cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A Confirmatory Factor Analysis of the Structure of Temperament Questionnaire

This study examines the factor structure of scores on the English-language version of the Structure of Temperament Questionnaire. Scores from 300 college students were subjected to maximum-likelihood confirmatory factor analyses (CFA). A first-order model consisting of eight correlated factors and a second-order model consisting of two superordinate factors and eight first-order factors were tested. The results of the analyses indicate that the first-order correlated model is the best fit for the data. The English-language version of the Structure of Temperament Questionnaire can be used to measure eight correlated yet theoretically unique dimensions of temperament.
Federal drought planning in the Great Plains — A first look

Drought - the climatic nemesis of the Great Plains - has long been a topic of concern. With this situation in mind, one might wonder if the United States government ever engaged in efforts geared toward strengthening the region's resistence to this recurring phenomenon. That inquiry is explored here. In so doing, the paper presents an historical sampling of the federal role in drought planning - by the way of legislative and other means - for the period, late 1870's to 1940. Included in the sampling are the J. W. Powell report, dry-land farming, irrigation, shelterbelts, and crop insurance - to name but a few. When these drought planning measures are examined as a unit, it provides a basis for some interpretative observations - summarized in the conclusions. The postscript is a commentary on the concept of a national drought planning policy.
Familial degeneration of the cerebral gray matter in childhood with convulsions, myoclonus, spasticity, cerebellar ataxia, choreoathetosis, dementia, and death in status epilepticus; differentiation of infantile and juvenile types.

Summary We have described four cases of degeneration of the cerebral gray matter in childhood running a progressive course to a fatal outcome. The clinical features of this condition include convulsions, myoclonus, spasticity, choreoathetosis, cerebellar ataxia, and dementia. It is sometimes a familial disease. There is always degeneration of the deeper layers of the cerebral cortex and sometimes degenerative changes in the basal ganglia of the forebrain, thalami, and cerebellum. We have distinguished infantile and juvenile types of this disease. Christensen and Krabbe term this condition poliodystrophia cerebri progressiva infantilis . Perhaps, we might designate it in English as degeneration of the cerebral gray matter of Alpers .
Effect of age and mating on pheromone production in the female olive fruit fly, Dacus oleae (Gmel.)

Abstract Virgin female olive fruit flies began producing sex pheromone on the third day after emergence. Production of sex pheromone appears to be cyclical with peaks of production recurring at about 10-day intervals, each peak lasting 2–3 days. As the female ages, the quantity of sex pheromone produced during the period of high pheromone production decreases, but it is always higher than the quantity present in the pheromone gland during the rest of female life. Mated females produced less sex pheromone the first 10 days after mating which then increased to near the same level of that in virgin females.
Mesoscopic Voltage Fluctuations in Luttinger Liquids

In this Letter, the mesoscopic voltage and conductance fluctuations of a Luttinger liquid are examined. For quasiballistic wires, one finds that the amplitude of conductance fluctuations, i.e., $\mathrm{Var}(G)$, is proportional to ${T}^{4g\ensuremath{-}5}$ where $g\phantom{\rule{0ex}{0ex}}=\phantom{\rule{0ex}{0ex}}\ensuremath{\pi}\ensuremath{\Elzxh}v(\ensuremath{\partial}n/\ensuremath{\partial}\ensuremath{\mu})$ is a dimensionless measure of compressibility. For macroscopic wires, one finds resistance fluctuations of the form $\mathrm{Var}(R)\ensuremath{\sim}{T}^{4g\ensuremath{-}5}$. We also investigate the voltage distribution function and the length scale over which self-averaging occurs.
Theory of a Class of Discrete Optimal Control Systems

Abstract The problem considered in this paper is that of finding optimal controls for a class of fixed duration processes in systems described by non-linear difference equations. The discrete versions of the adjoint system and the Hamiltonian are used in conjunction with the original techniques found in the proofs of the Pontryagin maximum principle to derive conditions necessary for a control to be optimal. These necessary conditions are shown to be related to the Pontryagin conditions for continuous systems in the following manner: the requirement of a global maximum of a Hamiltonian becomes a condition of a local maximum or of stationarity, while the transversality conditions remain identical.
Mass-length ratio of fibrin fibers from gel permeation and light scattering.

Mass–length ratios of fibers in fibrin gels were obtained from measurements of the angular dependence of the intensity of light scattered by dilute gels and from the permeability of more concentrated gels. The permeability was determined by measuring the forced flow of buffer through a short column of gel held in a glass tube. The results obtained with the two methods are consistent. At high pH and high ionic strength the mass–length ratio is found to be that calculated for a protofibril, i.e., a double strand of fibrin molecules laid end to end at a separation of 450 A. This same value is found under conditions where the polymerized fibrin is not gelled (pH 10.25) and where it is just gelled (pH 10.0). At pH 7.4, ionic strength 0.35, the fibers are found to have a higher mass–length ratio, the average fiber consisting of some three protofibrils associated laterally. At pH 7.4 and low ionic strength (0.10 M) the fibers are up to a hundred times more massive.
Oxygen isotope composition of annually banded modern and mid-Holocene travertine and evidence of paleomonsoon floods, Grand Canyon, Arizona, USA

Abstract Holocene and modern travertine formed in spring-fed Havasu Creek of the Grand Canyon, Arizona, was studied to determine the factors governing its oxygen-isotope composition. Analysis of substrate-grown travertine indicates that calculated calcite-formation temperatures compare favorably with measured water temperatures, and include silt-rich laminae deposited by monsoon-driven floods. Ancient spring-pool travertine is dated by U-series at 7380 ± 110 yr and consists of 14 travertine-silt couplets of probable annual deposition. One hundred eighty high-resolution δ18O analyses of this mid-Holocene sample average −11.0‰ PDB. The average value for modern travertine is ∼0.5‰ lower, perhaps because mid-Holocene temperature was higher or there was proportionally greater summer recharge. δ18O cyclicity in the mid-Holocene travertine has average amplitude of 1.9 ± 0.5‰ PDB, slightly less than the inferred modern-day annual temperature range of Havasu Creek. The annual temperature range might have been reduced during the 14-yr interval compared to present, although other non-temperature factors could account for the muted annual variation. Silt-rich laminae within isotopically lower calcite in the modern and mid-Holocene travertine verifies the seasonal resolution of both samples, and suggests that similar temperature-precipitation conditions, as well as monsoon-generated summer floods, prevailed in the mid-Holocene as they do throughout the Grand Canyon region today.
Photoswitchable Gas Permeation Membranes Based on Liquid Crystals

We have fabricated switchable gas permeation membranes in which a photoswitchable low-molecular-weight liquid crystalline (LC) material acts as the active element. Liquid crystal mixtures are doped with mesogenic azo dyes and infused into commercially available track-etched membranes with regular cylindrical pores (0.40 to 10.0 μm). Tunability of mass transfer can be achieved through a combination of (1) LC/mesogenic dye composition, (2) surface-induced alignment, and (3) reversible photoinduced LC-isotropic transitions. Photo-induced isothermal phase changes in the imbibed material afford large and fully reversible changes in the permeability of the membrane to nitrogen. Both the LC and photogenerated isotropic states demonstrate a linear permeability/pressure relationship, but they show significant differences in their permeability coefficients. Liquid crystal compositions can be chosen such that the LC phase is more permeable than the isotropic—or vice versa – and can be further tuned by surface alignment. Permeability switching response times are 5 s, with alternating UV and >420-nm radiation at an intensity of 2 mW/cm2 being sufficient for complete and reversible switching. Thermal and kinetic properties of the confined LC materials are evaluated and correlated with the observed permeation properties. We demonstrate for the first time reversible permeation control of a membrane with light irradiation.
Quantitative ultrasonic diagnosis of silicone breast implant rupture: An in vitro feasibility study

Ultrasound is useful in evaluating the integrity of silicone breast implants. However, extensive operator experience is required. A system for computer-assisted diagnosis is being developed to reduce operator dependence. Feasibility was examined by measuring the ultrasonic properties of breast implants in vitro. Silicone gels from 45 explanted implants (26 intact and 19 ruptured) were placed in sealed acoustic test chambers and 60 RF A-lines were acquired from each. Velocity of sound, attenuation and integrated backscatter (IB) were estimated. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis was performed. The mean speed of sound was 1060 m/s +/- 50.1 m/s in intact implants and 1115 m/s +/- 74.3 m/s in ruptured ones (p < 0.003). Differences in attenuation were not statistically significant. The mean IB was -83.9 dB +/- 7.94 dB in intact and -77.2 dB +/- 9.07 dB in ruptured implants (p < 0.006). The area under the ROC curve (Az) was 0.70 and 0.73 for IB and velocity, respectively, while combining the two yielded Az = 0.81. Changes in speed of sound and IB, with changes in integrity of breast implants, have been demonstrated in vitro. The results indicate the potential for quantitative assessment of silicone breast implants performed in vivo.
Affinity Chromatography of B-Glucosidase and Endo-B-Glucanase from Aspergillus Niger on Concanavalin A-Sepharose: Implications for Cellulase Component Purification and Immobilization

Abstract Affinity chromatography of a commercial preparation of 3-glu-cosidase from Aspergillus niger using concanavalin A-Sepharose (CAS) was employed as a means of purifying this glycoprotein. However, mannose (up to 1.08 M) was ineffective as an eluent of this enzyme from CAS, as were several other sugars and their derivatives, including 0.5 M glucose. Also, washing the CAS:8-glucosidase complex with buffer at pH 3.5 in the absence of MnCl2 and CaCl2 (required to preserve the binding activity of concanavalin A below pH 5.0) did not result in elution of this enzyme. On the contrary, endo-glucanase activity present in a crude cellulase complex (A. niger) which bound to CAS could be eluted by mannose (0.5–0.7 M) and was fractionated Into at least two components. The CAS:β-glucosidase complex hydrolyzed cellobiose to glucose and possessed an activity of 2, 158 units/g dry CAS. It could be used, therefore, for continuous cellobiose hydrolysis without leakage of enzyme from the support.
Performance of a 6-degree-of-freedom active microsurgical manipulator in handheld tasks

This paper presents the first experimental results from human users of a new 6-degree-of-freedom handheld micromanipulator. This is the latest prototype of a fully-handheld system, known as “Micron,” which performs active compensation of hand tremor for microsurgery. The manipulator is a miniature Gough-Stewart platform incorporating linear ultrasonic motors that provide a cylindrical workspace 4 mm long and 4 mm wide. In addition, the platform allows the possibility of imposing a remote center of motion for controlling motion not only at the tip but also at the entry point in the sclera of the eye. We demonstrate hand tremor reduction in both static and dynamic micromanipulation tasks on a rubber pad. The handheld performance is also evaluated in an artificial eye model while imposing a remote center of motion. In all cases, hand tremor is significantly reduced.
An Experiment in Personalist Politics: The Catholic Worker Movement and Nonviolent Action

The Catholic Worker movement, co-founded by Dorothy Day in 1933, is well known for its hospitality work with the urban poor. Less examined is the Worker movement's steadfast commitment to nonviolent action as its primary means of political engagement. How has the movement managed to sustain this often costly commitment for nearly seventy years? The answer lies in an analysis of five aspects of Catholic Worker life and thought: Biblical earnestness, personalism, solidarity with the poor through hospitality, living in community, and membership turnover.
Evolution of granitoids in the Catalina metamorphic core complex, southeastern Arizona: U-Pb, Nd, and Hf isotopic constraints

The Santa Catalina Mountains, SE Arizona, was one of the first metamorphic core complexes to be described. Despite its status as a type example, relatively little is known about precise ages and origins of the intrusive rocks that make up most of the crystalline core. U–Pb and Hf isotopic data by laser ablation–inductively coupled plasma–mass spectrometry from zircons and Nd isotopic results from whole rocks were obtained for 12 granitoids ranging from 1,440 to 26 Ma. Results confirm that the 1.44-Ga Oracle Granite extends through the Catalina Range as variably mylonitic granite and banded gneiss. Laramide intrusions (67–73 Ma) display initial eNd values −5 to −8 and eHf from −7.5 to −9. Magmatic ages for the prominent white granite sills of the Wilderness suite are 46–57 Ma, in agreement with Terrien (2012), and these granites have initial eNd values −8 to −10 and eHf from −7 to −14. Lastly, the undeformed Catalina Granite has an age of 26 Ma, with an initial eNd and eHf of −6 and −8, respectively. Our Nd results agree with limited results from Farmer and DePaolo (89:10141–10160, 1984). Although the Catalina Granite seems to have a significant juvenile component based on Nd and Hf, most of the Laramide and Wilderness intrusions contain Nd and Hf compositions lying close to the evolution of 1.44-Ga Oracle Granites, a fact that is confirmed by the U–Pb data, which show both 1.7- and 1.4-Ga zircon cores in these samples, with 1.4 Ga as the dominant core age. In order to become the dominant source of most of the 72–45-Ma magmas, the Oracle pluton must not only extend across the whole Catalina region, but also have abundant deep-seated equivalents to provide magma sources.
Sybilproof reputation mechanisms

Due to the open, anonymous nature of many P2P networks, new identities - or sybils - may be created cheaply and in large numbers. Given a reputation system, a peer may attempt to falsely raise its reputation by creating fake links between its sybils. Many existing reputation mechanisms are not resistant to these types of strategies.Using a static graph formulation of reputation, we attempt to formalize the notion of sybilproofness. We show that there is no symmetric sybilproof reputation function. For nonsymmetric reputations, following the notion of reputation propagation along paths, we give a general asymmetric reputation function based on flow and give conditions for sybilproofness.
Differential protection of three-phase transformers using Wavelet Transforms

This paper proposes a novel formulation for differential protection of three-phase transformers using Wavelet Transforms (WTs). The new proposed methodology implements the WTs to extract predominant transient signals originated by transformer internal faults and captured from the current transformers. The Wavelet Transform is an efficient signal processing tool used to study non stationary signals with fast transition (high frequency components), mapping the signal in time-frequency representation. The three phase differential currents are the input signals used on-line to detect internal faults. The performance of this algorithm is demonstrated through simulation of different internal faults and switching conditions on a power transformer using ATP/EMTP software. The analyzed data is obtained from simulation of different normal and faulty operating conditions such as internal faults - phase/phase, phase/ground-, magnetizing inrush and external faults. The case study shows that the new algorithm is highly accurate and effective.
Dynamic pricing of inventory/capacity with infrequent price changes

We consider a problem of dynamically pricing a single product sold by a monopolist over a short time period. If demand characteristics change throughout the period, it becomes attractive for the company to adjust price continuously to respond to such changes (i.e., price-discriminate intertemporally). However, in practice there is typically a limit on the number of times the price can be adjusted due to the high costs associated with frequent price changes. If that is the case, instead of a continuous pricing rule the company might want to establish a piece-wise constant pricing policy in order to limit the number of price adjustments. Such a pricing policy, which involves optimal choice of prices and timing of price changes, is the focus of this paper. We analyze the pricing problem with a limited number of price changes in a dynamic, deterministic environment in which demand depends on the current price and time, and there is a capacity/inventory constraint that may be set optimally ahead of the selling season. The arrival rate can evolve in time arbitrarily, allowing us to model situations in which prices decrease, increase, or neither. We consider several plausible scenarios where pricing and/or timing of price changes are endogenized. Various notions of complementarity (single-crossing property, supermodularity and total positivity) are explored to derive structural results: conditions sufficient for the uniqueness of the solution and the monotonicity of prices throughout the sales period. Furthermore, we characterize the impact of the capacity constraint on the optimal prices and the timing of price changes and provide several other comparative statics results. Additional insights are obtained directly from the solutions of various special cases.
Tests of Concepts for Streamflow Sampler Design

Total-load sampling has been a perpetual problem in sediment monitoring. Usually a combination of bed-load sampling devices, suspended load suction samplers, and some kind of flume, for total flow rate, is used. Total-load, sediment-sampler-design concepts that can perform all three of these functions are proposed. The resulting designs would require installation at sites that can provide a step-overfall height about equal to the maximum channel flow depth. The concepts are simple, but appear to have been overlooked or ignored for the past many decades, and are based on a moving conveyor belt that is long and wide, with many slots, all of the same size, onto which the stream to be sampled discharges. All flow drops through the slots, and with equal sized slots each must catch a similar proportion of the total flow. Hence, only one slot needs to be collected. As a practical extension it is proposed to replace the conveyor belt with a rack having several slots that represent a short section of the total con...
A learning and estimation problem arising from in situ control and diagnostics of manufacturing processes

We analyze the problem of estimating product variables from process measurements in manufacturing systems. In particular, a novel approach for studying the performance of such estimators in terms of their expected performance is introduced. Using ideas from statistical learning theory, we obtain sufficient conditions on the manufacturing process, the estimation algorithm, and the design procedure to guarantee asymptotic convergence of the estimation algorithm to some optimal estimator when the available data goes to infinity.
Towards high-quality, untangled meshes via a force-directed graph embedding approach

Abstract High quality meshes are crucial for the solution of partial differential equations (PDEs) via the finite element method (or other PDE solvers). The accuracy of the PDE solution, and the stability and conditioning of the stiffness matrix depend upon the mesh quality. In addition, the mesh must be untangled in order for the finite element method to generate physically valid solutions. Tangled meshes, i.e., those with inverted mesh elements, are sometimes generated via large mesh deformations or in the mesh generation process. Traditional techniques for untangling such meshes are based on geometry and/or optimization. Optimization-based mesh untangling techniques first untangle the mesh and then smoothe the resulting untangled mesh in order to obtain high quality meshes; such techniques require the solution of two optimization problems. In this paper, we study how to modify a physical, force-directed method based upon the Fruchterman-Reingold (FR) graph layout algorithm so that it can be used for untangling. The objectives of aesthetic graph layout, such as minimization of edge intersections and near equalization of edge lengths, follow the goals of mesh untangling and generating good quality elements, respectively. Therefore, by using the force-directed method, we can achieve both steps of mesh untangling and mesh smoothing in one operation. We compare the effectiveness of our method with that of the optimization-based mesh untangling method in [1] and implemented in Mesquite by untangling a suite of unstructured triangular, quadrilateral, and tetrahedral finite element volume meshes. The results show that the force-directed method is substantially faster than the Mesquite mesh untangling method without sacrificing much in terms of mesh quality for the majority of the test cases we consider in this paper. The force-directed mesh untangling method demonstrates the most promise on convex geometric domains. Further modifications will be made to the method to improve its ability to untangle meshes on non-convex domains.
Free associations to “food:” the effects of gender, generation, and culture

Abstract Free association patterns to the word “food” (first three words that come to mind) are used at the group level to investigate “default” attitudes toward food, comparing genders, American generations (college students, their parents, and their grandparents), and college students in three cultures (the United States, France, and India). Frequencies of free associations for each group were organized into categories and assigned a positive, negative, or neutral valence. We provide evidence that these free associations have some stability over a 2-month time period, as well as some validity. Generation and culture are good predictors of free association content and valence, with gender a less powerful predictor. Overall, examination of free association data indicates that Americans are most worried about what they consume and are most “fat” phobic, students (youngest generation) are most inclined towards unhealthy foods and least concerned about the health effects of foods, and that, combining across generations, females are somewhat more concerned about food and health and fat but these effects are smaller than culture or generation effects.
Violent politics and the politics of violence : the dissolution of the Somali nation-state

Somalia was one of the first states to crumble in the post-cold war era. This article undresses the image of Somalia as the one true nation-state in Africa, arguing that the political economy of class and regional dynamics underscored the dissolution of the Somali nation-state and that the cultural construction of racial stratification configured the patterning of violence. Explaining Somalia's dissolution is a contribution to the anthropological project of theorizing the global disintegration of nation-states. [violence, nation-states, class, race, segmentary lineages, Somalia]
Disparities and Survival Among Breast Cancer Patients

BACKGROUND: Although rates of survival for women with breast cancer have improved, the survival disparity between African American and white women in the United States has increased. PURPOSE: To determine whether this survival disparity persists in an insured population with access to medical care. METHODS: In this retrospective cohort study, we extracted data from the tumor registries of six nonprofit, integrated health care delivery systems affiliated with the Cancer Research Network and assessed the survival of African American (n = 2276) and white (n = 18 879) female enrollees who were diagnosed with invasive breast cancer from January 1, 1993, through December 31, 1998. Cox proportional hazards regression was used to estimate the death rate among African American women relative to that of white women after adjustment for potential explanatory factors including stage at diagnosis, tumor characteristics, and treatment. RESULTS: Five-year survival was lower for African American women (73.8%) than for white women (81.6%). African American women were less likely to have tumor characteristics with good prognosis. Controlling for age at diagnosis, stage, grade, tumor size, and estrogen and progesterone receptor status, the adjusted hazard rate ratio for African American women was 1.34 (95% confidence interval = 1.22 to 1.46). Similar risks were found among women ages 20-49 and 50 and older. Controlling for treatment slightly lowered the hazard rate ratio to 1.31 (95% confidence interval = 1.20 to 1.43). CONCLUSIONS: Among women with invasive breast cancer, being insured and having access to medical care does not eliminate the survival disparity for African American women.
Integrated Chemical and Biological Analysis of Asphalt and Pitch Fumes

Significant increased risks in developing cancer of the lung, upper respiratory tract, and upper gastrointestinal tract, including stomach cancer, have been demonstrated for individuals working 20 or more years in roofing operations (Hammond et al., 1976) . These investigators have also documented trends of increased risk of prostate, bladder, or skin cancer, and leukemia in these workers. The occupational exposures incurred by roofers may be associated with high levels of polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) arising from the heating and application of petroleum asphalts and coal tar pitch. These findings are consistent with results of other studies that have indicated that excessive occupational exposure to PAHs may be associated with increased mortality from various types of cancer. Examples of these occupations include chimney sweeps (Pott, 1775) and coke oven workers (Lloyd, 1971; Mazumdar et al., 1975; Redmond et al., 1972). Skin cancer mortality may be of borderline significance in many of these occupations only because deaths due to skin cancer are rare. However, skin cancer incidence may be excessive.
The Baby Out of the Bathwater: Microseconds, Psychic Structure, and Psychotherapy

Infant development research has proposed links between early development and adult personality and psychopathology. Although clinicians have long taken these for granted, these research approaches raise a number of methodological and clinical issues worth exploring. Analysts have relied on varied formulations of “psychic structure,” but these are sometimes elusive and have not lent themselves to the precision, specificity, and validation that some analysts and many developmentalists prefer. New models have emerged over the last decades, including conceptions of internal working models of attachment, implicit relational knowing, and the like. Attachment research has shown strong correlations between infant attachment classification and adult personality. Recent research such as that of Beebe, Jaffe, and their colleagues has extended the correlations between early mother–infant interaction patterns and adulthood. All of this supports clinicians' interest in attention to the details of analyst–patient intera...
From student research to intrusion detection

We describe a multi-year project that began as mostly undergraduate student research in data mining applied to computer forensics and has now grown into a prototype for an intrusion detection system. The IDS assumes we have delimited data that can be separated into records such as IP packets, system calls, etc. The data mining approach uses the Bag of Words methodology where we form a matrix model of the data, and then cluster the records using k-means clustering and sparse nonnegative matrix factorization. With no training, these clusters are evaluated to determine if they represent normal system actions or attack vectors. This prototype system has accuracy levels similar to systems that use supervised learning on a specific set of data. We discuss future plans to make improvements with continued student investigation. Overall, we found this to be a great partnership between faculty and student research.
Thyroid function in hypophysectomized mice bearing intraocular pituitary implants.

SummaryIntraocular hypophysial transplants in hypophysectomized mice did not maintain body weight or the weights of thyroid, ovaries, adrenals, or uterus significantly above those of hypophysectomized controls. Nevertheless, the implants were able to maintain a radioiodine uptake per unit thyroid weight and a thyroid serum iodide ratio at 2/3 the level of the intact controls. This indicates that thyroid function and thyroid size are not necessarily correlated in the mouse and that the former can be maintained to considerable degree in the absence of the normal hypophysial anatomical relationship.
Sensationalism: Murder, Mayhem, Mudslinging, Scandals, and Disasters in 19th-Century Reporting

“The screams and moaning of the poor, buried, burning, and suffocating.” “Shapeless, blackened corpses.” Family members attempting to “recognize some scrap of familiar garment or some physical pecu...
Determination of mercury in flesh and meat product by hydride atomic fluorescence method

Objective:To establish a method for determination of mercury(Hg) in flesh and meat product.Methods:The flesh and meat product were dissolved by microwave and Hg in them were determined by double-channel hydride generation-atomic fluorcscence spectrometry.Results:Linear range for the determination of mercury was 0.40 g/L～10.0 g/L The correlation coefficient was 0.9995.The detection limit was 0.05 g/ml,with the RSD of 0.86%.The recovery rate of spiking standard for total mercury was in the range of 96.9%～105.4%.Conclusion:The method is good in precision and recovery.Meanwhile,it is easily operated.The detection of mercury in flesh and meat product by atomic fluorescence spectrometry is practicable.
Dictionaries and the idea of “real words”

The second edition of the New Oxford American Dictionary , published in 2005, featured a made-up word that began with the letter e -. Henry Alford, a contributing writer for the New Yorker , took the leak of this information as a challenge to sort through the 3,128 e - entries in the dictionary, consult with six lexicographers, and determine the culprit. The playful made-up word, confirmed by editor-in-chief of the second edition Erin McKean, was esquivalence , defined as ‘the willful avoidance of one’s official responsibilities’. The word was included in the dictionary in order to catch any rogue editors at competing dictionaries who might be plagiarizing from the New Oxford American Dictionary . This sleuthy (to make up a word of my own) enterprise was deemed worthy of two and a half columns of text in the “Talk of the Town” section of the New Yorker (Alford 2005). I note that fact not as a critique: it was a wonderfully entertaining piece, and, as a linguist, I am always happy to see lexicography (the work of “harmless drudges,” to quote Samuel Johnson’s definition of the word lexicographer ) get a bit of the limelight. My interest in Alford’s piece, in the context of this book, is the discourse that makes this bit of news possible as news. For esquivalence to be noteworthy, the dictionary’s readers must have accepted the idea that there are “real” words and “not real” words and that dictionaries are the arbiters that decide on which side of “real” a word falls. The notion of “real words” can be so commonsense to Modern English speakers and writers that it may seem odd to question the validity of this concept. But for the real-word discourse to be meaningful, there have to be accepted arbiters on the status of words. Dictionaries have come to be such arbiters, although they certainly did not always function this way.
Non-traditional Manifestations of Primary Hyperparathyroidism

Classical primary hyperparathyroidism (PHPT) is described as a multi-systemic, symptomatic condition not only with overt skeletal and renal complications, but also with neuropsychological, cardiovascular, gastrointestinal, and rheumatic effects. The presentation of PHPT has evolved over the last century and today most patients are “asymptomatic.” Osteitis fibrosa cystica is rarely seen today and nephrolithiasis is less common than it was in the early to mid-twentieth century. Gastrointestinal and rheumatic sequelae, though rarely investigated today, do not appear to be part of the clinical spectrum of modern PHPT. Whether neurologic and psychological symptoms as well as cardiovascular disease, none of which are currently indications for recommending parathyroidectomy (PTX), are present in asymptomatic PHPT has been an area of active research and debate. A number of observational studies suggest that mild PHPT is associated with depression, decreased quality of life (QOL), and cognitive dysfunction but data from randomized, controlled trials have not consistently indicated that PTX is beneficial. The increased cardiovascular morbidity and mortality in classical PHPT has not been definitively demonstrated in mild or “asymptomatic” disease, though there is some evidence for subtle cardiovascular abnormalities, such as increased vascular stiffness, among others. Results from observational studies that have assessed the effect of PTX upon cardiovascular health have been inconsistent. Two randomized, controlled trials (RCTs) in this area did not demonstrate that PTX was beneficial. Despite recent progress in these areas, more data from rigorously designed studies are needed in order to better inform the clinical management of patients with asymptomatic PHPT.
David Oliver: Groundhog days for doctors

I recently saw a wonderful stage adaptation of Groundhog Day . Phil Connors, a misanthropic TV weatherman, gets stuck in small town America, living out the exact same day on a loop. He soon realises that he can act wilfully without consequences—unlike doctors. For us, every interaction and decision has potential consequences, from life saving to catastrophic, and many are remembered by patients for years. Adopting Connors’s descent into complacency, recklessness, and nihilism isn’t an option. The cast received a deserved standing ovation. I reflected that, for the first 50 shows or so, they must keep refining …
George Berkeley and Peter Browne

Berkeley’s thoughts on the philosophy of language can be divided into two streams: a critical, negative stream detailing what language is not or does not do and a positive, development stream concerning what language really does. Within the negative stream are three main currents. First is Berkeley’s rejection of the need for abstract ideas to provide the significations of general names; second is Berkeley’s rejection of Locke’s thesis that names only immediately signify ideas; and third is Berkeley’s rejection of analogical names for religious language. Within the positive stream, there are corresponding currents. First, Berkeley adopts particular ideas put to a representative use as the grounds for the meaning of general names. Second, Berkeley posits meanings in addition to ideas, such as words whose meanings are constituted by the emotions they provoke. Third, Berkeley defends the meaningfulness of religious discourse without adopting ideas not fully grasped as their grounds. Peter Browne was critical of Berkeley’s attempt to defend religious discourse without analogical terms and his account of non-ideational meaning in general. His response is included here.
Dual averaging for distributed optimization

The focus of this paper is the development and analysis of distributed algorithms for solving convex optimization problems that are defined over networks. Such network-structured optimization problems arise in a variety of application domains within the information sciences and engineering. For instance, problems such as multi-agent coordination, distributed tracking and localization, estimation problems in sensor networks and packet routing are all naturally cast as distributed convex minimization [2], [11], [10], [16], [20]. Common to these problems is the necessity for completely decentralized computation that is locally light — so as to avoid overburdening small sensors or flooding busy networks — and robust to periodic link or node failures. As a second example, data sets that are too large to be processed quickly by any single processor present related challenges. A canonical example that arises in statistical machine learning is the problem of minimizing a loss function averaged over a large dataset (e.g., optimization in support vector machines [5]). With terabytes of data, it is desirable to assign smaller subsets of the data to different processors, and the processors must communicate to find parameters that minimize the loss over the entire dataset. However, the communication should be efficient enough that network latencies do not offset computational gains.
Discrete Random Variables Over Domains, Revisited

We revisit the construction of discrete random variables over domains from [15] and show how Hoare’s “normal termination” symbol \(\checkmark \) can be used to achieve a more expressive model. The result is a natural model of flips of a coin that supports discrete and continuous (sub)probability measures. This defines a new random variables monad on BCD, the category of bounded complete domains, that can be used to augment semantic models of demonic nondeterminism with probabilistic choice. It is the second such monad, the first being Barker’s monad for randomized choice [3]. Our construction differs from Barker’s monad, because the latter requires the source of randomness to be shared across multiple users. The monad presented here allows each user to access a source of randomness that is independent of the sources of randomness available to other users. This requirement is useful, e.g., in models of crypto-protocols.
Adding computer application curriculum into a fully integrated general education experience

Southern Utah University is currently trying something new with their General Education (GE) curriculum. They are integrating all GE courses together into what they call JumpStart. JumpStart sections teach students GE curriculum by integrating course content under broad topics of interest. This paper describes this new approach to GE and how computer application curriculum can be integrated into the broad topics selected for the JumpStart sections during fall 2016.
Y marks the spot

The caption to your photograph of the Very Large Array (VLA) radio telescope (October 1999 p9) states that it is located in Mexico.
Transcriptional activation independent of TFIIH kinase and the RNA polymerase II mediator in vivo

The carboxy-terminal domain (CTD) of the largest subunit of RNA polymerase II becomes multiply phosphorylated by protein kinases during early steps in the gene transcription cycle both in vivo and in vitro. In yeast, the major CTD kinase is a subunit of the general transcription factor TFIIH, and is encoded by an essential gene, KIN28. Although the CTD and its phosphorylation are important for transcription, in vitro studies have challenged whether CTD phosphorylation is an absolutely required step. The general importance of CTD phosphorylation by Kin28 for transcription in yeast has been suggested because, for all genes tested, transcription is inhibited at the non-permissive temperature in temperature-sensitive kin28 mutants. However, using such a mutant and a copper-inducible targeted destruction method, we show here that transcription of certain genes can be highly induced even when cells lack Kin28. We also show that transcription of these Kin28-independent genes is independent of Srb4 and Srb6, critical components of the CTD-associated transcriptional mediator complex. These results indicate that there are at least two distinct pathways for transcriptional activation: one is dependent on Kin28 and the mediator complex, and the other is not.
The importance of a potential phosphorylation site in enamelin on enamel formation.

Enamelin (ENAM) has three putative phosphoserines (pSers) phosphorylated by a Golgi-associated secretory pathway kinase (FAM20C) based on their distinctive Ser-x-Glu (S-x-E) motifs. Fam20C-knockout mice show severe enamel defects similar to those in the Enam-knockout mice, implying an important role of the pSers in ENAM. To determine the role of pSer55 in ENAM, we characterized ENAMRgsc514 mice, in which Ser55 cannot be phosphorylated by FAM20C due to an E57>G57 mutation in the S-x-E motif. The enamel microstructure of 4-week-old mice was examined by scanning electron microscopy. The teeth of 6-day-old mice were characterized by histology and immunohistochemistry. The protein lysates of the first lower molars of 4-day-old mice were analyzed by Western immunoblotting using antibodies against ENAM, ameloblastin and amelogenin. ENAMRgsc514 heterozygotes showed a disorganized enamel microstructure, while the homozygotes had no enamel on the dentin surface. The N-terminal fragments of ENAM in the heterozygotes were detained in the ameloblasts and localized in the mineralization front of enamel matrix, while those in the WT mice were secreted out of ameloblasts and distributed evenly in the outer 1/2 of enamel matrix. Surprisingly, the ~15 kDa C-terminal fragments of ameloblastin were not detected in the molar lysates of the homozygotes. These results suggest that the phosphorylation of Ser55 may be an essential posttranslational modification of ENAM and is required for the interaction with other enamel matrix molecules such as ameloblastin in mediating the structural organization of enamel matrix and protein-mineral interactions during enamel formation.International Journal of Oral Science (2017) 9;e4; doi:10.1038/ijos.2017.41; published online 29 November 2017.
Only the strong: when antibodies hold on.

In this issue of Blood , Quach et al demonstrate that a rarely studied property of antibodies can be critical to immune function. 1
Bevacizumab and Brain Tumors

Abstract Bevacizumab has been approved as a single agent for patients with glioblastoma with progressive disease following prior therapy. The limited survival of glioblastoma and their excessive need for steroids to control the signs and symptoms of intracranial edema made the arrival of an antiangiogenic therapy an interesting new development. Unfortunately, in part due to the lack of a proper control group in the first studies evaluating bevacizumab in malignant glioma patients, we have failed to prove a survival advantage for bevacizumab in this patient population. However, the use of bevacizumab became widespread as it helped control the symptom burden experienced by patients due to intracranial mass effect; limit the utilization of corticosteroids and the side effect of its prolonged usage; help prolong time to progression, which has been directly correlated to neurologic decline in most trials; and make therapy like stereotactic radiosurgery and immunotherapy safer.
Central Pontine Myelinolysis in Pediatric Diabetic Ketoacidosis

Central pontine myelinolysis (CPM) is rarely reported in pediatric patients with diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA). We report this case of a 16-year-old female with new onset diabetes presenting with DKA, who received aggressive fluid resuscitation and sodium bicarbonate in the emergency department. Later she developed altered mental status concerning for cerebral edema and received hyperosmolar therapy with only transient improvement. Soon she became apneic requiring emergent endotracheal intubation. MRI brain showed cerebral edema, CPM, and subdural hemorrhage. She was extubated on day seven and exhibited mild dysmetria, ataxia, unilateral weakness, and neglect. Upon discharge she was able to ambulate with a walker and speak and eat without difficulty. Although less common than cerebral edema, CPM should be considered in DKA patients with acute neurologic deterioration. Fluid and bicarbonate therapy should be individualized, but larger studies would help guide the management. Although poor outcomes are reported in CPM, favorable outcomes are possible.
Antiviral Targets in Orthopoxviruses

This chapter summarizes many targets for orthopoxviruses that might be exploited in the discovery of additional agents for potential diseases and indicates the mechanisms of action of a number of compounds. The viral DNA polymerase performs a critical role in viral replication, and its susceptibility to nucleoside analogs has made it the dominant target for the development of antiviral drugs. The synthesis of deoxynucleotides is also catalyzed by the heterodimeric ribonucleotide reductase encoded by F4L and I4L. Ribonucleotide reductase converts ribonucleotides to the corresponding deoxyribonucleotides at the level of the diphosphate and supplies deoxyribonucleoside triphosphates to support DNA replication in the cytoplasm. A number of small molecules are known to broadly target protein kinases, and it is possible that medicinal chemistry efforts could identify selective inhibitors. Immature virions containing genomic DNA undergo complex maturation that leads to the condensation of virus cores and involves proteolytic events, the loss of D13, and the formation of new disulfide linkage catalyzed by the viral redox system. The complex replication cycle of the orthopoxviruses requires the concerted activities of numerous viral proteins. The chapter also summarizes each of the stages of viral replication, notes the viral proteins that perform critical functions, and identifies specific inhibitors that affect these processes.
Minimizing writes in parallel external memory search

Recent research on external-memory search has shown that disks can be effectively used as secondary storage when performing large breadth-first searches. We introduce the Write-Minimizing Breadth-First Search (WMBFS) algorithm which is designed to minimize the number of writes performed in an external-memory BFS. WMBFS is also designed to store the results of the BFS for later use. We present the results of a BFS on a single-agent version of Chinese Checkers and the Rubik's Cube edge cubes, state spaces with about 1 trillion states each. In evaluating against a comparable approach, WMBFS reduces the I/O for the Chinese Checkers domain by over an order of magnitude. In Rubik's cube, in addition to reducing I/O, the search is also 3.5 times faster. Analysis of the results suggests the machine and state-space properties necessary for WMBFS to perform well.
Il modello di debriefing per la crisi da stress in corso di incidente

Dalla fine degli anni Settanta - e all’inizio degli anni Ottanta - il movimento di assistenza per le vittime ha ricevuto negli Stati Uniti piu attenzioni positive che mai ed ha guadagnato un’importanza incredibile con il passaggio di una legislazione statale e federale disegnata per fornire risorse e servizi a coloro che sono stati traumatizzati o vittimizzati fisicamente o emotivamente (Davis e Nolen-Hoeksema, 2001; Young, 1994).