cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Secular Trends in Dementia and Cognitive Impairment of U.S. Rural and Urban Older Adults

Introduction This is a nationally representative study of rural−urban disparities in the prevalence of probable dementia and cognitive impairment without dementia (CIND). Methods Data on non-institutionalized U.S. adults from the 2000 (n=16,386) and 2010 (n=16,311) cross-sections of the Health and Retirement Study were linked to respective Census assessments of the urban composition of residential census tracts. Relative risk ratios (RRR) for rural−urban differentials in dementia and CIND respective to normal cognitive status were assessed using multinomial logistic regression. Analyses were conducted in 2016. Results Unadjusted prevalence of dementia and CIND in rural and urban tracts converged so that rural disadvantages in the relative risk of dementia (RRR=1.42, 95% CI=1.10, 1.83) and CIND (RRR=1.35, 95% CI=1.13, 1.61) in 2000 no longer reached statistical significance in 2010. Adjustment for the strong protective role of educational attainment reduced rural disadvantages in 2000 to statistical nonsignificance, whereas adjustment for race/ethnicity resulted in a statistically significant increase in RRRs in 2010. Full adjustment for sociodemographic and health factors revealed persisting rural disadvantages for dementia and CIND in both periods with RRR in 2010 for dementia of 1.79 (95% CI=1.31, 2.43) and for CIND of 1.38 (95% CI=1.14, 1.68). Conclusions Larger gains in rural adults’ cognitive functioning between 2000 and 2010 that are linked with increased educational attainment demonstrate long-term public health benefits of investment in secondary education. Persistent disadvantages in cognitive functioning among rural adults compared with sociodemographically similar urban peers highlight the importance of public health planning for more rapidly aging rural communities.
The Missing Link: Examining the Relationship Between the Descriptive and Substantive Representation of Women in the UK

While we know that the nature of the relationship between descriptive and substantive representation is not straightforward, the exact nature and implications of this relationship are unclear. Traditional models identifying sex differences in legislative behavior obscure many of the factors that influence overall legislative behavior. These models have allowed researchers to draw wildly different conclusions regarding the substantive representation of women. Current models suggest that substantive representation should be studied in terms of the legislative process and policy outcome. While appropriate in most circumstances, I argue that current models of substantive representation ignore the issue of institutional competence, a critical component to the relationship between the descriptive and substantive representation of women. I examine 295 pieces of legislation from the devolved assemblies of Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland in order to explore the implications of restricted institutional competence for the substantive representation of women in the UK. My findings suggest that this is an issue that warrants further research and investigation.
Biophysics of Taste

Publisher Summary This chapter introduces biophysics of taste. Taste transduction is initiated when a sapid stimulus interacts with a specific receptor entity of a taste receptor cell. Taste receptor cells are neuroepithehal cells that are usually clustered into multicellular arrays called taste buds. The taste bud — being an epithehal structure — is functionally divisible into two parts: the apical region and the basal region. The apical region faces the oral cavity and is the site of interaction of most stimuli with taste receptor cells. The apical region and the lower basal region are separated by tight junctions that — as they do in all epitheha — effectively limit the diffusion of many compounds from the mucosal to the serosal space. This barrier insulates the intracellular space around the basal region from most substances that enter the oral cavity. This diffusion barrier has important implications for taste transduction because it limits the area of interaction of stimuli with the receptor cell membrane and acts as a selective filter for many ions, thereby, directly affecting the magnitude of some tastes, as is the case for salty taste transduction.
Normative Justifications for Lax (or No) Corporate Fiduciary Duties: A Tale of Problematic Principles, Imagined Facts and Inefficient Outcomes

Corporate fiduciary duty standards are at an all time low.Normative justifications offered to support lax corporate fiduciary duty standards, however, are weak. The justifications fail adequately to provide a persuasive reason for abandoning the economic principle widely applied in society, which is to hold actors accountable for the economic loss caused by their actions. Such accountability is thought to provide an incentive for efficient conduct.This paper offers a critical analysis of two arguments for allowing corporate managers to act without accountability for the full economic loss caused by their mismanagement. The two arguments have been largely unchallenged and today garner broad support from influential quarters.One argument is that corporate managers should not be accountable for a lack of due care in their decisions, and the justification for this position is a claim that eliminating the duty of care obligation provides an incentive for managers to take value creating risks on behalf of the company and its shareholders. The second argument is that corporate managers should be free to allocate and re-allocate unlimited amounts of corporate wealth among various corporate stakeholders, and this position is justified by a claim that such a rule provides an incentive for the investment of efficient levels of firm specific capital by the corporate stakeholders who provide monetary and human capital to corporations.The normative justifications offered in support of these arguments depend on multiple, essential factual assumptions that not only are unproven empirically but also are counterintuitive and seem to get only more factually improbable when unpacked and analyzed closely. In short, these factual assumptions – which heretofore appear largely to have been accepted without question or analysis – amount to a thin reed and do not meet the burden that should be required of those who propose abandoning or broadly limiting corporate managerial accountability.A strong version of corporate fiduciary duties provides an economic incentive for efficient and fair outcomes.
Myoglobin function evaluated in working heart tissue.

Previous modeling efforts suggest that myoglobin-facilitated diffusion contributes very little to oxygen transport in a Krebs-Henseleit perfused isolated heart when literature-derived values for the diffusion coefficient of myoglobin (DMb) were used. Simulations have strongly suggested that the contractile mechanisms of muscle may augment diffusion in working preparations. Myoglobin-facilitated oxygen diffusion may be augmented by the same mechanism. In this study, parameters of an oxygen transport to tissue model are optimized to investigate the possibility of elevated diffusion coefficients for oxygen and myoglobin in working heart tissue.
Echolocation II: Neurophysiology

In the world, there are many echolocators: more than 800 species of microchiropteran bats, ∼70 species of toothed whales, and two species of birds. Their morphology and ecology are so diverse that echolocation behavior and orientation sounds (biosonar pulses) are quite different among different species. The neurophysiology of echolocation has been mainly performed with five species of bats. The auditory system of these bats shows anatomical and physiological specializations for echolocation, although it is basically the same as that of other mammals. Different types of biosonar information are processed in the auditory system in a parallel and hierarchical way.
Temporal features of directional tuning by spinocerebellar neurons: relation to limb geometry.

1. We showed previously that neurons in the dorsal spinocerebellar tract (DSCT) may encode whole-limb parameters of movement and posture rather than localized proprioceptive information. Neurons we...
How to track corporations across space and time

Abstract Globalization processes lead to supply chains that sprawl across space and time. Where and how products are produced and consumed shape the environmental and social conditions of regions, far and wide. Distance, fluidity, and complexity in supply chains mask their uneven impacts. Researchers have prioritized the study of ‘sectors’ (e.g. automobile manufacturing, garment production) over specific corporations (e.g. Toyota, Nike), even though these corporations `move and shape` the global economy. Research by NGOs reveals the importance of focusing on individual corporations to highlight unsustainable production practices and to foster transparency and accountability. This paper introduces a methodological framework, “TRAcking Corporations Across Space and Time” (TRACAST), to tell the ‘story’ behind a product by systematically linking companies across a supply chain and identifying environmental and social hotspots and key nodes of governance. TRACAST combines in-situ (e.g. interviews, surveys, fieldwork) and ex-situ (e.g. document analysis, mining of trade data) approaches. To illustrate its utility, we link Walmart, Lowe’s, and The Home Depot in the United States to Russian logging companies via Chinese flooring manufacturers. TRACAST enables scholars studying the global flows of goods to engage deeply with questions related to specific corporations and how they affect people and the planet.
Bias-Dependent Electron Velocity Extracted From N-Polar GaN Deep Recess HEMTs

This article reports on the extraction of the electron velocity as a function of gate bias from N-polar GaN deep recess high-electron-mobility transistors (HEMTs) designed for mm-wave power amplification. Bias-dependent small-signal S-parameter measurements are used to obtain small-signal equivalent circuit parameters, which are applied to a transit delay model. The model accounts for fringing capacitance to arrive at an electron velocity associated with the transit of the physical gate length. A peak electron velocity of $1.4\times 10^{{7}}$ cm/s was obtained at a drain current of 700 mA/mm corresponding to a channel charge density of $0.3\times 10^{{13}}$ cm−2. At higher current, the velocity slowly decreased with the electron velocity crossing below $10^{{7}}$ cm/s at 1.8 A/mm. This behavior was found to be in good agreement with a previously proposed model based on optical phonon scattering at the source injection point. An analysis of the delay components is used to provide guidance for the factors influencing the device performance.
Social responsibility of a stock exchange: Corporate governance at Borsa Istanbul

Accentuated intraday volatility and uncertainty leads to mispricing, inefficiency, and the potential unfair treatment of some market participants. As an important financial institution, the stock exchange is required to find mechanisms to reduce volatility for good corporate governance and for social responsibility. In this paper, one such mechanism, closing call auction, is explored in the actively traded industrials sector of the emerging Borsa Istanbul. Evidence of the successful implementation of the mechanism is provided. Volatility decreases and efficiency of the prices increases after the implementation of the closing call auction. The exchange executives’ positive engagement in good corporate governance is documented and is suggested to other stock exchanges as a social responsibility instrument.
Editorial: Modeling Migration, Insecurity and COVID-19

Cohen reflects on the study of migration and the COVID-19 pandemic with regard to a culture of migration Mobility is founded in household decision-making and driven by insecurities at points of origin and destination Insecurity takes many forms;it may be cultural and rooted in idiosyncratic responses to intellectual struggles at home, or it can be physical and in response to crime, discrimination and violence abroad In the pandemic, insecurity takes on new meaning and along several axes This is particularly true for movers and non-movers History, geography, as well as the physical and intellectual experience of insecurity, affect decision-making and mobility The situation is particularly difficult for movers and non-movers as the corona virus, the lack of preparation for a pandemic,and the unknowns that surround COVID-19 become an existential threat to security
Enhanced Molecular CO2 Electroreduction Enabled by a Flexible Hydrophilic Channel for Relay Proton Shuttling

The effects of primary and second coordination spheres on molecular electrocatalysis have been extensively studied, yet investigations of third functional spheres are rarely reported. Here, an electrocatalyst (ZnPEG8T) was developed with a hydrophilic channel as a third functional sphere that facilitates relay proton shuttling to the primary and second coordination spheres for enhanced catalytic CO2 reduction. Using foot-of-the-wave analysis, the ZnPEG8T catalyst displayed CO2 -to-CO activity (TOFmax ) thirty times greater than that of the benchmark catalyst without a third functional sphere. A kinetic isotopic effect (KIE) study, in conjunction with voltammetry and UV/Vis spectroscopy, uncovered that the rate-limiting step was not the protonation step of the metallocarboxylate intermediate, as observed in many other molecular CO2 reduction electrocatalysts, but rather the replenishment of protons in the proton-shuttling channel. Controlled-potential electrolysis using ZnPEG8T displayed a faradaic efficiency of 100 % for CO2 -to-CO conversion at -2.4 V vs. Fc/Fc+ . A Tafel plot was also generated for a comparison to other reported molecular catalysts. This report validates a strategy for incorporating higher functional spheres for enhanced catalytic efficiency in proton-coupled electron-transfer reactions.
Association of Azithromycin Use With Cardiovascular Mortality.

Importance Azithromycin is one of the most commonly prescribed antibiotics in the US. It has been associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular death in some observational studies. Objective To estimate the relative and absolute risks of cardiovascular and sudden cardiac death after an outpatient azithromycin prescription compared with amoxicillin, an antibiotic not known to increase cardiovascular events. Design, Setting, and Participants This retrospective cohort study included 2 large, diverse, community-based integrated care delivery systems with comprehensive capture of encounters and prescriptions from January 1, 1998, to December 31, 2014. The cohort included patients aged 30 to 74 years who had at least 12 months of health-plan enrollment prior to antibiotic exposure. The exclusion criteria were absence of prescription benefits, prescription for more than 1 type of study antibiotic within 10 days, hospitalization or nursing home residence, and serious medical conditions. Risk of cardiovascular death associated with azithromycin vs amoxicillin exposure was calculated after controlling for confounding factors using a propensity score. Data were analyzed from December 1, 2016, to March 30, 2020. Exposures Outpatient prescription of azithromycin or amoxicillin. Main Outcomes and Measures The primary outcomes were cardiovascular death and sudden cardiac death. An a priori subgroup analysis quantified the effects of azithromycin exposure among patients with increased baseline cardiovascular risk. The secondary outcomes were noncardiovascular death and all-cause mortality. Results The study included 7 824 681 antibiotic exposures, including 1 736 976 azithromycin exposures (22.2%) and 6 087 705 amoxicillin exposures (77.8%), among 2 929 008 unique individuals (mean [SD] age, 50.7 [12.3] years; 1 810 127 [61.8%] women). Azithromycin was associated with a significantly increased hazard of cardiovascular death (hazard ratio [HR], 1.82; 95% CI, 1.23-2.67) but not sudden cardiac death (HR, 1.59; 95% CI, 0.90-2.81) within 5 days of exposure. No increases in risk were found 6 to 10 days after exposure. Similar results were observed in patients within the top decile of cardiovascular risk (HR, 1.71; 95% CI, 1.06-2.76). Azithromycin was also associated with an increased risk of noncardiovascular death (HR, 2.17; 95% CI, 1.44-3.26) and all-cause mortality (HR, 2.00; 95% CI, 1.51-2.63) within 5 days of exposure. Conclusions and Relevance These findings suggest that outpatient azithromycin use was associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular death and noncardiovascular death. Causality cannot be established, particularly for noncardiovascular death, owing to the likelihood of residual confounding.
Optimization of a Clinically Relevant Chemical-Mechanical Tissue Dissociation Workflow for Single-Cell Analysis.

While single-cell analysis technology has flourished, obtaining single cells from complex tissues continues to be a challenge. Current methods require multiple steps and several hours of processing. This study investigates chemical and mechanical methods for clinically relevant preparation of single-cell suspension from frozen biopsy cores of complex tissues. The developed protocol can be completed in 15 min. Frozen bovine liver biopsy cores were normalized by weight, dimension, and calculated cellular composition. Various chemical reagents were tested for their capability to dissociate the tissue via confocal microscopy, hemocytometry and quantitative flow cytometry. Images were processed using ImageJ. Quantitative flow cytometry with gating analysis was also used for the analysis of dissociation. Physical modeling simulations were conducted in COMSOL Multiphysics. A rapid method for tissue dissociation was developed for single-cell analysis techniques. The results of this study show that a combination of 1% type-1 collagenase and pronase or hyaluronidase in 100 U/µL HBSS solution is the most effective at dissociating 2.5 mm thawed bovine liver biopsy cores in 15 min, with dissociation efficiency of 37-42% and viability >90% as verified using live MDA-MB-231 cancer cells. Cellular dissociation is significantly improved by adding a controlled mechanical force during the chemical process, to dissociate 93 ± 8% of the entire tissue into single cells. Understanding cellular dissociation in ex vivo tissues is essential to the development of clinically relevant dissociation workflows. Controlled mechanical force in combination with chemical treatment produces high quality tissue dissociation. This research is relevant to the understanding and assessment of tissue dissociation and the establishment of an automated preparatory workflow for single cell diagnostics.
Proposta de uma matriz de risco para programa de gerenciamento de risco em atividades rotineiras

Professional activities can cause injury to the worker and their occurrence varies according to the probability and severity. In face of the need of establishing a model that can help the risk manager to prioritize actions in routine work activities, this study, through the application of legal and regulatory context, social security laws, regulatory and research norms, proposes the application of a matrix risk assessment for factors and / or sources of occupational risk. The matrix includes analysis of probability (unlikely, probable and highly probable), severity (without injury, minor injury, serious injury or occupational and fatal illness or permanent disability) and the number of workers and results in four types of graduation: Critical Risk, High, Moderate and Low. Critical Risk Activities, takes priority in actions to eliminate risk, followed by high, moderate and low risk. Critical Risk activities, beyond the routine of work, should include a risk analysis, when this is not required by any regulations. Critical and high-risk activities should be part of periodic inspections.
Effects of solvent composition on ionization and fragmentation within the solution-cathode glow discharge

Recently, solution-electrode glow discharges (SEGDs) have shown great utility as ionization sources for mass spectrometry (MS). The solution composition of SEGD electrodes is pivotal to their performance as it influences analyte-ion formation. The performance of electrospray ionization is heavily dictated by spray-solution composition, which can alter ionization efficiency and pathways. While SEGDs produce Taylor cones similar to electrospray ionization, the influence of solution-electrode composition on molecular-ion formation has not been studied. Here, we examine how additives to an atmospheric-pressure solution-cathode glow discharge (SCGD) influence molecular ionization and fragmentation. The impact of several additives to the acidic solution of an SCGD ionization source was evaluated based on mass-spectrometric performance. Addition of methanol increased molecular- and fragment-ion signals for peptide angiotensin II. This effect is likely due to improved desolvation and a greater interaction of analyte molecules with glow-discharge species. Several high-boiling-point reagents were tested to examine changes in the ion signal, the average charge state, and the degree of fragmentation. Overall, these additives inhibited fragmentation but significantly lowered intact molecular-ion signals. Interestingly, loss of fragment ions trended with the boiling point of the reagent used. We hypothesize that analyte molecules become trapped in droplets produced at the solution-cathode surface. These droplets do not fully desolvate before escaping the discharge region, sparing analyte molecules from fragmentation. For low volatility additives, droplets do not desolvate, even as they enter the heated MS, which yields a loss in molecular ions. The changing composition of the SCGD solution alters analytical performance, but also provides insight into analyte ionization and fragmentation processes.
DOE DC microgrid scoping study - opportunities and challenges

For the Department of Energy, several national labs (Los Alamos, Lawrence Berkeley, Oakridge, Sandia, Argonne, and Pacific Northwest) collaborated on a scoping study1 to provide a preliminary examination of the benefits and drawbacks of potential DC microgrid applications relative to their AC counterparts. The performance of notional AC and DC microgrids are estimated and compared using several metrics: safety and protection, reliability, capital cost, energy efficiency, operating cost, engineering costs, environmental impact, power quality, and resilience. The initial comparison is done using several generic microgrid architectures (see Fig. 1) to reveal the importance of the different metrics. Then, these metrics were compared for several specific microgrid applications to draw out possible unique advantages of DC microgrids. In this manuscript, we focus on the comparison using the generic architectures in Fig.1. The draft report provides recommendations for potential future research and deployment activities. The draft report provides recommendations for potential future research and deployment activities.
Diagnostic yield of percutaneous image-guided tissue biopsy of focal hepatic lesions in cancer patients: ten percent are not metastases from the primary malignancy.

sequent appearance of at least 1 indeterminate suspicious lesion. The results of percutaneous image-guided tissue biopsies were compared with the histology of the primary malignancy. RESULTS: Liver biopsies were performed in 580 patients (288 men and 292 women; age, 25-92 years; mean age, 61 years). The most common primary malignancies were pancreatic (n ¼ 96), breast (n ¼ 85), melanoma (n ¼ 57), esophageal (n ¼ 51), lung (n ¼ 47), colorectal (n ¼ 37), and urothelial tumors (n ¼ 26). Biopsy results were positive for malignancy in 528 (91%) cases. Among the positive biopsies, 29 (5%) cases had pathology results different from the primary tumor. Of the 52 biopsies negative for malignancy, 20 yielded a specific benign diagnosis, and 32 were nondiagnostic. CONCLUSIONS: If all liver lesions had been assumed to be metastases, as expected secondary to the known primary tumor, then the true or presumed alternate diagnosis would have been missed in 60 (10.3%) of the 580 cases. The authors did not attempt to determine whether actual clinical management changed based on these 60 liver biopsy results, so this number is an upper bound on management change. On the basis of these results, and given the minimal complication rate of liver biopsy, the authors suggest that liver biopsy should still be performed in the types of cases studied here, despite the finding that the vast majority of biopsies produced the expected result and presumably did not change patient management. Cancer 2011;117:4041–8. V C 2011 American Cancer Society.
Laser microfabricated poly(glycerol sebacate) scaffolds for heart valve tissue engineering

Toward creating more biomimetic engineered heart valve tissues, in current study we utilized a laser microablation technique to create anisotropic scaffolds comprised of diamond-shaped pores and seeded scaffolds with valvular interstitial cells.
Evaluation of an Eddy-Current Tape-Head Probe

SRI International is performing basic evaluation and characterization of eddy-current probes that are fabricated using ferrite tape-head technology. Tests conducted during the previous two years using both absolute and differential probes, frequencies of 100 kHz and 1 MHz, and flat-plate samples made of aluminum and titanium demonstrated that such probes exhibit both high sensitivity to surface cracks and high spatial resolution.1,2 To round out this evaluation, during the past year we studied tape-head reflection probes and measured their characteristics over a broad range of frequencies. This paper discusses reflection probes briefly and presents the results of comparative tests that were made using tape-head and coil-type reflection probes in conjunction with a commercial eddy-current instrument.
A multicomponent complex is required for the AAUAAA-dependent cross-linking of a 64-kilodalton protein to polyadenylation substrates.

Abstract A 64-kilodalton (kDa) polypeptide that is cross-linked by UV light specifically to polyadenylation substrate RNAs containing a functional AAUAAA element has been identified previously. Fractionated HeLa nuclear components that can be combined to regenerate efficient and accurate polyadenylation in vitro have now been screened for the presence of the 64-kDa protein. None of the individual components contained an activity which could generate the 64-kDa species upon UV cross-linking in the presence of substrate RNA. It was necessary to mix two components, cleavage stimulation factor and specificity factor, to reconstitute 64-kDa protein-RNA cross-linking. The addition of cleavage factors to this mixture very efficiently reconstituted the AAUAAA-specific 64-kDa protein-RNA interaction. The 64-kDa protein, therefore, is present in highly purified, reconstituted polyadenylation reactions. However, it is necessary to form a multicomponent complex to efficiently cross-link the protein to a substrate RNA.
Mr. Day goes to Ottawa

Can Stockwell Day win the next federal election? And if he does, what impact will he have on health care? Surprise at Day‚s runaway victory in the race to head the Canadian Alliance quickly gave way to speculation about his impact on federal politics. His youthful looks and penchant for flexing
Improvement of myoclonic epilepsy in Down syndrome treated with levetiracetam

Late Onset Myoclonic Epilepsy in Down Syndrome (LOMEDS) is a recognized entity usually preceded by cognitive deterioration. We report two patients with LOMEDS and cognitive decline, aged 52 and 44 years. Continuous video-EEG recording showed generalised spike and slow wave complexes as an ictal correlate of the myoclonic jerks in both patients. Low dose levetiracetam resulted in rapid, sustained seizure freedom in both patients with no reported adverse events. As for other myoclonic epilepsies, levetiracetam appears to be effective for the treatment of LOMEDS, and may be considered as a first line agent for this disorder.
Is Levamisole-Induced Vasculitis a Relegated Diagnostic Possibility? A Case Report and Review of Literature

Patient: Female, 38 Final Diagnosis: Levamisole induced vasculitis Symptoms: Skin and joint Medication: — Clinical Procedure: None Specialty: Toxicology Objective: Unusual clinical course Background: Levamisole, a veterinary anti-helminthic, is a common adulterant in cocaine. Levamisole-induced vasculopathy (LIV) is a relatively new entity, and is being increasingly recognized since it was first reported in 2010. Although cutaneous findings, agranulocytosis, and positive antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies (ANCA) are characteristic, the full clinical picture and appropriate management remain unclear. Case Report: A 38-year-old woman presented with malaise and a pruritic, painful rash on all extremities, right ankle pain, and effusion and necrosis of the right 2nd and 3rd finger tips. After extensive work-up, we determined that she had LIV. Conclusions: Arthritis-dermatitis syndrome in cocaine users should raise suspicion for LIV. Although some features are characteristic, the full clinical spectrum is yet to be described. Management is supportive.
Correlation of the binocular visual field with patient assessment of vision.

Purpose To determine which measures of the binocular visual field correlate best with the patient's assessment of vision. Methods Esterman binocular visual field testing and four other binocular visual field tests (designated peripheral 20 dB [p20], peripheral 22 dB [p22], central 24 dB [c24] and central 26 dB [c26]) were performed in 101 patients with glaucoma or suspected glaucoma. Scores from these five tests, as well as binocular visual field scores calculated from monocular testing (best-location summation and probability summation), were correlated with performance on the National Eye Institute's Visual Function Questionnaire (VFQ)-25 and Short-Form (SF)-36 quality of life instruments, as well as with the linear rating scale utility test. Results The mean percentage of correct responses was 87%, 69%, 59%, 78%, and 71% for the Esterman, p20, p22, c24, and c26 tests, respectively. The distribution of scores was much broader for the p20 and p22 tests than for the Esterman test. The mean decibels for the binocular visual fields calculated from the monocular visual fields were 21.5 +/- 7.7 dB for the best-location algorithm and 25.1 +/- 6.7 dB for the probability-summation algorithm. The binocular visual field score calculated with the best-location algorithm correlated better with the overall, general vision, distance activities, and peripheral vision domains of theVFQ-25 (partial correlation coefficients of 0.48, 0.48, 0.49, and 0.51, respectively) than did the probability-summation algorithm and all five binocular visual field tests. The best-location algorithm also had the strongest correlation with the linear rating scale utility test (partial correlation coefficient, 0.40). Conclusions In this sample of clinic-based patients with glaucoma or suspected glaucoma, a global score derived from a combination of two monocular fields correlated better with patient assessment of vision than did the Esterman and four novel binocular visual field tests.
A general purpose method for extracting RNA from Dictyostelium cells

Here we present a protocol for the extraction of RNA from Dictyostelium discoideum. Dictyostelium is a social amoeba that undergoes a basic developmental program, and therefore analysis of RNA levels over a time course is a commonly used technique. This procedure is similar to other guanidine thiocyanate-based methods; however, it has been adjusted because of the large quantities of carbohydrate and nucleases found in Dictyostelium cells. After cell lysis and phenol:chloroform extraction, the resulting high-quality RNA isolated with the described protocol allows the molecular genetic analysis of wild-type and genetically modified cells. The purified RNA can be used for analyses such as northern blotting, RT-PCR and microarrays. This procedure requires approximately 2 h to complete.
Exploiting heterogeneity in MPSoCs to prevent potential trojan propagation across malicious IPs

Multiprocessor System-on-Chip (MPSoC) platforms face some of the most demanding security concerns, as they process, store, and communicate sensitive information using third-party intellectual property (3PIP) cores. The trend of outsourcing design and fabrication strongly questions the assumption of 3PIP components being trustworthy. While existing research focuses on addressing hardware trojans in individual IPs, this paper improves MPSoC security from another perspective. Specifically, our goal is to prevent trojans in malicious IPs from triggering each other and leading to severe system-wide degradation in security and reliability. We propose to impose trojan isolation constraints during static task scheduling, ensuring that all legal communications on the target MPSoC are between IPs of different types. This in turn enables the runtime system to monitor and detect undesired communication paths, if any. We furthermore pose the security-constrained MPSoC task scheduling as a multi-dimensional optimization problem, and solve it through Integer Linear Programming (ILP), thus minimizing the associated performance, power, and hardware overhead. The results show that trojan isolation can be achieved within one extra vendor and nearly no performance overhead.
Marital history, post-school-age training and wages: Women's experience

Abstract This study uses the NLS Mature Women's Cohort which followed women from 1967 to 1984. It compares the acquisition, timing, and characteristics of education and training after the usual schooling age among women with differing marital histories and measures the effect of that training on wages. Results indicate that women who never married and women whose marriages ended acquired further training more often than married women. The type of training and reasons for acquiring training varied by marital history. Alimony and child support increased the probability of training. The acquisition of post-school-age training, both before and during the survey period, and the completion of training programs were associated with higher wage levels.
Heterogeneous polymer–polymer composites. I. Theory of viscoelastic properties and equivalent mechanical models

The representation and interpretation of dynamic mechanical properties of heterogeneous polymer–polymer composites are discussed in terms of equivalent mechanical models and the viscoelastic form of the well-known Kerner equation. Model parameters calculated from dispersed phase volume fraction and matrix Poisson's ratio (using the Kerner equation) are in fairly good agreement with experimental values for systems comprising soft inclusions in a hard matrix. The effects of partial phase inversion on dynamic properties are discussed in terms of an extension of the Kerner equation. Model calculations indicate that the in-phase component of the complex modulus depends primarily on dispersed phase volume concentration, while the out-of-phase component depends on both the concentration and the morphology of the dispersed phase. Although substantial information about the microstructure of polymer–polymer composites can in principle be deduced from dynamic measurements, quantitative correlation between dynamic properties and use properties such as impact strength (which may have a quite different dependence on structural parameters) is probably fortuitous.
Bacteriology of the pleural space in pneumothorax simplex.

Bacteriologic studies of the pleural space in 21 instances of spontaneous pneumothorax failed to demonstrate that any organism is consistently associated with the clinical occurrence of this disease.
Rotational maneuver and stabilization of an elastic spacecraft

The question of attitude control and elastic mode stabilization of a spacecraft (orbiter) with "beam/tip mass" type payloads is considered. A three-axis moment control law is derived to control the attitude of the spacecraft. The derivation of the control moments acting on the spacecraft does not require any information on the system dynamics. The control law includes a reference model and a dynamic compensator in the feedback path. For damping out the elastic motion excited by the slewing maneuver, an elastic mode stabilizer is designed. The stabilization is achieved by modal velocity feedback using force and torque actuators located at the payload end of the elastic beam. Collocated actuators and sensors provide robust stabilization.
LIMITING REACTIONS IN HYDROGEN PHOTOPRODUCTION BY CHLOROPLASTS AND HYDROGENASE

— Hydrogen was photoproduced from water in a system containing isolated chloroplasts, hy-drogenase, a coupling electron carrier (ferredoxin or methyl viologen), and an oxygen scavenger. The rate and extent of hydrogen production anaerobically was much less than the rate of aerobic electron-carrier reduction by chloroplasts and was not limited by hydrogenase. The limiting reaction in the coupled system was the extent of reduction of methyl viologen anaerobically rather than its oxidation by oxygen produced during the course of the reaction. Inhibition of photosystem II by 3-(3,4dichlorophenyl)-1,1-dimethylurea and addition of a photosystem 1 electron donor did not lead to photoproduction of hydrogen or photoreduction of methyl viologen. Extensive photosystem I hydrogen evolution was obtained when thiols were also present. Platinum asbestos or palladium asbestos replaced hydrogenase in a system coupled to chloroplasts.
Analysis Of High Resolution Aerial Images For Object Detection

ABSTRACT Object detection is recognized as an important component of a computer vision system. In this paper, we discuss the problem of object detection in high resolution aerial images. We note that object detection task requires analysis of two types of features: intrinsic and relational. The paper presents techniques fortexture operator based intrinsic feature analysis and linear structure extraction. 1. INTRODUCTION The object detection problem can be simply stated as the one where given an image input the objectiveis to identify each occurrence of a particular object. This is recognized as an important topic of research incomputer vision. Depending upon the application domain the problem can be posed somewhat differentlydue to the special nature of the imagery involved and the types of requirements specifying the given task.In robot vision systems one may be interested in identifying objects which correspond to different types ofindustrial parts [1]. In these applications, the characteristics of the objects expected in a scene, illuminationconditions, viewing geometry and object-background contrasts can be controlled to some extent. Also, theseobject detection systems need to provide 3- dimensional locations within the time requirements imposedby the robot's manipulation unit.
Unibus: Aspects of heterogeneity and fault tolerance in cloud computing

The paper describes our on-going project, termed Unibus, in the context of facilitating fault-tolerant executions of MPI applications on computing chunks in the cloud. In general, Unibus focuses on resource access virtualization and automatic, user-transparent resource provisioning that simplify use of heterogeneous resources available to users. In this work, we present the key Unibus concepts (the Capability Model, composite operations, mediators, soft and successive conditionings, metaapplications), and demonstrate how to employ Unibus to orchestrate resources provided by a commercial cloud provider into a fault-tolerant platform, capable of executing message passing applications. In order to support fault tolerance we use DMTCP [1] (Distributed MultiThreaded CheckPointing) that enables checkpointing at the user's level. To demonstrate that the Unibus-created, FT-enabled platform allows to execute MPI applications we ran NAS Parallel Benchmarks and measured the overhead introduced by FT.
Mapping Features of HIV-1 Integrase Near Selected Sites on Viral and Target DNA Molecules in an Active Enzyme-DNA Complex by Photo-Cross-Linking †

The virally encoded integrase protein carries out retroviral integration, and to do so, it must make specific interactions with both viral and target DNA sequences. The retroviral integrase has three domains: an amino-terminal region of about 50 amino acids that contains a zinc finger-like motif, a tightly folded, phylogenetically conserved core domain that contains the active site, and a carboxy-terminal domain that can bind DNA in a nonspecific manner. The complete roles of the amino- and carboxyl- terminal domains have not yet been determined, but they appear to participate in multimerization and nonspecific or target DNA binding, respectively. The number and identity of integrase's DNA binding sites have been difficult to determine by conventional mutagenesis studies. In this report, we describe a photo-cross-linking approach to address these issues. Our findings suggest that HIV-1 integrase contacts with conserved features of the viral DNA end are likely to be mediated by residues in two peptides within the conserved core domain. Additional cross-links were seen between viral DNA and the carboxy- terminal DNA binding domain. Numerous sites in integrase, including peptides in each of the three domains, could be cross-linked to target DNA features. Integrase is known to function as a multimer, and it remains to be determined which specific contacts are in cis or trans with respect to the active site.
Plaque Formation and Implantation of Odontomyces viscosus in Hamsters Fed Different Carbohydrates

A sucrose diet supported implantation of Odontomyces viscosus and a caries-inducing streptococcus in albino hamsters. Caries and periodontal disease occurred simultaneously when both types of bacteria were implanted. Odontomyces, but not the streptococcus, became implanted in albino hamsters on a starch diet. Glucose and fructose diets also supported implantation of odontomyces and development of periodontal disease in golden hamsters. Caries development was minimal.
Increased Production of Matrix Metalloproteinases in Enriched Astrocyte and Mixed Hippocampal Cultures Treated with β‐Amyloid Peptides

Growing evidence supports the notion of a functional relationship between the presence of the beta-amyloid (A beta) peptide and the production of inflammatory mediators in and around neuritic plaques of Alzheimer's disease. Tissue remodeling enzymes that are critical in peripheral inflammatory responses are the matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs), enzymes produced by neurons and glia. Thus, it was of interest to determine whether A beta may alter the expression of MMPs in glial and neuronal cultures. It was demonstrated that A beta (1-40) is a potent stimulator of MMP-9 and MMP-2 activity in addition to inducing the expression of a lower molecular weight, unidentified gelatinase activity in mixed hippocampal and astrocyte cultures. Shorter fragments of A beta were less effective in stimulating the production of these enzymes. The lower molecular weight activity was observed only in response to A beta, and not after treatment with various cytokines. In addition, both cultures express MMP-3 (stromelysin-1) in response to A beta peptides. These results suggest that MMPs may play a role in the development or progression of neuritic plaques, i.e., abnormal neurite outgrowth.
Initial response of conifer and California black oak seedlings following fuel reduction activities in a Sierra Nevada mixed conifer forest

Forest structure, fuel characteristics, and fire regimes of mixed conifer forests in the Western United States (US) have been dramatically altered since the early 20th century. Fuel treatments have been suggested as a means to limit the size and intensity of wildfires but few experiments are available to analyze the ecological effects of different treatments. The objective of this study is to determine how mechanical, prescribed fire, and mechanical and fire combination fuel treatments affected seedling density by species in a Sierra Nevada mixed conifer forest. The relative influences of stand-level light availability and substrate quality on conifer and black oak seedling densities are assessed. For all species combined, seedling densities increased when the fire only treatment was applied and no change was detected for the other treatments. The fire only treatment as well as the combined fire plus mechanical treatment had the effect of significantly increasing Douglas-fir seedling density. Ponderosa pine seedling densities significantly increased when the fire plus mechanical treatment was applied. California black oak seedling density decreased when the fire only treatment was applied but no change was detected for the other treatments. Previous studies have found a decline in sugar pine and ponderosa pine in dense stands of Sierran mixed conifer forests. The findings reported here corroborate these studies in that current conditions are not conducive to recruitment of ponderosa pine and sugar pine species. Our initial results indicate, that in this case, treatments used to reduce fire hazard may not result in retention or recruitment of California black oak and sugar pine seedlings.
Effects of dark rearing on the development of visual callosal connections.

It is now well established that during normal postnatal development there is a partial elimination of the callosal projections of cortical areas 17 and 18 in the cat and that visual experience early in life can modulate this process. In the present experiments, we quantitatively studied the influence of light, per se, by rearing cats in total darkness. Dark rearing exaggerates the normally occurring partial elimination of immature callosal projections: it causes a significant reduction in the total number of neurons in both the supra-and infragranular layers that send an axon through the corpus callosum and slightly narrows the distribution of these neurons across areas 17 and 18. These data demonstrate that visual stimulation is not necessary either to initiate the partial elimination of immature callosal projections or to stabilize a large fraction of the callosal projections present at birth. However, normal visual stimulation is necessary for the stabilization of the normal complement of callosal projections.
Comparative Properties of Virgo Cluster Dwarf Irregulars and Spirals

The optical and neutral hydrogen data for all spiral and late-type dwarf irregular galaxies in the Virgo Cluster catalog are analyzed. In particular, the continuity of optical properties, hydrogen masses, and dynamical properties are examined as functions of morphology and luminosity from the largest spirals through the faintest dwarfs (omitting blue compact dwarf galaxies); the effects of environment on H I content; mass segregation; and the Tully-Fisher relations. The spiral plus dwarf sample forms a continuous but nonhomologous sequence. Indicative dynamical mass-to-light ratios are relatively constant throughout; hydrogen mass-to-light ratios show only a slight increase with decreasing luminosity. The Tully-Fisher relations extend with continuous slope from spirals through dwarfs. The dwarfs show some evidence of ram-pressure stripping by the intracluster medium, but as a group do not seem to be stripped more heavily than spirals. There is no evidence of mass segregation even for the very low mass dwarfs versus giant spirals.