cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Prevalence, incidence, recovery, and recurrence of alcohol use disorders from childhood to age 30.

Abstract Background Little is known about the course of alcohol use disorders (AUDs) in representative samples during high-risk periods of adolescence and early adulthood. The primary objective of this research is to describe the prevalence and course of initial AUD episodes experienced between childhood and age 30 in a regionally representative cohort sample. Methods Study data are from an epidemiological study of 816 youth. Participants were initially selected at random from nine high schools in western Oregon, USA. Four waves of data collection were conducted between ages 16 and 30. AUD course milestones are referenced to participants’ age. Results Results indicated that male participants (43%) were significantly more likely to be diagnosed with a lifetime AUD than female participants (28%), OR [CI95] = 1.97 [1.47–2.65], and rate of first incidence was especially high between ages 18 and 24.9, a developmental period that also corresponded to the peak interval in prevalence rates. The rate of first AUD incidence substantially diminished beginning around age 25. Among those with an initial AUD episode, 87% recovered by age 30 and, of these, the average episode length was 23 months. Among recovered cases, 33% went on to experience a second AUD episode (i.e., a recurrence) after a minimum 12-month asymptomatic recovery period. Risk for recurrence remained relatively high within the 5 years following initial AUD offset. Conclusions AUDs are common lifetime conditions in representative samples, whereby most affected individuals by age 30 experience a time-limited course rather than a recurring or persistent course.
Networked News Participation: Future Pathways

Civic participation in news production has been a trend under academic scrutiny for at least two decades. The prevalence of digital communication and the dominance of proprietary platforms are two combining forces that disrupt the established journalistic norms. In this article, we investigate news participation and make three grand statements regarding: 1) the holistic definition of participation, 2) the network structure of participation delineating the power dynamics of different media actors, and 3) the transnational context of participation exhibiting the structural constraints within nation-state sovereignty. It is our argument that news participation as a civic act in the digital, globalized age has not fundamentally democratized the information flow as early optimists predicted. Instead, a group of “information elite” have risen to power due to their access to institutional resources, their advantageous positioning in the media ecology, and their entrenchment in the dominant ideology. Participation on proprietary platforms can be easily co-opted to serve the interest of the new information elite.
Sensitivity Analysis and Variable Screening

This chapter discusses sensitivity analysis and the related topic of variable screening. The setup is as follows. A vector of inputs \(\boldsymbol{x} = (x_{1},\ldots,x_{d})\) is given which potentially affects a “response” function \(y(\boldsymbol{x}) = y(x_{1},\ldots,x_{d})\). Sensitivity analysis seeks to quantify how variation in \(y(\boldsymbol{x})\) can be apportioned to the inputs x1, …, xd and to the interactions among these inputs.
Membrane preparation from hyperbranched perfluorinated polymers

In this research, membrane formation with hyperbranched perfluorinated polymers (HBFP) was investigated. To create a tough membrane, HBFP was blended and crosslinked with a tougher linear polymer. Blending only or crosslinking only was not sufficient to create a tough membrane, but combining blending with crosslinking was successful. Miscibility, phase separation, and thermal and mechanical properties were evaluated for a variety of systems. By using a toughening linear polymer with lower polarity, reduced phase separation and improved mechanical properties were seen. Overall, imidazole‐containing HBFPs produced the clearest and toughest blends. These new hyperbranched ionomers and copolymers are strong candidates for future use in anhydrous proton exchange membranes. © 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2019, 57, 961–972
Gramsci and the South as a Space of Emancipation

The paper will actively engage with the contradictions found in Gramsci in an attempt to tease out the elements of emancipation found in his thought, as well as a subculture of opposition against Western notions of rationality. Antonio Gramsci’s analysis of the Italian South and of the Southern Italian peasantry in relation to the formation of a radical politics of emancipation constitutes one of the most salient features of his critique of orthodox Marxism. I argue that for the Italian Marxist theorist, the liberation of the Italian peasantry is not only a project of social, economic and political emancipation. For Gramsci, the task of the organic intellectuals is to create an ideational sphere in which the colonized South can potentially articulate and celebrate a culture that has historically been deemed backward and primitive. However, Gramsci’s analyses of the South also contain historicist encrustations, which create a dialectical tension in his theory of politico-cultural emancipation that has never really been solved. I argue that the positivist and progressionist encrustations of Gramsci’s program for the emancipation of the South is an instantiation of a wider, Western, 19th and 20th century intellectual tradition which conflates “progress” as such with emancipation, a tradition that goes beyond the Italian and European context, and that is even paralleled by the model for black emancipation in the American South put forth by a figure as seemingly divergent as, say, W.E. B. Du Bois in The Souls of Black Folk (1903).
Corporate Governance and the U.S. Firm: A Review and Directions for Future Research

In the past, corporate governance was an important control mechanism for maintaining the accountability of management and directors of an organization. However, the value of strong corporate governance has assumed a critical role in organizations since recent highly publicized business failures of a number of large companies. Claims about the unreliability of reported earnings continue, as evidenced by an increase in the frequency of earnings restatements, earnings management, and fraud. Thus, corporate governance systems continue to be of utmost importance based on the impact of financial reporting (e.g., firm value, earnings and audit quality, firm performance) on capital markets. This book provides a comprehensive review, discussion, and analysis of over 150 research works on the usefulness of corporate governance codes to US firms based on theory underlying corporate governance, anecdotal evidence, and practices. The book first introduces the multi-faceted aspects of corporate governance, reviews corporate governance codes and their unplanned consequences on US firms, and then classifies the extant literature on corporate governance over the last two decades, from 1990 to 2010. The book further discusses the association between corporate governance and organizational outcomes such as firm value, performance, and financial reporting quality to draw conclusions regarding the overall effectiveness of corporate governance codes to US firms. Based on this classification, the book offers directions for future research regarding corporate governance mechanisms to maximize their benefit to US firms.
Arthroscopic Tenodesis of the Long Head Biceps Tendon Using a Double Lasso-Loop Suture Anchor Configuration.

Abstract Multiple different techniques exist for performing a biceps tenodesis, and the literature has yet to define a particular technique as superior with respect to outcomes. Factors as the center of various clinical and biomechanical studies include analyzing arthroscopic versus open techniques, optimal fixation sites, and the use specific fixation devices (i.e., anchor, screw). This article details an all-arthroscopic approach for proximal tenodesis of the long head of the biceps tendon (LHBT) using a 2-portal method in a minimally invasive manner. Optimal biomechanical fixation of the LHBT is achieve by using 2 suture anchors in the creation of a dual lasso-loop configuration at the level of the bicipital groove. Technical pearls with respect to optimal arthroscopic viewing, efficient identification of the LHBT and subsequent release from the bicipital groove, and appropriate use of suture anchors for lasso-loop creation are presented for review. Two specific technical advantages of this technique include 2 fixation points for the LHBT to minimize failure risk, and smaller drill holes when compared with commonly performed tenodesis screw techniques to theoretically limit humeral fracture risk.
Interactive Systems in Nutrition: Perspectives from Epidemiology, Veterinary Science, Nutrition, Anthropology, and Community Health

Nutrition is a complex and multifaceted influencer of health. Everything we consume, from a sip of water, to those green beans from a community garden, to that egg you had for breakfast are components of nutrition. But what are the factors that influence your nutrition, and in turn your health? Consider every choice you make around what you eat. You probably consider personal preference and nutritional value of the food, but what determines the food available to eat? And what determines your ability to access that food? It turns out that nutrition is influenced by a constellation of factors that exist within a dynamic and interacting system. In this chapter, we consider three broad components of this system, land, food, and the body, in the context of child malnutrition.
Effect of temperature on Fusarium solani and F. tricinctum growth and disease development in soybean

Fusarium solani and F. tricinctum are important root rot pathogens of soybean in the northern Great Plains of North America. The role of temperature on their growth was investigated in vitro at tem...
Sex-specific recombination predicts parent of origin for recurrent genomic disorders

SUMMARY Genomic disorders are caused by structural rearrangements of the genome that generally occur during meiosis1. Often the rearrangements result in large-scale (> 1 kb) copy number variants (CNV; deletions or duplications ≥ 1 kb)2,3. Recurrent pathogenic CNVs harbor similar breakpoints in multiple unrelated individuals and are primarily formed via non-allelic homologous recombination (NAHR)3,4. Several pathogenic NAHR-mediated recurrent CNV loci demonstrate biases for parental origin of de novo CNVs5–9. However, the mechanism underlying these biases is not well understood. Here we have curated parent of origin data for multiple pathogenic CNV loci and demonstrate a significant association between sex-specific differences in meiotic recombination and parental origin biases at these loci. Our results suggest that parental-origin of CNVs is largely controlled by sex-specific recombination rates and bring into light the need to consider these differences when seeking to determine the factors underlying risk for structural variation.
Syphilis Laboratory Guidelines: Performance Characteristics of Nontreponemal Antibody Tests

We reviewed the relevant syphilis diagnostic literature to address the following question: what are the performance characteristics, stratified by the stage of syphilis, for nontreponemal serologic tests? The database search included key terms related to syphilis and nontreponemal tests from 1960-2017, and for data related to the venereal disease research laboratory test from 1940-1960. Based on this review, we report the sensitivity and specificity for each stage of syphilis (primary, secondary, early latent, late latent, or unknown duration; tertiary as well as neurosyphilis, ocular syphilis, and otic syphilis). We also report on reactive nontreponemal tests in conditions other than syphilis, false negatives, and automated nontreponemal tests. Overall, many studies were limited by their sample size, lack of clearly documented clinical staging, and lack of well-defined gold standards. There is a need to better define the performance characteristics of nontreponemal tests, particularly in the late stages of syphilis, with clinically well-characterized samples. Published data are needed on automated nontreponemal tests. Evidence-based guidelines are needed for optimal prozone titrations. Finally, improved criteria and diagnostics for neurosyphilis (as well as ocular and otic syphilis) are needed.
Century-old mercury pollution: Evaluating the impacts on local fish from the eastern United States

Abstract Mercury (Hg) bioaccumulates and exerts toxic effects on freshwater fish upon assimilation into tissues. The Still River, USA, was subjected to severe Hg pollution as a result of the 19th century hat-making industry. Our objective was to determine if the legacy Hg pollution from the hat industry continues to manifest as elevated Hg in the environment (sediment, water, and suspended particulates) and in the muscle and liver of fish from the Still River watershed. Rhinichthys atratulus (Eastern Blacknose Dace), a freshwater fish that display high site fidelity, was chosen as an indicator of total (THg) and methyl (MeHg) mercury bioavailability at four legacy polluted sites, and three reference sites. THg in surface sediments ranged from 134.69 ng/g dw - 1990.00 ng/g dw in legacy Still River sites and from 25.45 ng/g dw – 48.39 ng/g dw in reference sites. Surprisingly, the average levels of THg in fish muscle were significantly lower (p ≤ 0.04) for fish from the majority of legacy sites (0.36 μg/g ww – 0.39 μg/g ww) compared to the majority of reference sites (0.47 μg/g ww – 0.52 μg/g ww). There was no significant difference (p ≥ 0.15) among liver THg concentrations for most sites and there was no significant relationship found (p ≥ 0.09) between either tissue type and any environmental parameters. Our results demonstrate that the presence of legacy Hg pollution does not directly translate into enhanced MeHg accumulation in fish.
UNIT 16.2 Presenting Exogenous Antigen to T Cells

Antigen processing and presentation experiments can be done with a wide variety of antigen-presenting cells (APCs). Most experiments will use one of the “professional” APC types: dendritic cells (DCs), macrophages, and B lymphocytes. Other types of cells may be used for antigen presentation in some circumstances. Each type of professional APC has an important antigen-presentation function, but the different APC types contribute to different aspects of the immune response. Therefore, selection of an APC type for study must include consideration of the stage or aspect of immune response that is to be modeled in the experiment. An important technical distinction for some types of experiments is whether the APCs are adherent or nonadherent, since this dictates the procedures that must be used to wash the cells as the medium is changed. Curr. Protoc. Immunol. 88:16.2.1-16.2.18. © 2010 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Keywords: antigen presenting cells; antigen processing; antigen presentation; T lymphocyte; T hybridoma cells
Characterization of the interpass microstructure in low alloy steel/Alloy 625 HW-GTAW narrow groove welds

Abstract A dissimilar weld between a low alloy steel (LAS) butter weld joined to a F65 steel pipe using a narrow groove hot wire gas tungsten arc welding (HW-GTAW) procedure with Alloy 625 filler metal was investigated. The weld interpass microstructure is comprised of large swirls formed by a macrosegregation mechanism involving partial, non-uniform mixing of liquid base metal with the lower melting temperature weld pool, followed by fast solidification. This mechanism produces steep gradients in composition and solidification behavior. The resulting swirls are composed of alternating iron-rich peninsulas and partially mixed zones (PMXZ) that are surrounded by planar and cellular zones exhibiting multiple solidification directions. Large austenitic grains, encompassing planar, cellular, and dendritic morphologies, nucleate off peninsulas in direct contact with the weld pool. The highest hardness was found in nickel and chromium rich PMXZs that exhibited a lath martensite microstructure. In the event of exposure to hydrogen containing environments, the PMXZs could serve as nucleation sites for hydrogen assisted cracking.
The Trade Effects of Regional Agreements and Economic Integration Processes in Europe, South America, and North America

This article seeks to understand the effects of trade creation and diversion in regional agreements and integration processes in Europe, South America, and North America. Through a systemic literature review, and based on the economic theory of integration, it analyzes the impact of tariff barriers on trading volume through the world, as well as the impact of barriers removals in member and non-member countries that participate in these trade agreements. As hypothesis, it can be stated that the trade effects generated by economic integration processes vary depending on the endogenous conditions of the industries in member countries, in addition to the consolidation phase of the integration processes. For this purpose, a qualitative descriptive methodology, based on an analysis of literature, is used to determine the trade creation and deviation effects of agreements in Europe (European Union), South America (MERCOSUR and CAN), and North America (NAFTA).
Alfonso X, the Justinian of his age: law and justice in thirteenth-century Castile: by Joseph F. O’Callaghan, Ithaca, NY, Cornell University Press, 2019, xiii, 374 pp., $49.95 (hardback), ISBN: 978-1501735899

In Alfonso X, the Justinian of his Age, Joseph O’Callaghan offers an exciting and innovative look at the law codes produced under the authority of Alfonso X of Castile during the second half of the...
Using poetry as data to explore daily and formal care decision making within African American dementia dyads

There is limited research exploring how daily and formal care decision making occurs within African American dementia dyads as well as how these dyads navigate decision making across the dementia trajectory. Through semi-structured interviews, five African American dementia dyads shared their decision-making processes. We used a multimethod approach to the analysis of data, including qualitative and quantitative content analysis and the creation of I Poems. This novel use of I Poems provided a uniquely personal account of the lived experiences of the African American persons living with dementia, while other analyses revealed that within dyads, daily care decision making was led by African American persons living with dementia, whereas formal care decision making varied between dyads. There was intra-dyad congruence regarding who the final decision maker was in daily and formal care. Clinicians and researchers may be able to tailor interventions based on the dyad's involvement in these decision-making processes.
Electrochemical Technologies for Petroleum Contaminated Soils

The fundamental principles of electrochemical transport and transformations applied to electrokinetic processing of oil contaminated saturated clays and clayey formations are reviewed, and some findings are presented in this chapter. The experimental results of electrically enhanced extraction, and transformation, in clay and clay rich porous media are presented and discussed in the framework of the theoretical electrochemical and electrokinetic concepts. The data supports the hypothesis that Faradaic current passage in the electric double layer of clay particles may drive forth redox reactions on and near clay surfaces. The contribution of electrochemical reactions to electrically enhanced oil recovery was investigated through floor-scale synthetic core specimens. The results of these experiments indicated that electrochemical reactions do take place, which affect the transformation of heavy crude oil into its different components due to the passage of current through the formation. As the lighter components (aromatics) of the oil increase and the heavier components (asphaltenes) decrease, the viscosity of the oil decrease, which in turn increases the mobility of the crude oil within the porous structure of a formation.
A Place of Belonging: Including Individuals With Significant Disabilities in Faith Communities:

Faith is central to the flourishing of so many children and adults with significant disabilities and their families. For congregations striving to be a place of inclusion and belonging for their en...
Islamic schools in modern Turkey : faith, politics, and education

In recent years, the Islamization of Turkish politics and public life has been the subject of much debate in Turkey and the West. This book makes an important contribution to those debates by focusing on a group of religious schools, known as Imam-Hatip schools, founded a year after the Turkish Republic, in 1924. At the outset, the main purpose of Imam-Hatip schools was to train religious functionaries. However, in the ensuing years, the curriculum, function and social status of the schools have changed dramatically. Through ethnographic and textual analysis, the book explores how Imam-Hatip school education shapes the political socialization of the schools' students, those students' attitudes and behaviours and the political and civic activities of their graduates. By mapping the schools' connections to Islamist politicians and civic leaders, the book sheds light on the significant, yet often overlooked, role that the schools and their communities play in Turkey's Islamization at the high political and grassroots levels.
The Quality of a Ranking Method

The most commonly used performance measures represent the characteristics of a search up to a certain point in the retrieval process. These measures include precision, recall, and Van Rijsbergen’s and Shaw’s E measure. Swets’ E measure, on the other hand, addresses the performance of a particular ranking based on the characteristics of the distributions for relevant and non-relevant documents. It is therefore independent of the stopping point chosen in a particular search. The relationship between ordered sequences, such as lists of ranked documents, may be studied using a number of techniques (Levenstein, 1966; Myers & Miller, 1988), ranging from sophisticated cost-based methods to counting the number of swaps necessary in sorting one sequence so that it becomes the other sequence. How best to study the relationships between sequences is an open question.
Disintegrins of Crotalus simus tzabcan venom: Isolation, characterization and evaluation of the cytotoxic and anti-adhesion activities of tzabcanin, a new RGD disintegrin

Abstract Disintegrins are small non-enzymatic proteins common in the venoms of many viperid snakes. These proteins have received significant attention due to their ability to inhibit platelet aggregation and cell adhesion, making them model compounds in drug development and design investigations. The present study used a combination of molecular and proteomic techniques to screen the venom of the Middle American Rattlesnake (Crotalus simus tzabcan) for novel disintegrins. Six disintegrin isoforms were identified, and the most abundant, named tzabcanin, was further isolated and characterized. Tzabcanin consists of 71 amino acids, has a mass of 7105 Da (by MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry) and contains the canonical RGD binding domain. Tzabcanin was not cytotoxic to MCF-7 cells but showed weak cytotoxicity to Colo-205 cells following a 24 h incubation period. Tzabcanin inhibited cell adhesion of both cell lines to immobilized fibronectin and vitronectin, and cell adhesion to immobilized tzabcanin was inhibited when cells were incubated with a cation chelator (EDTA), indicating that integrin–tzabcanin binding is specific. This study provides a detailed analysis of the purification and characterization of tzabcanin and provides sequence and mass data for the multiple disintegrins present in the venom of C. s. tzabcan.
Full flux models for optimization and control of heat exchangers

If convection is the dominate mechanism for heat transfer in a heat exchangers, then the devices are often modeled by hyperbolic partial differential equations. One of the difficulties with this approach is that for low (or zero) pipe flows, some of the imperial functions used to model friction can become singular. One way to address low flows is to include the full flux in the model so that the equation becomes a convection-diffusion equation with a “small” diffusion term. We show that solutions of the hyperbolic equation are recovered as limiting (viscosity) solutions of the convection-diffusion model. We employ a composite finite element - finite volume scheme to produce finite dimensional systems for control design. This scheme is known to be unconditionally L2-stable, uniformly with respect to the diffusion term. We present numerical examples to illustrate how the inclusion of a small diffusion term can impact controller design.
What is Russell’s Theory of Descriptions?

Russell expounded his theory of descriptions in a number of places, but perhaps the best known source is his 1905 article, “On Denoting” [1]. I think it may still be fruitful to discuss the doctrine of that article since some readers may disagree as to its main point.
Disruptive ideas: public intellectuals and their arguments for action on climate change

In this paper, I analyze three distinct groups of prominent public intellectuals arguing for action on climate change. I detail how public intellectuals establish their authority, spread their ideas, and shape political discourse, analyzing the contrasting stories that they tell about the causes and solutions to climate change. ‘Ecological Activists’ like U.S. writer/activist Bill McKibben or Charles Sturt University (AU) philosopher Clive Hamilton argue that climate change is a symptom of a capitalist society that has dangerously exceeded the carrying capacity of the planet. They are skeptical of technological or market-based solutions to the problem, urging the need for a global movement that dramatically re-organizes society. ‘Smart Growth Reformers’ like UK economist Nicholas Stern or former U.S. vice president Al Gore agree that climate change poses catastrophic risks but argue that those risks can be avoided if political leaders adopt the right market-based mechanisms, enabling sustainable economic growth to continue. ‘Ecomodernists’ like The New York Times (U.S.) writer Andrew Revkin and Oxford University (UK) anthropologist Steve Rayner argue for recognizing the biases in how we have conventionally defined climate change as a social problem. Progress will be achieved not by relying on social protest or market-based mechanisms, but by government investment in a diverse menu of policies that catalyze technological innovation, protect against climate impacts, and provide developing countries abundant, cleaner sources of energy. To conclude, I propose methods for building on my analysis and urge the need for forums that feature a diversity of voices, discourses, and ideas. WIREs Clim Change 2014, 5:809–823. doi: 10.1002/wcc.317 For further resources related to this article, please visit the WIREs website. Conflict of interest: My analysis in this paper is informed by my collaboration and/or interactions with groups and individuals representing each of the three identified discourse traditions, though my own outlook is closest to that of the Ecomodernists.
ELASTOPLASTIC ANALYSIS OF A BENT CIRCULAR PLATE WITH A CENTRAL HOLE

A circular aluminum plate with a small concentric hole (1/10 the plate thickness) and supported on its outer edge by a ring was subjected to a concentrated load at its center, applied through a rigid ball of radius equal to the plate thickness. Strains were determined using grids, moire, and electrical strain gages on the top and bottom surfaces of the plate for loads up to and including the one associated with the appearance of the first crack in the plate. The investigation is related to the development of specimens to be used to determine fracture characteristics of materials used in lightweight construction.
Museum tours and the origins of museum studies: Edward W. Gifford, William R. Bascom, and the remaking of an anthropology museum

Following the Great Depression and Second World War, museums in the USA found themselves having suffered from disrepair and uneven upkeep. Utilizing an array of archival sources and published materials, this article argues that museum professionals, through a series of tours and other methods of communication and exchange – engaged in a broad and dynamic dialogue about museum methods and how best to improve them. Specifically, in the decades following World War II, museums focused on modernizing practices of lighting, collections management, exhibit expansion, and better understanding audiences and visitors helping create a new field of museum studies.
Not What They Had in Mind: A History of Policies that Produced the Financial Crisis of 2008

This paper looks at the roots of the current crisis through an analytical framework of bad bets, excessive leverage, domino effects, and 21st-century bank runs. The paper shows that broad policy areas-including housing policy, capital regulations for banks, industry structure and competition, autonomous financial innovation, and monetary policy-affected elements of this framework to varying, but important, degrees. While considering alternative points of view concerning the causes of the financial crisis, the paper concludes that bank capital regulations were the most important causal factor in the crisis and that the policy “solutions” to previous financial and economic crises sowed the seeds for this current crisis.
The Jealousy of Scientific Men

A look back at some famous discoveries in biology highlights the competitive nature of science, the trophy being priority by publication.
A century of oil-field operations and earthquakes in the greater Los Angeles Basin, southern California

Abstract Most of the seismicity in the Los Angeles Basin (LA Basin) occurs at depth below the sediments and is caused by transpressional tectonics related to the big bend in the San Andreas fault. However, some of the seismicity could be associated with fluid extraction or injection in oil fields that have been in production for almost a century and cover ∼ 17% of the basin. In a recent study, first the influence of industry operations was evaluated by analyzing seismicity characteristics, including normalized seismicity rates, focal depths, and b-values, but no significant difference was found in seismicity characteristics inside and outside the oil fields. In addition, to identify possible temporal correlations, the seismicity and available monthly fluid extraction and injection volumes since 1977 were analyzed. Second, the production and deformation history of the Wilmington oil field were used to evaluate whether other oil fields are likely to experience similar surface deformation in the future. Thir...
Aggregation of group A streptococci by human saliva and effect of saliva on streptococcal adherence to host cells.

Abstract The aggregation of group A streptococci by whole, stimulated human saliva (WHS) and the effect of saliva on streptococcal adherence to host cells was investigated. WHS samples from 11 individuals were found to aggregate both M+ and M- group A streptococci to various degrees. The aggregating activity was sensitive to heat, EDTA, EGTA [ethylene glycol-bis(beta-aminoethyl ether)-N,N,N',N'-tetraacetic acid], sodium dodecyl sulfate, and lipoteichoic acid. None of the simple sugars tested, mercaptoethanol, albumin, or nonionic detergents had any effect on aggregation. The aggregating activity of EDTA-treated saliva was restored by 0.1 mM Ca2+ and 1.0 mM Mn2+ but not by up to 5 mM Mg2+. Only streptococci from the stationary phase were aggregated. Hyaluronidase treatment of streptococci from the exponential phase of growth restored their ability to be aggregated, suggesting that the hyaluronic acid capsule interferes with agglutination. Adsorption of WHS by one strain of Streptococcus pyogenes removed aggregating activity for other strains of S. pyogenes and Streptococcus sanguis but not agglutinins for Escherichia coli, suggesting that the agglutinin is specific for certain gram-positive bacteria. Molecular sieve chromatography of WHS and identification of streptococcus-binding components of saliva suggest that either a glycoprotein of approximately 360 kDa or a mucin of saliva of greater than 1,000 kDa mediates aggregation of streptococci. WHS also inhibited adherence of S. pyogenes to buccal epithelial cells.
Event-Based Haptic Representation of Small Surface Features

This work seeks to extend the paradigm of event-based haptics through analysis and simulation of the dynamics of probe-based interactions with small surface features. As the preliminary work in this area, this paper focuses on the case of moving a probe down a step from a high surface to a lower one. Event parameters can be computed from measurements of velocity and contact force as the probe is traversed across a small step height change in a real material. These parameters are then used to simulate the same change in a virtual environment. Comparison with standard position-based renderings of step discontinuities show significant improvements in perceived realism using the event-based approach.Copyright © 2006 by ASME
On groups of automorphisms of a class of surfaces

In this note we describe the group of automorphisms of a commutative algebra with three generatorsx, y andz satisfying a relationxy= P(z), whereP(z) is a polynomial.
Quantization of general relativity

Several theories of quantum general relativity have been formulated. Each of these theories has elements of arbitrariness and ambiguity as well as technical difficulty which make it less than satisfactory. However, the construction of these theories has revealed much about the structure of general relativity as a dynamical system and has spurred the development of new approaches to quantum theory. Canonical, sum-over-histories and source theory approaches to the quantization of the gravitational field in the absence of matter are reviewed in terms of a unified notation. Discussions of quantum theory and general relativity are provided to make the review self-contained for readers with a general physics background. The quantization of open space-time geometries (graviton scattering) is treated in sufficient detail to reveal the basic mathematical structure of the formalism. The quantization of closed universes (quantum cosmology) is discussed with particular attention to the superspace concept and the construction of finite-dimensional model quantum theories. Superspace, the domain manifold of the quantum state functional in general relativity, is also discussed separately.
Hematological Toxicity After Robotic Stereotactic Body Radiosurgery for Treatment of Metastatic Gynecologic Malignancies

Purpose To evaluate hematological toxicity after robotic stereotactic body radiosurgery (SBRT) for treatment of women with metastatic abdominopelvic gynecologic malignancies. Methods and Materials A total of 61 women with stage IV gynecologic malignancies treated with abdominopelvic SBRT were analyzed after ablative radiation (2400 cGy/3 divided consecutive daily doses) delivered by a robotic-armed Cyberknife SBRT system. Abdominopelvic bone marrow was identified using computed tomography-guided contouring. Fatigue and hematologic toxicities were graded by retrospective assignment of common toxicity criteria for adverse events (version 4.0). Bone marrow volume receiving 1000 cGy (V10) was tested for association with post-therapy (median 32 days [25%-75% quartile, 28-45 days]) white- or red-cell counts, hemoglobin levels, and platelet counts as marrow toxicity surrogates. Results In all, 61 women undergoing abdominopelvic SBRT had a median bone marrow V10 of 2% (25%-75% quartile: 0%-8%). Fifty-seven (93%) of 61 women had received at least 1 pre-SBRT marrow-taxing chemotherapy regimen for metastatic disease. Bone marrow V10 did not associate with hematological adverse events. In all, 15 grade 2 (25%) and 2 grade 3 (3%) fatigue symptoms were self-reported among the 61 women within the first 10 days post-therapy, with fatigue resolved spontaneously in all 17 women by 30 days post-therapy. Neutropenia was not observed. Three (5%) women had a grade 1 drop in hemoglobin level to Conclusions Abdominopelvic SBRT provided ablative radiation dose to cancer targets without increased bone marrow toxicity. Abdominopelvic SBRT for metastatic gynecologic malignancies warrants further study.
Heightened blood pressure and drinking responsiveness to intracerebroventricularly applied angiotensins in the spontaneously hypertensive rat.

The effects of bolus intracerebroventricular (i.c.v.) injections of angiotensin II (AII) and angiotensin III (AIII) on blood pressure and water consumption were investigated in Okamoto-Aoki spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR), and Wistar-Kyoto (WKY) and Sprague-Dawley (SD) normotensive controls. Heightened sensitivity to i.c.v. administered AII and AIII was observed in the SHR as compared with WKY and SD strains for both pressor and drinking responses. The results are consistent with the notion that the SHR has a genetic defect that directly perturbs central angiotensinergic transmission. Two types of defects appear plausible, an alteration in the central angiotensin receptor and its associated transduction system and/or a decrease in the efficiency of signal termination. The present results are interpreted to primarily support the second possibility that a dysfunction in central aminopeptidase activity results in an extended life expectancy of angiotensin, and perhaps other peptides, that contribute to the hypersensitivity seen in the SHR.
Convicting the Innocent: The Inferiority of Unanimous Jury Verdicts under Strategic Voting

It is often suggested that requiring juries to reach a unanimous verdict reduces the probability of convicting an innocent defendant while increasing the probability of acquitting a guilty defendant. We construct a model that demonstrates how strategic voting by jurors undermines this basic intuition. We show that the unanimity rule may lead to a high probability of both kinds of error and that the probability of convicting an innocent defendant may actually increase with the size of the jury. Finally, we demonstrate that a wide variety of voting rules, including simple majority rule, lead to much lower probabilities of both kinds of error.
Development of the Technical Compendium and Summary of IVI Human Factors Research

The transportation human factors community has supported the development and evaluation of advanced transportation systems through many years of analyses, research, and system design activities However, for many individuals directly involved in the day-to-day development of these systems, the accumulated human factors knowledge base is generally dispersed and not available in one central source. This paper summarizes the development and content of a compendium and summary of human factors research supporting the US DOT's Intelligent Vehicle Initiative (IVI). The final report for this effort is a comprehensive and easy-to-use resource that summarizes the accumulated human factors knowledge and practices that are relevant to the IVI. It is intended for use by both human factors and non-human factors (i.e., engineers, designers, program managers) participants in the transportation system development process.
Thermochemistry of europium and dithiocarbamate complex Eu(C5H8NS2)3(C12H8N2)

A solid complex Eu(C5H8NS2)3(C12H8N2) has been obtained from reaction of hydrous europium chloride with ammonium pyrrolidinedithiocarbamate (APDC) and 1,10-phenanthroline (o-phen⋅H2O) in absolute ethanol. IR spectrum of the complex indicated that Eu3+ in the complex coordinated with sulfur atoms from the APDC and nitrogen atoms from the o-phen. TG-DTG investigation provided the evidence that the title complex was decomposed into EuS. The enthalpy change of the reaction of formation of the complex in ethanol, Δr H m θ(l), as –22.214±0.081 kJ mol–1, and the molar heat capacity of the complex, c m, as 61.676±0.651 J mol–1 K–1, at 298.15 K were determined by an RD-496 III type microcalorimeter. The enthalpy change of the reaction of formation of the complex in solid, Δr H m θ(s), was calculated as 54.527±0.314 kJ mol–1 through a thermochemistry cycle. Based on the thermodynamics and kinetics on the reaction of formation of the complex in ethanol at different temperatures, fundamental parameters, including the activation enthalpy (ΔH ≠ θ), the activation entropy (ΔS ≠ θ), the activation free energy (ΔG ≠ θ), the apparent reaction rate constant (k), the apparent activation energy (E), the pre-exponential constant (A) and the reaction order (n), were obtained. The constant-volume combustion energy of the complex, Δc U, was determined as –16937.88±9.79 kJ mol–1 by an RBC-II type rotating-bomb calorimeter at 298.15 K. Its standard enthalpy of combustion, Δc H m θ, and standard enthalpy of formation, Δf H m θ, were calculated to be –16953.37±9.79 and –1708.23±10.69 kJ mol–1, respectively.
Single crystal ESR and optical studies of VO(HPO4)·0.5H2O

Abstract We report single crystal ESR and optical results on VO(HPO4)·0.5H2O. Blue, blue-green, and green transparent crystals resulted from the hydrothermal reaction between VOSO4·3H2O and phenylphosphonic acid. Single crystal x-ray diffraction and chemical analysis confirmed the identity of the material as VO(HPO4)·0.5H2O. Crystals as large as 1mm × 1mm × 0.08mm were grown, making them suitable for ESR and optical experiments. Single crystals of VO(HPO4)·0.5H2O were mounted on a two circle goniometer and the six necessary angular measurements were recorded in order to diagonalize the g-tensor and provide the direction cosines. The crystals were indexed such that the crystallographic axes were known with respect to the goniometer. The V+4 (d1) are paired antiferromagnetically in discreet dimers. The ESR signal results from the thermal population of an excited triplet state. The intensity of the ESR signal as a function of temperature was determined and fit to a thermally accessible triplet equation yielding a singlet-triplet separation of 60.8 cm−1. Optical absorption in the visible and near infrared on single crystals was also employed to assist in the characterization of the nonaxial the g tensor of the individual vanadyl monomers.
Preparation for Burn Center Verification

Today's managed care environment has challenged health care institutions to deliver quality cost-effective health care. In the burn community the American Burn Association/American College of Surgeons Burn Center Verification has become an increasingly sought after quality credential. Essential to successful completion of the verification process is the identification of key components that must be in place before an application is submitted. These components must be well documented and present in the application and during the site visit. Adequate burn team preparation is a significant contributor to successful verification. In addition, the process necessitates self-examination and acquires the benefits of validating current practices and identifying opportunities for improved patient care and efficient operation. This article details the preparation process undertaken by one burn center before its successful verification.
Utility of the plain abdominal radiograph for diagnosing ureteral calculi

Our study was designed to measure sensitivity, specificity, predictive value, and accuracy of the plain abdominal radiograph (PAR) for diagnosing ureteral calculi (UC) in our emergency department (ED), and to determine if obtaining this test in the ED provides clinically useful diagnostic information. Records of 206 adult patients (147 men, 59 women) who underwent emergency excretory urography as part of an ED evaluation for possible ureteral stones were reviewed. A retrospective scoring index was devised to estimate the clinical probability of a ureteral stone for each patient. All patients had a PAR shortly before the excretory urogram (EXU) was performed. Each PAR was separated from the corresponding EXU, and both were independently reviewed for radiographic evidence of ureterolithiasis. The results of the PAR and EXU interpretations were compared. There were 92 true-positive PARs (45%), 19 false positives (9%), and 39 true negatives (19%), yielding a sensitivity of 62% and a specificity of 67%. In patients with a high estimated clinical probability of a ureteral calculus, the PAR had a positive predictive value of 86% and a negative predictive value of 22%. In the remaining patients, the positive and negative predictive values of the PAR were 69% and 72%, respectively. Each patient's clinical index score was compared to his or her EXU results. For detecting UC, the sensitivity of our scoring index was 82%, and the specificity was 51%; the positive predictive value of the scoring index was 82%, and the negative predictive value was 52%. Based on these data, we conclude the following about the PAR as a diagnostic test in ED patients with suspected UC: 1) sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, and negative predictive value are low; 2) it provides no more diagnostic information than an appropriate history, physical examination, and urinalysis; and 3) it should never be used in place of an EXU for proper diagnosis and management of such patients.
Radionuclide Production Aspects of Medical Cyclotrons

The primary purpose of a medical cyclotron is to improve the diagnostic value of Nuclear Medicine through the production of clinical quantities of desirable radionuclides. A medical cyclotron in the 15 MeV to 20 MeV energy range can produce 10 to 100 millicurie quantities of intermediate and short-lived radionuclides. A medical cyclotron in the 25 MeV to 30 MeV energy range can produce curie to multicurie quantities of intermediate and short-lived radionuclides. The considerations for selecting a medical cyclotron used for radionuclide production are radionuclidic purity and production capabilities. The influence of nuclear reactions, particle energy and isotopic enrichment of target material on these considerations is discussed.
The sex ratio and male-on-female intimate partner violence

Abstract Two divergent perspectives have been articulated in the literature regarding the effect that an unbalanced sex ratio is speculated to have on male-on-female intimate partner violence. Evolutionary psychology proffers that a high sex ratio (i.e., more men than women in the population) propagates competition among males for female mates. This competition for female mates is thought to engender sexual jealousy among men, which in turn results in male-on-female intimate partner violence. In contrast, the Guttentag and Secord thesis argues that a high sex ratio acts to attenuate rather than amplify male-on-female intimate partner violence because the relatively small number of women in the population makes them more highly valued and respected by men. Using data culled from the Federal Bureau of Investigation's National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS) and the Census, we investigate the relationship between the sex ratio and male-on-female intimate partner violence. We define male-on-female intimate partner violence as violence occurring within a marriage or boyfriend/girlfriend type relationship. Multivariate regression results furnish evidence supporting evolutionary psychology by demonstrating that a high sex ratio increases male-on-female intimate partner violence. Results also show that male-on-female intimate partner violence is higher in cities where more women work. Such a finding further buttresses the logic associated with evolutionary psychology because participation in the workforce is theorized to afford a woman a greater opportunity to meet and interact with men other than her husband or boyfriend.