq2, Penk, Zic1, and Zic3 are expressed in unique cell types in and around the developing eye. Tfap2β, Zic1, and Zic3 are transcription factors, Casq2 is a calcium binding protein and Penk is a neurotransmitter. Tfap2β, Zic1, and Zic3 have reported roles in brain and craniofacial development, while Casq2 and Penk have unknown roles. These five genes are expressed in the major tissue types in the eye, including the muscles, nerves, cornea, and sclera. Penk expression is found in the sclera and perichondrium. At E12.5 and E15.5, the extra-ocular muscles express Casq2, the entire neural retina expresses Zic1, and Zic3 is expressed in the optic disk and lip of the optic cup. The expression of Tfap2β expanded from corneal epithelium to the neural retina between E12.5 to E15.5. These genes are expressed in similar domains as Hedgehog (Gli1, and Ptch1) and the Wnt (Lef1) pathways. The expression patterns of these five genes warrant further study to determine their role in eye morphogenesis.
A model for cognitively-based compassion training: theoretical underpinnings and proposed mechanisms

Across cultures and belief systems, compassion is widely considered to be beneficial for the development of personal and social wellbeing. Research indicates that compassion-training programs have broad health benefits, but how and why compassion-training programs are effective is still relatively unknown. This paper describes the theoretical underpinnings of a specific compassion-training program, CBCT® (Cognitively-Based Compassion Training), and proposes an integrative model that draws on existing health behavior constructs to identify CBCT’s core components and hypothesizes their directionality and interaction. The model includes two primary categories of skill development: (1) intrapersonal skills leading to greater resiliency, and (2) interpersonal skills leading to greater compassion. It is hypothesized that these two pathways are mutually reinforcing and both contribute to greater wellbeing. This model provides a foundation for theory-driven research on the underlying mechanisms in CBCT training. An understanding of CBCT’s mechanisms is a critical step towards optimizing and personalizing the intervention to meet the needs of specific populations.
Efficacy of antibacterial envelope in prevention of cardiovascular implantable electronic device infections in high-risk patients: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Abstract Background Limited evidence is available to determine the efficacy of an antibacterial enveloped (AE) cardiovascular implantable electronic device (CIED). Objective To assess if the use of antibacterial enveloped devices in high-risk patients are associated with lower chances of major CIED infections and mortality compared to non-enveloped devices. Methods A comprehensive literature search on multiple databases was performed. The relative odds ratio (OR) of major CIED infection and mortality was calculated using a random-effect model. Results A total of six studies consisting of 11,897 patients, were included; 5844 with an AE-CIED and 6053 with conventional CIED. In the pooled cohort, patients with AE-CIED had a 66% lower odds of major CIED infection (OR 0.34, 0.13, 0.86, CI 95%, p = 0.02) compared to CIED. Propensity matched analysis showed a 71% lower odds of major infection in the AE-CIED group (OR 0.29, 95% CI 0.10–0.82, p = 0.02). Stratified analysis based on the type of study (retrospective vs. prospective) and duration of follow up (6 months vs. greater than six months) also showed numerically lower infection odds in the AE-CIED. Similarly, the relative odds of mortality were lower in patients with AE-CIED (OR 0.55, 95% CI 0.16–1.91, p = 0.34) compared to CIED patients; however, this difference was statistically non-significant. Conclusion In high-risk patients, AE-CIED might offer lower odds of CIED infections. It has numerically lower (45%) but statistically non-significant odds of mortality if used in conjunction with the standard infection prevention protocol. More large scale studies and long-term follow-ups are required to validate our findings.
Wearable Cuff-Less Blood Pressure Estimation at Home via Pulse Transit Time

Objective: We developed a wearable watch-based device to provide noninvasive, cuff-less blood pressure (BP) estimation in an at-home setting. Methods: The watch measures single-lead electrocardiogram (ECG), tri-axial seismocardiogram (SCG), and multi-wavelength photoplethysmogram (PPG) signals to compute the pulse transit time (PTT), allowing for BP estimation. We sent our custom watch device and an oscillometric BP cuff home with 21 healthy subjects, and captured the natural variability in BP over the course of a 24-hour period. Results: After calibration, our Pearson correlation coefficient (PCC) of 0.69 and root-mean-square-error (RMSE) of 2.72 mmHg suggest that noninvasive PTT measurements correlate with around-the-clock BP. Using a novel two-point calibration method, we achieved a RMSE of 3.86 mmHg. We further demonstrated the potential of a semi-globalized adaptive model to reduce calibration requirements. Conclusion: This is, to the best of our knowledge, the first time that BP has been comprehensively estimated noninvasively using PTT in an at-home setting. We showed a more convenient method for obtaining ambulatory BP than through the use of the standard oscillometric cuff. We presented new calibration methods for BP estimation using fewer calibration points that are more practical for a real-world scenario. Significance: A custom watch (SeismoWatch) capable of taking multiple BP measurements enables reliable remote monitoring of daily BP and paves the way towards convenient hypertension screening and management, which can potentially reduce hospitalizations and improve quality of life.
Investigating impact: The effects of school-based art therapy on adolescent boys living in poverty

Abstract Objective This study assessed the effectiveness of group art therapy in improving social and emotional issues for adolescent boys of color living in poverty. Methods The sample consisted of 162 male ninth graders in the South Bronx; 70 % identified as Latinx and 24 % as African American. For 6 months, one pre-existing class from each of three academic tracks (Honors, Average, and At-Risk) was randomly assigned to an experimental group (n = 80) that participated in 12 weekly group art therapy sessions, and the remaining classes (n = 76) were assigned to a control condition. All participants were administered the BASC-2 Self Report Survey pre- and post-intervention. Results Two-way between subjects analysis of variance was used to test for the effects of Academic Track, Group, and their interaction on the BASC-2 variables. There were no significant effects of Group and no significant interaction effects. School Problems scale and Internalizing Problems scale showed significant effects for Academic Track, with p Conclusion The findings suggest that Art Therapy has promise in addressing varied needs of high school students at different academic levels who are living in poverty.
Development of Publications and Community at the Interface Between Operations Research and Computing

Harvey J. Greenberg’s energy and dedication to the field of operations research yielded an impressive array of contributions in undergraduate and graduate education, research, and professional service. This chapter focuses on his instrumental role in creating a journal, book series, and professional society, all of which remain strong and influential today. The journal is now the INFORMS Journal on Computing and is currently publishing its 31st volume. The TutORials in Operations Research book series is currently publishing its 15th annual volume, and the ever-growing INFORMS Computing Society traces its roots back over 40 years from the time it was a special interest group within ORSA.
Extra axial cerebrospinal fluid volume and a diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease

The Alzheimer’s Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI) seeks to detect Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) as early as possible in the preclinical phase of AD through the use of Neuroimaging based biomarkers. Earlier research found that the subarachnoid space is impacted in Alzheimer’s Disease. This investigation seeks to establish a cross-sectional or longitudinal relationship between extra-axial cerebrospinal fluid (EACSF) volume and an AD diagnosis, as EACSF has been overlooked thus far. An automated approach was employed to compute the segmentation of MRI images in AutoEACSF; subsequent manual quality control filtered for adequate brain mask and EACSF segmentations. Crosssectional data analysis compared EACSF volumes for the cognitively normal (CN) and AD diagnosis and found no significant difference (p = 0.7827). In the cross-sectional general linear model, an association was found between EACSF and ventricle volume (p = 0.0005), and entorhinal volume (p = 0.040). Fusiform volume, mid temporal volume, and hippocampal volume were deemed non-significant contributors to the model. The longitudinal model included subjects with more than 2 successful scans and excluded those with implausible negative changes in EACSF volume across time. This analysis included two additional categories: mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and patients who changed diagnosis (change). Between the AD, CN, MCI, and change groups, there was a statistically significant difference between stable MCI and change subjects longitudinally after age and sex were added to the model; no difference was found between any combination of the other groups. Overall, we found minimal evidence that EACSF relates cross-sectionally or longitudinally to AD or progression.
Locally abundant, endangered Mariana swiftlets impact the abundance, behavior, and body condition of an invasive predator

Invasive predators are known to have negative consumptive and non-consumptive effects on native species, but few examples show how the abundance of native prey may influence an established invasive predator. We compared invasive brown treesnakes (Boiga irregularis; BTS) found in caves occupied by endangered Mariana swiftlets (Aerodramus bartschi) to snakes found in nearby forests and caves without birds to quantify how the abundance of native avian prey impacts BTS abundance and behavior on Guam. From 2011 to 2017 we removed 151 BTS in caves occupied by swiftlets and never observed BTS in caves without birds. Notable locations included snakes foraging near swiftlets and in holes that allowed cave access and escape from capture. Of 43 BTS with gut contents, 27 (63%) contained swiftlets. BTS in swiftlet-occupied caves had greater fat mass compared to forests, indicating access to swiftlets may increase body condition and promote reproduction. Number of ovarian follicles was significantly greater in female snakes from swiftlet-occupied caves compared to those from ravine, but not limestone forests; evidence of male BTS being more capable of reproduction was limited (i.e., fewer non-discernible but not significantly larger testes in snakes from caves). Assuming other limiting factors are considered, altering the functional response of predators through the modification of caves or interdiction lures to exclude or hinder the largest BTS could bolster swiftlet populations by increasing nesting refugia in currently-occupied caves and facilitate recolonization of historical caves.
Liquidity Provision by Automated Market Makers

A growing number of blockchain-based decentralized exchanges have adopted automated market makers to attract liquidity, and they replace the traditional order book system for trade execution. This paper studies the equilibrium liquidity provision via constant product market makers, one of the simplest and widely adopted algorithms of automated market making. The model derives the optimal behavior of liquidity providers and the aggregate size of the liquidity pool on a constant product market. As suggested by the traditional market microstructure literature, I demonstrate that information asymmetry between traders leads to an adverse selection problem and plays a key role in determining equilibrium liquidity on an automated market. Moreover, when liquidity providers are strategic, I find that competition between them exhibits both strategic substitution and complementarity, making the best response function of each liquidity provider non-monotonic in her rivals' liquidity supply. The model also shows that the equilibrium market liquidity tends to be stable and does not diverge or evaporate even if a (small) temporary shock hits the market.
Disparities in Nurse Job Dissatisfaction and Intent to Leave: Implications for Retaining a Diverse Workforce.

Objective To determine if Black nurses are more likely to report job dissatisfaction and whether factors related to dissatisfaction influence differences in intent to leave. Background Minority nurses report higher job dissatisfaction and intent to leave, yet little is known about factors associated with these differences in community settings. Method Cross-sectional analysis of 11 778 nurses working in community-based settings was conducted. Logistic regression was used to estimate the association among race, job satisfaction, and intent to leave. Results Black nurses were more likely to report job dissatisfaction and intent to leave. Black nurses' intent to leave decreased in adjusted models that accounted for dissatisfaction with aspects of their jobs including salary, advancement opportunities, autonomy, and tuition benefits. Conclusion Nurse administrators may find opportunities to decrease intent to leave among Black nurses through focused efforts to target areas of dissatisfaction.
Open questions on the photophysics of ultrafast singlet fission

Ultrafast singlet fission has the potential to facilitate highly efficient photovoltaics through the multiplication of excitons in organic molecular architectures. Here, we consider the interplay of molecular structure and intermolecular coupling toward enabling ultrafast singlet fission and discuss open questions in the field.
Thinking within-persons: Using unit fixed-effects models to describe causal mechanisms

Abstract Psychological research is mainly concerned with causal questions, and as a consequence can benefit from explicitly adopting a causal inference framework. In this paper, I explain that the main contribution of longitudinal analysis from a causal perspective is the ability to control for time-invariant unobserved heterogeneity, which can be achieved by focusing exclusively on within-person variation. Based on this general framework, I describe different procedures for estimating within-person effects, as well as modelling strategies that can be used to test substantive hypotheses regarding within-person asymmetrical causation, moderation, effect heterogeneity, and reciprocal causation. These statistical techniques can expand the methodological tool kit for describing mechanisms using observational data. I provide an empirical illustration of these methods by estimating the within-person effects of executive functions on academic achievement.
Conclusions and Recommendations on Mobility Disadvantages in Rural Reaches

This chapter lists the major conclusions indicated from the findings in the literature search and task analyses undertaken in the previous chapters. It states recommendations that should help public administrators and policy planners to identify the problem areas, formulate alternative solutions, and resolve the issues by (1) promulgating relevant existing programs, (2) innovating practicable new programs, and (3) combining the two into feasible programs that contain an acceptable and reasonable probability of success.
From Nectow to Koontz: The Supreme Court's Supervision of Land-Use Regulation

This is a preliminary chapter of my book in progress, tentatively titled The New Economics of Zoning Laws. This chapter selectively surveys court decisions on zoning over the past century. I offer new evidence on Nectow v. Cambridge (1927), the first case in which the US Supreme Court overturned a non-racial zoning ordinance. The Court got it wrong, at least by modern standards of review, because a master's report mischaracterized the history of the site and the purpose of zoning. The Court after Nectow has usually been deferential to state courts and local decisionmaking on land use, which I submit is appropriate given the Court’s lack of access to local knowledge. It has since 1987 insisted that the states not abandon the regulatory takings doctrine, but it has also put up substantial procedural barriers to moving cases into federal court. Its decisions create a modest price effect for local governments, which do not have to worry much about paying taxpayers’ money for a judgment unless their regulations leave no economically viable use or cause a physical occupation of the property. The Court’s departures from its deferential tradition have been in the exactions cases, most recently Koontz v. St. Johns River Water Management District (2013). These are economically questionable in that they appear to entrench existing regulations, thus lowering the opportunity cost of maintaining them. The decisions may, however, discourage governments from adopting regulations purely for the sake of obtaining general revenue. Zoning and related land-use regulations are highly popular institutions, though, so it seems unlikely that limiting the exactions process will discourage many of their excesses.
Observations of Circumstellar Disks

The imaging of disks around young stars presents extreme challenges in high dynamic range, angular resolution, and sensitivity. Recent instrumental advances have met these challenges admirably, leading to a marked increase in imaging discoveries. These have opened up a new era in studies of the origin of planetary systems. Questions about our own solar system's formation, and of the prevalence of extra-solar planets, are now addressed with complementary techniques at different wavelengths. Optical and near-infrared images detail scattered light from disks at the highest possible resolution. Mid-infrared, sub-millimeter, and millimeter-wave techniques probe thermal dust continuum radiation. Millimeter-wave interferometry details the small-scale structure of the molecular gas. Kinematic imaging studies affirm the disk interpretation of mm-wave continuum surveys, and the high incidence rate for solar nebula analogs. Inner holes, azimuthal asymmetries, and gaps suggest the presence of underlying planetary bodies. The combined techniques provide a multi-dimensional picture of disks in time and have strengthened our understanding of the connection between disks and planets. Future progress is assured by the presence of much-improved imaging capability looming on the horizon.
Solar neutrino data and their implications.

The complete and concurrent Homestake and Kamiokande solar neutrino data sets (including backgrounds), when compared to detailed model predictions, provide no unambiguous indication of the solution to the solar neutrino problem. All neutrino-based solutions, including time-varying models, provide reasonable fits to both the 3-yr concurrent data and the full 20-yr data set. A simple constant B neutrino flux reduction from the standard solar model mean prediction is ruled out at greater than the 4σ level for both data sets
Auditors' Judgments of Continued Existence: Effects of Information Sequence and Irrelevant Distractor Information When Using a Computer-Based Decision Aid

Computer-based decision aids are intended to support and improve human judgments. Frequently, the largest portion of the design effort is devoted to the technical aspects of the system; behavioral aspects are often overlooked. As a result, the decision aid may be ineffective. An experiment was conducted to examine the effects of two information structure variables that theoretically affect judgments: information sequence and irrelevant distractor information. Auditor subjects made continuing existence judgments for client-banks after interacting with one of four alternative decision aids. The decision aids are modifications of a system developed by an international CPA firm. Judgments were predicted to be more accurate when: (1) diagnostic information is presented late rather than early in the information sequence and (2) when no irrelevant distractor information is presented. Further, judgment confidence was predicted to be unrelated to either information sequence or irrelevant distractor information. The experimental data support all three predictions.
Comparing Voter Participation: Individual Resources, Orientations and the Context of Party Politics

Electoral institutions shape the potential costs and benefits of participation. We argue that, by shaping the range and diversity of choices available to voters, electoral institutions can pull citizens into the democratic process by making voting meaningful. Our analyses of data from 29 contemporary democracies around the world collected by the Comparative Study of Electoral Systems project suggest that a differentiated and more numerous electoral supply powerfully influence voter engagement, and that these effects are both indirect and contingent. First, the electoral supply has an indirect effect on turnout by shaping civic attitudes conducive to turnout. More numerous and differentiated choices among parties boost feelings of representation and responsiveness, such as feeling represented by parties and that one's vote matters. Second, a differentiated electoral supply has a contingent effect on turnout by conditioning the effects of political attitudes on voter participation. Citizens who feel represented by a party are more likely to vote if they live in countries where parties present more differentiated policy profiles.
Optimal scheduling of a large-scale multiclass parallel server system with ergodic cost

We consider the optimal scheduling problem for a large-scale parallel server system with one large pool of statistically identical servers and multiple classes of jobs under the expected long-run average (ergodic) cost criterion. Jobs of each class arrive as a Poisson process, are served in the FCFS discipline within each class and may elect to abandon while waiting in their queue. The service and abandonment rates are both class-dependent. Assume that the system is operating in the Halfin-Whitt regime, where the arrival rates and the number of servers grow appropriately so that the system gets critically loaded while the service and abandonment rates are fixed. The optimal solution is obtained via the ergodic diffusion control problem in the limit, which forms a new class of problems in the literature of ergodic controls. A new theoretical framework is provided to solve this class of ergodic control problems. The proof of the convergence of the values of the multiclass parallel server system to that of the diffusion control problem relies on a new approximation method, spatial truncation, where the Markov policies follow a fixed priority policy outside a fixed compact set.
Evidence for Oxyntopyloric Reflex for Release of Antral Gastrin

Studies were done in dogs with vagally innervated pouches of both the oxyntic gland area and the pyloric gland area (antrum). When the antral pouch was filled but not distended with 0.1 M NaHCO 3 , graded distention of the oxyntic pouch caused graded increases in serum gastrin and graded increases in acid secretion from the oxyntic pouch. When the antral pouch was filled but not distended with 0.1 M HCl, graded distention of the oxyntic pouch evoked no increase in serum gastrin and the acid responses from the oxyntic pouch were much smaller than when the antrum was alkaline. These findings are consistent with the hypothesis that distention of the oxyntic gland area initiates an oxyntopyloric reflex that causes release of gastrin from the pyloric gland area. This is analogous to the pylorooxyntic reflex previously described.
Unwinding-like activity associated with avian retrovirus RNA-directed DNA polymerase.

The avian retrovirus RNA-directed DNA polymerase contains an activity that is capable of removing hydrogen bonds from duplex nucleic acid molecules. This "unwinding-like" activity appears to be specific in its action, affecting RNA.DNA and DNA.DNA duplex molecules but not RNA.RNA duplexes. Studies with defined RNA.DNA hybrid molecules (e.g., Rous sarcoma virus RNA and complementary DNAs representing specific regions of the Rous sarcoma virus genome) and DNA.DNA duplexes indicate that, although this activity can remove a portion of the hydrogen bonds from these double-stranded structures, complete separation of complementary strands is not accomplished. The unwinding-like activity exhibits sensitivities to temperature and monovalent and divalent cation concentrations. It can also remove a specific large oligonucleotide from the 5' end of the viral genome subsequent to RNase H hydrolysis of viral RNA complexed to DNA present at that terminus. This reverse transcriptase-associated unwinding-like activity is discussed with respect to recently proposed models of retrovirus proviral DNA synthesis.
On the disambiguation of passively measured in-home gait velocities from multi-person smart homes

In-home monitoring of gait velocity with passive PIR sensors in a smart home has been shown to be an effective method of continuously and unobtrusively measuring this important predictor of cognitive function and mobility. However, passive measurements of velocity are nonspecific with regard to who generated each measurement or walking event. As a result, this method is not suitable for multi-person homes without additional information to aid in the disambiguation of gait velocities. In this paper we propose a method based on Gaussian mixture models (GMMs) combined with infrequent clinical assessments of gait velocity to model in-home walking speeds of two or more residents. Modeling the gait parameters directly allows us to avoid the more difficult problem of assigning each measured velocity individually to the correct resident. We show that if the clinically measured gait velocities of residents are separated by at least 15 cm/s a GMM can be accurately fit to the in-home gait velocity data. We demonstrate the accuracy of this method by showing that the correlation between the means of the GMMs and the clinically measured gait velocities is 0.877 (p value < 0.0001) with bootstrapped 95% confidence intervals of (0.79, 0.94) for 54 measurements of 20 subjects living in multi-person homes. Example applications of using this method to track in-home mean velocities over time are also given.
An investigation into the placement of norm-bounded perturbations to analyze stability robustness of power systems

In the analysis of the stability robustness of power system controllers, norm-bounded perturbations are used to account for the uncertainty in the linearized mathematical models of the various power system components. Uncertainty exists in the following components considered in this paper: (1) the synchronous machine model and its reference frame transformation and (2) an aggregate induction motor load connected in parallel with a static load. This paper investigates several alternative perturbation options to account for the uncertainty associated with changes in the power systems' operating conditions due to load variations. Numerical results for a four-machine, two-load test system are obtained and compared with those using nonlinear time simulations.
LinkDroid: reducing unregulated aggregation of app usage behaviors

Usage behaviors of different smartphone apps capture different views of an individual's life, and are largely independent of each other. However, in the current mobile app ecosystem, a curious party can covertly link and aggregate usage behaviors of the same user across different apps. We refer to this as unregulated aggregation of appusage behaviors. In this paper, we present a fresh perspective of unregulated aggregation, focusing on monitoring, characterizing and reducing the underlying linkability across apps. The cornerstone of our study is the Dynamic Linkability Graph (DLG) which tracks applevel linkability during runtime. We observed how DLG evolves on real-world users and identified real-world evidence of apps abusing IPCs and OS-level identifying information to establish linkability. Based on these observations, we propose a linkability-aware extension to current-mobile operating systems, called LinkDroid, which provides runtime monitoring and mediation of linkability across different apps. LinkDroid is a client-side solution and compatible with the existing smartphone ecosystem. It helps end-users "sense" this emerging threat and provides them intuitive opt-out options.
Aristocrats in Bourgeois Italy: The making of the Piedmontese nobility: 1600–1848

A remarkably consistent image of Piedmont's titled nobility emerges from contemporary accounts of both the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, an image which suggests they were respected, but seldom loved. Observers invariably commented on the arrogance, bigotry, narrow-mindedness, and self-satisfaction of the second estate. In the 1760s, for instance, Giuseppe Baretti noted an “excessive pride of birth” among Piedmontese aristocrats, the majority of whom “disdain any familiarity” with persons of less exalted lineage. On those rare occasions when they agreed to speak to outsiders, Baretti claimed that “their kindness is such a bizarre mixture of courtesy and haughtiness that it is impossible for a man of substance not to be offended.” Nearly a century later, Vincenzo Gioberti observed in the 1840s how “the concept of their own superiority is inborn in the Piedmontese aristocrats; they make you feel it although they are courteous; they dominate while they bow; they show that they are your masters while professing themselves your servants.” In the 1860s, one of the nobility's most distinguished figures, Massimo d'Azeglio, provided a striking confirmation of these outsiders' impressions: My dear reader, I feel sure that more than once it has fallen to your lot to have to do with someone who, in his attitude towards you, failed in nothing due to courtesy, who uttered no word to which you could object without being ridiculous or absurdly punctilious, and yet at the same time gave forth from his whole person such a clear “keep your distance,” such an obvious “I'm what I am and you don't count,” that, as there was reason to get angry and no possibility of putting up with it, one simply longed to get out of range, and, if possible, never let oneself be caught again.[…]
Responses of Tropical Deep Convection to the QBO: Cloud-Resolving Simulations

AbstractObservational studies suggest that the stratospheric quasi-biennial oscillation (QBO) can modulate tropical deep convection. The authors use a cloud-resolving model with a limited domain, representing a convective column in the tropics, to study the mechanisms of this modulation. The large-scale circulation is parameterized using the weak temperature gradient (WTG) approximation, under which the parameterized large-scale vertical motion acts to relax the horizontal-mean temperature toward a specified reference profile. Temperature variations typically seen in easterly and westerly phases are imposed in the upper troposphere and lower stratosphere of this reference profile. The responses of convection are studied over different sea surface temperatures, holding the reference temperature profile fixed. This can be thought of as studying the response of convection to the QBO over different “relative SSTs” and also corresponds to different equilibrium precipitation rates in the control simulation. The...
Neural Processing Underlying Tactile Microspatial Discrimination In The Blind: A Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging Study

Although blindness alters neocortical processing of non-visual tasks, previous studies do not allow clear conclusions about purely perceptual tasks. We used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to examine the neural processing underlying tactile microspatial discrimination in the blind. Activity during the tactile microspatial task was contrasted against that during a tactile temporal discrimination task. The spatially selective network included frontoparietal and visual cortical regions. Activation magnitudes in left primary somatosensory cortex and in visual cortical foci predicted acuity thresholds. Effective connectivity was investigated using multivariate Granger causality analyses. Bilateral primary somatosensory cortical foci and a left inferior temporal focus were important sources of connections. Visual cortical regions interacted mainly with one another and with somatosensory cortical regions. Among a set of distributed cortical regions exhibiting greater spatial selectivity in early blind compared to late blind individuals, the age of complete blindness was predicted by activity in a subset of frontoparietal regions and by the weight of a path from the right lateral occipital complex to right occipitopolar cortex. Thus, many aspects of neural processing during tactile microspatial discrimination differ between the blind and sighted, with some of the key differences reflecting visual cortical engagement in the blind.
"Tough Choices": A Student Workshop on the Ethics of Leadership.

AbstractIn this society where ethical misconduct is prevalent, faculty and staff can do a better job of providing training and encouragement to help students make ethical decisions. At the University of North Carolina Wilmington, a task force was created to develop a workshop for student leaders to enhance their awareness of ethical issues and the consequences of bad choices. This article outlines the relevant literature, workshop curriculum, and assessment findings for this initiative.
Arachidonic acid metabolism by platelets of differing size

The relationship between mean platelet volume (MPV) and platelet arachidonic acid metabolism was examined by studying the ability of human platelets of different size to incorporate and metabolize tritiated arachidonic acid ([3H]AA). Platelet phospholipids were labelled with [3H]AA and the platelets were then fractionated into size-dependent subpopulations by counterflow centrifugation. The incorporation of [3H]AA increased through the fractions proportional to the MPV. After thrombin stimulation the per cent of total 3H-radioactivity released from the platelets decreased as the MPV increased. However, fractionation of the released 3H-radioactivity by HPLC (high performance liquid chromatography) demonstrated that MPV had no significant influence on the per cent of total platelet 3H-radioactivity released as cyclooxygenase products or as HETE (12-hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acid) but that the release of unmetabolized [3H]AA decreased as MPV increased. In separate experiments using unlabelled platelets the absolute release of thromboxane B2 (TXB2) after collagen- and thrombin-induced aggregation was measured by radioimmunoassay and was found to increase in proportion to the MPV. These results demonstrate that the release of arachidonic acid metabolites is qualitatively similar in platelets of different size. However, the absolute ability of platelets to incorporate arachidonic acid, convert it to active metabolites and release them is proportional to their volume. The ability of platelets to release unmetabolized arachidonic acid varies inversely with their MPV.
Computer Diagnosis of Biventricular Hypertrophy from the Orthogonal Electrocardiogram

Orthogonal electrocardiograms obtained from 87 patients with necropsy evidence of biventricular hypertrophy (BVH) were compared to record samples obtained from normal subjects (N) and patients with left or right ventricular hypertrophy (LVH or RVH). From 333 different ECG measurements an attempt was made to select optimal discriminators of the various pathological entities. The best separation between the BVH sample and other entities was obtained by utilizing linear discriminant function analysis and a likelihood ratio test. By using a combined covariance matrix of BVH versus N, LVH, and RVH, 69% of the BVH sample was correctly classified, thus demonstrating that multivariate analysis can lead to a substantial improvement in diagnostic classification over previous studies reported in the literature. To test the multivariate classification method against completely independent record samples, new series of LVH and RVH cases were compared to the BVH sample. The results were similar to those obtained agains...
Calium, prostaglandins and the phosphatidylinositol effect in exocrine gland cells

Abstract The hypothesis that arachidonic acid metabolism might be involved in Ca-mobilization mechanisms in exocrine gland cells was investigated. Arachidonate (10−4M) failed to stimulate protein secretion from slices of pancreas, parotid or lacrimal glands and failed to stimulate 86Rb efflux from parotid or lacrimal glands. The stimulation of protein secretion (all three glands) or 86Rb efflux (parotid and lacrimal glands) by appropriate secretagogues was unaffected by 10−5M indomethacin. Eicosatetraynoic acid (2×10−5M) inhibited 86Rb efflux due to carbachol but not that due to physalaemin or ionomycin. Nordihydroguaiaretic acid inhibited lacrimal and parotid gland responses only at high (10−4M) concentration. Collectively, these results argue against an obligatory role for arachidonate metabolites in Ca-mediated responses of these exocrine glands. In the exocrine glands activation by neurotransmitters (or analogs) of receptors that mobilize cellular Ca also stimulates the incorporation of 32PO4 into phosphatidylinositol (1–3). Michell (4,5) has suggested that in some manner this alteration in phospholipid metabolism may be functionally responsible for the opening of surface membrane Ca gates which presumably precedes the expression of a number of Ca-mediated responses by the exocrine cell. That this reaction probably preceeds Ca mobilization is deduced primarily from two experimental observations. First, receptor activation of phosphatidylinositol turnover is not prevented by Ca omission (6–8). Second, the effect is not mimicked by the divalent cationophore A-23187, while other effects of receptor activation are mimicked by this compound (7–9). There has also been some speculation as to the manner in which altered phosphatidylinositol metabolism might be involved in the Ca-gating mechanism (10–14). One such hypothesis suggests that receptor activation may lead to phosphatidylinositol breakdown which in turn leads to the release of free arachidonate (13, 14). As free arachidonate is generally believed to be the rate-limiting substrate for prostaglandin synthesis (15), the resulting prostaglandins might act to mobilize Ca or might act in concert with Ca (13, 14). There is evidence for this hypothesis for the mouse pancreas, where exogenous arachidonate and prostaglandins can stimulate amylase release (13). The effects of arachidonate, carbachol, caerulein and pancreozmin were all antagonized by sub-micromolar concentrations of indomethacin (13), a potent cyclooxygenase inhibitor (15). Additionally, recent reports have demonstrated stimulation by acetylcholine of prostaglandin E synthesis in mouse pancreas (16, 17). The purpose of this study was to examine the general applicability of this hypothesis by investigating the effects of arachidonate and substances that inhibit prostaglandin formation in two other exocrine tissues that show a prominent phosphatidylinositol turnover — the rat parotid and lacrimal glands.
Detection of object-motion during self-motion is predicted by local motion direction differences not deviation from the focus of expansion

Motion on the retina can arise from 1) object motion relative to the observer and 2) self-motion relative to stationary objects. These very different events can result in similar retinal-image motion, so telling the difference is a difficult, but important problem.
BEYOND GDP—NEW APPROACHES TO APPLIED STATISTICS

New social concerns and priorities–beyond the economic growth paradigm–pose a challenge to the established statistical systems. The initial response of developing overall welfare measures and social indicators of the human quality of life had little impact on official statistics. Environment statistics, on the other hand, has become accepted as a new branch of applied statistics, maturing from exclusive pollution monitoring to cover various aspects of natural resources and the man-made environment. Still, a rather artificial separation between ecological monitoring and modeling and anthropocentric environmental statistics and accounting persists. The assessment of complex and interrelated socioeconomic and environmental concerns requires comparable inter-disciplinary information. The provision of such information should be facilitated by a flexible framework approach to statistical coordination and integration.
Therapy-related myeloid leukemia: stochastic or idiosyncratic?

Comment on Offman et al, page [822][1] Just as life begins to return to normal, some solid organ transplant patients develop leukemia. Why? Patients who have received cytotoxic therapy with chemotherapy drugs and/or radiotherapy are at risk for long-term complications from their treatment,
Flexibility and Cation Distribution upon Lithium Exchange of Aluminosilicate and Aluminogermanate Materials with the RHO Topology

The influence of lithium substitution on the structure of aluminosilicate (AlSi) and aluminogermanate (AlGe) materials with the zeolite RHO topology has been examined. The exchanged materials were dehydrated and structurally characterized via Rietveld refinement using neutron powder diffraction data. Li−AlSi-rho crystallizes in the space group I43m with a = 14.2609(3) A, whereas Li−AlGe−rho adopts the space group I23 with a = 14.2926(5) A. The extraframework cations reside in their expected positions in Li−AlSi-rho: cesium is found in the double eight ring (D8R) and lithium is observed only in the single six ring (S6R). In Li−AlGe-rho, lithium resides in both the single six ring and the single eight rings (S8R) while cesium is located exclusively in the S6R. Although these cation positions are unusual for materials with the RHO topology, they are a response to the framework distortions introduced by ion exchange and dehydration. The extraframework cation positions correspond to those that best satisfy t...
The total synthesis of (+/-)-11-O-debenzoyltashironin.

The total synthesis of the putative non-peptidyl neurotrophic factor 11-O-debenzoyltashironin has been accomplished. The key transformation involves a biomimetic oxidative dearomatization/transannular Diels−Alder sequence that closes the tetracyclic carbon skeleton present in the natural product.
A Method for Detecting the Occurrence of Chainsaw Kickback

One of the most dangerous phenomena associated with chainsaw use is kickback. This occurs when the upper quadrant of the chainsaw bar’s tip catches on the work-piece, accelerating the saw toward the user. Safety devices currently installed on chainsaws rely on the rotational acceleration of the saw to move a difficult-to-design mechanical linkage and activate a band brake. Even with a well-designed braking linkage, the saw must rotate through a large angle (approximately 45°) before actuating the brake. A more effective kickback detection and chain-braking system is needed—one that is capable of (i) early detection of the kickback event and (ii) rapid braking of the moving chain. This paper deals with a method of detecting such a kickback event. The approach taken in this work determines the key kinematic parameters associated with kickback using an electronics package of accelerometers and a gyroscope attached to a typical chainsaw. Testing consisted of (i) performing a series of normal cuts through wooden poles, and (ii) purposely initiating kickback via several common scenarios. Data analysis consisted of comparing magnitude, duration, and frequency of sensor output between normal cutting and kickback scenarios. After data filtering, a method of scaling factor variation was used to extract the optimum detection algorithm of a single gyroscope with appropriate signal conditioning, Kickback is detected within 30 milliseconds, before the saw loses contact with the work-piece. The gyroscope magnifies the signal corresponding to the kickback event while attenuating signals corresponding to normal use. This method presents the possibility of a significantly improved chainsaw kickback control system.Copyright © 2011 by ASME