cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Ten-year persistence of native plant species on a green roof in Northeast US

We evaluated persistence of 28 northeastern or Midwestern US native plants for 10 y after installation on the green roof of the Wellesley College Water Treatment Facility. After 10 y, 50% of the original 28 species had perished and 29% had greatly expanded their presence on the green roof. Allium cernuum Roth (nodding onion; Liliaceae), Antennaria plantaginifolia (L.) Richardson (pussytoes; Asteraceae), Arctostaphylos uva-ursi (L.) Spreng. (kinnikinnick; Ericaceae), Campanula rotundifolia L. (bluebell bellflower; Campanulaceae), Carex pensylvanica Lam. (Pennsylvania sedge; Cyperaceae), Eurybia divaricata (L.) G.L. Nesom (white wood aster; Asteraceae), Fragaria virginiana Duchesne (Virginia strawberry; Rosaceae), ( Oligoneuron album (Nutt.) G.L. Nesom (prairie goldenrod; Asteraceae), Schizachyrium scoparium (Michx.) Nash (little bluestem; Poaceae), Solidago sciaphila Steele (shadowy goldenrod; Asteraceae), and Symphyotrichum laeve (L.) A. Love & D. Love (smooth blue aster; Asteraceae) were able to persist and grow in response to the challenging green roof conditions, and we recommend them for use on green roofs. Twenty-seven emergent species were present on the green roof at the end of the study. Emergent Solidago L. (goldenrod; Asteraceae) species, Solidago caesia L. (wreath goldenrod), Solidago odora Aiton (anise scented goldenrod), and Solidago rugosa Mill. (wrinkleleaf goldenrod) should be investigated further for their suitability in green roof installations. Lubell JD, Connolly B, Jones KN. 2017. Ten-year persistence of native plant species on a green roof in Northeast US. Native Plants Journal 18(3):227–234.
Pacific Strife: The Great Powers and their Political and Economic Rivalries in Asia and the Western Pacific, 1870–1914. By Kees van Dijk. (Amsterdam, The Netherlands: Amsterdam University Press, 2015. Pp. 523. $149.00.)

This new study traces the development of great power rivalries in the Asia‐Pacific region between 1870 and the outbreak of World War I in 1914. The author organizes the book into twenty‐four chapte...
Peripheral pigmented retinal lesions in Stargardt disease

Purpose To investigate the prevalence of peripheral pigmented retinal lesions and associated clinical findings in patients with Stargardt disease. Design Retrospective case series. Methods Records at a single academic institution were reviewed for patients with genetically confirmed Stargardt disease with peripheral pigmented retinal lesions on wide-field retinal imaging. For this cohort we described demographics, clinical features, and pathogenic variants. Results Out of 62 patients with Stargardt disease and wide-field retinal imaging, 14 had peripheral pigmented retinal lesions. These flat, subretinal lesions were located in the mid or far periphery and had well-defined borders, resembling congenital hypertrophy of retinal pigment epithelium (CHRPE) lesions. For this group of 14 patients, median age at initial diagnosis of Stargardt disease was 9.5 years, and the median duration of disease was 21.5 years. Median Snellen visual acuity was 20/200, and median central scotoma size was 20.0 degrees. All 14 patients had electroretinographic abnormalities. Four out of 14 patients developed new lesions during clinical follow-up. Conclusions Wide-field retinal imaging revealed the presence of peripheral pigmented retinal lesions resembling CHRPE lesions in a subset of patients with genetically confirmed Stargardt disease. Presence of these lesions may be associated with severe phenotypes of the disease.
Tunable metamaterial device for THz applications based on BaSrTiO3 thin film

Abstract Design, fabrication and characterization of an active single-negative metamaterial device in the terahertz (THz) spectrum is presented. The device is constructed by vertical split-ring unit cells which incorporate a Ba0.6Sr0.4TiO3 (BST) thin film whose dielectric constant can be altered by applying DC bias to change the capacitance of the split-ring resonators. A numerical model of the device that predicts a resonant frequency as a function of BST dielectric constant is presented. The resonant frequency shift due to the applied DC bias is experimentally verified and correlated with the model. The resonant frequency shift occurs as a direct result of the bias controlled index of refraction change in BST which significantly enhances the device response speed and durability compared with previously demonstrated micro-electro-mechanical systems based tunable metamaterial devices. In addition, this device can be used to characterize dielectric properties of the tunable oxide thin films in low THz spectrum (such as tunability) for many applications.
MAPK Kinase Kinase Regulation of SAPK/JNK Pathways

SAPK/JNK members of the MAPK family are regulated by at least fourteen known MAPK kinase kinases (MKKKs). In addition to the kinase domain, each MKKK encodes different protein interaction domains and motifs to control their interaction with upstream GTPases such as Rho, Rac and Cdc42, downstream MAPK kinases, and scaffold proteins that assemble the MKKKs into signaling complexes for the control of physiological responses to a plethora of different stimuli. Several MKKKs coordinately regulate the SAPK/JNK pathway with other MAPKs including p38, ERK1/2 and ERK5. It is the diversity of MKKKs within the MAPK signaling network that provides the signaling specificity for activation of MAPKs including SAPK/JNKs and the integration with other signaling pathways within cells.
Frank Lloyd Wright’s intuitive sound modernity

This essay examines Frank Lloyd Wright's youthful immersion in classical music and his subsequent five-year employment under Dankmar Adler of Adler & Sullivan as prelude to a career in which Wright...
Performance Evaluation for Transactive Energy Systems Using Double-Auction Market

Transactive coordination and control has recently emerged as a new methodology to facilitate large-scale integration of various distributed energy resources into power distribution systems. Various transactive energy systems (TESs) are being developed for power system problems involving self-interested asset owners with privacy concerns. However, there has been very limited work on evaluating and comparing their performance. In this paper, a systematic performance evaluation procedure is presented for the comparison among different TESs in terms of their performance under practical conditions such as information uncertainties, network effects, individual rationality, etc. Both quantitative and qualitative performance metrics are proposed. This procedure is then applied to evaluate and compare two existing TESs using the double-auction market. The detailed case studies also illustrate the performance limitations of double-auction-based TESs and provide useful insights on the necessary design improvements for practical applications.
Sculpting the valley in the radius distribution of small exoplanets as a by-product of planet formation: the core-powered mass-loss mechanism.

Author(s): Gupta, Akash; Schlichting, Hilke E | Abstract: Recent observations revealed a bimodal radius distribution of small, short-period exoplanets with a paucity in their occurrence, a radius 'valley', around 1.5-2.0 R⊕. In this work, we investigate the effect of a planet's own cooling luminosity on its thermal evolution and atmospheric mass loss (core-powered mass-loss) and determine its observational consequences for the radius distribution of small, close-in exoplanets. Using simple analytical descriptions and numerical simulations, we demonstrate that planetary evolution based on the core-powered mass-loss mechanism alone (i.e. without any photoevaporation) can produce the observed valley in the radius distribution. Our results match the valley's location, shape and slope in planet radius-orbital period parameter space, and the relative magnitudes of the planet occurrence rate above and below the valley. We find that the slope of the valley is, to first order, dictated by the atmospheric mass-loss time-scale at the Bondi radius and given by d logR p/d logP ≃ 1/(3(1 - β)) that evaluates to -0.11 for β ≃ 4, where M c/M⊕ = (R c/R ⊕) β (ρ c*/ρ ⊕) β/3 is the mass-radius relation of the core. This choice for β yields good agreement with observations and attests to the significance of internal compression for massive planetary cores. We further find that the location of the valley scales as ρ c ∗ - 4 ∕ 9 and that the observed planet population must have predominantly rocky cores with typical water-ice fractions of less than ~20 per cent. Furthermore, we show that the relative magnitude of the planet occurrence rate above and below the valley is sensitive to the details of the planet-mass distribution but that the location of the valley is not.
Emotional reactivity, trauma-related distress, and suicidal ideation among adolescent inpatient survivors of sexual abuse.

Abstract Adolescent psychiatric inpatients suffer high rates of childhood sexual abuse, trauma-related distress, and suicidality. This study evaluated the hypothesis that three domains of resiliency (i.e., Sense of Mastery, Sense of Relatedness, and Emotional Reactivity) would mediate the effect of trauma-related distress upon suicidal ideation, while accounting for symptoms of depression, and that the indirect effect of trauma-related distress upon suicidal ideation would be greater among survivors of childhood sexual abuse. Chart review patients included 550 adolescents admitted to a public psychiatric hospital in a Northwestern US State from 2010 to 2015. Adolescents completed self-report measures of trauma-related distress, depression, resiliency, and suicidal ideation. Half of the adolescents in this study reported past history of childhood sexual abuse, and more than half disclosed history of attempted suicide. There was a group noninvariant indirect effect of trauma-related distress upon suicidal ideation via emotional reactivity among survivors of childhood sexual abuse (β = 0.10, 95% ACI: 0.04 to .17), as well as a group invariant direct effect of depression symptoms (β = 0.88, p
Lifetime Acts of Violence Assessment (LAVA) predictors of laboratory aggression

While self-report data warrants interpretive caution in applied settings, these indices serve an important role in exploratory research. The Lifetime Assessment of Violent Acts (LAVA) inventory is a brief, reliable, face-valid questionnaire for estimating the frequency, triggers, and consequences (including injuries to others) of prior acts of aggression. The LAVA also identifies the situational contexts in which prior violence was triggered and provides a basis for risk classifications based on past reactive, intimate partner, alcohol-related, and/or weapon-related violence. Scores on the LAVA indices have been linked to a range of developmental and maladjustment indicators. Associations were found between lab-provoked (Taylor Aggression Paradigm) responding and both dimensional and risk classification scores in this sample (N = 92) of college men. Participants "competed" with a fictional opponent using electric shock as a retaliatory measure for perceived provocation. The total LAVA dimensional score predicted mean shock intensity ( d = .87), baseline responding ( d = 0.90), and past sexual aggression ( d = 1.01). Shock intensities in response to high provocation were predicted ( M d = 0.57) by all but one LAVA index. Participants who reported inflicting one or more injuries on another showed more intense escalations of aggression ( d = 0.46) in response to provocation than normative counterparts. Prior injuries to another ( RR = 2.71), reactive acts of aggression ( RR = 3.73), or intimate-partner violence ( RR = 4.19) elevated the risk of one or more prior acts of self-reported sexual aggression. The limitations and potential value of self-report data were discussed in regard to aggression research.
Longitudinal atopic dermatitis control and persistence vary with timing of disease onset in children: A cohort study.

Background Wide variation exists in the timing of atopic dermatitis (AD) disease onset among children. Distinct trajectories of early-onset, mid-onset, and late-onset AD have been previously described. Objective To evaluate longitudinal disease control and persistence with respect to age at onset of AD. Methods A cohort study was performed using the Pediatric Eczema Elective Registry, a prospective observational cohort of subjects with childhood-onset AD. AD control and persistence were assessed biannually for up to 10 years. Results A total of 8015 subjects with 41,934 person-years of follow-up were included. In longitudinal analyses using generalized linear latent and mixed modeling, older age at onset of AD was associated with better disease control and less-persistent AD. For each additional year of age at onset of AD, the adjusted odds ratios for poorer AD control and for persistent AD were 0.93 (95% confidence interval, 0.91-0.94) and 0.84 (95% confidence interval, 0.80-0.88), respectively. Differences in AD control and persistence among subjects with early-, mid-, and late-onset AD were most pronounced from early adolescence onward. Limitations Misclassification bias may arise from using self-reported data on age at onset. Attrition and missing data in longitudinal studies may introduce bias. Conclusion Early-, mid-, and late-onset pediatric AD appear to be clinically distinct subtypes of the disease.
Vacancy ordering in Co 3 AlC x alloys: A first-principles study

Ordering of structural vacancies in nonstoichiometric ${\text{Co}}_{3}{\text{AlC}}_{x}$ alloys has been studied using a combination of first-principles total-energy calculations, a cluster expansion technique, and Monte Carlo simulations. In the proximity of the experimentally observed composition of $x\ensuremath{\sim}0.59$, our exhaustive ground-state search yields two stable vacancy-ordered structures: a cubic ${\text{Co}}_{3}{\text{AlC}}_{0.5}$ phase and a trigonal ${\text{Co}}_{3}{\text{AlC}}_{0.667}$ phase. By performing finite-temperature Monte Carlo simulations, the order-disorder transition temperatures of ${\text{Co}}_{3}{\text{AlC}}_{0.5}$ and ${\text{Co}}_{3}{\text{AlC}}_{0.667}$ are predicted to be $\ensuremath{\sim}1925$ and $\ensuremath{\sim}1630\text{ }\text{K}$, respectively.
How Subtle Bias Infects the Law

This review describes the ways in which contemporary forms of prejudice and stereotypes, which are often subtle and unconscious, give rise to critical problems throughout the legal system. This sum...
Two new cereal herbicides containing new ArylexTM active: ZyparTM and PixxaroTM EC against various Geranium species

In recent years, various Geranium species have increased their significance in many important crops in Germany. The most important reason for this situation is the increased use of no-till farming as well as a smaller selection of herbicides used to control weeds. Dow AgroSciences has recently developed two cereal herbicides containing the new active Arylex™ (halauxifen-methyl), Zypar™ und Pixxaro™ EC. Dow AgroSciences initiated trials in Germany to investigate the potential of both products to control Geranium species to recommend the most effective products to farmers. Trials were carried out in greenhouses and in the field. Both products controlled various Geranium species and controlled Geranium pusillum and G. dissectum particularly well. The most difficult to control of the Geranium species was Geranium molle.
Using Medical Family Therapy with Parents of an Adult Child with Traumatic Brain Injury

AbstractAcquired traumatic brain injury (ATBI) is a public health concern causing approximately 2.5 million emergency room visits in the United States annually. Medical family therapy (MedFT) displ...
Layer-by-layer assembly of graphene oxide nanoplatelets embedded desalination membranes with improved chlorine resistance

Abstract Membranes with polyamide thin film active layer are used in reverse osmosis-based water desalination applications. Incorporation of graphene oxide nanoplatelets (GONPs) in the polyamide layer can alter the surface characteristics, permeability, selectivity, and can enhance the chlorine resistance of these membranes. In this study, a layer-by-layer (LbL) synthesis technique has been developed for embedding GONPs in the polyamide layer. Polyamide layers with GONPs were synthesized in various sequences, such as alternating layers of GONPs and polyamide, and GONPs on top of the polyamide layer. Incorporation of GONPs resulted in an increase of surface hydrophilicity as captured by the change of the water contact angle. Water flux and salt rejection properties of synthesized membranes have been investigated by using a dead-end cell. The salt rejection ability of membranes increased slightly with the incorporation of GONPs, while the water flux found to be similar to that observed for the pristine membranes without GONPs. Upon exposure to chlorine, GONPs embedded membranes retained salt rejection performance better than the pristine membranes. Our approach provides an alternative framework to incorporate nanoparticles in thin film membranes in a precise manner and to investigate the effect of such nanoparticles on the membrane performances.
Mutation signature analysis identifies increased mutation caused by tobacco smoke associated DNA adducts in larynx squamous cell carcinoma compared with oral cavity and oropharynx

Squamous cell carcinomas of the head and neck (HNSCC) arise from mucosal keratinocytes of the upper aero-digestive tract. Despite a common cell of origin and similar driver-gene mutations which divert cell fate from differentiation to proliferation, HNSCC are considered a heterogeneous group of tumors categorized by site of origin within the aero-digestive mucosa, and the presence or absence of HPV infection. Tobacco use is a major driver of carcinogenesis in HNSCC and is a poor prognosticator that has previously been associated with poor immune cell infiltration and higher mutation numbers. Here, we study patterns of mutations in HNSCC that are derived from the specific nucleotide changes and their surrounding nucleotide context (also known as mutation signatures). We identify that mutations linked to DNA adducts associated with tobacco smoke exposure are predominantly found in the larynx. Presence of this class of mutation, termed COSMIC signature 4, is responsible for the increased burden of mutation in this anatomical sub-site. In addition, we show that another mutation pattern, COSMIC signature 5, is positively associated with age in HNSCC from non-smokers and that larynx SCC from non-smokers have a greater number of signature 5 mutations compared with other HNSCC sub-sites. Immunohistochemistry demonstrates a significantly lower Ki-67 proliferation index in size matched larynx SCC compared with oral cavity SCC and oropharynx SCC. Collectively, these observations support a model where larynx SCC are characterized by slower growth and increased susceptibility to mutations from tobacco carcinogen DNA adducts.
A Simple and Compact Fiber Modal Adapter for Upgrading 850 nm Multimode Fibers for Fundamental Mode Transmission at 1310 nm

We propose a simple and compact adapter using specially designed modal conditioning single-mode fiber for fundamental mode transmission through multimode fiber and demonstrate error-free transmission over 1-km multimode fiber using a 100G CWDM4 transceiver.
Savanna Monkeys: The Genus Chlorocebus

Living across Africa and the Caribbean, this widely dispersed primate population must adapt to different environmental challenges. How do members of the genus Chlorocebus live in desert-like conditions and in areas with freezing temperatures and snow in winter? This book examines the ways these primates adapt genetically, hormonally, physically and behaviourally to their changing landscapes. It features summary chapters for major topics such as behavioural ecology, life history, taxonomy, genetics and ethnoprimatology. Shorter essays supplement the work, with experts detailing their particular research on these primates. The combination of scholarship provides both a comprehensive view of this adaptable genus while enabling the reader to gain depth in specific topics. Developed from a symposium, this book combines decades of experience working with savanna monkeys into a tangible resource, for students and researchers in primatology as well as evolutionary and behavioural studies.
Stroke-Onset Seizures During Midbrain Infarction in a Patient With Top of the Basilar Syndrome.

Risk factors for early-onset seizures in acute ischemic stroke include anterior circulation stroke, infarction of the cerebral cortex, large infarct size, and ischemic-to-hemorrhagic transformation...
Noise reduction in CT image using prior knowledge aware iterative denoising.

The clinical demand for low image noise often limits the slice thickness used in many CT applications. However, a thick-slice image is more susceptible to longitudinal partial volume effects, which can blur key anatomic structures and pathologies of interest. In this work, we develop a prior-knowledge-aware iterative denoising (PKAID) framework that utilizes spatial data redundancy in the slice increment direction to generate low-noise, thin-slice images, and demonstrate its application in non-contrast head CT exams. The proposed technique takes advantage of the low-noise of thicker images and exploits the structural similarity between the thick- and thin-slice images to reduce noise in the thin-slice image. Phantom data and patient cases (n=3) of head CT were used to assess performance of this method. Images were reconstructed at clinically-utilized slice thickness (5 mm) and thinner slice thickness (2 mm). PKAID was used to reduce image noise in 2 mm images using the 5 mm images as low-noise prior. Noise amplitude, noise power spectra (NPS), modulation transfer function (MTF), and slice sensitivity profiles (SSP) of images before/after denoising were analyzed. The NPS and MTF analysis showed that PKAID preserved noise texture and resolution of the original thin-slice image, while reducing noise to the level of thick-slice image. The SSP analysis showed that the slice thickness of the original thin-slice image was retained. Patient examples demonstrated that PKAID-processed, thin-slice images better delineated brain structures and key pathologies such as subdural hematoma compared to the clinical 5 mm images, while additionally reducing image noise. To test an alternative PKAID utilization for dose reduction, a head exam with 40% dose reduction was simulated using projection-domain noise insertion. The image of 5 mm slice thickness was then denoised using PKAID. The results showed that the PKAID-processed reduced-dose images maintained similar noise and image quality compared to the full-dose images.
Equality of Dedekind sums mod ℤ, 2ℤ and 4ℤ

In [K. Girstmair, A criterion for the equality of Dedekind sums mod ℤ, Int. J. Number Theory10 (2014) 565–568], it was shown that the necessary condition b ∣ (a1a2 - 1) × (a1 - a2) for equality of two Dedekind sums s(a1, b) and s(a2, b) given in [S. Jabuka, S. Robins and X. Wang, When are two Dedekind sums equal? Int. J. Number Theory7 (2011) 2197–2202] is equivalent to 12s(a1, b) - 12s(a2, b) ∈ ℤ. In this paper, we give a new proof of this result and then find two additional necessary and sufficient conditions for 12s(a1, b) - 12s(a2, b) ∈ 2ℤ, 4ℤ. These give new necessary conditions on equality of Dedekind sums.
Management of Pediatric Nasoorbitoethmoid Complex Fractures at a Level 1 Trauma Center.

PurposeA universally accepted treatment algorithm for rare pediatric nasoorbitoethmoid (NOE) fractures has yet to be established. In this study, the authors examine how severity of pediatric NOE fr...
Embedding an Advanced Pharmacy Technician in an Adult Specialty Pulmonary Clinic to Complete Prior Authorizations Improves Efficiency and Provider Satisfaction.

Purpose:The purpose of this study is to assess the impact of a clinic embedded Medication Assistance Program (MAP) specialist on the prescription benefit prior authorization (PA) process and provid...
On the Design of Strategic Task Recommendations for Sustainable Crowdsourcing-Based Content Moderation.

Crowdsourcing-based content moderation is a platform that hosts content moderation tasks for crowd workers to review user submissions (e.g. text, images and videos) and make decisions regarding the admissibility of the posted content, along with a gamut of other tasks such as image labeling and speech-to-text conversion. In an attempt to reduce cognitive overload at the workers and improve system efficiency, these platforms offer personalized task recommendations according to the worker's preferences. However, the current state-of-the-art recommendation systems disregard the effects on worker's mental health, especially when they are repeatedly exposed to content moderation tasks with extreme content (e.g. violent images, hate-speech). In this paper, we propose a novel, strategic recommendation system for the crowdsourcing platform that recommends jobs based on worker's mental status. Specifically, this paper models interaction between the crowdsourcing platform's recommendation system (leader) and the worker (follower) as a Bayesian Stackelberg game where the type of the follower corresponds to the worker's cognitive atrophy rate and task preferences. We discuss how rewards and costs should be designed to steer the game towards desired outcomes in terms of maximizing the platform's productivity, while simultaneously improving the working conditions of crowd workers.
A Musing on Our Times: Democracy as a Way of Life, Conspiracy Theories, and Dewey’s Conception of Growth as the Aim of Education

The rise of various conspiracy theories has left many Americans worried and wondering about the future of democracy. Education has been singled out as part of the solution. Linking Dewey’s concepti...
CYP1B1 converts procarcinogens into genotoxins in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

CYP1B1 activates many chemical carcinogens into potent genotoxins, and allelic variants are risk factors in lung, breast, and prostate cancer. However, genetic instability phenotypes incurred by CYP1B1-activated metabolites have been investigated for only few compounds. In this study, we expressed human CYP1B1 in yeast strains that measure DNA damage-associated toxicity and frequencies of chromosomal translocations and mutations. DNA damage-associated toxicity was measured in a rad4 rad51 strain, defective in both DNA excision and recombinational repair. Frequencies of chromosomal translocations were measured in diploid yeast strains containing two his3 fragments, and mutation frequencies were measured by selecting for canavanine resistance (CanR) in haploid strains. These strains were exposed to benzo[a]pyrene dihydrodiol (BaP-DHD), aflatoxin B1 (AFB1), and the heterocyclic aromatic amines, 2-amino-3,8-dimethylimidazo[4,5-f]quinoxaline (MeIQx) and 2-amino-3-methylimidazo(4,5-f)quinoline (IQ). We observed that AFB1, BaP-DHD, IQ, and MeIQx conferred toxicity in the DNA repair mutant expressing CYP1B1. Translocation frequencies increased eight-fold and three-fold after exposure to 50 μM AFB1 and 33 μM BaP-DHD respectively. Only a two-fold increase in mutation frequency was observed after exposure to 50 μM AFB1. However, a robust DNA damage response was observed after AFB1 exposure, as measured by the induction of the small subunit of ribonucleotide reductase, Rnr3. While CYP1B1-mediated activation of BaP-DHD and heterocyclic aromatic amines was expected, strong activation of AFB1 was not. These studies demonstrate that CYP1B1-mediated activation of carcinogens does not only activate compounds to become mutagens but also can convert compounds to become potent recombinagens.
Community/Public Health Nurses’ Awareness of Residential High-Rise Fire Safety issues

High-rise (HR) building fires remain a tragic cause of preventable injury and death in the United States. Recent incidences of HR building fires have served as high-profile reminders of the persist...
Varieties of Transparency

Transparent things allow viewers to see through them. In the extremes, transparency approaches invisibility. Faced with an even and clear piece of blue glass, Bertrand Russell (1914, 88) suggested that we must “infer” its presence in light of the discoloration it occasions. Dirtied, scratched, or otherwise marred surfaces are more typical, and it is easy to overlook what distinctive things transparencies are. First, they allow viewers to see more than one thing, at the same time, in the same part of the visual field, like the glass and, beyond it, the yard. One cannot point toward the yard without also pointing to the glass through which it is seen. Second, panes of glass and the like are ordinary objects in all tangible and audible respects, unlike the air that stands between viewer and viewed. They have enduring shapes, hardness, and so on. Third, it’s not just that transparencies allow such dual experiences, they require them. You cannot see something as transparent without being able to see what’s beyond it.
The Myotonic Dystrophies

The myotonic dystrophies (DM) are multisystem disorders affecting the skeletal muscle, heart, smooth muscle, skin, eyes, and the endocrine system. Two genetic mutations are known to cause DM (DM1 and DM2). DM2 provides an important second example of a multisystem disease and is generally less severe than DM1. This chapter discusses the clinical and laboratory findings of DM1 and DM2 and their subtypes including the pathophysiology, emerging genetic findings, and treatment.
The GSA Adaptable Workplace Laboratory

This paper is a progress report on the Adaptable Workplace Laboratory (AWL) within the Headquarters of the General Services Administration (GSA) of the United States of America. GSA owns, operates, leases and rents real estate for major U.S. Government agencies and departments, such as the Environmental Projection Agency, the Department of Energy, and the Department of Commerce. About 1.5 million office workers are housed nationwide in GSA owned, leased or rented buildings. Consequently, GSA is one of the world’s largest landlords.
Patient education for immunizations

Many physicians and parents consider immunizations routine; as a result, they fail to discuss this important aspect of health care. Parents should be educated about each vaccine and the role it plays in the well-being of their child. To ensure that parents will be able to give informed consent to have their child immunized, the physician should provide information on the nature, prevalence, and risks of the disease; the type of immunization product to be used; expected benefits; risk of side effects; and required follow-up. In addition, the concept of individual immunity as a contribution to community well-being should be discussed. Parents should be appraised of the importance of maintaining accurate immunization records. Verbal communication of this information at the time of vaccination can be reinforced by written documents. One way to verify that parents have understood the information is for the physician to question them at the next office visit.
Bending Modes, Damping, and the Sensation of Sting in Baseball Bats

The painful sensation of sting in the top hand of a player holding a baseball or Softball bat may be a deterrent to enjoying the game, especially for young players. Several mechanisms for reducing the vibration of bending modes have been implemented in youth baseball bats in order to reduce sting. One method of assessing the effectiveness of these mechanisms is to compare the damping rate they provide for the first two or three bending modes in a bat. Damping rates are compared for several wood, aluminum, composite, and two-piece construction baseball bats, in addition to several bats with special damping control mechanisms. Experimental evidence suggests that damping mechanisms which reduce the vibration of the second bending mode arc preferred by players. A novel dynamic absorber in the knob is shown to effectively reduce the vibration of the second bending mode and minimize the painful sting felt in the top hand.
Chapter 9 Ice Sheet Dynamics and Mass Balance

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the dynamics of ice sheet and mass balance. Ice-sheet mass balance is the difference between the mass input and the mass output. The total balance includes both the surface mass balance processes and the ice-flow components. Mass is added to the surface from snowfall, condensation, and occasional rainfall. Mass is removed by evaporation, surface and bottom melting, water runoff, and iceberg discharge. The chapter discusses the radar altimeter measurement of ice-sheet surface elevations. Several methods have been used to create the digital elevation models (DEMs) of ice sheet topography from satellite altimetry. All methods involve mapping the data onto evenly spaced grids and correcting for the slope error, either before or after the mapping. Full DEMs of Greenland and Antarctica have been produced using triangularization or gridding procedures. A three-step inversion technique has also been demonstrated in small regions by Remy et al: first a large-scale reference surface is estimated, the residuals are mapped related to the undulations, and finally iteratively corrected for the slope error.
Chapter 3 Experimental Properties of Pure He3 and Dilute Solutions of He3 in Superfluid He4 at Very Low Temperatures. Application to Dilution Refrigeration

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses principally the intrinsic limitations of dilution refrigeration and the use of dilution refrigerators below approximately 10 mK. Although most experiments reported here were made with He 3 containing He 4 impurities not in excess of a few parts per million, the phase separation effect no doubt further purifies the He 3 for the temperatures of interest in this chapter. This chapter discusses specific heat of pure He 3 and He 4 . The lower thermometer in the cell is calibrated by comparing it with the upper one under conditions of zero external heater power. The heat capacity of the upper part of the cell was large enough that only a small (calculable) fraction of the heater power was not used for producing a temperature drop across the conductivity tube. At high pressure the effect is sufficiently large that a meaningful experimental test should be possible. However, as the experiments which has been discussed in this section show that they correctly identified the transition observed as being related to the transition between hydrodynamical sound and “zero” sound in He 3 .
The Fundamental Questions

On the historical scale, analysis is a modern discipline with ancient roots. The machinery of analysis—the calculus—is a fusion of arithmetic with geometry that has been in existence for only a few hundred years, but the problem of achieving such a fusion is much older. The problem of combining arithmetic and geometry occurs in Euclid’s Elements, around 300 BCE, and indeed Euclid includes several of the ideas that we use to solve this problem today.
The 1954 and 1980 Algerian earthquakes: Implications for the characteristic-displacement model of fault behavior

Joint epicenter determination of earthquakes that occurred in northern Algeria near Ech Cheliff (named Orleansville in 1954 and El Asnam in 1980) shows that the earthquake of 9 September 1954 ( M = 6.5) occurred at nearly the same location as the earthquake of 10 October 1980 ( M = 7.3). The 1954 main shock and earliest aftershocks were concentrated close to the boundaries of segment B (nomenclature of Deschamps et al. , 1982; King and Yielding, 1984) of the 1980 fault system, which was to experience approximately 8 m of slip in the 1980 earthquake. Later aftershocks of the 1954 earthquake were spread over a broad area, notably in a region north of the 1980 fault system that also experienced many aftershocks to the 1980 earthquake. The closeness of the 1954 main shock and earliest aftershocks to the 1980 segment B implies that the 1954 earthquake involved either (1) rupture of segment B proper, or (2) rupture of a distinct fault in the hanging wall or footwall block of segment B. The first interpretation cannot be accommodated in the characteristic-displacement model of fault behavior but instead requires a model, such as the time-predictable model, which would permit slip in 1954 to have released only a fraction of the elastic strain that was stored on segment B and which would later be released in 1980. The second interpretation, specifically with rupture in the hanging-wall block of segment B, accounts more directly than the first interpretation for differences in the focal mechanisms and ground deformations associated with the two main shocks; this interpretation is therefore preferred. The second interpretation is consistent with a characteristic-displacement model of the 1980 fault system. No matter how it is modeled, the Algerian episode provides an example of an earthquake (1954) that was large enough to perhaps be judged the culminating event of the seismic cycle in a regionally important fault zone but that was followed instead by an even larger shock (1980). The space-time characteristics of the episode are unusual enough that they cannot represent the most likely mode of strain release on reverse-fault systems in general, but the episode should be viewed as one possible scenario for the evolution of seismicity on other such fault systems.
Evidence for the presence of a low molecular weight proteoglycan aggregation factor in rabbit ear cartilage.

Abstract Proteoglycans were extracted from rabbit ear cartlage with 0.15 M NaCl, and with 4 M guanidine · HCl. They were subjected to gel chromatography on Sepharose 2B and 6B either before or after centrifugation in CsCl density gradients. This was to remove a previously described proteoglycan aggregation factor named glycoprotein link (Sajdera, S. W. and Hascall, V. C. (1969) J. Biol. Chem. 244, 77–87 and Hascall, V. C. and Sajdera, W. S. (1969) J. Biol. Chem. 244, 2384–2396). Evidence for at least three aggregation states is presented. The presence of glycoprotein link and an additional aggregation factor (X) is required for the largest aggregates to be formed. In the absence of Factor X, which precipitates at low ionic strength, large aggregates cannot be formed even in the presence of glycoprotein link. In the absence of glycoprotein link, smaller species are formed which can be further dissociated into even smaller units if Factor X is removed. The smallest unit is the only species which can be found in the 0.15 M NaCl extract while in the 4 M quanidine · HCl extract it represents only a minor protion (about 10%) of the total prteoglyacan. Studies on radioactively labeled cartilage suggest that this smallest unit is more recently synthesized than the larger aggregates.
Random-phase-approximation analysis of NMR and neutron-scattering experiments on layered cuprates.

Using a random-phase-approximation expression to approximate the dynamic susceptibility \ensuremath{\chi}(q,\ensuremath{\omega}) of a 2D Hubbard model, we have calculated the spin-relaxation rates and the neutron-scattering intensity. Here, using recent static magnetic measurements to set parameters which enter the hyperfine form factors, we show that this simple form for \ensuremath{\chi}(q,\ensuremath{\omega}) exhibits the features of the spin fluctuations that are required to fit the NMR data, and explore its consequences for the temperature and energy dependence of the magnetic neutron scattering.
Local Government Autonomy and State Reliance on Special District Governments: A Reassessment

The notion that local government autonomy has important implications for a state’s local government structure is fast approaching conventional wisdom. Negative binomial regression is used to analyze the link between the administrative, fiscal, functional, and structural autonomy permitted to municipal and county governments and the number of special districts in each state over the 1992-2002 period. This pooled analysis reveals that this relationship to befar more limited than previously thought. This study challenges the findings of previous studies showing that limitations on local autonomy strongly encourage a splintering of local government authority due to the creation of numerous special districts. Tax and expenditure limitations (TELs) were the only restrictions that were consistently related to a greater reliance on special district governments, and only when both municipal and county governments were both strongly restricted. For the most part, state reliance on special district governments was u...
Comparison of theoretical methods for the determination of the Li+ Affinities of neutral and anionic first- and second-row bases

The structures of the Li+ complexes with the bases NH3, H2O, HF, PH3, H2S, HCl, and HCN and with the corresponding deprotonated anions have been optimized using second-order Moller–Plesset perturbation theory with the 6-31+G(d,p) basis set. Single-point calculations on all species were performed using the 6-31+G(2d,2p) basis set using the following correlation methods: many-body (Moller–Plesset) perturbation theory at second (MP2), third (MP3), and fourth (MP4) order; the linearized coupled-cluster method (LCCM); the averaged coupled pair functional (ACPF); configuration interaction with all single and double excitations (CISD); and CISD with the Davidson and Pople corrections. The computed lithium ion affinities of the neutral bases vary between 15 and 40 kcal/mol, while the values for the anionic bases are between 145 and 190 kcal/mol. The effect of correlation on the lithium ion affinities varies between about –5 and +2 kcal/mol. For each neutral base, the lithium ion affinities computed with the various correlated methods agree with each other to between 0.1 and 1 kcal/mol. For the anions, the various correlated methods agree with each other to between 0.5 and 3 kcal/mol. Agreement with the available experimental data is within the estimated uncertainties in the latter. Structural differences between corresponding first- and second-row complexes reflect differences in the strength of the electrostatic interaction due to differences in the charge distribution.
Refinements to the Neher-McGrath model for calculating the ampacity of underground cables

The Neher-McGrath method has been widely accepted as an accurate and relatively simple way to calculate the ampacity of underground cables. It is based on a number of assumptions that simplify the mathematics, but at the same time limit the accuracy and scope of the model. Furthermore, the model relies upon correlations that are now dated, because more up-to-date and accurate heat transfer correlations are now available. This paper examines improvements to the Neher-McGrath model in three different areas: a more accurate expression for the mutual heating parameter that accounts for unequal heating among the cables; improved correlations for the thermal resistance of a fluid layer that exists in pipe-type cables and cables installed in ducts; and a more accurate model for the thermal resistance of concrete duct banks with nonsquare cross-sections. Example installations are then considered to illustrate how the incorporation of these changes will affect the ampacity of the installation. The refinements suggested result in a more complex mathematical algorithm and require more computational time, but the changes can result in significantly different ampacity values than the ones provided by the Neher-McGrath model.
Influence of Diabetes on Group B Streptococcus Colonization in the Pregnant Patient

To compare the incidence of group B Streptococcus colonization in diabetic (n = 98) and nondiabetic (n = 10) patients, 199 pregnant women were cultured at the vaginal introitus using a standardised technique. Eight diabetic patients had positive findings for group B Streptococcus cultures, and three nondiabetic patients had positive cultures. No significant difference (P = .109) was found in the group B Streptococcus colonization rates between these two groups of patients. In addition, no significant difference was found in the group B Streptococcal colonization rates between gestational and pregestational diabetics (P = .498). A within-group comparison of diabetic patients revealed that ethnicity (Hispanics versus nonhispanics) did generate a significant difference in the rate of colonization (P = .033). The results of the present study suggest that there is no substantial evidence to consider diabetes mellitus as a higher risk criterion for group B Streptococcus screening. However, population differences and ethnicity should be noted as important contributing factors when considering the implementation of group B Streptococcus screening protocols for pregnant women.
Determination of orotic acid in aqueous solutions by micellar electrokinetic capillary chromatography using sensitized lanthanide-ion luminescence detection

A sensitive and selective laser-induced luminescence detection scheme for orotic acid in urine, separated by micellar electrokinetic capillary chromatography (MEKC) has been developed. The 325 nm line from a helium cadmium laser is used to excite orotic acid, which transfers its energy to terbium. Resultant luminescence of terbium is linear with orotic acid concentration over more than 2.5 orders of magnitude. This novel and practical system enables the detection of 50 nm orotic acid in urine in less than 1.5 minutes while using only nanoliters of sample. The significant decrease in analysis time over traditional methods (spectrophotometric and chromatographic) comes from the high efficiency of MEKC. A dramatic improvement in sensitivity and selectivity over UV detection in capillary electrophoresis is achieved through the use of laser-induced lanthanide ion energy transfer luminescence detection. Finally, no sample pretreatment is needed and the method is free from any known interferences in urine.
Pre- and postsynaptic actions of a partial D2 receptor agonist in reserpinized young rats: Longevity of agonistic effects

Partial D2 receptor agonists (e.g., terguride, preclamol, and aripiprazole) have antagonist-like effects at normosensitive D2 postsynaptic receptors and synthesis modulating autoreceptors. In reserpine-pretreated adult and young rats, however, partial D2 agonists function like high efficacy agonists at D2 postsynaptic receptors and autoreceptors (i.e., terguride increases locomotor activity and decreases dopamine synthesis). The purpose of the present study was to examine the time-course of these pharmacological effects. In all experiments, preweanling rats were given daily injections of reserpine (1 mg/kg, i.p.) or vehicle on postnatal day (PD) 16-PD 20. In the dopamine synthesis experiments, the ability of terguride (0.8 mg/kg) to reduce striatal DOPA accumulation (in NSD-1015 treated rats) was assessed either 5 h or 1, 2, 4, or 8 days (Experiment 1) or 4, 8, 12, 16, 20, or 24 days (Experiment 2) after reserpine pretreatment. In the behavioral experiments, locomotor activity of vehicle or terguride (0.8 mg/kg, i.p.) treated rats was assessed 5 h or 1, 2, 4, or 8 days after the 5-day reserpine regimen. Results from the dopamine synthesis experiments showed that terguride caused agonist-like effects (i.e., decreased DOPA accumulation) at only the 5 h and 1 day time points, although terguride did not induce its normal antagonist-like effects even 20 days after reserpine pretreatment. In the behavioral experiments, terguride stimulated locomotor activity for only the initial 2 days after reserpine pretreatment. The results of the present study show that the agonistic effects of terguride at pre- and postsynaptic receptors are short-lived, but terguride may not exhibit normal antagonistic effects, at least at synthesis modulating autoreceptors, until long after conclusion of reserpine pretreatment.