cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A concept analysis of preparedness: Application to LGBTQ considerations for nursing.

Aims The aim of this analysis was to investigate the concept of preparedness from literature within multiple disciplines to gain varied perspectives and establish a working definition. Background Preparedness is a barrier to LGBTQ considerations in nursing management and education of nursing staff. Understanding the concept of preparedness will help determine the next steps for making changes to give attention to LGBTQ needs. Method A concept analysis using Rodgers' evolutionary view was undertaken to evolve the concept of preparedness by evaluating literature from the disciplines of education, nursing, allied health, and business and economics. Results A derived definition from the multidisciplinary concept analysis was completed, and a concept map was designed to help visually conceptualize preparedness and then applied to LGBTQ attention in nursing management and nursing education. Conclusion Understanding preparedness is necessary for nursing management to include LGBTQ needs and ensure nurses are prepared to care for LGBTQ people to help decrease health disparities that face the LGBTQ community. Implications for nursing management Management and leadership positions in nursing must be prepared to meet the needs of LGBTQ people. Nursing management must ensure that staff are appropriately trained and policies are established to include considerations specific to LGBTQ people.
Association of Prolonged-Duration Chemoprophylaxis With Venous Thromboembolism in High-risk Patients With Head and Neck Cancer.

Importance Venous thromboembolism (VTE) is associated with substantial morbidity and is the most common factor associated with preventable death among hospitalized patients. Data from otolaryngologic studies suggest that the risk of VTE may be underestimated among high-risk patients, particularly among those undergoing oncologic procedures. The incorporation of prolonged-duration chemoprophylaxis (PDC) into preventive therapy has been associated with substantial decreases in VTE incidence among patients undergoing oncologic surgery. However, bleeding remains a major concern among otolaryngologists, and substantial variation exists in the use of thromboprophylaxis. Objective To assess the association between PDC and VTE in high-risk patients with head and neck cancer undergoing oncologic procedures. Design, setting, and participants This retrospective cohort study identified 750 patients with biopsy-confirmed head and neck cancer and a Caprini risk score of 8 or higher who underwent inpatient oncologic surgery at a tertiary care referral center between January 1, 2014, and February 1, 2020. After exclusions, 247 patients were included in the study; patients were divided into 2 cohorts, traditional and PDC, based on the duration of prophylaxis. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to examine the development of VTE and bleeding-associated complications during the 30-day postoperative period. Data were analyzed from April 1 to April 30, 2020. Exposures PDC, defined as 7 or more postoperative days of chemoprophylaxis. Main outcomes and measures VTE and bleeding events during the 30-day postoperative period. Results Among 247 patients (mean [SD] age, 63.1 [11.1] years; 180 men [72.9%]) included in the study, 106 patients (42.9%) received traditional prophylaxis, and 141 patients (57.1%) received PDC. The incidence of VTE was 5 of 106 patients (4.7%) in the traditional cohort and 1 of 141 patients (0.7%) in the PDC cohort (odds ratio [OR], 0.15; 95% CI, 0.003-1.33). In the multivariate logistic regression analysis, PDC was independently associated with reductions in the risk of VTE (OR, 0.04; 95% CI, 0.001-0.46). The incidence of bleeding events was 1 of 106 patients (0.9%) in the traditional cohort and 6 of 141 patients (4.3%) in the PDC cohort (OR, 4.64; 95% CI, 0.55-217.00). Conclusions and relevance The use of chemoprophylaxis for high-risk patients with head and neck cancer remains a high-priority topic. The results of this study suggest that PDC may be associated with reductions in VTE among this patient population. However, the associated increase in nonfatal bleeding events warrants careful consideration and further highlights the need to determine an optimal duration for chemoprophylaxis among this distinct cohort.
Crook-sourced intrusion detection as a service

Abstract Most conventional cyber defenses strive to reject detected attacks as quickly and decisively as possible; however, this instinctive approach has the disadvantage of depriving intrusion detection systems (IDSes) of learning experiences and threat data that might otherwise be gleaned from deeper interactions with adversaries. For IDS technology to improve, a next-generation cyber defense is proposed in which cyber attacks are unconventionally reimagined as free sources of live IDS training data. Rather than aborting attacks against legitimate services, adversarial interactions are selectively prolonged to maximize the defender’s harvest of useful threat intelligence. Enhancing web services with deceptive attack-responses in this way is shown to be a powerful and practical strategy for improved detection, addressing several perennial challenges for machine learning-based IDS in the literature, including scarcity of training data, the high labeling burden for (semi-)supervised learning, encryption opacity, and concept differences between honeypot attacks and those against genuine services. By reconceptualizing software security patches as feature extraction engines, the approach conscripts attackers as free penetration testers, and coordinates multiple levels of the software stack to achieve fast, automatic, and accurate labeling of live web streams. Prototype implementations are showcased for two feature set models to extract security-relevant network- and system-level features from cloud services hosting enterprise-grade web applications. The evaluation demonstrates that the extracted data can be fed back into a network-level IDS for exceptionally accurate, yet lightweight attack detection.
Local electronic structure of rutile RuO 2

Recently, rutile ${\mathrm{RuO}}_{2}$ has raised interest for its itinerant antiferromagnetism, crystal Hall effect, and strain-induced superconductivity. Understanding and manipulating these properties demands resolving the electronic structure and the relative roles of the rutile crystal field and $4d$ spin-orbit coupling (SOC). Here, we use O-K and Ru ${M}_{3}$ x-ray absorption and Ru ${M}_{3}$ resonant inelastic x-ray scattering to disentangle the contributions of crystal field, SOC, and electronic correlations in ${\mathrm{RuO}}_{2}$. The locally orthorhombic site symmetry of the Ru ions introduces significant crystal field contributions beyond the approximate octahedral coordination yielding a crystal field energy scale of $\mathrm{\ensuremath{\Delta}}({t}_{2g})\ensuremath{\approx}1\phantom{\rule{0.16em}{0ex}}\mathrm{eV}$ breaking the degeneracy of the ${t}_{2g}$ orbitals. This splitting exceeds the Ru SOC ($\ensuremath{\approx}160$ meV) suggesting a more subtle role of SOC, primarily through the modification of itinerant (rather than local) $4d$ electronic states, ultimately highlighting the importance of the local symmetry in ${\mathrm{RuO}}_{2}$. Remarkably, our analysis can be extended to other members of the rutile family, thus advancing the comprehension of the interplay among crystal field symmetry, electron correlations, and SOC in transition metal compounds with the rutile structure.
Losers Consent in Established Versus Transitional Democracies

Why do individuals consent to political institutions when they have failed to secure electoral victory? The maintenance of successful democracy requires that losers’ continued participation be predicated on beliefs about the transformation of losers into winners. Formulating expectations about this dynamism in democratic politics is a challenge set down by Riker and too rarely taken up. In this paper we argue that the level of losers’ consent depends not only on the results of an election, but also on the distributional concerns losers face. We follow the work of Anderson et al. (2005), replicating those results and expanding the analysis to a sample of African and Asian countries. We argue that consent means something very different in transitional – as opposed to established – democratic contexts. We test our theory with survey responses provided by Afrobarometer, Asian Barometer, and our own supplemental coding of electoral winners and losers.
Electrical Circuit as Constrain in the Multidimensional Space of the Voltages or Currents

In this chapter we will show that electrical circuit can be represented as a projection of a vector in the voltage space into a subspace where defined constrain is satisfy. Let us consider the electrical circuit shown in figure 6.1 where ek are the edges of the circuit, V are the electrical potentials in the nodes, Zk are the impedances and ik are the currents.
Factors affecting undergraduates’ selection of online library resources in academic tasks: Usefulness, ease-of-use, resource quality, and individual differences

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore multiple factors affecting online library resource selection by undergraduate students. Three dimensions of factors are investigated including usefulness and ease-of-use, resource quality, and individual differences. Design/methodology/approach – An instrument was developed to measure various aspect factors and online library resource use intention. A survey was administered to 332 undergraduate students. Quantitative analysis, including structural equation modeling, ANOVA, and t-tests, was used to statistically examine the effects of the identified 11 factors on the use intention of online library resources. Findings – The findings indicated that both usefulness and ease-of-use positively influenced the undergraduates’ use intention of online library resources. Also, five resource quality constructs – accessibility, credibility, coverage, currency, and format – were the determinants of online library resources use intention. Interestingly, the effect of a...
Cognitive interoperability and decision making in network-centric coalition force environments

A key tenant for US transformation to a Network-Centric Future Force is the ability to conduct real-time, continuous, collaborative Command and Control (C2) mission planning and operations management activities during the execution of joint and coalition force operations. In a lower echelon coalition force environment conduct of collaborative operations presents many significant technical and multi-cultural problems and issues. The military units comprising a coalition force often have significantly differing technical C2 and information distribution support capabilities i.e. - from highly automated to unsophisticated man intensive systems. Additionally, these multi-cultural units are also trained to fight differently, and at lower echelons have limited multi-language communication skills. Even when a coalition partner has a rudimentary knowledge of another nation's language, understanding problems occur during C2 information exchanges. Usually C2 information exchanges are interpreted in terms of national operational doctrine, tactics and procedures not common to the entire coalition force. While US transformation to a Network-Centric Force will foster establishment of the communication networks needed to support collaborative C2 coordination activities between different echelons of a joint and coalition force, the cognitive interoperability and information/situation understanding issues occurring still needs resolution. In this paper we will discuss the results of experimentation activities between the US and Germany that focus directly on finding solutions for improving cognitive interoperability during the execution of real-time collaborative mission planning and management activities in the conduct of Brigade, Battalion and below coalition operations
Novel iron−sulfur centers in metalloenzymes and redox proteins from extremely thermophilic bacteria

Publisher Summary This chapter describes the properties of a variety of Fe–S-containing proteins that have been purified from extremely thermophilic bacteria. Extreme thermophiles are defined as organisms that grow optimally at temperatures of 80°C and above. They are a relatively recent discovery in the microbial world. At the time this research began in 1988, no metalloenzyme had been isolated from these bacteria. As most of the extreme thermophiles metabolize molecular hydrogen (H 2 ), the initial objective of the study described in the chapter was to characterize their hydrogenases, the enzymes responsible for catalyzing H 2 oxidation and H 2 production. Hydrogenases have been purified from several mesophilic organisms. All are thermolabile proteins containing Fe–S or Ni–Fe–S centers. Such [M–3Fe–4S] clusters in an extremely stable protein may prove useful as models for the catalytic sites of several Fe–S enzymes. Tungsten, an element seldom used in biology, stimulates the growth of Pyrococcus furiosus , and from it, a novel tungstopterin-containing Fe–S enzyme is characterized.
Human Activity Recognition with Metric Learning

This paper proposes a metric learning based approach for human activity recognition with two main objectives: (1) reject unfamiliar activities and (2) learn with few examples. We show that our approach outperforms all state-of-the-art methods on numerous standard datasets for traditional action classification problem. Furthermore, we demonstrate that our method not only can accurately label activities but also can reject unseen activities and can learn from few examples with high accuracy. We finally show that our approach works well on noisy YouTube videos.
Attenuation correction for reflectivity observations from a dual-frequency dual-polarization doppler radar

In recent years, monitoring of precipitation using higher frequency radar systems, such as X-band, Ku-band, and Ka-band, has gained increasing interest because of the cost efficiency and portability. However, at such frequencies, the electromagnetic waves will suffer from attenuation due to propagation in precipitation, and the attenuation is determined by the extinction cross section of precipitation particles. Therefore, radar measurements of reflectivity (??) must be corrected for attenuation before it can be used for quantitative precipitation estimation (QPE). Since the introduction of dual-polarization concept, a number of attenuation correction procedures have been proposal based on dual-polarization observations. Among which, the differential phase based methodology was shown to have less effect on radar calibration and system errors. It is extensively used for correcting C-band and X-band observations.
Diagnosis of bacterial vaginosis in the pregnant patient in an acute care setting

To determine the accuracy of clinical criteria relative to Nugent’s criteria for diagnosing bacterial vaginosis (BV) in the pregnant patient. This prospective study was conducted in pregnant patients requiring a speculum examination in an ER triage system. Determination was made of vaginal pH, whiff test, clue cells and discharge for use with Amsel’s criteria. Diagnosis of BV was made using Nugent’s criteria. Data were analyzed with Student’s t and chi square statistics. Samples by Nugent’s criteria were positive for 32 women out of a sample size of 193 (16.6%). There were no significant differences in chief complaints between women with and without BV. Significantly more women with BV reported odor, but there were no other significant differences in symptoms between women with and without BV. Patients with BV were significantly less likely to have a white discharge. The whiff test was not reported in many cases, however, when a test was recorded, women with BV were significantly more likely to have a positive test. Approximately 50% of the women with BV had either ≥20% clue cells or pH > 4.5; only 25% had both. Sensitivities of pH > 4.5, pH ≥ 4.5, ≥20% clue cells, whiff test and the combination of high pH and clue cells were low (22–81%). Specificities of individual and combined criteria ranged from 68 to 99%. The negative predictive power of pH < 4.5 was 95%; 113 women had a pH less than 4.5 and of these women, 107 did not have BV. The negative predictive power of a pH < 4.5 is very high, and the majority of women fell into this category. An algorithm for pregnant women could therefore be constructed that would call for pH to be tested. Women with a pH < 4.5 would not receive treatment or undergo further testing. The minority of women with a pH ≥ 4.5 would then undergo testing with the Gram stain using Nugent’s criteria.
4.2.2 Untangling the Twists in Requirements Analysis

This paper is a description of requirement analysis techniques that can be used to effectively describe a complex system, using concepts of abstraction and decomposition to layer the system definition into easily understood subsystem components. By using abstracted layers of the system, documents describing the system are more easily understood by reader's who may be unfamiliar or only somewhat familiar with the system description. Also, appropriate abstraction can help the system designers and developers organize and find critical information more readily than the brute force attack of system definition. After all, the entire purpose of systems engineering techniques is to create information that is readily understood and communicable to developers and users of a system. Effective communication with a diverse community of people is the focus of systems engineering practice.
Testing for additivity in chemical mixtures using a fixed-ratio ray design and statistical equivalence testing methods

Fixed-ratio ray designs have been used for detecting and characterizing interactions of large numbers of chemicals in combination. Single-chemical dose-response data are used to predict an “additivity curve” along an environmentally relevant ray. A “mixture curve” is estimated from the mixture dose-response data along the ray. A test of additivity is equivalent to a test of coincidence of these two curves, which is based on the traditional hypothesis testing framework that assumes additivity in the null hypothesis and rejects with evidence of interaction. However, failure to reject may be due to lack of statistical power, making the claim of additivity problematic. As a solution we have developed rigorous methodology to test for additivity using statistical equivalence testing logic in which additivity is claimed based on pre-specified biologically important additivity margins, if the data support such a claim. Using the principle of confidence interval inclusion, a confidence region about the difference of meaningful functions of model parameters from the mixture model and that predicted under additivity is computed. When the confidence region is completely contained within the additivity margins then additivity is claimed with a Type I error rate chosen a priori to be some acceptably small value. The method is illustrated using an environmentally relevant fixed-ratio mixture of nine haloacetic acids where cytotoxic response is measured.
Investigating the behavior and characteristics of the Madrid Stock Exchange

Abstract This study examines the efficiency and characteristics of the nine major indexes of the Madrid Stock Exchange from 1941 through 1992. The findings do not support weak form efficiency among the General, Bank, Construction, Investment, Metal-working, and Chemical Indexes. Results of the Utility, Food, and Communications Index tests are not consistent.
Recent studies of local texture and its influence on failure

Advances in techniques for measuring individual crystallographic orientations in polycrystals have made it possible to investigate the role of local crystallography on failure in polycrystalline materials in more detail than previously possible. In particular, the automated electron backscatter diffraction technique is particularly well suited for making spatially specific measurements of crystallographic orientation. This tool has made it practical to characterize the local distribution of orientations in polycrystalline microstructures with statistical significance. This work reviews the application of the automatic electron backscatter diffraction technique to the characterization of the various crystallographic parameters associated with failure. Several approaches for investigating the role of various crystallographic parameters on crack behavior in polycrystals are shown in the context of statistical distribution functions along with the use of the automated electron diffraction technique for acquiring the necessary orientation data.
What Must Not Be Taught

Abstract The impetus for the present study derives from a United States district court's condemnation of 44 history and social studies texts for failing to include any references to religion in shaping America's past. Further examination of nine of these texts, all senior high school American history works, reveals them to be defective in providing a historical framework for understanding another of the most fundamental changes in American life, that is, the extension of the United States market over the entire globe. Four “imperial” wars provide the basis for this analysis: the Spanish-American War, World War I, World War II, and the Cold War. The conclusion reached is that historical continuity, on which an objective analysis should be based, is almost totally lacking.
A DISTINCTIVE SUBSTANCE ASSOCIATED WITH THE BROWN-PEARCE RABBIT CARCINOMA : I. PRESENCE AND SPECIFICITY OF THE SUBSTANCE AS DETERMINED BY SERUM REACTIONS.

A substance is regularly present in saline extracts of the Brown-Pearce rabbit carcinoma growth which is capable of fixing complement specifically in mixture with the sera of certain rabbits bearing the tumor or in which this has recently retrogressed, as the foregoing experiments have shown. The substance was not demonstrable in extracts of the normal tissues, virus papillomas, or uterine cancers of rabbits, nor in extracts of rabbit tissues infected with certain viruses (vaccine virus, Virus III, fibroma virus). The sera of normal rabbits, of those immune to a variety of infectious diseases, including syphilis, vaccinia, fibromatosis, and Virus III, and of others with uterine cancers or virus-induced papillomas, failed to fix complement specifically in mixture with extracts containing the antigen of the Brown-Pearce tumor. The significance of the findings will be discussed in the succeeding paper, after consideration has been given to some of the properties of the serologically active material derived from the Brown-Pearce tumor.
Once-weekly vancomycin for patients receiving high-flux hemodialysis

Purpose. The effectiveness of a once-weekly vancomycin dosing protocol for patients receiving long-term high-flux hemodialysis (HFHD) in the outpatient setting was studied. Methods. Eligible patients were at least 18 years old, required hemodialysis for at least two months before study enrollment, and were not known to have any active infection. All patients received outpatient dialysis at a 1000-bed urban teaching hospital three times per week through a high-flux synthetic dialyzer. All patients received vancomycin 35 mg/kg, rounded to the nearest 250 mg, administered during hemodialysis at a rate of 1 g/hr via an infusion pump and scheduled to end when the hemodialysis session was over. Vancomycin was infused either predialyzer or postdialyzer, and infusion pumps were used in patients who received vancomycin through the postdialyzer access port. Serum vancomycin levels were measured before the third hemodialysis session (study day 8) to evaluate the percentage of patients who maintained therapeutic vancomycin concentrations of ≥10 μg/mL. Results. No patients achieved a vancomycin concentration of ≥10 μg/mL on study day 8 (mean serum concentration, 5.1 μg/mL). When patients were separated into two groups based on administration technique, six patients (83%) who received vancomycin predialyzer had undetectable vancomycin levels (<3.5 μg/mL) by study day 8 ( n = 6). Patients who received vancomycin postdialyzer maintained a mean serum concentration of 6.4 μg/mL at day 8 ( n = 3). Conclusion. A single dose of vancomycin 35 mg/kg administered during HFHD in oliguric patients with end-stage renal disease did not achieve the therapeutic serum concentration necessary for once-weekly dosing.
Implementation of Pyrolysate Analysis of Materials Employing Tagging Compounds to Locate an Overheated Area in a Generator

The ion chamber particle detector (such as the Generator Core Monitor) discloses the existence, but not the nature nor the location, of overheating in an electric machine.
Effects of photoperiod on sodium flux in Corbicula fluminea (Mollusca:Bivalvia)

Abstract 1. 1. A significant diurnal rhythm of net sodium flux was demonstrated in the freshwater clam Corbicula fluminea entrained to either a 12L:12D or 24L photoperiod. 2. 2. Highest net flux occurred during the dark hours on 12L: 12D. The overall mean net flux over 24 hr was not significantly different from a steady state condition. 3. 3. Net flux values of clams on a 24L photoperiod were negative and significantly lower than the net flux on a 12L:12D photoperiod. 4. 4. The 12L: 12D net sodium flux rhythm pattern is similar to rhythmic patterns of other physiological processes in another freshwater clam.
Electrochromic and transparent conducting oxide nanorods

Electrochromic materials are of interest for a wide variety of applications, such as displays and smart windows. Many electrochromic oxide materials are synthesized through sol-gel processing. We have demonstrated a general technique for the synthesis of oxide nanorods using sol electrophoretic deposition with an appropriate template. This technique can be applied for the synthesis of nanorods of electrochromic materials, such as TiO2, V2O5 and Nb2O5, with diameters of ~100 nm and a length of ~10 μm. By attaching these nanorods to a conducting substrate (such as ITO coated glass), it is possible to characterize the electrochromic behavior of these materials via UV-Vis absorbance spectroscopy. A similar technique has been used to make nanorods of the transparent conducting oxide indium tin oxide (ITO), which is often used as a working electrode in electrochromic devices. Such ITO nanorods have diameters of ~75-140 nm and lengths up to 60 μm.
Estimates of heterozygosity in two social insects using a large number of electrophoretic markers

An extensive electrophoretic survey of enzyme and protein markers was conducted for a haplodiploid eusocial insect, the red imported fire ant (Solenopsis invicta), and for a diploid communal insect, the eastern tent caterpillar (Malacosoma americanum). This survey resulted in the discovery of 110 electrophoretic loci for S. invicta (15 of which were polymorphic at the 95 per cent level) and 37 electrophoretic loci for M. americanum (seven polymorphic). Expected heterozygosities (mean Hexp±S.E.) were 0.051 ± 0.013 and 0.092 ± 0.030 for S. invicta and M. americanum, respectively. Although these values do not differ significantly, they are consistent with the frequently reported pattern of low gene diversity in the eusocial Hymenoptera relative to non-eusocial diploid insects. This pattern persists when a large number of markers is scored in different life stages and castes, as in S. invicta in this study, and when a direct comparison is made using data generated in a single laboratory.
Ethylbenzene induces microsomal oxygen free radical generation: antibody-directed characterization of the responsible cytochrome P450 enzymes.

Small aromatic hydrocarbons cause changes in oxidative metabolism by modulating the levels of cytochrome P450 enzymes, with the changes in these enzymes being responsible for qualitative changes in aromatic hydrocarbon metabolism. The goal of this study was to determine if exposure to the small alkylbenzene ethylbenzene (EB) leads to an increase in hepatic free radical production. Male F344 rats were treated with ip injections of EB (10 mmol/kg) and compared to corn oil controls. Hepatic free radical production was examined by measuring the conversion of 2',7'-dichlorofluorescin diacetate (DCFH-DA) to its fluorescent product 2',7'-dichlorofluorescein (DCF). A significant elevation of fluorescent DCF production was observed after treatment with EB, despite the lack of effect on overall cytochrome P450 levels. This process was shown to be inhibitable by metyrapone, an inhibitor of P450. DCF production was also inhibited by catalase, suggesting that hydrogen peroxide (H(2)O(2)) is one of the reactive oxygen intermediates involved in EB-mediated reactive oxygen species (ROS) formation. Interestingly, superoxide dismutase (SOD) did not inhibit DCF production in corn oil-treated rats but was an effective inhibitor in the EB-treated groups. In an effort to determine if the increase in ROS production was related to changes in specific P450 enzymes, DCF production was measured in the presence of anti-CYP2B, anti-CYP2C11, anti-CYP2E1, and anti-CYP3A2 inhibitory antibodies. Anti-CYP2B antibodies inhibited DCF production in EB-treated, but not corn oil groups, which is consistent with the low constitutive levels of this enzyme and its induction by EB. The data also demonstrate that CYP2B contributes to ROS production. Anti-CYP2C11 did not influence DCF production in either group. ROS formation in corn oil-treated rats as well as in ethylbenzene-treated rats was also inhibited with antibodies to anti-CYP2E1 and anti-CYP3A2. These results suggest that CYP2C11 does not appear to influence free radical production and that the increase in free radical production in EB treated rats is consistent with the EB-mediated elevation of CYP2B, CYP 2E1, and CYP3A2. Such alterations in free radical generation in response to hydrocarbon treatment may contribute to the toxicity of these compounds.
Categorizing objects in isolation and in scenes: what a superordinate is good for.

Many studies have shown that subjects are faster at categorizing objects into "basic" concepts than into more general superordinate concepts. However, all of these studies have used a categorization task in which single, isolated objects are identified. There is good reason to believe that superordinate concepts are typically used to refer to collections of objects rather than to individual objects. For example, people more often use the term furniture to refer to a number of pieces of furniture rather than to name a single piece. This suggest that superordinate concepts include information about multiple objects and their common relations, particularly the typical scenes in which such objects appear. Four experiments examined this possibility by investigating whether the basic concept advantage will decrease or reverse itself when subjects are asked to categorize an object as part of a scene. The results showed that the basic-superordinate difference did decrease when subjects categorized objects in scenes. Furthermore, when an object was placed in an inappropriate scene, there was more interference for superordinate identifications. The results suggest qualitative differences in the representations of superordinate and basic concepts. Language: en
Inotropic effects of ethanol on the isolated papillary muscle of the diabetic rat

Abstract The present study was designed to characterize the inotropic effects of ethanol (ETOH) on diabetic rat heart. Left-ventricular papillary muscles, from normal and diabetic (streptozotocin, 50 mg/kg IV; 6 weeks) rats, were superfused with Tyrode's solution at 30 °C while driven at 0.5 Hz. Developed tension, time-to-peak tension (TPT), time-to-90% relaxation (RT90), maximum rate of tension developed (+VT) and maximum rate of tension fall (−VT) were determined in the absence and presence of clinically relevant concentrations of ETOH (80–240 mg/dl, i.e., 1.7–5.2 mM). Ethanol decreased developed tension, TPT, RT90, and VT in papillary muscles from both groups. Ethanol 80 mg/dl reduced tension, +VT and −VT in preparations from diabetic animals. However, this concentration had no effect on normal muscles. An intermediate concentration of ETOH (120 mg/dl), decreased tension and +VT in preparations from both groups, whereas a higher dose (240 mg/dl) decreased tension, TPT, RT90, VT, and −VT, and induced spontaneous contractures in both groups. The negative inotropic effects of ethanol were generally concentration-dependent and the diabetic myocardium maybe more sensitive to inotropic effects of clinically relevant concentrations of ETOH. Ethanol-induced diminution in contractile tension in normal and diabetic myocardium is associated with reduced contraction and relaxation velocity as well as their respective duration.
Status of infants at birth and risk for adverse neonatal events and long-term sequelae: A study in low birth weight infants

We evaluated the relationship of infant status at birth to neonatal morbidity and long-term development in 246 low birth weight infants (600 to 1750 gm). Nineteen percent of infants had 1-minute Apgar scores of less than or equal to 3, and 8% had an umbilical artery pH of less than or equal to 7.2. Acidosis was associated with an increased risk of grade 3 to 4 intracranial hemorrhage (odds ratio = 3.3). Low 1-minute Apgar score was associated with an increased risk of death (odds ratio = 4.8). Grade 3 to 4 intracranial hemorrhage was a strong risk factor for cerebral palsy among survivors (odds ratio = 16.1), as was low 1-minute Apgar score (odds ratio = 2.9). Only 15% of cases of cerebral palsy in this study were associated with acidosis at birth.
Instructional Analogies and the Learning of Concepts.

This paper describes two studies which were designed to examine the effect of instructional analogy training on the ability to identify the application of 10 advanced physiological concepts. In the first study, 161 college students received instruction either with or without analogies. Levels of student performances were compared across three conditions: (a) concept lessons only (including definitions and examples for each concept), (b) similar concept lessons but with an analogy included for each concept, and (c) analogy concept lessons with additional prompts guiding analogy use. In the second study, immediate and delayed performance of 94 college studetns was compared between groups receiving concept lessons with and without analogies. Results showed significantly higher scores, both immediately and after the delayed period, for those students who had received the analogies. Results are discussed in terms of the prescriptive use of analogies within instructional materials and future research possibilities.
Size-Dependent Spectroscopic Properties of Conjugated Polymer Nanoparticles

This paper is focused on how the spectroscopic properties of conjugated polymers evolve in the size range between single polymer chains and the bulk material. The measurements used single-particle spectroscopy techniques and include both static and dynamic measurements. The main observation of this work is that the spectroscopic properties of MEH-PPV evolve rapidly as a function of nanoparticle size and achieve bulk-like properties for nanoparticles greater than 10 nm in size. Nanoparticles were assembled by a reprecipitation technique and characterized by fluorescence emission spectroscopy. The physical origin of the size-dependent spectroscopic properties is assigned to the distance dependence of four main processes: electronic energy transfer between blue and red sites, triplet-triplet annihilation, singlet exciton quenching by triplets, and singlet exciton quenching by hole polarons.
An adaptive reference/test paradigm: Application to pulsed fluoroscopy perception

We developed an adaptive forced-choice method whereby reference and test presentations were alternated in order to minimize effects from variables such as subject attention level. In our demonstration example of an X-ray fluoroscopy perception study, we measured detectability of low-contrast objects in noisy image sequences and determined X-ray dose levels for equivalent detectability of identical contrasts for a new test acquisition method (fluoroscopy at 15 acq/sec) as compared with a reference (conventional fluoroscopy at 30 acq/sec). In preliminary experiments, we found a dose savings with the test method. We derived parameter uncertainties for the adaptive procedure and demonstrated their applicability with Monte Carlo simulations. Repeated experiments on a single subject demonstrated reduced standard errors due to the reduction of day-to-day variations. It is believed that the method can be applied in a variety of situations in which one needs to compare perception measurements.
Configuration of amino-acids in carbonaceous chondrites and a Pre-Cambrian chert.

Carbonaceous chondrite and Precambrian chert amino acids detection, using simultaneous optical configuration determination and gas chromatography
Single-stranded DNA binding properties of the UvsX recombinase of bacteriophage T4: binding parameters and effects of nucleotides.

Bacteriophage T4 provides an important model for the biochemistry and genetics of DNA metabolism. Phage-encoded proteins conduct all essential steps of T4 DNA replication, repair, and recombination. Central to these three processes is the T4 UvsX protein, a member of the filamentous, ATP-dependent class of general recombination enzymes typified by the Escherichia coli RecA protein. Like RecA, UvsX forms presynaptic filaments on single-stranded (ss) DNA, which are the obligatory nucleoprotein intermediates in recombination. Aspects of the T4 presynaptic filament are explored by quantitative characterization of the UvsX-ssDNA interaction using an etheno-derivitized single-stranded DNA molecule, epsilonDNA, whose fluorescence is enhanced by UvsX binding. Studies with this model lattice show that UvsX exhibits a moderate level of cooperativity (omega=100) when binding to epsilonDNA with a binding-site size (n) equal to four nucleotide residues. Salt-stability studies of this complex reveal that the non-hydrolyzable ATP analog, ATPgammaS, induces a high-affinity binding mode that is distinguishable from complexes formed with ADP or in the absence of a nucleotide cofactor. With this new information, both functional relationships between the UvsX and RecA recombinases, and implications for UvsX interactions with the other proteins of the T4 presynaptic filament (UvsY and gp32) may be further explored.
Abdominal CT following liver transplantation

Computed tomography (CT) is one of several imaging modalities employed in the evaluation of complications following orthotopic liver transplantation. Abdominal CT scans were performed in 92 (48%) of the first 190 liver transplant patients at our institution. These studies were retrospectively reviewed to determine the indications for CT in this population and to determine the incidences of the various CT findings. The major indication (70%) was detection of bile leakage, hemorrhage, or abscess. The role of CT was primarily to discover such abnormal fluid collections and guide their percutaneous drainage. This article describes a wide spectrum of common and uncommon findings following liver transplantation and illustrates their CT features.
Modelling exchange rate volatility

Two types of statistical models are empirically applied to test the pattern of volatility in the exchange rate markets. One considers the autoregressive models and tests the random walk hypothesis. The other considers the conditional variance process and tests the hypothesis of chaotic dynamics. Empirical results mostly support the random walk hypothesis and also the existence of Lorenz-type chaos.
MR imaging appearance of intraperitoneal gelatin sponge in mice.

Intraperitoneal gelatin sponge can mimic a mass lesion on magnetic resonance (MR) images. To determine the MR imaging characteristics of gelatin sponge over time, a 15 × 10 × 4-mm piece of gelatin sponge soaked in saline was surgically implanted in the peritoneal cavity of 14 mice. Two mice underwent a sham operation. Contiguous axial spin-echo images of the abdomen were obtained with T1-weighted, spin-density, and T2-weighted sequences preoperatively and over a 6-week period postoperatively. Gelatin sponge initially appears as a heterogeneous mass of low signal intensity on T1-weighted images and increasing intensity on spin-density and T2-weighted images, containing multiple round foci of very low signal intensity, attributable to air, at all sequences. Over time, signal intensity further increases and becomes more homogeneous on spin-density and T2-weighted images, although foci of air persist to 3 weeks. By 2-4 weeks, the mass is no longer discrete. Foci of air should help differentiate gelatin sponge from tumor and add gelatin sponge to the differential diagnosis of abscess.
Prefrontal cortical changes following cognitive training in patients with chronic schizophrenia: effects of practice, generalization, and specificity.

Cognitive training is increasingly used in the treatment of schizophrenia, but it remains unknown how this training affects functional neuroanatomy. Practice on specific cognitive tasks generally leads to automaticity and decreased prefrontal cortical activity, yet broad-based cognitive training programs may avoid automaticity and increase prefrontal cortex (PFC) activity. This study used quasi-randomized, placebo-control design and pre/post neuroimaging to examine functional plasticity associated with attention and working memory-focused cognitive training in patients with schizophrenia. Twenty-one participants with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder split into two demographically and performance matched groups (nine scanned per group) and nine control participants were tested 6–8 weeks apart. Compared with both patient controls and healthy controls, patients receiving cognitive training increased activation significantly more in attention and working memory networks, including dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, anterior cingulate and frontopolar cortex. The extent to which activity increased in a subset of these regions predicted performance improvements. Although this study was not designed to speak to the efficacy of cognitive training as a treatment, it is the first study to show that such training can increase the ability of patients to activate the PFC regions subserving attention and working memory.
Photodissociation of PbI 2 in the ultraviolet: analysis of the A → X band of PbI

Emission and absorption studies of lead moniodide (PbI) have been carried out by photodissociation of PbI2 vapor at one of several wavelengths (193, 248, 266, 308, and 351 nm) in the ultraviolet. Strong emission on the A → X2Π1/2 band (14 400–22 800 cm−1; 440 ≲ λ ≲ 695 nm) occurs when PbI2 is photodissociated at 248 or 266 nm. Also, absorption bands attributed to the B ← X2Π1/2,3/2, D ← X2Π1/2,3/2, and E ← X2Π1/2,3/2 transitions of the diatomic molecule have been observed at 290 and 380, 225 and 265, and 203 and 240 nm, respectively, as have emission bands peaking at 397.6, 531.6, 582.0, 595.1, 639.7, 685.9, and 707.9 nm that appear to arise from PbI2 itself. Analysis and computer simulations of the A → X2Π1/2 emission spectra have resulted in identifications for virtually all (>120) of the observed vibrational bandheads. Several spectroscopic constants for the A and the X2Π1/2 states of PbI have been determined to be Te(A) = 20 659 ± 130 cm−1, ωe′ = 132.2 ± 1.0 cm−1ωe′xe′ = 1.91 ± 0.06 cm−1, ωe″ = 160.3 ± 0.6 cm−1, and ωe″xe″ = 0.24 ± 0.03 cm−1. Also, the difference between the equilibrium internuclear separations for the X2Π1/2 and the A states has been determined to be ΔRe = 0.45 ± 0.05 A. The spontaneous-emission lifetime for the PbI(A) state and the rate constant for quenching of this state by PbI2 (in two-body collisions) have been measured to be (94.3 ± 8.8) ns and (4.3 ± 0.4) × 10−10 cm3 s−1, respectively.
Simple and Effective Approach for Polar Decomposition of the Deformation Gradient Tensor

AbstractA precise iterative strategy to compute the polar decomposition of the three-dimensional deformation gradient tensor is presented for nonlinear solid mechanics analysis software. By exploiting relationships between various stretch tensors, polar decomposition is transformed into the solution of six nonlinear (quadratic) simultaneous equations, via Newton-Raphson (N-R), and a subsequent 3×3 matrix inversion and multiplication. The approach is easy to program and is versatile in its applicability to statics or dynamics. With only modest computational increases, the approximations and potential numerical drift of incremental decomposition schemes is avoided. Convergence can be accelerated using stretch histories, which, coupled with a modified N-R approach, can reduce computer times. Using an explicit central difference time integration scheme, convergence is shown to be attained in only a few iterations with very tight tolerances for severe deformations. Numerical examples compare different method v...
Changes in proteasome expression and activity during differentiation of neuronal precursor NTera 2 clone D1 cells.

Abstract The effect of differentiation of the human neuronal progenitor cell line NTera 2 clone D1 (NT2/D1) by retinoic acid on components of the proteasome system was studied. The chymotrypsin-like and peptidylglutamyl peptide bond hydrolyzing activities of the proteasome increased five weeks after retinoic acid, and following treatment with mitotic inhibitors returned to levels detected in non-differentiated cells. A selective induction of the MHC class II region encoded LMP7 and LMP2 proteasome subunits occurred during differentiation, whereas there were no changes in the expression of the constitutive LMP2 counterpart (δ-subunit) or the constitutive C2 subunit. Immunofluoresence revealed marked LMP7 accumulation in fully differentiated cells, with no changes in the labeling pattern of the constitutive proteasome antigens. The expression of the α-subunit of the PA28 proteasome activator was down-regulated in fully differentiated neurons, but was not correlated with changes in enzymatic activity. Changes in proteasome activity and composition may contribute to the processes leading to differentiation of human neurons in vitro and to the properties of fully differentiated neurons.
Pathologizing poverty: New forms of diagnosis, disability, and structural stigma under welfare reform

In 1996 the U.S. severely restricted public support for low income people, ending "welfare as we know it." This led to dramatic increases in medicalized forms of support for indigent people, who increasingly rely on disability benefits justified by psychiatric diagnoses of chronic mental illness. We present case studies drawn from ethnographic data involving daily participant-observation between 2005 and 2012 in public clinics and impoverished neighborhoods in New York City, to describe the subjective experience of structural stigma imposed by the increasing medicalization of public support for the poor through a diagnosis of permanent mental disability. In some cases, disability benefits enable recipients to fulfill important social roles (sustaining a vulnerable household and promoting stable parenting). The status of family members who receive a monthly disability check improves within their kin and neighborhood-based networks, counterbalancing the felt stigma of being identified by doctors as "crazy". When a diagnosis of mental pathology becomes a valuable survival strategy constituting the basis for fulfillment of household responsibilities, stigmatizing processes are structurally altered. Through the decades, the stigmatized labels applied to the poor have shifted: from being a symptom of racial weakness, to the culture of poverty, and now to permanent medical pathology. The neoliberal bureaucratic requirement that the poor must repeatedly prove their "disabled" status through therapy and psychotropic medication appears to be generating a national and policy-maker discourse condemning SSI malingerers, resurrecting the 16th century specter of the "unworthy poor".