cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Eastern gray squirrel (Sciurus carolinensis) color morphs do not differ in aggressiveness

Eastern gray squirrels (Sciurus carolinensis) exhibit a variety of color morphs, including black. In the USA and UK, a common folk belief is that black squirrels are more aggressive than squirrels of other colors. We tested the biological basis of that belief using data from the 2018 Central Park squirrel census. Contrary to the belief, black squirrels do not chase other squirrels more often than do conspecifics of other colors. Black and non-black squirrels were equally likely to approach people for food and to display indifference to human presence, but black squirrels were more likely than non-black squirrels to flee from people. Although other research has found that aggression among squirrels increases when they live in higher population densities, black squirrels were no more aggressive than non-black squirrels despite the fact that they were sighted in parts of Central Park with higher squirrel population densities than other locations.
Correction: Perceptions of risk for COVID-19 among individuals with chronic diseases and stakeholders in Central Appalachia

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic is rapidly evolving and is a serious public health threat worldwide. Timely and effective control of the pandemic is highly dependent on preventive approaches. Perception of risk is a major determinant of health behavior. The current study explores the association between actual risk and perceived risk for one’s self, family/friends and friends, and community. A questionnaire was administered to participants in Central Appalachia (n = 102). The actual risk was based on the number of chronic conditions of the following conditions: hypertension, heart disease, cancer, diabetes, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Participants were also queried about their perception of risk for COVID-19. Generalized Linear Models were used to independently evaluate the likelihood of perceived risk for one’s: self, family/friends, and community, based on actual risk. Actual risk for COVID-19 was significantly associated with higher likelihood of higher perception of risk for one’s self (b = 0.24; p = 0.04), but not with one’s family/friends (b = 0.05; p = 0.68), or one’s community (b = 0.14; p = 0.16). No health insurance was negatively associated with perception of risk for self (b = −0.59; p = 0.04) and family/friends (b = −0.92; p < 0.001). Male gender (b = −0.47; p = 0.01) was also negatively associated with perception of risk for family/friends. In conclusion, individuals’ actual risk for COVID-19 is associated with their own perception of risk. This indicates that one’s perception of risk for COVID-19 is greater for their own health compared to their family/friends or the community. Therefore, monitoring and following up with chronic disease patients and addressing their lack of awareness of risk to others is needed to prevent and curtail the spread of COVID-19.
Variables Impacting the Quality of Life of Dementia Caregivers: A Data Visualization Analysis.

PURPOSE Visually explore the rates of and relationships between overall physical and mental health, sleep disturbances, and depression rates in a single sample of caregivers of persons with dementia, caregivers of persons with other chronic illness, and non-caregiving adults. DESIGN Exploratory descriptive study utilizing data visualization methods. METHODS Data were analyzed from the 2017 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System dataset. Multiple graphs and charts were developed to visualize data between groups. Descriptive statistics analyzed the rates of variables of interest across the three groups. One-way analysis of variance assessed relationships between variables. RESULTS Caregivers of persons with dementia and of other chronic illnesses reported poorer health outcomes as compared to non-caregiving adults. However, caregivers of persons with other chronic illnesses reported the worst outcomes of all groups. Depression and sleep disturbances were prevalent in all three groups. CONCLUSIONS The quality of life of caregivers of persons with dementia and chronic illness is impacted by poorer health outcomes, specifically mental health and sleep. CLINICAL RELEVANCE Findings support the need for caregiver-specific interventions that target overall physical and mental health, depression, and sleep disturbances. However, we also found support for mental health and sleep interventions for all individuals.
Comprehensive Reform and Greater Equity in Applying to Residency-Trainees' Mixed Responses to a Pass/Fail USMLE Step 1.

Background Pass/fail USMLE Step 1 score reporting may have varying implications for trainees of different demographic and training backgrounds. Objective To characterize the perspectives of a diverse cohort of trainees on the impact of pass/fail Step 1 score reporting. Methods In 2020, 197 US and international medical school deans and 822 designated institutional officials were invited to distribute anonymous electronic surveys among their trainees. Separate surveys for medical students and residents/fellows were developed based on the authors' prior work surveying program directors on this topic. Underrepresented in medicine (UiM) was defined in accordance with AAMC definitions. Descriptive and comparative analyses were performed, and results were considered statistically significant with P Results A total of 11 633 trainees responded (4379 medical students and 7254 residents/fellows; 3.3% of an estimated 285 000 US trainees). More students favored the score reporting change than residents/fellows (43% vs 31%; P Conclusions Trainee perspectives regarding USMLE Step 1 score reporting are mixed. UiM trainees were more likely to favor the score reporting change, while osteopathic and international medical students were less in favor of the change.
Cross-Correlations of Quadratic Form Sequences in OddCharacteristic

Cross-correlation functions are determined for a large class of geometric sequences based on m-sequences in odd characteristic. These sequences are shown to have low cross-correlation values in certain cases. They also have significantly higher linear spans than previously studied geometric sequences. These results show that geometric sequences are candidates for use in spread-spectrum communications systems in which cryptographic security is a factor.
Nutrigénomique : cas pour un terrain commun à la maladie cardiovasculaire et au cancer

La limite entre la sante et la maladie est souvent etablie par un equilibre complexe entre deux elements, genetique d’une part et style de vie de l’autre. Mieux le comprendre signifie mettre de nouvelles armes, souvent essentielles, a la portee des medecins et de leurs patients. Ceci implique aussi l’adaptation de therapies afin de trouver le medicament approprie pour le patient et la meilleure strategie de prevention qui sera efficace pour lui ou pour elle. La nutrigenomique est une approche pour individualiser ou personnaliser l’alimentation et la nutrition, et la sante en fin de compte, en ajustant l’alimentation au genotype individuel. Dans cette revue, nous presentons l’interaction entre certains polymorphismes genetiques et un certain regime alimentaire, et un accroissement du risque cardiovasculaire ou d’un cancer. Il est certainement clair, a present, qu’un grand nombre de composants des aliments bioactifs peut comporter un risque ou presenter une protection aux differents stades du processus de formation de l’atherosclerose et du cancer. Nous fournissons, dans cette etude, quelques exemples d’interactions gene/alimentation qui sont pertinents pour le risque cardiovasculaire et pour le cancer, car un terrain commun pourrait exister entre la genese de la maladie cardiovasculaire et certains types de cancers (principalement ceux du tractus gastro-intestinal et ceux dependant des hormones).
Operation of an Aluminum-Intensive Vehicle: Report on a Six-Year Project

In 1994, Ford produced a small demonstration fleet of Mercury Sables with aluminum bodies. Argonne National Laboratory obtained one of these vehicles on a lease so that Laboratory staff could observe the wear characteristics of the body under normal operating conditions. The vehicle was placed in the transportation pool, parked outdoors, and used by staff members for both local and longer trips. The vehicle performed normally, except for having particularly good acceleration because of its light weight and highpower SHO engine. No significant problems were encountered that related to the Al body or engine. No special driving protocols were observed, but a log was kept of trip lengths and fuel purchases. Fuel economy was observed to be improved, compared with that of a similar conventional steel-bodied vehicle that was available for one year of the lease period. The vehicle was tested on a chassis dynamometer to obtain emissions and fuel economy over the federal test cycle. The impacts of further mass reduction were also simulated. At the end of the lease, the body was in excellent condition, which we documented with a set of detailed photographs before the vehicle was returned to Ford. There were minor imperfections in the painted surface, probably resulting from the omission of an E-coat during the painting process. We also examined three similar conventional vehicles for comparison; these exhibited varying degrees of rust.
Dendritic Cell-Based Vaccines in Cancer

Therapeutic vaccines that can activate the immune system to destroy malignancies hold the promise of a low-toxicity, precisely targeted anticancer treatment modality. Because dendritic cells (DCs) are central to the activation of antigen-specific immune responses, DCs loaded with tumor antigens are of considerable interest as therapeutic vaccines. Preclinical studies have demonstrated the potency of DC-based immunizations in promoting tumor rejection. Continued preclinical and clinical studies are assessing a number of important parameters regarding the formulation and administration regimen of DC-based vaccines and have provided support for phase I and II studies. Thus far, DC-mediated immunizations have been well tolerated, with few toxicities reported. Tumor regression has been reported in up to 30% of patients, particularly with immunologically sensitive tumors such as melanoma. Biologic activity, measured as activation of antigen-specific T cells, is reported in up to 100% of patients immunized against potent recall antigens, such as tetanus toxoid, and up to 30% of those immunized against tumor antigens. Current clinical trials are increasingly testing DC-based vaccines in patients with minimal residual disease, such as following attempted curative surgery or following high-dose chemotherapy and stem-cell support where clinical benefit is likely to be the greatest. Newer strategies are focusing on further modifications to DCs to increase their immuno stimulatory potency. These include newer methods of antigen loading, better techniques for DC maturation, strategies to enhance polarization of DCs to ensure the induction of T helper cell type 1 immune responses, and the administration of adjunctive cytokines to augment the immune response following immunization.
Seasonal Space–Time Models for Climate Systems

A class of seasonal space-time models for general lattice systems is proposed. Covariance properties of spatial first-order models are studied. Estimation approaches in time series analysis are adopted and forecasting techniques using the seasonal space-time models are discussed. The models are applied to 516 consecutive fields of monthly averaged 500 mb geopotential heights over a 10×10 lattice in the extra-tropical northern hemisphere for the purpose of understanding the underlying statistical structure. It is found that space-time models with instantaneous spatial component give the best fit compared to other models in terms of maximizing the conditional likelihood function. The models are potentially useful for assessing the consistency of outputs from laboratory-based numerical models with field observations. Forecasting ability of the seasonal space-time models is also investigated. AMS 1991 Subject Classification: Primary 62M10, 62M30; Secondary 60G15, 60G60.
Management of Oral Sequelae

The purpose of this paper is to enumerate and describe the oral complications that are associated with salivary gland dysfunction. The significance of these oral problems and their related adverse impact on the patient's quality of life are presented. Palliative and therapeutic agents and regimens are discussed, and a suggested protocol for managing the deleterious oral sequelae of salivary gland dysfunction is outlined.
AN EVALUATION OF SELECTED DECISION MODELS: A CASE OF CROP CHOICE IN NORTHERN THAILAND

This research examines the predictability of a profit maximization model, an expected value-variance utility maximization (E-V) model, and two versions of the target-MOTAD model for modeling risky agricultural production decisions. Model solutions were translated into expected value and variance of farm income for analysis. Direct comparison and chi-square analysis of actual and predicted expected income distributions were used in the analyses. It was concluded that the utility maximization and cash-cost target-MOTAD models predicted distributions of farm income better than the variable-cost target-MOTAD and profit maximization models.
The John G. Fleming Lecture: A Brief History of Accident Law – Tort and the Administrative State

This article is a slightly revised version of the inaugural John G. Fleming Lecture, presented at the University of California Berkeley School of Law on October 24, 2011. The article offers a brief thematic development of the history of accident law in the United States, focusing on the evolution of both tort and the administrative state, as well as the interplay between these two systems of protection against the risks and consequences of physical harm. In particular, I address developments over the course of four distinct periods: The early Industrial Era through the close of the nineteenth century; the twentieth century to the mid-1960s; the mid-1960s to 1980; and the late twentieth century to the present day.
Test for link misspecification in dependent binary regression using generalized estimating equations

The generalized estimating equations (GEE) method has become quite useful in modeling correlated binary data such as, for example, in clinical trials designed to evaluate the efficacy of new drugs. It is well known that the GEE yield consistent estimators of the regression parameters and of their variances provided the model for the marginal mean is correctly specified. Thus, a crucial step in GEE regression is to check whether the link function used in the mean model is adequate. In this paper, we develop a goodness-of link test on the basis of a generalized score statistic and a parametric link family. By using two link families that have been proposed in the literature, two different tests are generated. These tests are illustrated using data from a longitudinal study designed to compare treatments for mental depression and their small-sample behaviors are assessed through Monte Carlo simulation.
Surfactant addition and alternating current electrophoretic oscillation during size fractionation of nanoparticles in channels with two or three different height segments.

Abstract An array of parallel planar nanochannels containing two or three segments with varying inner heights was fabricated and used for size fractionation of inorganic and biological nanoparticles. A liquid suspension of the particles was simply drawn through the nanochannels via capillary action. Using fluorescently labeled 30 nm polyacrylonitrile beads, different trapping behaviors were compared using nanochannels with 200–45 nm and 208–54–30 nm height segments. Addition of sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) surfactant to the liquid suspension and application of an AC electric field were shown to aid in the prevention of channel clogging. After initial particle trapping at the segment interfaces, significant particle redistribution occurred when applying a sinusoidal 8 V peak-to-peak oscillating voltage with a frequency of 150 Hz and DC offset of 4 V. Using the 208–54–30 nm channels, 30 nm hepatitis B virus (HBV) capsids were divided into three fractions. When the AC electric field was applied to this trapped sample, all of the virus particles passed through the interfaces and accumulated at the channel ends.
Frontal recess cells: a rare cause of frontal sinus pneumocoele.

Background and aims: A pneumocoele is a pathologically expanding, air-containing paranasal sinus. Pneumocoeles are uncommon entities, with very few cases reported in the literature. The most plausible aetiological theory is that of a one-way valve effect allowing air into the sinus under increased pressure without pressure equilibration. Methods: Review of a frontal sinus pneumocoele caused by a type III frontal cell and intersinus septal cell. Results: We present a patient with chronic sinusitis who developed a pneumocoele of her left frontal sinus with erosion into her orbit. This patient was a habitual, chronic nose-blower with a large type III frontal cell adjacent to an intersinus septal cell. Conclusion: We propose the new theory that, in our patient, such cells formed a one-way valve, causing air-trapping and pathological expansion of the frontal sinus. To our knowledge, there are no previously published cases that establish an association between large frontal cells and expansion of a pneumocoele.
INFLUENCE OF PROMOTERS ON THE PERFORMANCE OF AU/MNOX AND PT/SNOX/SIO2 LOW-TEMPERATURE CO OXIDATION CATALYSTS

The influence of promoters on Pt/SnOx/SiO2 and Au/MnOx low-temperature CO oxidation catalysts has been investigated under stoichiometric reaction conditions with no CO2 added to the feed gas. The performance of Pt/SnOx/SiO2 catalysts is improved significantly by the addition of 1 wt.% Fe but reduced by the addition of 5 wt.%Fe, 1 wt.% Sb, 5 wt.% Sb, 1 wt.% As, 5 wt.%As and 1.8 wt.% P. The performance of Au/MnOx is improved significantly by the addition of 1 at.% Ce but reduced by the addition of 1 at.% Co. For the catalysts and conditions examined, the Au/MnOx catalysts are superior to the Pt/SnOx/SiO2 catalysts with respect to both activity and decay characteristics.
Cost–Effectiveness at Two Years in the VA Open versus Endovascular Repair Trial☆

Abstract Background Long-term clinical outcomes have been similar for endovascular and open repair of abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA), increasing the importance of comparing cost–effectiveness. Methods We compared data to two years from a multicenter randomized trial of 881 patients. Quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) were calculated from EQ-5D questionnaires. Healthcare utilization data were obtained from patients and from national VA and Medicare sources. VA costs were obtained using methods previously developed by the VA Health Economics Resource Center. Costs for non-VA care were determined from Medicare or billing data. Results Mean life-years were 1.78 in the endovascular and 1.74 in the open repair group (P = 0.29), and mean QALYs were 1.462 in the endovascular and 1.461 in the open group (P = 0.78). Although graft costs were higher in the endovascular group ($14,052 vs. $1363; P Interpretation Endovascular repair is a cost-effective alternative to open repair in the US VA healthcare system for at least the first two years.
Why Mei Still Cannot Read and What Can Be Done

Mrs. Smith is a reading specialist in a rural Michigan school district in the United States. Normally the majority of her students are from families of Englishspeaking backgrounds; however, the neighborhood has recently accepted refugees from some eastern European countries. In one particular school, there are five immigrant children whose ages range from 5 to 16. Mrs. Smith wants to know what programs she should design to accommodate each child.
Abnormally large plasmonic shifts in silica-protected gold triangular nanoprisms

The synthesis of silica-encapsulated gold nanoprisms (AuNP@SiO2) is reported. These nanostructures are remarkably stable and resist etching and rounding of their sharp vertices (a process which begins on unprotected Au nanoprisms in a matter of hours) in many chemical environments (water, ethanol, dimethyl sulfoxide, and tetrahydrofuran). The silica growth process has been studied and occurs according to the shape of the particle, where the edges of the prisms are coated less than the large triangular facets. The AuNP@SiO2 particles have dielectric sensitivities that are as large as 737 nm/RIU. Discrete dipole approximation calculations have been used to investigate the effects of this variable thickness on dielectric sensitivity and show that for the anisotropic coatings it is significantly higher than for a uniform coating due to the location of electromagnetic hot spots near the tips and edges of the particles. These calculations also show that dipole resonances exhibit greater sensitivity than multipo...
Esterification as a diagnostic tool to predict proton conductivity affected by impurities on Nafion components for proton exchange membrane fuel cells

Abstract Quantitative data of the effect of contaminants on individual components of a PEMFC is limited and difficult to acquire, especially for the ionomer in the catalyst layer. In this paper, we propose the use of an acid-catalysed reaction (esterification) as a method to quantitatively investigate the effect of contaminants on proton availability and conductivity of Nafion components, since proton sites in Nafion are also active as Bronsted acid sites for catalysis. It was found that at typical fuel cell conditions, ammonia adsorption decreased both conductivity and esterification activity of Nafion in a uniform manner. Because of the linear relationship between the number of proton/acid sites and both the conductivity and the esterification activity, a correlation between the two could be developed taking into account differences in the effect of humidity on the conductivity/activity of the poisoned Nafion. The methodology and correlation developed were also shown to predict accurately the effect of another impurity species (Na + ) on Nafion conductivity. The results demonstrate the application of esterification as a means to quantify the number of proton sites poisoned by adsorbing impurities, permitting the prediction of Nafion conductivity. This method would be applicable to both the membrane and ionomer in the catalyst layer.
Historical Perspectives: Direct Blood Pressure Measurement

“The experimental hypothesis, in short, must always be based on prior observation.”—Claude Bernard (1) Modern adult intensive care started in Denmark in 1952 in response to the high mortality from the respiratory complications seen with a devastating epidemic of poliomyelitis. Anesthetists and physiologists created a new discipline when they collaborated to make sequential measurements of cardiorespiratory variables, then aggressively corrected abnormal conditions. (2) When modern neonatal intensive care emerged a decade later, it followed the same philosophy. The start of modern neonatology was stimulated in large part by an expanding understanding of: 1) the circulatory and respiratory physiology of adaptation to extrauterine life, 2) how those adjustments could fail, and 3) the pathophysiology of hyaline membrane disease. (3)(4)(5)(6)(7)(8)(9)(10) (The monograph by Dawes (3) gives an excellent overview of the relevant animal research). This research had reached a point where it could be applied to clinical care if the necessary physiologic measurements could be made in newborns. To this end, investigators began to catheterize the umbilical arteries of newborns to measure blood gas tensions and pH, with several investigators also measuring aortic pressures. (9)(11)(12)(13) Such invasive techniques were highly controversial initially, but they gradually became the accepted methodology for monitoring the sick neonate. (12) The use of oxygen in preterm infants who had cardiorespiratory distress was an important component of this change in approach to the sick infant. The standard had been to use no more than 40% oxygen to prevent retrolental fibroplasia (retinopathy of prematurity). However, it was obvious that this approach would be insufficient to relieve hypoxia in some infants and would produce hyperoxia in others. Avery and Oppenheimer (13) observed an increase in deaths due to …
Defective imino acid metabolism in hypoglycin-treated rats.

Abstract Oral administration of hypoglycin ( 5–6 mg 100 g body wt ) to weanling rats produces, in addition to the well-recognized organic aciduria, pronounced iminoacidemia, hyperiminoacidura, and decreased activity of proline and hydroxyproline oxidases.
The New Accommodationists

The 1980s and early 1990s proved to be an era of great advancement for African American political and intellectual leadership. The number of Black elected officials across the country doubled. Major American cities such as Chicago, Los Angeles, Atlanta, Detroit, Baltimore, Seattle, and New Orleans were headed by Black mayors. As the decade of the 1980s closed, the nation's largest city, New York, elected its first African American mayor. An African American was chosen to chair one of the country's two major political parties. A Black man made two impressive runs for the presidency, and the nation had its first elected Black governor, remarkably in Virginia, the seat of the old Confederacy. Understandably, these successes were greeted with a great deal of self-congratulation on the part of both Black and White politicians, journalists, and political commentators, who pointed to these electoral triumphs as evidence of substantial racial progress in America. African Americans finally were entering the mainstream of American politics. This tone was also mirrored by a new cadre of Black intellectuals who had acquired positions in the major citadels of learning and with the major media outlets. They concurred that race was a moribund issue in American society and that the entrance of African Americans into the American political hegemony was evidence of this. Finally, Martin Luther King, Jr.'s dream of a color-blind American society was coming true. But is this in fact the case? Are these new Black political and intellectual leaders keepers of King's dream or are they its betrayers? Are they harbingers of a new age of racial harmony and justice
B71-4 Mathematical Programming in Practice

The contents of this book are well suited to the title. The book is concise. It contains a great deal of information, and pricewise it is certainly a bargain per topic covered. The 17 chapters are grouped into three parts. The first, Elementary Linear Programming (LP), requires knowledge of elementary algebra. There is occasional use of matrix notation, but only Chapter 7, the last in the first part, involves significant use of matrix algebra.
State or trait: effects of state optimism on job-related outcomes

State optimism was hypothesized to be significantly related to six organizationally relevant outcomes above and beyond the effect of trait optimism. Moreover, state optimism was hypothesized to have effects on these six outcomes beyond the effects of positive and negative affect. Conversely, trait optimism was expected to be unrelated to the six outcome variables when controlling for state optimism as well as when controlling for affect. These hypotheses were tested with two samples. First, 772 undergraduate students were assessed to determine the impact of state versus trait optimism on task performance in the form of course grade. From this sample, the 261 students working at least 20 hours per week were similarly assessed with regard to work related distress, burnout, affective commitment, and job satisfaction. Then, a field sample of 106 employees assessed distress, burnout, affective commitment, job satisfaction, and supervisor rated task and contextual job performance. Results indicate state optimism (but not trait optimism) is a potentially powerful indicator of important organizational outcomes, even after controlling for the effects of positive and negative affect. Implications of these findings and directions for future research are discussed. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Time-lapse in vivo imaging of the morphological development of Xenopus optic tectal interneurons.

Excitatory and inhibitory interneurons play a key role in the establishment of neuronal responses and circuit properties in the brain. Despite their importance in brain function, the structural development of interneurons has not been well studied. We used in vivo time-lapse imaging in intact anesthetized Xenopus tadpoles to determine the morphological events underlying the development of interneuron dendritic arbor structure. Single optic tectal neurons were labeled with DiI and imaged at daily intervals over 4 days in intact albino Xenopus tadpoles. The same neurons were also imaged at shorter intervals to determine the dynamic rearrangements in arbor branches that accompany large-scale arbor growth. Tectal interneurons, like projection neurons, develop from neuroepithelial cells located near the ventricular layer. They elaborate complex dendritic arbors over a period of 2 days. Short-interval time-lapse images reveal that tectal interneuron arbors have rapid rates of branch additions and retractions. We identified four patterns of interneuron arbor development, based on the cell morphology and types of structural rearrangements that occur over the development of the neuronal arbor. A surprising feature of interneuronal development is the large extent of structural rearrangements: many interneurons extend transient processes so that the neuronal structure is dramatically different from one day to the next. Because the majority of synaptic contacts are formed on dendrites, the structural changes we observed in interneuronal dendritic arbors suggest that optic tectal circuits are extremely plastic during early stages of development.
Towards a Rule-based Approach to Monetary Policy Evaluation in Sub-Saharan Africa

I review the three-equation AS/IS/MP model that is at the core of the dynamic stochastic general equilibrium (DSGE) models in use within central banks in the industrial countries. Monetary policy (MP) rules play a central role in these models, and alternative rules can be compared in terms of their implications for the economy's dynamic adjustment to shocks. I discuss the advantages of DSGE modelling in low-income countries and show how interest-rate rules can be adapted to reflect the balance-sheet instruments widely used among African countries. I also identify features of the African economic environment that are poorly captured by existing models, including a large and volatile food sector, imperfect capital mobility and a credit channel for monetary policy. To illustrate the DSGE approach, I develop a model in which food supply shocks play a key role in inflation dynamics. I show that private storage can generate serial correlation of food price inflation when food price shocks are serially uncorrelated.
The evaluator as an agent of change

The broad range of significant and practical value issues in evaluation research includes internal evaluators versus external ones, usefulness, and “neutral” evaluations versus those which explicitly include evaluators' value judgments.
Health care utilization and costs associated with adherence to clinical practice guidelines for early magnetic resonance imaging among workers with acute occupational low back pain.

Clinical practice guidelines for acute low back pain (LBP) consistently agree that routine spinal imaging tests within 4–6 weeks of symptom onset are not necessary for patients who do not present with complications, or “red flags” (American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine 2007; Bradley 2007; Chou et al. 2007; Davis et al. 2008; ABIM Foundation 2012). Red flags include age under 20 or over 70 (or 50, depending on the guideline), history of cancer, intravenous drug use, prolonged use of corticosteroids, osteoporosis, infection, or focal neurologic deficit with progressive or disabling symptoms (Davis et al. 2008). After 4–6 weeks, patients with persistent LBP or signs of radiculopathy or spinal stenosis should be evaluated with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) or computed tomography (CT) only if they are expected to benefit from invasive treatments, such as surgery or epidural steroid injection (Chou et al. 2007). Recent research suggests that ∼20 percent of LBP cases among workers’ compensation claimants receive early (within the first 4–6 weeks of symptoms) MRI, a proportion of whom may be receiving unnecessary care (Webster and Cifuentes 2010; Graves et al. 2012). The propensity to adopt and utilize new technologies for advanced imaging, combined with a general lack of utilization controls, generates concern from the perspective of payers, especially public payers facing increasing budgetary constraints. Use of costly procedures, such as MRI for LBP, may also be associated with increased subsequent treatment and costs, without concomitant improvements in health outcomes (Jarvik et al. 2003; Gilbert et al. 2004b). With the potential for early MRI to lead to additional, more intensive or more invasive treatment for LBP, a patient who had early MRI may utilize more health care resources than an equivalent patient who waited 6 weeks before receiving MRI (Waddell 1996). In Washington State, back injuries constitute 18 percent of all claims and 23 percent of all workers’ compensation costs (). In 2008, lumbar MRI costs exceeded $7.4 million for WA injured workers (). In response to rapidly increasing imaging costs, the WA legislature mandated that State health care agencies consider methods to implement best practice guidelines for the use of advanced imaging in 2009 (Washington State Legislature 2009). This population-based cohort study evaluates health care utilization and costs associated with non-adherence to clinical practice guidelines for early MRI among WA workers’ compensation claimants with acute, non-specific LBP who missed at least 4 days of work.
Effect of sodium diethyldithiocarbamate (DDC) on renal hypertension in rats

The effect of DDC on renal hypertension was studied in male albino rats. Evaluation was based on the relationship of urinary dopamine levels to arterial blood pressure in surgically intact, unilaterally nephrectomized and modified Goldblatt hypertensive rats for a 9-week period. Following treatment with DDC, a dopamine hydroxylase inhibitor, a significant increase in urinary dopamine was observed in the unilaterally nephrectomized group of animals. There was no significant increase observed in the other groups. A significant hypotensive effect was observed in all groups of drug-treated animals. In all groups of drug-treated animals there was a correlation between decreasing cumulative weight gains, decreased amount of functional kidney tissue, and decreased arterial blood pressure. No correlation was found to exist between arterial blood pressure and urinary dopamine levels.
Protein accumulation in lung lavage fluid following ozone exposure

Abstract Accumulation of protein in lung lavage fluid was used as an indicator of pulmonary damage following exposure of guinea pigs to O 3 . Exposure of animals to 510, 1000, or 1960 μg/m 3 (0.26, 0.51, or 1.0 ppm) of O 3 for 72 hr resulted in significantly elevated levels of lavage fluid protein when compared to that of air controls. This effect was not observed in animals exposed to 196 μg O 3 /m 3 (0.10 ppm). When exposure time was reduced to 3 hr, the O 3 -induced protein accumulation in lavage fluids was undetectable unless the time of lavage was delayed 10–15 hr following the exposure. Under these conditions, elevated protein content was seen in lung lavage fluids obtained from animals exposed to O 3 ranging from 510 to 1470 μg O 3 /m 3 (0.26-0.75 ppm) and a dose relationship between the amount of protein accumulation in the lung and the concentration of O 3 to which the animals were exposed was observed. Vitamin C deficiency did not enhance this O 3 -induced lesion in guinea pigs. The dose relationship has also been confirmed by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis of the lavage fluids. Lung lavage fluid protein content in animals exposed to 353 μg O 3 /m 3 (0.18 ppm) for 8 hr/day for 5 or 10 consecutive days was not different from that of air controls.
Effects of Maintained Blood Alcohol Concentration and Task Complexity on the Operation of a Punch Press Simulator

Eight mildly intoxicated and sober male participants (0.0, 0.05, 0.07, and 0.09 percent blood alcohol concentrations) operated a punch press simulator after being at a given blood alcohol concentration for either 27 or 97 minutes. Performance under the longer duration was significantly more productive (yielding a higher percentage of correctly completed parts) than under the shorter duration. Additional analysis indicated significant effects of task complexity and blood alcohol concentration.
Aspects of Language Acquisition and Use From Age 2 to Age 20

Abstract General cognitive processes may underlie development of such diverse skills as producing well-structured sentences, forming basic concepts, conversing, understanding metaphor, and using language flexibly to describe and order events. Three aspects of the child's language development are central in accounting for both normal and deviant courses of acquisition: (1) how the young child uses some (but not most) language exchanges with others to construct sophisticated sentences—a theory of “cognitive comparisons” is offered; (2) relationships between early language strengths and the levels of language skills after age 4 years; and (3) the possibility that some children may be better able to master language in a mode other than speech.
Regenerative Medicine for the Special Senses: Restoring the Inputs

Our senses connect our brains to the world: communicating with others depends on our auditory system, and navigating through space relies heavily on our visual system. And what would life be like without our sense of smell that mediates much of our ability to appreciate flavors of food and alert us
Advances in clinical vectorcardiography

Abstract With use of the Frank lead system, still loop and timed vectorcardiograms were recorded in more than 5,000 patients subjected to complete right and left heart catheterization and selective coronary cineangiography. Data so obtained demonstrated clinical superiority of the vectorcardiogram over the standard 12 lead scalar electrocardiogram. Specific advantages of the vectorcardiogram include (1) recognition of undetected atrial and ventricular hypertrophy, (2) greater sensitivity in identification of myocardial infarction, and (3) superior capability for diagnosis of multiple infarctions in the presence of fascicular and bundle branch blocks. The timed biplane vectorcardiogram is as useful as any number of simultaneously recorded electrocardiographic leads for the analysis of complex arrhythmias and beat to beat changes in intraventricular conduction. Since the validity and usefulness of this technique have been established, it should become part of the routine noninvasive evaluation of patients with cardiovascular disorders.
Philosophical significance of Gongsun Long : A new interpretation of theory of Zhi as meaning and reference

Examinant le contexte socio-politique et les valeurs socio-morales de l'oeuvre logique de Gongsun Long et de l'Ecole des Noms (Mingjia), l'A. etudie les arguments de Gongsun Long qui constituent la formulation des standards de la verite et de la validite de l'utilisation des noms de la langue chinoise. Suivant l'ordre des chapitre de l'oeuvre maitresse de Gongsun Long («Siku Quanshu Zhongmu Tiyao»), l'A. analyse: 1) la finalite de la rectification des noms, 2) la theorie des noms et des actualites, 3)la theorie de l'identite et de l'identification, 4) la theorie de la separation des qualites, 5) la theorie des concepts et des classes, 6) la theorie de la reference et des objets
Wnt Signaling, Stem Cells, and the Cellular Origin of Breast Cancer

The breast epithelium comprises cells at different stages of differentiation, including stem cells, progenitor cells, and more differentiated epithelial and myoepithelial cells. Wnt signaling plays a critical role in regulating stem/progenitor cells in the mammary gland as well as other tissue compartments. Furthermore, there is strong evidence suggesting that aberrant activation of Wnt signaling induces mammary tumors from stem/progenitor cells, and that Wnt exerts its oncogenic effects through LRP5/6-mediated activation of β-catenin and mTOR pathways. Recent studies using avian retrovirus-mediated introduction of oncogenes into a small subset of somatic mammary cells suggest that polyoma middle T antigen (PyMT) may also preferentially transform stem/progenitor cells. These observations suggest that stem/progenitor cells in the mammary gland may be especially susceptible to oncogenic transformation. Whether more differentiated cells may also be transformed by particular oncogenes is actively debated; it is presently unclear whether stem cells or differentiated mammary cells are more susceptible to transformation by individual oncogenes. Better stem cell and progenitor cell markers as well as the ability to specifically target oncogenes into different mammary cell types will be needed to determine the spectrum of oncogene transformation for stem cells versus more differentiated cells.
Noah, the Ark and the Turing Test

16 "Since you have challenged me and doubted my word, then this is the judgment against you: You shall take your computer on board the ark ff and only ff computers have intelligence 2. But, if you make the wrong choice, if you say tlmt computers have intelligence when they do not or that they do not have intelligence, when they do, then neither you nor your loved ones nor any of the creatures that I have described shall survive," the Lord said.
Maximum Likelihood Estimation of Genetic Parameters in Cell Populations

In this paper we consider a cell population such as bacteria consisting of two types of cells, mutant and nonmutant. Under the mutation and homogeneous pure birth processes, this paper derives a maximum likelihood estimation procedure for estimating mutation rate and birth rate. The method is applied to Newcombe's data; further some Monte Carlo studies are generated. The numerical results indicate that the method is quite efficient for estimating genetic parameters in cell populations.
Aberrated point-spread functions for rotationally symmetric aberrations.

The effect of fourth-, sixth-, and eighth-order balanced spherical aberrations on the incoherent point-spread function of an optical imaging system with a circular pupil is considered. It is shown that the location of the first minimum remains practically unchanged and its value remains close to zero as aberrations are introduced into the system. Thus, the central Airy disk maintains its size and distinction. Moreover, the aberrations reduce the irradiance distribution inside the Airy disk quite uniformly. The central irradiance, i.e., the Strehl ratio, can be determined quite accurately from the phase aberration variance according to S≃exp(−σΦ2). Thus, the aberrated spread functions and encircled energy for a given aberration can be determined very quickly from the aberration-free results by multiplying them with the Strehl ratio. For further simplicity, the spread functions are approximated by a Gaussian function appropriately scaled by the Strehl ratio. The approximation is quite good for points lying within a circle of radius roughly half that of the Airy disk. Defocused but otherwise aberration-free spread functions are also considered. It is shown that results similar to those for spherical aberrations are obtained but over a narrower range of Strehl ratio as well as distance from the center of the spread functions.
Minimum-time contour tracking with model predictive control approach

This paper addresses the contour tracking time duration minimization problem subject to physical constraints of system dynamics, contour error, axial velocity, signal saturation, and monotonic feed. This finite horizon minimum time optimal control problem is approximated and formulated as a receding horizon optimal control, i.e. generalized predictive control, where the trajectory speed (feed-rate) profile is determined for the specified contour. The proposed minimal-time contour tracking optimization is demonstrated by simulation for a bi-axial XY positioning system.
Hydrolysis of dilute acid pretreated mixed hardwood and purified microcrystalline cellulose by cell-free broth from Clostridium thermocellum.

The cellulase activity in cell-free broths from the thermophilic, ethanol-producing anaerobic bacterium Clostridium thermocellum is examined on both dilute-acid-pretreated mixed hardwood (90% maple, 10% birch) and Avicel. Experiments were conducted in vitro in order to distinguish properties of the cellulase from properties of the organism and to evaluate the effectiveness of C. thermocellum cellulase in the hydrolysis of a naturally occurring, lignin-containing substrate. The results obtained establish that essentially quantitative hydrolysis of cellulose from pretreated mixed hardwood is possible using this enzyme system. Pretreatment with 1% H(2)SO(4) and a 9-s residence time at 220, 210, 200, and 180 degrees C allowed yields after enzymatic hydrolysis (percentage of glucan solubilized/ glucan potentially solubilized) of 97.8, 86.1, 82.0, and 34.6%, respectively. Enzymatic hydrolysis of mixed hardwood with no pretreatment resulted in a yield of 10.1%. Hydrolysis yields of >95% were obtained from approximately 0.6 g/L mixed hardwood pretreated at 220 degrees C in 7 h at broth strengths of 60 and 80% (v/v) and in approximately 48 h with 33% broth. Hydrolysis of pretreated mixed hardwood is compared to hydrolysis of Avicel, a pure microcrystalline cellulose studied previously. The initial rate of Avicel hydrolysis saturates with respect to enzyme, whereas the initial rate of hydrolysis of pretreated wood is proportional to the amount of enzyme present. Initial hydrolysis rates for pretreated wood and Avicel at 0.6 g/L are greater for wood at low broth dilutions (1.25: 1 to 5 :1) by up to 2.7-fold and greater for Avicel at high broth dilutions (5 : 1 to 50 : 1) by up to 4.3-fold. Maximum rates of hydrolysis are achieved at <2 g substrate/L for both pretreated wood and Avicel. The substrate concentration at one-half the maximum observed rate for C. thermocellum broths is smaller for pretreated mixed hardwood than for Avicel and decreases with increasing broth dilution for both substrates. An initial activity per volume broth of approximately 11 mumol soluble glucose equivalent produced/L broth/min is observed for mixed hardwood pretreated at 220 degrees C and for Avicel at high broth dilutions; the initial activity per volume broth for Avicel is lower at low broth dilutions. The results indicate that pretreated wood is hydrolyzed at rates comparable to Avicel under many conditions and at rates significantly faster than Avicel under several conditions.
Microinjection of the α-subunit of the G protein Go2, but not Go1, reduces a voltage-sensitive calcium current

Abstract Calcium currents can be modulated by receptor activation of the GTP-binding protein Go. We have determined whether the two forms of Go, Go1 and Go2, differentially regulate calcium current magnitude. Using identified neurons of the pond snail Helisoma, we demonstrate that a high-voltage-activated (HVA) calcium current is reduced by addition of the neuropeptide Phe-Met-Arg-Phe-amide (FMRFamide) and that this inhibition is mediated by a pertussis toxin (PTX)-sensitive G protein pathway. Using this calcium current as an assay for G protein activity, we microinjected GTPγS-activated α-subunits of G proteins into neuronal somata. We demonstrate tha the calcium current os differentially regulated by the two froms of αo. Microinjection of α o 2∗ , but not α o 1∗ , reduces calcium current magnitude.