cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Management of Postoperative Ileus

Postoperative ileus is a clinical impediment of bowel function after recent surgical intervention with many different causative factors. It is characterized by symptoms similar to a mechanical bowel obstruction, and it is important to differentiate between the two. Management is usually supportive in nature and involves identification and treatment of the underlying cause. Prolonged ileus requires a thorough diagnostic investigation and, very rarely, surgical intervention.
Bioinspired Mechanical Device Generates Plasma in Water via Cavitation

Nature can generate plasma in liquids more efficiently than human-designed devices using electricity, acoustics, or light. In the animal world, snapping shrimp can induce cavitation that collapses to produce high pressures and temperatures, leading to efficient plasma formation with photon and shock wave emission via energy focusing. Here, we report a bioinspired mechanical device that mimics the plasma generation technique of the snapping shrimp. This device was manufactured using additive manufacturing based on micro–x-ray computed tomography of a snapping shrimp claw molt. A spring fixture was designed to reliably actuate the claw with appropriate force and velocity to produce a high-speed water jet that matches the cavitation number and Reynolds number of the shrimp. Light emission and shocks were imaged, which indicate that our device reproduces the shrimp’s plasma generation technique and is more efficient than other plasma generation methods.
Co-marketing of marijuana and cigars in US convenience stores.

Cigars are among the most heavily flavoured of all tobacco products.1 Flavoured cigars, particularly cigarillos, appeal to young people and are also associated with blunt use.2–4 Of note, young adults cite brands and flavours as important factors influencing the selection of cigars used for blunts.4 With the growing social acceptance of recreational marijuana use, tobacco control researchers have noted in the past year the explicit co-marketing of cigars and marijuana.5 6 This nascent research was limited as it focused on one brand, Splitarillos5 or a subset of 10 marijuana-related flavours available at the point-of-sale in California.6 We add to the literature on marijuana–cigar co-marketing by analysing Nielsen’s convenience store (C-Track) retail scanner data. Nielsen’s C-Track is representative of all convenience store types and includes chain stores, non-chain and independent convenience stores, as well as gas stations. Cigar …
Validation of a Risk Equation Predicting Hemodialysis Arteriovenous Fistula Primary Failure in Elderly.

Background Choice of vascular access for older hemodialysis patients presents a special challenge since the rate of arteriovenous fistula (AVF) primary failure is high. The Lok's risk equation predicting AVF primary failure has achieved good prediction accuracy and holds great potential for clinical use, but it has not been validated in the United States older hemodialysis patients. Methods We assembled a validation data set of 14,892 patients aged 67 years and older who initiated hemodialysis with a central venous catheter between July 1, 2010, and June 30, 2012, and had a subsequent, incident AVF placement from the United States Renal Data System. We examined the external validity of Lok's model by applying it to this validation data set. The discriminatory accuracy and calibration were evaluated by the concordance index (C-statistics) and calibration plot, respectively. Results The observed frequency of AVF primary failure varied from 0.45 to 0.53 in hemodialysis patients in the validation data set. The predicted probabilities of AVF primary failure calculated by using the Lok's risk equation ranged from 0.08 to 0.61, and 77.8, 40.5, and 51.7% of patients were categorized as having high, intermediate, and low risk of AVF primary failure, respectively. The C-statistics of the Lok's risk equation in the validation data set was 0.53 (95% CI 0.52-0.54). The predicted probabilities of AVF primary failure corresponded poorly with the observed proportions in the calibration plot. Conclusions When externally applied to a cohort of U.S. older hemodialysis patients, the Lok's risk equation exhibited poor discrimination and calibration accuracy. It is invalid to use it to predict AVF primary failure. A more complex model with strong predictors is expected to better serve clinical determination for AVF placement in this population.
Getting Beneath the Tip of the Iceberg: Suspected Opioid Diversion

This case raises many questions for a clinical ethicist to consider beyond that of drug testing. There are issues surrounding transition from pediatric to adult care, parental dynamics in children ...
Usability of a Mobile App for Improving Literacy in Children With Hearing Impairment: Focus Group Study.

Background: Children with hearing loss, even those identified early and who use hearing aids or cochlear implants, may face challenges in developing spoken language and literacy. This can lead to academic, behavioral, and social difficulties. There are apps for healthy children to improve their spoken language and literacy and apps that focus on sign language proficiency for children with hearing loss, but these apps are limited for children with hearing loss. Therefore, we have developed an app called Hear Me Read, which uses enhanced digital stories as therapy tools for speech, language, and literacy for children with hearing loss. The platform has therapist and parent/child modes that allow (1) the selection of high-quality, illustrated digital stories by a speech-language pathologist, parent, or child; (2) the modification of digital stories for a multitude of speech and language targets; and (3) the assignment of stories by a therapist to facilitate individualized speech and language goals. In addition, Hear Me Read makes the caregiver a core partner in engagement through functionality, whereby the caregiver can record video and audio of themselves to be played back by the child. Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the user experience of the Hear Me Read app through a focus group study with caregivers and their children. Methods: We recruited 16 participants (8 children with and without hearing loss and 8 caregivers) to participate in 1-hour focus groups. Caregivers and children interacted with the app and discussed their experiences through a semistructured group interview. We employed thematic analysis methods and analyzed the data. We used feedback from the focus group to improve the elements of the app for a larger clinical trial assessing the impact of the app on outcomes. Results: We identified three themes: default needs, specific needs, and family needs. Participants found the app to be esthetically pleasing and easy to use. The findings of this study helped us to identify usability attributes and to amend app functionalities to best fit user needs. Caregivers and children appreciated the enhancements, such as highlighting of parts of speech and caregiver reading of video playback, which were made possible by the digital format. Participants expressed that the app could be used to enhance family reading sessions and family interaction. Conclusions: The findings from this focus group study are promising for the use of educational apps designed specifically for those with hearing loss who are pursuing listening and spoken language as a communication outcome. Further investigation is needed with larger sample sizes to understand the clinical impact on relevant language and literacy outcomes in this population.
Where Do You Think You're Going?: Characterizing Spatial Mental Models from Planned Routes

Route planning is a critical behavior for human-intelligent agent (H-IA) team mobility. The scientific community has made major advances in improving route planner optimality and speed. However, human factors, such as the ability to predict and understand teammates’ actions and goals, are necessary for trust development in H-IA teams. Trust is especially critical when agents’ behaviors do not match human team members’ expectations, or the human cannot understand the agent's underlying reasoning process. To address this issue, the artificial intelligence community has pushed toward creating human-like agent behaviors using machine learning. The problem with this approach is that we do not yet have a clear understanding of what constitutes human-like behavior across the breadth of tasks that H-IA teams undertake. This article describes an investigation and comparison of human and agent route planning behaviors, the interplay between humans and agents in collaborative planning, and the role of trust in this collaborative process. Finally, we propose a data-driven methodology for characterizing and visualizing differences among routes planned by humans and agents. This methodology provides a means to advance compatible mental model metrics and theory by informing targeted transparency manipulations, thereby improving the speed and quality of routes produced by H-IA teams.
Examining differences in attentional bias to smoking-related cues among black and white cigarette smokers: An event-related potential pilot study.

Abstract Black cigarette smokers experience higher craving, lower cessation rates, and increased health complications from tobacco use than Whites. We examined psychophysiological and behavioral differences in attentional bias to smoking cues between Black and White smokers. Thirty-one participants (Blacks, n = 20; MAge = 45 and Whites, n = 11, MAge = 47.64) discriminated line orientations while ignoring temporally flanking lines and smoking-related, positive-, negative-, and neutral-images as behavioral responses and event-related potentials (ERPs) were recorded. Results revealed a three-way interaction in reaction time among Group (White, Black), Congruity (congruent vs. incongruent flankers) and Cue (smoking-related, positive, negative) factors, F(2,58) = 3.63, p = .03, MSe = .001, η2 = .002. Smoking-related cues yielded the largest congruity effects in Whites, but the smallest congruity effects in Blacks. Random presentation of smoking-related cues (re: baseline) weakened P1 ERP amplitude (125 ms after stimulus onset) in Whites, but not Blacks (Cue x Group x Task, F(3,87) = 3.44, p
Beyond linearity in neuroimaging: Capturing nonlinear relationships with application to longitudinal studies

Abstract The ubiquitous adoption of linearity for quantitative explanatory variables in statistical modeling is likely attributable to its advantages of straightforward interpretation and computational feasibility. The linearity assumption may be a reasonable approximation especially when the variable is confined within a narrow range, but it can be problematic when the variable’s effect is non-monotonic or complex. Furthermore, visualization and model assessment of a linear fit are usually omitted because of challenges at the whole brain level in neuroimaging. By adopting a principle of learning from the data in the presence of uncertainty to resolve the problematic aspects of conventional polynomial fitting, we introduce a flexible and adaptive approach of multilevel smoothing splines (MSS) to capture any nonlinearity of a quantitative explanatory variable for population-level neuroimaging data analysis. With no prior knowledge regarding the underlying relationship other than a parsimonious assumption about the extent of smoothness (e.g., no sharp corners), we express the unknown relationship with a sufficient number of smoothing splines and use the data to adaptively determine the specifics of the nonlinearity. In addition to introducing the theoretical framework of MSS as an efficient approach with a counterbalance between flexibility and stability, we strive to (a) lay out the specific schemes for population-level nonlinear analyses that may involve task (e.g., contrasting conditions) and subject-grouping (e.g., patients vs controls) factors; (b) provide modeling accommodations to adaptively reveal, estimate and compare any nonlinear effects of an explanatory variable across the brain, or to more accurately account for the effects (including nonlinear effects) of a quantitative confound; (c) offer the associated program 3dMSS to the neuroimaging community for whole-brain voxel-wise analysis as part of the AFNI suite; and (d) demonstrate the modeling approach and visualization processes with a longitudinal dataset of structural MRI scans.
Methane Exhaust Measurements at Gathering Compressor Stations in the United States

Unburned methane entrained in exhaust from natural gas-fired compressor engines (“combustion slip”) can account for a substantial portion of station-level methane emissions. A novel in-stack, trace...
Rethinking the McGurk effect as a perceptual illusion

Visual speech cues play an important role in speech recognition, and the McGurk effect is a classic demonstration of this. In the original McGurk & Macdonald (Nature 264, 746–748 1976) experiment, 98% of participants reported an illusory “fusion” percept of /d/ when listening to the spoken syllable /b/ and watching the visual speech movements for /g/. However, more recent work shows that subject and task differences influence the proportion of fusion responses. In the current study, we varied task (forced-choice vs. open-ended), stimulus set (including /d/ exemplars vs. not), and data collection environment (lab vs. Mechanical Turk) to investigate the robustness of the McGurk effect. Across experiments, using the same stimuli to elicit the McGurk effect, we found fusion responses ranging from 10% to 60%, thus showing large variability in the likelihood of experiencing the McGurk effect across factors that are unrelated to the perceptual information provided by the stimuli. Rather than a robust perceptual illusion, we therefore argue that the McGurk effect exists only for some individuals under specific task situations. Significance: This series of studies re-evaluates the classic McGurk effect, which shows the relevance of visual cues on speech perception. We highlight the importance of taking into account subject variables and task differences, and challenge future researchers to think carefully about the perceptual basis of the McGurk effect, how it is defined, and what it can tell us about audiovisual integration in speech.
The Rights of Older Adolescents to Consent to Vaccination in Rhode Island

The article informs that Rhode Island Department of Health's (RIDOH) vaccination campaign against COVID-19, expanded to adolescents, highlights the important issue of minor consent. It mentions that General Law 23-4.6-1 describes minor consent in the state with consent to routine, emergency, medical or surgical care;and consent to routine emergency medical or surgical care.
Maternal HIV and syphilis are not syndemic in Brazil: Hot spot analysis of the two epidemics.

While the annual incidence of HIV diagnosis in pregnancy in Brazil remains relatively stable, rates of maternal syphilis increased over six-fold in the past decade. We hypothesized that maternal HIV and syphilis are two distinct epidemics. Data on all cases of maternal HIV or syphilis detected in pregnancy between January 1, 2010 to December 31, 2018 were requested from the Brazilian Ministry of Health. In order to evaluate how the epidemics evolved over the time period, ArcGIS software was used to generate spatiotemporal maps of annual rates of detection of maternal HIV and syphilis in 2010 and 2018. We utilized Euclidean-distance hot spot analysis to identify state-specific clusters in 2010 and 2018. From 2010 to 2018, there were 66,631 cases of maternal HIV, 225,451 cases of maternal syphilis, and 150,414 cases of congenital syphilis in Brazil. The state of Rio Grande do Sul had the highest rate of maternal HIV detection in both 2010 and 2018. Hot spots of maternal HIV were identified in the three most Southern states in both 2010 and 2018 (99% confidence, z-score >2.58, p 30 per 1,000 live births in 2018 in four states, only the two coastal states of Rio de Janeiro and Espirito Santo in Southeastern Brazil were significant hot spots (90% confidence, z-score 1.65-1.95, p <0.10). Contrary to the general assumption, HIV and syphilis epidemics in Brazil are not syndemic in pregnant women. There is a spatial cluster of maternal HIV in the South, while syphilis is increasing throughout the country, more recently on the coast. Focusing on maternal HIV hot spots in the Southern states is insufficient to curtail the maternal and congenital syphilis epidemics throughout the country. New strategies, including ongoing hot spot analysis, are urgently needed to monitor, identify and treat maternal syphilis.
Longitudinal study: understanding the lived experience of couples across the trajectory of dementia.

Background The longitudinal study, "Couples Lived Experiences," focuses on whether and how relationship characteristics of older couples change with the cognitive decline of one member of the couple, and how these changes affect each individual's emotional and physical health outcomes. Until now, most psychosocial research in dementia has focused either on the person with dementia (PWD) or the caregiver separately. The previous literature examining relationship characteristics and their role in outcomes for the caregiver and PWD is scant and suffers from methodological issues that limit the understanding of which relationship characteristics most influence outcomes for caregivers and care-receivers and what other factors may mitigate or exacerbate their effects. Methods We will enroll 300 dyads and collect information via online interviews of each member of the couple, every 6 months for 3 years. Relationship characteristics will be measured with a set of short, well-validated, and reliable self-report measures, plus the newly developed "Partnership Approach Questionnaire." Outcomes include global quality of life, subjective physical health, mental health (depression and anxiety), and status change (transitions in levels of care; i.e., placement in a nursing home). Longitudinal data will be used to investigate how relationship characteristics are affected by cognitive, functional, and behavioral changes, and the impact of these changes on health outcomes. Qualitative data will also be collected to enrich the interpretation of results of quantitative analyses. Discussion Psychosocial interventions have demonstrated effectiveness in promoting the wellbeing of PWD and their caregivers. The knowledge gained from this study can lead to the development or enhancement of targeted interventions for older couples that consider the impact of cognitive and functional decline on the relationship between members of a couple and thereby improve their wellbeing. Trial registration This study has been registered with ClinicalTrials.gov. ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier is: NCT04863495 .
Pass the Word

Pass the Word. Online collection tool created by the Kentucky Oral History Commission and maintained by the Kentucky Historical Society. http://passtheword.ky.gov/.Oral history centers and archives...
Using objects of obsession as token reinforcers for children with autism

We assessed the effectiveness of using objects of obsession as token reinforcers to increase task performance for children with autism. The use of obsessions as tokens (e.g., letter “A”, a picture of a train) was compared with the use of typical tokens (e.g., stars, happy faces). A multiple baseline design across children with a reversal within child was used. Data were collected on percentage correct of task responses and on the occurrence of inappropriate behaviors during work sessions. Results indicated that percentage correct on task performance was higher when objects of obsession were used as tokens as opposed to when typical tokens were used. Concomitant decreases in inappropriate behaviors during work sessions were also noted. Results are discussed in terms of primary versus secondary reinforcement and the effects of saliency and novelty of the reinforcing stimuli.
Michael R. Page, The Literary Imagination from Erasmus Darwin to H.G. Wells: Science, Evolution, and Ecology

Review by Andrew Burkett (Union College) of Michael R. Page, The Literary Imagination from Erasmus Darwin to H.G. Wells: Science, Evolution, and Ecology. Farnham: Ashgate, 2012. Pp. 232. £64. ISBN: 9781409438694.
Modeling Fate and Transport of Fecal Bacteria in Surface Water

This chapter provides a basic review of deterministic and empirical statistical modeling and their application for predicting microbiological surface water quality. The key to deterministic model development is the conceptualization of the various processes affecting fate and transport of fecal bacteria in the environment. Several different types of deterministic models have been applied to fecal bacteria in surface waters. A simplified conceptual model for fecal bacteria in surface water is presented. The chapter describes various processes that affect the fate and transport of fecal indicator bacteria (FIB) in surface waters and provide examples of their mathematical parameterization. The movement of bacteria from one water parcel to another occurs because of advection, diffusion, and dispersion. Advection is the movement of bacteria with water. In surface waters, velocities must be measured using flow meters to gain insight into the importance of advection. Kinetic models have been used extensively to model particle aggregation in surface waters, but have not yet been applied to the study of fecal bacteria-particle interactions in surface waters. There are four steps in the development of a statistical model. First, appropriate predictors must be selected to be used as independent variables in the model. Second, the statistical method must be chosen (e.g., multiple linear regression, partial least squares regression, random forests). Third, the model must be trained, or developed. Finally, the model must be validated using an independent data set.
Neurology of the Ocular Muscles; emergence of a neuro-ophthalmologist

In 1972, as a junior medical student on my Neurology rotation, I was asked to evaluate a patient with diplopia. Dr. Herman Barest, a clinical attending, physician at Montefiore Hospital in New York, suggested that I investigate a book entitled The Neurology of the Ocular Muscles [3]. I was intrigued. A detective story in medicine. In clear, logical steps, the anatomy of the neuro-visual system suddenly made clinical sense. I even found out what a neuro-ophthalmologist was. But I was not alone. More than a generation of residents and medical students had shared my excitement since 1948 when Charles Thomas first published this monograph [2]. It was eventually to go through 2 editions and 9 printings with a total of 25,000 copies produced until it was finally withdrawn from production in 1991. Throughout the introduction,and his personal comments on the volume, David Cogan modestly emphasized those colleagues who contributed to his understanding and previous experience. ‘The substance of the book has been taken from the available literature and compounded with the experience generously called the author’s but in reality the experience of many persons, recognized and unrecognized, who have molded his opinion’ [2]. The longevity of this volume was truly remarkable, far more characteristic of the 19th century than today’s rapidly changing technology when a book is often out of date before it arrives on the shelves. How to characterize this volume? Brief, lucid, and most importantly readable.
Geographic, climatic, and chemical differentiation in the Hypogymnia imshaugii species complex (Lecanoromycetes, Parmeliaceae) in North America

Abstract Hypogymnia imshaugii is one of the most common, conspicuous and morphologically variable epiphytic lichens of the Pacific coastal states and provinces. The species varies greatly in morphology and chemistry, suggesting multiple closely related species or one or more phenotypically plastic species. We sought to determine whether additional ecologically meaningful species might be present within the H. imshaugii complex. Improving our species concepts could potentially improve ecological inferences based on community sampling. Three relatively well-defined genetic groups and one residual group in the H. imshaugii complex were detected with haplotype networks based on the ITS locus; however, phylogenetic reconstructions on combined ITS, mtSSU, GPD1 and TEF1 loci did not reflect this pattern. At present, we have insufficient evidence to support defining any of these groups as new taxa. The four major chemotypes in H. imshaugii differed in frequency among the genetic groups. None of the genetic groups...
The Evolution of Purchasing to Supply Chain Management

The term “supply chain management” has become a popular buzzword, probably first used by consultants in the late 1980s and then analyzed by the academic community in the 1990s. If one wants a simple definition, supply chain management links all the supply interacting organizations in an integrated two-way communication system to manage high quality inventory in the most effective and efficient manner. This concept can be rather abstract and vague because it embraces a multitude of policies, procedures, and organizational structures. As one supply chain expert states “you cannot telephone, fax or e-mail the chain” (Parker, 1999). In very plain terms it means the buyer of tungsten for laser lamp manufacturing must have a long-term relationship with the tungsten processor and also ensure that the processor has a strategic plan to procure the raw tungsten; i.e., monitor the supplier of each supplier to some manageable number of levels. Why all the focus on supplies and the purchasing activities? The average manufacturing organization spends about 53.2 percent of every sales dollar on raw materials, components, and maintenance repair operating (MRO) purchases (Statistics for Industries, 1993).
Fluticasone-formoterol: a systematic review of its potential role in the treatment of asthma

BACKGROUND The purpose of this systematic review is to summarize and evaluate the available published data regarding the efficacy and safety of a combination product containing fluticasone propionate/formoterol (FP-F) in order to establish its potential role compared with other inhaled combination corticosteroid/long-acting beta2 receptor agonists for the maintenance treatment of asthma. METHODS A PubMed and EMBASE search was conducted using the terms "fluticasone propionate", "formoterol fumarate", "Flutiform(®)", and "asthma" in July 2014 to identify trials using this combination specifically for the treatment of asthma. Additional information was gathered from references cited in the identified publications, the package insert, and the ClinicalTrials. gov registry. All randomized controlled clinical trials for humans in asthma were evaluated for inclusion. Data from animal trials, clinical trials for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and non-English sources were excluded. RESULTS Seven short-term safety and efficacy trials of FP-F compared with its individual components and two comparison trials of FP-F versus other combination products were identified. Generally, the incidence of drug-related adverse events was low and consistent with previously reported drug class-related adverse events (ie, pharyngitis, dysphonia, and headache). The combination of FP-F was shown to be noninferior to fluticasone propionate/salmeterol for improving predose forced expiratory volume at one second (FEV1) and 2 hours post dose FEV1. FP-F was also noninferior to budesonide/formoterol in improving predose FEV1. Other clinical endpoints, including various symptom scores, asthma control, quality of life, and subjects' assessment of the medications were not significantly different. CONCLUSION Poor asthma control is common. The data from short-term studies indicate that this inhaled corticosteroid and long-acting beta2 receptor agonist combination product is non-inferior to similar combination products available. As FP-F is available in different strengths, the corticosteroid dose can be titrated without changing devices. A potential advantage is that those with good technique, the same type of device could be used for both their controller and rapid relief inhaler medicines. The choice of this combination versus other similar products may be based primarily on cost.
Game-Changer: Operationalizing the Common Core using WebQuests and 'Gamification' in Teacher Education

Technology integration and Information and Communication Technology (ICT)-based education have enhanced the teaching and learning process by introducing a range of web-based instructional resources for classroom practitioners to deepen and extend instruction. One of the most durable of these resources has been the WebQuest. Introduced around the mid-1990s, it involves an inquiry-centered activity in which some or all of the information learners interact with comes from digital artifacts located on the Internet. WebQuests still retain much of their popularity and educational relevance and have shown remarkable staying power. Because of this, recontextualizing the WebQuest and situating it within the modern-day trend of the "gamification" of instructional design is examined, together with how the WebQuest can promote solid academic gain by placing students inside a learning space patterned after a multi-user virtual environment. This structure includes emphasis on teamwork and socially responsible problem-solving, intense task immersion, task game flow and scalability, and reward cycles. The authors also discuss how including an upgraded WebQuest informed by Common Core Grade-Specific Learning Standards in pre-service education curriculum can advance multiple facets of teacher education with candidates who are acquiring, learning, applying, and integrating pedagogical, technological, and content-area skills. Further, the authors offer suggestions for new directions in the use of web-based resources in 21st century education enterprise.
Progress in the diagnosis of deep venous thrombosis: the efficacy of real-time B-mode ultrasonic imaging.

Abstract Seventy-six limbs with clinically suspected acute deep venous thrombosis (DVT) were evaluated by means of ultrasonic imaging (UI) to define the ability of this technique to detect acute and chronic venous obstruction and to determine the origin and distribution of venous thrombi. UI was compared with ascending contrast phlebography in 46 limbs and was found to be 100% accurate in detecting both acute and chronic venous thrombosis. Overall, acute DVT was present in 63 of 76 limbs (83%) studied. Acute DVT was found in 24% and recurrent acute DVT in 76%. Our results indicate that although the calf veins are the most common site of involvement (89%), thrombi may frequently arise simultaneously in multiple anatomic sites. All limbs with recurrent acute DVT had evidence of previous calf thrombi but only 13% had previous proximal disease. This suggests that asymptomatic calf DVT is common and the prevalence of recurrent acute DVT is significantly greater than previously believed. We found UI is a practical, accurate, noninvasive method for investigating the pathogenesis of venous disease. (J VASC SURG 1988;7:638-41.)
Frameworks for decisions about nuclear waste disposal

Recent decisions have established Yucca Mountain, Nevada, as America's first characterization site for a high‐level nuclear waste repository. The decision remains controversial because it generated numerous understudied and unresolved value‐laden public policy issues. This paper describes several alternative frameworks for assessing decisions about nuclear waste disposal, and is intended to supplement our previous study on the Yucca Mountain repository.
Universality class of a Fibonacci Ising model

The specific heat of a certain ferromagnetic Fibonacci Ising model is shown to have a logarithmic singularity.
ANALYSIS OF DIFFUSIVE AND CONVECTIVE RECOVERY OF FLUORESCENCE AFTER PHOTOBLEACHING—EFFECT OF UNIFORM FLOW FIELD

Fluorescence Recovery After Photobleaching (FRAP) is used to monitor the relaxation of concentration profiles after various imposed concentration fields. A theoretical analysis is conducted to quantify convective and diffusive transport and determine their contributions to fluorescence recovery in a perfused medium. Four different photobleach geometries—line, periodic pattern, uniform circular spot and Gaussian spot—are studied. It is shown that a spatially-averaged fluorescence profile (as would be the output of a photomultiplier) is inadequate in distinguishing convection from diffusion except in cases of large convection. In order to characterize both diffusive and convective effects, it is necessary to study the detailed concentration profile as a function of space and time.
Multisensory integration in auditory and auditory-related areas of cortex

Our sensory systems are bombarded by continuous streams of input from both correlated and uncorrelated sources, and these shape our perceptions of the world. In some contexts, the events acting on one sensory modality occur in relative isolation, but most often, they occur along with salient events involving one or more of the other modalities. In the auditory domain, for example, the sounds of speech are commonly accompanied by a visual representation of the speaker, who, in face-to-face communication, may also add tactile and even olfactory information to the experience. At other times, as when conversing over the telephone or listening to recorded music, auditory events are received in the absence of corresponding inputs from other sensory systems, which are likely engaged in the processing of uncorrelated visual or tactile events. These examples are typical of the myriad sensory events from which our nervous system extracts the meaningful information that is needed to guide behavior.
Burnout in sport: A review and critique

Abstract Literature on burnout has typically focused on individuals in occupations denoted by the terms of human services or helping professions. However, recently, studies and conceptual models have appeared investigating burnout in the athletic environment. The purpose of this paper is to review the literature on burnout in sport. First, the need for a standard operational definition is discussed along with a brief overview of the burnout research in the helping professions, The conceptual model of burnout developed by Smith (1986) is presented along with research relating to coaches, athletes and athletic trainers. Some of the methodological and measurement problems are addressed and future directions for research are offered.
Lignin geochemistry of sediments from the Narragansett Bay Estuary

Cupric oxide oxidation has been employed to characterize the lignin geochemistry of Narragansett Bay sediments. Lignin concentrations throughout the estuary are low when expressed on a carbon-normalized basis, but can be characterized as enriched when expressed on a mass-normalized basis. This implies substantial dilution of the sedimentary lignin by inputs of lignin-poor carbon. Lignin concentrations do not correlate with the 13C isotopic composition of the sedimentary organic matter. These results are consistent with a sediment lignin component consisting of varying amounts of vascular plant debris and lignin-depleted organic matter, the latter originating from both marine (planktonic) and terrestrial (uncharacterized) sources. Compositional plots of lignin-derived phenols show that sediments in the upper estuary are influenced to a greater extent by gymnosperm lignin sources than those in the mid-and lower estuary. Given the extent to which the upper estuary is affected by pollution sources, inputs from anthropogenic discharges are the most likely cause of these compositional differences. However, an evaluation of processed paper products as an “anthropogenic” lignin source indicates that the lignin content of these materials is insufficient to account for the levels found in the sediments. Subsurface lignin compositions at an upper estuary site reveal that lignin originating from the inferred anthropogenic sources disappears at a depth shallower than that which would be expected based on the distribution of other trace organic pollutants (hydrocarbons and several synthetic organic compounds). We speculate that differences in either the depositional history or the degree of preservation of these two compound classes are responsible for the observed trends.
A review of some physiological and toxicological responses of freshwater fish to acid stress

Data relating to the specific effect of low pH on growth of freshwater fishes are ambiguous. Reproductive failure resulting from acid stress appears to be related to an upset in calcium metabolism and to faulty deposition of protein in developing oocytes. It appears that the ’no effect‘ level of pH depression for successful reproduction is around 6.5. Data on behaviorial responses of freshwater fish to acid stress and CO2 are described. Most fish appear to be indifferent to pH within the range of approximately 10.5 to 5.5 and between 7.4 and 4.5 CO2 appears to be the main directive factor. In cases of severe acid stress alteration of gill membranes and/or coagulation of gill mucus occurs and death due to hypoxia may result from a lengthening of the water-blood diffusion distance. Several reports agree that acid stress causes an upset of electrolyte homeostasis in fish but effects of low pH on osmotic permeability are largely lacking. Most hatcheryreared salmonids can tolerate pH 5.0 indefinitely but below this level the homeostatic electrolyte and osmotic regulatory mechanisms become inadequate. When fish are subjected to debilitating acid stress blood pH decreases possibly as the result of flux of H+ ions across gill membranes into the blood. This could change transepithelial potential and allow a blood, to-water diffusion of Na+ ions down an electrochemical gradient. Lowered ambient pH may interfere with gill calcium levels increasing permeability to both H+ and Na+ ions or an acidemia may occur as the result of a decrease in the excretion of metabolically produced H+ ions and CO2. When the capacity of the buffer mechanisms is exceeded the blood pH drops and the capacity of hemoglobin to transport oxygen is decreased.
Control of the synthesis of long-chain fatty acids and triacetic acid in E. coli.

Abstract The soluble fatty acid synthetase from E. coli produces both saturated and unsaturated long-chain fatty acids from malonyl CoA and acetyl CoA in a process dependent on TPNH and ACP ( Lennarz, Light and Bloch, 1962 ; Goldman and Vagelos, 1962 ). We have now observed that under certain conditions the synthesis of long-chain acids is suppressed and almost entirely replaced by the production of triacetic acid (TAA, 3, 5-diketohexanoic acid). This communication describes the isolation and characterization of TAA as its lactone (TAL), and details the conditions under which it is formed at the expense of long-chain acids.
Disrupting the taken for granted: Exploring urban teacher candidate experiences in aesthetic education

Abstract This qualitative research study explores the experiences of a diverse group of teacher candidates engaging in an aesthetic line of inquiry within two teacher preparation courses at a large, public urban university in New York City. Research centered on the question “What are the different ways that teacher candidates make meaning from a collaborative aesthetic experience and how do they connect this experience to their emerging practice and beliefs as educators?” Emerging findings from this study of two classes, one at the undergraduate level and one at the graduate level, suggest that engagement in an aesthetic line of inquiry can become an invaluable “touchstone” for exploring and/or challenging teacher candidate notions about the role of art in their future practice as educators.
Is 1220 Crocus a precessing, binary asteroid?

Photoelectric data of the asteroid 1220 Crocus over a 13 night period in 1984 revealed the presence of two separate periods. The light curves were indicative of a precessing body, but not one in free precession due to motions induced by a collision. Closer examinations revealed periods of 30.7 and 7.9 hr with amplitudes of 0.87 and 0.15 mag, respectively. An analysis of the source of an external torque which could be causing a forced precession led to the hypothesis that 1220 Crocus has a satellite. Verification of the binary asteroid configuration will depend on more detailed light curves, the possible modulation of the shorter period by the longer, and possible use of the Space Telescope.
Minicomputer processing of dual Purkinje image eye-tracker data

Eye movement data analysis often entails reliable detection of the onset of saccades. Saccades are most easily separated from fixations on the basis of movement velocity and acceleration. Convolution integers are used to estimate the velocity and acceleration of eye movements, and these serve as the basis of an eye movement data-classification program. The technique of derivative estimation by convolution integers has the advantage of being easily calculated and the disadvantage of returning results shifted in phase. The disadvantage is overcome by using ring buffers for the synchronization of data and results.
The assay of glandular kallikrein and prekallikrein in human mixed saliva.

Abstract The measurement of glandular kallikrein in biological fluids most often utilizes a synthetic substrate, H- d -valylleucylarginine -p- nitroanilide (S-2266), which assesses amidase activity. Although this substrate has reasonable specificity for glandular kallikrein, other tryptic-like proteases found in mixed saliva may also cause hydrolysis. The primary purpose of this study was to assess the accuracy of the use of this substrate for the measurement of glandular kallikrein in human mixed saliva. An additional objective was to determine the presence of prekallikrein in mixed saliva. The addition of soybean trypsin inhibitor (SBTI), which inhibits other tryptic-like enzymes but not glandular kallikrein, resulted in an approx. 30 per cent decrease in the hydrolysis of S-2266 by centrifuged mixed human saliva. A correlation of 0.918 was obtained between the biological assays for kinin release and amidase activity in 19 subject samples. Amidase activity increased following treatment of saliva with trypsin, indicating the presence of prekallikrein in human mixed saliva. It is concluded that S-2266 is an accurate substrate for the assay of glandular kallikrein in human mixed saliva; that the inclusion of SBTI in the assay mixture is needed to inhibit non-kallikrein proteases that may also hydrolyse the synthetic substrate; and that prekallikrein is present in mixed saliva. Thus any future studies of changes in the level of kallikrein in saliva may wish to consider the presence of both active and total levels of glandular kallikrein.
Girl Scouting: An Effective Channel for Nutrition Education

Abstract Community youth groups may provide an untapped channel for nutrition education. Children's fruit and vegetable (F&V) intake is one-half of the 5 A Day goal. This study evaluated the effect of a 4-week, theory-based F&V nutrition program for fourth to sixth-grade Junior Girl Scouts. Twenty-two troops were recruited, stratified by grade level, and randomized into intervention or control conditions. Intervention condition troop leaders received a manual and instruction on how to conduct the activities. F&V intake and measures assessing knowledge, skills, F&V preferences, self-efficacy, norms, and barriers were completed 1 week before and about 1 week after the intervention was completed. F&V intake was also assessed 3 months later. Pretest F&V intake for the 259 girls was 2.60 servings per day—3.0 for the intervention group. Significant increases in F&V intake (to 3.4 servings per day), knowledge, and F&V preferences were found for the intervention condition troops. F&V intake returned to pretest levels 3 months later. This study indicates that social groups can provide a channel for nutrition education. Although increased F&V was not sustained, booster lessons and troop commitment to serving F&V could promote positive norms and social support for eating F&V, leading to increased F&V consumption.
Fatal and Non-Fatal Intimate Partner Violence What Separates the Men From the Women for Victimizations Reported to Police?

Comparing male and female victims across lethal and non-lethal intimate partner violence (IPV) can provide a better understanding of these incidents and assist policy makers in developing more tail...
Electrophilic activity-based RNA probes reveal a self-alkylating RNA for RNA labeling

Activity-based probes (ABPs) are widely used for system-wide profiling of enzymatic activity. Electrophilic ABPs applied to genomic RNA libraries led to the isolation of a 42-nt RNA motif that was adapted as an alkylation-based RNA labeling strategy.
Phytoremediation of petroleum hydrocarbons in tropical coastal soils I. selection of promising woody plants

This glasshouse study is aimed at evaluating tropical plants for phytoremediation of petroleum hydrocarbon-contaminated saline sandy subsurface soils. Tropical plants were selected for their ability to tolerate high salinity and remove No. 2 diesel fuel in coastal topsoil prior to further investigation of the phytoremediation feasibility in deep contaminated soils. The residual petroleum-hydrocarbon contaminant at the John Rogers Tank Farm site, a former petroleum storage facility, at Hickam Air Force Base, Honolulu, Hawaii, is located in a coastal area. It lies below a layer of silt in the subsurface, in loamy sand characterized by moderate salinity and high pH. Little is known regarding the ability of tropical plants to remediate petroleum hydrocarbon-contaminated subsurface soil in Hawaiian and other Pacific Island ecosystems although suitable plants have been identified and utilized for bioremediation in surface soil or marine sediments. Methods. The experiments were conducted in long narrow pots under glasshouse conditions in two phases. A preliminary experiment was done with nine tropical plants: kiawe(Prosopis pallida), milo(Thespesia populnea), common ironwood(Casuarina equisetifolia), kou(Cordia subcordata), tropical coral tree(Erythrina variegata), false sandalwood(Myoporum sandwicense), beach naupaka(Scaevola sericea), oleander(Nerium oleander), and buffelgrass(Cenchrus ciliaris). These plants were screened for resistance to high salinity treatment (2% NaCl) and two diesel fuel levels (5 and 10 g No. 2 diesel fuel/kg soil) in separate treatments. Plants that showed good tolerance of both factors were further evaluated in a second phase for their efficacy in the phytoremediation of diesel-fuel petroleum hydrocarbons under moderate salinity treatment (1% NaCl). Results. Tropical coral tree and buffelgrass were susceptible to either 2% NaCl or diesel fuel at 10 g/kg soil, but tolerant of diesel fuel at 5 g/kg soil. Kiawe, milo, kou, common ironwood,N. oleander, beach naupaka and false sandalwood were tolerant of high salinity (2% NaCl) or high diesel fuel level (10 g/kg soil). These seven plants were also tolerant of the combined adverse effects of a moderate salinity (1% NaCl) and 10 g diesel fuel/kg soil. Three trees, kiawe, milo and kou significantly accelerated the degradation of petroleum hydrocarbons in the soil spiked with 10 g diesel fuel/kg soil under a moderate salinity treatment (1% NaCl). Thus the tropical woody plants, kiawe, milo and kou showed potential for use in phytoremediation of petroleum hydrocarbons in coastal tropical soils. Two fast growing trees, milo and kou, appeared promising for further phytoremediation evaluation in experiments that simulate the soil profile at the field site.