cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Bayesian inference for treatment effects under nested subsets of controls

When constructing a model to estimate the causal effect of a treatment, it is necessary to control for other factors which may have confounding effects. Because the ignorability assumption is not testable, however, it is usually unclear which set of controls is appropriate, and effect estimation is generally sensitive to this choice. A common approach in this case is to fit several models, each with a different set of controls, but it is difficult to reconcile inference under the multiple resulting posterior distributions for the treatment effect. Therefore we propose a two-stage approach to measure the sensitivity of effect estimation with respect to control specification. In the first stage, a model is fit with all available controls using a prior carefully selected to adjust for confounding. In the second stage, posterior distributions are calculated for the treatment effect under nested sets of controls by propagating posterior uncertainty in the original model. We demonstrate how our approach can be used to detect the most significant confounders in a dataset, and apply it in a sensitivity analysis of an observational study measuring the effect of legalized abortion on crime rates.
Quantifying Physical Activity in Young Children Using a Three-Dimensional Camera.

The purpose of this study was to determine the feasibility and validity of using three-dimensional (3D) video data and computer vision to estimate physical activity intensities in young children. Families with children (2–5-years-old) were invited to participate in semi-structured 20-minute play sessions that included a range of indoor play activities. During the play session, children’s physical activity (PA) was recorded using a 3D camera. PA video data were analyzed via direct observation, and 3D PA video data were processed and converted into triaxial PA accelerations using computer vision. PA video data from children (n = 10) were analyzed using direct observation as the ground truth, and the Receiver Operating Characteristic Area Under the Curve (AUC) was calculated in order to determine the classification accuracy of a Classification and Regression Tree (CART) algorithm for estimating PA intensity from video data. A CART algorithm accurately estimated the proportion of time that children spent sedentary (AUC = 0.89) in light PA (AUC = 0.87) and moderate-vigorous PA (AUC = 0.92) during the play session, and there were no significant differences (p > 0.05) between the directly observed and CART-determined proportions of time spent in each activity intensity. A computer vision algorithm and 3D camera can be used to estimate the proportion of time that children spend in all activity intensities indoors.
Postscript: An Urban Farm in Process

In this brief survey of motives and methods of urban agriculture, we’ve seen several examples of farms in the city. Setting aside the skyscrapers full of fresh grown salad greens, we have been watching our entrepreneurs try to grow communities—growing people more than growing plants—in Cuba, Detroit, Vancouver and elsewhere. Now what can we learn and how put it into action?
Application of Self-Interaction Corrected Density Functional Theory to Early, Middle, and Late Transition States

Density functional theory (DFT)-based methods often significantly underpredict chemical reaction barriers compared with experiments because of the tendency of DFT to overstabilize transition states...
Left ventricular concentric remodeling and impaired cardiorespiratory fitness in patients with heart failure and preserved ejection fraction.

BACKGROUND Left ventricular (LV) concentric remodeling refers to a process by which increased LV relative wall thickness alters myocardial geometry, resulting in reduced LV end-diastolic volume (LVEDV) and stroke volume (SV). While the degree of concentric remodeling is a negative prognostic factor in heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF), it is not known how it contributes to cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF). METHODS We performed a retrospective analysis of patients with HFpEF who underwent treadmill single-photon emission computed tomography myocardial perfusion imaging (SPECT-MPI) and cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPX). From exercise SPECT-MPI, we recorded postexercise LVEDVi, LVESVi, SVi, LVEF, the presence and extent of perfusion defects, and perfusion reversibility. Peak oxygen consumption (VO 2 ), the oxygen uptake efficiency slope (OUES), oxygen (O 2 ) pulse, ventilatory efficiency (V E /VCO 2 slope), ventilatory anaerobic threshold, respiratory exchange ratio, exercise time, and maximum heart rate were obtained from CPX. Data are expressed as mean (±standard deviation). Univariate and multivariate linear regression was performed. RESULTS We identified 23 subjects who had completed both an exercise SPECT-MPI and a CPX. Patients were more commonly women (83%), black (65%), middle age (50 [±7.3] years), and obese (Body Mass Index [BMI] 39.7 [±6.0] kg/m2). Greater LVEDVi and LVESVi correlated positively with peak VO 2 (R=+0.648, P=0.001; R=+0.601, P=0.002), O 2 pulse (R=+0.686, P 2 and OUES (R=-0.450, P=0.031; R=-0.485, P=0.035). Perfusion defect area, grade of severity, and presence of reversibility were not associated with CRF variables. CONCLUSIONS Postexercise reduced LV volumes correlate with measures of impaired CRF in patients with HFpEF, thus supporting a pathophysiologic role of concentric remodeling in impaired CRF in HFpEF.
Acculturation and Campus Carry: Examining the Effect of Mexico Versus United States Cultural Orientations on College Students’ Support for Campus Carry:

Several U.S. states have authorized carrying concealed firearms on campuses. These measures are controversial, with support falling along ideological lines. This study examines whether cultural proximity to the U.S., relative to Mexico, influences support for campus carry. Using a random sample of 1,447 college students from two Texas public universities, structural equation modeling results revealed that individuals more oriented toward U.S. culture were more likely to support campus carry than individuals oriented more toward Mexican culture. Besides this direct effect, acculturation also indirectly influenced support for campus carry through public attitudes toward the police. Specifically, individuals more oriented toward the U.S. held more favorable views of the police, which in turn predicted greater support for campus carry. Collectively, these findings suggest that cultural values influence support for public policies such as campus carry.
Nitric oxide modulates bone anabolism through regulation of osteoblast glycolysis and differentiation

Previous studies have shown that nitric oxide (NO) supplements may prevent bone loss and fractures in preclinical models of estrogen deficiency. However, the mechanisms by which NO modulates bone anabolism remain largely unclear. Argininosuccinate lyase (ASL) is the only mammalian enzyme capable of synthesizing arginine, the sole precursor for nitric oxide synthase-dependent (NOS-dependent) NO synthesis. Moreover, ASL is also required for channeling extracellular arginine to NOS for NO production. ASL deficiency (ASLD) is thus a model to study cell-autonomous, NOS-dependent NO deficiency. Here, we report that loss of ASL led to decreased NO production and impairment of osteoblast differentiation. Mechanistically, the bone phenotype was at least in part driven by the loss of NO-mediated activation of the glycolysis pathway in osteoblasts that led to decreased osteoblast differentiation and function. Heterozygous deletion of caveolin 1, a negative regulator of NO synthesis, restored NO production, osteoblast differentiation, glycolysis, and bone mass in a hypomorphic mouse model of ASLD. The translational significance of these preclinical studies was further reiterated by studies conducted in induced pluripotent stem cells from an individual with ASLD. Taken together, our findings suggest that ASLD is a unique genetic model for studying NO-dependent osteoblast function and that the NO/glycolysis pathway may be a new target to modulate bone anabolism.
Letters from the pandemic: Nursing student narratives of change, challenges and thriving at the outset of COVID-19.

AIM: The aim of this study is to explore the experience of third year baccalaureate nursing students during the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. DESIGN: Research design is a narrative analysis of archived letters written by nursing students in Spring 2020. METHODS: Letters and other media were written between 1 April and 20 May 2020. Fifty-six letters, some with accompanying audio or visual media, were submitted in late May 2020. Approval from the University Institutional Review Board was obtained to explore the letters through narrative analysis (Riessman, 2008). As the letters were considered archival, consent from the students for the analysis was not indicated. Once thematic categories were identified independently, the authors discussed the findings until a list of narrative categories and narrative exemplars were agreed on. RESULTS: Three main thematic categories were found: stories of change, challenges and thriving. CONCLUSION: Findings were consistent with prior research and reveal new opportunities for understanding the perspectives and needs of undergraduate nursing students during times of crisis. Action by administrators and faculty are recommended.
A Framework for Safeguarding Artificial Intelligence Systems Within Healthcare Domain

In healthcare, research on artificial intelligence is becoming increasingly dedicated to applying predictive analytic techniques to make clinical predictions. Even though artificial intelligence has shown promising results in cancer image recognition, triage service automation, and in disease prognosis, its clinical value has not been addressed. Currently, there is a lack of understanding around how some of these algorithms work. Despite knowing the potential risks associated with using artificial intelligence in healthcare, there is no clear framework to evaluate predictive algorithms, which are being commercially implemented within the healthcare industry. To ensure patient safety, regulatory authorities should ensure that proposed algorithms meet the accepted standards of clinical benefit, just as they do for therapeutics and predictive biomarkers. In this article, we offer a framework for the evaluation of predictive algorithms. Although not exhaustive, these criteria can enhance the quality of predictive algorithms and ensure that the algorithms effectively improve clinical outcomes.
Placing Community: Exploring Racial/Ethnic Community Connection Within and Between Racial/Ethnic Neighborhoods

Ethnic neighborhoods have a long-recognized association with neighborhood community connection as measured by trust, belongingness, and cooperation with neighbors. How consistent is community connection for racial/ethnic minorities within ethnic neighborhoods? Does this community connection extend beyond these neighborhoods? To address these questions, I utilize the 2014/15 wave of the Public Health Management Corporations (PHMC) Southeastern Pennsylvania Household Health Survey. I use Geographically Weighted Regression (GWR) on the PHMC to explore how the relationship between race/ethnicity and community connection vary across space. I compare the relative strength of these relations to the location of ethnic neighborhoods identified by the 2011–2015 American Community Survey. While I find that Black community connection is generally weaker outside of mostly Black neighborhoods, it is not consistently strong in these neighborhoods, either. For the Hispanic population, even more variation exists within and beyond mostly non-White neighborhoods.
The effect of Al3+ on the physical properties of membrane lipids in Thermoplasmaacidophilum

Abstract Using Electron Paramagnetic Resonance Spectroscopy, Al3+ was shown to produce a dramatic decrease of membrane lipid fluidity on the microorganism Thermoplasma acidophilum at a pH > 2. The ability of Al3+ to alter lipid fluidity was enhanced with increasing pH (from 3 to 5). At pH 4, 10−2 M Al3+ increased the lower lipid phase transition by 39°C, and a detectable change was observed with AlCl3 concentrations as low as 10−5 M. The ability of Al3+ to increase the lower lipid phase transition temperature of T. acidophilum is the largest of any cation/lipid interaction yet reported.
Gardening in Avernus

In other associated poems I may work towards an understanding in formed by (but not based on) social sense/faith. "Ancestors" is a factual background with some aspects of awareness and action. I hope readers wiU develop the themes. Roger Garfitt does. He can make value judgments about the "me" in the poem, as he can about my great-great-grandfather, the Clearances, or the present. He doesn't support acceptance. "Singing" and "being silent" can be understood in human terms. The itaUcised Unes are really an unanswerable prayer. Munro starts this sideways chant but has to give it up ("..."), for the first of Garfitt's reasons. I think my view of nature is closer to Richard Jefferies than to Roger Garfitt. I completely reject his negative judgment on my poetry's "partici pation," and I can't agree with his conclusions.
A Plasmodium homologue of cochaperone p23 and its differential expression during the replicative cycle of the malaria parasite.

The complete gene sequence of a major phosphoprotein from the malaria parasite reveals that it is a homologue to cochaperone p23. This p23 homologue is highly conserved between Plasmodium falciparum and other malaria parasites and exhibits 44% sequence identity with the Schizosaccharomyces pombe p23 homologue. The Plasmodium p23 is a relatively abundant cytoplasmic protein with a molecular mass of 34–36 kDa depending on species. Expression of this 34 kDa protein and its mRNA commences in the early ring stage and continues throughout the trophozoite stage. At the beginning of schizogony there is a decrease in the transcription and translation rates and a decline in the amount of the 34 kDa protein. The exact role of the 34 kDa phosphoprotein in parasite replication and differentiation is not known, but the Plasmodium p23 homologue may play a role in parasite proliferation and differentiation through its interactions with protein kinases and other chaperones.
The Toxicity of a Chemically Synthesized Peptide Derived from Non-Integrin Platelet Collagen Receptors

A chemically synthesized peptide derived from platelet non-integrin collagen receptor has been shown to be an effective agent for inhibiting collagen-induced platelet aggregation and adhesion of washed radiolabeled platelets onto natural matrices and collagen coated microtiter plates. In order to be a therapeutic agent, we have used a cell culturing system and an animal model to test its cytotoxicities. In cell culture experiments, the peptide is not toxic to MEG-01, a megakaryoblastic cell line. Prior to performing experiments in rats, the existence of both platelet type I and type III collagen receptors and its functional roles in rat platelets had to be established. In this investigation, we report that rat platelets contain both receptors and the cHyB peptide inhibits both type I and type III collagen-induced rat platelet aggregation. In addition, analysis of the rat sera collected at various time intervals following an injection of cHyB into the rat-tail vein, did not show an increase in the activity of key enzymes which indicate tissue and/or organ damage. These results suggest that the cHyB peptide is safe and its development into a potential therapeutic agent for inhibiting thrombi formation is possible.
Serum levels of tumor necrosis factor-alpha and interleukin-6 in ocular cicatricial pemphigoid.

PURPOSE These studies examined regulation of the cytokines interleukin-6 and tumor necrosis factor-alpha in ocular cicatricial pemphigoid (OCP), a systemic autoimmune disease. METHODS Serum levels of interleukin-6 and tumor necrosis factor-alpha in sera collected from 35 patients with OCP, 29 normal persons and 17 patients with ocular inflammatory diseases were determined using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. RESULTS Levels of interleukin-6 were significantly decreased in sera of patients with OCP (median, 28.9; range, 7.5 to 136.7 pg/ml, P < 0.001) compared with sera from normal subjects (median, 65.2; range, 21.1 to 303.9 pg/ml). Sera from patients with non-OCP, extraocular inflammatory diseases and uveitis, showed no such decrease. In contrast, tumor necrosis factor-alpha levels were significantly elevated in OCP patients (median, 22.5; range, 8.3 to 44.4 pg/ml, P < 0.001), whereas no such increase was observed in sera from patients with extraocular inflammatory disease or uveitis, compared to normal sera controls (median, 17.4; range, 5 to 27.2 pg/ml). CONCLUSIONS These results suggest that elevated serum tumor necrosis factor-alpha levels and decreased serum interleukin-6 levels can be added to the increasing list of systemic immunologic correlates of active OCP, again emphasizing that OCP is a systemic disease whose primary manifestation is ocular.
EFFECTS OF COEXPOSURE WITH ECHINOSTOMA CAPRONI AND SCHISTOSOMA MANSONI MIRACIDIA ON NEUTRAL AND POLAR LIPIDS OF BIOMPHALARIA GLABRATA AS DETERMINED BY HIGH-PERFORMANCE THIN-LAYER CHROMATOGRAPHY-DENSITOMETRY AND OBSERVATIONS ON SNAIL SURVIVAL AND FECUNDITY

High performance thin-layer chromatography (HPTLC)-densitometry was used to characterize and quantify neutral and polar lipids in Biomphalaria glabrata snails subjected to either Echinostoma caproni and Schistosoma mansoni miracidia coexposure, or single exposure to each of these trematode parasites. Observations on survival and fecundity were made on an unexposed population (2 cultures of 25 snails each); a population exposed exclusively to S. mansoni(2 cultures of 25 snails, each exposed to 6 miracidia per snail); a population exposed exclusively to E. caproni (2 cultures of 25 snails, each exposed to 10 miracidia per snail); and a population exposed to S. mansoni and one week later exposed to E. caproni (2 cultures of 25, each exposed to 10 E. caproni miracidia and 6 S. mansonimiracidia per snail). Each culture contained 800 mL of artificial spring water; snails were maintained at 25 ± 1°C and fed boiled romaine lettuce ad libitum. A sample of each population was necropsied at 2, 4, 6, and 8 weeks post...
An efficient multi-stage hyper-spectral aerial image registration technique in the presence of differential spatial and temporal sensor uncertainty with application to large critical infrastructures & key resources (CIKR) surveillance

Wide area surveillance and reconnaissance in many homeland security applications generally entails an airborne platform providing a desired view of the area of interest. The surveillance needs of large critical infrastructures and key resources that may span for miles, demand a field of view that exceeds that provided by a single airborne sensor. Image registration of aerial imagery can increase the field of view while providing a panoramic view. This increases the field of view without any modification to the optics, focal plane array, and associated hardware. Some of the primary limitations of existing image registration methods are generally (a) image and sensor noise, (b) lack of accuracy in the related correspondence points derivation, and (c) registration algorithms' computational complexity. In this work, we focus on a multi-stage image registration technique utilizing hybrid similarity measures for partially overlapped aerial imagery, in the presence of sensor uncertainty and noise. We show that the presented algorithm provides a reduction in search space, reducing the computational cost. Additionally, here the system noise is modelled and injected into the images to determine the algorithmic performance as a function of signal to noise ratio (SNR). The presented technique is also evaluated in a scenario where a hyper-spectral or multispectral system may have an image in a noisy part of the spectrum but can be registered by using registration parameters from another part of the spectrum.
Evaluating one handed thumb tapping on mobile touchscreen devices

In spite of the increasing popularity of handheld touchscreen devices, little research has been conducted on how to evaluate and design one handed thumb tapping interactions. In this paper, we present a study that researched three issues related to these interactions: 1) whether it is necessary to evaluate these interactions with the preferred and the non-preferred hand; 2) whether participants evaluating these interactions should be asked to stand and walk during evaluations; 3) whether targets on the edge of the screen enable participants to be more accurate in selection than targets not on the edge. Half of the forty participants in the study used their non-preferred hand and half used their preferred hand. Each participant conducted half of the tasks while walking and half while standing. We used 25 different target positions (16 on the edge of the screen) and five different target sizes. The participants who used their preferred hand completed tasks more quickly and accurately than the participants who used their non-preferred hand, with the differences being large enough to suggest it is necessary to evaluate this type of interactions with both hands. We did not find differences in the performance of participants when they walked versus when they stood, suggesting it is not necessary to include this as a variable in evaluations. In terms of target location, participants rated targets near the center of the screen as easier and more comfortable to tap, but the highest accuracy rates were for targets on the edge of the screen.
System availability under redundancy sharing of standby components

Conventional approaches to system availability assurance usually revolve around reliability-redundancy allocation and spare parts provisioning. This paper proposes a new scheme called redundancy sharing to enhance the availability of k-out-of-n:G systems. Under the new scheme, hot standby components in one system can be transferred to other systems for which the number of functional components drops below k. Although redundancy sharing is frequently practiced in private and defense industries, the underlying theory is rarely investigated in literature. This paper makes an early attempt to estimate the system availability considering redundancy sharing, and further discuss its potential benefits to the overall fleet availability. We strive to achieve two objectives: 1) estimating system availability by jointly considering redundancy sharing, redundancy allocation, and spare parts inventory; and 2) demonstrating the effectiveness and benefit of redundancy sharing in a variety of operating conditions. Continuous-time Markov model and multi-echelon inventory theory are employed to characterize the operation and maintenance of small and large fleets, respectively.
An automated system for precise percutaneous access of the renal collecting system

Percutaneous surgical procedures are rapidly growing in popularity as they significantly reduce patient morbidity and recovery time when compared to more traditional open techniques. However, percutaneous procedures are often difficult. Percutaneous renal surgery is one example. Gaining access to the renal collecting system requires targeting of a specific calyx while avoiding critical internal structures and requires experience in the interpretation of radiographic images. Currently, this procedure is essentially done manually by trial and error. We present a system which automates the task of image-guided percutaneous needle placement. It is generally applicable to procedures for which the precision and accuracy of a percutaneous needle insertion is of primary concern. It can also be used, with minor modification, as a sub-component of larger systems for more involved procedures, for instance, percutaneous treatment of liver cancer [5]. A prototype system has been implemented, and we present validation of its applicability to renal access with in vitro, ex vivo, and in situ studies. Additionally, we discuss what work remains on the path to a complete system.
PROTEASE RESISTANCE OF SYNTAXIN-SNAP-25-VAMP COMPLEXES : IMPLICATIONS FOR ASSEMBLY AND STRUCTURE

A stable ternary complex formed with vesicle-associated membrane protein 2 (VAMP2) and plasma membrane proteins syntaxin 1A and synaptosome-associated protein of 25 kDa (SNAP-25) is proposed to function in synaptic vesicle exocytosis. To analyze the structural characteristics of this synaptic protein complex, recombinant binary (syntaxin 1A.SNAP-25), recombinant ternary, and native ternary complexes were subjected to limited trypsin proteolysis. The protected fragments, defined by amino-terminal sequencing and mass spectrometry, included a carboxyl-terminal region of syntaxin 1A, the cytoplasmic domain of VAMP2, and amino- and carboxyl-terminal regions of SNAP-25. Furthermore, separate amino- and carboxyl-terminal fragments of SNAP-25, when combined with VAMP2 and syntaxin 1A, were sufficient for stable complex assembly. Analysis of ternary complexes formed with full-length proteins revealed that the carboxyl-terminal transmembrane anchors of both syntaxin 1A and VAMP2 were protected from trypsin digestion. Moreover, the stability of ternary complexes was increased by inclusion of these transmembrane domains. These results suggest that the transmembrane domains of VAMP2 and syntaxin 1A contribute to complex assembly and stability and that amino- and carboxyl-terminal regions of SNAP-25 may function as independent domains.
A Dynamic Data-driven Approach for Operation Planning of Microgrids

Abstract Distributed generation resources (DGs) and their utilization in large-scale power systems are attracting more and more utilities as they are becoming more qualitatively reliable and economically viable. However, uncertainties in power generation from DGs and fluctuations in load demand must be considered when determining the optimal operation plan for a microgrid. In this context, a novel dynamic data-driven application systems (DDDAS) approach is proposed for determining the real-time operation plan of an electric microgridwhile considering its conflicting objectives. In particular, the proposed approachis equipped with three modules: 1) a database including the real-time microgrid topology data (i.e., power demand, market price for electricity, etc.) and the data for environmental factors (i.e., solar radiation, wind speed, temperature, etc.); 2) a simulation, in which operation of the microgrid is simulated with embedded rule-based scaleidentification procedures; and 3) a multi-objective optimization module which finds the near-optimal operation plan in terms of minimum operating cost and minimum emission using a particle-filtering based algorithm. The complexity of the optimization depends on the scaleof the problem identified from the simulation module. The results obtained from the optimization module are sent back to the microgrid system to enhance its operation. The experiments conducted in this study demonstratethe power of the proposed approach in real-time assessment and control of operation in microgrids.
Efficient Wetland Surface Water Detection and Monitoring via Landsat: Comparison with in situ Data from the Everglades Depth Estimation Network

The U.S. Geological Survey is developing new Landsat science products. One, named Dynamic Surface Water Extent (DSWE), is focused on the representation of ground surface inundation as detected in cloud-/shadow-/snow-free pixels for scenes collected over the U.S. and its territories. Characterization of DSWE uncertainty to facilitate its appropriate use in science and resource management is a primary objective. A unique evaluation dataset developed from data made publicly available through the Everglades Depth Estimation Network (EDEN) was used to evaluate one candidate DSWE algorithm that is relatively simple, requires no scene-based calibration data, and is intended to detect inundation in the presence of marshland vegetation. A conceptual model of expected algorithm performance in vegetated wetland environments was postulated, tested and revised. Agreement scores were calculated at the level of scenes and vegetation communities, vegetation index classes, water depths, and individual EDEN gage sites for a variety of temporal aggregations. Landsat Archive cloud cover attribution errors were documented. Cloud cover had some effect on model performance. Error rates increased with vegetation cover. Relatively low error rates for locations of little/no vegetation were unexpectedly dominated by omission errors due to variable substrates and mixed pixel effects. Examined discrepancies between satellite and in situ modeled inundation demonstrated the utility of such comparisons for EDEN database improvement. Importantly, there seems no trend or bias in candidate algorithm performance as a function of time or general hydrologic conditions, an important finding for long-term monitoring. The developed database and knowledge gained from this analysis will be used for improved evaluation of candidate DSWE algorithms as well as other measurements made on Everglades surface inundation, surface water heights and vegetation using radar, lidar and hyperspectral instruments. Although no other sites have such an extensive in situ network or long-term records, the broader applicability of this and other candidate DSWE algorithms is being evaluated in other wetlands using this work as a guide. Continued interaction among DSWE producers and potential users will help determine whether the measured accuracies are adequate for practical utility in resource management.
Failure mechanisms in stereolithography injection molding tooling

Stereolithography tooling is a form of rapid tooling that has been used to injection mold limited runs of prototype parts. However, the process is not well understood and tooling life for fine mold features is difficult to predict. Injection molding processing conditions and feature geometry affect the number of parts that can be made before a mold fails. To study the effects of feature geometry, general purpose polystyrene parts were injection molded in molds made of DSM Somos 7110 stereolithography resin. The ACES build style was used, and no polishing was performed on the mold. The experimental results were compared with theoretical models developed for the two failure mechanisms for raised features in a stereolithography mold-failures during injection due to the flow pressure of the injected polymer; and failures during ejection, whereby the part pulled out a feature of the mold. Injection failures occurred in taller mold features due to the force of flow and the feature's geometry. Ejection failures occurred in the shorter features when the stress from the ejection force (distributed over the bond area) exceeded the yield strength of the mold material. Models were developed to predict the number of parts that a mold could make before mold features break off and were validated through experimental results.
Sweet for the sour: Incentives in environmental mediation

The siting of facilities with undesirable environmental characteristics often leads to public conflict. Efforts to resolve the conflict and make siting decisions frequently exacerbate the problem. Environmental mediation, the process of negotiating an agreeable settlement, is an accepted approach to resolving conflict. This paper explores the use of incentive systems as a means of achieving equity in environmental mediation. Obnoxious and noxious characteristics of facilities are discussed as the basis of conflicts. Four types of incentives—mitigation, compensation, reward, and participation—are discussed. The paper concludes with a discussion of the utility and application of incentives for solving environmental conflicts.
Methane rich models of Uranus

A series of models of Uranus is computed assuming that Uranus consists of a core of rocky material surrounded by a convecting envelope rich in H2O, NH3, and CH4. It is found that good fits are obtained to the observed parameters when the CH4:H2 ratio is of the order of 0.1. It is suggested that the rotational period of Uranus is roughly 18 h.
646: Patient motivation for participation in obstetric clinical research projects as measured by a new instrument in an inner city primarily African American population

ALL THE CLINICAL TRIALS GONE? JEFFREY LIVINGSTON, EMILY DEFRANCO, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, Ohio, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri OBJECTIVE: To compare the types of scientific studies accepted for presentation at the annual clinic meeting of the SMFM from a time when the MFM fellowship duration was 2 years to those accepted recently, after the fellowship was extended to 3 years. STUDY DESIGN: SMFM Abstracts accepted for presentation were reviewed for study characteristics. Abstracts from the 1996 & 1997 SMFM meetings were combined and compared to abstracts from 2006 & 2007. Studies were classified as randomized clinical trials (RCT), clinical study, other (case control, cohort, descriptive), basic science (bench), studies involving animals, or those dependent on questionnaires of subjects. US primary author refers to the nationality of the affiliated institution of the first author. Chi square was used to determine significance. RESULTS: Data collected from a total of 2828 abstracts published in AJOG were reviewed for study characteristics. Recent meetings have significantly fewer randomized clinical trials than those conducted 10 years ago. Similarly there has been an increase in the number of basic science and questionnaire based abstracts. There has also been an increase in abstract acceptance from non-US primary authors. CONCLUSION: The Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine Annual Meeting has had a tremendous recent decline in presentations of randomized clinical trials.
Co-morbidity and familial aggregation of alcoholism and anxiety disorders

Background. This study examined the patterns of familial aggregation and co-morbidity of alcoholism and anxiety disorders in the relatives of 165 probands selected for alcoholism and/or anxiety disorders compared to those of 61 unaffected controls.Methods. Probands were either selected from treatment settings or at random from the community. DSM-III-R diagnoses were obtained for all probands and their 1053 first-degree relatives, based on direct interview or family history information.Results. The findings indicate that: (1) alcoholism was associated with anxiety disorders in the relatives, particularly among females; (2) both alcoholism and anxiety disorders were highly familial; (3) the familial aggregation of alcoholism was attributable to alcohol dependence rather than to alcohol abuse, particularly among male relatives; and (4) the pattern of co-aggregation of alcohol dependence and anxiety disorders in families differed according to the subtype of anxiety disorder; there was evidence of a partly shared diathesis underlying panic and alcoholism, whereas social phobia and alcoholism tended to aggregate independently.Conclusions. The finding that the onset of social phobia tended to precede that of alcoholism, when taken together with the independence of familial aggregation of social phobia and alcoholism support a self-medication hypothesis as the explanation for the co-occurrence of social phobia and alcoholism. In contrast, the lack of a systematic pattern in the order of onset of panic and alcoholism among subjects with both disorders as well as evidence for shared underlying familial risk factors suggests that co-morbidity between panic disorder and alcoholism is not a consequence of self-medication of panic symptoms. The results of this study emphasize the importance of examining co-morbid disorders and subtypes thereof in identifying sources of heterogeneity in the pathogenesis of alcoholism.
Use of radioactive chromium oxide in digestibility determinations.

Summary Radioactive chromium oxide was tested as a digestibility indicator in dairy cattle by making direct comparisons of component digestibility coefficients with total collection procedure and chromium oxide ratio technique. The use of a radioactive isotope as a digestibility reference substance was found to save time and labor and, under the conditions of this experiment, to display about the same degree of precision as the two other methods studied. A disadvantage to the use of isotopes in this type of study is the increased care and expense involved in the disposal and handling of animals and excreta, as dictated by current Atomic Energy Commission and Food and Drug regulations.
Moderate elevations in temperature do not increase oxidative stress in oxidative muscles of Antarctic notothenioid fishes

Previous work in our laboratory showed that levels of oxidized proteins and/or lipids increase in heart ventricles of icefishes but not red-blooded notothenioids in response to exposure to their critical thermal maxima (CTMax). However, neither icefishes nor red-blooded fishes up-regulate their antioxidant defenses in response to exposure to CTMax, suggesting notothenioids may have lost the ability to alter antioxidant levels in response to stress during their evolution at cold temperature. Alternatively, exposure to CTMax may have been too short a thermal stress to induce increases in antioxidant levels. To address this question, the icefish Chionodraco rastrospinosus and the red-blooded notothenioid Notothenia coriiceps were maintained at either 0 oC or 4 °C for 1 week. Levels of oxidized proteins and lipids, as well as transcript abundance and maximal activity of the antioxidants superoxide dismutase and catalase, were quantified in heart ventricle and pectoral adductor muscle. Although previous studies showed that the production of reactive oxygen species increases in response to warming in notothenioids, neither levels of oxidized proteins, lipids nor antioxidant activity increased in any tissue of either species in response to exposure to 4 °C. This suggests that notothenioids do not incur oxidative damage during prolonged, moderate warming.
The measurement of outcomes in the assessment of educational program effectiveness.

Postsecondary accrediting agencies recognized by the U.S. Secretary of Education and the Council on Postsecondary Accreditation, including the Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME), are required to evaluate educational program effectiveness by determining that institutions and programs document the achievement of their students and graduates in verifiable and consistent ways, indicating that institutional and program purposes are met. For the assessment of medical education programs this represents a departure from the traditional method of inferring quality from institutional compliance with standards for program organization and function. In the new assessment calculus, success is measured as the integrated product of the outcomes, the indicators of achievement that medical schools already are collecting from many sources, for instance, data on premedical achievement and attributes, medical school performance, graduate education ratings and test results, specialty certification, licensure, and practice. Although a recent LCME enquiry showed that 80% of U.S. medical schools were collecting outcome data on students and graduates, there was a lack of coherence and system, little integrated analysis, rare longitudinal study, and limited use of the information to evaluate and revise the curriculum or to validate admissions, promotion, and graduation criteria. The longitudinal study of the quantified results of educational programs need not resurrect old controversies about the linkage between learning in medical school and the quality of doctors' later practice. The purpose of examining outcomes is to gain sharper focus on the achievement of distinctive institutional goals, to facilitate program improvement and renewal, and to better assure the competence of graduates within the boundaries of achievement that schools have drawn as their educational objectives.
School-based strategies to prevent violence, trauma, and psychopathology: The challenges of going to scale

Children's trauma-related mental health problems are widespread, largely untreated and constitute significant barriers to academic achievement and attainment. Translational research has begun to identify school-based interventions to prevent violence, trauma and psychopathology. We describe in detail the findings to date on research evaluating one such intervention, the Reading, Writing, Respect, and Resolution (4Rs) Program. The 4Rs Program has led to modest positive impacts on both classrooms and children after 1 year that appear to cascade to more impacts in other domains of children's development after 2 years. This research strives not only to translate research into practice but also translate practice into research. However, considerable challenges must be met for such research to inform prevention strategies at population scale.
Environmental factors in renal disease.

(1981). Environmental Factors in Renal Disease. Clinical and Experimental Dialysis and Apheresis: Vol. 5, No. 1-2, pp. 101-109.
Mixed-Layer Depth Model Based on Turbulent Energetics

Abstract Mixed layer depths are predicted using an entrainment equation with conservation equations. The entrainment equation is based on the turbulent kinetic energy equation for the mixed layer. The atmosphere is idealized as having temperatures, humidities and winds constant with height in the boundary layer with a step discontinuity marking the top of the mixed layer. This model is tested with mixed layer depth observations made during the 1953 Great Plains experiment, the 1967 Australian Wangara experiment, and the 1972 Puerto Rican tropical experiment. Model calculations of inversion rise and mixed layer depth offer good agreement with the observations. It is found that none of the turbulence generation and loss mechanisms for the mixed layer (such as buoyancy, wind shear and gravity waves) should be neglected a priori.
Manner of Pickup of VLV Malathion by Grasshoppers from Aerially Sprayed Rangeland

Experimental control of an infestation of range grasshoppers with 8 fl oz ULV malathion applied by aircraft was carried out to study the pickup of the toxicant by 3 species, Ageneotettix deorum (Scudder), Amphitornus coloradus (Thomas), and Aulocara elliotti (Thomas). Caged grasshoppers were subjected to 5 treatments: (1) sprayed food and soil plus exposure to spray at time of application, (2) sprayed food, (3) exposure to spray at time of application, (4) sprayed soil, and (5) check untreated. A deorum and A. elliotti reacted similarly to the treatments, but A. coloradus exhibited interesting variations. Among caged individuals of A. deorum , treatments 1 and 2 resulted in mortality of 98 and 96%, respectively. 6.5 days after start of the tests; among caged individuals of A. elliotti both of these treatments caused 98% mortality; treatment 3 caused 22% mortality of A. deorum and 15% mortality of A. elliotti; treatment 4 did not differ significantly from the check. Mortality of A. coloradus was 98% in treatment 1 and 89% in treatment 2; no difference in mortality from the check occurred in treatments 3 and 4. The difference in response to treatment 3 by A. coloradus was attributed to difference in behavior; this species rests deep in grass which protects the grasshoppers from falling droplets of insecticide, whereas the other 2 species rest on bare ground. It was concluded that deposits of insecticide on vegetation were the source of most mortality and that the grasshoppers probably ingested the toxicant with their food.
Resident Moonlighting in Radiology

The indebtedness of medical school graduates has increased dramatically, and this indebtedness, combined with a shortage of radiologists, may result in more moonlighting by radiology residents. Residents may choose to moonlight for an institution not affiliated with the residency program (external moonlighting) or within the same institution as the residency program (internal moonlighting). If residents choose to engage in external moonlighting, they must have a full medical license and separate malpractice insurance and should be aware of their liability. Internal moonlighting is permissible under a resident's limited license and the malpractice coverage provided by the residency but must be within the duty hour requirements of the residency program. Residents with J-1 visas may engage only in internal moonlighting duties that are specifically part of the training program. Internal moonlighting under the control of the residency program offers the most opportunity to supervise residents to make sure that the patient care they are providing is commensurate with their level of experience.
Mobile phones, non-ionizing radiofrequency fields and brain cancer: is there an adaptive response?

There is widespread concern among the general public regarding the ever increasing use of mobile phones. The concern is mainly because the antenna which transmits nonionizing radiofrequency fields is held close to the head during use and thus might cause brain cancer. By far, the largest epidemiological study was conducted by the INTER-PHONE study group and the results were published in 2011. The author’s conclusions were (i) no increased risk of meningioma and glioma in mobile phone users and (ii) there were suggestions of an increased risk for glioma at the highest exposure levels but, bias and error prevented a causal interpretation. We have carefully examined all of the odd ratios presented in the INTERPHONE study publication: our results showed 24.3% decreased and 0.7% increased risk for meningioma and 22.1% decreased and 6.6% increased risk for glioma. Hence, we hypothesize that the overwhelming evidence for the decreased risk for both diseases may be due to the induction of ‘adaptive response’ which is well-documented in scientific literature
Research Note on Decision Lists

In his article “Learning Decision Lists,” Rivest proves that (k-DNF ∪ k-CNF) is a proper subset of k-DL. The proof is based on the following incorrect claim: … if a function f has a prime implicant of size t, then f has no k-DNF representation if k < t. In this note, we show a counterexample to the claim and then prove a stronger theorem, from which Rivest's theorem follows as a corollary.
Adolescent girls with high body satisfaction: who are they and what can they teach us?

Abstract Purpose The purpose of this study was 2-fold: (1) to determine the prevalence of high body satisfaction in a multi-ethnic, urban population of adolescent females, and (2) to examine the demographic, socioenvironmental, personal, and behavioral factors associated with high body satisfaction among adolescent girls. Methods The study population included 2,357 female middle and high school students who completed surveys in 1998–1999. High body satisfaction and its association with a range of socioenvironmental, personal, and behavioral factors were assessed. Associations were examined through comparisons of means (unadjusted and adjusted for grade level, race, socioeconomic status, and body mass index [BMI]) for continuous variables, and percentages and odds ratios for dichotomized variables. Results Over a quarter (26.7%) of adolescent girls reported high body satisfaction. High body satisfaction was most common among African-American (40.1%) and underweight girls (39.0%). In adjusted analyses, girls with high body satisfaction were more likely to report parental and peer attitudes that encouraged healthy eating and exercising to be fit ( p p Conclusions The immediate subculture in which adolescent girls exist may play an important role in fostering high body satisfaction. Parents and health care providers often struggle with how to address the topic of weight management in teens without causing further injury to body image. Findings from the present study suggest the importance of providing a social environment that focuses on health and fitness, rather than on weight control, to increase adolescent girls' likelihood of being satisfied with their bodies.