cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Identifying unexpected accruals: a comparison of current approaches

Abstract While prior research, as noted in our paper, often uses various accrual prediction models to detect earnings management, not much is known about the accuracy, both relative and absolute, associated with these models. Our paper investigates the accuracy of six different accrual prediction models, and offers the following findings. Only the Kang – Sivaramakrishnan (1995) model performs moderately well. The remaining five models provide little ability to predict total accruals: they are less accurate than a naive model which predicts that total accruals equal −5% of the total assets (TA) for all firms and years. Conventional R 2 values from a regression of actual accruals on predicted accruals are less than zero for a substantial majority of firms for these five models. These low R 2 values in the prediction period contrast sharply with the much higher R 2 values that are obtained within the estimation period. Similar performance is observed when predicting current accruals alone. However, the relative rankings of the different models are altered somewhat: the Jones (1991) model is then the only model that exhibits some predictive ability.
Enhancement of coherent fields using resonant cavities

Abstract Expressions for power enhancement of a coherent image or a laser beam when resonated by an optical cavity are derived; and application of intracavity techniques to image upconversion systems is elucidated.
Uniqueness and stability of Lamé parameters in elastography

This paper concerns an hybrid inverse problem involving elastic measurements called Transient Elastography (TE) which enables detection and characterization of tissue abnormalities. In this paper we assume that the displacements are modeled by linear isotropic elasticity system and the tissue displacement has been obtained by the first step in hybrid methods. We reconstruct Lame parameters of this system from knowledge of the tissue displacement. More precisely, we show that for a sufficiently large number of solutions of the elasticity system and for an open set of the well-chosen boundary conditions, Lame parameters can be uniquely and stably reconstructed. The set of well-chosen boundary conditions is characterized in terms of appropriate complex geometrical optics solutions.
Prenatal drug exposure and play and coping in toddlers: A comparison study

Abstract This investigation was designed to determine if differences exist (a) in the behavioral organization strategies and symbolic representational abilities of prenatally drug-exposed toddlers versus toddlers not exposed prenatally to drugs and (b) in the perceptions of prenatally drug-using and drug-free mothers regarding their child's coping behaviors. Significant group differences were observed on measures assessing quality of toddler free play and negative affect, with the drug-exposed group playing at age-appropriate levels less frequently and for shorter bouts of time, as well as exhibiting more irritability during play, than the non-drug-exposed group. Mothers of drug-exposed toddlers perceived their children as less adaptable and more difficult than did comparison mothers, and these perceptions correlated with child behavioral measures. Methodological issues, and the potential role of prenatal drug exposure, postnatal rearing environments, and/or genetic processes as causal mechanisms for group differences, are discussed.
Assessing winter cereals as cover crops for weed control in reduced-tillage switchgrass establishment

Abstract Weed pressure is a major challenge in switchgrass ( Panicum virgatum L.) establishment. The objective of this study was to assess whether cereal cover crops alone can control weeds and improve switchgrass stand establishment in reduced-tillage system or whether herbicide treatments should be applied. Field experiments were conducted at the University of Massachusetts Agricultural Experiment Station in Deerfield in 2010–2011 and 2012–2013 growing seasons. A split plot design with three replications was used. The main plots consisted of three cover crop treatments [fallow, oat ( Avena sativa L.) and rye ( Secale cereale L.)]. The sub-plots were herbicide treatments that consisted of no herbicide or post-emergence application of atrazine (A) (1.1 kg a.i. ha −1 ) and quinclorac (Q) (0.37 kg a.i. ha −1 ). Herbicides were applied when switchgrass was at 4-leaf stage (6 weeks after planting). Switchgrass tiller density was 100% improved with application of A + Q. Rye provided more effective weed control than oat; however, tiller density of switchgrass was also lower in rye treatment compared with oat and fallow. Switchgrass biomass yield was significantly lower in nontreated herbicide plots (0.22 Mg ha −1 ) than plots receiving A + Q (0.41 Mg ha −1 ). Our findings suggested that supplemental herbicide application is needed with using cover crops to improve switchgrass establishment.
Squeezing the arctic carbon balloon

The advancement of trees into Arctic tundra can increase total aboveground carbon storage. A study now shows, however, that greater plant growth also enhances belowground decomposition, resulting in a net loss of carbon from the ecosystem.
Solid-state processing of oxidation-resistant molybdenum borosilicide composites for ultra-high-temperature applications

The high-temperature capabilities of multi-phase composites based on Mo5Si3Bx are examined after solid-state processing and pulsed laser deposition (PLD) coating fabrication approaches. These composites are prepared by mechanical alloying of elemental powders and densified by vacuum hot pressing, which is a scalable processing approach. Chemical analyses of the hot-pressed compacts reveal a consistent 15–22 percent loss of boron, which is primarily due to the high-temperature hot-pressing step. Composites possessing sufficient amounts of boron are evaluated by thermogravimetric studies in temperatures up to 1650 °C in air. One composition demonstrates oxidative stability after long-term (100 h) isothermal conditions, as well as thermal cycling to simulate solar-thermal operation. Hot-pressed samples of composites consisting of Mo5Si3Bx + MoSi2 + MoB are also employed as deposition targets for PLD trials. X-ray diffraction analysis of the resulting films indicates the absence of long-range crystallographic order.
Relationship between planar GaAs nanowire growth direction and substrate orientation

Planar GaAs nanowires are epitaxially grown on GaAs substrates of various orientations, via the Au-catalyzed vapor?liquid?solid mechanism using metal organic chemical vapor deposition. The nanowire geometry and growth direction are examined using scanning electron microscopy and x-ray microdiffraction. A hypothesis relating the planar nanowire growth direction to the surface projections of ?111??B crystal directions is proposed. GaAs planar nanowire growth on vicinal substrates is performed to test this hypothesis. Good agreement between the experimental results and the projection model is found.
c-Myb contributes to G2/M cell cycle transition in human hematopoietic cells by direct regulation of cyclin B1 expression.

Myb family proteins are ubiquitously expressed transcription factors. In mammalian cells, they play a critical role in regulating the G1/S cell cycle transition but their role in regulating other cell cycle checkpoints is incompletely defined. Herein, we report experiments which demonstrate that c-Myb upregulates cyclin B1 expression in normal and malignant human hematopoietic cells. As a result, it contributes directly to G2/M cell cycle progression. In cell lines and primary cells, cyclin B1 levels varied directly with c-Myb expression. Chromatin immunoprecipitation assays, mutation analysis, and luciferase reporter assays revealed that c-Myb bound the cyclin B1 promoter preferentially at a site just downstream of the transcriptional start site. The biological significance of c-Myb, versus B-Myb, binding the cyclin B1 promoter was demonstrated by the fact that expression of inducible dominant negative c-Myb in K562 cells accelerated their exit from M phase. In addition, expression of c-Myb in HCT116 cells rescued cyclin B1 expression after B-myb expression was silenced with small interfering RNA. These results suggest that c-Myb protein plays a previously unappreciated role in the G2/M cell cycle transition of normal and malignant human hematopoietic cells and expands the known repertoire of c-myb functions in regulating human hematopoiesis.
“Old Habits Die Hard:” Past and Current Issues Pertaining to Response-to-Intervention

When Congress passed the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act in 2004 (IDEIA 2004), local educational agencies (LEA) were permitted to use a Response-to-Intervention (RtI) approach for identifying children with possible learning disabilities for special education. Furthermore, IDEIA 2004 no longer required LEAs to establish an IQ-achievement discrepancy for determining a Specific Learning Disability (SLD). Although federal law no longer mandates the need for a discrepancy for determining an SLD, some researchers suggest that intelligence tests should continue to be used for children at-risk for SLD who do not respond to interventions within the initial phases of an RtI approach. The current paper: (a) provides a brief review of the IQ-achievement discrepancy model, (b) reviews some of the major criticisms regarding the IQ-achievement discrepancy model, (c) reviews concerns of using intelligence tests within an RtI framework, and (d) provides a rationale for applying RtI in school districts in California.
Positive Effects of Restricting Student Note-Taking in a Capstone Psychology Course: Reducing the Demands of Divided Attention in the Classroom.

Two versions of a senior-level capstone course with differing note-taking strategies were compared. In one semester, a traditional student note-taking format was used; in another semester, student note-taking was rendered unnecessary by providing students with complete instructor notes. Student performance in the course as well as student opinions of the course itself and the new no-notes format were assessed. The nature of students’ in-class participation increased significantly with the no–note-taking format, and final grades exhibited a modest improvement as well. Students were overwhelmingly positive in their reactions to the approach. Recommendations regarding the potential benefits of reducing the divided attention demands of note-taking in the classroom are discussed.
Molecular Signatures in Skin Associated with Clinical Improvement during Mycophenolate Treatment in Systemic Sclerosis

Heterogeneity in systemic sclerosis (SSc) confounds clinical trials. We previously identified "intrinsic" gene expression subsets by analysis of SSc skin. Here we test the hypotheses that skin gene expression signatures including intrinsic subset are associated with modified Rodnan skin score (MRSS) improvement during mycophenolate mofetil (MMF) treatment. Gene expression and intrinsic subset assignment were measured in 12 SSc patients' biopsies and 10 controls at baseline, and from serial biopsies of 1 cyclophosphamide-treated patient and 9 MMF-treated patients. Gene expression changes during treatment were determined using paired t-tests corrected for multiple hypothesis testing. MRSS improved in four of seven MMF-treated patients classified as the inflammatory intrinsic subset. Three patients without MRSS improvement were classified as normal-like or fibroproliferative intrinsic subsets. A total of 321 genes (false discovery rate (FDR)<5%) were differentially expressed at baseline between patients with and without MRSS improvement during treatment. The expression of 571 genes (FDR<10%) changed between pre- and post-MMF treatment biopsies for patients showing MRSS improvement. Gene expression changes in skin are only seen in patients with MRSS improvement. Baseline gene expression in skin, including intrinsic subset assignment, may identify SSc patients whose MRSS will improve during MMF treatment, suggesting that gene expression in skin may allow targeted treatment in SSc.
The relationship between immiscible and miscible displacement in porous media

Displacement processes in porous media share several common characteristics. Fundamental among them is the representation of the momentum balance via Darcy’s law and its multiphase extension (Bear, 1972). Such description leads to systems of equations the solution of which parallels the behavior of the solution of processes in multicomponent chromatography. For instance, it has been recognized that noncapillary, multiphase displacement in one-dimensional (rectilinear or radial) porous media can be solved by techniques identical to those used in chromatographic transport (Helfferich, I98 I; Rhee et al., 1986, and references therein). This similarity arises naturally for the case of one-dimensional flow geometries and in the absence of dissipative terms (diffusion, dispersion, or capillarity), where both multiphase and multicomponent chromatography processes are formulated by systems of first-order hyperbolic equations. In this note we pursue further this relationship in mathematical representation between multiphase flow and chromatographic processes in porous media. Specifically, we consider two-phase, immiscible displacement and single-phase, miscible displacement in the presence of equilibrium adsorption. It is demonstrated that the two problems are mathematically equivalent, regardless of the dimensionality of the flow system and the presence of dissipative effects. Such an analogy is of practical importance in the analysis of various process characteristics, for instance in describing the evolution of unstable two-dimensional disturbances during viscous fingering. The latter is a topic of active current investigations (Homsy, 1987, and references therein), and of fundamental importance in process performance. Any similarities between seemingly different processes would be of considerable help in an effort to reduce complexity and to uncover common mechanisms. An extension to multiphase immiscible displacement and multicomponent miscible displacement is also briefly discussed. Mathematical Description
Toric intersection theory for affine root counting

Abstract Given any polynomial system with fixed monomial term structure, we give explicit formulae for the generic number of roots with specified coordinate vanishing restrictions. For the case of affine space minus an arbitrary union of coordinate hyperplanes, these formulae are also the tightest possible upper bounds on the number of isolated roots. We also characterize, in terms of sparse resultants, precisely when these upper bounds are attained. Finally, we reformulate and extend some of the prior combinatorial results of the author on which subsets of coefficients must be chosen generically for our formulae to be exact. Our underlying framework provides a new toric variety setting for computational intersection theory in affine space minus an arbitrary union of coordinate hyperplanes. We thus show that, at least for root counting, it is better to work in a naturally associated toric compactification instead of always resorting to products of projective spaces.
Geophysical signatures of past and present hydration within a young oceanic core complex

Borehole logging at the Atlantis Massif oceanic core complex provides new information on the relationship between the physical properties and the lithospheric hydration of a slow-spread intrusive crustal section. Integrated Ocean Drilling Program Hole U1309D penetrates 1.4 km into the footwall to an exposed detachment fault on the 1.2 Ma flank of the mid-Atlantic Ridge, 30°N. Downhole variations in seismic velocity and resistivity show a strong correspondence to the degree of alteration, a recorder of past seawater circulation. Average velocity and resistivity are lower, and alteration is more pervasive above a fault around 750 m. Deeper, these properties have higher values except in heavily altered ultramafic zones that are several tens of meters thick. Present circulation inferred from temperature mimics this pattern: advective cooling persists above 750 m, but below, conductive cooling dominates except for small excursions within the ultramafic zones. These alteration-related physical property signatures are probably a characteristic of gabbroic cores at oceanic core complexes.
Job evaluation for the cardiac in industry

Abstract It can be extremely difficult to assess the work ability of a person suffering with heart disease. Each case must be appraised individually, since the many factors to be considered vary so greatly from case to case. Each factor must be verified, and a total evaluation must be determined. Recommendations to the patient must be specific even though arbitrary; ambiguity must be avoided. The physical demands of a job, not a job title, must be carefully considered. The condition of the labor market also determines to a great extent whether or not the patient can return to work.
3α-Androstanediol in Human Peripheral Plasma

ABSTRACT A radioimmunoassay for 3α-androstanediol (3α-diol) in human peripheral plasma is described. The antigen was prepared by reacting androsterone with succinic anhydride forming androsterone-3α-succinate and then reducing the 17 ketone to 3α-diol with sodium borohydride. This was then conjugated with bovine thyroglobulin using the mixed anhydride reaction. Antibody generated in rabbits had high affinity for 3αdiol and dihydrotestosterone and a lower order of cross reaction with testosterone and 3(β-diol. Plasma with 3H indicator is extracted with solvent and purified on a paper chromatogram (Bush-A system). Separation of bound from free steroid affected by ammonium sulfate precipitation. Studies indicate good precision and accuracy. Non specific blank values are 8 ± 8 (sd) pg per sample and sensitivity is about 20 pg. Male values are 13.7 ± 4 (sd) ng and female values are only 2.0 ± 0.6 ng per 100 ml with a significant sex difference. Male and female prepubertal values are very low, < 2 ng per 100 ml...
Oxygen Exchange and Bond Cleavage Reactions of Carbohydrates Studied Using the 180 Isotope Shift in 13C NMR Spectroscopy

Isotopic labeling, particularly through the use of 18O-enriched water, has been important in defining our present understanding of the mutarotation process and reactions involving carbohydrate bond cleavage (Rittenberg and Graff, 1958; BeMiller, 1967; Capon, 1969). A related reaction, the exchange of oxygen at the anomeric carbon atom of reducing sugars, may also be observed by the use of 180-water, and an understanding of the kinetics of this exchange process is an important prerequisite to carbohydrate studies such as bond cleavage reactions that make use of the 180 label. Unfortunately, there are relatively few data in the literature that characterize the oxygen exchange reactions of even the most biologically important monosaccharides. No comparable investigation has appeared since Rittenberg and Graff’s study of glucose oxygen exchange in 1958. As a result, meaningful comparisons of oxygen exchange rates between different sugars have been quite difficult due to the wide variety of experimental conditions that have been used (Risley and Van Etten, 1982).
Teacher Education That Works: Preparing Secondary-Level Math and Science Teachers for Success with English Language Learners through Content-Based Instruction.

Little research exists on effective ways to prepare secondary mathematics and science teachers to work with English language learners (ELLs) in mainstream mathematics and science (subsequently referred to as STEM) classrooms. Given the achievement gap that exists between ELLs and their native-speaking counterparts in STEM subjects, as well as the growing numbers of ELLs in US schools, this becomes a critical issue, as academic success for these students depends on the effectiveness of instruction they receive not only in English as a second language classes (ESL), but in mainstream classrooms as well. This article reports on the effects of a program restructuring that implemented coursework specifically designed to prepare pre-service and in-service mathematics, science, and ESL teachers to work with ELLs in their content and ESL classrooms through collaboration between mainstream STEM and ESL teachers, as well as effective content and language integration. We present findings on teachersΓCO attitudes and current practices related to the inclusion of ELLs in the secondary-level content classroom and their current level of knowledge and skills in collaborative practice. We further describe the rationale behind the development of the course, provide a description of the course and its requirements as they changed throughout its implementation during two semesters, and present findings from the participants enrolled. Additionally, we discuss the lessons learned; researchersΓCO innovative approaches to implementation of content-based instruction (CBI) and teacher collaboration, which we term two-way CBI (DelliCarpini & Alonso, 2013); and implications for teacher education programs.
Selenium and Interleukins in Persons Infected with Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1

An important role for selenium in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) disease has been proposed. Decreased selenium levels, as found in persons with HIV infection or AIDS, are sensitive markers of disease progression. Selenium deficiency, an independent predictor of mortality in both HIV-1-infected adults and children, is an essential micronutrient that is associated with an improvement of T cell function and reduced apoptosis in animal models. In addition, adequate selenium may enhance resistance to infections through modulation of interleukin (IL) production and subsequently the Th1/Th2 response. Selenium supplementation up-regulates IL-2 and increases activation, proliferation, differentiation, and programmed cell death of T helper cells. Moreover, selenium supplementation may down-regulate the abnormally high levels of IL-8 and tumor necrosis factor-alpha observed in HIV disease, which has been associated with neurologic damage, Kaposi's sarcoma, wasting syndrome, and increased viral replication. Together, these findings suggest a new mechanism through which selenium may affect HIV-1 disease progression.
Avoiding the pitfalls of ‘conventional’ narrative research: using poststructural theory to guide the creation of narratives of children with HIV:

The purposes of this article are to acknowledge challenges to traditional narrative inquiry raised by poststructural theory, and to demonstrate how poststructural thought can guide narrative research. After placing narrative inquiry within the broad historical context of educational research, and offering a poststructural critique of ‘traditional’ narratives, the author uses this critique to guide the development of narratives of children with HIV. Excerpts of a narrative of a nine-year-old HIV-positive boy, and excerpts from the author’s own construction of the research and ‘stance’, are provided.
Amphibole forensics: Using the composition of amphiboles to determine their source, the Libby, Montana, example

As part of a larger on-going research project, we found amphiboles in soils in Libby, Montana, that were derived from both the former vermiculite mine near Libby and other sources. SEM-EDS spectra of the soil amphiboles from these locations are used to ascertain if the amphiboles came from the vermiculite deposit near Libby, Montana, or some other source. This distinction is possible because amphiboles known to originate from the vermiculite deposit all contain Na and K that can be observed in the EDS spectra. We make this statement with confidence because multiple workers have performed EPMA characterization on over 40 amphiboles collected from the deposit and all are found to contain measureable amounts of Na and K. In this brief communication, we show examples from four locations that contain amphiboles consistent in composition and others that have inconsistent composition when compared to reference amphiboles collected from the vermiculite deposit. Also, we demonstrate the presence of amphiboles consistent in composition with amphiboles known to originate from the deposit in sediment that pre-date mining activity. A full-length publication is in preparation detailing the quantity, distribution, and composition of amphiboles in the Libby Valley, if they are consistent in composition with amphiboles known to originate from the deposit or not, and if they pre- or post-date mining operations.
THE ELECTROCARDIOGRAM AND THE POSITION OF THE HEART

NE of the troublesome problems in the field of electrocardiography is to decide whether certain peculiarities in the tracings are due to abnormalities of the myocardium or to nothing more than an unusual position of the heart. Difficulties of this kind occur in connection with the interpretation of both limb and precordial leads and may limit the value of the records considerably. This paper is not a review of the extensive literature on the subject, but it is an attempt to point out some basic relationships between electrocardiograms and the anatomical position of the heart, to discuss some recent studies which have a bearing on the problem, and to emphasize some difficulties and unanswered questions arising from this work. Einthoven, Fahr, and de Waart ls2 showed that the form of the standard electrocardiogram varies with respiration or change of posture and attributed this to a change in the position of the heart. Some years later, Meek and Wilson,” working with dogs, reported consistent changes in the limb leads when the heart was rotated about the anteroposterior or the longitudinal axis alone and pointed out that, unless care is exercised, movement about the former axis is usually accompanied by rotation about the latter. Since the two types of rotation, so induced, act to shift the electrical axis in opposite directions, erratic and unpredicatable changes in the axis found in their early experiments were satisfactorily explained. These workers emphasized the importance of rotation of the heart on its long axis as a factor which determines the direction of the electrical axis and amply confirmed earlier studies by Groedel and MBnckeberg.4 It has been known for many years that standard electrocardiograms taken on normal subjects and on many patients with heart disease, often show changes if tracings are taken with the body in different positions. Thus, with the subject lying on the left side, a shift of the electrical axis to the right is usually seen, and a shift to the left may occur when the subject is lying on the right side. Alterations of this kind are particularly apt to be found in subjects with relatively From
Global exponential stability of competitive neural networks with different time scales

The dynamics of cortical cognitive maps developed by self-organization must include the aspects of long and short-term memory. The behavior of such a neural network is characterized by an equation of neural activity as a fast phenomenon and an equation of synaptic modification as a slow part of the neural system. We present a new method of analyzing the dynamics of a biological relevant system with different time scales based on the theory of flow invariance. We are able to show the conditions under which the solutions of such a system are bounded being less restrictive than with the K-monotone theory, singular perturbation theory, or those based on supervised synaptic learning. We prove the existence and the uniqueness of the equilibrium. A strict Lyapunov function for the flow of a competitive neural system with different time scales is given and based on it we are able to prove the global exponential stability of the equilibrium point.
Treatment of Circadian Rhythm Sleep Disorders with Light

The human circadian system is normally synchronised with the solar day, insuring that alertness and performance peak during daytime hours and consolidated sleep occurs during the night. In circadian rhythm sleep disorders, the pattern of sleep-wake is misaligned with the patient's circadian system or the external environment, resulting in insomnia, fatigue, and deterioration in performance. Appropriately-timed exposure to bright light can reset the timing of sleep and wake to the desired times, and improve sleep quality and daytime alertness. The efficacy of bright light therapy, however, is dependent on the time-of-day of the circadian cycle that the light is administered. In this article, we examine the physiological basis for bright light therapy, and we discuss the application of light in the treatment of circadian rhythm sleep disorders including advanced and delayed sleep-phase disorder, free-running disorder (nonentrained type), shiftwork disorder and jet lag disorder. We review the laboratory and field studies which have established bright light therapy as an effective treatment for sleep-wake and circadian misalignment, and we also provide guidelines for the appropriate timing and safe use of bright light therapy.
Explicit expressions for the generators of the center of the enveloping algebra of real lie algebras and for the algebra of bivariant operators on the group

The entire Casimir operator on a real semisimple Lie group is expressed in convenient forms related to the Iwasawa, Bruhat, and Cartan decompositions of the group. Its restriction to G/N may be realized as an operator with constant coefficients on A, and its restriction to G/K, which is the Laplacian on G/K, is expressed as a polynomial differential operator on the Borel subgroup AN. Similar results are proved for higher order bi-invariant operators on G. In addition, explicit polynomial expressions for the generators of the centers of the enveloping algebras of a2, and b2 (= c2) are found.
Immunogenicity and contraceptive potential of a human zona pellucida 3 peptide vaccine.

Immunization with zona pellucida 3 (ZP3) glycoprotein induces infertility in primates and is a target antigen for a contraceptive vaccine. However, loss of ovarian function is a long-term side effect. A possible mechanism is autoimmune ovarian disease induced by ZP3-specific autoreactive T cells, demonstrated in mice immunized with a murine ZP3 peptide in complete Freund's adjuvant. Indeed, a murine contraceptive vaccine that elicits antibodies to zona pellucida (ZP) without concomitant pathogenic T-cell activation has been achieved by a chimeric peptide (CP) consisting of a native ZP3 B-cell epitope and a foreign helper T-cell peptide. Herein, we evaluate the CP strategy in primate for human ZP3 (hZP3) vaccine development. A CP was constructed that consisted of a known helper T-cell epitope from the malarial circumsporozoite protein and a native B-cell epitope of hZP3. The human CP elicited antibodies to ZP3 in macaques without a measurable T-cell response to the hZP3 peptide. The serum antibodies reacted with macaque and human ZP and significantly inhibited human sperm binding to oocytes in vitro. Moreover, the CP elicited antibodies to human ZP in mice that lack murine major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class II molecules but express transgenic human HLA-DR3, -DQ6, or -DQ8 molecules. Therefore, this study 1) provides evidence to support the feasibility of the CP strategy in hZP3 vaccine development and 2) describes a novel approach for evaluating the influence of polymorphic human MHC on vaccine immunogenicity without human immunization.
Too Much of a Good Thing: The Health of Olympic Athletes in Ancient Greece

The Greek axiom of nothing in excess applied even to health. Health was achieved by keeping the constituents of the body in balance by taking in the appropriate nourishment to replace the fluids expended in daily activity. Competitive athletes trained their bodies to be stronger and faster than ordinary citizens, even those who visited the gymnasium regularly, and to do this they had both to expend enormous effort and take in enormous amounts of nourishment. To achieve the desired effect, however, both exercise and nourishment had to be carefully calibrated and an athlete's body was less able to handle even minor miscalculations than a body in a more normal state of health.
Dimensions of Parental Behavior: Results of Cluster and Factor Analyses

This study presents cluster and factor analyses of 55 parents' judgments about parental behaviors obtained through unstructured interviews with parents. Results confirm previous studies in showing that control and affection are important dimensions of parental behavior and suggest that another dimension, Active Involvement, may also be useful in understanding parents' behavior.
Elder American Indian women's knowledge of pelvic floor disorders and barriers to seeking care.

OBJECTIVES The objectives of this study are to evaluate urinary incontinence and pelvic organ prolapse knowledge among elder southwestern American Indian women and to assess barriers to care for pelvic floor disorders through community-engaged research. METHODS Our group was invited to provide an educational talk on urinary incontinence and pelvic organ prolapse at an annual meeting of American Indian elders. Female attendees aged 55 years or older anonymously completed demographic information and 2 validated questionnaires, the Prolapse and Incontinence Knowledge Questionnaire (PIKQ) and Barriers to Incontinence Care Seeking Questionnaire (BICS-Q). Questionnaire results were compared with historical controls from the original PIKQ and BICS-Q validation study. RESULTS One hundred forty-four women completed the questionnaires. The mean age was 77.7 ± 9.1 years. The mean (SD) for PIKQ of urinary incontinence score was 6.6 (3.0) (similar to historic gynecology controls 6.8 [3.3], P = 0.49), and the mean (SD) for PIKQ on pelvic organ prolapse score was 5.4 (2.9) (better than historic gynecology controls 3.6 [3.2], P < 0.01). Barriers to care seeking reported by the elder women were highest on the BICS-Q subscales of "cost" and "inconvenience." CONCLUSIONS Urinary incontinence knowledge is similar to historic gynecology controls, and pelvic organ prolapse knowledge is higher than historic gynecology controls among elder southwestern American Indian women. American Indian elder women report high levels of barriers to care. The greatest barriers to care seeking for this population were related to cost and inconvenience, reflecting the importance of assessing socioeconomic status when investigating barriers to care. Addressing these barriers may enhance care-seeking southwestern American Indian women.
Striatal Dopamine-γ-Aminobutyric Acid-Acetylcholine Interaction in Organophosphate-Induced Neurotoxicity

The extreme toxicity of organophosphate cholinesterase inhibitors (OP-ChE-Is) is due to their irreversible inactivation of acetylcholinesterase (AChE), resulting in cholinergic hyperactivity (19). It has been suggested that various cholinergically-mediated behaviors would be disrupted only if the AChE activity in brain fell below some critical level, i.e., 40% of normal (16, 35). However, some of the behavioral changes induced by OP-ChE-Is do not entirely correlate with the degree of AChE inhibition (4, 11, 18, 21, 42). Therefore, the question of whether all of the toxic symptoms are due to the derangement of cholinergic function or if other neurochemical changes might be, in part, responsible is unclear.
Surveillance of Adverse Events Following Influenza A(H1N1) Vaccination in Shenzhen

Objective To provide evidence for developing immunization strategies in Shenzhen by analyzing the surveillance data of adverse reaction following influenza A(H1N1) vaccination.Methods The information about adverse events in Shenzhen was collected from the Children's Immunization Information System.The related date was collected from investigation tables of AEFI cases and the daily reports of influenza A(H1N1) vaccine from vaccination spots.SPSS 17.0 software was used for data analysis.Results The cumulative incidence rate of adverse reaction following Immunization of influenza A(H1N1) vaccination was 3.29 /104 in Shenzhen from October 31st,2009 to April 30th,2010.Among different age groups,the incidence rate of the group3 years old was higher than other age groups,and the incidence rate in the floating population was lower than those of other occupations.Most symptoms of adverse events following vaccination were general reactions which mostly appeared within 24 hours.Fever and anaphylactic reaction was predominant.Most of these cases have good prognosis.Conclusions Most adverse events following vaccination in Shenzhent of adverse events were mild symptoms,with proved the high vaccination safety.The serious adverse reaction mainly was serious allergy reaction.It is suggested that vaccine capacity business should mark the composition of the vaccine more clearly to avoid the occurrence of serious allergy reaction.After one year's track,no nervous system's untoward effect following vaccination was discovered.
Reproducibility of Heidelberg retinal tomograph measuring the macular retinal thickness

Objectives To evaluate the reproducibility of Heidelberg retina tomograph (HRT) macular edema module(MEM) measuring the macular retinal thickness. Methods Sixty-two healthy volunteers (9-68 years old) were examined by HRT-II procedure. The retinal signal width (SW) at macula and fovea and macular edema index (E) were recorded for t-test, Pearson linear-correlation analysis. Intra-subject variation repeatedly measured was analyzed with coefficient of variation, 95% tolerance limits of change (TC), and intra-class coefficient of correlation (ICC). Results In healthy individuals, retinal SW was (0 734±0 236) mm at macula,and (0.781±0.243) mm at fovea; macular E was (1.169±0 619). The coefficient of variation repeatedly measured: retinal SW was (8.7±6 8)%,retinal SW at the fovea was (8.5±6.7)%, and the average was (15.6±13 9)%; 95%TC of intra-subject sequential repeated measurement was 0.131 (8.9%) of retinal SW, 0 137 (10.5%)of fovea SW,and 0 198 (7.4%) of average E. ICC of one individual repeatedly measured by one operator was 0 950 of macular SW, 0.949 of fovea SW, and 0.898 of average edema index. Conclusions HRT-II MEM is noninvasive, fast and highly reproducible, which provides a new technique to monitor the objective quantification of macular diseases related to retinal thickness.
Investigation on communicable disease control and prevention of 43 kindergartens in Longzihu district

Objective To get informations on communicable disease control and prevention of kindergartens and provide a basis for intensifying communicable disease control and prevention management.Method We carried out a special-purpose examination and synthetic evaluation in communicable disease control and prevention and disinfection effect monitoring among 43 kindergartens in Longzihu district from May 25,2008 to June 28,2008.The result was analyzed statistically by spss13.0 statistics software.Results Among 43 kindergartens,there were 90.7% kindergartens had system for report of infectious disease,97.7% kindergartens had part-time(or full-time) reporter of infectious disease,97.7% kindergartens had school doctor(health care worker),93.0% kindergartens carried out morning examination,96.0% kindergartens were qualified on registration of pupils' absenteeism,83.7% kindergartens had registry of report of infectious disease,90.7% kindergartens checked vaccinoprophylaxis card when new children were enrolle.62.8% kindergartens had disinfection records of air,article,and etc,72.1% kindergartes used qualified disinfectant and correct disinfecting method.We collected 171 samples.56.1% were qualified.Among the total,the qualified ratio of article surface was 79.1%,air(dynamic state) was 16.4%,disinfectant liquid was 86.5%.Conclusion We should strengthen disinfection knowledge training for health care teachers,and enact 'disinfection technological specification for child-care institutions' and 'disinfection hygienic guide for child-care institution'as quickly as possible.
An Air-Stable Na3 SbS4 Superionic Conductor Prepared by a Rapid and Economic Synthetic Procedure.

All-solid-state sodium batteries, using solid electrolyte and abundant sodium resources, show great promise for safe, low-cost, and large-scale energy storage applications. The exploration of novel solid electrolytes is critical for the room temperature operation of all-solid-state Na batteries. An ideal solid electrolyte must have high ionic conductivity, hold outstanding chemical and electrochemical stability, and employ low-cost synthetic methods. Achieving the combination of these properties is a grand challenge for the synthesis of sulfide-based solid electrolytes. Design of the solid electrolyte Na3SbS4 is described, realizing excellent air stability and an economic synthesis based on hard and soft acid and base (HSAB) theory. This new solid electrolyte also exhibits a remarkably high ionic conductivity of 1 mS cm−1 at 25 °C and ideal compatibility with a metallic sodium anode.
A sustainable biorefinery to convert agricultural residues into value-added chemicals.

Animal wastes are of particular environmental concern due to greenhouse gases emissions, odor problem, and potential water contamination. Anaerobic digestion (AD) is an effective and widely used technology to treat them for bioenergy production. However, the sustainability of AD is compromised by two by-products of the nutrient-rich liquid digestate and the fiber-rich solid digestate. To overcome these limitations, this paper demonstrates a biorefinery concept to fully utilize animal wastes and create a new value-added route for animal waste management. The studied biorefinery includes an AD, electrocoagulation (EC) treatment of the liquid digestate, and fungal conversion of the solid fiber into a fine chemical—chitin. Animal wastes were first treated by an AD to produce methane gas for energy generation to power the entire biorefinery. The resulting liquid digestate was treated by EC to reclaim water. Enzymatic hydrolysis and fungal fermentation were then applied on the cellulose-rich solid digestate to produce chitin. EC water was used as the processing water for the fungal fermentation. The results indicate that the studied biorefinery converts 1 kg dry animal wastes into 17 g fungal biomass containing 12 % of chitin (10 % of glucosamine), and generates 1.7 MJ renewable energy and 8.5 kg irrigation water. This study demonstrates an energy positive and freshwater-free biorefinery to simultaneously treat animal wastes and produce a fine chemical—chitin. The sustainable biorefinery concept provides a win–win solution for agricultural waste management and value-added chemical production.
Dynamic Sampling and Information Encoding in Biochemical Networks

Cells use biochemical networks to translate environmental information into intracellular responses. These responses can be highly dynamic, but how the information is encoded in these dynamics remains poorly understood. Here, we investigate the dynamic encoding of information in the ATP-induced calcium responses of fibroblast cells, using a vectorial, or multi-time-point, measure from information theory. We find that the amount of extracted information depends on physiological constraints such as the sampling rate and memory capacity of the downstream network, and it is affected differentially by intrinsic versus extrinsic noise. By comparing to a minimal physical model, we find, surprisingly, that the information is often insensitive to the detailed structure of the underlying dynamics, and instead the decoding mechanism acts as a simple low-pass filter. These results demonstrate the mechanisms and limitations of dynamic information storage in cells.
ISRU for construction

One of the major difficulties in the early settlement of the Moon was the actual process of construction of the structures. Various concepts were explored – from inflatables to self-deploying – in order to minimize the time astronauts would need to spend on the surface doing construction work. In addition to the usual hazards of construction, on the Moon there are the additional worries about radiation exposure. Automated concepts based on robotics were developed, but in those early years robotics was not yet mature enough to work autonomously. Robots were simple and were not primary actors in space. The use of local resources for the building materials, that is, in situ resource utilization (ISRU), was viewed as critical to long-term success on the Moon and Mars.1 Today we are “living off the land” with an almost fully autonomous fleet of construction robots.
Design of single-atom metal catalysts on various supports for the low-temperature water-gas shift reaction

Abstract Herein we give an account of our work on catalyst design for the low-temperature water-gas shift (WGS) reaction. The reaction is catalyzed by single-site, oxygen coordinated metal cations on various supports. Using two different metals, namely Au and Pt, we have found that the two metals form similarly-structured active sites, comprising isolated metal cations, coordinated with several O bonds to a metal oxide that serves as the support of the active gold or platinum species. The support can be a reducible oxide, e.g. CeO2, FeOx, TiO2, a non-reducible oxide, e.g. silica, zeolites, alumina, or even a non-oxide support, like carbon nanotubes. In the latter cases, alkali (Na, K)-Ox- linkages are used as a first shell around the metal ion center, stabilizing it, and supplying the OH species necessary for the reaction. The turnover rates per catalytic site are similar on any support, specific only to the nature of the metal cation of the active site: Au(I) or Pt(II). Accordingly, the apparent activation energy, Eapp, is different for each metal; 45 ± 5 kJ/mol for gold, and 70 ± 10 kJ/mol for the platinum catalysts. The evolution of preparation methods from those involving mixed metal structures (nanoparticles, clusters, and atoms) to novel ones that give exclusively single-atom metal catalytic centers on a support is discussed. The latter materials may be used as a platform to check whether a reaction occurs via single-atom catalytic centers. The findings are general and can be easily extended to other oxygen-coordinated metal ions on supports for the WGS reaction. They may also find broader applications to different reactions in fuel conversion and green chemicals production.
Mental contamination and trauma: Understanding posttraumatic stress, risky behaviors, and help-seeking attitudes

Abstract Research has linked mental contamination to symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). However, less research has examined how mental contamination relates to other factors observed among individuals with these symptoms. This study examined relationships among mental contamination, posttraumatic stress (PTS) symptoms, mood-dependent risky behaviors, and help-seeking attitudes among 232 trauma-exposed undergraduates. Participants completed self-report measures of mental contamination, contact contamination, PTS symptoms, mood-dependent risky behaviors, and help-seeking attitudes. While accounting for effects of contact contamination, biological sex, and unwanted sexual contact, results indicated mental contamination was positively linked to PTS symptoms. When accounting for PTS symptoms, mental contamination demonstrated a significant positive relationship with negative mood-dependent risky behaviors, and a trend-level positive relationship with positive mood-dependent risky behaviors. Mental contamination was indirectly linked to greater risky behaviors (negative and positive) through increased PTS symptoms. Mental contamination also demonstrated a positive indirect effect on help-seeking attitudes through increased PTS symptoms. Mental contamination exhibited a negative direct effect on help-seeking attitudes, suggesting mental contamination was associated with reduced help-seeking attitudes even after accounting for a positive association between PTS symptoms and help-seeking attitudes. These findings underscore the importance of understanding mental contamination in relation to trauma exposure and associated pathology.