cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
QT prolongation in a diverse, urban population of COVID-19 patients treated with hydroxychloroquine, chloroquine, or azithromycin.

Hydroxychloroquine, chloroquine, and azithromycin have been used for treatment of COVID-19, but may cause QT prolongation. Minority populations are disproportionately impacted by COVID-19. This study evaluates the risk of QT prolongation and subsequent outcomes after administration of these medications in largely underrepresented minority COVID-19 patients. We conducted an observational study on hospitalized COVID-19 patients in the Montefiore Health System (Bronx, NY). We examined electrocardiograms (ECG) pre/post-medication initiation to evaluate QTc, HR, QRS duration, and presence of other arrhythmias. One hundred five patients (mean age 67 years; 44.8% F) were analyzed. The median time from the first dose of any treatment to post-medication ECG was 2 days (IQR: 1–3). QTc in men increased from baseline (440 vs 455 ms, p 500 ms was significantly increased after treatment (16.2% vs. 4.8%, p 500 ms or an increase of 60 ms had a higher frequency of death (47.6% vs. 22.6%, p = 0.02) with an odds ratio of 3.1 (95% CI: 1.1–8.7). Adjusting for race/ethnicity yielded no significant associations. Hydroxychloroquine, chloroquine, and/or azithromycin were associated with QTc prolongation but did not result in fatal arrhythmias. Our findings suggest that any harm is unlikely to outweigh potential benefits of treatment. Careful risk-benefit analyses for individual patients should guide the use of these medications. Randomized control trials are necessary to evaluate their efficacies.
THE ACCOUNTING VARIABLE AND STOCK PRICE DETERMINATION

Several tests have been conducted to determine which valuation model best fits stock price data. Given very little success, those studies suggest the need for a clear understanding of the market process of stock price determination. This paper advances the concepts of product costing and product pricing, which pertain to financial accounting valuation and the stock market price determination, respectively. This research effort presents a workable hypothesis of stock price determination.
How Does The US Government Finance Fiscal Shocks

In this paper, we explore the dynamic adjustment of the US government’s fiscal balances to expenditure shocks. We identify the different fiscal adjustment channels that help stabilize the US government’s balances and develop a method for quantifying the use of each channel in the postwar era. To do so, we make use of the government’s intertemporal budget constraint. The government’s budget constraint dictates that surprise increases in spending must be financed through either an increase in primary surpluses or a reduction in returns on the government’s bond portfolio. We refer to the first channel of adjustment as the surplus channel and the second as the debt valuation channel. The surplus channel operates through an increase in contemporaneous and expected future surplus growth when the news about higher expenditures are revealed, whereas the debt valuation channel operates through a decline in contemporaneous and expected future debt returns. In normative models of fiscal policy, adjustments through the debt valuation channel are referred to as “fiscal insurance.” Standard models in this literature feature a benevolent government that minimizes the excess burden of taxation by varying its debt returns. The extent to which it can do this is determined by the asset market structure it faces. In complete-market models, a decline in debt returns absorb the surprise increase in spending needs, allowing the government to maintain a constant excess burden of taxation. In
Sire Selection and Meat Quality

Today's beef industry primarily is "consumer driven." This means that consumers have certain expectations for the quality and price of beef, and that demand will decrease if those expectations are not met. Beef processors, purveyors, and retailers also have certain expectations for the cattle, carcasses, and boxed subprimal cuts they purchase for processing. Cattle have to be fed to a certain level of fatness in order to have a high dressing percentage and to express their genetic potential for marbling. However, the relationship between fatness and marbling (quality grade) is not very high. In the U.S. beef industry, marbling receives considerable emphasis as a determinant of beef quality and it has a greater effect on value differences among carcasses and cuts than does meat yield percentage. There is a genetic antagonism between marbling and meat yield percentage that must be managed in cattle production, especially for the large "retail" quality target. Although over simplified, there are three primary beef quality targets for which cattlemen should aim. In producing beef for the "white tablecloth" quality target, breeds that have high marbling potential, such as Angus and Red Angus, are best suited. In this target, meat yield percentage will be compromised. In producing beef for the "lite/lean" quality target, high percentage Continental breeds that yield a high percentage of meat, such as Limousin, Charolais, Simmental or Gelbvieh, are best suited. In this target, tenderness and other palatability traits will be compromised to some extent. In producing beef for the large "retail" target, crosses of Continental breeds, such as Charolais and Simmental, with British breeds, such as Angus and Red Angus, work best to manage the genetic antagonism between marbling and meat yield percentage. This system "optimizes" meat quality and meat yield percentage and is a very efficient production system. Because marbling is not an accurate predictor of tenderness, selecting directly for tenderness would be more effective. Expected Progeny Differences (EPDs) of Warner-Bratzler shear force, an instrumental measure of cooked meat tenderness, have been published by several U.S. beef cattle breed associations for the most widely used sires in those breeds. These EPDs resulted from a national project coordinated by the National Cattlemen's Beef Association in the U.S. to improve carcass traits and meat palatability genetically. Preliminary results from this project also suggest that, in the future, DNA "marker" analysis could be used as a selection tool for carcass and meat traits. Cattlemen should select sires from breeds that excel in the carcass traits of interest and that have relatively accurate EPDs for those traits.
Aberrant Extrafollicular B Cells, Immune Dysfunction, Myeloid Inflammation, and MyD88-Mutant Progenitors Precede Waldenstrom Macroglobulinemia.

Waldenstrom macroglobulinemia (WM) and its precursor IgM gammopathy are distinct disorders characterized by clonal mature IgM-expressing B-cell outgrowth in the bone marrow. Here, we show by high-dimensional single-cell immunogenomic profiling of patient samples that these disorders originate in the setting of global B-cell compartment alterations, characterized by expansion of genomically aberrant extrafollicular B cells of the nonmalignant clonotype. Alterations in the immune microenvironment preceding malignant clonal expansion include myeloid inflammation and naive B- and T-cell depletion. Host response to these early lesions involves clone-specific T-cell immunity that may include MYD88 mutation–specific responses. Hematopoietic progenitors carry the oncogenic MYD88 mutations characteristic of the malignant WM clone. These data support a model for WM pathogenesis wherein oncogenic alterations and signaling in progenitors, myeloid inflammation, and global alterations in extrafollicular B cells create the milieu promoting extranodal pattern of growth in differentiated malignant cells. Significance: These data provide evidence that growth of the malignant clone in WM is preceded by expansion of extrafollicular B cells, myeloid inflammation, and immune dysfunction in the preneoplastic phase. These changes may be related in part to MYD88 oncogenic signaling in pre–B progenitor cells and suggest a novel model for WM pathogenesis.
Science Research Facilities: Versatility for Space Station

The Space Station Science Lab Module (SLM) and its interfaces are designed to minimize complexity and maximize user accommodations. The facilities provided encompass life sciences research, the control of external payloads, the servicing of customer equipment, and general scientific investigations. The SLM will have the unprecedented ability to diagnose, service, and replace equipment while in orbit. In addition, the SLM will have significant operational advantages over previous spacecraft in terms of available volume, power, and crew interaction possibilities.
Using deductive cause-consequence analysis (DCCA) with SCADE

Esterel Technologies' SCADE Suite is one of the most important development tools for software for safety-critical systems. It is used for designing many critical components of aerospace, automotive and transportation applications. For such systems safety analysis is a key requirement in the development process. In this paper we show how one formal safety analysis method - Deductive Cause-Consequence Analysis (DCCA) - can be integrated in the SCADE framework. This method allows for performing safety analysis largely automatically. It uses SCADE's semantical model and SCADE's built in verification engine Design Verifier. So the whole analysis can be done within one tool. This is of big importance, as a key feature for the acceptance of formal methods in broad engineering practice is, that they can be applied in an industrial development suite. We illustrate the method on a real world case study from transportation domain and discuss possible next steps and limitations.
Can computational thinking predict academic performance

This paper introduces the notion of predicting academic performance based on Computational Thinking. The integral role that Computational Thinking modalities play in engineering disciplines can serve as an accurate indicator of the student future academic success. Therefore, this study investigated the students' performance in a Computational Thinking course offered at the freshman level to predict student academic success. To achieve this goal, a two-year study of the correlation between the students' accumulative grade point averages and their grades obtained in this course was conducted. The performance of nine hundred and eighty two students in forty sections was assessed over the two-year period. It was concluded that the students' future academic performance is strongly correlated to their Computational Thinking skills assessed at the freshman level. This clearly suggests the viability of using Computational Thinking skills as a fairly accurate predictor of students' academic success. These results have also implied that the assessment of Computational Thinking can be used as an early intervention tool to improve the students' retention, progression, and graduation rates in STEM related disciplines.
The 3' sequences required for incorporation of an engineered ssRNA into the Reovirus genome

Background Understanding how an organism replicates and assembles a multi-segmented genome with fidelity previously measured at 100% presents a model system for exploring questions involving genome assortment and RNA/protein interactions in general. The virus family Reoviridae, containing nine genera and more than 200 members, are unique in that they possess a segmented double-stranded (ds) RNA genome. Using reovirus as a model member of this family, we have developed the only functional reverse genetics system for a member of this family with ten or more genome segments. Using this system, we have previously identified the flanking 5' sequences required by an engineered s2 ssRNA for efficient incorporation into the genome of reovirus. The minimum 5' sequence retains 96 nucleotides and contains a predicted sequence/structure element. Within these 96 nucleotides, we have identified three nucleotides A-U-U at positions 79–81 that are essential for the incorporation of in vitro generated ssRNAs into new reovirus progeny viral particles. The work presented here builds on these findings and presents the results of an analysis of the required 3' flanking sequences of the s2 ssRNA.
LIPIDS OF SARCINA LUTEA I. : Fatty Acid Composition of the Extractable Lipids

Huston, Charles K. (U.S. Army Biological Laboratories, Fort Detrick, Frederick, Md.), and Phillip W. Albro. Lipids of Sarcina lutea. I. Fatty acid composition of the extractable lipids. J. Bacteriol. 88:425–432. 1964.—The extractable lipids of Sarcina lutea were separated into several fractions by a combination of column and thin-layer chromatography. Qualitative and quantitative characterization of the fatty acid content of these lipid fractions was accomplished by means of gas-liquid chromatography and infrared analyses. Of the total extract, the lipids consisted of 2.1% free fatty acids, 51.0% glycerides, and 22.7% complex lipids; they had a fatty acid content with a complete spectrum of carbon numbers from C8 to C22. The fatty acids included a large component of branched-acids in addition to the normal straight-chain acids. The branched-acids, comprising 40% of the fatty acids analyzed, constituted a homologous series of iso-acids from C12 to C19. Two 18-carbon unsaturates were found cis-9-octadecenoate and cis-11-octadecenoate. A relatively high percentage (20.5%) of the extractable material from S. lutea was found to be hydrocarbon. This material was not further characterized.
Multimode rectangular microstrip antenna for GPS applications

Hand-held GPS receivers have revolutionized navigation for the dismounted soldier. This paper presents the experimental development of a single-element, multimode rectangular microstrip antenna capable of forming a spatial null. Using fundamental and higher order modes within a single microstrip patch radiator, a relatively simple, low-cost adaptive antenna capable of forming a null in the vicinity of the horizon is demonstrated. Numerical and experimental results are presented.
Methionine Metabolism in Mammals: Concentration of Metabolites in Rat Tissues

We have evaluated factors which regulate the content of methionine, adenosylmethionine, adenosylhomocysteine, cystine, cysteine and acid-soluble thiols in rat tissues. In liver the concentration of methionine appears relatively insensitive to changes in dietary protein intake. In contrast the hepatic levels of adenosylmethionine, adenosylhomocysteine, cystine, cysteine and soluble thiols increased with augmented dietary protein. The ratio of adenosylmethionine: adenosylhomocysteine approximated 6.0 in livers, brains, kidneys and skeletal muscles from rats fed the stock diet. Independent variation in the concentrations of these two metabolites did occur. However, the ratios in livers of animals maintained on diets with varying casein content equaled or exceeded a value of 5.0. We conclude that the maintenance of the concentration of methionine is the primary result of the various homeostatic mechanisms. In addition, most previous reports have overestimated the tissue content of adenosylhomocysteine.
Odor impact of volatiles emitted from marijuana, cocaine, heroin and their surrogate scents

Volatile compounds emitted into headspace from illicit street drugs have been identified, but until now odor impact of these compounds have not been reported. Data in support of identification of these compounds and their odor impact to human nose are presented. In addition, data is reported on odor detection thresholds for canines highlighting differences with human ODTs and needs to address gaps in knowledge. New data presented here include: (1) compound identification, (2) gas chromatography (GC) column retention times, (3) mass spectral data, (4) odor descriptors from 2 databases, (5) human odor detection thresholds from 2 databases, (6) calculated odor activity values, and (7) subsequent ranking of compounds by concentration and ranking of compounds by odor impact (reported as calculated odor activity values). For further interpretation and discussion, see Rice and Koziel [1] and Rice [2].
Natural Environment Research Council sponsors remote sensing program.

This report, dated 17 August 1984, is reprinted from the November 1984 issue of European Scientific Notes, Vol. 38, No. 11.
Patterns in Urban and Rural Cancer Incidence

The Third National Cancer Survey (TNCS) was a project of the Biometry Branch of the National Cancer Institute conducted during the 3-year period 1969–71 in seven metropolitan areas and the two states of Iowa and Colorado. The primary objective was to provide detailed information on the incidence of cancer in the United States. The findings of the survey by sex, race, age, and geographic area of the patient and by anatomic site and histologic type of the cancer have been published (1). The primary purpose of this report is to present the results of additional analyses of the TNCS data from Iowa and Colorado for urban and rural cancer patterns. Comparisons with earlier and more recent data on the incidence of cancer in urban and rural areas of Iowa are also made for selected primary sites.
Monte-Carlo simulation of gamma-ray backscatter soil density gauges

Abstract The Monte-Carlo code OGRE-G is modified to calculate spectral and spatial distributions of the z-component of the backscattered gamma-ray current. Calculation l procedures are developed and demonstrated for translating this current into the response of the most common types of gamma-ray soil density gauges. Results were obtained for the four materials average soil, chalk, aluminum, and magnesium. The source considered was 137Cs and six photon energies and 10 spatial distances were considered. Parameters are given for an empirical model determined by a linear regression analysis of all the predicted current results. The explicit dependence of the model on density could be specified by a technique involving translating the differential current to cumulative current and then reversing this process. The results and procedures developed in this study should prove useful for the calibration of gamma-ray soil density gauges by determining the model constants from experimental responses on chalk, aluminum, and magnesium. The results should also prove useful in the optimum design of these gauges.
Online community information seeking: The queries of three communities in Southwestern Ontario

This paper presents not only mycommunityinfo.ca (MCI) as an innovative World Wide Web (WWW)-based community information (CI) site, but also how its unique approach to facilitating online CI searching on the Web reveals through empirical data how people use such information and communication technologies (ICTs) to address their everyday information needs. The geographic focus for this study is on three communities in Southwestern Ontario. MCI collects unobtrusively query data that are logged daily from its own Web site, the Web sites of three municipal governments, and one municipal agency from this region. One year's worth of these data was supplied to determine the types of CI that are sought through Web searching. A content analysis of a large purposive sample of all of MCI's query data reveals more specific and diverse conceptual CI needs between and within communities than those reported in other studies employing different data collection methods. As a result, using a centralized approach to online CI access via the WWW by other CI providers such as the 211 network may be a disservice to its users. Additionally, the findings demonstrate how a thorough analysis of such data may improve the informational content and overall design of municipal government Web sites. The analysis of these data also has the potential of improving current CI taxonomies.
Certain characteristics of electrically excitable mechanical resonances in PZT 65/35

In this paper, we examine certain characteristics of two electrically excitable mechanical resonances exhibited by two different specimens of the ferroelectric ceramic PZT 65/35. In particular, we determine the phase angle between the charge and the driving voltage, the current in the circuit, the amplitude of the mechanical displacement, and the electrical power dissipated in driving the specimens at each of these resonances for increasing amplitude of the driving voltage. It is shown that the phase angle, the current and the power dissipated have similar characteristics for the two resonances; but their mechanical displacements have entirely disparate features. In one case the amplitude increases more than linearly with respect to the driving voltage, whereas the contrary is true in the other case.
Training-based algorithm for Moiré suppression in scanned halftone images

Conventional electrophotographic printers tend to produce Moire artifacts when used for printing images scanned from printed material such as books and magazines. We propose a novel descreening algorithm that removes a wide range of Moire-causing screen frequencies in a scanned document while preserving image sharpness and edge detail. We develop two non-linear noise removal algorithms, resolution synthesis denoising (RSD) and modified SUSAN filtering, and use the combination of the two to achieve a robust descreening performance. The RSD predictor is based on a stochastic image model whose parameters are optimized in an offline training algorithm using pairs of spatially registered original and scanned images obtained from real scanners and printers. The RSD algorithm works by classifying the local window around the current pixel in the scanned image and then applying linear filters optimized for the selected classes. The modified SUSAN filter uses the output of RSD for performing an edge-preserving smoothing on the raw scanned data and produces the final output of the descreening algorithm. The performance of the descreening algorithm was evaluated on a variety of test documents obtained from different printing sources. The experimental results demonstrate that the algorithm suppresses halftone noise without deteriorating text and image quality.
Ambulatory anesthesia advances into the new millennium.

Recent advances in anesthetic and surgical practices have facilitated the rapid growth in ambulatory surgery throughout the world. With the availability of rapid, short-acting anesthetic, analgesic, sympatholytic, and muscle relaxant drugs, as well as improved monitoring devices, it has been possible to minimize the adverse effects of anesthesia on the recovery process. Improvements in the perioperative care of outpatients has allowed surgeons to perform an increasing array of more invasive surgical procedures on an ambulatory (day-case) basis. Major ambulatory surgery procedures (e.g., extensive knee and shoulder reconstructions, laparoscopicassisted vaginal hysterectomies, gastric fundoplications, splenectomies, and adrenalectomies) are being performed at many centers around the world. Even patients undergoing carotid endarterectomy, pulmonary lobectomy, prostatectomy, and minor craniectomy procedures are being discharged on a same-day (or 23-hour admit) basis. Although it is commonly assumed that the primary reason for the continued expansion in ambulatory surgery is related to pressure from third-party payors and governmental agencies to reduce health care costs, there may be other, less obvious, benefits for patients and their families (1). More aggressive rehabilitation leads to faster recovery of organ function, fewer surgical and anesthetic complications, reduced mental and physical disability, and, most importantly, earlier resumption of normal activities. For patients “at risk” of hospital-acquired infections (e.g., immunosuppressed patients), ambulatory surgery may also reduce postoperative infectious complications.
Characterization and Importance of the Dimer Interface of Human Calcium-Activated Nucleotidase

Human calcium-activated nucleotidase (CAN) exists as both a membrane-bound form in the endoplasmic reticulum and pre-Golgi intermediate membranes and as a secreted, soluble form. Although the wild-type human enzyme hydrolyzes ADP poorly, engineered soluble human proteins (SCANs) hydrolyze ADP much more efficiently, making them potentially useful therapeutic proteins for treatment of human clotting pathologies. According to the crystal structure and the recently identified dimeric nature of the soluble nucleotidase, the dimer interface contains a central core of hydrophobic residues. Previously, we demonstrated that the mutation of glutamic acid 130 (located in the dimer interface) to tyrosine increased both the tendency to form dimers and the ADPase activity. In the present study, we investigated the importance of the dimeric state for enzymatic activity and biological function in this nucleotidase by mutating isoleucine 170, which is located in the center of the hydrophobic core of the dimer interface. The results of analytical ultracentrifugation, chemical cross-linking, and tryptophan fluorescence analyses demonstrated that mutation of isoleucine 170 to either positively or negatively charged amino acids (lys or glu) disrupted the calcium-dependent dimerization in soluble CAN. Furthermore, these mutations decreased maximal ADPase activity for both the soluble and membrane-bound enzymes. Although not as critical as the hydrophobic interactions centered at isoleucine 170, the role of hydrophilic interactions in dimer formation was also demonstrated. Thus, mutation of aspartic acid 228 to threonine (D228T) decreased both the tendency to form dimers and ADPase activity, while double mutation of D228T/K224N largely restored the ability to form dimers and the ADPase activity, further indicating that the nucleotidase activity of CAN is linked to its quaternary structure. Since ADPase activity of the soluble form is crucial for its potential development as a therapeutic protein, these findings have implications for engineering the soluble human calcium-activated nucleotidase for clinical applications. In addition, future comparison of monomeric (I170K and I170E mutants) and dimeric (wild-type) crystal structures of SCAN will advance our understanding of its enzymatic mechanism and aid in engineering efforts.
Effects of solids retention time on methanogenesis in anaerobic digestion of thickened mixed sludge.

When a bench-scale digester fed thickened mixed sludge was operated over an SRT range of 4–20 days, removal efficiencies for total chemical oxygen demand and volatile suspended solids declined with decreasing SRT (especially <10 days), but methanogenesis was stable for SRT as low as 5 days. Quantitative PCR analyses showed that methanogens declined steadily for SRT <10 days, with the acetate-cleaving Methanosaetaceae becoming more dominant. Clone-library analyses indicated significant shifts in bacterial population from 20 to 4 day SRT: declining Chloroflexi (28 to 4.5%) and Syntrophomonas (9 to 0%), but increasing Bacteroidetes (12.5 to 20%) and two acetogenic genera belonging to the phyla Firmicutes and Spirochaetales (6.3 to 12%). Thus, the decrease in the apparent hydrolysis constant (khyd-app) with higher SRT and the process limiting size of Methanosaetaceae with the lower SRT are proactive signs for defining rate limitation in anaerobic digestion.
Synthesis and physical properties of isostearic acids and their esters

Saturated branched-chain fatty acids (sbc-FAs) are found as minor constituents in several natural fats and oils. Sbc-FAs are of interest since they have lower melting points than their linear counterparts and exhibit good oxidative stability; properties that make them ideally suited in a number of applications. We (and others) have previously synthesized sbc-FAs by clay- or zeolite-catalyzed isomerization of unsaturated linear-chain fatty acids (ulc-FAs) to unsaturated branched-chain fatty acids (ubc-FAs) that were subsequently hydrogenated to the desired sbc-FAs. These acid-catalyzed isomerization reactions, however, proceed in moderate conversion and selectivity. Recently, our group found that H-Ferrierite zeolite catalyst isomerized ulc-FAs to their branched-chain counterparts in high conversion (>95%) and selectivity (85%). This paper reports the use of this type of catalyst for the preparation of a series of sbc-FAs and their ester derivatives. Selected physical properties of these branched acids and esters such as cloud point (CP) and pour point (PP), cold filter plugging point (CFPP), viscosity index (VI), thermo-oxidation stability, iodine value, and lubricity are also reported.
SIMULTANEOUS VERSUS STAGED BILATERAL EXTRACORPOREAL SHOCK WAVE LITHOTRIPSY: LONG-TERM EFFECT ON RENAL FUNCTION

Purpose: We determine whether there is a clinically significant difference in the long-term effect on renal function following simultaneous versus staged bilateral extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy (ESWL † †Dornier Medical Systems, Inc., Marietta, Georgia.). Materials and Methods: Between July 1986 and October 1995, 360 patients underwent treatment for bilateral renal calculi with ESWL using a Dornier HM-3 lithotriptor. Of the patients 319 had both kidneys treated simultaneously (simultaneous group) and the remaining 41 were treated in a planned, staged fashion (staged group) with the procedures separated by 3 to 20 weeks (mean 6.0). Followup data of at least 1 year were available for 49 men and 30 women (mean age 52.4) in the simultaneous group, and 8 and 12 (mean age 45.1), respectively, in the staged group. Mean stone burden was 0.70 cm. 2 on the right and 0.87 on the left side in the simultaneous group, and 1.6 and 1.5, respectively, in the staged group. Results: Patients with at least 1 calculus greater than 0.5 cm. 2 treated simultaneously received a mean of 1,386 shock waves to the right and 1,637 to the left side, and the staged group received a mean of 1,802 and 2,094, respectively. Mean serum creatinine was 1.03 mg./dl. before and 1.04 after treatment (normal 0.7 to 1.4 mg./dl.) in the simultaneous group, representing a mean increase of 0.01 at followup of 1.0 to 10.5 years (mean 3.7), and 0.88 and 0.88, respectively, in the staged group, representing a decrease of 0.005 at followup of 1.0 to 7.2 years (mean 3.2). The effects of simultaneous versus staged ESWL on renal function as measured by serum creatinine were not statistically significant using a multiple regression model which controlled for the effects of stone burden, number of shock waves, patient age, pretreatment serum creatinine and length of followup (p = 0.19). Conclusions: There is no clinically apparent difference in the long-term effect on renal function for patients with bilateral renal calculi treated with ESWL in a simultaneous versus staged fashion.
Language Officialization in Puerto Rico: Group-Making Discourses of Protectionism and Receptivity

This article applies social constructionism and groupism theory to discourses on language officialization in Puerto Rico. It examines three argumentative texts presented prior to the passage of Law #4 in 1991 making Spanish the sole official language of the island. Grounded critical discourse theory maintains that language form and content are inextricably linked; thus, the article examines how protectionist and receptive discourses present in all three texts variably make recourse to forms of groupism through the use of linguistic resources in the first person plural. Specific acts of framing, accompanied by inclusive, exclusive, and ambiguous reference, enable all three proponents to make the argument that “we the Puerto Rican people” stand behind what are in reality opposing points of view. A muted call for moving beyond groupism also can be identified in these texts, which potentially forms a third space within which are integrated both protectionist and receptive discourses. More broadly speaking thi...
Learning from a Challenging Fieldwork Evaluation Experience: Perspectives of a Student and an Instructor.

The use of fieldwork experiences has been widely accepted by teachers of evaluation as a method of preparing future practitioners for challenges encountered in the field. However, several challenges must be addressed to make fieldwork experiences a useful tool in preparing students for their professional careers. The authors present a case study in which a graduate student in an evaluation class approached an agency seeking a fieldwork project. The experience was not positive. Both a student’s and an instructor’s perspectives are offered in understanding the reasons for the negative experience. Suggestions are provided from both perspectives as to how the experience could have been improved. The article is intended as a teaching tool to be provided by instructors to students seeking applied experiences before approaching agencies. This article provides an opportunity for student evaluators to learn from the experiences of another student; likewise, the instructor in this case study provides insights that ...
WISE: A Workflow Information Search Engine

Workflows are widely used for representing business processes, web services, scientific experiments, and activities in daily life, like recipes. There is an increasing need for people to search a workflow repository using keywords and retrieve the relevant ones according to their interests. A workflow hierarchy is a three dimensional object containing multi-resolution abstraction views on the same workflow. This unique structure poses a new set of challenges compared to keyword search on tree or graph structures which are typically found in XML or relational data. In this demonstration, we present an effective workflow search engine, WISE, which returns informative and concise search results, defined as the minimal views of the most specific workflow hierarchies containing matching keywords.
Slow negative evoked potentials in the rhesus monkey (Macaca Mulatta): myogenic versus neurogenic influences

Abstract The influence of myogenic activity on the generation of slow negative evoked potentials (SN10) to octave, toneburst stimuli (0.5–2 Hz) was investigated in 5 rhesus monkeys (M. mulatta) by comparing responses obtained prior to and during total paralysis induced with curare. The SN10 could be easily elicited during paralysis, regardless of stimulus intensity, rate, or frequency. During paralysis, there were no systematic changes in either response latency or amplitude; variability in latency was less than 10% and changes in response amplitude were within 30%. These findings suggest that the myogenic contribution to the SN10 response is negligible and that this response is of neurogenic origin in the rhesus monkey.
Transit bus durability track assessment and validation

The Pennsylvania Transportation Institute (PTI) durability track must handle a variety of vehicles in terms of mass, wheelbase, track width, and designed durability. The track is used to evaluate the service life of transit buses, and it therefore evaluates the entire vehicle. The purpose of the durability testing at PTI is to assess an entire vehicle, including structural integrity. In a constant effort to assess the quality of its programmes, PTI conducted a series of investigations to determine the validity of its track for the intended purpose. The investigations include: (1) a qualitative comparison of the track with other methods and other tracks, (2) a comparison between in–service failures and failures during testing, (3) a comparison of acceleration levels between the actual service environments and the track. Based on these investigations, the authors conclude that the track makes a reasonable approximation of the actual service environment.
Allogromia laticollaris: a foraminiferan with an unusual apogamic metagenic life cycle

The life cycles of 3 strains of Allogromia laticollaris, a monothalamous foraminiferan, have been studied. Each of the strains had a different, nonclassical, and basically apogamic, life cycle. The Cold Spring Harbor (CSH) strain regularly alternated between 2 agamontic forms: agamont I (uninucleate and diploid) and agamont II (multinucleate and diploid). The complete life cycle took 26 days. Sexual reproduction was rare (0.01 percent) and autogamous. Small numbers of organisms also underwent budding, binary fission, and cytotomy. The life cycles of the Towd Point (TPA) and Sippewissett (SIP) strains were comparatively abbreviated. Agamont II dominated their typical life cycles, which were completed in 16 to 18 days. The life cycle of SIP was basically a continuous cycling of the agamont II phase. Approximately 75 percent of the schizozoites of the TPA strain developed into agamont II. The other 25 percent alternated between agamont II and agamont I phase. In the CSH strain schizozoites with approximately 8 (range 5 to 15) nuclei characterized newly formed agamonts II. More nuclei (approximately 25) were found in the other 2 strains. The nuclei in young agamonts II underwent rapid morphologic changes leading to a ''mushroom-like'' chromosome appearance and extensive RNA synthesis. Nucleolar material accumulatedmore » at the nuclear periphery and eventually was discharged to the cytoplasm. Karyokinesis took place without the breakdown of the nuclear membrane. The single nucleus of young agamont I forms was proportionally quite large. The S/sub 1/ phase occurred quite early (2 to 5 days) in this part of the life cycle. RNA in the CSH strain formed a compact, subcortical, coarsely granular ring, while in the TPA it was cortical and differentiated into finely granular matrix with randomly distributed coarse granules. During the G/sub 2/ phase the nucleus became further enlarged and eventually amoeba-form. Intermediate stages in nuclear breakdown were not found.« less
Biology and Culture in Musical Emotions

In this article I show that although biological and neuropsychological factors enable and constrain the construction of music, culture is implicated on every level at which we can indicate an emoti...
Comparison of the Immunogenicity and Efficacy of a Replication-Defective Vaccinia Virus Expressing Antigens of Human Parainfluenza Virus Type 3 (HPIV3) with Those of a Live Attenuated HPIV3 Vaccine Candidate in Rhesus Monkeys Passively Immunized with PIV3 Antibodies

Two parainfluenza virus type 3 (PIV3) vaccine candidates-cp45, a live attenuated derivative of the JS wild type (wt), and a replication-defective vaccinia virus recombinant expressing the hemagglutinin-neuraminidase or fusion glycoprotein of human PIV3 (modified vaccinia virus Ankara [MVA]/PIV3 recombinants)-were evaluated in rhesus monkeys to determine whether successful immunization could be achieved in the presence of passively transferred PIV3 antibodies. The cp45 virus, administered intranasally (in) and intratracheally (it) in the presence of high levels of PIV3 antibodies, replicated efficiently in the nasopharynx and protected against challenge with wt human PIV3. The MVA recombinants, administered in, it, and intramuscularly in the absence of passive antibody, conferred protection against replication of PIV3 wt challenge virus, but this was largely abrogated when immunization occurred in the presence of passive antibodies. Because immunization for the prevention of HPIV3 disease must occur in early infancy when maternal antibodies are present, the live attenuated cp45 virus continues to be a promising vaccine candidate for this age group.
Can brand encounters inspire flashbulb memories

Flashbulb memory has conventionally been studied in conjunction with negative public events, such as deaths of government officials. The present research investigates the possibility that this phenomenon may extend to events that are more positive and more private in nature, such as encounters with certain brands. Data from two studies suggest that flashbulb memories can arise from brand-related experiences and that this may be especially likely when a brand is well-differentiated from competitors and when an encounter is novel by virtue of its being a first-ever interface between a consumer and a brand. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Action-variable theory and classical frequencies

Abstract A Hamilton-Jacobi/action-angle variable perturbation theory for the calculation of the frequency of oscillation of a classical system which undergoes periodic motion is developed and illustrated. The theory is based upon a contour integral definition of the action variable plus a particular expansion of the momentum function which is the integrand of the contour integral. The basic result of the theory is a series representation for the action variable which is easy to use and powerful. Analytic and numerical examples of the application of the action-variable/frequency formalism are given.
Microfluidic Networks for Chemical Patterning of Substrates: Design and Application to Bioassays

This article describes the design, function, and application of simple microfluidic networks as conduits for the patterned delivery of chemical reactants onto a substrate. It demonstrates how such networks, made in an elastomer, allow simultaneous delivery of functionally distinct molecules onto targeted regions of a surface (Delamarche, E. et al. Science 1997, 276, 779−781). Microfluidic networks generally consume less than microliter quantities of solution and are thus well suited for use when the required reagents are scarce or precious, as often occurs in experiments and technologies that place biochemicals on solid planar substrates. We illustrate some of the particular challenges of doing chemistry inside the narrow confines of capillaries defined by fluidic networks, in addition to the advantages attendant to this approach, in the context of forming patterned arrays of different, and functional, immunoglobulins useful in highly localized biological assays.
Estimation of properties of alpine snow from landsat thematic mapper

On the basis of a simulation of a range of snow types and various atmospheric profiles in a variety of possible illumination conditions, it has proven possible to develop typical spectral signatures above the atmosphere over mountainous terrain. Landsat TM data of the southern Sierra Nevada are presently analyzed to distinguish several classes of snow from other surface covers. It is found that snow can be reliably mapped at all sun angles encountered in the midlatitudes, and that large surface grain sizes can be distinguished from areas where the grain size is finer at the snow surface.
A Highly Efficient, Selective, and General Method for the Synthesis of Conjugated (all-E)-Oligoenes of the (CHCH)n Type via Iterative Hydrozirconation−Palladium-Catalyzed Cross-Coupling

A linear iterative method for the construction of (all-E)-oligoenes of the (CHCH)n type via hydrozirconation−palladium-catalyzed cross-coupling with (E)-1-bromo-4-trimethylsilyl-1-buten-3-yne is described. This method promises to provide an efficient, selective, and general route to oligoene macrolide antibiotics and other related natural products.
The effects of small shifts in body weight on blood flow and interface pressure.

The purpose of this study was to (a) determine whether small shifts in body weight change pressure and blood flow under a bony prominence, and (b) identify the magnitude of change in blood flow and pressure under a bony prominence over time. Blood flow and interface pressure in two positions (lateral oblique/supine) with two small shifts in each position (thigh/rib cage) were evaluated over time in 50 nursing home residents. There was a significant decrease in interface pressure under the trochanter through the small shifts intervention, F = 5.36, p < .01. There was a significant decrease in interface pressure, F = 3.90, p < .05, and a significant increase in blood flow, F = 4.85, p < .05, under the sacrum through the small shifts intervention. Blood flow and interface pressure did not change significantly over time.
E-cigarette Advertising Expenditures in the U.S., 2011-2012

Background Electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) are growing in popularity, but little is known about the extent to which these products are advertised to consumers. Purpose To estimate expenditures for e-cigarette advertising in magazines, TV, the Internet, newspapers, and radio in the U.S. from 2011 to 2012. Methods E-cigarette advertising data were obtained from leading media intelligence companies, Kantar Media and Nielsen. Estimated e-cigarette advertising expenditures were summarized across media channels for 2011 and 2012. Additional information on brands advertised and market-level buys (i.e., local versus national) also was examined. Results Overall, e-cigarette advertising expenditures across media channels tripled from $6.4 million in 2011 to $18.3 million in 2012. Expenditures were highest in magazines and TV and lowest in newspapers and on the Internet. More than 80 unique brands were advertised, but blu eCigs dominated ad spending, comprising 76.7% of all e-cigarette advertising expenditures in 2012. National markets were increasingly targeted from 54.9% of ad buys in 2011 to 87.0% of ad buys in 2012. Conclusions E-cigarette advertising expenditures are increasing, with a greater focus on national markets and TV ads, which will likely increase consumer awareness and use of e-cigarettes in the future. Federal-level efforts are needed to mandate that e-cigarette companies report their advertising expenditures. Future studies should examine how e-cigarette advertising expenditures and message content influence consumer awareness of, interest in, and use of e-cigarettes.
Shamis, halebis and shajatos: Labels and the dynamics of Syrian Jewishness in Mexico City

Abstract Jews in Mexico City have long organized themselves into ethnic sub-groups. Various labels circulate to refer to their members, including halebi (Aleppan), shami (Damascene), idish (Ashkenazi), and turco (Sephardi). Given recent demographic and religious changes, what is the contemporary role and relevance of these ethnic distinctions in Mexican Jewish identities? I explore this question through a focus on labeling practices, with special attention to terms applied to Jews of Syrian ancestry. I first consider the influence of ultra-Orthodox movements on these labels: While always important, notions of religiosity have come to trump other indexical values in distinguishing the social types they denote. I then discuss shajato, a derisive slur for most, but occasionally used to express pride in being shami or halebi. I argue that this more recent, ameliorated usage is made possible in part by shifts in relations between Syrian and Ashkenazi sectors. By analyzing metasemantic talk about these labels, as well their use in interaction, we see the fundamental interrelationships between social and semantic change in this immigrant-descendent community in Mexico.
Lattice formulation of chiral gauge theories.

We present a method for formulating gauge theories of chiral fermions in lattice field theory. The method makes use of a Wilson mass to remove doublers. Gauge invariance is then restored by modifying the theory in two ways: The magnitude of the fermion determinant is replaced with the square root of the determinant for a fermion with vectorlike couplings to the gauge field; a double limit is taken, in which the lattice spacing associated with the fermion field is sent to zero before the lattice spacing associated with the gauge field. The method applies only to theories whose fermions are in an anomaly-free representation of the gauge group. We also present a related technique for computing matrix elements of operators involving fermion fields. Although the analyses of these methods are couched in weak-coupling perturbation theory, it is argued that the computational prescriptions are gauge invariant in the presence of a nonperturbative gauge-field configuration. {copyright} {ital 1996 The American Physical Society.}