cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Sculpture on Campus at SIUE: A Conversational Dialogue with Afruz Amighi, Thad Duhigg, and Sophia Ruppert

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville’s annual Sculpture on Campus program (SoC) gives twelve students, undergraduates and graduates of varied sculptural experience, the unique opportunity to propose, design, and install large-scale outdoor sculpture on permanent sculpture pads located throughout the university grounds. The culmination of SoC is the Sculpture Walk, an event that allows the participants to speak publically about their work and to field questions from the crowd, often 250-300 people. A key aspect of the SoC program, now in its sixteenth year, is the participation of a prominent visiting artist to serve as guest juror. For 2016, the internationally known Iranian-American sculptor Afruz Amighi filled that role. Amighi, Thad Duhigg, professor of sculpture and SoC faculty mentor, and Sophia Ruppert, undergraduate student and third-year SoC participant, sat down with Katherine Poole-Jones, associate professor of art history at SIUE, for an informal conversation on October 7, the day of the 2016 SoC Sculpture Walk, to discuss this unique program, working large-scale, and what it means to create successful public sculpture, on and off the college campus. The exchange has been edited for clarity and length.
Efficient Label Collection for Image Datasets via Hierarchical Clustering

Raw visual data used to train classifiers is abundant and easy to gather, but lacks semantic labels that describe visual concepts of interest. These labels are necessary for supervised learning and can require significant human effort to collect. We discuss four labeling objectives that play an important role in the design of frameworks aimed at collecting label information for large training sets while maintaining low human effort: discovery, efficiency, exploitation and accuracy. We introduce a framework that explicitly models and balances these four labeling objectives with the use of (1) hierarchical clustering, (2) a novel interestingness measure that defines structural change within the hierarchy, and (3) an iterative group-based labeling process that exploits relationships between labeled and unlabeled data. Results on benchmark data show that our framework collects labeled training data more efficiently than existing labeling techniques and trains higher performing visual classifiers. Further, we show that our resulting framework is fast and significantly reduces human interaction time when labeling real-world multi-concept imagery depicting outdoor environments.
Ambicor 2-Piece Inflatable Penile Prosthesis: Who and How?

Abstract Background Currently the Ambicor is the only 2-piece inflatable penile prosthesis (IPP) available in the United States. By eliminating the separate reservoir, this provides certain advantages for patient and surgeon. Nevertheless, it composes a small percentage of all IPPs implanted in the United States. Aim To detail the surgical technique for implantation, describe the ideal patient candidates best suited for the Ambicor, and discuss the most common and some rare complications with a review of the available published literature in combination with our clinical experience. Methods A PubMed literature search was performed to obtain all peer-reviewed articles published in English specifically on the Ambicor 2-piece IPP. We also reviewed our clinical experience with the Ambicor during the past 2 decades. Results The published data remain limited, because few articles on the Ambicor have been published in the past 10 years. Overall complication rates were 2.1% to 9.5%. Patient satisfaction rates were 75% to 96.4%, with similar partner satisfaction rates. Relative contraindications for implantation include patients with significant penile deformities, long narrow phalluses, or short phalluses. Strengths and Limitations Despite the limited available published data with short follow-up periods, this review provides a comprehensive discussion on the technical aspects and relevant perioperative counseling recommended for Ambicor implantation. Conclusion The prosthetic urologist should offer the Ambicor 2-piece IPP to patients with erectile dysfunction whose non-surgical treatment has failed. Certain implanters might want to avoid the blind retropubic reservoir placement that occurs with 3-piece IPPs and might not be comfortable with an ectopic approach and therefore prefer using a 2-piece device. We believe the ideal Ambicor candidate is a patient with a current or future pelvic organ transplant, decreased manual dexterity, in need of complete phallic reconstruction, or with known extensive prior abdominopelvic surgery. Abdelsayed GA, Levine LA. Ambicor 2-Piece Inflatable Penile Prosthesis: Who and How? J Sex Med 2018;15:410–415.
Accurate location of inter-circuit faults on double-circuit transmission lines based on sparse wide-area voltage measurements

Inter-circuit fault is a type of fault in which phases from two or more circuits at a single geographical location are connected. This type of fault is more likely to occur on a double-circuit transmission line located on a single tower structure. This paper proposes a location algorithm for inter-circuit faults on a double-circuit transmission line based on sparse wide-area voltage measurements. The proposed algorithm is based on bus impedance matrix theory. This method is applicable to both transposed and untransposed double-circuit transmission lines. Wide-area measurements are captured by phasor-measurement units (PMUs) from buses which may be far away from faulted line. The need of fault type information is eliminated, and distributed parameter transmission line model is adopted to fully consider shunt capacitances. The proposed method has been evaluated with simulation studies based on Electromagnetic Transients Program (EMTP). Quite accurate location results are yielded, and representative results are presented in the paper.
A Brief History of Water Technology During Antiquity: Before the Romans

Hydraulic technology began during antiquity long before the great works of such investigators such as Leonardo da Vinci (1452–1519), Galileo Galilei (1564–1642), Evangelista Torricelli (1608–1647), Blaise Pascal (1623–1662), Isaac Newton (1642–1727), Daniel Bernoulli (1700–1782), and Leonhard Euler (1707–1783). The history of hydraulic technology even began long before Archimedes (287–212 B.C.). It is amazing to see what was accomplished in the application of water technology during antiquity, millenniums before the development of the concepts of conservation of mass, energy, and momentum used in present-day hydraulic design. Humans have spent most of their history as hunting and food gathering beings. Only in the last 9,000–10,000 years they discovered how to grow crops and tame animals.
Model-Based Understanding of Clinical Vergence Testing

Both symmetric and asymmetric disparity vergence have been investigated extensively over the past 50 years to gain a more complete understanding of the sensory, motor, and perceptual processes subserving and controlling binocular fusion, which is the primary goal of the vergence system (Schor and Ciuffreda, 1983; Ciuffreda and Tannen, 1995). Pure symmetric vergence can be elicited when a target is displaced in depth precisely along one’s egocentric midline. In this case, the retinal disparity is equally distributed between the two eyes (Fig. 17.1A). The response consists of a saccade-free, relatively slow and smooth, symmetric disparity vergence tracking movement in depth. On the other hand, asymmetric vergence can be elicited when a target is displaced in depth anywhere except precisely along the egocentric midline, as is true under most naturalistic conditions. In this case, the initial retinal disparity is unequally distributed between the two eyes (Fig. 17.1B). However, now the response consists of a rapid saccade and a relatively slower disparity vergence movement, with the conjugate saccade functioning to shift the eyes laterally such that the retinal disparity is once again symmetrically distributed between the two eyes for symmetric disparity vergence to correct the residual bifixation error within foveal Panum’s fusional areas (PFA). Furthermore, there is the special case of line-of-sight asymmetric vergence, in which the target is moved along the line-of-sight of one eye (Fig. 17.1C). Here too both a saccade and a disparity vergence movement are executed, as described earlier for the more general case of asymmetric vergence (Fig. 17.1B).
The Ottoman Empire and the Technological Dialogue Between Europe and Asia: The Case of Military Technology and Know-How in the Gunpowder Age

The historiography of Muslim-Christian relations has suffered from many distortions. Clashes between Cross and Crescent have dominated the narrative, whereas intra-civilizational conflicts, that is, wars within Christianity and Islam, as well as military cooperation and acculturation between the various Muslim and Christian polities, have usually been de-emphasized. The history of Islamic warfare shows that wars within Islam and wars against non-Muslim enemies other than Christians were as important as wars against the Cross. After all, the Mongol invasion in the 1250s had far greater impact on the history of the Islamic heartlands than the Crusades. Despite rhetoric to the contrary, holy war – whether crusade or jihad – was not the only way in which relations between Europe and the Ottomans were defined either.
Unilateral and Bilateral Social Control

Unilateral social control is the next stage in the escalation of social control. The essence of tolerance, avoidance and exit is to avoid conflict. In contrast to these forms of inaction, unilateral social control indicates an aggressive and confrontational response. In unilateral responses, the aggrieved party makes a claim for physical, monetary, or symbolic redress to the offender. If these claims are not satisfied, the claimant takes aggressive actions toward the offending party. Unilateral social control often takes the form of vengeance, which is a reciprocal exchange of punishments (Black, 1989a). In contrast to bilateral and trilateral social control, unilateral control involves no negotiation or use of third parties. Its distinguishing characteristic is an assault by one grievant on the other without the invocation of second- or third-party settlement agents.
HEXID2: A Low-Power, Low-Noise Pixel Readout ASIC for Hyperspectral Energy-Resolving X-Ray Imaging Detectors

We present a low-power, low-noise prototype pixel readout application specific integrated circuit (ASIC) for hyperspectral enegy-resolving X-ray imaging detectors. The ASIC provides 16-by-16 channels to read out positive and negative charges from 16-by-16 heagonal silicon or CZT detector arrays, at a pitch size of $250 \mu \mathrm{m}$, to achieve good spatial resolution and the ability to record the energy of a detected photon as well as its position. The readout is done by bumpbonding the anodes to the inputs of the ASIC. Each channel of the ASIC provides low-noise charge amplification, high-order shaping with baseline stabilization, discrimination, extraction of amplitude (with neighbour channels), multiplexing, and dissipates $\sim0.6$ mW. A smart readout of the triggered pixel and its adjacent six pixels in the hexagonal configuration allows reconstruction of events with charge sharing correction, and can be used to estimate the depth of the photon interaction and to suppress background events. The target equivalent noise charge (ENC) is $\sim10$ electrons for silicon detector pixel and $\sim15$ electrons for CZT detector pixel.
Treatment-Related Complications of Systemic Therapy and Radiotherapy.

Importance Systemic therapy and radiotherapy can be associated with acute complications that may require emergent care. However, there are limited data characterizing complications and the financial burden of cancer therapy that are treated in emergency departments (EDs) in the United States. Objectives To estimate the incidence of treatment-related complications of systemic therapy or radiotherapy, examine factors associated with inpatient admission, and investigate the overall financial burden. Design, Setting, and Participants A retrospective analysis of the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project Nationwide Emergency Department Sample was performed. Between January 2006 and December 2015, there was a weighted total of 1.3 billion ED visits; of these, 1.5 million were related to a complication of systemic therapy or radiotherapy for cancer. Data analysis was conducted from February 22 to December 23, 2018. External cause of injury codes, Clinical Classifications Software,International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification, andInternational Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems, Tenth Revision (ICD-10), Clinical Modificationcodes were used to identify patients with complications of systemic therapy or radiotherapy. Main Outcomes and Measures Patterns in treatment-related complications, patient- and hospital-related factors associated with inpatient admission, and median and total charges for treatment-related complications were the main outcomes. Results Of the 1.5 million ED visits included in the analysis, 53.2% of patients were female and mean age was 63.3 years. Treatment-related ED visits increased by a rate of 10.8% per year compared with 2.0% for overall ED visits. Among ED visits, 90.9% resulted in inpatient admission to the hospital and 4.9% resulted in death during hospitalization. Neutropenia (136 167 [8.9%]), sepsis (128 171 [8.4%]), and anemia (117 557 [7.7%]) were both the most common and costliest (neutropenia: $5.52 billion; sepsis: $11.21 billion; and anemia: $6.78 billion) complications diagnosed on presentation to EDs; sepsis (odds ratio [OR], 21.00; 95% CI, 14.61-30.20), pneumonia (OR, 9.73; 95% CI, 8.08-11.73), and acute kidney injury (OR, 9.60; 95% CI, 7.77-11.85) were associated with inpatient admission. Costs related to the top 10 most common complications totaled $38 billion and comprised 48% of the total financial burden of the study cohort. Conclusions and Relevance Emergency department visits for complications of systemic therapy or radiotherapy increased at a 5.5-fold higher rate over 10 years compared with overall ED visits. Neutropenia, sepsis, and anemia appear to be the most common complications; sepsis, pneumonia, and acute kidney injury appear to be associated with the highest rates of inpatient admission. These complications suggest that significant charges are incurred on ED visits.
Research-to-Resource: Designing Singing Assessments for Classroom Use:

Research has provided several scales for valid assessments of singing skills. Singing voice development and singing accuracy (tunefulness) are frequent objectives targeted by teachers in music clas...
Co-Entangled Actin-Microtubule Composites Exhibit Tunable Stiffness and Power-Law Stress Relaxation.

Abstract We use optical tweezers microrheology and fluorescence microscopy to characterize the nonlinear mesoscale mechanics and mobility of in vitro co-entangled actin-microtubule composites. We create a suite of randomly oriented, well-mixed networks of actin and microtubules by co-polymerizing varying ratios of actin and tubulin in situ. To perturb each composite far from equilibrium, we use optical tweezers to displace an embedded microsphere a distance greater than the lengths of the filaments at a speed much faster than their intrinsic relaxation rates. We simultaneously measure the force the filaments exert on the bead and the subsequent force relaxation. We find that the presence of a large fraction of microtubules (>0.7) is needed to substantially increase the measured force, which is accompanied by large heterogeneities in force response. Actin minimizes these heterogeneities by reducing the mesh size of the composites and supporting microtubules against buckling. Composites also undergo a sharp transition from strain softening to stiffening when the fraction of microtubules (ϕT) exceeds 0.5, which we show arises from faster poroelastic relaxation and suppressed actin bending fluctuations. The force after bead displacement relaxes via power-law decay after an initial period of minimal relaxation. The short-time relaxation profiles (t
P7 Consumer Perceptions of the Healthfulness of Protein-Labeled Cereal

Background Foods with front-of-package protein labels are rapidly being added to market shelves. Because the nutritional content of these products may not be substantially different from other similar products, it is important to determine if consumers perceive them as being healthier than comparable products without protein claims. Objective To examine how a front-of-package protein label on a box of cereal influences healthfulness perceptions. Study Design, Setting, Participants Utilizing a nationally representative sample, 1,022 adults participated in an online survey. Measurable Outcome/Analysis Participants were shown images of two cereals (Special K Original and Special K Protein) and asked comparative questions about overall healthfulness, health benefits, and nutrients. Descriptive statistics and Wilcoxon signed rank tests were performed. Results Participants perceived Special K Protein as healthier ( P = .029), more nutritious ( P P Conclusion Participants perceived Special K Protein to be healthier and more nutritious than Special K Original, while also more frequently and incorrectly attributing health benefits to Special K Protein. These results demonstrate that there is a health halo surrounding this protein-labeled product, which warrants further investigation and the possibility for consumer education. Funding None.
Abstract P186: Specific Knockout of Sox6 in Renin Expressing Cells Cause a Decrease in Renin Expression and Changes to Vascular Reactivity

Introduction: Sox6 is a transcription factor known to be important for specification of different cell lineages, and important during embryonic development in vertebrates. Our group recently found ...
Marital Conflict, Intimate Partner Violence, and Family Preservation

This chapter examines the empirical literature concerning family preservation. Although many chapters include information relevant to family preservation, this chapter focuses on family problems not explicitly discussed elsewhere in the book. Thus, we discuss marital conflict in terms of not only how couple members are affected, but also how family life impacts the health and well-being of the children. We do not address specific problems, such as chemical dependency, juvenile delinquency, and eating disorders, even though these problems affect family preservation, and we discuss family violence strictly in terms of domestic or spousal abuse, rather than child abuse, sibling abuse, or elder abuse, even though these problems, obviously, affect family preservation. This chapter includes a discussion of assessment methods and intervention methods related to intimate partner violence.
Demonstration of a combined differential absorption and high spectral resolution lidar for profiling atmospheric temperature

This work presents the first demonstration of atmospheric temperature measurement using the differential absorption lidar (DIAL) technique. While DIAL is routinely used to measure atmospheric gases such as ozone and water vapor, almost no success has been found in using DIAL to measure atmospheric temperature. Attempts to measure temperature using a well-mixed gas like oxygen (O2) have largely failed based on a need for quantitative ancillary measurements of water vapor and atmospheric aerosols. Here, a lidar is described and demonstrated that simultaneously measures O2 absorption, water vapor number density, and aerosol backscatter ratio. This combination of measurements allows for the first measurements of atmospheric temperature with useful accuracy. DIAL temperature measurements are presented to an altitude of 4 km with 225 m and 30 min resolution with accuracy better than 3 K. DIAL temperature data is compared to a co-located Raman lidar system and radiosondes to evaluate the system’s performance. Finally, an analysis of current performance characteristics is presented, which highlights pathways for future improvement of this proof-of-concept instrument.
An Enhanced Recovery Protocol that Facilitates Same-day Discharge for Simple Laparoscopic Appendectomies

Acute appendicitis is the most common gastrointestinal condition requiring urgent operation in the pediatric population with laparoscopic appendectomy (LA) being the current surgical technique. We describe the implementation of a standardized protocol to reduce postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV) and facilitate same-day discharge after LA. Methods A multidisciplinary team developed this protocol to facilitate same-day discharge after observing high rates of overnight stay due to PONV among simple appendectomies performed in 2011-2012. The protocol was implemented in November 2014 and underwent a revision in June 2016. Following the implementation of the protocol, we monitored the patients undergoing an LA at Nationwide Children's Hospital between November 2014 and August 2017. Results We identified 691 patients (255 female) who underwent a simple LA at Nationwide Children's Hospital between November 2014 and August 2017. The patient population had a median age of 11 years (interquartile range: 9, 14). Among these patients, 514 (74%) were discharged on the day of surgery, and 387 (56%) were protocol compliant. The rate of same-day discharge was higher for compliant cases (79%) than noncompliant cases (69%, P = 0.003). Multivariable statistical analysis associated compliance with an increased likelihood of same-day discharge (Odds ratio [OR] = 1.7, 95% CI: 1.2, 2.4, P = 0.002). Conclusions Implementation of the LA protocol to reduce PONV demonstrated a significant increase in the rate of same-day discharge from the hospital among compliant patients. Also, the adoption of a protocol to select patients for early discharge after LA has shown results with a 45% reduction in the need for inhospital beds.
Quantifying effects of forest harvesting on sources of suspended sediment to an Oregon Coast Range headwater stream

Abstract Elevated fine sediment transport to streams can negatively affect aquatic ecosystem health, downstream infrastructure, and community water supply. Forest harvesting activities can increase the delivery of fine sediment to streams due to intensified erosion or mass wasting from hillslopes, roads, and stream channels. However, quantifying the effects of forest harvesting on sediment inputs to streams and the effectiveness of current best management practices (BMPs) at mitigating these effects remains a challenge. In this study, we used sediment source fingerprinting techniques to quantify and compare the sources of suspended sediment to a stream draining a recently harvested catchment and a nearby, unharvested reference catchment in the Oregon Coast Range of the U.S. Pacific Northwest. In each stream, we quantified the proportional contributions of suspended sediment from three potential source areas: hillslopes, roads, and streambanks. The primary source of suspended sediment in the harvested catchment was streambank sediment (90.2 ± 3.4%) with lesser amounts of hillslope (7.1 ± 3.1%) and road (3.6 ± 3.6%) sediment. Interestingly, the proportional contributions of suspended sediment in the reference catchment were similar, with the majority from streambanks (93.1 ± 1.8%) followed by hillslopes (6.9 ± 1.8%). There were no contributions from roads in the reference catchment, despite a similar road network as the harvested catchment. We also quantified monthly sediment mass eroded from 36 × 1 m2 hillslope plots. The sediment mass eroded from the general harvest area (96.5 ± 57.0 (SE) g) was ~10.6-times greater than the sediment collected in the riparian buffer (9.1 ± 1.9 g) and ~4.6-times greater than the sediment collected on the unharvested, reference hillslope (21.0 ± 3.3 g). While this study provides evidence of effectiveness of contemporary BMPs (e.g., riparian management areas, limits to cutblock size, reduced impact forest harvesting techniques, road building and maintenance) at mitigating sediment delivery to streams, additional research is needed as existing studies do not adequately reflect the broad range of climate, geology, topography, and vegetation in the Pacific Northwest, which drive highly variable hydrologic and geomorphic processes in the region.
Chapter 13 – Challenges

Significant progress has been made in the last few years on the design of drug sensitivity prediction models, along with development of numerous targeted therapies. However, there remain several challenges that need to be addressed on the inference and validation of predictive models before being commonly applied in clinical practice. This chapter discusses such challenges as they pertain to the advanced design of drug sensitivity prediction models, along with their validation and clinical application.
The Effect of Bi on the Mechanical Properties of Aged SAC Solder Joint

Recent studies demonstrate significant reductions in mechanical properties of lead-free interconnection materials in harsh environments such as automotive and military applications. SAC alloys are subjected to substantial deterioration under high-temperature operating conditions. This problem is worsened with extended aging conditions and high-stress levels. After aging, the reliability of the solder joint is reduced due to the microstructure evolutions. Doping the solder joints with certain elements such as Bi and Sb leads to improve their mechanical properties. Three different solder alloy compositions are considered in this study, including SnAgCu (SAC305), SnAgCu-3Bi, and SnAgCu-6Bi. The solder joints are subjected to four levels of aging time at 150°C, including 0, 10, 100, 1000 hrs. The Instron 5948 Micro Tester is used to perform shear and micro-indentation for individual solder joints by using customized experimental setup. The ultimate shear stress of Bi alloys was notably higher than the ultimate shear strength of SAC 305 regardless of the aging time due to solid solution hardening and precipitate hardening. The creep rate of SAC305 is significantly higher than SAC-Bi alloys regardless of the aging time due to the solid solution phenomena of Bi in the Sn lattice. However, the aging effect on the SAC-Bi alloys is relatively marginal compared to SAC305. The goal of this research paper is to investigate the effect of adding Bi on the mechanical properties and the microstructure of SAC-based solder joints by considering aging times.
Modeling and analysis of functional method comparison data

We consider modeling and analysis of functional data arising in method comparison studies. The observed data consist of repeated measurements of a continuous variable obtained using multiple method...
Improving African American confidence in law enforcement: Recruit to optimize procedural justice, not racial quotas

Although a common maxim among many practitioners argues that police departments should recruit their way out of the African American confidence race gap by hiring more minority officers, that maxim is unfounded and redirects our recruitment efforts away from hiring to ensure procedural justice and police effectiveness—the two most powerful determinants of African American confidence in the police. The author’s nationwide survey revealed that African Americans living in cities with more racially representative law enforcement agencies were no more confident in local law enforcement than those living in cities where African Americans were underrepresented. That same survey proved, instead, that African American confidence is far higher where local police forces deliver procedural justice and effective policing than where local police forces are merely racially representative. This article presents the survey findings and explores the policy implications for law enforcement recruitment.
Pedagogical Agents in E-learning: a review of recent (2009-2019) research results.

This paper presents a systematic review of recent (2009-2019) publications on the results of primary studies that investigate smart learning, focusing on the use of Pedagogical Agents (PAs), either animated or not, in Education and specifically in E-learning systems. PAs are software constructs (digital ‘characters’) that offer aid and support to the learner based on the learner's needs and recognized affective state. Primary studies that involve interaction of the PA with human learners in online educational contexts, are retrieved and screened according to a set of criteria. The subset of publications finally retained are analyzed to estimate the (possible) recent trend in PA-related research and to answer a number of research questions referring to the form, the role, the context and the effectiveness of the PA. A sustained interest rather than a trend has emerged from this analysis; moreover, the typical study uses an animated PA to teach a class of Computer Science undergraduate students; in 3 out of 4 studies, positive learning outcomes are reported and attributed to the presence of the PA. Results are discussed and further research directions are outlined.
An empirical study of thermal attacks on edge platforms

Cloud-edge systems are vulnerable to thermal attacks as the increased energy consumption may remain undetected, while occurring alongside normal, CPU-intensive applications. The purpose of our research is to study thermal effects on modern edge systems. We also analyze how performance is affected from the increased heat and identify preventative measures. We speculate that due to the technology being a recent innovation, research on cloud-edge devices and thermal attacks is scarce. Other research focuses on server systems rather than edge platforms. In our paper, we use a Raspberry Pi 4 and a CPU-intensive application to represent thermal attacks on cloud-edge systems. We performed several experiments with the Raspberry Pi 4 and used stress-ng, a benchmarking tool available on Linux distributions, to simulate the attacks. The resulting effects displayed drastic increases in the temperature and power consumption. The key impact of our research is to highlight the following risks and mitigation plans: the vulnerability of cloud-edge systems from thermal attacks, the capability for the attacks to go unnoticed, to further the understanding of edge devices as well as the prevention of these attacks.
Solvent- and Wavelength-Dependent Photolysis of Estrone.

The direct photolysis of estrone in solvents ranging from water to cyclohexane is reported. The photodegradation is dominated by lumiestrone, an epimer of estrone resulting from the inversion of the methyl group at carbon 13, regardless of solvent and photolysis wavelength in the range 254-320 nm. Solvent addition products are also observed in lesser amounts. The photodegradation rate in water is an order of magnitude slower than in nonaqueous solvents. Short wavelength excitation enhances photodegradation. Together, these results suggest complicated photophysics underlie the photochemistry with implications for the remediation of environmental estrogens.
Swimming patterns associated with foraging in phylogenetically and ecologically diverse American weakly electric teleosts (Gymnotiformes)

The backwards swimming behavior exhibited by American weakly electric fishes (Gymnotiformes) is thought to be an important component of foraging, particularly in the electrolocation of prey items. Previous studies of Eigenmannia virescens and Apteronotus albifrons have shown that backwards swimming appears to allow a fish to scan a potential prey item across its cutaneous electroreceptor array, then put itself in position for a short, forward lunge preceding ingestion. Adult gymnotiforms exhibit considerable variation in size, shape, and electric organ characteristics. For example, gymnotiforms produce either a wave or a pulse electric organ discharge (EOD). Given this variation, we ask whether the results reported previously can be completely generalized to all gymnotiforms. To address this question we observed the foraging patterns of phylogenetically and ecologically distinct gymnotiforms: three wave species, E. virescens, A. albifrons and Sternopygus macrurus; and three pulse species, Gymnotus carapo, Brachyhypopomus cf. brevirostris, and Rhamphichthys rostratus. Electric organ placement and body shape were also noted in these species to determine if morphological differences correlate with variations in foraging behaviors. Results demonstrate that following prey detection the wave species examined primarily swim backwards during prey approach, prior to lunging forward and ingesting prey. This result is similar to previous findings. In contrast, the pulse species examined detect, approach, and ingest prey primarily in the forward direction, swimming backwards only to reposition themselves.
The Autonomic Nervous System

Through its innervation of the visceral organs, the glands, and the blood vessels, the autonomic nervous system regulates the internal environment; it is largely responsible for maintaining normal bodily functions. The activities of the autonomic nervous system are, to a great extent, based on tonically active bulbar centers, intimately adjusted by reflexes from a variety of receptors in the internal organs. The autonomic activities are closely integrated with other nervous activities and with endocrine functions.
The murine decorin. Complete cDNA cloning, genomic organization, chromosomal assignment, and expression during organogenesis and tissue differentiation.

Decorin, a proteoglycan known to interact with collagen and growth factors, may play key roles during ontogenesis, tissue remodeling, and cancer. We have deciphered the complete protein sequence of the murine decorin by cDNA cloning, elucidated its gene structure and chromosomal location, and investigated its expression in the developing embryo. The decorin protein and the gene were highly conserved vis a vis the human counterpart; however, the murine gene lacked a leader exon, exon Ib, which was found only in the human. Using interspecific backcrossing, we assigned the gene to chromosome 10 just proximally to the Steel gene locus. In situ hybridization studies of developing mouse embryos showed a distinct pattern of expression with a progressive increase of decorin mRNA during ontogenesis. At early stages (day 11 postconception), decorin was detectable only in the floor plate region. Subsequently (days 13-16 postconception), decorin expression was especially prominent in the meninges and mesothelial linings of pericardium, pleura, and coelomic cavity, as well as in the dermis and subepithelial layers of the intestine and urinary bladder. In contrast, the major parenchymal organs were only weakly positive for decorin mRNA. These findings suggest that decorin may play a role in epithelial/mesenchymal interactions during organ development and shaping.
Constituents of Helenium species—XVIII.: 1-Epiisotenulin and its transformations

Abstract The stereochemistry of mexicanin A has been established. The inversion of the asymmetric center at C 1 of isotenulin is described and the lack of correspondence between the ORD curves of cis -fused-4-ketopseudoguaianolides and 14β-17-ketosteroids is discussed. The course of a remarkable transformation of 1-epidihydroisotenulin has been elucidated.
Numerical Studies of the Energy Balance in Coronal Loops

In closed magnetic field regions of the solar corona the plasma is largely confined into loop or arch-like structures of enhanced density. These loops have a lifetime much longer than the coronal radiative cooling time, so that a quasi-static model in which the energy input to each volume element is balanced by radiative losses, and losses or gains by conduction, is appropriate. Such models are believed to have application to the study of stellar coronae, and have been treated analytically by other authors. Our treatment is numerical, and includes the effects of gravity and the variation of cross-sectional area of a loop along its length. The programs have been used to examine the effects of various heat input functions on the distribution of temperature, density, etc., within the loop. As an example of the use of the method, we examine the effect of form of the energy input on the emission measure function, and show that little information regarding the coronal heating mechanism can be gleaned from measurements of spectral line intensities, integrated over a complete loop or set of loops.
The association of race/ethnicity, socioeconomic status, and physician recommendation for mammography: who gets the message about breast cancer screening?

ABSTRACT Objectives. This study investigatedthe association between physician rec-ommendation for mammography andrace/ethnicity,socioeconomicstatus,andothercharacteristicsinaruralpopulation. Methods. In 1993 through 1994, wesurveyed 1933 Black women and Whitewomen 52 years and older in 10 ruralcounties. Results. Fifty-three percent of thewomen reported a physician recom-mendation in the past year. White womenreported recommendations significantlymore often than did Black women (55%vs 45%; odds ratio=1.49). Controllingfor educational attainment and incomeeliminated the apparent racial/ethnic dif-ference. After control for 5 personal, 4health, and 3 access characteristics, rec-ommendation for mammography wasfound to be more frequent amongwomen who had access to the health caresystem (i.e., had a regular physician andhealth insurance). Recommendation wasless frequent among women who werevulnerable (i.e., were older, had lowereducational attainment, had lower annualfamily income). Conclusions.
Marine Managers Look Upstream for Connections

The Florida Keys are a heavily managed land-sea reserve, preserved as a National Marine Sanctuary, but fishing and collecting are prohibited in only a small area. Ogden discusses the management of this Sanctuary and how new results on the sources of larvae for marine species in the Caribbean, presented by [ Roberts et al .][1], will influence future planning. [1]: http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/short/278/5342/1454
A new facility for studying shock-wave passage over dust layers

Dust explosion hazards in areas where coal and other flammable materials are found have caused unnecessary loss of life and halted business operations in some instances. The elimination of secondary dust explosion hazards, i.e., reducing dust dispersion, can be characterized in shock tubes to understand shock–dust interactions. For this reason, a new shock-tube test section was developed and integrated into an existing shock-tube facility. The test section has large windows to allow for the use of the shadowgraph technique to track dust-layer growth behind a passing normal shock wave, and it is designed to handle an initial pressure of 1 atm with an incident shock wave Mach number as high as 2 to mimic real-world conditions. The test section features an easily removable dust pan with inserts to allow for adjustment of the dust-layer thickness. The design also allows for changing the experimental variables such as initial pressure, shock Mach number $$(M_{\mathrm{s}})$$ , dust-layer thickness, and the characteristics of the dust itself. The characterization experiments presented herein demonstrate the advantages of the authors’ test techniques toward providing new physical insights over a wider range of data than what have been available heretofore in the literature. Limestone dust with a layer thickness of 3.2 mm was subjected to $$M_{\mathrm{s}} = 1.23,\, 1.32$$ , and 1.6 shock waves, and dust-layer rise height was mapped with respect to time after shock passage. Dust particles subjected to a $$M_{\mathrm{s}} = 1.6$$ shock wave rose more rapidly and to a greater height with respect to shock wave propagation than particles subjected to $$M_{\mathrm{s}} = 1.23$$ and 1.32 shock waves. Although these results are in general agreement with the literature, the new data also highlight physical trends for dust-layer growth that have not been recorded previously, to the best of the authors’ knowledge. For example, the dust-layer height rises linearly until a certain time where the growth rate is dramatically reduced, and in this second regime there is clear evidence of surface vertical structures at the dust–air interface.
Limited dependence of IL-4-regulated keratinocyte differentiation and gene expression on STAT6 (HYP6P.261)

Epidermal Differentiation Complex (EDC) genes are critical for barrier function in the skin, and Th2 cytokines that promote allergic inflammation inhibit EDC gene expression in keratinocytes. To further define the effects of the atopic immune response on keratinocyte differentiation, we investigated IL-4-mediated changes in gene expression in human keratinocytes via RNA-seq. Human keratinocytes were differentiated for 2 days with calcium chloride and then stimulated with IL-4 for 24 hours, or keratinocytes were differentiated with calcium chloride and chronically stimulated with IL-4 for 5 days. At day 2, IL-4 increased expression of genes associated with cell cycle, and decreased expression of genes involved with cell adhesion. At day 5 of differentiation, IL-4-stimulated keratinocytes showed increased expression of genes involved with cell projection and adhesion, and decreased expression of genes that participate in wound repair, epidermis development and host defense. STAT6 inhibition by siRNA significantly altered the expression of less than 20% of genes induced by IL-4. Thus, although IL-4 dramatically alters keratinocyte gene expression and differentiation, only a subset of this response is dependent upon STAT6, and eliminating STAT6 expression has IL-4-independent changes in gene expression. This suggests that keratinocyte gene regulation by IL-4 requires additional molecular pathways.
On the hierarchical structure of the logical Internet graph

The study of the Internet topology has recently received much attention from the research community. In particular, the observation that the network graph has interesting properties, such as power laws, that might be explored in a myriad of ways. Most of the work in characterizing the Internet graph is based on the physical network graph, i.e., the connectivity graph. In this paper we investigate how logical relationships between nodes of the AS graph can be used to gain insight to its structure. We characterize the logical graph using various metrics and identify the presence of power laws in the number of customers that a provider has. Using these logical relationships we define a structural model of the AS graph. The model highlights the hierarchical nature of logical relationships and the preferential connection to larger providers. We also investigate the consistency of this model over time and observe interesting properties of the hierarchical structure.
Statistical analysis of daily smoking status in smoking cessation clinical trials.

Aims Smoking cessation trials generally record information on daily smoking behavior, but base analyses on measures of smoking status at the end of treatment (EOT). We present an alternative approach that analyzes the entire sequence of daily smoking status observations. Methods We analyzed daily abstinence data from a smoking cessation trial, using two longitudinal logistic regression methods: a mixed-effects (ME) model and a generalized estimating equations (GEE) model. We compared results to a standard analysis that takes abstinence status at EOT as outcome. We evaluated time-varying covariates (smoking history and time-varying drug effect) in the longitudinal analysis and compared ME and GEE approaches. Results We observed some differences in the estimated treatment effect odds ratios across models, with narrower confidence intervals under the longitudinal models. GEE yields similar results to ME when only baseline factors appear in the model, but gives biased results when one includes time-varying covariates. The longitudinal models indicate that the quit probability declines and the drug effect varies over time. Both the previous day's smoking status and recent smoking history predict quit probability, independently of the drug effect. Conclusion When analysing outcomes of studies from smoking cessation interventions, longitudinal models with multiple outcome data points, rather than just end of treatment, can makes efficient use of the data and incorporate time-varying covariates. The generalized estimating equations approach should be avoided when using time-varying predictors.
Problems Interpreting Samples Taken with Large‐Volume, Falling‐Suction Soil‐Water Samplers

Chemical data resulting from sampling heterogeneous, variably saturated soils with large-volume, falling-suction samplers must be cautiously interpreted. Nitrate and chromium data from a tannery waste-disposal project illustrate the difficulties in distinguishing chemical and physical effects of sampling procedures from natural variability. Dramatically different interpretations of soil-water chemistry can result if precipitation in the porous cup or influence of the sampler on the soil-fluid flow is ignored. Additional laboratory studies are needed to assess adsorption on and screening of trace metals by the porous cup of the sampler. In the field, redox conditions as well as pH should be carefully monitored, soil structure noted, and pore-size distribution quantified. Use of numerical simulations could aid in planning monitoring strategies and interpreting results.
The anemia of inflammatory disease in the dog I. The nature of the problem

The anemia of inflammatory disease(AID) in the dog is an almost invariable complication of infection, inflammation and disseminated or necrotizing neoplastic disease. Clinically innocuous, it is important only in the greater understanding of the mechanisms controlling circulating erythrocyte quantity and quality. The etiology and pathogenesis include a shortened red cell life-span, disordered iron metabolism, depressed bone marrow response to the anemia and a disordered iron storage. The laboratory features of a moderate anemia, normal bone marrow cellular pattern, depression iron metabolism and reticuloendothelial iron sequestration make a final diagnosis of AID dependent on ruling out other etiologic mechanisms which may obscure or aggravate the anemia of the inflammatory disease in the dog.
RE-ENVISIONING THE RISORGIMENTO: ISABELLA BOSSI FEDRIGOTTI'S AMORE MIO UCCIDI GARIBALDI

Isabella Bossi Fedrigotti's 1980 novel Amore mio uccidi Garibaldi destabilizes historical narration by re-imagining the accepted masculinist chronicles of Italian unification and by making central the female figure within that history. By framing this revision within the structure of an epistolary narrative, the author brings to the public stage the private lives that were once excluded from it. Bossi Fedrigotti's novel exemplifies a larger project of rewriting both the Risorgimento and the gender roles and experiences of this particular historical period. But perhaps its more significant innovation is to evoke the legacy of the unification in the tumultuous events of the 1960s and 1970s in Italy. The text acts as a mirror of Bossi Fedrigotti's own era, which like the Risorgimento, saw critical transformations in Italian culture and society.
The alternatives in radical research

Free Radical Research Communications. Managing editor J.V. Bannister. Har-wood. 6/yr. UK £154 (corporate), £124 (institutional), £61.60 (individual); North America $184 (corporate), $148 (institutional), $73.60 (indivdual). Journal of Free Radicals in Biology & Medicine. Editor-in-chief Kelvin J.A. Davies. Pergamon. 6/yr. UK £75, North America $125.