cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Practicing what we Preach Comparative Politics in the 1980s

The revolution in the nature and purposes of comparative politics, to which we were exhorted by Macridis and others in the early 1950s, implied a more comparative and sociological orientation in our teaching and research. By taking a survey of textbooks used in the field and a mail survey of university teachers of comparative politics courses, the author collected data on the teaching enterprise to complement data on research activities. These data show that a majority of the textbooks reflect the revolution in comparative politics in some way but around one-third do not and that 40% of the courses are taught in a country-by-country format. Hence, despite the widespread espousal of its aims, in teaching and textbooks the “revolution” is far from complete, and there may be a slight retrenchment toward more traditional approaches.
Boosting the Area under the ROC Curve

We show that any weak ranker that can achieve an area under the ROC curve slightly better than 1/2 (which can be achieved by random guessing) can be efficiently boosted to achieve an area under the ROC curve arbitrarily close to 1. We further show that this boosting can be performed even in the presence of independent misclassification noise, given access to a noise-tolerant weak ranker.
Acoustic Characterization of Explosion Complexity at Sakurajima, Karymsky, and Tungurahua Volcanoes

Online Material: Figures showing normalized onset peak pressure and energy across the Sakurajima network. Great diversity has been observed in volcanic infrasound signals worldwide, reflecting rich variability in their physical source mechanisms. Infrasound waveforms, estimated signal powers, and frequency contents vary dramatically across a large spectrum of physical eruptive styles (e.g., Johnson and Ripepe, 2011; Fee and Matoza, 2013; Garces et al. , 2013). The observed infrasound signals and eruptive styles span, but do not fall neatly into, the idealized terms such as Hawaiian, Strombolian, Vulcanian, sub‐Plinian, and Plinian (e.g., Walker, 1973; Fee and Matoza, 2013). In physical volcanology, the description and classification of explosive eruption styles are traditionally based on metrics of the thickness, areal extent, and grain size distributions of eruptive products (Walker, 1973). However, eruptive products represent time‐integrated end results of the fragmentation, ejection, and dispersal processes, and the idealized terms do not adequately capture the observed diversity in explosion styles. Infrasound data, which represent a geophysical recording of the explosion process, show promise for better characterizing, quantifying, and classifying the many varied mechanisms and styles of explosive eruptions (e.g., Johnson, 2007; Sahetapy‐Engel et al. , 2008; Marchetti et al. , 2009; Lopez et al. , 2013). Previous conceptual understanding of acoustic signals from explosive eruptions has tended to focus on two end‐member signal durations: (1) discrete explosion (blast) waves with relatively simple waveforms lasting from several to tens of seconds (e.g., Firstov and Kravchenko, 1996; Ripepe and Marchetti, 2002; Johnson, 2003; Marchetti et al. , 2009, 2013) and (2) sustained, broadband, infrasonic tremor signals lasting from minutes to hours (e.g., Vergniolle and Caplan‐Auerbach, 2006; Matoza et al. , 2009; Fee, Steffke, …
DEVELOPING ELEMENTARY TEACHERS’ UNDERSTANDING OF THE DISCOURSE STRUCTURE OF INQUIRY-BASED SCIENCE CLASSROOMS

This study examines the effectiveness of using scholarly descriptions of inquiry-based teaching as a professional development strategy aimed at improving elementary teachers’ social understandings (i.e., how teachers perceive their own and their students’ social roles and relationships in the context of inquiry-based science instruction). The reported findings reveal that, while participating in expert-guided discussions, teachers articulated deeper, theory-based social understandings. Teachers recognized the dialogic nature of initiation–response–feedback, considered the third move in triadic dialogue as multifunctional, identified potential complications of avoiding evaluation, recognized nonverbal means of evaluation, and defined teacher feedback and guidance discursively. Teachers also identified lack of neutrality as having a negative impact on inquiry, considered the implications of verbatim repetitions of students’ responses, and articulated strategies to deal with students’ misconceptions and remain neutral. The significance of this study is that it shows how expert-guided introduction of scholarly descriptions of classroom discourse can serve as effective means to bring educational theory and practice together in the context of professional development and to increase teachers’ awareness of the discourse structure of inquiry-based science instruction.
Compact, high-displacement piezoelectric actuator with potential micromechanical applications

An actuator was developed that, in a macroscale version, is composed of a number of parallel bars of lead zirconate titanate (PZT) connected together in a meander line configuration so that they are mechanically in series and electrically in parallel. The polarity of the adjacent bars is arranged so that if a given bar expands under the applied voltage, the adjacent bars contract. Experimental measurements are in agreement with the predictions of an electromechanical model of the actuator. The design and fabrication of a micromechanical version of the actuator is also described. >
What Metaphysics can be

In order that my argument should not go astray it seems to me necessary to ask what ‘metaphysics’ means. To make clear what I shall do in this chapter I want first of all to indicate that this question really is three questions. First it will be necessary to ask what historically the word ‘metaphysics’ has meant. I presume that what the formalists have rejected and what the positivists have exiled to the realm of the cognitively meaningless where de-propositioned emotive spirits come into their own is what they have thought ‘metaphysics’ has historically meant. I do not propose to consider, however, whether these positivists have correctly reported the meaning of the meaningless (for them) word ‘metaphysics’ since that is not my concern here. It is sufficient, I think, to point out that some meaning other than emotive needs to be attributed to metaphysical statements before they can be reduced to (cognitive) meaninglessness. At the very least it must be indicated that the cognitive element thought to be there just isn’t — and this is to be able to say that such-and-such is the purported cognitive element, i.e., the cognitive meaning.
A novel scan architecture for power-efficient, rapid test

Scan-based testing methodologies remedy the testability problem of sequential circuits; yet they suffer from prolonged test time and excessive test power due to numerous shift operations. The high density of the unspecified bits in test data enables the utilization of the test response data captured in the scan chain for the generation of the subsequent test stimulus, thus reducing both test time and test data volume. The proposed scan-based test scheme accesses only a subset of scan cells for loading the subsequent test stimulus while freezing the remaining scan cells with the response data captured, thus decreasing the scan chain transitions during shift operations. The experimental results confirm the significant reductions in test application time, test data volume and test power achieved by the proposed scan-based testing methodology.
Bayesian hierarchical model for estimating gene association network from microarray data

Estimating gene association networks from gene microar- ray data is the key to decipher complicated Web of functional relationship between genes. However, the process remains to be challenging due to the relatively few independent samples and the large amount of correlation parameters. In a gene association network, vertices represent genes, and edges represent biological association between genes. The network edges are declared to be present if the corresponding correlation parameters are significantly different from a non-zero threshold. The approach has been very useful in inferring gene association networks, and facilitating network based discovery. However, as a Frequentist approach, it often suffers from the "overfitting" problem especially for analyzing small sample size data. Approaches that are able to globally estimate the correlation parameters with variance regularization followed by the seamless correlation thresholding are highly desirable.
Near-Field Focusing With a Corrugated Surface

In this letter, we present a theoretical device that can produce electromagnetic near-field patterns with deep subwavelength resolution. The device consists of a single slit in a corrugated metallic surface. The surface exhibits a nonperiodic series of grooves symmetrically positioned about a waveguide-fed slit. A procedure for designing such a device is described in detail. The electromagnetic response of the corrugated surface is shown to be as theoretically predicted, producing a subwavelength focal pattern with a null-to-null beamwidth of lambda/10. In addition, the effect of losses on the performance of the device is studied. Finally, it is shown that the device can be impedance-matched to its waveguide feed. Such devices will find use in noncontact sensing and near-field probing applications.
Sequencing arrays for screening multiple genes associated with early-onset human retinal degenerations on a high-throughput platform.

PURPOSE. To develop and apply microarray-based resequencing technology to detect sequence alterations in multiple autosomal recessive retinal disease genes on a single high-throughput platform. METHODS. Oligonucleotides corresponding to both strands of the target exons and the flanking intron sequences of 29,214 bp from 11 genes associated with autosomal recessive retinitis pigmentosa (arRP) were tiled on 20 25-m microarrays (arRP-I arrays). A total of 155 exons were amplified from 35 arRP patient DNA samples, with each sample being sequenced on an arRP-I chip by hybridization. RESULTS. With the arRP-I arrays, 97.6% of the tiled sequence were determined with more than 99% accuracy and reproducibility. Of the 2.4% unread sequence, 89.5% involved stretches of G or C. In analyzing the 903,140-bp sequence from the 35 patient samples, 506 sequence changes have been detected in which 386 are previously reported alterations, and 120 are novel. In addition to four known causative mutations, six novel sequence changes that are potentially pathogenic were observed. Additional analysis is needed to determine whether these changes are responsible for arRP in these patients. CONCLUSIONS. The use of microarray for sequencing is a novel approach, and the arRP-I chip is the first successful application of this technology for determining sequence alteration in multiple disease-related genes. These arrays can be used for highthroughput genotyping of patients with relevant retinal conditions. In addition, these arrays offer a unique opportunity to interrogate complex patterns of inheritance due to the involvement of more than one gene by screening multiple genes on a single platform. (Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 2005;46:
Decomposition and visualization of fourth-order elastic-plastic tensors

Visualization of fourth-order tensors from solid mechanics has not been explored in depth previously. Challenges include the large number of components (3x3x3x3 for 3D), loss of major symmetry and loss of positive definiteness (with possibly zero or negative eigenvalues). This paper presents a decomposition of fourth-order tensors that facilitates their visualization and understanding. Fourth-order tensors are used to represent a solid's stiffness. The stiffness tensor represents the relationship between increments of stress and increments of strain. Visualizing stiffness is important to understand the changing state of solids during plastification and failure. In this work, we present a method to reduce the number of stiffness components to second-order 3x3 tensors for visualization. The reduction is based on polar decomposition, followed by eigen-decomposition on the polar "stretch". If any resulting eigenvalue is significantly lower than the others, the material has softened in that eigen-direction. The associated second-order eigentensor represents the mode of stress (such as compression, tension, shear, or some combination of these) to which the material becomes vulnerable. Thus we can visualize the physical meaning of plastification with techniques for visualizing second-order symmetric tensors.
A linear receiver for direct-sequence spread-spectrum multiple-access systems with antenna arrays and blind adaptation

A linear receiver for direct-sequence spread-spectrum multiple-access communication systems under the aperiodic random sequence model is considered. The receiver consists of the conventional matched filter followed by a tapped delay line with the provision of incorporating the use of antenna arrays. It has the ability of suppressing multiple-access interference (MAI) and narrowband interference in some weighted proportions, as well as combining multipath components without explicit estimation of any channel conditions. Under some specific simplified channel models, the receiver reduces to the minimum variance distortionless response beamformer, the RAKE receiver, a notch filter, or an MAI suppressor. The interference rejection capability is made possible through a suitable choice of weights in the tapped delay line. The optimal weights can be obtained by straightforward but computationally complex eigenanalysis. In order to reduce the computational complexity, a simple blind adaptive algorithm is also developed.
Aggregate Planning with Learning Curve Productivity

Research reports of others indicate that many manufacturing organizations experience a the probiem of aggregate planning, and b experience systematic productivity changes throughout the “life” of a product. Methods for resolving a and for quantifying b have been developed and applied independently in the operations management literature. All current aggregate planning models are suitable only for constant productivity situations. The current research integrates a and b into a single computer-based model which permits the development of aggregate-output plans in the face of changing, productivity. The model requires reformulation of traditional aggregate planning methods to incorporate changes in productivity and thereafter solves the reformulated planning problem using direct-computer search. The potential significance of the model is demonstrated by generating a series of aggregate plans for various learning rates. These plans are then used to develop manpower schedules, for cash flow analysis, and for making product pricing decisions.
Abraham Charnes and W. W. Cooper et al.: A Brief History of a Long Collaboration in Developing Industrial Uses of Linear Programming

This paper describes a research strategy and its results, which guided a 40+ year collaboration between Abraham Charnes and William W. Cooper, which was initiated in a research center established at the (then) new Graduate School of Industrial Administration at Carnegie Institute of Technology (now Carnegie Mellon University). Initiated in collaboration with Bob Mellon of Gulf Oil Company, this strategy involved on-site collaborations with company personnel in more than 100 different companies and government agencies. An appendix to this paper describes the efforts of another team working from the same research center. This team, consisting of Charles Holt, Franco Modigliani, John Muth, and Herbert A. Simon, used a different research strategy with an accompanying application that also had important impacts on operations research/management science and other disciplines.
Calculation of the pressure rise in the cooling tube of a two-phase cooling system during a quench of an indirectly cooled superconducting magnet

Large superconducting detector magnets are indirectly cooled with two-phase helium flowing in cooling tubes attached to the coil or its support structure. Large detector magnets often quench such that most of the magnet stored energy ends up as heat stored in the coil package. The time constant for energy deposition in the coil and support structure is often quite short. This paper presents a method for calculating the peak pressure rise in the magnet two-phase cooling tube during a magnet quench. A comparison of calculated peak pressure rise and measured pressure rise for the PEP-4 solenoid is presented in this report. >
Optical, electronic, and photoelectrochemical properties of the p-type Cu3−xVO4 semiconductor

Investigations into new p-type metal oxides with small bandgap sizes, i.e., Eg ∼0.9 eV to ∼1.5 eV, are currently needed to enable the preparation of tandem cells with high solar-to-hydrogen conversion efficiencies. The p-type Cu(I)-vanadate, Cu3VO4 (space group I2m (no. 121), Z = 2, a = 4.581(4) A, c = 8.998(2) A), was synthesized in high purity using solid-state methods and investigated for its small optical bandgap size (Eg ∼ 1.2 eV) and photoelectrochemical properties in the form of polycrystalline films. Powder X-ray diffraction and electron microscopy data show that, beginning at 300 °C in air, a Cu-deficient composition is formed according to: Cu3VO4(s) + (x/2) O2(g) → Cu3−xVO4(s) + x CuO(s). At 350 °C the compound decomposes at the surfaces into the Cu(II)-containing oxides CuO and Cu3V2O8 (3 : 1 molar ratio), the latter protruding as rods (i.e., ∼15–25 nm in width by ∼1–5 μm in length) from the particles' surfaces. Polycrystalline films of p-type Cu3VO4 were prepared under these conditions (i.e., heated in air at 300 °C or 350 °C) and found to yield significant cathodic photocurrents under solar-simulated, visible-light irradiation (λ > 420 nm; AM 1.5 G filter, irradiant power density of ∼100 mW cm−2). Their photocurrents increased with the heating temperature of the film and with the applied bias, e.g., ∼0.1 mA cm−2 at zero applied bias to ∼0.25 mA cm−2 at −0.2 applied bias (pH = 5.8). The photocurrent of a non-heated film was negligible compared to the films heated in air and exhibited a larger dark current. Further, when CuO nanoparticles were formed directly onto the Cu3VO4 films from aqueous Cu(NO3)2 solutions (i.e., 0.1 M and 0.25 M), cathodic photocurrents of ∼0.2 mA cm−2 are similarly found. Mott–Schottky measurements determined the energetic potential of the Cu3VO4 conduction band to be at ∼−0.63 V versus RHE at pH = 5.8, with an acceptor concentration of ∼1.29 × 1017 cm−3. Thus, a type-II band offset is predicted to occur between the p-type Cu3VO4 film and the p-type CuO surface nanoparticles, and elucidating the critical role of the CuO surface nanoparticles in forming a charge rectification barrier and enhancing the charge separation at the surfaces. Electronic structure calculations show that the conduction band states of Cu3VO4 are delocalized within the ab-plane of the structure and exhibit an ∼2 eV band dispersion centered around the gamma k-point. The bandgap size, conduction band dispersion, and band energies of Cu3VO4 are thus found to be promising for further investigations into tandem n-/p-type photoelectrochemical cells for solar energy conversion applications.
Diagnosing symptomatic HIV-associated neurocognitive disorders: self-report versus performance-based assessment of everyday functioning.

Three types of HIV-associated neurocognitive disorders (HAND) exist that are distinguished by presence and severity of impairment in cognitive and everyday functioning. Although well-validated neurocognitive measures exist, determining impairment in everyday functioning remains a challenge. We aim to determine whether Self-Report measures of everyday functioning are as effective in characterizing HAND as Performance-Based measures. We assessed 674 HIV-infected participants with a comprehensive neurocognitive battery; 233 met criteria for a HAND diagnosis by having at least mild neurocognitive impairment. Functional decline was measured via Self-Report and Performance-Based measures. HAND diagnoses were determined according to published criteria using three approaches to assess functional decline: (1) Self-Report measures only, (2) Performance-Based measures only, and (3) Dual-method combining Self-Report and Performance-Based measures. The Dual-method classified the most symptomatic HAND, compared to either singular method. Singular method classifications were 76% concordant with each other. Participants classified as Performance-Based functionally impaired were more likely to be unemployed and more immunosuppressed, whereas those classified as Self-Report functionally impaired had more depressive symptoms. Multimodal methods of assessing everyday functioning facilitate detection of symptomatic HAND. Singular Performance-Based classifications were associated with objective functional and disease-related factors; reliance on Self-Report classifications may be biased by depressive symptoms. (JINS, 2012, 18, 79–88)
Use of Harsh Wafer Probing to Evaluate Traditional and CUP Bond Pad Structures

IC pad damage from a wafer probe can be detrimental to wire-bond yield and product reliability. In this paper, bond pads are harshly probed on traditional pads and a variety of experimental circuit-under-pad (CUP) structures in technologies having aluminum (Al) metallization and silicon dioxide $({\rm SiO}_{2})$ dielectric films. Probe marks and cracking behavior are analyzed, seeking process margins for high-reliability products. Results follow the well-known dependencies on chuck overdrive, probe touch counts, and cantilever probe tip length. Additional detail is revealed regarding the probe mark area, the interaction of cracks with top vias, sublayer film deformation that leads to cracks, and decreased cracking with increased pad Al thickness. The presence of a full sheet of metal in a pad sublayer dominates the top ${{\rm SiO}_{2}}$ cracking performance in the pad. A dramatic improvement in robustness to cracking is seen as the bond pad sublayer metal films reduce in pattern density. Deformation or ripple in metal sublayer features can be prevented or minimized, thus preventing bending and cracking of the top ${{\rm SiO}_{2}}$ and increasing the capability for high-reliability CUP pads. Based on these experimental results, CUP pad objectives can be achieved even with harsh probing on thin pad Al.
Women’s health research in the last four decades

Gerson Weiss speaks to Natasha Leeson, Assistant Commissioning Editor Gerson Weiss obtained his MD degree from New York University (NY, USA). After an internship in internal medicine at Baltimore City Hospital (MD, USA), he completed residency in obstetrics and gynecology at New York University. Further training in reproductive endocrinology was obtained as a postdoctoral research fellow in physiology at the University of Pittsburgh (PA, USA), in the laboratory of Dr Ernst Knobil. Following this fellowship, Dr Weiss returned to New York University where he ultimately became Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Professor of Pharmacology and Director of the Division of Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility. In 1986, he became Professor and Chair of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at New Jersey Medical School (NJ, USA). Dr Weiss is the author of more than 274 scientific articles. His research has been continuously funded since 1975 by grants from the NIH, the United Cerebral Palsy Foundat...
The method of stages simulator (MOSS) for modeling variance in soft real-time systems

Soft real-time systems such as those used for streaming video, weather forecasting, and flight plan analysis are becoming more pervasive as technology advances. Tasks found in such systems often exhibit unpredictability in their arrival, service, and deadline behavior. Due to this unpredictable nature, an important characteristic of soft real-time systems is the variance within the arrival, service, and deadline parameters of tasks. With traditional task scheduling algorithms such as Rate Monotonic (RM), Earliest Deadline First (EDF), and Least Laxity First (LLF), the variance of task parameters is typically ignored. However, this variance can directly influence the choice of the best scheduling algorithm, particularly under varying system loads. This paper presents a discrete-event simulation tool that uses the method of stages technique to model system variance in soft real-time systems. This Method of Stages Simulator (MOSS) can be used to estimate performance metrics such as met and missed deadline percentages, system utilizations, and response times. MOSS can also be used to: (1) conduct sensitivity analysis on input parameters such as inter-arrival times, service times, and deadline times, (2) compare the performance of various scheduling algorithms, and (3) discover and evaluate new scheduling algorithms. As an illustrative and motivating example, a pharmacy scenario is presented.
Association Between Ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) and Habitat Characteristics in Oak-Dominated Mixed Forests

Abstract The relationship between ants and their habitats was examined in oak-dominated mixed forests in the central Appalachian mountains. Ants were sampled using pitfall traps over the summers of 1995, 1996, and 1997. Principal component and correlation analysis indicated that ant diversity (Shannon’s H′), species richness, and abundance were closely correlated with habitat principal components. Fewer ants, lower number of species, and lower ant diversity were found at sites with higher elevation and soil moisture. Diversity (H′) of ants and species richness decreased by 0.1 (R2 = 0.75) and 2.2 (R2 = 0.57) when the elevation increased 100 m, respectively. As the elevation increased, there were relatively less Formica neogagates Emery and more Aphaenogaster rudis (Emery). More ant species and individuals were found on ridges than in valleys.
Undocumented Immigrants and Citizenship: Universal Values in a World of Nation-States

This paper critically explores the public values at stake in the U.S. debates over the appropriate public policy response to undocumented or unauthorized immigration. After reviewing the most common debates (over economic, cultural, and "moral" impacts of unauthorized immigrants), the paper suggests that the most important values at stake are more fundamental, and concern the paradox involved in trying to apply universal human rights values in a world of discrete and bounded nation-states. In this context, three specific obstacles to the application of universal human rights to unauthorized immigrants are critically explored: nation-state sovereignty, the rule of law, and the need for democratic communities to have a self-constituted "we the people" understanding of themselves.
The Case for Physical Education

(1933). The Case for Physical Education. The Journal of Health and Physical Education: Vol. 4, No. 4, pp. 3-63.
NLRP3 inflammasome plays a redundant role with caspase 8 to promote IL-1β–mediated osteomyelitis

Missense mutation in the proline-serine-threonine phosphatase-interacting protein 2 (Pstpip2) gene results in the development of spontaneous chronic bone disease characterized by bone deformity and inflammation that is reminiscent of patients with chronic multifocal osteomyelitis (cmo). Interestingly, this disease is specifically mediated by IL-1β but not IL-1α. The precise molecular pathways that promote pathogenic IL-1β production in Pstpip2cmo mice remain unidentified. Furthermore, how IL-1β provokes inflammatory bone disease in Pstpip2cmo mice is not known. Here, we demonstrate that double deficiency of Nod like receptor family, pyrin domain containing 3 (NLRP3) and caspase 8 in Pstpip2cmo mice provides similar protection as observed in caspase-1 and caspase-8–deficient Pstpip2cmo mice, demonstrating redundant roles for the NLRP3 inflammasome and caspase 8 in provoking osteomyelitic disease in Pstpip2cmo mice. Consistently, immunofluorescence studies exhibited distinct caspase-1 and caspase-8 puncta in diseased Ptpn6spin neutrophils. Data from our chimera studies demonstrated that IL-1β produced by hematopoietic cells is sensed by the radioresistant compartment to promote bone disease. Furthermore, our results showed that the IL-1β signaling is unidirectional and feedback signaling of IL-1β onto the hematopoietic compartment is not important for disease induction. In conclusion, our studies have uncovered the combined actions of the NLRP3 inflammasome and caspase 8 leading to IL-1β maturation and the directionality of IL-1β in driving disease in Pstpip2cmo mice.
Use of clover in broiler starter rations.

Abstract Two experiments, of 25 to 28 days duration, were conducted with day-old broiler chicks. Dehydrated white (Trifolium repens), crimson (Trifolium incarnatum L.), and arrowleaf (Trifolium vesiculosum Savi) clover were added to the basal diet at levels of 0 to 7.5%. There was no significant difference in body weight gains and feed efficiencies for chicks fed diets containing these three clover species compared to the controls. Accordingly, it was concluded that these clovers can serve as acceptable protein sources up to the levels fed in starter chick diets.
Early life instruction in foreign language and music and incidence of mild cognitive impairment.

Objective To test the hypothesis that foreign language and music instruction in early life are associated with lower incidence of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and slower rate of cognitive decline in old age. Method At enrollment in a longitudinal cohort study, 964 older persons without cognitive impairment estimated years of foreign language and music instruction by age 18. Annually thereafter they completed clinical evaluations that included cognitive testing and clinical classification of MCI. Results There were 264 persons with no foreign language instruction, 576 with 1-4 years, and 124 with > 4 years; 346 persons with no music instruction, 360 with 1-4 years, and 258 with > 4 years. During a mean of 5.8 years of observation, 396 participants (41.1%) developed MCI. In a proportional hazards model adjusted for age, sex, and education, higher levels (> 4 years) of foreign language (hazard ratio [HR] = 0.687, 95% confidence interval [CI] [0.482, 0.961]) and music (HR = 0.708, 95% CI [0.539, 0.930]) instruction by the age of 18 were each associated with reduced risk of MCI. The association persisted after adjustment for other early life indicators of an enriched cognitive environment, and it was stronger for nonamnestic than amnestic MCI. Both foreign language and music instruction were associated with higher initial level of cognitive function, but neither instruction measure was associated with cognitive decline. Conclusions Higher levels of foreign language and music instruction during childhood and adolescence are associated in old age with lower risk of developing MCI but not with rate of cognitive decline.
Determination of 2,4-D-butyl Ester in Chinese Leek by Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry

A method of determination of 2,4-D-butyl ester in Chinese Leek by GC/MS is established.2,4-D-butyl ester in Chinese Leek was extracted with acetonitrile by ultrasonic wave.The extract was warmed with water at 80 ℃ and blowed with nitrogen gas until it got near to dryness.Then it was dissolved in acetone and cleaned-up by florisil-charcoal-alumina glass column. Retention time and specific ions were used to identify 2,4-D-butyl ester.The selective fragments were m/z 162,175,185,276,respectively.The calibration curve of 2,4-D-butyl ester was linear(correlatiom coefficient: 0.999 9) within the range of 0.002-1.0 μg/mL.The recoveries(spiking at 0.01 μg/mL and 1.0 μg/mL) were 88.2%,(94.3)%,respectively.The relative standard deviations(RSD) of the method was 10% for each case,and the limit of detection(LOD),defined in termes of 3 times baseline noise was 0.02 μg/kg.The method is suitable for determining 2,4-D-butyl ester in Chinese Leek and other vegetables and fruits.
The Japanese Abacus as a Computational Aid for Blind Children

Forty-two junior high level students were instructed in use of the soroban, a type of abacus. Prior to instruction, the students were tested with an easy test and a difficult test to determine their skill in computation of whole and decimal numbers. After four months and again after eight months of instruction and practice with the soroban, the students were tested with equivalent tests. The results demonstrated that the soroban is a practical and efficient approach for overcoming computational problems encountered by the blind.
Technical Consideration In Radical Retropubic Prostatectomy: Blood Loss AfterLigation of Dorsal Venous Complex

AbstractThe estimated blood loss and blood transfused in 641 patients undergoing bilateral pelvic lymphadenectomy and radical retropubic prostatectomy were analyzed to compare ligation and nonligation of the deep dorsal venous complex. Group 1 (325 men) had no attempt at deep dorsal vein ligation and group 2 (316) had ligation of the deep dorsal venous complex. Group 2 was subdivided into group 2a—137 men in whom an attempt at a nerve-sparing procedure was made and group 2b—179 in whom no such attempt was made. Estimated intraoperative blood loss was significantly different between the groups: group 1—mean loss 1,262ml. and group 2—mean loss 1,020ml. (p<0.0001). The amounts of blood transfused intraoperatively were significantly different: group 1—1.73 units and group 2—1.21 units (p<0.0002). Intraoperative blood loss was not significantly different between subgroups 2a and 2b but the mean amount of blood transfused intraoperatively was lower in group 2a than in group 2b (0.99 and 1.39 units, respectively...
Activation of genetic transcription in rat liver chromatin by 3-methylcholanthrene.

Previous studies had indicated that the administration of 3-methylcholanthrene to rats is attended by an increase in the "aggregate" RNA polymerase activity in rat liver. Chromatin has been isolated from the livers of both control and 3-methylcholanthrene-treated rats. The experimental chromatin did not differ from control material in RNA:DNA and histone to DNA ratios, ultraviolet absorption, or transition temperature. The efficacy of the chromatin as a template was determined in the Micrococcus lysodeikticus RNA polymerase system. The liver chromatin from 3-methylcholanthrene-treated rats proved to be a better template. Adrenalectomy did not affect this finding. The nearest neighbor frequency of the RNA elaborated on the chromatin template was also determined. The RNA product made in the presence of chromatin isolated from 3-methylcholanthrene-treated rats differed substantially from that made in the presence of control chromatin or rat liver DNA itself. These studies provide further evidence that the administration of the polycyclic hydrocarbon leads to an activation of a region(s) on the genome.
Novel Eggshell of the New Caledonian Diplodactylid Gecko Species Correlophus ciliatus (= Rhacodactylus ciliatus)

Abstract The majority of lizards and snakes lay flexible-shelled eggs with high water vapor permeability and which absorb water during incubation and increase in mass, volume, and surface area (water uptake is necessary for successful embryonic development). In contrast, one clade of gekkotans lay rigid-shelled eggs with low permeability which, like bird eggs, lose water during incubation and incubate successfully under low moisture conditions. Anecdotal accounts suggest that eggs of some New Caledonian diplodactylids, a family of gekkotans characterized by flexible-shelled eggs, are ‘hard-shelled.' I made observations on the eggs of Correlophus ciliatus (= Rhacodactylus ciliatus) to test the idea that New Caledonian diplodactylid eggs exhibit features unlike those of other squamates that lay flexible-shelled eggs. I found that C. ciliatus eggs are flexible-shelled; they have relatively high water vapor permeability and they increase in mass during incubation as the result of water uptake. Nonetheless, eg...
Rulemaking and the Guidance Exemption

The Administrative Procedure Act imposes a general obligation on federal agencies to use notice and comment procedures when they adopt rules, but it contains an exemption, § 553(b)(A), for two kinds of rules that lack the force of law — “interpretative rules [and] general statements of policy.” Questions pertaining to the application of this exemption may constitute the single most frequently litigated and important issue of rulemaking procedure in the federal courts today. This article undertakes a comprehensive examination of issues presented by the exemption and offers a unified framework for resolving them. The article deals with procedural questions only and does not address judicial review issues pertaining to these rules. The draftsmanship of § 553(b)(A) has generally been read to imply that interpretive rules and policy statements should be analyzed separately for purposes of the exemption, and indeed two separate lines of cases have developed. However, the track records of those two bodies of case law have not proved equally satisfactory. The courts’ approach to policy statements is essentially coherent — more so than many scholars acknowledge. It revolves around the issue of whether a statement creates a “binding norm,” either legally or in practical effect. Much of the case law on policy statements applies the exemption more narrowly than I would endorse, but the tensions in the precedents result from understandable tradeoffs among competing values. Many of those same values are also reflected in best-practices recommendations adopted by government bodies and professional organizations. In contrast, the case law on interpretive rules is highly unsatisfactory. It is generally understood that an interpretive rule explains existing law instead of creating new law. However, the approaches by which courts apply this criterion are not only vague, but also lack credible policy justifications that would enable courts and agencies to find their way past the vagueness. The courts have identified several circumstances in which they can comfortably conclude that a given document is not an interpretive rule, but they lack workable criteria for determining what documents do fit that description. I propose a simple fix for this difficulty: The “binding norm” principles that courts now use in the policy statement context should, for the most part, apply in the interpretive rule context as well. This consolidation would tend to simplify the law and would bring judicial doctrine into line with the increasing tendency among administrative lawyers to refer to nonbinding rules using the collective term “guidance.” Thus, we should think of these provisions in § 553(b)(A) as comprising, in a significant and not merely nominal sense, a single exemption — the guidance exemption.
The fallacy of good: marginalized populations as design motivation

This is a forum for perspectives on designing for communities marginalized by economics, social status, infrastructure, or policies. It will discuss design methods, theoretical and conceptual contributions, and methodological engagements for underserved communities. --- Nithya Sambasivan, Editor
ED utilization of medical clearance testing for psychiatric admission: National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey analysis.

Abstract Introduction Routine medical clearance testing of emergency department (ED) patients with acute psychiatric illnesses in the absence of a medical indication has minimal proven utility. Little is known about the variations in clinical practice of ordering medical clearance tests. Methods This study was an analysis of data from the annual United States National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey from 2010 to 2014. The study population was defined as ED visits by patients ≥ 18 years old admitted to a psychiatric facility. We sought to determine the percentage of these ED visits in which at least one medical clearance test was ordered. Using a multivariate logistic regression model, we also evaluated whether patient visit factors or regional variation was associated with use of medical clearance tests. Result A medical clearance test was ordered in 80.4% of ED visits ending with a psychiatric admission. Multivariate logistic regression demonstrated a statistically significant increased odds ratio (OR) of medical clearance testing based on age (OR 1.02, 95%CI 1.01, 1.03), among visits involving an injury or poisoning (OR 2.38, 95%CI 1.54, 3.68), and in the Midwest region as compared to the Northeast region (OR 2.2, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.09, 4.46), after adjusting for other predictors. Discussion Our study demonstrated that, on a national level, 4 out of 5 ED visits resulting in a psychiatric facility admission had a medical clearance test ordered. Future research is needed to investigate the reasons underlying the discrepancies in ordering patterns across the U.S., including the effect of local psychiatric admission policies.
A model of search and matching with PES intermediation

The paper is an extension of Morgan (A model of search, coordination and market segmentation. Department of Economics, SUNY-Buffalo Working paper, 1998). It shows that introducing a specialist matching intermediary, a public employment exchange, can improve the efficiency of the market under certain conditions. Coupled with search costs and incentive compatible lumpsum membership fees, agents participate in only one of the disjoint segments generated in such markets. A complete description is provided of the equilibrium matching of agents. In equilibrium, agents separate according to type into different segments viz., an informal economy, an economy operated by the intermediary, and an economy populated by relatively highly skilled agents only. Welfare properties of the equilibrium are provided.
Neuroendocrine Tumor Gallbladder

Neuroendocrine tumors of the gallbladder are aggressive but can be difficult to distinguish from other gallbladder tumors on imaging. FDG PET/MR imaging can improve anatomic characterization of gallbladder tumors and detect the spread of neuroendocrine tumors into adjacent structures as they are intensely FDG avid.
Blueprint for Transparency at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration: Recommendations to Advance the Development of Safe and Effective Medical Products:

BackgroundThe U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) traditionally has kept confidential significant amounts of information relevant to the approval or non-approval of specific drugs, devices, and...
Training for Failure: A Simulation Program for Emergency Medicine Residents to Improve Communication Skills in Service Recovery.

Objectives Service failures such as long waits, testing delays, and medical errors are daily occurrences in every emergency department (ED). Service recovery refers to the immediate response of an organization or individual to resolve these failures. Effective service recovery can improve the experience of both the patient and the physician. This study investigated a simulation-based program to improve service recovery skills in postgraduate year 1 emergency medicine (PGY-1 EM) residents. Methods Eighteen PGY-1 EM residents participated in six cases that simulated common ED service failures. The patient instructors (PIs) participating in each case and two independent emergency medicine (EM) faculty observers used the modified Master Interview Rating Scale to assess the communication skills of each resident in three simulation cases before and three simulation cases after a service recovery debriefing. For each resident, the mean scores of the first three cases and those of the last three cases were termed pre- and postintervention scores, respectively. The means and standard deviations of the pre- and postintervention scores were calculated by the type of rater and compared using paired t-tests. Additionally, the mean scores of each case were summarized. In the framework of the linear mixed-effects model, the variance in scores from the PIs and faculty observers was decomposed into variance contributed by PIs/cases, the program effect on individual residents, and the unexplained variance. In reliability analyses, the intraclass correlation coefficient between rater types and the 95% confidence interval were reported before and after the intervention. Results When rated by the PIs, the pre- and postintervention scores showed no difference (p = 0.852). In contrast, when scored by the faculty observers, the postintervention score was significantly improved compared to the preintervention score (p < 0.001). In addition, for the faculty observers, the program effect was a significant contributor to the variation in scores. Low intraclass correlation was observed between rater groups. Conclusions This innovative simulation-based program was effective at teaching service recovery communication skills to residents as evaluated by EM faculty, but not PIs. This study supports further exploration into programs to teach and evaluate service recovery communication skills in EM residents.
What do developmental mapping rules optimize

Convergence ratios between pre- and postsynaptic cells in the visual system vary widely between cell classes, areas of the visual field, between individuals and between species. Proper stabilization of the convergence and divergence of single visual neurons is critical for visual integration generally, and for specific functions such as those of rod and cone pathways, or the center and peripheral regions of the visual field. In early development, retinal ganglion cells, target cells and all their processes are produced in excess and stabilize at certain mature values. The intent of the investigations described here is to determine what features of cell connectivity are stabilized over normal variability by these developmental processes and how such stabilization is accomplished, using the developing mammalian retinotectal system as an example. Orderly compression of the retinotopic map into a half tectum was induced by a partial tectal ablation at birth in hamsters, increasing the ratio of retinal ganglion cells to superior colliculus target cells. The convergence problem is solved in this case by undersampling the spatial array with respect to normal, preserving local spatial resolution, but potentially reducing sensitivity or introducing aliasing artifacts. Receptive field sizes of single neurons are indistinguishable from normal, and reduction of branching of presynaptic axon arbors is the mechanism of the remapping. Behaviorally, though the entire visual field is still represented in the remaining colliculus, the solution has a cost in decreased probability and increased latency to orient to visual stimuli, particularly in the peripheral visual field. The generality of this solution for retinal and other central convergence regulation problems is evaluated.
Lattice Calculations in Gauge Theory

In 1975 Kenneth Wilson gave in Erice a series of lectures1, where he showed how the lattice regularization of quantum gauge theories could provide a clue to the understanding of strong coupling phenomena and, ultimately, of hadronic dynamics. The expectations raised by Wilson’s pioneering work1–2 have been largely fulfilled. The lattice formulation, coupled to powerful numerical techniques, has allowed the derivation of a variety of important results, mainly for the theory of strong interactions (Quantum Chromo Dynamics or QCD), which could not have been attained by more conventional methods relying on perturbative expansions. We are now at a stage where calculations of the spectrum of hadrons, entirely from first principles, are being performed. While the outcomes of different investigations sometimes reveal discrepancies, a consequence of current computational limitations, the overall trend of the results is very encouraging. It appears likely that, with computer developments lying just ahead of us and, undoubtedly, with refinements in our numerical techniques, within a few years we shall be able to calculate the properties of QCD much as it is possible to investigate atomic physics starting from the Schrodinger equation.