cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
In-situ Development and Study of Conducting Polymer Electrodes on PVDF Substrates for Electro-Acoustic Application in Cochlear Implants

Sensorineural hearing loss (profound deafness) is a result of the inability of the transductory structures in the cochlea (organ of Corti) to convert the mechanical displacement of the basilar membrane to neural signals. A class of devices known as Cochlear Implants can significantly enhance the hearing ability in these patients. Fundamentally different from the existing cochlear implant technology, are the totally implantable piezoelectric based devices that are being developed. The unit is completely self-contained, designed to work without any signal amplifiers or transmission elements, greatly simplifying the stimulation process, and enhancing the cosmetic appearance of the patient. These devices utilize the bending piezoelectric effect. Device design consists of arrays of elements of piezoelectric polymer films with conducting polymer electrodes embedded in a flexible substrate with the whole device coated with an insulating layer. The incoming mechanical energy (pressure waves) into the cochlea generates electrical charge by virtue of the piezoelectric effect of the film. The generated charge is fed to electrical connections evaporated on the substrate and is used to stimulate surviving nerve fibers in the cochlea. In certain environments where acoustic impedance matching is limited by size constraints and conducting liquid medium, the advantage of polymer based devices over ceramics and metal based devices, are their flexibility, low acoustic impedance, and high sensitivity. However, in order to utilize these useful properties, the electrode material is an important issue, since the conventionally used metal electrodes, have high acoustic impedance and also impose mechanical clamping on the soft polymer which can significantly reduce the electromechanical efficiency of the transducer. Due to its flexibility, strong coherent interfaces, and significantly improved acoustic transparency, such an all-polymer electroactive system is compared to a metal-polymer system of similar design and also compared to the current technology.
Algal Symbiosis and Its Recognition in the Fossil Record

Symbiosis describes an association between two organisms that is of benefit to both. The association is generally long-term rather than transitory, and one or both partners have structural and/or behavioral adaptations that foster the association. In extreme cases of symbiosis, the reproductive systems of the partners are linked, so that continuation of the symbiosis is almost automatic; in these cases there are strong analogies with the meiotic sexual cycle (Margulis, 1980; Knoll, this volume).
The “Omics” Future: Genomics, Transcriptomics, and Proteomics

Rapid advancements in biotechnology and computing power have revolutionized the study of DNA, RNA, and protein at unprecedented resolution, depth, and thoroughness. These breakthroughs have led to the creation of the fields of genomics, transcriptomics, and proteomics. This chapter explains the concepts of genomics, transcriptomics, and proteomics and their potential for analyzing the genetic components of sleep disorders. Sleep and its associated disorders represent prime targets for systems-based analyses using these new approaches.
Numerical integral method for ELF fields excited by vertical electric dipole in asymmetric earth-ionosphere cavity

Extremely low frequency(ELF) propagation formulas for vertical electric dipole sources radiating in a spherical uniform earth-ionosphere cavity have been derived.These formulas have a range dependence characterized by either the Legendre function of the first kind of complex degree v and order zero or one of its first two derivatives.It is difficult to get the value of the Legendre function unless through appropriate approximations.In this paper,a new numerical integral method for the Legendre function is present.It is more efficient and accurate,and can be used in wider frequency band.The field excited vertical dipole at several frequencies are calculated through the numerical integral method.The fields calculated can image the physical phenomena of ELF propagation in earth-ionosphere cavity,and the frequencies of Schumem resonance is the same as previous researches.
Insufficient Knowledge and Resources — A Biological Constraint and Its Functional Implications

Insufficient knowledge and resources is not only a biological constraint on human and animal intelligence, but also has important functional implications for artificial intelligence (AI) systems. Traditional theories dominating AI research typically assume some kind of sufficiency of knowledge and resources, so cannot solve many problems in the field. AI needs new theories obeying this constraint, which cannot be obtained by minor revisions or extensions of the traditional theories. The practice of NARS, an AI project, shows that such new theories are feasible and promising in providing a new theoretical foundation for AI.
Expression of Na(+)-K(+)-ATPase alpha 1- and alpha 3-isoforms in adult and neonatal ferret hearts.

We have demonstrated previously that in adult ferret heart two alpha-subunit isoforms of the Na(+)-K(+)-ATPase, alpha(+) and alpha, are expressed. The alpha(+)-isoform may comprise either alpha 2-,...
Liquidity Risk During Financial Crises

How liquidity risk (beta) gets compensated is not well addressed so far. I hypothesize that liquidity risk (beta) get compensated asymmetrically. In this paper, I pay special attention to the crisis periods which experience large negative shocks on the market liquidity to study the nature of liquidity risk (beta). Using monthly data from 1986 to 2009, I examine the abnormal returns for the quintile liquidity risk (beta) portfolios. By defining nine periods of financial crisis by a large positive jump in VIX, I find that liquidity risk (beta) gets compensated strongly during those crisis periods, while the individual stock’s liquidity risk (beta) has no correlation with the individual stock’s liquidity level. Those findings suggest that the market wide liquidity, instead of the individual stock’s liquidity, is a priced factor at the bad states. This result is robust even if I use an alternative estimation of liquidity beta by adding the momentum factor into consideration.
Thinking through sympathy: Kemble, Hentz, and Stowe

When Harriet Beecher Stowe asked her readers to “feel right” at the conclusion of Uncle Tom's Cabin , she most certainly didn't anticipate the many supporters of slavery who, in their reviews of her novel and in their own fictional rebuttals to it, claimed that they did indeed “feel right,” and the benevolent institution of slavery was the result of their sympathies. But this is precisely what did happen, and in the months following the publication of Uncle Tom's Cabin , she prepared A Key to Uncle Tom's Cabin with the intentions of not only defending the authenticity of her novel and denouncing her critics, but reclaiming sympathy for the anti-slavery cause. Tears, the traditional evidence for sympathetic feeling and the primary mode of eliciting sympathy in Stowe's novel, registered one's feeling but not one's politics. In fact, not only did those in favor of slavery insist that their sympathy for slaves surpassed that of northern anti-slavery aggressors, but slaveholders often made the case that they were more deserving candidates for sympathy than their slaves. In response to pro-slavery appropriations of sympathy, anti-slavery advocates, including Stowe, Lydia Maria Child, Theodore Weld, and others, developed an expanded arsenal of sympathetic expression that would enable readers to see through the meretricious claims of their antagonists and convince them of the truthfulness of the anti-slavery position.
ATTAINING THE MAXIMUM SOLAR CONCENTRATION

ABSTRACT We discuss methods of producing and measuring solar irradiance as high as 70,00 suns, six times higher than the irradiance achieved by the best paraboloidal furnace. With such an irradiance it may be possible to pump a dye laser.
Implementation of a Novel Electronic Health Record-Embedded Physician Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment System

In April 2015, Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU) deployed a web-based, electronic medical record-embedded application created by third party vendor Vynca Inc. to allow real-time education, and completion of Physician Orders for Life Sustaining Treatment (POLST). Forms are automatically linked to the Epic Systems electronic health record (EHR) patient header and submitted to a state Registry, improving efficiency, accuracy, and rapid access to and retrieval of these important medical orders. POLST Forms, implemented in Oregon in 1992, are standardized portable medical orders used to document patient treatment goals for end-of-life care. In 2009, Oregon developed the first POLST-only statewide registry with a legislative mandate requiring POLST form signers to register the form unless the patient opts out. The Registry offers 24/7 emergency access to POLST Forms for Emergency Medical Services, Emergency Departments, and Acute Care Units. Because POLST is intended for those nearing end of life, immediate access to these forms at the time of an emergency is critical. Delays in registering a POLST Form may result in unwanted treatment if the paper form is not immediately available. An electronic POLST Form completion system (ePOLST) was implemented to support direct Registry submission. Other benefits of the system include single-sign-on, transmission of HL7 data for patient demographics and other relevant information, elimination of potential errors in form completion using internalized logic, built-in real-time video and text-based education materials for both patients and health care professionals, and mobile linkage for signature capture.
Semantic/pragmatic factors affecting the salience of transfer verb arguments

Rohde et al . (2006) showed that, for transfer verbs, the salience of the recipient argument is a function of the particular coherence relation posited by participants. Using a priming paradigm with transfer verbs and occupation-denoting NPs in isolated sentences, we find that participants are sensitive to the lexical properties of the transfer verb itself as measured by the relative salience of the associated transfer verb arguments. Alternatively, using a sentence completion paradigm – more strategic task in which participants are guided by discourse-level features – we find participants are sensitive instead to the coherence relations of the relevant event, replicating Rohde et al . (2006). Our findings support the notion that coherence relations drive the interpretation of multi-sentence discourses while sentences considered in isolation are guided by particular features of the linguistic context.
Channeled polarimetry using spectrally resolved longitudinal spatial coherence interferometry

We present an alternative technique for channeled polarimetry which uses longitudinal spatial coherence interferometry to encode a scene’s angularly dependent polarization information onto the source’s power spectrum. By spectrally resolving the output using a spectrometer, a channeled spectrum is measured. Fourier transformation of the channeled spectrum in combination with reference beam calibration techniques yields a reconstruction of the incident scene’s angular Stokes parameters. Experimental validation of the technique is demonstrated, using a Fabry-Perot etalon, for the recovery of one-dimensional linearly polarized scenes.
Comparison of proportional hazards models and neural networks for reliability estimation

Because of increased manufacturing competitiveness, new methods for reliability estimation are being developed. Intelligent manufacturing relies upon accurate component and product reliability estimates for determining warranty costs, as well as optimal maintenance, inspection, and replacement schedules. Accelerated life testing is one approach that is used for shortening the life of products or components or hastening their performance degradation with the purpose of obtaining data that may be used to predict device life or performance under normal operating conditions. The proportional hazards (PH) model is a non-parametric multiple regression approach for reliability estimation, in which a baseline hazard function is modified multiplicatively by covariates (i.e. applied stresses). While the PH model is a distribution-free approach, specific assumptions need to be made about the time behavior of the hazard rates. A neural network (NN) is particularly useful in pattern recognition problems that involve capturing and learning complex underlying (but consistent) trends in the data. Neural networks are highly non-linear, and in some cases are capable of producing better approximations than multiple regression. This paper reports on the comparison of PH and NN models for the analysis of time-dependent dielectric breakdown data for a metal-oxide-semiconductor integrated circuit. In this case, the NN model results in a better fit to the data based upon minimizing the mean square error of the predictions when using failure data from an elevated temperature and voltage to predict reliability at a lower temperature and voltage.
Radiology of metabolic bone disease.

A variety of radiographic findings are encountered in metabolic bone disease. These findings, though often subtle, are often diagnostic. Hyperparathyroidism, osteomalacia, renal osteodystrophy, Paget’s disease, and other forms of metabolic bone disease produce characteristic radiographic manifestations. Computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging make contributions in selected circumstances, but plain film radiography remains the primary imaging tool.
Foundations of Spanish Musical Theory: 1410–1535

Just as the most famous Spanish Renaissance scholar, Juan Luis Vives (1492–1540), wrote exclusively in Latin, so the two best-known Spanish Renaissance theorists, Bartolome Ramos de Pareja (fl. 1482) and Francisco Salinas (1513–1590) published exclusively in Latin. Also like Vives, they both spent much time abroad. Their choice of Latin brought them recognition — not only in their own centuries, but later — which peninsular theorists who wrote in Spanish have missed.
Video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery lobectomy: pulled in many directions.

In this issue of Journal of Thoracic Diseases , Liao and colleagues (1) describe with accompanying videos their technique of a fissureless, single direction video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) left upper and left lower lobectomy. The authors report that this method is clear, easily followed, and can be applied to any lobectomy. The main concept of this technique is to maintain the same retraction on the lung, manage the most superficial structure first regardless of what it is, and proceed sequentially to deeper structures.
Life Outside: A Narrative Ethnographic Inquiry into the Determinants of Homelessness

Homelessness is one of the largest social issues currently in the United States.This study specifically investigates the lived experiences of those who are or were homeless in Madison, Wisconsin, t...
Reaction Kinetics for the Anionic Ring-Opening Polymerization of Tetraphenyltetramethylcyclotetrasiloxane Using a Fast Initiator System

It is well known that the rate of polymerization for an anionic mechanism is dependent on the ability of the bulk material or solvent system to disassociate the ion pair at the propagating chain end. In the anionic ring-opening polymerization of cyclic organosiloxanes in particular, the larger and softer the counter ion, the more rapidly the reaction proceeds. A recently developed phosphazene initiator system provides a large, soft counter ion relative to other traditional initiators used for the polymerization of poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS). This novel initiator system was used in this investigation for the ring-opening polymerization of tetraphenyltetramethylcyclotetrasiloxane (P4) and the reaction kinetics under bulk and solution conditions were investigated. The new initiator system showed a dramatic increase in the rate of polymerization over the conventional potassium hydroxide-catalyzed system. Furthermore, this initiator was sufficiently reactive to be useful for the ring-opening polymerization of P4 at 293 K.
Prediction of the human papillomavirus status in patients with oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma by FDG-PET imaging dataset using deep learning analysis: A hypothesis-generating study.

Abstract Purpose To assess the diagnostic accuracy of imaging-based deep learning analysis to differentiate between human papillomavirus (HPV) positive and negative oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinomas (OPSCCs) using FDG-PET images. Methods One hundred and twenty patients with OPSCC who underwent pretreatment FDG-PET/CT were included and divided into the training 90 patients and validation 30 patients cohorts. In the training session, 2160 FDG-PET images were analyzed after data augmentation process by a deep learning technique to create a diagnostic model to discriminate between HPV-positive and HPV-negative OPSCCs. Validation cohort data were subsequently analyzed for confirmation of diagnostic accuracy in determining HPV status by the deep learning-based diagnosis model. In addition, two radiologists evaluated the validation cohort image-data to determine the HPV status based on each tumor’s imaging findings. Results In deep learning analysis with training session, the diagnostic model using training dataset was successfully created. In the validation session, the deep learning diagnostic model revealed sensitivity of 0.83, specificity of 0.83, positive predictive value of 0.88, negative predictive value of 0.77, and diagnostic accuracy of 0.83, while the visual assessment by two radiologists revealed 0.78, 0.5, 0.7, 0.6, and 0.67 (reader 1), and 0.56, 0.67, 0.71, 0.5, and 0.6 (reader 2), respectively. Chi square test showed a significant difference between deep learning- and radiologist-based diagnostic accuracy (reader 1: P = 0.016, reader 2: P = 0.008). Conclusions Deep learning diagnostic model with FDG-PET imaging data can be useful as one of supportive tools to determine the HPV status in patients with OPSCC.
Assessment of Urban Streamflow in Historical Wet and Dry Years Using SWAT across Northwestern Delaware

The impacts of extreme climates on two watersheds vulnerable to hazards of drought and flooding are examined. Using 2-m resolution topography and land use information, county level soil survey data, meteorology and hydrology data, two daily SWAT models were calibrated in years 2008 to 2010 and validated in years 2012 to 2014. Using the two calibrated models, the meteorology inputs of historical extreme wet (1996) and dry years (1964–65) was selected for daily streamflow simulation using the present land surface and evaluation of changes in the urban hydrology system. Good fit results between simulated and observed streamflow values were achieved for both watersheds, with Nash-Sutcliff coefficient and R2 higher than 0.69 for calibration and 0.66 for validation. The wet year simulation showed that the majority of peakflow events have not increased in both rivers, but baseflow decreased in the upper Christina River in comparison to 1996 records. The dry year simulation indicated that urban development over the last 55 years has led to lower baseflow and greater streamflow variability in both watersheds. The results suggest that improvements are needed in this urban ecosystem to prepare for extreme droughts like the 1960s, and effective stormwater management practices should continue for controlling stormwater runoff. Both these improvements will build resilience in the urban environment.
The Association between the Rate of Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Inhibitors and Angiotensin Receptor Blockers Use and the Number of COVID-19 Confirmed Cases and Deaths in the United States: Geospatial Study

Background: The novel coronavirus SARS-Cov2 uses the angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) receptor as an entry point to the cell. Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is a risk factor for the novel coronavirus disease (Covid-19) with poor outcomes. We hypothesized that the rate of ACE inhibitors (ACEIs) and angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs) use is associated with the rate of Covid-19 confirmed cases and deaths. Methods: We conducted a geospatial study using publicly available county-level data. The Medicare ACEIs and ARBs prescription rate was exposure. The Covid-19 confirmed case and death rates were outcomes. Spatial autoregression models were adjusted for the percentage of Black residents, children, residents with at least some college degree, median household income, air quality index, CVD hospitalization rate in Medicare beneficiaries, and CVD death rate in a total county population. Results: The ACEI use had no effect on Covid-19 confirmed case rate. An average ACEIs use (compared to no-use) was associated with a higher Covid-19 death rate by 1.1 (95%CI 0.4-1.8)%. If the use of ACEIs increases by 0.5% for all counties, the Covid-19 death rate will drop by 0.4% to 0.7(95%CI 0.3-1.1)%; P<0.0001. An average ARBs use (compared to no-use) was associated with a higher Covid-19 confirmed case rate (by 4.2; 95%CI 4.1-4.3 %) and death rate (by 1.1; 95%CI 0.7-1.5 %). Each percent increase in ARBs use was associated with an increase in confirmed case rate by 0.2(0.03-0.4)% and death rate by 0.14(0.08-0.21)%. Conclusions: ARBs, but not ACEIs use rate, is associated with Covid-19 confirmed case rate.
Clinical Investigator Training Program (CITP) - A practical and pragmatic approach to conveying clinical investigator competencies and training to busy clinicians.

Introduction Clinical investigation is a critical component of clinical medicine. Yet, other than mentorship by an experienced senior physician, young physicians have few formal training opportunities that fit into their clinical training and convey the pre-requisite clinical investigator competencies. To address this training gap, we designed the Clinical Investigator Training Program (CITP); a practical and pragmatic curriculum weaved into the constant pressures of balancing patient care with academic pursuit required of the academic practitioner. Methods Between January 2016 and December 2018, we conducted four CITP courses, with each comprised of four 4-h sessions that included didactic lectures, group projects including the development of a mock clinical protocol, and expert's panel discussions. Each course enrolled 15 participants from an average of 28 applicants. We assessed the knowledge acquired following each course via a pre- and post-course test (t-test with positive scores indicating improvement in knowledge base). In addition, we also tracked which participants became first time principal investigator following completion of CITP. Results A total of 60 participants enrolled in the 4 CITP courses, and there was a statistically significant improvement in mean post-test scores (p < 0.01). The number of participants achieving first time principal investigator status nearly doubled following CITP from 17 to 33. Conversely, applicants not selected for CITP demonstrated no similar improvement during the same follow up period. Conclusion The improvement in test scores and the substantive uptake in first time principal investigator responsibilities following CITP affirms that CITP provides a viable option to convey investigator competencies and encourage clinicians to take on the role of principal investigators.
The New Post-Pandemic Normal of College Traditions

The pandemic response disrupted higher education to include remote learning beginning mid-spring semester 2020 and is expected to continue in some form at least through fall. This paper reviews recent changes in higher education traditions from factors such as finance, competition, and higher education's value proposition. Some traditions such as changes in collocation have escalated during the pandemic. A vision emerges of some traditions likely to form a "new normal," post-pandemic. As a response example, this paper proposes use of "supplemental recordings" to continue learner engagement especially as remote learning becomes more common.
Modelling count data via copulas

Copula models have been widely used to model the dependence between continuous random variables, but modelling count data via copulas has recently become popular in the statistics literature. Spear...
Darcy–Brinkman Flow Over a Screen Embedded in an Anisotropic Porous Medium

A screen composed of in-plane thin strips is embedded in a porous medium. The screen is either normal or parallel to the applied pressure gradient which forces a flow through the anisotropic porous medium. The principal axes of anisotropy are assumed to be aligned with that of the screen. The governing equation is fourth order and cannot be factored as in the isotropic case. The solutions are found by eigenfunction superposition (with complex eigenvalues) and point match. Anisotropy has first-order effects on the flow and the drag on the screen. Extrapolation yields fundamental results for the drag of a single slat in an anisotropic porous medium.
Landscape-Based Mutational Sensitivity Cartography and Network Community Analysis of the SARS-CoV-2 Spike Protein Structures: Quantifying Functional Effects of the Circulating Variants

Structural and biochemical studies SARS-CoV-2 spike mutants with the enhanced infectivity have attracted significant attention and offered several mechanisms to explain the experimental data. In this study, we used an integrative computational approach to examine molecular mechanisms underlying functional effects of the D614G mutation by exploring atomistic modeling of the SARS-CoV-2 spike proteins as allosteric regulatory machines. We combined atomistic simulations, deep mutational scanning and sensitivity mapping together with the network-based community analysis to examine structures of the native and mutant SARS-CoV-2 spike proteins in different functional states. Conformational dynamics and analysis of collective motions in the SARS-CoV-2 spike proteins demonstrated that the D614 position anchors a key regulatory cluster that dictates functional transitions between open and closed states. Using mutational scanning and sensitivity analysis of the spike residues, we identified the evolution of stability hotspots in the SARS-CoV-2 spike structures of the mutant trimers. The results offer support to the reduced shedding mechanism of as a driver of the increased infectivity triggered by the D614G mutation. By employing the landscape-based network community analysis of the SARS-CoV-2 spike proteins, our results revealed that the D614G mutation can promote the increased number of stable communities in the open form by enhancing the stability of the inter-domain interactions. This study provides atomistic view of the interactions and stability hotspots in the SARS-CoV-2 spike proteins, offering a useful insight into the molecular mechanisms of the D614G mutation that can exert its functional effects through allosterically induced changes on stability of the residue interaction networks.
New records of Albunea carabus (Linnaeus, 1758) (Decapoda: Anomura: Hippoidea) in the Tyrrhenian Sea, with notes on its ecology and distribution in the Italian seas

Twenty-four individuals of Albunea carabus (Linnaeus, 1758), a species rarely reported in the Mediterranean Sea, have recently been collected in the Tyrrhenian Sea (Italy) in hydraulic dredge surve...
Volumetric fluorescence imaging with a wearable Computational Miniature Mesoscope

We demonstrate a novel, compact, and wearable imaging device called Computational Miniature Mesoscope (CM2), that enables high-resolution volumetric fluorescence imaging within a single snapshot across a wide field-of-view and an extended depth-of-field.
Characterization of protein–ligand interactions by SABRE

Nuclear spin hyperpolarization through signal amplification by reversible exchange (SABRE), the non-hydrogenative version of para-hydrogen induced polarization, is demonstrated to enhance sensitivity for the detection of biomacromolecular interactions. A target ligand for the enzyme trypsin includes the binding motif for the protein, and at a distant location a heterocyclic nitrogen atom for interacting with a SABRE polarization transfer catalyst. This molecule, 4-amidinopyridine, is hyperpolarized with 50% para-hydrogen to yield enhancement values ranging from −87 and −34 in the ortho and meta positions of the heterocyclic nitrogen, to −230 and −110, for different solution conditions. Ligand binding is identified by flow-NMR, in a two-step process that separately optimizes the polarization transfer in methanol while detecting the interaction in a predominantly aqueous medium. A single scan Carr–Purcell–Meiboom–Gill (CPMG) experiment identifies binding by the change in R2 relaxation rate. The SABRE hyperpolarization technique provides a cost effective means to enhance NMR of biological systems, for the identification of protein–ligand interactions and other applications.
Basin Recharge of the Ogallala Aquifer

Ground-water recharge basins were tested to determine the feasibility of percolating surface water to the Ogallala Formation in the Texas High Plains. The basins were excavated into porous sediments which separate the ground water formation and the slowly permeable surface soil. Initially, two 1/10-acre basins were tested, one with clear well water and the other with turbid water from a playa (wet weather) lake. Percolation rates with clear well water were as high as 7 ft per day, and the sustained percolation rate with turbid water exceeded 1 ft per day. Results of the initial study were used to design and construct a 1.0-acre basin that can be filled by gravity flow from a playa lake. The maximum percolation rate during a 2-week test with clear well water was 2.0 ft per day. The study shows that the Ogallala Formation can be recharged through basins if the slowly permeable surface soil is removed.
Suing Under §1983: The Future after Gonzaga v. Doe

In 2002, the Supreme Court in Gonzaga University v. Doe held that the nondisclosure provisions of the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) did not establish an individual right enforceable through 42 U.S.C. §1983. Chief Justice Rehnquist's requirement of clear and unambiguous proof that Congress intended to establish an individual right on behalf of a class including the plaintiff placed an additional burden on plaintiffs by effectively demanding proof that Congress would have wanted thousands of private suits. The requirement eroded the Court's precedent emphasizing the presumptive enforcement of federal statutory rights through §1983. This Article will focus on the impact of Gonzaga in future §1983 cases rather than on whether the Court was correct in its holding. Two specific proposals are presented. First, the Court should consider legislative history in determining congressional intent to establish individual rights. Second, consistent with the Court's decision in Wright v. City of Roanoke Redevelopment & Housing Authority, the Court should consider agency regulations in defining the scope of a right as long as there is sufficient evidence that Congress intended to establish an individual right. By considering evidence in a statute's legislative history and administrative regulations defining the scope of statutory rights, lower courts are more likely to find Congress's intent than through a textualist approach, which is likely to underestimate those instances where Congress really intends to establish an individual right.
The Imaging Plate System Interfaced to the Large-Volume Press at Beamline X17B1 of the National Synchrotron Light Source

A double imaging plate is interfaced to the Large Volume High Pressure Device (LVHPD) SAM-85 for the collection of in situ X ray powder diffraction data suitable for Rietveld analysis. The two-dimensional detector, combined with the uniform pressure and temperature environments of the LVHPD and the wide energy range available from a new Laue-Bragg monochromator at X17B1, results in high-quality diffraction data suitable for Rietveld refinements. A disk-type heater is used to minimize extrinsic diffraction peaks from the surrounding materials. Diffraction effects resulting from the boron-epoxy pressure transmitting medium are removed by subtraction. To demonstrate the quality of data obtained from the imaging-plate system, the cation distributions over the available sites in the crystal structures of NiAl 2 O 4 -spinel and (Ni,Mg) 2 SiO 4 -olivine have been refined from data collected at high pressures and temperatures. In both cases cation ordering is observed to increase with pressure.
Cardiovascular allergy due to penicillin, sulfadiazine, and bacterial sensitization; results of treatment with cortisone and ACTH.

Abstract Four atopic individuals with hyperergic vascular disease characterized by extensive purpura, pulmonary infiltrations with eosinophilic myocarditis, hepatosplenomegaly and renal involvement are reported. Penicillin hypersensitiveness appeared to have been responsible for the clinical syndrome in the first two patients. Allergy to sulfadiazine and bacterial infection was regarded as the probable exciting factors in the vascular disease in Case 3, and bacterial infection was suspected in Case 4. Concurrent sensitivity to other antibiotics and drugs may have acted synergistically to accentuate the morbid process in all four cases. Treatment with cortisone and ACTH was effective in controlling the reversible phases of the disease, such as eosinophilic pulmonary infiltrations, purpura, joint pains, fever, etc. It failed to halt the irreversible lesions in the heart and kidneys.
Lovastatin-induced cytoskeletal reorganization in lens epithelial cells: role of Rho GTPases.

Purpose To understand the involvement of isoprenylated small guanosine triphosphatases (GTPases) in lovastatin-induced cataractogenesis, Rho- and Rac-mediated cell adhesion and actin cytoskeletal reorganization were investigated in lovastatin-treated lens epithelial cells. Methods The effects of lovastatin on F-actin reorganization (phalloidin staining), focal adhesion formation (paxillin or vinculin), cell-cell adhesions (cadherin and beta-catenin), and protein tyrosine phosphorylation were evaluated in human and porcine lens epithelial cells by immunocytochemical staining with specific antibodies. To explore the involvement of the Rho and Rac GTPases in lovastatin-mediated effects, changes in distribution of Rho and Rac GTPases were analyzed by Western blot analysis, and the effects of C3-exoenzyme on lovastatin-induced cytoskeletal changes were evaluated by immunocytochemical analysis. Results Lovastatin induced drastic changes in cell shape in both human and porcine lens epithelial cells, including a profound loss of actin stress fibers, focal adhesions, protein phosphotyrosine, and cell-cell adhesions. Lovastatin treatment also led to the accumulation of nonisoprenylated Rho and Rac GTPases in cytosolic fraction. Supplementation of culture media with geranylgeranyl pyrophosphate dramatically reversed the lovastatin-induced morphologic and cytoskeletal changes, whereas farnesyl pyrophosphate was ineffective. Treatment of cells with C3-exoenzyme (a Rho GTPase-specific inhibitor), however, abolished the geranylgeranyl-supplementation-induced recovery from the morphologic and cytoskeletal effects of lovastatin. Conclusions This study demonstrates that inhibition of protein prenylation by lovastatin leads to disruption of actin cytoskeletal organization, and to loss of integrin-mediated focal adhesions and cadherin-mediated cell-cell adhesions in lens epithelial cells. Based on isoprenoid supplementation studies, it could be concluded that impairment of geranylgeranylated Rho and Rac GTPase function is most likely responsible for lovastatin-induced cytoskeletal changes in lens epithelial cells.
World Bank Group Entrepreneurship Survey: Data Overview

The 2007 World Bank Group Entrepreneurship Survey database includes cross-country, time-series data on the number of total and newly registered businesses, collected directly from Registrar of Companies around the world. Download the slides at: http://papers.ssrn.com/paper=1027912 Download the audio file at: http://papers.ssrn.com/paper=1028850
Behavioral Assessment of Social Anxiety in Females with Turner or Fragile X Syndrome

Social skills impairment in children with Turner or fragile X syndrome has been documented using parental reports. Anxiety, shyness, and difficulty understanding social cues have been reported for females with Turner syndrome; whereas social withdrawal, avoidance of social interactions, and anxiety are often reported for females with fragile X syndrome. Social interaction anxiety in these two populations may be a framework for understanding the difficulty these children experience in social situations. In the present study, 29 females with Turner syndrome and 21 females with fragile X syndrome ages 6-22 years were compared to females in a comparison group, on a videotaped role-play interaction. Behavioral indices examined included eye-contact maintenance, duration of speech, and body discomfort as observed during the brief interaction. Three of eight such behavioral measures of social skills differentiated the participant groups from each other. Specifically, participants with fragile X required more time to initiate interactions than did participants in either of the remaining groups; and females with Turner syndrome made fewer facial movements than did females in the fragile X or comparison group. Self-report and parental ratings did not suggest higher levels of anxiety in females with Turner or fragile X syndrome, but did reflect higher levels of social difficulty. The authors discuss these findings in terms of understanding the nature of social dysfunction in females with Turner or fragile X syndrome.
Effect of Test Protocol on Torque Production of the Rotators of the Shoulder

•The purpose of this investigation was to determine the effect of test protocol on concentric and eccentric torque production of the rotators of the shoulder. Twenty­ eight female subjects were randomly assigned to participate in either a continuous (no pause between concentric and eccentric contractions) or interrupted (5-second pause between contractions) measurement protocol. A Kin-Com dynamometer (Chattecx Corp., Hixson, TN) was used to obtain average torque measurements at 60 and 180 deg/sec for the shoulder rotators. Analysis of variance determined that there were no significant (p > 0.05) differences in average torque between test protocols for either muscle group. Intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs) ranged from 0.57 to 0.88 for the continuous protocol and from 0.83 to 0.94 for the interrupted protocol. Standard error of measurement estimates ranged from 0.7 to 1.5 Nm for the continuous protocol and from 0.5 to 1.4 Nm for the interrupted protocol. The results of this investigation demonstrate no differences in torque production between continuous and interrupted test protocols, although the interrupted measurement protocol provides greater reliability and precision of measurement
Do All-Stars Shine? Evaluation of Analyst Recommendations

Using a unique data set, we studied the performance of stock recommendations made by Wall Street Journal all-star analysts. We document that stocks recommended by the all-star analysts outperform benchmarks controlled for size and industry. Stocks recommended by analysts who focus on a single industry outperform those recommended by analysts covering multiple industries. We also document a herding behavior among analysts in an industry. Unlike previous studies that found superior analyst performance only for small-cap stocks, our results indicate that superior performance also exists for large-cap stocks.
Growth Response of the Yeasts Saccharomyces uvarum and Kloeckera brevis to the Free Biologically Active Forms of Vitamin B-6

The ideal microorganism for the microbiological assay of total vitamin B-6 should respond equally to all forms of vitamin B-6. The yeasts Saccharomyces uvarum (ATCC 9080) and Kloeckera brevis (ATCC 9774) were compared in their ability to utilize pyridoxine, pyridoxal and pyridoxamine in the concentration range needed for the measurement of vitamin B-6 in biological materials. Our results showed that K. brevis responded equally to all three free forms of vitamin B-6 at a dosage range of 2--10 ng molar equivalent of pyridoxine. In contrast, S. uvarum, which is currently widely used for the vitamin B-6 assay, had a significantly different growth response to three forms of vitamin B-6 at the comparable dosage range. The results suggest that the yeast K. brevis is better suited for the microbiological assay of total vitamin B-6.
Working Through Work Release: An Analysis of Factors Associated with the Successful Completion of Work Release

In line with reentry and life course research that has shown increases in desistance for individuals connected with employment, work release programming attempts to achieve desistance from crime by linking criminal offenders to the labor market while in the correctional system. Recent research has speculated that the completion of rigorous employment programming may serve as a signal to employers that criminal careers have ceased and the offenders are employable. Therefore, it is important to understand factors associated with successful program completion. This study utilizes a sample of jail-based work release participants to explore factors correlated with program completion. Consistent with prior research, we find that offenders who are older, Caucasian, and employed at time of arrest are more likely to complete the program and that minority participants and those with prior mental health treatment are less likely to complete the program.
Reliability Testing of Fluorinated Polymeric Materials (FNP) for Hybrid Encapsulation

A new class of polymeric materials synthesized from fluorinated percursors to produce network molecules of epoxies and polyurethanes has been analyzed as a hybrid encapsulation material. The fluorinated resin (C-3) synthesized at NRL consists of approximately 50% fluorine by weight, is a liquid at room temperature and can be readily cured to the solid state. For encapsulation, the surface of the hybrids or devices was primed first with a fluoroacrylate barrier film and the C-3 resin with a cycloaliphatic diamine curing agent was used for encapsulation. Utilizing test structures, a micro-thin film (Au-Al2O3) moisture sensors and Auger/SIMS analysis, the moisture penetration kinetics for the fluorinated network polymeric materials (FNP) has been determined. It was determined that the activation energy for moisture penetration remained constant from 20 to 95% relative humidity. The measured activation energy varied from 1.9 eV at 20% RH to 2.0 eV at 95% RH. Interdigitated test structures were utilized in order to study the migrative resistive short (MGRS) phenomenon in the hybrids encapsulated with the FNP material. The results shox that for a surface ionic contamination level of 1014 Na+/cm2 on the encapsulant surface, relative humidity of 95% and temperature cycle of +100°C to (?10°C) migrative resistance shorts were not observed after 100 cycles of total duration of 4 hours per cycle. A similar test with silicone materials resulted in MGRS formation after eight cyclet. Additional tests were conducted for Cl-, S= and K+.
PHOSPHOLIPASE C-|[chi]|1 FORMS A COMPLEX WITH SURFACE MHC CLASS II ON ACTIVATED HUMAN T HELPER CELLS. |[bull]| 63

While major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class II molecules are expressed on activated human T cells, their function is not fully understood. In B cells, class II molecules bind and present antigen to T cells, and transduce activation signal when they are engaged. We have characterized intracellular events associated with the engagement of MHC class II on activated peripheral T cells and tetanus toxoid-specific T cell clones (TCC) by anti-class II monoclonal antibodies (mAb), and their Fab fragments (Fab). The engagement by an anti-class II mAb augmented the phosphorylation of p56lck and p59fyn, while Fab only increased tyrosine phosphorylated pp35/36, which associated with phospholipase C-χ1(PLC-χ1). Surface immunoprecipitation of MHC class II, followed by immunoblot using specific mAbs revealed that PLC-χ1 complexed with MHC class II in activated T cells. Either anti-class II mAb or Fab decreased antigen-specific T cell proliferation. Such inhibition of proliferation did not involve cell death. The engagement of MHC class II on activated T cells may involve PLC-χ1 to induce early activation, but eventually inhibited T cell proliferation, probably to prevent excessive immune response to an antigen.
Near vision contrast sensitivity after photorefractive keratectomy

Abstract Background: To evaluate near vision contrast sensitivity as a measure of visual performance after photorefractive keratectomy (PRK). Setting: LSU Eye Center, New Orleans, Louisiana. Methods: Using Holladay Contrast Acuity Test cards, near (reading) vision for five levels of contrast sensitivity was evaluated in a cross section of 53 eyes of 31 patients 25 to 732 days after PRK. Twenty-four normal eyes of 22 myopic patients served as controls. Results: Near contrast sensitivity decreased at all tested contrast levels for approximately 7 months after PRK and then returned to baseline. This phenomenon paralleled the fluctuation in best corrected distance Snellen acuity. Conclusions: These preliminary results indicate that Snellen visual acuity and near contrast sensitivity returned to baseline within 1 year after PRK.
Access to a digital x-ray archive over Internet

ABSTRACTThis paper describes a project involving the creation of an electronic archive of xray images, and the development of geographically dispersed workstations that access the image store, retrieve the image ifies over Internet, and allow viewers to display, manipulate, enhance and read the images.1. INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUNDThe main goal of this project, DXPNET or Digital Xray Prototype workstations linked via InterNET, is to investigate the technical feasibility of developing, maintaining and operating an archive of digitized radiographs,and providing local and remote access to the archive over a wideband packet-switched wide area network suchas Internet.Specific objectives include:(1) Develop an archive for digitized xrays implemented via an optical disk jukebox, and interface this archive to the Internet. (2) Develop image retrieval and display workstations suitable for radiologists andother users to remotely access the archive and retrieve stored images over theInternet.(3) Evaluate technical aspects of system performance such as response time,compression ratio and use patterns.
An overview of offset curves and surfaces

Abstract A literature survey on offset curves and surfaces up to 1992 was carried out by Pham (Pham B, Offset curves and surfaces: a brief survey. Computer Aided Design 1992; 24(4): 223–229). The objective of this article is to overview the literature after 1992 and those which were not cited in aforementioned paper. The article focuses on five active areas of research on offsets: (1) representing exact offsets in B e zier / B-spline format, (2) approximations, (3) self-intersections, (4) geodesic offsets and (5) general offsets.
Contracting Intuitionistic Theories

I reformulate the AGM-account of contraction (which would yield an account also of revision). The reformulation involves using introduction and elimination rules for relational notions. Then I investigate the extent to which the two main methods of partial meet contraction and safe contraction can be employed for theories closed under intuitionistic consequence.