cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
On quadratic Gauss sums over local fields

The classical Gauss sum attached to the Legendre symbol \(\left( {\frac{.}{p}} \right)\)with an odd prime p is $$ {g_p} = \frac{1}{{\sqrt p }}\sum\limits_{\mathop {x\bmod p}\limits_{\left( {x,p} \right) = 1} } {\left( {\frac{x}{p}} \right){e^{2\pi ix/p}} = \frac{1}{{\sqrt p }}} \sum\limits_{x\bmod p} {{e^{2\pi i{x^2}/p}}} $$ which is equal to 1 for p≡l (mod 4) and i for p≡3 (mod 4).
Worth fighting for: Daughters improve their mothers' autonomy in South Asia

Abstract In South Asia, parents prize sons for both economic and cultural reasons, and having a son is often thought to improve his mother's status within the household. However, using data from Bangladesh and India, we show that such high regard does not necessarily translate into improved autonomy for her. In fact, a daughter raises her mother's participation in household decisions and her freedom of mobility relative to a son. A daughter also prompts her mother to work more, but not necessarily to consume more. These effects are strongest among mothers of older girls. These results are consistent with a theoretical model in which mothers have greater relative preferences for spending on their daughters than fathers do, and so seek more autonomy to direct resources to their daughters.
To What Degree Does Customary International Law Require Accommodation of a Source Country's Right to Tax High, Tax Low or Not Tax at All?

If source country income tax exceeds residence country income tax, customary international law does not require a residence country to reimburse its residents for the excess even though failure to reimburse interferes with the source country's right to tax high. Where residence country income tax exceeds source country income tax, customary international law does not prohibit a residence country that employs a foreign tax credit from collecting a residual tax even though the residual tax interferes with the source country's right to tax income low or not at all.
Global Jewish Foodways: A History

Edited volumes are far too often a collection of essays of uneven quality, written by scholars with varying degrees of skill, and stitched together with more or less care by sometimes diligent, and...
Infrared reflectance characterization of ammonium nitrate residue on roughened aluminum for potential bioinspired stand-off sensor

Detection of explosives on surfaces could potentially be achieved using handheld standoff optical sensors, providing rapid intelligence and safety to the warfighter or first responder. Recent work has shown the capability to discriminate various chemical vapors using a bioinspired or biomimetic detection system modeled on human color vision. This biomimetic system utilizes three overlapping broadband infrared optical filters to discriminate between various chemicals. Preliminary reflectance data of chemicals on surfaces indicate a capability for discrimination of target chemicals and interferents by analysis of biomimetic sensor output using novel analytical methods such as “Comparative Discrimination Spectral Detection” (CDSD). Transitioning this detection method to threats on surfaces at proximate standoff distances (~1 m) requires additional considerations including surface characteristics and angle of detection. This work explores sensor detection parameters for ammonium nitrate residue on aluminum surfaces of various roughnesses. Samples of the explosives component ammonium nitrate, NH4NO3, diluted at 10%, 5%, and 1% in DI water, were prepared by dropcasting onto aluminum coupons with four surface finishes: polished, brushed, extruded, and sandblasted. Surface roughnesses were measured. Single beam reflectance spectra (2 – 20 μm) were collected using a FTIR spectrometer over multiple independent angles of incidence and collection (15° - 80°). Multiple factors were analyzed including albedo, and potential sensor configurations. Characteristics for future MWIR and LWIR sensors, such as illumination power and detector sensitivity, are evaluated which enable chemical spectral identification across range of aluminum surface roughness for proximate standoff distances and different angles of incidence.
Queen Dominance May Reduce Worker Mushroom Body Size in a Social Bee.

The mushroom body (MB) is an area of the insect brain involved in learning, memory, and sensory integration. Here, we used the sweat bee Megalopta genalis (Halictidae) to test for differences between queens and workers in the volume of the MB calyces. We used confocal microscopy to measure the volume of the whole brain, MB calyces, optic lobes, and antennal lobes of queens and workers. Queens had larger brains, larger MB calyces, and a larger MB calyces:whole brain ratio than workers, suggesting an effect of social dominance in brain development. This could result from social interactions leading to smaller worker MBs, or larger queen MBs. It could also result from other factors, such as differences in age or sensory experience. To test these explanations, we next compared queens and workers to other groups. We compared newly emerged bees, bees reared in isolation for 10 days, bees initiating new observation nests, and bees initiating new natural nests collected from the field to queens and workers. Queens did not differ from these other groups. We suggest that the effects of queen dominance over workers, rather than differences in age, experience, or reproductive status, are responsible for the queen-worker differences we observed. Worker MB development may be affected by queen aggression directly and/or manipulation of larval nutrition, which is provisioned by the queen. We found no consistent differences in the size of antennal lobes or optic lobes associated with differences in age, experience, reproductive status, or social caste.
Improving Follow-up Skeletal Survey Compliance in Suspected Nonaccidental Trauma Patients: What's the FUSS About?

Introduction Nonaccidental trauma (NAT) victims account for a significant percentage of our pediatric trauma population. The skeletal survey (SS) and follow-up skeletal survey (FUSS) are essential in the evaluation of selected NAT patients. We identified that our clinically indicated FUSS completion rate was suboptimal. We hypothesized that implementing an intervention of postdischarge follow-up in our pediatric surgery clinic would improve FUSS completion rates. Methods A follow-up clinic for NAT patients was established in July 2013. A retrospective review was performed of all suspected NAT cases younger than 2 years old seen at Kentucky Children's Hospital between November 2012 and February 2014. The study population was divided into pre (Group 1) and postintervention (Group 2). Bivariate analysis was performed. Results Group 1 consisted of 50 patients (58% male; median age, 9 months). Forty-7 (94%) had an SS; fractures were identified in 37 (74%) patients. Only 20 patients (40%) had FUSS; of those, 4 had newly identified fractures. Group 2 consisted of 52 patients (54% male; median age, 7 months). All 52 children (100%) had an SS; fractures were identified in 35 (67%) patients. Forty-seven patients (90%) had FUSS. Of those, 6 had new radiographic findings. Thirty-five patients (67%) were seen in our clinic. This improvement in FUSS (40% versus 90%) was statistically significant, P < 0.001. Conclusion The decision to follow NAT patients in our clinic had significantly increased our rates of FUSS completion. This additional clinic follow-up also provided more evidence for NAT evaluation.
Mutual Suppression of Proximal and Distal Axonal Spike Initiation Determines the Output Patterns of a Motor Neuron.

Axonal spike initiation at sites far from somatodendritic integration occurs in a range of systems, but its contribution to neuronal output activity is not well understood. We studied the interactions of distal and proximal spike initiation in an unmyelinated motor axon of the stomatogastric nervous system in the lobster, Homarus americanus. The peripheral axons of the pyloric dilator (PD) neurons generate tonic spiking in response to dopamine application. Centrally generated bursting activity and peripheral spike initiation had mutually suppressive effects. The two PD neurons and the electrically coupled oscillatory anterior burster (AB) neuron form the pacemaker ensemble of the pyloric central pattern generator, and antidromic invasion of central compartments by peripherally generated spikes caused spikelets in AB. Antidromic spikes suppressed burst generation in an activity-dependent manner: slower rhythms were diminished or completely disrupted, while fast rhythmic activity remained robust. Suppression of bursting was based on interference with the underlying slow wave oscillations in AB and PD, rather than a direct effect on spike initiation. A simplified multi-compartment circuit model of the pacemaker ensemble replicated this behavior. Antidromic activity disrupted slow wave oscillations by resetting the inward and outward current trajectories in each spike interval. Centrally generated bursting activity in turn suppressed peripheral spike initiation in an activity-dependent manner. Fast bursting eliminated peripheral spike initiation, while slower bursting allowed peripheral spike initiation to continue during the intervals between bursts. The suppression of peripheral spike initiation was associated with a small after-hyperpolarization in the sub-millivolt range. A realistic model of the PD axon replicated this behavior and showed that a sub-millivolt cumulative after-hyperpolarization across bursts was sufficient to eliminate peripheral spike initiation. This effect was based on the dynamic interaction between slow activity-dependent hyperpolarization caused by the Na+/K+-pump and inward rectification through the hyperpolarization-activated inward current, Ih. These results demonstrate that interactions between different spike initiation sites based on spike propagation can shift the relative contributions of different types of activity in an activity-dependent manner. Therefore, distal axonal spike initiation can play an important role in shaping neural output, conditional on the relative level of centrally generated activity.
Machine learning suggests polygenic contribution to cognitive dysfunction in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS)

Abstract Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a multi-system disease characterized primarily by progressive muscle weakness. Cognitive dysfunction is commonly observed in patients, however factors influencing risk for cognitive dysfunction remain elusive. Using sparse canonical correlation analysis (sCCA), an unsupervised machine-learning technique, we observed that single nucleotide polymorphisms collectively associate with baseline cognitive performance in a large ALS patient cohort from the multicenter Clinical Research in ALS and Related Disorders for Therapeutic Development (CReATe) Consortium (N=327). We demonstrate that a polygenic risk score derived using sCCA relates to longitudinal cognitive decline in the same cohort, and also to in vivo cortical thinning in the orbital frontal cortex, anterior cingulate cortex, lateral temporal cortex, premotor cortex, and hippocampus (N=114) as well as post mortem motor cortical neuronal loss (N=88) in independent ALS cohorts from the University of Pennsylvania Integrated Neurodegenerative Disease Biobank. Our findings suggest that common genetic polymorphisms may exert a polygenic contribution to the risk of cortical disease vulnerability and cognitive dysfunction in ALS.
Estimation of subsurface porosities and thermal conductivities of polygonal tundra by coupled inversion of electrical resistivity, temperature, and moisture content data

Abstract. Studies indicate greenhouse gas emissions following permafrost thaw will amplify current rates of atmospheric warming, a process referred to as the permafrost carbon feedback. However, large uncertainties exist regarding the timing and magnitude of the permafrost carbon feedback, in part due to uncertainties associated with subsurface permafrost parameterization and structure. Development of robust parameter estimation methods for permafrost-rich soils is becoming urgent under accelerated warming of the Arctic. Improved parameterization of the subsurface properties in land system models would lead to improved predictions and a reduction of modeling uncertainty. In this work we set the groundwork for future parameter estimation (PE) studies by developing and evaluating a joint PE algorithm that estimates soil porosities and thermal conductivities from time series of soil temperature and moisture measurements and discrete in-time electrical resistivity measurements. The algorithm utilizes the Model-Independent Parameter Estimation and Uncertainty Analysis toolbox and coupled hydrological–thermal–geophysical modeling. We test the PE algorithm against synthetic data, providing a proof of concept for the approach. We use specified subsurface porosities and thermal conductivities and coupled models to set up a synthetic state, perturb the parameters, and then verify that our PE method is able to recover the parameters and synthetic state. To evaluate the accuracy and robustness of the approach we perform multiple tests for a perturbed set of initial starting parameter combinations. In addition, we varied types and quantities of data to better understand the optimal dataset needed to improve the PE method. The results of the PE tests suggest that using multiple types of data improve the overall robustness of the method. Our numerical experiments indicate that special care needs to be taken during the field experiment setup so that (1) the vertical distance between adjacent measurement sensors allows the signal variability in space to be resolved and (2) the longer time interval between resistivity snapshots allows signal variability in time to be resolved.
Racial and Ethnic Disparities in SARS-CoV-2 Pandemic: Analysis of a COVID-19 Observational Registry for a Diverse U.S. Metropolitan Population

Abstract Introduction Data on race and ethnic susceptibility to SARS-CoV-2 infection are limited. We analyzed socio-demographic factors associated with higher likelihood of SARS-CoV-2 infection and explore mediating pathways for race disparities in the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. Methods Cross sectional analysis of COVID-19 Surveillance and Outcomes Registry (CURATOR), which captures data for a large healthcare system comprising of one central tertiary care, seven large community hospitals, and an expansive ambulatory / emergency care network in the Greater Houston area. Nasopharyngeal samples for individuals inclusive of all ages, races, ethnicities and sex were tested for SARS-CoV-2. We analyzed, socio-demographic (age, sex, race, ethnicity, household income, residence population density) and comorbidity (hypertension, diabetes, obesity, cardiac disease) factors. Multivariable logistic regression models were fitted to provide adjusted Odds Ratios (aOR), 95% confidence intervals (CI) for likelihood of positive SARS-CoV-2 test. Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) framework was utilized to explore three mediation pathways (low income, high population density, high comorbidity burden) for association between African American race and SARS-CoV-2 infection. Results Among 4,513 tested individuals, 754 (16.7%) tested positive. Overall mean (SD) age was 50.6 (18.9) years, 62% females and 26% were African American. African American race was associated with lower socio-economic status, higher comorbidity burden, and population density residence. In the fully adjusted model, African American race (vs. White; aOR, CI: 1.84, 1.49-2.27) and Hispanic ethnicity (vs. non-Hispanic; aOR, CI: 1.70, 1.35-2.14) had a higher likelihood of infection. Older individuals and males were also at a higher risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection. The SEM framework demonstrated a statistically significant (p = 0.008) indirect effect of African American race on SARS-CoV-2 infection mediated via a pathway that included residence in densely populated zip code. Conclusions There is strong evidence of race and ethnic disparities in the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic potentially mediated through unique social determinants of health. Strengths and limitations of this study One of the first studies to systematically evaluate race and ethnic disparities in susceptibility to SARS-CoV-2 infection, while accounting for multiple sociodemographic characteristics and comorbidities Study population represents a large and diverse metropolitan of the U.S. with data from one of the largest healthcare providers across the greater metropolitan area Study evaluates potential mediation pathways for race disparities and demonstrates that residence in areas with high population density may mediate race disparities in susceptibility to SARS-CoV-2 infection Single center study with limited information about true burden of comorbidity and lifestyle factors
Qualitative Evaluation of Drivers of Eating Decisions among SNAP Participants in Mississippi.

Abstract Objective To explore food-related decision patterns among Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) recipients in Mississippi. Design A qualitative design was used to conduct focus groups (n = 18) based on the Health Belief Model with low-income female caregivers of children aged under 13 years. Setting Mississippi. Participants Cluster sampling was used to recruit participants (n = 126) from the 4 regional divisions of Mississippi State University Extension. Phenomenon of Interest Drivers of eating decisions among SNAP participants. Analysis Focus groups were recorded, transcribed, and coded by 2 independent coders using thematic analysis. Results Drivers of food selection often overlapped with barriers to healthy eating. Participants used many strategies to manage costs and viewed healthy foods as out of reach and quick to perish. Cost, taste preferences, habits, and family factors were primary drivers of food selection and preparation; each of these presented barriers to healthier eating. Health was most often shared as a driver of food selection once disease was established. Participants reported a variety of strategies used in striving for healthier eating. Conclusions and Implications Focusing on ways to manage the costs of healthy foods, honor taste preferences, and work within habits/families may enhance efforts to support healthy eating among SNAP participants.
Transport of polymers in contact lenses and impact on lubricity

Abstract Purpose Contact lens induced discomfort (CLD) has been recognized as the most common cause of contact lens wearer drop-out over the past four decades. Many studies show correlation between comfort and lubricity, which can be increased by incorporation of lubricating polymers in lenses to serve as comfort agents. The objective of this study is to measure the effect of two different comfort-agent incorporation on lubricity, and also to determine the changes in lubricity with release of the agents from the lenses. Materials and methods The two comfort agents in this study, polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) and carboxymethylcellulose (CMC), were loaded into 1-DAY ACUVUE® TruEye® and ACUVUE® MOIST contact lenses (made of narafilcon A and etafilcon A respectively) in a 1 week soaking process. These lenses were then placed into phosphate buffered saline (PBS) solutions and analyzed periodically using UV–vis spectrophotometry to determine the rate of lubricant release from the lenses. A lab-made contact lens lubricity testing device (CLLTD) was subsequently used to determine their respective lubricities. Results During trial testing, most of the PVA and CMC was released in both the narafilcon A and etafilcon lenses within the first one to three hours. After an initial increase in lubricity relative to baseline values, these release profiles were accompanied by corresponding decreases in lubricity levels for each ocular lubricant and lens material combination. Conclusions These results indicate that the lubricity of a contact lens can decrease with wear time due to release of the comfort agents, which could potentially lead to the commonly observed end of day discomfort. Thus, increasing the duration of release by increasing molecular weight or incorporating controlled-release strategies could be very valuable in addressing the issue of end-of-day discomfort.
An Adaptive Deep Neural Network with Transfer Learning for State-of-Charge Estimations of Battery Cells

This paper proposes a new adaptive learning model for capacity estimation of lithium-ion battery cells. The proposed deep neural network transfers knowledge from other cells and adapts its behavior by exponentially weighting the data from the historical cells using a custom weighting function. The proposed model is shown to achieve state-of-art with an MAE of 0.56% when compared with three other traditional transfer learning and adaptive learning models for Li-ion battery cells. Details of the model followed by derivations and experimental results are provided.
Reconsidering ECMO in Premature Neonates

Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) is a life-saving intervention for neonates with respiratory failure or congenital cardiac disease refractory to maximal medical management. Early studies showed high rates of mortality and morbidities among preterm and low birthweight (BW) neonates, leading to widely accepted ECMO inclusion criteria of gestational age (GA) ≥34 weeks and BW >2 kg. In recent years, publications involving neonates of 32-34 weeks GA have reported improved survival and decreased intracranial hemorrhage. As such, ECMO should be considered on a case-by-case basis in premature neonates as long as the risks are understood.
Does Weight Loss Prior to Surgery Accurately Predict Success Following Bariatric Surgery

Preoperative weight loss (PWL), defined as weight loss which is required and mandated before bariatric surgery will be scheduled, has been mandated by some bariatric programs due to a perceived benefit on post-operative outcomes, as well as by various insurance companies as a requirement for preauthorization approval. PWL can restrict access to bariatric surgery and can lead to increased attrition rates among patients who may otherwise greatly benefit from the procedure. There is a paucity of strong evidence to support mandated PWL. Additionally, mandated PWL does not equate to predictable post-operative weight loss as most patients have struggled their entire lives with medical weight management. The data are scant but show no difference in resolution of comorbid conditions with PWL. The data are conflicting regarding the effect of PWL on postoperative weight loss outcomes, and there is no difference in 30-day morbidity with PWL. Therefore, the authors agree with consensus guidelines that there is not enough data to recommend PWL to improve bariatric surgery outcomes.
A topological degree theory for perturbed AG(S+)-operators and applications to nonlinear problems

Abstract Let X be a real reflexive Banach space with X ⁎ its dual space and G be a nonempty and open subset of X. Let A : X ⊇ D ( A ) → 2 X ⁎ be a strongly quasibounded maximal monotone operator and T : X ⊇ D ( T ) → 2 X ⁎ be an operator of class A G ( S + ) introduced by Kittila. We develop a topological degree theory for the operator A + T . The theory generalizes the Browder degree theory for operators of type ( S + ) and extends the Kittila degree theory for operators of class A G ( S + ) . New existence results are established. The existence results give generalizations of similar known results for operators of type ( S + ) . Applications to strongly nonlinear problems are included.
Obesity Prevention Behaviors in Asian Indian Adolescent Girls: A Pilot Study.

Abstract Purpose The purpose of this pilot study was to evaluate obesity prevention behaviors of Asian Indian adolescent females and determine the relationship of these behaviors to cardiovascular risk factors. Design and Methods A purposive sample of twenty females, 14–18 years of age, was enrolled. Body mass index, percent body fat, waist circumference, and blood pressure were measured to assess cardiovascular risk. Measures of obesity prevention behaviors were physical activity, dietary and sleeping behaviors. To quantify engagement in physical activity, participants wore an accelerometer. The dietary intake was assessed using the web based SuperTracker. Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index was used to assess sleep behaviors. For data analysis, descriptive statistics was used for demographic characteristics. Correlations were calculated to evaluate the relationship between cardiovascular risk factors and obesity prevention behaviors. Results The majority of the adolescents did not meet recommended physical activity levels. Most reported unhealthy eating behaviors with higher saturated fat intake correlating with higher percent body fat. The cardiovascular risk measures fell below normative values. However, more time spent in sedentary behaviors was related to higher systolic blood pressure, while poor sleep quality was associated with higher diastolic blood pressure and greater BMI. Conclusions The findings support the unhealthy patterns of physical activity, dietary and sleep behaviors in Asian Adolescent girls and the need for promoting healthy behaviors in this at risk population. Practice Implications The study findings provide a basis for education on healthy behaviors and development of culturally appropriate interventions to prevent obesity.
Perturbation in B Cell-Subsets Can Explain the Observed Suppression of Uninvolved Immunoglobulins and Their Impact on T Tell-Subsets As Well As Patients Outcome in Myeloma

Abstract Multiple myeloma (MM), a plasma cell malignancy, is associated with immune dysfunction influenced by both direct and an indirect interaction between MM cells and its bone-marrow (BM) microenvironment. The most prominent immune deficiency lies in the humoral immune response, which manifests as low serum uninvolved immunoglobulin (UIg) levels, lack of responses to vaccination, and consequent infectious complications. The cellular and molecular processes driving suppressed normal B cell immunity remains unclear. Therefore, we investigated the hypothesis that observed low UIg levels and immune dysfunction are due to alterations in the developmental stages of the B cell-compartment with associated T and B cell subset alterations in MM BM (N=46) and peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC, N=50) along with normal BM (N=17) and PBMC (N=33). We observed that B2 cells were significantly lower (42.7±4.3, p Disclosures Richardson: Jazz Pharmaceuticals: Consultancy, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding; Celgene: Consultancy, Research Funding; Takeda: Consultancy, Research Funding; Oncopeptides AB: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees. Anderson: Oncopep: Other: scientific founder; Gilead Sciences: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Millenium Pharmaceuticals: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; MedImmune: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; C4 Therapeutics: Other: scientific founder; Bristol-Myers Squibb: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees.
‘Satanic Journalism and its Fate’: The Scripps Chain Strikes Out in Buffalo

Abstract This article explores the nineteenth century editorial feud as a distinct and critical journalistic genre by examining the malevolent competition hi Buffalo between the fledgling Scripps chain's Evening Telegraph and Edward Butler's Evening News between 1880–1885. The feud reached its climax during Grover Cleveland's scandal-plagued presidential campaign of 1884, when salacious (and exaggerated) details of Cleveland's adulterous affair with a shop girl were first published by the Telegraph. This article adds significant new material about the scandal itself (in the form of previously unpublished correspondence between Cleveland and his ally, Butler) and the Scrippses' methods in Buffalo. The Halpin affair was a signal event in the press' growing boldness in exposing the private foibles of public figures. The Evening Telegraph was shuttered in 1885 — a rare failure in the development of the Scripps chain. Contemporaries attributed its demise to its practice of “Satanic Journalism.”.
Segmentation of hand gestures using motion capture data

Virtual agent research on gesture is increasingly relying on data-driven algorithms, which require large corpora to be effectively trained. This work presents a method for automatically segmenting human motion into gesture phases based on input motion capture data. By reducing the need for manual annotation, the method allows gesture researchers to more easily build large corpora for gesture analysis and animation modeling. An effective rule set has been developed for identifying gesture phase boundaries using both joint angle and positional data of the fingers and hands. A set of Support Vector Machines trained from a database of annotated clips, is used to classify the type of each detected phase boundary into stroke, preparation or retraction. The approach has been tested on motion capture data obtained from different people with varied gesturing styles and in different moods and the results give us an indication of the extent to which variation in gesturing style affects the accuracy of segmentation.
Novela policial alternativa hispanoamericana (1960-2005)

To what extent is a literary genre which conventions imply the presence of a detective, the final reestablishment of the statu quo and the exemplary punishme...
Psychological Testing : An Introduction

Preface Part I. Basic Issues: 1. The nature of tests 2. Test construction, administration, and Interpretation 3. Reliability and validity Part II. Dimensions of Testing: 4. Personality 5. Cognition 6. Attitudes, values, and interests 7. Psychopathology 8. Normal positive functioning Part III. Applications of Testing: 9. Special children 10. Older persons 11. Testing in a cross-cultural context 12. Disability and rehabilitation Part IV. The Settings: 13. Testing in the schools 14. Occupational settings 15. Clinical and forensic settings Part V. Challenges to Testing: 16. The issue of faking 17. The role of computers 18. Testing behavior and environments 19. The history of psychological testing Appendix. Table to translate difficulty level of a test item into a z score References Test index Index of acronyms Subject index.
Multisite contributions to the Korringa relaxation rate

We extend the original single-site spin flip calculation of Korringa to multisite scattering. We consider both one-electron and many-body cases, the latter occurring when one allows for Coulomb exchange scattering between conduction electrons, driven by applied fields against impurities, and those electrons which are screening the impurity at a given instant. Our results show that there are more spin couplings in a dilute magnetic metal than the Ruderman Kittel and Dzyaloshinsky-Moriya interactions. Which appear appears to be a matter of experimental circumstance.
Cultural Bias and Circumcision: The AAP Task Force on Circumcision Responds

The members of the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) Task Force on Circumcision appreciate the opportunity to respond to the concerns raised by Frisch et al in their commentary, “Cultural Bias in AAP’s 2012 Technical Report and Policy Statement on Male Circumcision.” The central claim of these authors is that the conclusions of the task force report are culturally biased, leading the task force to a flawed understanding of what constitutes trustworthy evidence and to conclusions that are far from those reached by physicians in most other Western countries. The “obvious” cultural bias to which they refer apparently has its genesis in “the normality of non-therapeutic male circumcision in the US.” All of the commentary authors hail from Europe, where the vast majority of men are uncircumcised and the cultural norm clearly favors the uncircumcised penis. In contrast, approximately half of US males are circumcised, and half are not.1 Although that heterogeneity may lead to a more tolerant view toward circumcision in the United States than in Europe, the cultural “bias” in the United States is much more likely to be a neutral one than that found in Europe, where there is a clear bias against circumcision. Yet, the commentary’s authors have, at no point, recognized that their own cultural bias may exist in equal, if not greater, measure than any cultural bias that might exist among the members of the AAP Task Force on Circumcision. If cultural bias influences the review of available evidence, then a culture that is comfortable with both the circumcised penis and the uncircumcised penis would seem predisposed to a more dispassionate analysis of the scientific literature than a culture with a bias that is either strongly opposed to circumcision or strongly in favor of it. The task force’s process was systematic, objective, comprehensive, … Address correspondence to Douglas S. Diekema, MD, MPH, Seattle Children’s Research Institute, C9S-6, 1900 Ninth Ave, Seattle, WA 98101. E-mail: diek{at}u.washington.edu
Multilevel Preconditioners for Non--self-adjoint or Indefinite Orthogonal Spline Collocation Problems

Efficient numerical algorithms are developed and analyzed that implement symmetric multilevel preconditioners for the solution of an orthogonal spline collocation (OSC) discretization of a Dirichlet boundary value problem with a non--self-adjoint or an indefinite operator. The OSC solution is sought in the Hermite space of piecewise bicubic polynomials. It is proved that the proposed additive and multiplicative preconditioners are uniformly spectrally equivalent to the operator of the normal OSC equation. The preconditioners are used with the preconditioned conjugate gradient method, and numerical results are presented that demonstrate their efficiency.
Self-antigen presentation by dendritic cells and lymphoid stroma and its implications for autoimmunity

The induction and maintenance of T cell tolerance is essential to prevent autoimmunity. A combination of central and peripheral mechanisms acts to control autoreactive T cells. In secondary lymphoid organs, dendritic cells (DCs) presenting self-antigen were thought to play a major role in the induction of peripheral T cell tolerance. Multiple recent studies have demonstrated that DCs are not absolutely essential to induce and maintain tolerance. Furthermore, it has also been recently shown that non-hematopoietic stromal cells expressing peripheral tissue-restricted antigens can induce T cell tolerance, independently of DCs. Together these studies imply that peripheral tolerance is more complex than previously thought and a consequence of the tolerogenic functions of the hematopoietic and non-hematopoietic compartments within secondary lymphoid organs.
Challenging the Authority of the Medical Definition of Disability: An analysis of the resistance to the social constructionist paradigm

This article attempts to explain why the social constructionist paradigm has failed to replace the medical model in American disability theory. The social movement led by American disability activists attempted to reframe the definition of disability using a minority group model based on the social constructionist paradigm. This paper argues that the disability movement was unable to successfully advance the social constructionist paradigm because the activists accepted the Americans With Disabilities Act (1990) despite its ideological basis in the medical model of disability, and the social constructionist theory does not adequately account for the importance of structural constraints to redefinition.
Matrilysin over-expression in MCF-7 cells enhances cellular invasiveness and pro-gelatinase activation.

Matrilysin (MMP-7) is over-expressed in various cancers and is thought to play important roles in tumor invasion and metastasis. However, the function of MMP-7 in breast cancer remains unclear. We therefore examined the expression of the MMP-7 gene in breast cancer (MCF-7) cells and the effect of its over-expression on cellular invasion. We transfected human MMP-7 into MCF-7 cells and selected clones that stably over-expressed the MMP-7 gene. The in vitro invasiveness of MCF-7 cells was quantified by use of the Matrigel invasion assay. Expression of MMP-7 mRNA was analyzed by quantitative RT-PCR. MMP secretion and activation were detected by gelatin zymography. We found that MMP-7-expressing clones had significantly increased invasion (P<0.001), with increased MMP-7 expression and gelatinase activation as compared to the vector controls. We conclude that MMP-7 over-expression correlates with breast cancer in vitro invasiveness and that MMP-7 may promote invasion by increasing the secretion and activation of proMMP-2 and proMMP-9.
Amyloid cardiomyopathy: Characterization by a distinctive voltage/mass relation

Fourteen patients with biopsy-proved systemic amyloidosis underwent noninvasive cardiac testing to assess the presence and severity of cardiac amyloidosis. There was a clear tendency for electrocardiographic voltage to be low (sum of S wave in lead V1 plus R wave in lead V5 or V6 [SV1 + RV5 or V6] = 14.6 +/- 4.8 mm; normal range 15 to 35) and echocardiographic muscle cross-sectional area to be increased (11.4 +/- 2.7 cm2/m2; normal range 6 to 10). When the electrocardiographic or the echocardiographic data were examined individually, and especially when they were compared and contrasted with similar measurements from patients with pericardial disease (n = 8) or aortic valve disease (n = 24), it was apparent that the electrocardiogram and the echocardiogram had limited specificity in the diagnosis of amyloidosis. However, when the analysis combined these two techniques, a distinctive pattern emerged. There was an inverse correlation between voltage and muscle cross-sectional area (r = -0.79) in patients with amyloidosis; moreover, marked derangement of the voltage/cross-sectional area relation was associated with clinical symptoms and mortality. In addition, patients with amyloidosis and cardiac symptoms had abnormal left ventricular chamber radius to wall thickness ratios, consistent with infiltration of the myocardium as the primary abnormality in cardiac amyloidosis.
Radiocardiography in congenital heart disease.

Summary 1. The technique of radiocardiographyhas been employed to study twenty-two children with normal hearts and 100 children with congenital heart disease. 2. Different types of radiocardiograms were obtained in patients with patent ductus arteriosus, tetralogy of Fallot, Eisenmenger complex, and tricuspid atresia. 3. This method may be useful indifferentiating patients with Eisenmenger complex from those with tetralogy of Fallot. 4. Although the exact physiologicalphenomena responsible for the types of curves obtained are not known, preliminary evidence suggests that the radiocardiogram is predominantly a reflection of the blood flow in the right heart.
The glycosaminoglycans of human term placenta

Abstract The glycosaminoglycans of human term placenta have been extracted and analyzed. Approximately one third of the total content may be extracted with saline, a 0.9% sodium chloride solution, and consists of hyaluronic acid, chondroitin 4-sulfate and chondroitin 6-sulfate (both at various levels of sulfation), and of a small proportion of dermatan sulfate and heparan sulfate. The residual glycosaminoglycans may be extracted after proteolytic digestion of the tissue, and consist mainly of heparan sulfate and dermatan sulfate, with a smaller proportion of chondroitin 4-sulfate. It is postulated that the two hyaluronidase-resistant glycosaminoglycans may constitute a barrier to the passage of immunocompetent cells from the mother to the fetus.
Recovery of Ca currents from inactivation: The roles of Ca influx, membrane potential, and cellular metabolism

1. Ca currents were examined with regard to their recovery from inactivation. The experiments were done on isolated nerve cell bodies ofHelix aspersa using a combined suction pippet, microelectrode method for voltage clamp, and internal perfusion. Ca currents were separated by suppressing K and Na currents. 2. The time course of recovery was determined by applying a test pulse at intervals ranging from 1 msec to 20 sec after prepulses varying from 20 to 3000 msec in duration. Each pair of pulses was preceded by a control pulse to ensure that the Ca currents had recovered before the next test pair was applied. Ba and Ca currents were compared and the effects of intracellular perfusion with EGTA, ATP, and vanadate were examined. 3. Ba currents recovered in two stages and this time course was well fit by a sum of two exponentials with amplitudes and time constants given byA1 andτ1 for the fast component andA2 andτ2 for the slow component. In Ba the time constants were unchanged when prepulse durations were prolonged from 70 to 700 msec, although the initial amplitudesA1 andA2, particularlyA2, were increased. 4. Comparable influxes of Ca during the prepulse caused much more inactivation, but interestingly the recovery occurred at the same rate. The time course of Ca current recovery was also fit by a sum of two exponentials, the time constants of which were both smaller than the time constants of Ba current recovery. However, the time constants of Ca current recovery were increased markedly when prepulse durations were prolonged. Increasing the extracellular Ca concentration had a similar effect. 5. Increasing the Ba influx had no effect on the recovery time constants, and the Ba results are consistent with reversible inactivation gating of potential-dependent membrane Ca channels. The Ca results show that Ca influx enhances inactivation. Intracellular perfusion with EGTA resulted in less inactivation in the cast of Ca but it had no effect on Ba currents. Intracellular ATP increased the rate of recovery of Ca currents, and intracellular vanadate inhibited recovery. It is concluded that recovery of Ca channels depends upon both Ca influx and membrane potential and is modulated by agents which affect Ca metabolism.
Factor Analysis of the Conservatism Scale

Abstract The Wilson-Patterson Conservatism Scale was completed by 150 subjects, and their responses were submitted to a principal components analysis followed by a varimax rotation. The analysis reconfirmed the factor structure of the Conservatism Scale. The findings support the notion that there is a general factor of conservatism in the scale.
Optical coupling to spin waves in the cycloidal multiferroic Bi Fe O 3

The magnon and optical phonon spectrum of an incommensurate multiferroic such as $\mathrm{Bi}\mathrm{Fe}{\mathrm{O}}_{3}$ is considered in the framework of a phenomenological Landau theory. The resulting spin wave spectrum is quite distinct from commensurate substances due to soft mode anisotropy and magnon zone folding. The former allows electrical control of spin wave propagation via reorientation of the spontaneous ferroelectric moment. The latter gives rise to multiple magnetodielectric resonances due to the coupling of optical phonons at zero wave vector to magnons at integer multiples of the cycloid wave vector. These results show that the optical response of a multiferroic reveals much more about its magnetic excitations than previously anticipated on the basis of simpler models.
Prenatal Exposure to the Herbicide 2,4-dichlorophenyl-p-nitrophenyl Ether Destroys the Rodent Harderian Gland

Exposure of mice to the herbicide 2,4-dichlorophenyl-p-nitrophenyl ether during gestation produces abnormalities that are not readily apparent at birth but become obvious as the pups mature. By 2 weeks after birth there are severe intraorbital defects resulting from destruction of the Harderian glands behind the eyes. This effect is noticeable only postnatally because the Harderian gland does not grow or function until after birth.
Topochemical analysis of morphiceptin and dermorphin bioactivities.

To elucidate the topochemical requirements for bioactivities of morphiceptin (Tyr-Pro-Phe-Pro-NH2) and dermorphin (Tyr-D-Ala-Phe-Gly-Tyr-Pro-Ser-NH2), we have designed and synthesized two diastereomers Tyr-(L and D)-(NMe)Ala-Phe-D-Pro-NH2. Both the analogs display high activities in the guinea pig ileum assay. The only difference in the composition of these two diastereomers arises from the chirality at residue 2. The high μ-receptor activities are attributed to structures where the Tyr1-L-(NMe)Ala2 amide bond assumes a cis configuration while the Tyr1-D-(NMe)Ala2 amide bond assumes a trans configuration. Accessible space studied for the second residues of these molecules confirms the fact that the L-(NMe)Ala2 analog belongs to the morphiceptin family of opioids while the D-(NMe)Ala2 analog belongs to the dermorphin class of opioids. The similarity in the spacial array of the analogs explains their high μ-receptor activities and indicates that they are likely recognized at the same opioid receptor.
The Distinction between Large-Scale and Mesoscale Contribution to Severe Convection: A Case Study Example

Abstract Using a case study of a relatively modest severe weather event as an example, a framework for understanding the large-scale-mesoscale interaction is developed and discussed. Large-scale processes are limited, by definition, to those which are quasi-geostrophic. Mesoscale processes are defined to be those which are linked in essence to processes occurring on both larger and smaller scales. It is proposed that convective systems depend primarily on large-scale processes for developing a suitable thermodynamic structure, while mesoscale processes act mainly to initiate convection. The case study is presented not as a “typical” event in its particulars, but rather to suggest the complex ways in which large-scale and mesoscale processes can interact. Implications for forecasting are an essential part of the discussion, since mesoscale systems are so difficult to predict with the present knowledge and technology available in operations.
Relationships of Hormones, Temperature, Photoperiod, and Other Factors to Voluntary Intake of Dry Matter in Pregnant Dairy Cows Prior to Parturition

Abstract Voluntary intake of dry matter per 100kg body weight (defined as intake) was quantified in 86 pluriparous Holstein cows which calved during 19 consecutive mo. Least squares techniques were used to examine the association of intake during the last 8 days before calving with numerous independent variables representing seasonal and physiological factors. The data were summarized as prepartum days 7, 4, and 1 (means of days 8 to 6, 5 to 3, and 2 to 0, respectively). Intake was lowest on prepartum day 1. Main effects of diet-group, health status, and month were not related significantly to intake when covariates were included in the statistical model. Intake decreased with increasing age of cows, but it was not related independently to body condition score. There were seasonal variations in intake which could be accounted for statistically by either month as a main effect or by quantitative indices of seasonality (temperature, photoperiod, plasma prolactin). Intake was lowest in February, June, and July and highest in October. Calf birthweight was related to intake in an unexpected manner. Intake was lowest in dams carrying either small or large calves. Prolactin of plasma was associated independently with intake, but this hormone may be just another measure of seasonal variation. All variables accounted for 58% of the total variance in intake. When seasonal variations in intake were accounted for statistically by other variables, none of the steroid hormones (progesterone, estrone, estradiol-17β, and estradiol-17α) were associated independently with variation in voluntary intake. Associations of cow age and of climatic indices with intake were greater during days 7, 4, and 1 prepartum as compared to day 250 of gestation, days .5 to 2.5 postpartum, and days 3 to 30 of lactation.