cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Hearing impairment, social support, and depressive symptoms among U.S. adults: A test of the stress process paradigm

Hearing impairment is a growing physical disability affecting older adults and is an important physical health stressor, but few studies have examined it in relation to mental health outcomes and even fewer have considered the role of social support in buffering this relationship. The current study builds on the stress process framework and uses longitudinal data from three waves of the Health and Retirement Study (2006, 2010, 2014) to examine the relationship between hearing impairment and depressive symptoms among U.S. adults aged 50 and older (n = 6075). The analysis uses fixed-effects models to assess this relationship and examine the extent to which social support mediates (buffers) or moderates (interaction) the association. The results found that worse self-rated hearing was associated with a significant increase in depressive symptoms, even after controlling for sociodemographic factors. Social support did not buffer this relationship. Instead, social support interacted with hearing impairment: low levels of social support were associated with more depressive symptoms but only among people with poor self-rated hearing. Among those with excellent self-rated hearing, low levels of social support did not increase depressive symptoms. Moreover, high levels of social support reduced depressive symptoms for those with poor hearing. These findings suggest that hearing impairment is a chronic stressor in individuals' lives, and that responses to this stressor vary by the availability of social resources.
Crystal structure of 3-[(2-acetamido-phen-yl)imino]-butan-2-one.

In the title compound, 3-[(2-acetamido­phen­yl)imino]­butan-2-one, C12H14N2O2, the imine C=N bond is essentially coplanar with the ketone C=O bond in an s-trans conformation. The benzene ring is twisted away from the plane of the C=N bond by 53.03 (14)°. The acetamido unit is essentially coplanar with the benzene ring. In the crystal, mol­ecules are connected into chains along the c axis through C—H⋯O hydrogen bonds, with two adjacent chains being hinged by C—H⋯O hydrogen bonds.
Muon-Neutrino Electron Elastic Scattering and a Search for the Muon-Neutrino Magnetic Moment in the NOvA Near Detector

We use the NOvA near detector and the NuMI beam at Fermilab to study the neutrino- electron elastic scattering and the muon neutrino magnetic process beyond the Standard Model physics. The particle identications of neutrino on electron elastic scattering are trained by using the multi-layer neural networks. This thesis provides a general discussion of this technique and shows a good agreement between data and MC for the neutrino-electron elastic weak scattering. So that beneting from the precise cross-section of this channel, we are able to tune the neutrino beam ux simulation in the future. Giving the exposure of 3:62 1020 POT in the NOvA near detector, we report 1:58 10􀀀9 B as an upper limit on the muon neutrino magnetic moment at 90% conference level. We also nd a sensitivity of 8 10􀀀10 B at 90% conference level for three years NuMI designed intensity under the assumption that the standard model background is well known.
Pressure Effects on Emissive Materials

The investigation of the properties of substances under high pressures has emerged as a major multidisciplinary research endeavor embracing a diverse arsenal of spectroscopic, physical, and chemical probes. High pressure NMR, ESR, IR, Raman, Brillouin, electronic absorption, electronic emission, X-ray, and Mossbauer spectroscopic experiments are now commonplace.1 The vigorous state of high pressure research is attested to by a number of excellent books2–5 and review articles,1,6–8 to which the reader is referred to gain insight into the historical origins and current breadth of high pressure studies. Holzapfel’s review provides a thorough, up-to-date compendium of high pressure references.8 The exhaustive compilation of earlier high pressure literature (1900–1968) by Merrill also should be noted.9 Many have contributed to the development of high pressure science. However, particular mention should be made of the pioneering high pressure work of Bridgman,10,11 rightly called the father of high pressure science, and the thorough and richly diverse high pressure spectroscopic studies of Drickamer.12–15
Production system influences volatile biomarkers in tomato

In recent years, growers have used various production types, including high-tunnel systems, to increase the yield of tomatoes (Lycopersicon esculentum). However, the effect of high-tunnel cultivation, in comparison to conventional open-field production, on aroma and flavor volatiles is not fully understood. To optimize the extraction and quantification conditions for the analysis of tomato volatiles using headspace solid phase microextraction (HS-SPME) coupled with gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS), and study the effect of production systems on volatile profiles using metabolomics approach. The HS-SPME conditions were optimized for extraction and GC–MS was used to quantify the volatiles from four tomato varieties grown in open-field and high-tunnel systems. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to identify the influence of production system on tomato volatiles. The extraction of 2 g tomato samples at 60 °C for 45 min using divinylbenzene/carboxen/polydimethylsiloxane (DVB/CAR/PDMS) fiber gave the maximum amounts of volatiles. This optimized method was used to identify and quantify 41 volatiles from four tomato varieties. The levels of β-damascenone were higher in the high-tunnel tomatoes and geranylacetone was higher in open-field tomatoes. These two volatile compounds could be considered as biomarkers for tomatoes grown in high-tunnel and open-field production systems. This study is the first report comparing volatiles in tomatoes grown in high-tunnel and open-field conditions, and our results confirmed that there is a critical need to adopt biomarker-specific production systems to improve the nutritional and organoleptic properties of tomatoes.
What patient involvement means to new patients at two HIV clinics: A longitudinal, qualitative study.

Abstract Objectives This study 1) defines patient involvement from the perspective of patients new to a provider, 2) describes provider communication that patients perceive as promoting involvement, and 3) examines changes in patient definitions of involvement over time. Methods We enrolled 56 patients at two HIV clinics in Houston, Texas, from August 2013 until March 2015. We interviewed patients three times during the first year of care and analyzed interviews using content analysis. Results The mean age was 45 years; 54% were men. Patient definitions of involvement ranged from adherence- to decision-oriented. Analysis revealed three provider communication behaviors that patients perceive as promoting involvement: 1) soliciting patient feedback, 2) discussing treatment options and trade-offs, 3) narrating the decision-making process. Definitions of involvement can change over time as providers reframe the patient's illness as manageable and through perceived partnerships with the provider. Conclusion Provider communication plays a critical role in shaping new patients' perception of involvement and can make patients feel involved even when patients do not actively make medical decisions. Practical implications Finding strategies to make patients feel involved in their care is important, particularly for new patients, even if those strategies do not necessarily promote more talk from the patient.
Academic accommodation strategies for pharmacy students with learning disabilities: What else can be done?

Abstract Introduction Colleges and schools of pharmacy in the US are faced with the challenge of providing appropriate academic accommodations for students with learning disabilities (SLD) including those with dyslexia, dyscalculia, or dysgraphia. Although there are no population statistics about SLD in pharmacy schools, current data show that their number at higher education institutions across the US has increased. This commentary discusses how the rigorous pharmacy school curriculum affects SLD and proposes creative and innovative measures to overcome these obstacles. Perspective The shift in the public perception about SLD from a state of stigma to a manageable condition in recent years has greatly contributed to increase the number of SLD enrolled in higher education institutions. Although most colleges and universities can now offer some type of academic accommodation to SLD compared to few years ago, other academic accommodation recommendations to SLD remain challenging to implement, especially for SLD enrolled in pharmacy programs. Implications SLD enrolled in pharmacy programs could benefit from a multifaceted approach involving the school's office of disability services, medical practitioners, behavioral and language specialists, as well as some sort of curricular changes in order to be academically successful and become practice ready upon graduation.
Revealed Preference, Afriat's Theorem, and Falsifiability: A Review Essay on Revealed Preference Theory by Christopher P. Chambers and Federico Echenique

This paper uses the 2016 book by Chambers and Echenique as the focal point for a general discussion of the revealed preference literature: starting with Samuelson (1938) but with a particular emphasis on its relationship to general equilibrium theory and recent empirical applications. The main purpose is exposition, not criticism, but Chambers and Echenique's commitment to Karl Popper's logical falsificationism is criticized in the final section of the paper.
Honey Bees and Environmental Stress: Toxicologic Pathology of a Superorganism

As a eusocial species, Apis mellifera, the European honey bee, is effectively a superorganism-a group of genetically related individuals functioning as a collective unit. Because the unit of selection is the colony and not the individual, standard methods for assessing toxicologic pathology can miss colony-level responses to stress. For over a decade, US populations of honeybees have experienced severe annual losses attributed to a variety of environmental stressors varying temporally and geographically; differentiating among those stressors is accordingly a high priority. Social interactions among individuals in this social species, however, mean that the "footprint" of stressors such as pesticides, phytochemicals, pathogens, and parasites may be most discernible in individuals that did not themselves directly encounter the stressor. For example, neurotoxic effects of pesticides on nurse bees may impair their behavioral responses to queen-destined larvae, which may then emerge as adults with altered anatomy or physiology. Similarly, pesticide-induced size alterations in nurse hypopharyngeal glands, which produce royal jelly, the exclusive food of larval and adult queens, may disproportionately affect the queen's (and thus colony) health. Thus, evaluating toxicologic pathology in the honeybee requires a new perspective and development of assays that preserve the social context that ultimately determines colony health.
Disperse Systems: Emulsions

This chapter provides an overview of emulsion types, their methods for manufacture, and their suitability for various routes of administration. Excipients and their function in promoting emulsion stability are discussed. A review of microemulsions and liposomes is also provided.
Studying RNA–Protein Interaction Using Riboproteomics

Protein-protein interactions (PPI) are vital in regulating the biological and physiological functions in a given cell or organism. Proteomics, in conjunction with bioinformatic tools, represents the study involving the characterization of the protein content of the genome of a given biological system. Like PPI, an interaction between either coding or noncoding RNA and a complex set of host proteins protein plays an essential role in gene expression at translational, posttranscriptional, and epigenetic level. Although a wide range of techniques such as shotgun proteomics, MuDPIT, etc. are available for characterizing PII, those for characterizing RNA-protein interactions are infancy. Given the significance of the long noncoding RNAs (lnc-RNA) in plant biology, it is imperative to isolate and characterize the functionality of the host proteome interacting with RNA. In this context, riboproteomics approach becomes a valuable tool to study these interactions. Here, using a noncoding plant pathogenic satellite-RNA (Sat-RNA) of Cucumber mosaic virus (CMV) as an RNA source, we describe a stepwise protocol for identifying the host proteome interacting specifically with the Sat-RNA. This protocol streamlines steps starting from in vitro transcription of RNA, preparation of RNA affinity column, preparation of cell lysate from Nicotiana benthamiana leaves infected with the Sat-RNA followed by the Co-IP and preparation of samples for LC-MS/MS. We believe this approach is applicable to a wide range of RNAs of any nature associated with eukaryotic and prokaryotic organisms.
Feshbach-Fano approach for calculation of Auger decay rates using equation-of-motion coupled-cluster wave functions. II. Numerical examples and benchmarks.

X-ray photon absorption leads to the creation of highly excited species, which often decay through the Auger process. The theoretical treatment of Auger decay is challenging because of the resonance nature of the initial core-excited or core-ionized states and the continuous nature of the ejected electron. In Paper I [W. Skomorowski and A. I. Krylov, J. Chem. Phys. 154, 084124 (2021)], we have introduced a theoretical framework for computing Auger rates based on the Feshbach–Fano approach and the equation-of-motion coupled-cluster ansatze augmented with core–valence separation. The outgoing Auger electron is described with a continuum orbital. We considered two approximate descriptions—a plane wave and a Coulomb wave with an effective charge. Here, we use the developed methodology to calculate Auger transition rates in core-ionized and core-excited benchmark systems (Ne, H2O, CH4, and CO2). Comparison with the available experimental spectra shows that the proposed computational scheme provides reliable ab initio predictions of the Auger spectra. The reliability, cost efficiency, and robust computational setup of this methodology offer advantages in applications to a large variety of systems.
Initial Experience With Endoscopic Ultrasound-guided Coil Placement for Pediatric Gastric Variceal Hemostasis.

Background Gastric variceal (GV) bleeding is among the most morbid sequelae of portal hypertension, with mortality ranging from 30% to 50%. Pediatric data focused on endoscopic approaches to management are needed. The present study represents the first pediatric case series of endoscopic ultrasound (EUS)-guided coil placement within feeding vessels as monotherapy for management of GV bleeding. Methods Using our prospectively maintained endoscopy database, we identified patients 18 years and younger who underwent EUS-guided coil placement for management of GV bleeding from 2008 to 2018. Demographics, indication, procedural interventions/findings, and available clinical outcomes data were analyzed. Results Twelve patients (median age 15, range 11-18 years) underwent EUS-guided coil placement for GV bleeding. All had portal hypertension, with EV in 58.3% and prior GV bleeding with attempted endoscopic management in 75%. Coil placement was accomplished using a linear echoendoscope and a 19-gauge needle. A mean of 2.75 (± 0.43) coils were placed in each patient (4, 6, 8, and 10 mm Nester Embolization Coils, Cook Medical, Bloomington, Indiana, USA). Immediate hemostasis was achieved in all patients, and 25% of patients developed recurrent gastric varices at a median of 5.5 months following the initial EUS-guided coil placement (range 4-6 months) over the median 12 month follow-up period. Conclusions The present study establishes the feasibility and efficacy of EUS-guided coil placement as monotherapy for GV bleeding in children and adolescents. The technique was technically successful, with primary hemostasis achieved in all patients. EUS-guided embolization with coils may represent an alternative to current approaches for management of highly morbid GV bleeding.
Duloxetine-Induced Liver Injury: A Case Report.

We present a case of a young (43-year-old), otherwise healthy, female patient who developed drug-induced liver injury (DILI) secondary to routine use of duloxetine. Our case aims to raise awareness amongst physicians about the possibility of duloxetine-induced liver injury. We recommend monitoring liver function tests (LFTs) when initiating or adjusting the dose of duloxetine, and intermittently thereafter, to facilitate early identification and management of potential DILI.
Small Airway Disease

Respiratory bronchiolitis and follicular bronchiolitis are characterzed by ill-defined centrilobular nodules, while mosaicism and air-trapping are the imaging hallmark of obliterative bronchiolitis.
On the relationship between constitutional environmental human rights and sustainable development outcomes

Abstract Since the late 1900s, 84 national constitutions have been written anew or amended to include substantive environmental human rights provisions. The nascent statistical research exploring the relationship between these rights and environmental outcomes is limited to a few studies which generally show a positive correlation between the two. Under certain conditions and controlling for confounding factors, having one of these provisions is positively correlated with improved environmental outcomes. The existing research, however, does not effectively exploit the characteristics of the underlying countries while accounting for how said countries respond to the treatment of having a new provision. This paper expands the current research framework by using a heterogeneous treatment effects (HTE) model to exploit the country-level characteristics and the treatment effect of having a substantive environmental human rights provision. The statistical analyses use the newly developed Sustainable Development Index (SDI) as the outcome variable and panel regression results demonstrate a positive correlation between SDI and having a substantive environmental human rights provision. The results of the HTE model demonstrate that SDI is positively impacted by the treatment of having a substantive environmental human rights provision but in a generally constant way and only over a range of propensity scores.
Intimate partner violence: analysis of current screening practices in the primary care setting.

Background Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a largely undetected occurrence in the United States reported by 36-50% of women in their lifetime and associated with extensive physical and psychological implications. Currently, conflicting recommendations exist regarding screening practices with the United States Preventative Services Task Force (USPSTF) and the World Health Organization (WHO) advocating for and against universal screening, respectively. With research suggesting that women are seldom asked about IPV during clinic visits, further information is needed regarding current screening practices. Objectives To identify current IPV screening approaches in the primary care setting and factors that may impact screening completion. Methods We retrospectively examined patients presenting for annual examinations at four university-associated primary care clinics in southeast Florida (n = 400). Patient demographics, screener demographics, screening completion, and screening results were collected from the medical record. Results were compared to depression and anxiety screenings due to comparable prevalence and screening recommendations. Pearson chi square and Fisher exact tests were utilized to compare screening rates by demographic characteristics. Results IPV screening occurred at a much lower frequency (8.5%) compared to screenings for anxiety (37.3%) and depression (71.3%). Among documented IPV screenings, 64.7% of encounters resulted in patient refusal to be screened. Screening rates were found to be marginally impacted by patient ethnicity (P = 0.052). Conclusions Findings of both low screening rates and low screening success raise significant concerns for the shortcomings of advocating for universal IPV screening. Therefore, additional studies are necessary to identify covert barriers to screening completion before universal inquiry is advised.
Situational Awareness and General Aviation Accidents

Abstract. Situational awareness is a concept increasingly used in aircraft accident investigation reports. We analyzed 94 general aviation accidents in which situational awareness was mentioned by ...
The integration of leaf-derived signals sets the timing of vegetative phase change in maize, a process coordinated by epigenetic remodeling.

Abstract After germination, the maize shoot proceeds through a series of developmental stages before flowering. The first transition occurs during the vegetative phase where the shoot matures from the juvenile to the adult phase, called vegetative phase change (VPC). In maize, both phases exhibit easily-scored morphological characteristics, facilitating the elucidation of molecular mechanisms directing the characteristic gene expression patterns and resulting physiological features of each phase. miR156 expression is high during the juvenile phase, suppressing expression of squamosa promoter binding proteins/SBP-like transcription factors and miR172. The decline in miR156 and subsequent increase in miR172 expression marks the transition into the adult phase, where miR172 represses transcripts that confer juvenile traits. Leaf-derived signals attenuate miR156 expression and thus the duration of the juvenile phase. As found in other species, VPC in maize utilizes signals that consist of hormones, stress, and sugar to direct epigenetic modifiers. In this review we identify the intersection of leaf-derived signaling with components that contribute to the epigenetic changes which may, in turn, manage the distinct global gene expression patterns of each phase. In maize, published research regarding chromatin remodeling during VPC is minimal. Therefore, we identified epigenetic regulators in the maize genome and, using published gene expression data and research from other plant species, identify VPC candidates.
Alcohol Use Disorder and Recent Alcohol Use and HIV Viral Non-Suppression Among People Engaged in HIV Care in an Urban Clinic, 2014–2018

We estimated joint associations between having history of alcohol use disorder (AUD) (based on prior ICD-9/ICD-10 codes) and recent self-reported alcohol use and viral non-suppression (≥ 1 viral load measurement > 20 copies/mL in the same calendar year as alcohol consumption was reported) among patients on ART enrolled in routine care, 2014–2018, in an urban specialty clinic. Among 1690 patients, 26% had an AUD, 21% reported high-risk alcohol use, and 39% had viral non-suppression. Relative to person-years in which people without AUD reported not drinking, prevalence of viral non-suppression was higher in person-years when people with AUD reported drinking at any level; prevalence of viral non-suppression was not significantly higher in person-years when people with AUD reported not drinking or person-years when people without AUD reported drinking at any level. No level of alcohol use may be “safe” for people with a prior AUD with regard to maintaining viral suppression.
Reshaping University Continuing Education: Leadership Imperatives for Thriving in a Changing and Competitive Market

University continuing and distance education is at a crossroads. This article asserts that a radical disruption in the competitive landscape for university-based continuing education (CE) is on the...
Asthma, allergy and vitamin E: Current and future perspectives.

Abstract Asthma and allergic disease result from interactions of environmental exposures and genetics. Vitamin E is one environmental factor that can modify development of allergy early in life and modify responses to allergen after allergen sensitization. Seemingly varied outcomes from vitamin E are consistent with the differential functions of the isoforms of vitamin E. Mechanistic studies demonstrate that the vitamin E isoforms α-tocopherol and γ-tocopherol have opposite functions in regulation of allergic inflammation and development of allergic disease, with α-tocopherol having anti-inflammatory functions and γ-tocopherol having pro-inflammatory functions in allergy and asthma. Moreover, global differences in prevalence of asthma by country may be a result, at least in part, of differences in consumption of these two isoforms of tocopherols. It is critical in clinical and animal studies that measurements of the isoforms of tocopherols be determined in vehicles for the treatments, and in the plasma and/or tissues before and after intervention. As allergic inflammation is modifiable by tocopherol isoforms, differential regulation by tocopherol isoforms provide a foundation for development of interventions to improve lung function in disease and raise the possibility of early life dietary interventions to limit the development of lung disease.
Da'wa in the United States

Author(s): Moore, Kathleen Marie | Abstract: Da’wa (literally, "call") refers not only to missionary work (i.e., spreading the message of Islam to nonbelievers). It also means reinforcinggreater piety on the part of Muslims, appealing to Muslims to renew their religious commitment. Influenced by Muslim scholar Isma’il al-Faruqi,contemporary da’wa activity in the American context has underscored that the role of the da’i (the one who calls) is to invite "reversion" toone's natural or innate state of being in relationship with the divine. Islam was readopted by many twentieth-century African Americans due toda’wa work of the Ahmadis, the Nation of Islam, and others. Digital da’wa, using new social media and the Internet, and visual da’wa (e.g.,satellite television and YouTube videos) add innovative means to propagating the faith and increasing Islamic literacy.
Coexpression of Agrp and NPY in fasting-activated hypothalamic neurons

Neuropeptide Y (NPY) stimulates food intake and promotes weight gain, whereas melanocortins have the opposite effect. Yet both peptides are synthesized in the arcuate nucleus, a hypothalamic area involved in energy homeostasis. We report here that mRNA encoding NPY and the melanocortin precursor, proopiomelanocortin (POMC) are expressed in adjacent, but distinct, subpopulations of arcuate nucleus neurons. Moreover, these NPY neurons coexpress mRNA encoding Agouti-related protein (Agrp), an endogenous melanocortin receptor antagonist, and fasting increases the expression of both of these mRNA species. Our findings suggest that hypothalamic NPY/Agrp neurons constitute a unique cell type that is activated by fasting to stimulate food intake via a simultaneous increase of NPY and decrease of melanocortin.
Rural Resistence to Globalization and Agricultural Change

Progress, Hunger and Envy: Commercial Agriculture, Marketing and Social Transformation in the Venezuelan Andes, Monica Lindh de Montoya. Sweden: Stockholm Studies in Social Anthropology, Stockholm University, 1996. The Force of Irony: Power in the Everyday Life of Mexican Tomato Workers, Gabriel Torres. New York: Berg, 1997.
Platelet Function in Hemostasis and Inherited Disorders of Platelet Number and Function

Hemostasis encompasses mechanisms that lead to cessation of bleeding following injury and involves a series of interrelated and simultaneously occurring events involving the blood vessel, platelets, and plasma coagulation system. Platelets are anucleate fragments derived from megakaryocytes and have major roles in hemostasis. This chapter focuses on platelet structure and function and on inherited disorders of platelet number and function, which are generally associated with an increased bleeding risk with hemostatic challenges.
Severed stems of Amaranthus palmeri are capable of regrowth and seed production in Gossypium hirsutum

Field studies were conducted to evaluate the capacity of Amaranthus palmeri to grow and reproduce following incomplete physical control in Gossypium hirsutum fields. A. palmeri plants that emerged simultaneously with a G. hirsutum crop were selected for use. Treatments included severing the main stem of flowering plants at heights of 0, 3 and 15 cm above the soil level. A non-cut/intact control, in which the apical meristem was not removed, was also included. Six weeks after treatment, intact A. palmeri plants had grown to a mean height of 210 cm (SE = 38) and produced 477 408 (SE = 81 250) seeds per plant. Thirty-five percent of the A. palmeri plants cut back to a height of 15 cm above the soil level did not recover from the treatment; survivors regrew to a mean height of 102 cm (51% reduction, compared to intact plants) and produced 116 000 seeds per plant (73% reduction). A. palmeri plants cut to 3 cm above the soil level had a mortality rate of 64%, an 82% reduction in final plant height, and produced 28 000 seeds per plant. When stems were severed at the soil surface, plant mortality was 95%; final plant height and seed production of survivors were reduced by 95 and 99%, respectively, relative to the control. G. hirsutum seeded yields exceeded 3 t ha−1 when A. palmeri plants were cut back to at least 15 cm, whereas yield was reduced 50% in the control treatment, where A. palmeri growth was not interrupted by cutting. In conclusion, while there is immediate benefit of removing A. palmeri plants in terms of G. hirsutum yield, incomplete stem removal can have multi-season implications. Results demonstrate that severely pruned A. palmeri plants can resume growth, reach reproductive maturity and produce viable seed, which have the potential to repopulate soil seedbanks.
Inhibition of Escherichia coli exonuclease V by bacteriophage Mu.

Abstract Induction of bacteriophage Mu results in inhibition of the Escherichia coli ATP-dependent exonuclease V activity. This inhibition is demonstrated by in vivo suppression of the T4 am N51.Su − (T4 2 − ) defect following Mu induction and by in vitro measurements of exonuclease V activity. Inhibition of the E. coli exonuclease V activity is not essential for phage growth. Mucts 62 pf7701, a plaque-forming deletion mutant, does not suppress the T4 2 − defect and fails to inhibit exonuclease V activity as measured in cell extracts.
ISO* Property of Two-Parameter Compound Poisson Distributions with Applications

The ISO* property of noncentrality parameters is derived for the expected value of an ISO* function of independent nonnegative two-parameter compound Poisson random variables and is then applied to unbiasedness of tests and monotonicity of power functions of tests in an order-restricted hypothesis testing problem for the noncentrality parameter. The ISO* property and the Schur convexity are also studied for a class of two-parameter distributions which has the additive property (i.e., is closed under convolution) and contains the one-parameter family with the semigroup property as a special case.
Reliability and performance of RAIDs

We define and analyze the ACATS declustering scheme for use with the classic Level 5 as well as MDS RAIDs. ACATS provides a paradigm for distributed sparing and checking as well. Using Markov models we calculate the reliability of classic Level 5 as well as MDS RAIDs both with and without ACATS. Our results demonstrate, for fixed hardware configurations, trade-offs between performance and reliability within these RAID organizations. Our analysis assumes a transaction oriented environment. >
Post-harvest Ripening of Avocados

IT is a common observation that fruits of many species ripen quickly if they are harvested but more slowly or not at all if left on the tree. An extreme case of this behaviour is that of the Fuerte avocado (grown in southern California) which will not soften while attached to the tree by a healthy stem1. Similarly, Florida avocados (var. Choquette and others) are stimulated to ripen when they are detached, but they differ from the California fruit in that most varieties eventually will successfully ripen on the tree. Recently, several objections1 to the theory that ethylene plays an important part in fruit ripening have been eliminated, and it has been established that an active concentration of the ripening hormone accumulates within cantaloupes2, bananas, mangoes and probably many other fruits3 before or coincident with the climacteric rise. From the work of Biale4 it is known that Fuerte avocados are stimulated to ripen by as little as 0.1 p.p.m. ethylene, and this same minimum concentration of gas is effective with most other fruits and plant tissues which have been investigated5. Therefore, a very small change in ethylene content induced after separation of the fruit from the tree could lead to an acceleration in ripening, and this possibility is investigated in the present communication.
The functional recovery of peripheral nerves following defined acute crush injuries

This study evaluates the effect of crushing load on functional recovery of the sciatic nerve. Male Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into five groups: sham operation, resected sciatic nerve, and 100 g (13 mm Hg/mm2), 500 g (50 mm Hg/mm2), and 15,000 g (1,000 mm Hg/mm2) of sciatic crush load (groups 1-5). In groups 3-5, a 5-mm segment of sciatic nerve was crushed for 10 min using a specially designed crushing device. Motor functional recovery was assessed from hind-limb walking tracks by calculating a sciatic functional index. There was no detectable functional deficit in the group receiving sham operations, while the resected sciatic nerve group exhibited complete dysfunction for the full duration of the experiment. All groups subjected to crush exhibited an initial deficit that gradually recovered to normal by day 14 (100-g crush), day 39 (500-g crush), and day 53 (15,000-g crush). Histological changes were also related to the initial crushing load and the length of the recovery period. Results indicate that the crushing device described is able to administer an adjustable, defined crush injury to the rat sciatic nerve, and that the functional deficit resulting from such an injury can be easily monitored with a sciatic functional index. The rate of recovery of crushed nerves was directly related to the initial load. All crushed nerves recovered in this experiment, even after the application of a 15,000-g load for 10 min.
Computer simulation of autumnal bird migration over the western North Atlantic

Abstract Two hypotheses for the orientation of autumnal migration over the western North Atlantic Ocean, proposed by Williams and Richardson, were tested by simulating the flight of birds from North to South America through calculated wind fields in the western North Atlantic Ocean. Use of a constant compass heading proved to be a tenable strategy for birds departing from the North American coast as far north as Nova Scotia. The range of successful headings, however, became increasingly restricted at northern latitudes. Airspeed, heading, altitude, and point of departure all had major effects on migratory success. Time required for successful non-stop migration was found to lie between 70 and 100 h for passerines and 40 to 60 h for shorebirds.
Mémoire: A framework for semantic interoperability of case-based reasoning systems in biology and medicine

Objective: Memoire is a framework for sharing and distributing case bases and case-based reasoning (CBR) systems in biology and medicine. Methods and material: This paper first introduces the semantic Web approach to build a better Web where search engines, knowledge sources and servers, applications and services can live, work, and learn in cooperation. This semantic approach is particularly well suited for biomedical domains because significant ontologies have been developed there and constitute a sound basis for the standardization effort required for the semantic Web. Case-based reasoning systems in biomedicine have also benefited from these biomedical ontologies and models. Results: This article demonstrates for three such systems how a semantics infused approach in CBR gives better, more accurate results in CBR. From this previous work on a semantic approach in CBR in biomedicine, the Memoire framework has evolved. Conclusion: Memoire proposes a unified OWL-based representation language for cases and case-based ontologies in biomedicine, where a Web Ontology Language (OWL) is a language to represent ontologies on the Web. Memoire provides a set of tools for building case-based reasoning systems compliant with its language. Memoire is extensible and can be adapted to different types of biomedical application domains, tasks, and environments. Memoire will permit bridging the gap within the multiple case-based reasoning systems dedicated to a single domain, and make available to agents and Web services the case-based competency of the CBR systems adopting its interchange language. The approach could be extended to other application domains of CBR.
Observations on the brittle to ductile transition temperatures of B2 nickel aluminides with and without zirconium

The effect of a zirconium addition (0.05 at. pct) to a stoichiometric NiAl alloy on the brittle-to-ductile transition temperature (BDTT) of this alloy was investigated. Constant velocity tensile tests were conducted to fracture between 300 and 1100 K under initial strain rate 0.00014/sec, and the true stress and true strain values were determined from plots of load vs time after subtracting the elastic strain. The inelastic strain was measured under a traveling microscope. Microstructural characterization of as-extruded and fractured specimens was carried out by SEM and TEM. It was found that, while the addition of 0.05 at. pct Zr strengthened the NiAl alloy, it increased its BDTT; this shift in the BDTT could not be attributed either to variations in grain size or to impurity contents. Little or no room-temperature ductility was observed for either alloy.
MRI features of inflammatory breast cancer

OBJECTIVE. The aim of this study was to evaluate the features of inflammatory breast carcinoma (IBC) on MRI compared with mammography and ultrasound and to better define the role of MRI in patients with this aggressive disease. MATERIALS AND METHODS. A retrospective analysis was performed of patients with newly diagnosed IBC evaluated at a single institution between 2003 and 2008. Baseline MRI examinations were performed on a 1.5- or 3-T scanner using contrast-enhanced 3D T1-weighted gradient-echo sequences with parallel imaging. MRI findings were rated in accordance with the BI-RADS MRI lexicon established by the American College of Radiology. All patients underwent concomitant mammography and ultrasound examinations. RESULTS. Eighty women with a clinical diagnosis of IBC were included in the study (median age, 52 years; age range, 25–78 years). MRI detected a primary breast lesion in 78 of 80 symptomatic breasts (98%) compared with 53 of 78 (68%) with mammography (p < 0.0001) and 75 of 80 (94%) with ult...
Probing the link between narcissism and gambling: the mediating role of judgment and decision‐making biases

In this paper, three studies link narcissism to gambling in general, and gambling-related problems in particular, and the predictive link is shown to be mediated by judgment and decision processes. In Study 1, we demonstrate that narcissism relates to greater self-reported gambling frequency and gambling-related monetary expenditures in two samples. We extend these initial findings in Study 2 by showing that narcissism predicts higher reports of gambling-related pathology, as measured with a DSM-IV-based pathological gambling (PG) screen. Finally, we demonstrate in Study 3 that the link between gambling pathology and narcissism is partially mediated by narcissists' overconfidence, heightened risk acceptance, and myopic focus on reward, as measured by participants' behavioral performance on the Georgia Gambling Task (GGT) and Iowa Gambling Task (IGT). Discussion focuses on the empirical validation of the long-assumed narcissism–gambling link, the decision processes that underlie this link, and relations between narcissists' self-perceptions and their self-defeating behavior, especially in risk-relevant contexts. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
HUME ON KNOWLEDGE, CERTAINTY AND PROBABILITY: ANTICIPATING THE DISINTEGRATION OF THE ANALYTIC/SYNTHETIC DIVIDE?

Abstract: This paper contends that the first argument of Hume's “Of scepticism with regard to reason” entails that humans have no knowledge as Hume understands knowledge. In defending this claim, we also see how Hume's argument anticipates an important aspect of an extremely influential 20th century development: the collapse of the analytic/synthetic distinction.
On the ellipticity of the equations of nonlinear elastostatics for a special material

This paper deals with the ellipticity of the equations of finite elastostatics for a compressible material that corresponds to a special choice of the strain-energy density and has received repeated attention in the literature. The possible failure of ellipticity of the appropriate system of displacement equations of equilibrium at solutions involving large deformations was suggested by certain difficulties encountered in an attempt to determine the deformations and stresses arising in such a material near the tip of a crack. It is shown here that ellipticity prevails only if the principal stretches are suitably restricted and breaks down, in particular, at a local state of uni-axial tension or compression of sufficiently severe intensity.
Design of A stacked array antenna system integrated with low temperature co-fired ceramics (LTCC)

In this paper, we presents a 4×4 stacked phased array antenna system operating at 15GHz, which can be used for commercial as well as military applications including low earth orbiting (LEO) satellites communications and airborne defense system. The phased array antenna consists of 4 subarrays having 4 tapered slot antennas, phase shifters, power dividers, and high voltage controllers. Each component is constructed on low temperature co-fired ceramics (LTCC) that is a multilayer electronic packaging technology and has a unique ability to integrate passive components such as resistors, capacitors and inductors in to a monolithic package. The phase shifter we have developed herein using barium strontium titanate (BST) thin films shows continuous phase shifts of 0°~90° at 15GHz when DC bias voltages are applied up to 300 V between the ground and signal line. By controlling the voltages independently applied to each phase shifters, the beam shape and direction radiated from the array antenna can be changed and steered.
Photoproperties Of Naphthalocyanines

Naphthalocyanines are a new class of photodynamic sensitizers that strongly absorb far red light. Using silicon as the central metal atom in the tetrapyrrole ring provides two ligand sites that are perpendicular to the ring plane. These axial sites are thereby useful for synthetically attaching organic residues designed to convey specific solubility properties. Thus by attaching polyethylene glycol units, the resulting molecules show significant water solubility; attaching branched alkyl chains conveys useful lipid solubility.
Targeted Enrichment: Maximizing Orthologous Gene Comparisons across Deep Evolutionary Time

Estimated phylogenies of evolutionarily diverse taxa will be well supported and more likely to be historically accurate when the analysis contains large amounts of data–many genes sequenced across many taxa. Inferring such phylogenies for non-model organisms is challenging given limited resources for whole-genome sequencing. We take advantage of genomic data from a single species to test the limits of hybridization-based enrichment of hundreds of exons across frog species that diverged up to 250 million years ago. Enrichment success for a given species depends greatly on the divergence time between it and the reference species, and the resulting alignment contains a significant proportion of missing data. However, our alignment generates a well-supported phylogeny of frogs, suggesting that this technique is a practical solution towards resolving relationships across deep evolutionary time.
Synthetic Tools for Delineating Multiple Motor Functions in Living Cells

Characterizing the collective dynamics of cytoskeletal motors has become increasingly important to resolving transport regulatory mechanisms and the impact of mutated motor molecules in disease. Yet, many analyses multiple motor behaviors, especially those in living cells, have been limited by inabilities to control and / or characterize the number of motors responsible for cargo motion, their organization on cargos, as well as the mechanical barriers motors face during intracellular transport. Here, we describe an approach to engineer COS7 cells that provides genetic-level control over the densities and ratios of different motors on vesicular cargos (peroxisomes), as well as the loads imposed experienced by motors via the regulation of cargo size. Such control is facilitated by the construction of multi-component gene regulatory constructs and opens new opportunities to evaluate the collective responses of different types of motor molecules systematically in living cells. Assays comparing the collective behaviors of kinesin-1 and myosinVa motors - via analyses of the responses of peroxisome velocities, run lengths, and position noise to motor density and cargo size - indicate that multiple myosinVa motors can cooperate more productively that groups of kinesins. Overall, these results support predictions from in vitro experiments and theoretical analyses suggesting that the susceptibilities of motor velocity and filament detachment rates to forces are primary determinants of how effectively teams of motors can cooperate under the applied load imposed by the COS7 cell cytoplasm. The role of such behaviors in mechanisms regulating cargo motion will be discussed.
Stem cell culture engineering

Abstract Stem cells have the capacity for self renewal and undergo multilineage differentiation. Stem cells isolated from both blastocysts and adult tissues represent valuable sources of cells for applications in cell therapy, drug screening and tissue engineering. While expanding stem cells in culture, it is critical to maintain their self‐renewal and differentiation capacity. In generating particular cell types for specific applications, it is important to direct their differentiation to the desired lineage. In vitro differentiation of stem cells usually produces a mixed population of different cell lineages with the desired cell type present only at a small proportion. Use of growth factors that promote differentiation, and expansion or survival of specific cell types are key in controlling the differentiation towards specific cell lineages. Our limited knowledge of their growth conditions as well as lack of appropriate markers associated with different stages of differentiation hinders the widespread ...
Can Complex Legislation Solve Our End-of-Life Problems?

Over a 20-year period, the United States has developed a consensus of legal opinion concerning living wills and other advance directives. At the heart of this consensus are two interconnected principles. First, the state should minimally interfere with the wishes of patients and surrogates and the decisions of physicians about foregoing life-sustaining treatments. Second, state interference is permissible for the sake of protecting a compelling state interest. The overwhelming majority of states with advance directive laws have attained this balance of minimal interference and compelling state interest in developing their laws.