cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The influence of landscape and environmental factors on ranavirus epidemiology in amphibian assemblages

Aim: To quantify the influence of a suite of landscape, abiotic, biotic, and host-level variables on ranavirus disease dynamics in amphibian assemblages at two biological levels (site and host-level). Location: Wetlands within the East Bay region of California, USA. Methods: We used competing models, multimodel inference, and variance partitioning to examine the influence of 16 landscape and environmental factors on patterns in site-level ranavirus presence and host-level ranavirus infection in 76 wetlands and 1,377 amphibian hosts representing five species. Results: The landscape factor explained more variation than any other factors in site-level ranavirus presence, but biotic and host-level factors explained more variation in host-level ranavirus infection. At both the site- and host-level, the probability of ranavirus presence correlated negatively with distance to nearest ranavirus-positive wetland. At the site-level, ranavirus presence was associated positively with taxonomic richness. However, infection prevalence within the amphibian population correlated negatively with vertebrate richness. Finally, amphibian host species differed in their likelihood of ranavirus infection: American Bullfrogs had the weakest association with infection while Western Toads had the strongest. After accounting for host species effects, hosts with greater snout-vent length had a lower probability of infection. Main conclusions: Strong spatial influences at both biological levels suggest that mobile taxa (e.g., adult amphibians, birds, reptiles) may facilitate the movement of ranavirus among hosts and across the landscape. Higher taxonomic richness at sites may provide more opportunities for colonization or the presence of reservoir hosts that may influence ranavirus presence. Higher host richness correlating with higher ranavirus infection is suggestive of a dilution effect that has been observed for other amphibian disease systems and warrants further investigation. Our study demonstrates that an array of landscape, environmental, and host-level factors were associated with ranavirus epidemiology and illustrates that their importance vary with biological level.
The Race Project: Researching Race in the Social Sciences Researchers, Measures, and Scope of Studies

While the concept and measurement of race has been a longstanding focus of social science research, capturing its significance requires a broader notion than utilizing only racial group categories. More recently, race has been treated as both a “characteristic” and a set of experiences that affect a multitude of life conditions and outcomes. This discussion and analysis moves away from treating race as only a categorical and static characteristic to a multi-dimensional concept that is dynamic, relational, and represents the intersection of individual, ecological, and structural components. By exploring the data collection of the Inter-University Consortium for Political and Social Research and studies that include race as a variable, we were able to trace how race has been used by social scientists over the past 60 years. Using an extensive coding protocol, we have attained key characteristics of the principal investigator(s) (PI), funders, scope of the overall study, and the use of different measures of race. As a result, this “meta-analysis” of social science surveys enabled this researcher to examine how these studies use a wide scope of racial “variables,” and the way in which PI characteristics affected the inclusion of race-related items. In addition, bivariate analysis is presented to examine social scientists’ tendencies in investigating race and inclusion of qualitative examples of item wordings and response categories. This overview of social science studies is placed in the context of conceptual and measurement issues surrounding the use and meaning of race. Hopefully this can serve to advance the discussion and strategic approaches in doing research about race and what should be incorporated in studying race as a lived experience.
Metal Protein-Attenuating Compound for PET Neuroimaging: Synthesis and Preclinical Evaluation of [11C]PBT2.

Dyshomeostasis or abnormal accumulation of metal ions such as copper, zinc, and iron have been linked to the pathogenesis of multiple neurodegenerative disorders including Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and Huntington’s disease (HD). 5,7-Dichloro-2-((dimethylamino)methyl)quinolin-8-ol, PBT2, is a second generation metal protein-attenuating compound that has recently advanced in Phase II clinical trials for the treatment of AD and HD based on promising preclinical efficacy data. Herein, we report the first radiosynthesis and preclinical positron emission tomography (PET) neuroimaging evaluation of [11C]PBT2 in rodents and nonhuman primates. Carbon-11 labeled PBT2 was synthesized in 4.8 ± 0.5% (nondecay corrected) radiochemical yield (RCY) at end-of-synthesis, based upon [11C]CH3I (n = 6), with >99% radiochemical purity and 80–90 GBq/μmol molar activity (Am) from the corresponding normethyl precursor. In the nonhuman primate brain, [11C]PBT2 uptake was extensive with peak concentration SUVpeak of 3.2–5.2 within 2...
Caught Between Nationalism And Transnationalism: How Central And East European States Respond To East–West Emigration

This article seeks to explain the varied policy responses to the large wave of emigration from Central and Eastern European states during the last two decades, focusing on the cases of Hungary, Bul...
Can cardiovascular MRI be used to more definitively characterize cardiac masses initially identified using echocardiography

In diagnosing cardiac and paracardiac masses, cardiac MRI (CMR) has gained acceptance as the gold standard. CMR has been observed to be superior to echocardiography in characterizing soft-tissue structures and, specifically, in classifying cardiac masses. The aim of our study was to evaluate the association between mortality and cardiac or paracardiac masses initially identified by echocardiography (ECHO) and confirmed by CMR. Between January 2002 and August 2007, a total of 158 patients underwent both ECHO and CMR for the evaluation of cardiac masses that were equivocal or undefined by ECHO. The primary study endpoints were 5-year all-cause mortality and 5-year cardiac mortality. Causes of death as of April 1, 2015 were obtained from medical records or the National Death Index. Patients were analyzed according to mass type determined by CMR using the Kruskal-Wallis test, Kaplan-Meier curves, and the log-rank test. Over a mean duration of follow-up of 10.4 ± 2.9 years (range: 0.01-12 years) post-CMR, the overall all-cause mortality rate was 25.9% (41/158). Median age at death was 76 years and there were 21 females (51.2%). Mortality rates in the different classifications of cardiac masses by CMR were as follows: 20% (1/5) in patients with a Nondiagnostic CMR; 20% (1/5) in Other Diagnoses; 17.9% (7/39) in No Masses (includes Normal Anatomical Variants); 16.7% (3/18) in Benign Masses; 23.8% (15/63) in Fat; 50% (5/10) in Thrombus; and 61.5% (8/13) in Malignant Mass. The mean survival time in patients with No Mass (n = 39) was not significantly longer than patients with any type of cardiac mass (n = 114) (P = .16). No significant difference was found in age at death between patients when grouped by CMR classification (P = .40). However, among CMR-confirmed masses, there were some significant differences by mass classification type (P = .006). During the follow-up period, 26% (41/158) of patients died and 22% (9/41) of the deaths were cardiovascular related; there was no significant difference in mean survival times with respect to cause of mortality (P = .23). In patients with cardiac masses, dually confirmed by ECHO and CMR, significant differences in survival time were observed based upon CMR classified type of mass while CMR was instrumental in obviating invasive biopsy.
Land-Use Modeling

Since the late 1940s, the United States has experienced a decentralization of residential development. In the process, large areas of previously undeveloped lands are being converted to urban uses with consequences that are not yet fully understood. This geographic shift is the result of a number of socioeconomic and ecological factors which influence individual decision making. Land-use modeling has emerged as a relevant tool for understanding the diverse drivers of urbanization, evolving from aspatial mathematical specifications of linear relationships to spatially explicit dynamic simulations that allow feedbacks between model subsystems and account for a divergent set of institutional and ecological forcings. Advances in computer hardware and software, including geographic information systems (GIS), increased digital data availability, and human understanding of natural and social system functions have enabled increasing sophistication of modeling applications and data integration. The narrowly focused models of the past are giving way to a new generation of integrated land-use models that include dynamic representations of the social, economic, and ecological subsystems and explore the interactions and feedbacks among them. Finally, land-use models are an effective way to facilitate stakeholder involvement in land-use planning through cooperative scenario development and policy analysis.
Thyroid surgery and obesity: Cohort study of surgical outcomes and local specific complications.

Abstract Introduction Obesity is associated with numerous complications after elective general surgeries. The aim is to compare surgical outcomes and local specific complications in obese and non-obese patients after thyroid surgery. Methods Retrospective study over a 3-year period at a North American academic institution. Outcome measures were operative time, estimated blood loss, hospital length of stay, and local specific complications (hypocalcemia, recurrent laryngeal nerve injury, wound hematoma, wound seroma, and chyle leakage). Results A total of 469 patients were included (mean [SD] age, 50.11 [15.01] years; mean [SD] BMI, 30.5 [8.3] kg/m2; 207 [44.14%] obese). There was no difference in operative time (125.7 vs. 129.6, p = 0.52), estimated blood loss (16.88 vs. 14.56, p = 0.28), or hospital length of stay (0.95 vs. 0.95, p = 0.96). Overall, there was no difference in the rates of local specific complications between the two groups. Conclusions Obesity is not associated with adverse outcomes in patients undergoing thyroid surgery.
MOOCs in the workplace: an intervention for strategic human resource development

The purpose of this conceptual research is to explore the potential of using massive open online courses (MOOCs) as a strategic tool for employee learning and development in corporate settings by r...
Non-epithelial endoscopic colon polyps: a focus on mesenchymal lesions

Abstract The majority of mesenchymal polyps in the gastrointestinal tract arise in the colorectum. Pathologists are often faced with the task of diagnosing these lesions, which can be difficult because many of the lesions share histologic features. This review is organized by layer of the colon as many of these mesenchymal lesions classically arise in a preferred layer of the colon and knowledge of the locations helps refine the differential diagnosis. In addition to a discussion on the preferred location of these lesions, the important clinical, histopathologic, and immunophenotypic features related to the most common colonic mesenchymal polyps are presented to aid the practicing pathologist in accurate diagnosis. Differentiating these mesenchymal lesions can have profound implications for the patient as many of these lesions are associated with clinical syndromes.
A Measure of Tear Inflow in Habitual Scleral Lens Wearers with and without Midday Fogging

Abstract Purpose The purpose of this pilot study was to evaluate tear inflow in a scleral lens system using fluorophotometry, and indirectly assess the exchange of the tear reservoir in habitual scleral lens wearers with the presence or absence of midday fogging (MDF). Methods Habitual scleral lens wearers (n=23) and normal scleral lens neophytes (n=10) were recruited. Of the 23 habitual wearers, 11 of them experienced MDF and 12 did not have a diagnosis of MDF. Contact lens-fitting characteristics were evaluated using ocular coherence tomograpy (OCT) and biomicroscopy. High molecular weight fluorescein (FITC) Dextran was instilled into the tear reservoir beneath the scleral lens, and the tear fluid fluorescein concentration was measured using the Fluorotron fluorophotometer. Calculated fluorescein concentrations were plotted over time to measure the fluorescein decay rate of the tear fluid beneath the scleral lens, which was used to calculate the tear exchange rate. Results There was no significant difference in tear inflow between the MDF group (mean: 0.111%) and the non-MDF group (mean: 0.417%), and there was a high amount of variability seen in the rates (p = 0.26). In addition, there was no significance between the tear reservoir thickness in the MDF (283um) and non-MDF (326um) groups (p = 0.53). Conclusions The relationship between the amount of tear exchange during scleral lens wear and the incidence of MDF was not significant. Additional studies are needed to further examine the role of tear exchange in MDF and address the causes of variability to improve measurement techniques with fluorophotometry in the scleral lens system.
Pork-Barrel Politics and Polarization

This article explores how earmarks shape the ideological composition of elected officials in Congress. Relative to the classic median voter theorem, the framework developed here introduces multiple legislative districts and incorporates a desire for local earmarks in the specification of voter preferences. The main theoretical result demonstrates that competition among politicians to ?bring home the bacon? substantially reduces Congressional polarization. Data from after the earmark ban of 2011 provide supporting evidence for this mechanism.
Case 9-2019: A 62-Year-Old Man with Atrial Fibrillation, Depression, and Worsening Anxiety

A Man with Atrial Fibrillation, Depression, and Anxiety A 62-year-old man with a history of major depressive disorder and generalized anxiety disorder was evaluated in the psychiatry clinic because...
An investigation of the scattering of infrasonic acoustic waves by turbulent fluctuations generated by the breaking of gravity waves

Infrasonic waves generated below and above the Earth's surface can travel up to ionospheric heights and also reach very large radial distances, spanning from hundreds to thousands of kilometers. As a result, the signals recorded at ground level far from the source location and at high altitudes are strongly influenced by the spatial and temporal variations of the temperature and winds. In most propagation models, acoustic waves are treated as perturbations of a stationary mean atmosphere, which varies only along the vertical coordinate. Hence, horizontal and temporal small-scale fluctuations of temperature and winds induced by gravity waves are inherently excluded by such methods. The objective of the present work is two-fold. First, a model based on the compressible unsteady Navier-Stokes equations, is applied to simultaneously investigate the propagation and breaking of gravity waves and the propagation of infrasonic waves (here emphasizing frequencies in the range [0.001,0.1] Hz) through their induced fluctuations. Second, simulations are performed to investigate the effects of small-scale turbulent inhomogeneities on infrasonic recordings at the ground and within the thermosphere-ionosphere (e.g., by radio remote sensing). More specifically, the influence on the observable signatures are studied, and the interaction between the spectrum of the scattered acoustic waves and the spectral properties of the inhomogeneities is highlighted. Applications to detection of weak natural and anthropogenic signals are discussed.
CPI Reliability Challenges of Large Flip Chip Packages and Effects of Kerf Size and Substrate

This paper reports a comprehensive CPI study of a large die in 5 different flip chip packaging configurations. Chip corner crack and delamination were observed in temperature cycling stresses. Kerf size effect and substrate effect were studied in detail. Large die with wide kerf was found especially challenging for CPI, mainly due to increased crack energy release rate. Finite element method based modeling was utilized to assist the comprehension of the mechanism. Solution was then provided to resolve the observed CPI fails. The same test vehicle that can pass condition G temperature cycling was found failing in condition B. The root cause of fails were discussed. A systematic study on all 5 configurations was performed. It was found that die-underfill radial shear stress is a good metric correlating to CPI results with 4 configurations using same substrate core material. But it cannot fully capture the CPI performance difference of the vehicle using a different core material. Other metrics that contribute to CPI performance were investigated.
Rhythm and final lengthening in French

A major assumption of the syllable-timing/stress-timing distinction is that interstress interval length in a language like French should be a direct additive function of the number of syllables a unit contains. In stress-timed languages, by contrast, stress foot length is supposed to show a relationship of negative acceleration with increasing syllable number due to an underlying tendency for the isochronous spacing of stresses. Previous studies of American English and Swedish show that interstress intervals are not only positively correlated with intervening number of syllables, there is no relationship of negative acceleration between foot length in syllables and foot duration. Acoustic timing data for French concur with these findings. A further experiment examines syllabic and segmental timing patterns associated with intonational phrasing in French. There is some evidence that accented syllables at the edge of intonational phrases are longer than phrase internal accents. Closer examination of the durational patterning of the syllable nuclei reveals less clearcut duration contrasts. In spite of a high degree of interspeaker variability, vowel identity clearly plays an interactive role in determining how salient prosodic duration contrasts will be among accented vowels.
History's Lessons for Equity Crowdfunding

The JOBS Act of 2012 expanded exemptions to the required disclosure of the Securities Act of 1933 to allow internet based Equity Crowdfunding, a relatively new method of financing for small ventures using websites to solicit investments from the public. The Securities and Exchange Commission adopted final regulations to allow Equity Crowdfunding that took effect on May 16, 2016. This paper examines Equity Crowdfunding in the context of history, and try to answer whether this new exemption could lead to the same circumstances that caused the Stock Market Crash of 1929.
User-Specific Music recommendation Applied to Information and Computation Resource Constrained System

The applications of item recommendation are universal in our daily life, such as job advertising, e-commercial promotion, movie and music recommendation, restaurant suggesting. However, some particular challenges emerge when it comes to music recommendation when applied to information and computation resources constrained (ICRC) platforms such as in-vehicle infotainment systems. The challenges include huge amount of total users and items, invisible user profiles, and limited in-vehicle computational resources, etc. We investigated the methods of making music recommendation for ICRC platforms in this paper. Two systems are proposed and studied, both of which are based on the collaborative filter algorithm, and designed to be target user-specific recommending so as to refrain from consuming too much computational resources. The first system remains raw user-item ratings with a goal to predict ratings from the user to other songs, while the other system focuses more on the prediction of the like behavior of a user to the songs. The configurations of the two systems are investigated. To evaluate the performance of the two systems, we include Yahoo! Music User Ratings of Songs with Artist, Album, and Genre Meta Information data set and conducted experiments. The two proposed music recommendation systems are shown to have differentiable quality in recommending abilities, e.g., mean absolute error, recall, negative recall and precision, and therefore can be applied flexibly according to practical demands.
Characterization of CLLBC Coupled to Silicon Photomultipliers

Cs2LiLaBr6- x Cl x :Ce (CLLBC) has high energy resolution for gamma detection and high sensitivity for neutron detection. It is one of the neutron-gamma dual-mode scintillators developed in recent years. This work studies the performance of an 18-mm CLLBC cube for gamma and neutron detection for temperatures between − 20 °C and 50 °C. In addition, the scintillator was coupled to the SensL J- and C-series silicon photomultipliers (SiPMs) for comparison. Throughout the temperature range, better energy resolution is observed for the scintillator coupled to the J-series SiPMs which can be attributed to the higher photon detection efficiency. For thermal neutron detection, the output of the detector was recorded by a waveform digitizer and analyzed offline on a computer. To distinguish neutrons from gammas, a pulse shape discrimination technique was utilized. A good separation between neutrons and gammas is observed for all the temperatures. However, separating neutrons from the intrinsic alphas is somewhat difficult at low temperatures. In spite of this, this 18-mm CLLBC cube is a high-performance scintillator and is suitable for deployment in radiation detectors for nuclear security and safeguards applications.
Completely self-assembled fiber composites

Abstract Wheat gluten is hydrolyzed to low molecular weight proteins where some of the proteins self-assemble into high modulus fibers and the rest arrange around the fibers to form a polymer matrix so that the total material produces a fiber-reinforced polymer matrix composite. Self-assembly at 37 °C yields fiber composites with a modulus of 266 MPa. Self-assembly at 22 °C suppresses fiber formation resulting in polymer materials of much lower 20 MPa modulus. Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy results show both materials have similar β-sheet content of about 50% but the composites formed at 37 °C have increased hydrogen bonding. Hydrophobic interactions are also different in the 37 °C composite because it is hydrophobic interactions that drive self-assembly into large amyloid fibers. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) shows that there is good interaction between the fiber and matrix because protein completely coats the fibers and no voids are observed at the fiber/polymer interface. Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) shows that the 37 °C composite is more thermally stable at higher temperatures because of the increased intermolecular interactions and the presence of fibers.
High-reliability organizing and communication during naturalistic decision making: U.S. National Weather Service (NWS) forecasting teams’ use of ‘floating’

This study explores how a high-reliability team (HRT) employed an informal communication norm to facilitate access to members’ distributed expertise during forecast decisions, despite time pressure...
Motivating the Use of Dynamic Line Ratings to Mitigate the Risk of Wildfire Ignition

Increasingly severe wildfires pose significant dangers to ecological, social, and economic systems. To curtail the risk of igniting wildfires, California utilities employ the Public Safety Power Shutoff (PSPS) program, which de-energizes transmission lines that run through wildfire-prone regions. In order to reduce the amount of load shedding required during PSPS events, this paper explores the use of dynamic line ratings (DLR) to manage the current flows on lines that pose a high risk of igniting wildfires. DLR schemes determine line flow limits that change with ambient conditions. This paper uses DLR in combination with more restrictive ground clearance requirements during wildfire-prone conditions to reduce the likelihood of wildfire-igniting faults from conductors contacting vegetation. Using two case studies, this paper demonstrates the potential benefits of DLR in this context by comparing the tradeoffs between completely de-energizing lines versus imposing more stringent ground clearance requirements via reducing current flows with DLR. Results from a large dataset representing WECC with actual data regarding ambient conditions, load demands, and wildfire risks show that the proposed approach can significantly reduce load shedding due to de-energizing lines that pose high risks of igniting wildfires.
Real-world walking economy: can laboratory equations predict field energy expenditure?

Here, we investigated the accuracy with which four laboratory-based equations can predict field-walking energy expenditure at freely selected speeds across varying gradients and terrain. Empirical ...
SPIONs self-assembly and magnetic sedimentation in quadrupole magnets: Gaining insight into the separation mechanisms

Abstract Superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPIONs) are currently popular materials experiencing rapid development with potential application value, especially in biomedical and chemical engineering fields. Examples include wastewater management, bio-detection, biological imaging, targeted drug delivery and biosensing. While not exclusive, magnetically driven isolation methods are typically required to separate the desired entity from the media in specific applications and in their manufacture and/or quality control. However, due to the nano-size of SPIONs, their magnetic manipulation is affected by Brownian motion, adding considerable complexities. The two most common methods for SPION magnetic separation are high and low gradient magnetic separation (HGMS and LGMS, respectively). Nevertheless, the effect of specific magnetic energy fields on SPIONs, such as horizontal (perpendicular to gravity), high fields and gradients (higher than LGMS) on the horizontal magnetophoresis and vertical sedimentation of SPIONs has only recently been suggested as a way to separate very small particles (5 nm). In this work, we continue those studies on the magnetic separation of 5–30 nm SPIONs by applying fields and gradients perpendicular to gravity. The magnetic field was generated by permanent magnets arranged in quadrupolar configurations (QMS). Different conditions were studied, and multiple variables were evaluated, including the particle size, the initial SPIONs concentration, the temperature, the magnetic field gradient and the magnetic exposure time. Our experimental data show that particles are subjected to horizontal magnetic forces, to particle agglomeration due to dipole–dipole interactions, and to vertical sedimentation due to gravity. The particle size and the type of separator employed (i.e. different gradient and field distribution acting on the particle suspension) have significant effects on the phenomena involved in the separation, whereas the temperature and particle concentration affect the separation to a lesser extent. Finally, the separation process was observed to occur in less than 3 mins for our experimental conditions, which is encouraging considering the long operation time (up to days) necessary to separate particles of similar sizes in LGMS columns that also employ permanent magnets.
On multiplication formulas of affine q-Schur algebras

Abstract We provide a simple and conceptual proof of Du-Fu's multiplication formula of affine q-Schur algebras via Lusztig's formula. We use the multiplication formulas to provide a proof of the existence of generic affine Schur algebras, in return, and a formula of the generators under comultiplication.
Biogenic Synthesis of Self-Incorporated Indium Graphitic Composites from Electronic Waste Using Eleocharis acicularis

Phytoextraction uses plants to accumulate valuable elements into their biomass from soil or water. The hyperaccumulator plant Eleocharis acicularis was used to extract indium, a strategic element, ...
Diagnostic applications of confocal microscopy

Since the first patent application for a confocal microscope was submitted in 1957, confocal imaging has evolved substantially. The first generation of confocal instruments was bulky, difficult to operate, complex, and very expensive. Many of these impediments have now been removed. Despite their intrinsic complexity, confocal microscopes have become increasingly user friendly. Although high-end instruments remain costly, smaller, serviceable models affordable to many diagnostic services are now available. The accessibility of confocal microscopes has helped to create a dramatic increase in their applications to basic research and is a cornerstone in their increasing use in diagnostic settings. Several specific attributes of modern confocal instruments are of particular utility for diagnosticians. The ability to use white-light sources and create real-time images has expanded the domain of the confocal microscope from the laboratory of the basic medical scientist to the examining room of the clinician. Video-rate confocal laser-scanning microscopes can be operated by the practicing pathologist in much the same manner as conventional light and fluorescence microscopes, with direct visualization of real-time images through oculars. Coupling confocal microscopes with new methods of computer image presentation and enhancement increases their potential as tools for diagnosis, teaching, and communication.
Reconstructing the Classics

Max Weber and Ernst Troeltsch constructed their theoretical frameworks in debate with historical materialism. Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels provided Weber and Troeltsch with the tools of base/superstructure and class analysis that they employed in their analysis of religion. The article places Weber and Troeltsch in the historical context of the rise of the Social Democratic Party and its splintering during World War I. It compares the writing on religion by Engels, Eduard Bernstein and Karl Kautsky with those of Weber and Troeltsch. It focuses on Ancient Judaism, the origins of Christianity, Christian heretical sects, the Reformation, the German Peasant Wars, and the Puritan Revolution. Some points in common are the origins of communism in Judaism and Christianity and the association between Protestantism and capitalism. This article shows how Weber and Troeltsch critically appropriated from historical materialism and uses this with the intent of constructing a critical sociology of religion.
Scattering states and bound states in λ℘(φ) 2

By analyzing the Bethe-Salpeter equation for even λ℘(φ)2 models we show that for weak coupling the mass spectrum is discrete and of finite multiplicity below 2m. Moreover on even states of energy less than 4(m−ɛ) we show that theS matrix is unitary. Herem is the physical mass and ɛ=ɛ(λ)→0 as λ→0. Our results rely essentially only on a simple assumption about the analyticity of the Bethe-Salpeter kernel which has been verified for weak coupling. For the interaction λφ4, (λ/m o 2 ≪1) we show that there are no even bound states of energy less than 4(m−ɛ).
Intertwining proteins in thymocyte development and cancer.

Perturbation of T cell differentiation by overexpression of SCL and LMO can lead to leukemia. This dysregulation may be initiated by inactivation of E2A.
Interfacial instability due to electrical forces in double layers: II. Stability of interfaces with diffuse layers

Abstract The effect of diffuse electrical double layers on the configurational stability of fluid interfaces is studied. The analysis indicates that a plane interface with a diffuse layer first becomes unstable to small-amplitude, long wavelength disturbances when total interfacial tension, including the negative contribution of the diffuse layer, approaches zero. But when interfacial tension is zero, the interface remains stable with respect to short wavelength disturbances because of a repulsive interaction between portions of the diffuse layer associated with adjacent waves—an effect which may also be interpreted as a resistance of the diffuse layer to bending. For any small but negative value of interfacial tension there exists a fastest-growing disturbance which dominates the instability. In the case of very small spherical interfaces the repulsive interaction is important for all possible disturbances. As a result, the interface does not become unstable at all until a certain small negative value of interfacial tension is reached.
Educational Module Improves Emergency Department Evaluation for Suspected Constipation

Objectives To determine abdominal radiograph use and frequency of digital rectal examinations in children presenting to the emergency department (ED) with abdominal pain and suspected constipation and to determine the impact of an educational module on their use. Study design Retrospective chart review of patients evaluated at a pediatric ED because of the complaint of abdominal pain who had the discharge diagnosis of constipation over two 2-month periods, one before and one after an educational module. Results Comparing pre- and posteducational module periods, there was a significant decrease in abdominal radiograph utilization (69.5% vs 26.4%, respectively, P ≤ .001) and significant increase in performance of digital rectal examination (22.9% vs 47.3%, respectively, P ≤ .001). We demonstrated a 33.6% reduction in abdominal radiograph in children who had a digital rectal examination as part of their examination. Overall, we demonstrated a 43.1% decrease in patients receiving an abdominal radiograph. When time and costs of an abdominal radiograph are considered, this results in significant cost savings. Conclusions An educational module reviewing the established criteria for the diagnosis of constipation and presented to ED providers results in increased use of digital rectal examination and decreased use of abdominal radiograph in patients evaluated for abdominal pain and ultimately diagnosed with constipation. The change also was associated with reduction in cost and time and radiation exposure in the ED for these patients.
k-Step Relative Inductive Generalization

We introduce a new form of SAT-based symbolic model checking. One common idea in SAT-based symbolic model checking is to generate new clauses from states that can lead to property violations. Our previous work suggests applying induction to generalize from such states. While effective on some benchmarks, the main problem with inductive generalization is that not all such states can be inductively generalized at a given time in the analysis, resulting in long searches for generalizable states on some benchmarks. This paper introduces the idea of inductively generalizing states relative to $k$-step over-approximations: a given state is inductively generalized relative to the latest $k$-step over-approximation relative to which the negation of the state is itself inductive. This idea motivates an algorithm that inductively generalizes a given state at the highest level $k$ so far examined, possibly by generating more than one mutually $k$-step relative inductive clause. We present experimental evidence that the algorithm is effective in practice.
All-optical switching via enhanced Kerr nonlinearity in three-level atoms

Summary form only given. The reduced absorption and enhanced nonlinearity in a three-level electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT) system are very important in achieving an effective all-optical switching action. The Kerr-nonlinear index of refraction of a three-level EIT medium can be greatly enhanced near resonance due to atomic coherence induced in such a system in comparison with a two-level atomic system, as we have shown by using an optical ring cavity. Both the magnitude and sign of the Kerr-nonlinear index change dramatically for different frequency detunings of the controlling (or coupling) or cavity (or probe) field. Bistability and dynamic instability occur when such a three-level /spl Lambda/-type EIT system is placed inside an optical ring cavity and the controlling and cavity input intensities to exceed certain threshold values. In this paper, we present a recent experimental demonstration of controlling the cavity output intensity by modulating the frequency detuning of the controlling beam.
Litigation and Public Health Policy Making: The Case of Tobacco Control

Many tobacco control advocates, believing that legislators and regulators have failed to enact and implement sufficiently stringent tobacco control laws, have supported litigation as a means of achieving public health policy goals. In this article, we examine the relationship between litigation and public health policy formulation in the context of the debate over tobacco control policy. The fundamental questions are how social policy should be made regarding the use of tobacco products, and which institutions should be responsible for controlling tobacco use: the market, the political system (i.e., the legislative and regulatory branches of government), or the courts. On balance we conclude that litigation is a second-best solution. We see a distinct role for litigation as a complement to a broader, comprehensive approach to tobacco control policy making, rather than as an alternative to the traditional political apparatus of formulating and implementing public health policy. Our analysis suggests that, in general, public health goals are more directly achievable through the political process than through litigation, though situations such as those concerning tobacco control blur the bounds between litigation and the politics of public health. Litigation has stimulated a national debate over the role of smoking in society and may well move the policy agenda. But we conclude that a sustained legislative and regulatory presence ought to be the foundation of meaningful policy changes.
Financing Basic Research at the Community Level: A Review Model

Excerpt Our review model unites the expertise and recommendations of a scientist of national reputation in the same area as the proposal with that of local investigators to accomplish these goals: ...
18 Years of teaching technical communication online: Tricks and traps, Dos and Don'ts, strengths and weaknesses

This paper shares lessons learned from seventeen years of teaching and administering an online master's program in technical communication. We conclude that online education in general-and asynchronous online education in particular-is comparable to face-to-face education but different in many respects. The differences represent both hazards for teachers to avoid (and to help students to avoid) and opportunities for learning. This paper suggests ways to make the best of these differences, discusses the effects of the flexible schedule afforded by asynchronous instruction, explains the need to anticipate different student expectations, offers advice on time management and participation for both teachers and students, and discusses the value of archived class discussions.
Deterministic and Stochastic Separation of Digital Images

Abstract The digital image of a scene is composed of patterned and textured regions, which are separated by boundaries or edges. This paper presents a three stage approach to separating the regions which constitute the structural or deterministic component of the image and the textures which constitute the stochastic part of the image. The data dependent system methodology is extended to the boundary value problem, to achieve time (space) and frequency localization on the image data. The peculiarity of this approach is that it identifies each texture as one entity, as opposed to conventional approaches which give rise to a number of edgelets for each texture in the image. The first stage generates a mathematical characterization of the image using the intrinsic spatial dependencies of the image intensities. The dynamics of the image intensities is characterized by the Green's function of the adequate model. The components of intensities unexplained by the Green's function are captured in the model residuals. These residuals contain both boundary values and noise. Boundary values occur at the outlier residual locations and are nonzero only at the region boundaries. In the second stage a linear regression that minimizes the stochastic part of the model is used to estimate the boundary values, which are measures of edge strength. The third stage involves the deterministic and stochastic reconstruction of the image, which demonstrates the structural and textural separation of the image. Convolution of boundary values with Green's function gives the structural component, whereas convolution of white noise with Green's function produces the textural component of the image. The results show excellent structural textural separation in addition to large data reduction capability.
Temperature distribution in the laser‐heated diamond cell with external heating, and implications for the thermal conductivity of perovskite

Applying external heating reduces temperature gradients in the laser-heated diamond cell by roughly a factor of two as the external temperature is raised by 300 K. A heat conduction model is presented which can account for most of the reduction. In addition, the temperature distribution measured in a (Mg0.86Fe0.14)SiO3 perovskite sample at 56 GPa is compatible the expected inverse temperature-dependence of thermal conductivity.
Stress and response competition in children's color-word performance.

The performance of 60 fourth grade children under stress and nonstress conditions and 5 levels of response competition was investigated. Based on the Hullian proposition that habit and drive combine, it was predicted that stress would affect performance differentially, depending upon the nature of the incongruous stimuli. Significant main effects of stress and competition and their interaction were found.
Hyperglycemic effect of neurohypophysial hormones in the lizard, Klauberina riversiana.

Abstract Intraperitoneal injections of arginine vasotocin produced a significant elevation of blood glucose levels in the lizard, Klauberina riversiana . This response was significantly higher in males than in females. Similar doses of oxytocin failed to produce a significant increase in blood glucose in females.
The influences of incident and contextual characteristics on crime clearance of nonlethal violence: A multilevel event history analysis

Using multilevel event history analyses, this article investigates the effects of both incident and contextual (social disorganization and police resources) factors on crime clearance by arrest for robbery, forcible rape, and aggravated assault incidents in 106 cities. The analysis found that victim's age, the number of concomitant offenses and victims, victim's injury, and weapon use played important roles in crime clearance for all three types of nonlethal violent incidents. Among social disorganization variables, higher unemployment and racial segregation significantly decreased the odds of clearance for robbery and aggravated assault, but not for rape. Instead, higher divorce rates significantly decreased the odds of rape clearance. This suggests that social disorganization may play a different role in the clearance mechanisms for sexual than for nonsexual violent offenses. The effects of police resource variables on clearance were not significant in the expected direction for any of the three types of incidents.
Isolation of pure myocardial subcellular organelles.

Abstract A procedure is outlined for the isolation of three pure myocardial subcellular fractions by sucrose gradient ultracentrifugation. The purity of the sarcolemmal (SL) and sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) fragments and mitochondria were documented by marker enzyme assays and SL purity by electronmicroscopy.
Radiation Therapy Techniques in the Treatment of Hodgkin's Disease.

Treatment of Hodgkin's disease with radiotherapy requires awareness of risk for subclinical disease and patterns of spread in assisting in the design of treatment volumes. This desire to treat larger volume needs to be balanced against concern for normal tissue toxicity. Traditionally, there have been "standard" field sizes for various disease presentations; however, the more recent trend has been to select patients in such a manner as to minimize long-term toxicity while increasing or maintaining disease-free survival. This has most commonly involved elimination of laparotomy and decreasing field sizes and radiation doses in specific situations. This article discusses the appropriate dose and treatment technique for the treatment of Hodgkin's disease.
Current Techniques for Real-Time Evaluation of Conditional Symmetric Instability

Abstract Banded cloudiness and precipitation are sometimes observed in convectively stable environments. These observations are often attributed to conditional symmetric instability (CSI). High-resolution operational instruments in the wind-profiler network and the WSR-88D radar network are beginning to provide real-time data that can enhance the evaluation of CSI conditions. These systems, combined with operational mesoscale models and the advanced meteorological computer workstation, are providing the opportunity to efficiently assess CSI on the meso-β scale (20–200 km) in real time. CSI theory is reviewed and techniques to apply CSI theory utilizing the new operational instrumentation are discussed. A case study is presented to illustrate current CSI evaluation techniques.
Comparison of ribonucleic acid homopolymer ionization energies and charge injection barriers

Thin films of guanosine and uridine ribonucleic acid (RNA) homopolymers (poly rG, poly rU) were grown in high vacuum in several steps on highly oriented pyrolytic graphite (HOPG) using electrospray deposition. Between deposition steps, the sample surface was characterized with X-ray and ultraviolet photoemission spectroscopy (XPS, UPS). The resulting spectra series allowed the determination of the orbital alignment at the HOPG interface, as well as the ionization energies of the homopolymer thin films. Comparison with earlier results on cytidine and adenosine RNA homopolymers (poly rC, poly rA) indicates significant ionization energy and charge injection barrier differences between purines and pyrimidines.
Petrov-Galerkin formulations with weighting functions dependent upon spatial and temporal discretization: Applications to transient convection-diffusion problems

Abstract A new Petrov-Galerkin finite element formulation has been proposed for transient convection-diffusion problems. Most Petrov-Galerkin formulations take into account the spatial discretization and the weighting functions so developed give satisfactory solutions for steady state problems. Though these schemes can be used for transient problems, there is scope for improvement. The schemes proposed here, which take into account temporal as well as spatial discretization, provide improved solutions. In view of the generality of the differential equation being solved, these schemes can be implemented for any physical problem which is governed by the transient convection-diffusion equation. It is also expected that these schemes, suitably adapted, will improve the numerical solutions of the compressible Euler and Navier-Stokes equations.
GENERALIZATION OF POSTURE TRAINING TO COMPUTER WORKSTATIONS IN AN APPLIED SETTING

Improving employees' posture may decrease the risk of musculoskeletal disorders. The current paper is a systematic replication and extension of Sigurdsson and Austin (2008), who found that an intervention consisting of information, real-time feedback, and self-monitoring improved participant posture at mock workstations. In the current study, participants worked in an applied setting, and posture data were collected at participants' own workstations and a mock workstation. Intervention in the mock setting was associated with consistent improvement in safe posture at the mock workstation, but generalization to the actual workstation was limited.