cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Correspondence analysis of functional groups in a riparian landscape

We used multivariate analysis and ordinations to characterize thecomposition and distribution of woody vegetation within the Ozark NationalScenic Riverways (ONSR), Missouri, USA. The objectives of the study were to: 1)evaluate patterns of woody species distributions along existing environmentalgradients; 2) determine if different classes of woody plants (i.e., dominantoverstory trees, all trees, understory trees, and shrubs) responded similarlytothe same suite of environmental variables; and 3) determine if discreteecotonaland/or ecoclinal vegetation patterns were present across the landscape. Woodyvegetation was sampled from 94 plots along 35 transects positioned at rightangles to the river channel. Sample plots were analyzed with DetrendedCorrespondence Analysis (DCA), Canonical Correspondence Analysis (CCA), andTWINSPAN. Overall, woody vegetation was correlated with several environmentalgradients, including elevation of the plot above the river, soil pH, soilmoisture, and soil particle size. Responses to secondary gradients differedamong the four classes of plants analyzed, however. CCA biplots of understorytrees indicated that patterns of those species were strongly correlated withslope through the plot and sand content of soil. CCA biplots of shrubs showedthat CCA axes were most strongly correlated with soil organic matter content,soil moisture, and silt content. Further, there was limited evidence fordiscrete assemblages of woody species, with the exception of streamsidevegetation. Instead, mixing of woody species was observed across a broadtransition zone. Because there is little correspondence between vegetationlayers, our results demonstrate including plant classes other than a subset ofcanopy dominant trees can provide additional resolution in characterizingvegetation responses along complex environmental gradients.
Language Policy in the United States

This chapter of the forthcoming Oxford Handbook on Language and Law contains an overview of language policy in the United States, starting in the early days of the republic, the attempts to force Native Americans to assimilate culturally and linguistically to the dominant English-speaking American culture, the nativist movement around World War I, and the more recent efforts to make English the official language of the United States and of individual states. More specifically, it discusses the constitutionality of Official English (or English-only) laws and ends with a brief survey of rights of limited English speakers to social services in their own languages and to have their children receive bilingual education.
Response and adaptation of beagle dogs to hypergravity.

Eight male Beagle dogs, five months old, were centrifuged continuously for three months at progressively increasing loads. Heart rate and deep body temperature were monitored continuously by implant biotelemetry. Initially, centrifuged dogs showed transient decreases in heart rate and body temperature along with changes in their diurnal rhythm patterns. Compared with normal gravity controls, exposed dogs showed a slower growth rate and a reduced amount of body fat. Blood protein, total lipids, cholesterol, calcium, packed cell volume, red blood cell count, and hemoglobin were also decreased significantly. Absolute weights of the leg bones of centrifuged dogs were significantly greater than controls. Photon absorptiometry revealed significant density increases in selective regions of the femur and humerus of centrifuged dogs. In spite of the various changes noted, results from this and other studies affirm the view that dogs can tolerate and adapt to sustained loads as high as 2.5 g without serious impairment of their body structure and function.
FoxTrot Brings Mathematics to the Comics Page

(2005). FoxTrot Brings Mathematics to the Comics Page. Math Horizons: Vol. 13, No. 2, pp. 18-20.
Addiction resistance to alcohol: What about heavy drinkers who avoid alcohol problems?

Abstract Background Some individuals are resistant to alcohol use disorders despite high levels of intake. Addiction Resistance (AR) measures the disparity between alcohol consumption and alcohol use disorder (AUD) symptoms, such that some persons exhibit few (AUD) symptoms despite higher intake. The validity of the concept and the factors contributing to AR are not well understood. The aim of this study was to predict AR based on variables related to risk for addiction that are measured in the Family Health Patterns Project. Method Participants were healthy young adults (n = 1122) with and without a family history of alcohol and other substance use disorders who were given measures of mood stability and risk-taking tendencies, and were interviewed to determine alcohol intake, AUD symptoms, and other substance use disorders (SUD). AR was calculated using maximal lifetime alcohol intake and number of AUD symptoms. Results A principal components analysis was run with varimax rotation, which yielded three components: Component 1 indexed behavioral and mood regulation, Component 2 encompassed family and environmental factors, and Component 3 included cognitive factors. A multiple regression analysis revealed that Component 1 and Component 2 were predictive of AR whereas Component 3 was not. Discussion Individuals who reported greater emotional stability, norm adherence, risk avoidance, and fewer family members with substance use disorders were more resistant to AUD despite higher alcohol intake. These findings suggest that AUD risk and resistance may represent different points of the same continuum.
Demanding Development: The Politics of Public Goods Provision in India's Urban Slums

India's urban slums exhibit dramatic variation in their access to local public goods and services - paved roads, piped water, trash removal, sewers, and streetlights. Why are some vulnerable communities able to demand and secure development from the state while others fail? Drawing on more than two years of fieldwork in the north Indian cities of Bhopal and Jaipur, Demanding Development accounts for the uneven success of India's slum residents in securing local public goods and services. Auerbach's theory centers on the political organization of slum settlements and the informal slum leaders who spearhead resident efforts to make claims on the state - in particular, those slum leaders who are party workers. He finds striking variation in the extent to which networks of party workers have spread across slum settlements. Demanding Development shows how this variation in the density and partisan distribution of party workers across settlements has powerful consequences for the ability of residents to politically mobilize to improve local conditions.
Maize Stem Buckling Failure is Dominated by Morphological Factors

Abstract The maize (Zea mays) stem is a biological structure that must both balance biotic and structural load bearing duties. These competing requirements are particularly relevant in the design of new bioenergy crops. With the right balance between structural and biological activities, it may be possible to design crops that are high-yielding and have digestible biomass. But increased stem digestibility is typically associated with a lower structural strength and higher propensity for lodging. This study investigates the hypothesis that geometric factors are much more influential in determining structural strength than tissue properties. To study these influences, both physical and in silico experiments were used. First, maize stems were tested in three-point bending. Specimen-specific finite element models were created based on x-ray computed tomography scans. Models were validated by comparison with in vitro data. As hypothesized, geometry was found to have a much stronger influence on structural stability than material properties. This information reinforces the notion that deficiencies in tissue strength could be offset by manipulation of stalk morphology, thus allowing the creation of stalks with are both resilient and digestible. Highlight This study utilized physical and in silico experiments to confirm that geometric parameters are far more influential in determining stalk strength than mechanical tissue stiffnesses.
The Impact of Obesity on Patient-Reported Outcomes Following Autologous Breast Reconstruction

Obesity is a significant public health concern and clear risk factor for complications following breast reconstruction. To date, few have assessed patient-reported outcomes (PROs) focused on this key determinant. Our study aimed to investigate the impact of obesity (body mass index ≥ 30) on postoperative satisfaction and physical function utilizing the BREAST-Q in a cohort of autologous breast reconstruction patients. An Institutional Review Board-approved prospective investigation was conducted to evaluate PROs in patients undergoing autologous breast reconstruction from 2009 to 2017 at a tertiary academic medical center. The BREAST-Q reconstruction module was used to assess outcomes between cohorts preoperatively and at 6 months, 1 year, 2 years, and 3 years after reconstruction. Overall, 404 patients underwent autologous breast reconstruction with abdominal free-tissue transfer (244 non-obese, 160 obese) and completed the BREAST-Q. Although obese patients demonstrated lower satisfaction with breasts preoperatively (p = 0.04), no significant differences were noted postoperatively (p = 0.58). However, physical well-being of the abdomen was lower in the obese cohort compared with their non-obese counterparts at long-term follow-up (3 years; p = 0.04). Obesity significantly impacts autologous breast reconstruction patients. Although obese patients are more likely to present with dissatisfaction with breasts preoperatively, they exhibit comparable PROs overall compared with their non-obese counterparts, despite increased complications.
Quantifying the Effects of Background Speech Babble on Preschool Children's Novel Word Learning in a Multisession Paradigm: A Preliminary Study.

Purpose This study tested the effects of background speech babble on novel word learning in preschool children with a multisession paradigm. Method Eight 3-year-old children were exposed to a total...
Victims, Heroes, and Villains: Imaginary Beings in Contemporary Television Serials

This chapter traces melodrama’s historical triumvirate of characters—victims, heroes, and villains—to examine how they are applied in contemporary television serial dramas. Looking in particular at the examples of Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul, the author argues that the characterological trio now often exists within singular protagonists who follow a narrative trajectory from victim through hero to arrive, ultimately, at villainy. Collapsing the characterological triad into single protagonists marks a late modern version of melodrama in which the possibilities for heroism are circumscribed, leaving characters able to opt only for victimization or villainy.
A terabyte-scale geometry query engine for the generation of synthetic radiative transfer sensor imagery

For realistic synthetic imagery, radiative transfer methods coupled with large mesh geometry provide the most scientifically accurate way to model a scene. Radiative models typically use ray-tracing techniques to determine where radiative energy is coming from or moving to. This work presents an approach to making a ray query Geometry Engine that actively stores large-scale, terabyte-sized geometry in out-of-core memory on parallel general purpose processors. Procedures for geometry distribution, structures for efficient ray-tracing, and the ray query API are discussed. Geometry distribution uses Morton codes with parallel sorting routines to create geometry scene-chunks that are distributed among processing nodes. Each scene chunk is then broken down using a bounding volume hierarchy (BVH) using axis-aligned bounding boxes (AABB). The BVH allows for efficient ray tracing of the geometry. The ray query engine API allows client-side programs, such as sensor models and radiative transfer models, which exist on the same high performance computer to efficiently identify intersected geometry given directed rays and collect individual geometry elements. The geometry has key values that can uniquely identify data from solver programs. Scalability, partition timing, and ray timing results are presented.
Physical Stressors and Pharmacologic Manipulations

Muscular work increases oxygen demand; as a result, changes in heart rate, stroke volume, cardiac output, and peripheral vascular resistance, enhance blood flow to the active muscle groups. Cardiac output and flow to the exercising muscles increase linearly, while resistance increases in vascular beds of resting muscles. Centers in the cerebral cortex are linked to cardiovascular regulation via the brain stem, and accommodate both isometric and isotonic exercise (Stone, Dormer, Foreman, Thies, & Blair, 1985). Further, afferent fibers from the exercising muscles are integrated to mediate central control of the circulation. The various components involved in cardiovascular control during exercise, including the “central command” concept, are indicated in Figure 1.
Bidirectional Ductal Shunting and Preductal to Postductal Oxygenation Gradient in Persistent Pulmonary Hypertension of the Newborn.

Background: The aim was to evaluate the relationship between the direction of the patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) shunt and the pre- and postductal gradient for arterial blood gas (ABG) parameters in a lamb model of meconium aspiration syndrome (MAS) with persistent pulmonary hypertension of the newborn (PPHN). Methods: PPHN was induced by intermittent umbilical cord occlusion and the aspiration of meconium through the tracheal tube. After delivery, 13 lambs were ventilated and simultaneous 129 pairs of pre- and postductal ABG were drawn (right carotid and umbilical artery, respectively) while recording the PDA and the carotid and pulmonary blood flow. Results: Meconium aspiration resulted in hypoxemia. The bidirectional ductal shunt had a lower postductal partial arterial oxygen tension ([PaO2] with lower PaO2/FiO2 ratio—97 ± 36 vs. 130 ± 65 mmHg) and left pulmonary flow (81 ± 52 vs. 133 ± 82 mL/kg/min). However, 56% of the samples with a bidirectional shunt had a pre- and postductal saturation gradient of < 3%. Conclusions: The presence of a bidirectional ductal shunt is associated with hypoxemia and low pulmonary blood flow. The absence of a pre- and postductal saturation difference is frequently observed with bidirectional right-to-left shunting through the PDA, and does not exclude a diagnosis of PPHN in this model.
Blood Pressure Screening of Children in the School Setting

Background: Blood pressure (BP) tracks well throughout childhood and adolescence so children at or greater than the 90th percentile for their age and sex at an early age are likely to remain at or above the 90th percentile as adults. Therefore, it is important to identify those at high-risk so that intervention strategies can be implemented to reduce the risk of developing hypertension later in life. Most children with elevated BP remain undiagnosed during childhood and adolescence, and ethnic minority children may be at greater risk for undiagnosed hypertension. School-based …
Does knowledge of medical risk influence patient decision for same day discharge following primary shoulder arthroplasty: a randomized control trial

Abstract Introduction The recent growth of same-day discharge following shoulder arthroplasty has been supported by studies supporting safe and cost-effective surgery. The Outpatient Arthroplasty Risk Assessment (OARA), initially developed for lower extremity arthroplasty, has recently been introduced as a screening tool for same-day discharge after shoulder arthroplasty. However, patients with low scores frequently still choose hospital admission, suggesting that factors beyond medical risk play an important role in this decision. The purpose of this study is to examine whether informing patients of their medical risk (OARA score) will influence their decision of same-day discharge (SDD) following shoulder arthroplasty. Methods A prospective series of patients undergoing primary shoulder arthroplasty were randomized as to the knowledge of their preoperative medical risk using the OARA score. Patients were randomized into two cohorts based upon disclosure of the OARA score: knowledge (OARA Known) or blinded (OARA Unknown). As a standard practice, all patients were counseled regarding SDD and given the option to stay overnight. Chi-square and fisher's exact test were used to detect differences in SDD between the two cohorts. For those patients who chose to stay overnight, primary and secondary reasons for this decision were surveyed and described. Results Sixty-six primary arthroplasty patients were randomized. Both the OARA Known (n = 34) and OARA Unknown (n = 32) cohorts were comparable, consisting of similar age (72.2 ± 9.2 vs. 71.7 ± 7.2; P = .82), BMI (29.8 ± 6.2 vs. 28.7 ± 5.2; P= .46), gender (P= .68), surgery type (P = .77), discharge destination (P = .58) and OARA score (47.6 ± 60.7 vs. 51.6 ± 46.3; P = .77). Incidence of SDD did not significantly change between the OARA Known and OARA Unknown groups for OARA scores ≤110 (P = .44) and for OARA scores >110 (P= .51). The most common factors that influenced patients’ decisions to stay overnight were lack of home support (18.4%), previous surgery experience (18.4%), and location of home (15.8%). Of those patients who chose overnight stay, 86% of patients reported they would make the same decision again. Conclusion Patient's knowledge of their medical comorbidity risk score does not influence the decision for same-day discharge following shoulder arthroplasty. Patient-specific, non-medical factors such as level of support at home, anxiety regarding the recovery, distance from home relative to the hospital, and experience during previous surgeries play an important role in patient decision making. Level of Evidence Level I; Study of Diagnostic Test
Design of an experimental test loop for fast spectrum test conditions

Abstract This summary details the feasibility of placing a conceptual fast spectrum test loop within the Advanced Test Reactor (ATR) at Idaho National Laboratory (INL) that would allow for preliminary Versatile Test Reactor (VTR)-condition testing. This experimental loop - the ATR Fast Spectrum Test Loop (FSTL) - has been designed, based on benchmarking, against predicted in-reactor conditions that the VTR will produce, including the use of molten sodium as a reactor coolant. A discussion of the mechanical design of the in-pile vehicle, along with the material delineation of primary components, is included. Furthermore, a general physical arrangement of the hardware necessary to compliment the FSTL in-pile vehicle to provide a sodium-cooled environment within the ATR, passing through the Large-I position, is discussed in detail.
CLRM-12. HYBRID DESIGNS FOR USING EXTERNAL CONTROLS IN PHASE 3 GLIOBLASTOMA TRIALS

While recent Phase 3 glioblastoma (GBM) trials have failed to establish novel therapies, they potentially provide a high-quality source of external control patients treated with temozolomide. We consider hybrid two-stage adaptive designs that leverage these external controls to safely accelerate Phase 3 GBM trials. The basic strategy is that first patients are randomized 1:1 between the control and experimental arms, then an interim check measures similarity between the trial's control patients and potential external controls, and finally if this interim similarity is high the randomization ratio is changed accordingly and the external controls are used in the final analysis. An extensive simulation study is conducted to assess operating characteristics and we discuss when these hybrid designs can accelerate GBM therapy development while maintaining strict error control.
Personalized Remote Mobile Surveys of Adult ADHD Symptoms and Function: A Pilot Study of Usability and Utility for Pharmacology Monitoring.

Objective:Validate the usability and treatment-sensitivity of a remote SMS-based ADHD monitoring method.Method:206 adults taking stimulants for ADHD participated. Participants selected ADHD symptom...
Innate Bacteriostatic Mechanisms Defend the Urinary Tract.

Urinary tract infection (UTI) is the most common type of urogenital disease. UTI affects the urethra, bladder, ureter, and kidney. A total of 13.3% of women, 2.3% of men, and 3.4% of children in the United States will require treatment for UTI. Traditionally, bladder (cystitis) and kidney (pyelonephritis) infections are considered independently. However, both infections induce host defenses that are either shared or coordinated across the urinary tract. Here, we review the chemical and biophysical mechanisms of bacteriostasis, which limit the duration and severity of the illness. Urinary bacteria attempt to overcome each of these defenses, complicating description of the natural history of UTI. Expected final online publication date for the Annual Review of Physiology, Volume 84 is February 2022. Please see http://www.annualreviews.org/page/journal/pubdates for revised estimates.
Internet resources on China and Chinese studies

The Internet is full of resources on China and Chinese studies. However, many new users are often overwhelmed by the vast amount of information on the Web. This paper is to offer a starting point for inexperienced users interested in finding information over the Internet on Chinese culture, art, language, literature, history, philosophy and current affairs, etc. It focuses on the World Wide Web resources only, and choices of entry are selective rather than exhaustive.
Equivalent Circuit Modeling for Carbon Nanotube Schottky Barrier Modulation in Polarized Gases

We study the carbon nanotube Schottky barrier at the metallic electrode interface in polarized gases using an equivalent circuit model. The gas-nanotube interaction is often weak and very little charge transfer is expected [l]. This is the case with'oxygen, but the gas-electrode interaction is appreciable and makes the oxygen molecules negatively charged. In the closed circuit condition, screening positive charges appear in the nanotube as well as in the electrode, and the Schottky barrier is modulated due to the resultant electrostatic effects [2]. In the case of ammonia, both the gas-nanotube and gas-electrode interactions are weak, but the Schottky barrier can still be modulated since the molecules are polarized and align in the preferred orientation within the gap between the electrode and nanotube in the open circuit condition (dipole layer formation). In the closed circuit condition, an electric field appears in the gap and strengthens or weakens the preferred dipole alignment reflecting the nanotube Fermi level. The modulation is visible when the nanotube depletion mode is involved, and the required dipole density is as low as 2 x 10(exp 13) dipoles/sq cm, which is quite feasible experimentally,
Near-term U.S. military and commercial launch systems: A post cold war assessment of future needs

Abstract In late 1992, the Vice President's Space Policy Advisory Board made a number of major space policy recommendations that impact the United States launch industry. These recommendations included greater cooperation and synergism and less duplication between the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the Department of Defense (DOD); development of a new, more efficient space launch capability to replace the aging and operationally expensive current launch systems that are finding it increasingly difficult to compete in the global commercial market place; transition to more cost-effective ways of meeting both unmanned and manned space transportation needs in the 21st century; prudent relaxation of security regulations to foster increased world trade; sharing of capabilities with allies and friendly states; and expansion of efforts to forge partnerships with other nations in carefully selected areas. The recommendations were intended to aid the incoming administration and the new president in making funding decisions for near-term future launch systems. In the light of these recommendations, this paper examines the limitations of the current U.S. expendable launch fleet; the performance, operability, reliability, and cost-effectiveness enhancement options available; the availability of new technologies and design changes that can be applied to current systems; the requirements that would have to be met to make U.S. systems more competitive in the global market place; and the advisability of replacing or augmenting current systems with a new “Spacelift” vehicle or family of vehicles. The Spacelift concept is described and assessed against projected domestic and global mission requirements, including possible manned missions. Expendable options are compared with current launch systems and with near-term future systems such as Ariane 5. Alternative design approaches, such as partially reusable concepts; fully reusable systems; and the possibility of using foreign space assets, such as engines, are also addressed. In addition, budgetary and political constraints on implementing the Space Policy Advisory Board's recommendations are discussed.
A proposal for Neuro-ITS over the connected vehicles network

On the basis of the recent technical trend of automated vehicles and connected vehicles, we have been proposing the new application concept Neuro-ITS which has three major technical features such as multi-viewpoint tracking, human appearance prediction, and collective intelligence. Especially by combining the collective intelligence with sensing control, we will drastically reduce the hectic tasks to collect and teach huge size of GT (ground truth) which has been serious bottleneck of conventional machine learning. Also it will greatly improve the performance of environment understanding beyond perception. In this article, we focus on the collective intelligence and investigate the technical realization regarding the evolutionary process of ET (estimated truth) towards GT.
On Multifunctional Collaborative Methods in Engineering Science

Multifunctional methodologies and analysis procedures are formulated for interfacing diverse subdomain idealizations including multi-fidelity modeling methods and multi-discipline analysis methods. These methods, based on the method of weighted residuals, ensure accurate compatibility of primary and secondary variables across the subdomain interfaces. Methods are developed using diverse mathematical modeling (i.e., finite difference and finite element methods) and multi-fidelity modeling among the subdomains. Several benchmark scalar-field and vector-field problems in engineering science are presented with extensions to multidisciplinary problems. Results for all problems presented are in overall good agreement with the exact analytical solution or the reference numerical solution. Based on the results, the integrated modeling approach using the finite element method for multi-fidelity discretization among the subdomains is identified as most robust. The multiple method approach is advantageous when interfacing diverse disciplines in which each of the method's strengths are utilized.
Protecting privacy in publicq Surveillance technologies and the value of public places

While maintaining the importance of privacy for critical evaluations of surveillance technologies, I suggest that privacy also constrains the debate by framing analyses in terms of the individual. Public space provides a site for considering what is at stake with surveillance technologies besides privacy. After describing two accounts of privacy and one of public space, I argue that surveillance technologies simultaneously add an ambiguity and a specificity to public places that are detrimental to the social, cultural, and civic importance of these places. By making public places accessible to other places and/or times, surveillance technologies make these social contexts ambiguous by blurring their spatial and temporal bounds. At the same time, surveillance technologies valence public places in functionally specific ways that are detrimental to informal civic life. To complement defensive approaches to surveillance technologies based on individual privacy, I conclude by suggesting how sociality as a relational value or an ethics of place as a contextual value could provide a proactive line of reasoning for affirming the value of that which is between people and places.
The Restricted Tryptic Cleavage of Cytochrome b5

Abstract Two major heme protein components have been identified in cytochrome b5 preparations from calf liver by electrophoresis and have been separated chromatographically. These two forms of cytochrome b5 differ in that one contains a carboxyl-terminal glutamylserine peptide sequence which is absent from the second. Tryptic digestion of either heme protein species yields the same core heme peptide by the cleavage of two peptides, one from the carboxyl-terminal and one from the amino-terminal end. The amino acid sequence of the small peptides released by trypsin and the peptide sequence in cytochrome b5 was determined. The core heme peptide contains 81 amino acid residues and is indistinguishable in its spectral and catalytic properties from the original cytochrome b5 preparations. This heme peptide thus provides the simplest unit for a complete analysis of the catalytic properties and the structure of cytochrome b5.
Community health workers and social change

Major global health institutions, public and private, currently see community health workers (CHWs) as crucial resources. But the daily experiences and complex motives of CHWs, as well as their concerns and criticisms, remain poorly understood by the institutions that promote their value and draw on their labor. Donors, states, NGOs, and other public health institutions often approach the motivations and performance of CHWs as problems that can be solved with a mix of psychological, economic, and management theories; novel incentive packages and supervisory structures; and surveys, interviews, and randomized controlled trials. This special issue shifts the goal toward documenting power inequalities, labor relations, and interactions among CHWs, donors, health officials, supervisors, and care recipients. The articles in this issue offer valuable ethnographic accounts of CHWs in 21st-century Africa, Latin America, and Asia, and deliver a clear message: CHWs participate in important relationships and politics, seeking change in their own job conditions and roles, and other social, political, and economic changes. These forms of “participation” are variable, evolving, and shaped by unique local histories as well as transnational policies and norms. The articles here aim to demonstrate that ethnography and mixed methods can help bring about improvements in policy and practice by explaining and interpreting CHW practices and governance and by encouraging global health actors to treat CHWs not as magic bullets or human resources, but as people with multiple skills, desires, and perspectives.
Efficacy of a Reading Intervention for Middle School Students with Learning Disabilities

This experimental study reports findings on the effects from a year-long reading intervention providing daily 50-min sessions to middle school students with identified learning disabilities (n = 65) compared with similar students who did not receive the reading intervention (n = 55). All students continued to receive their special education services as provided by the school. Statistically significant results favored the treatment group for sight word reading fluency following intervention. Small effects were found for phonemic decoding fluency and passage comprehension. No other statistically significant differences were noted between groups. The findings suggest that although gains on word reading fluency resulted from the additional reading treatment, accelerating the reading performance of students identified with learning disabilities may be unlikely to result from a 1-year daily intervention provided in groups of 10 to 15 students.
Sudden Death During Flecainide Therapy for Atrial Fibrillation Complicating Wolff-Parkinson-White Syndrome.

The Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome can be complicated by atrial fibrillation that may increase morbidity and mortality. Different pharmacologic therapy, inlcuding class IA, IC, and III agents, has been used in such cases with variable success. We now use less pharmacologic intervention with development of an electrode catheter ablation for accessory pathways. However, antiarrhythmic agents are still being used, especially when an electrode catheter ablation is unavailable or if a patient refuses such a procedure. Therefore, it is prudent that one understands each antiarrhythmic agent's electrophmacologic properties as well as its potential proarrhythmic effect in order to accurately assess each drug's risk-benefit ratio. We present a case that illustrates electropharmacologic properties of quinidine. flecainide, sotalol, and amiodarone on various cardiac tissues, as well as possible proarrhythmic effect of flecainide on a structurally normal heart.
Thermal management of diode laser arrays

High-power lasers are in demand in the consumer, medical and defense sectors. The semiconductor diode laser, due to some outstanding properties, such as high optical conversion, will be important in the development of high-power laser energy sources. This paper will focus on the thermal analysis of using spray-cooled diode laser arrays to power solid-state lasers such as Nd:YAG and Yb:YAG. Even though the diode lasers have high optical efficiencies between 10 to 60%, a modest amount of heat is generated. The heat must be dissipated from the microscopic footprint of the device, which drives the heat flux density to extreme values on the order of kW/cm/sup 2/. The performance reliability of these diode lasers can degrade severely because of the difficulty in removing waste heat generated within the diode laser. Higher operating temperatures also reduce the lifetime of the diode lasers. The diode laser wavelength increases with an increase in temperature. That is, to have high overall optical conversion efficiency in a pumping application, the temperature is required to be quite uniform throughout the diode arrays. Precise and uniform temperature control of the diode lasers can be achieved using spray cooling through evaporation at a constant boiling point over the entire cooling surface. The isothermality and temperature control allow maintenance of precise laser wavelength, higher output efficiency and lower thermally induced stresses.
Cyclic AMP mediates the negative regulation of Y-organ ecdysteroid production

Abstract The putative neuropeptide, molt-inhibiting hormone (MIH), regulates crustacean growth by periodically suppressing the secretion of ecdysteriod molting hormone from peripheral glands (Y-organs). A mediating role for cyclic AMP (cAMP) in MIH action was evaluated with isolated Y-organs of the crab, Cancer antennarius . MIH activity in eyestalk extracts inhibited ecdysteroid secretion but increased cAMP levels dose-dependently in 24-h incubations. The cAMP rise preceded the onset of ecdysteroid suppression. Dibutyryl cAMP, activators of adenylate cyclase (forskolin, choleragen), and an inhibitor of phosphodiesterase (IBMX), but not AMP or cGMP, mimicked the inhibitory action of MIH.
Ethionine-induced hypoglycaemia.

ALTHOUGH considerable attention has been directed to the role of impaired release of liver triglyceride into plasma in the development of the fatty liver induced in rats by ethionine1,2, it seems unlikely that such a mechanism, by itself, adequately accounts for the fatty liver. Lombardi and Recknagel1 have presented evidence showing that ethionine impaired hepatic triglyceride release in both male and female rats; however, it is well known that the male is surprisingly resistant to the development of a fatty liver3. Observations that glucose administration either prevents3,4 or decreases5,6 hepatic triglyceride accumulation directed attention to the possibility that hypoglycaemia occurs after an injection of ethionine, thus serving as a stimulus for fat accumulation in the liver.
Traces, term ranks, widths and heights

The notions of widths and heights of (0 1)-matrices are discussed in the general setting of known results concerning traces and term ranks. Proofs are omitted throughout.
Using General Outcome Measures in Mathematics to Measure Adequate Yearly Progress as Mandated by Title I

Two critical requirements of Improving America's Schools Act of 1994 are that states use multiple measures to monitor adequate yearly progress of students served by Title I and that the primary yardstick of progress be each state's assessment system. In an effort to determine whether a general outcome measure could be considered one of these multiple measures, four alternate versions of a 15-item general outcome measure (GOM) of mathematics conceptual understanding and applications were developed and administered to 117 eighth-grade students at approximately equal intervals over the course of one year. Results of each administration were correlated with the students' scores on their state's multiple-choice mathematics achievement test. Correlations ranged from .81 to .87 with no significant differences, offering evidence of criterion validity. In addition, T-tests showed significant growth between administrations, suggesting that this GOM could be used as an alternative method of measuring adequate yearly...
An Implicature Account of Idioms

The traditional approach of treating idiomatic phrases as lexical items has been criticized for failing to account for the semantic and syntactic flexibility such phrases can exhibit. Pragmatic accounts of idioms are now being proposed, according to which the words of the idiomatic phrase contribute their ordinary semantic content as the basis for a pragmatic interpretation of the idiom. After examining the strengths and weaknesses of Andy Egan’s Pretence view, I argue that idioms convey their idiomatic sense via conversational implicature. Idiomatic phrases in their typical use are explained as cases of generalized conversational implicature, while the figurative modification and extension of idioms identified by Egan are explained as cases of particularized conversational implicature. I show that the Implicature view is compatible with both the stereotypical inflexibility of idiomatic phrases and the observation that the understanding of idioms does not seem to proceed by a process of deriving the idiom’s meaning on the basis of the ordinary meaning of the idiom’s constituent words.
A formal method for analyzing and integrating the rule-sets of multiple experts

Although there has been a movement toward the use of multiple sources of knowledge for expert systems development, there are no formal methods to guide knowledge engineers in integrating these sources. Further approaches for dealing with problems of inaccuracies, inconsistencies, and imcompleteness are not widely discussed in literature. This paper discusses a formal method for documenting, integrating and normalizing knowledge-bases derived from different knowledge sources. A case study is used to demonstrate the effectiveness of the method.
Lattice oligomer dynamics

Abstract Exact results are obtained for the dynamics of short chains on the cubic lattice in the presence of excluded volume. The dynamics is used to evaluate the vector end-to-end length and squared length correlation functions. These functions are compared to those obtained by computer simulation by Kranbuehl and Verdier for longer chains. A coherent picture of the effects of excluded volume and chain length on the system properties sampled is found.
Looks like rain

What makes some clouds rain while others merely drift serenely overhead? Mark Anderson sticks his head in a cloud
The utility of magnetic resonance imaging in the diagnosis of intranasal meningoencephaloceles.

• We present three patients in whom the diagnosis of intranasal meningoencephalocele was made by magnetic resonance imaging. The initial clinical evaluation and computed tomographic examinations of these patients failed to distinguish between chronic inflammation and intranasal meningoencephalocele. Although both computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging are used to distinguish between normal, inflammatory, and neoplastic tissue in the nasal cavity and paranasal sinuses, limitations do exist and these are the focus of our communication. A clear understanding of the efficacy of these radiographic modalities will enhance surgical planning and can preclude severe complications. ( Arch Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 1992;118:1253-1256)
A deterministic method to predict the effect of unknown-but-bounded elastic moduli on the buckling of composite structures

Abstract A new, non-probabilistic method is developed in this study to predict the variability in buckling loads of composite plates and shells stemming from the unavoidable scatter in elastic moduli. The available measurements of elastic moduli are fitted by the four-dimensional uncertainty ‘box’ and appropriate ellipsoid. For the specific cases considered, the maximum buckling load of the composite plate exceeds by 11% the value of the buckling load based on the calculation using the nominal values of elastic moduli. In the case of the cylindrical shell, an appropriate exceedance constitutes 9%.
Behavior and Physical Factors Causing Migration and Aggregation of the Sand Crab Emerita Analoga (Stimpson)

Migration and distribution of Emerita on sand beaches can be explained in terms of water flow and a simple behavioral response. Wash zones of sand beaches are bounded burrow out of fluid sand and so are kept within the boundaries of the wave wash. As the position of a wash zone is shifted with the tide, Emerita are carried in it to new locations on the beach. Lateral flow within the wave wash distributes Emerita into clumps along the shore. See full-text article at JSTOR
Self-Assembly Approach toward Magnetic Silica-Type Nanoparticles of Different Shapes from Reverse Block Copolymer Mesophases

In the present study poly(isoprene−block-ethylene oxide), PI−b-PEO, block copolymers are used to structure iron oxide and silica precursors into reverse mesophases, which upon dissolution of the organic matrix lead to well-defined nanoparticles of spheres, cylinders, and plates based on the original structure of the mesophase prepared. The hybrid mesophases with sphere, cylinder, and lamellar morphologies containing the inorganic components in the minority phases are characterized through a combination of small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM), and electron energy loss spectroscopy (EELS). After heat treatments the respective nanoparticles on mica surfaces are characterized by scanning force microscopy (SFM). X-ray diffraction (XRD) and superconducting quantum interference device (SQUID) magnetometer measurements are performed to demonstrate that the heat treatment leads to the formation of a magnetic γ-Fe2O3 crystallin...
Regulation of gamma-glutamylcysteine synthetase subunit gene expression: insights into transcriptional control of antioxidant defenses.

γ-Glutamylcysteine synthetase (GCS; also referred to as glutamate-cysteine ligase, GLCL) catalyzes the rate-limiting reaction in glutathione (GSH) biosynthesis. The GCS holoenzyme is composed of a catalytic and regulatory subunit, each encoded by a unique gene. In addition to some conditions which specifically upregulate the catalytic subunit gene, expression of both genes is increased in response to many Phase II enzyme inducers including oxidants, heavy metals, phenolic antioxidants and GSH-conjugating agents. Electrophile Response Elements (EpREs), located in 5′-flanking sequences of both the GCSh and GCSl subunit genes, are hypothesized to at least partially mediate gene induction following xenobiotic exposure. Recent experiments indicate that the bZip transcription factor Nrf2 participates in EpRE-mediated GCS subunit gene activation in combination with other bZip proteins. An AP-1-like binding sequence and an NF-κB site have also been implicated in regulation of the catalytic subunit gene following ...
The Mishap at Reichenbach Fall: Singular vs. General Causation

[Introduction] What is the relationship between claims of singular causation such as 1. David's smoking caused him to develop lung cancer, and claims of general causation, such as 2. Smoking causes lung cancer? Hume held that the truth of singular causal claims depended upon the existence of universal regularities in nature. In the first Enquiry, for example, Hume wrote that we may define a cause to be an object, followed by another, and where all the objects similar to the first, are followed by objects similar to the second. (Hume [1748] 1955, §VII) Davidson (1980) concurs, while noting that it may not be apparent which generalization is instantiated by any particular episode of singular causation: [l]f 'a caused b' is true, then there are descriptions of a and b such that the result of substituting them for 'a' and 'b' in 'a caused b' is entailed by true premises of the form of (L) and (P) [where (L) provides the form of a causal law, and (P) provides the form of premises describing initial conditions) ... If this is correct, it does not follow that we must be able to dredge up a law if we know a singular casual statement to be true; all that follows is that we know there must be a covering law. (pp. 159-60). Hume and Davidson may be understood as pursuing the following strategy: analyze the truth-conditions of general causal claims in terms of universal regularities in nature, and then treat singular causal claims as describing instantiations of such regularities. Let us call this the Humean strategy.
Visible Region Photooxidation on TiO2 with a Chromophore−Catalyst Molecular Assembly

The fabrication of a photoelectrosynthetic cell is described. The cell is based on the adsorption of a chromophore−catalyst molecular assembly onto a transparent ITO-on-glass semiconducting electrode derivatized with high-surface-area TiO2. The adsorbed assembly, [(4,4‘-(CO2H)2bpy)(4,4‘-Me2bpy)RuII(dpp)RuII(tpy)(H2O)]4+ (4,4‘-Me2bpy = 4,4‘-dimethyl-2,2‘-bipyridine; 4,4‘-(CO2H)2bpy = 2,2‘-bipyridine-4,4‘-carboxylic acid; dpp = 2,3-bis(2-pyridyl)pyrazine; tpy = 2,2‘:6‘,2‘ ‘-terpyridine) (see illustration), was irradiated with white light to carry out the oxidative dehydrogenation of 2-propanol (an uphill process by 0.64 eV) by using 2 photoredox equiv by initial oxidation of RuII−OH2 to RuIVO.
Quantum theory of spin waves for magnetic-overlayer systems. II. Effect of magnetic structures.

Spin waves in magnetic-overlayer structures formed by thin overlayers on top of a substrate are considered in this paper. The coupling between spins is the Heisenberg exchange interaction. The magnetic structures of the composite materials are taken to be different from each other. Two systems are considered: (1) ferromagnetic overlayers on an antiferromagnetic substrate; (2) antiferromagnetic overlayers on a ferromagnetic substrate. In obtaining the energy dispersion relations of spin waves, we employed a Green's-function formalism and introduced transfer functions between successive atomic layers. It is shown that a simple algorithm can be established between the transfer functions, which can greatly simplify the numerical analysis of Green's functions. The energy of surface states is calculated and the existence of resonant states is discussed.
GlycoFly: a database of Drosophila N-linked glycoproteins identified using SPEG--MS techniques.

Protein glycosylation affects cellular functions of the central nervous system (CNS). Its deficiency leads to neurological disorders such as ataxia, paralysis, learning disability, mental retardati...