cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The standardization of monaural phase

This paper redefines and examines the problem of monaural phase distortion in audio systems. Both technical and psychoacoustical aspects of the problem are considered. The redefinition of phase distortion is based upon adopting the acoustical signal at the input of the system as the standard reference. The sources of phase distortion in audio systems are examined with reference to this standard. A review of early and recent psychoacoustic experiments concludes that monaural phase effects can significantly affect the quality of a perceived sound. A signal detection model is used to determine a conservative equivalency between frequency dependent phase distortion and amplitude distortion. It is suggested that a system which maintains a 3 dB tolerance in frequency response should also maintain a 17° tolerance in phase shift. A recent experiment is shown to confirm the conclusion drawn from this model. Absolute phase (polarity error) is evaluated with reference to amplitude distortion in light of recent experiments. It is concluded that at high sound pressure levels absolute phase error is more detectable than 11.5 percent intermodulation distortion. A set of standards for various types of audio equipment is defined, which if implemented would eliminate absolute phase error in audio systems. Finally, the importance of these findings with reference to realism of reproduced sound is commented upon.
Frac Sand Mining in Wisconsin: Understanding Emerging Conflicts and Community Organizing

Over the past few years industrial sand mining has expanded rapidly in western Wisconsin, driven largely by the use of sand in hydraulic fracturing, itself a controversial technology widely deployed in natural gas and oil drilling throughout the United States. A unique geological history combined with existing railroad networks has positioned Wisconsin as a major supplier of “frac sand” and thus a key link in a wider hydrocarbon commodity chain. The unprecedented growth of frac sand mining, however, has raised new social and environmental concerns, becoming the target of grassroots organizing. This article reports on ongoing ethnographic research focused on frac sand conflicts, providing an overview of the main areas of contention, the trajectory of community organizing, and the response of the mining industry.
PCB EMI simulation

Electrical Magnetic Interference (EMI) regulations must be addressed in system products. Testing for EMI in the lab after the system is in production could be too late. This paper presents a viable solution for EMI prediction and improving future systems, using simulation tools. Presented results were accomplished by using a variety of simulation tools; field extraction solvers and time simulation software. The simulation results and conclusion regarding EMI improvement are to be implemented in the system that will be manufactured and tested in the lab. All simulations were performed using ANSYS commercial software in the frequency and time domain.
Jane Lathrop Loring Gray (1821–1909) and the Archives of the Gray Herbarium

“…The news is just this, I am engaged to be married to a lady who I think is every way calculated to make me happy... I have not yet told you her name. It is Jane Loring. Her age I suppose to be 25 or 26, though this of course I do not know directly. I suppose she would not be called handsome, but she has a face beaming with good temper and full of intelligence. She is the perfect admiration of all her friends for her lovely and excellent qualities. She is I believe a truly pious girl, and is indeed a person in whom I have the utmost confidence and trust. She moves in the best, though seldom the most brilliant circles of Boston. Possesses all the usual accomplishments of persons in her station, but is most remarkable for a well-cultivated mind, and for her excellent practical powers.”2
Registration of the rod is not critical for the phosphorylation-dependent regulation of smooth muscle myosin.

A recent report has suggested that the interaction between the head and the rod region of smooth muscle myosin at S2 is important for the phosphorylation-mediated regulation of myosin motor activity [Trybus, K. M., Freyzon, Y., Faust, L. Z., and Sweeney, H. L. (1997) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 74, 48-52]. To investigate whether specific amino acid residues at S2 or whether the registration of the 7-residue/28-residue repeat appearing in the alpha-helical coiled-coil structure of the rod are critical for such an interaction, two smooth muscle myosin mutants were constructed in which the N-terminal sequences of S2 were deleted to various extents. One mutant contained a deletion of 71 residues at the position immediately C-terminal to the invariant proline (Pro849) linking the S1 domain directly to the downstream sequence of the rod, while in another mutant, 53 residues were deleted at a position 56 residues downstream of Pro849. Despite these alterations which change the registration of both the 28-residue repeat and the 7-residue repeat found in myosin rod sequence, both myosin mutants showed a stable double-headed structure by electron microscopic observation. Both the actin-activated ATPase activity and the actin translocating activity of the mutants were completely regulated by the phosphorylation of the regulatory light chain. The actin sliding velocity of the two mutant myosins was the same as the wild-type recombinant myosin. Furthermore, the head configuration critical for myosin filament formation (extended or folded) was unchanged in either mutant. These results indicate that neither the specific amino acid residues nor the registration of the amino acid repeat in S2 is critical for the head configuration. These results indicate that neither a specific amino acid sequence at the head-rod junction nor the rod sequence registration is critical for the regulation of smooth muscle myosin.
Algorithmic randomness, reverse mathematics, and the dominated convergence theorem

Abstract We analyze the pointwise convergence of a sequence of computable elements of L 1 ( 2 ω ) in terms of algorithmic randomness. We consider two ways of expressing the dominated convergence theorem and show that, over the base theory R C A 0 , each is equivalent to the assertion that every G δ subset of Cantor space with positive measure has an element. This last statement is, in turn, equivalent to weak weak Konigʼs lemma relativized to the Turing jump of any set. It is also equivalent to the conjunction of the statement asserting the existence of a 2-random relative to any given set and the principle of Σ 2 collection.
Regulated Norepinephrine Transporter Interaction with the Neurokinin-1 Receptor Establishes Transporter Subcellular Localization

Background: Neurokinin-1 receptor (NK1R) activation down-regulates norepinephrine transporter (NET). Results: NET, NK1R, and protein kinase Cα exist in a physical complex and membrane microdomain-specific NET/NK1R/PKCα interaction is coupled to NK1R activation. Conclusion: NET subcellular localization and regulation requires assembly of a much larger macromolecular complex. Significance: How receptor/transporter interaction determines NET subcellular localization is crucial for transport regulation by neurokinin-1. Neurokinin-1 receptor (NK1R) mediates down-regulation of human norepinephrine (NE) transporter (hNET) via protein kinase C (PKC). However, native NET regulation by NK1R and the mechanism by which NK1R targets NET among other potential effectors are unknown. Effect of NK1R activation on native NET regulation and NET/NK1R interaction were studied using rat brain synaptosomes expressing native NET and NK1R as well as human placental trophoblast (HTR) cells coexpressing WT-hNET or NK1R/PKC-resistant hNET-T258A,S259A double mutant (NET-DM) and hNK1R. The selective NK1R agonist, GR73632, and Substance-P (SP) inhibited NE transport and reduced plasma membrane expression of NET and NK1R. Pretreatment with the NK1R antagonist, EMEND (aprepitant) prevented these NK1R-mediated effects. Immunoprecipitation experiments showed that NET forms stable complexes with NK1R. In HTR cells, combined biotinylation and immunoprecipitation studies revealed plasma membrane localization of NET·NK1R complexes. Receptor activation resulted in the internalization of NET·NK1R complexes. Lipid raft and immunoprecipitation analyses revealed the presence of NET·NK1R complexes exclusively in non-raft membrane fractions under basal/unstimulated conditions. However, NK1R activation led to translocation of NET·NK1R complexes to raft-rich membrane fractions. Importantly, PKCα was found in association with raft-localized NET following SP treatment. Similar to WT-NET, PKC-resistant NET-DM was found in association with NK1R exclusively in non-raft fractions. However, SP treatment failed to translocate NET-DM·NK1R complexes from non-raft fractions to raft fractions. Collectively, these results suggest that NK1R forms physical complexes with NET and that the receptor-mediated Thr258 + Ser259 motif-dependent translocation of NET·NK1R complexes into raft-rich microdomains facilitates NET/NK1R interaction with PKCα to coordinate spatially restricted NET regulation.
Defining and accomplishing clinically related objectives in an eight‐hour oncology course for first‐year medical students

Designing a clinically relevant cancer curriculum for freshmen attending medical schools with a traditional curriculum poses the following challenges: (1) there is limited curriculum time; (2) the subject matter is complex. The authors defined some of the responsibilities of the general physician in regard to cancer and six related objectives that first-year students could accomplish in an eight-hour multidisciplinary oncology course. A case-based, modified essay examination required students to demonstrate that they could begin to integrate principles of prevention, screening, diagnosis and staging, and treatment modalities. Ninety percent of the students accomplished the objectives. However, in working up the cancer case, 70% of the students did not mention the physical examination and 53% forgot multidisciplinary consultation. In a curriculum with limited objectives, first-year students can begin to deal efficiently with the complexities of cancer. Evaluation data revealed those objectives and related physician responsibilities requiring reinforcement in subsequent training.
Controls over nitric oxide and ammonia emissions from Mojave Desert soils

Emissions of reactive N compounds produced during terrestrial N cycling can be an important N loss pathway from ecosystems. Most measurements of this process focus on NO and N2O efflux; however, in alkaline soils such as those in the Mojave Desert, NH3 production can be an important component of N gas loss. We investigated patterns of NO and NH3 emissions in the Mojave Desert and identified seasonal changes in temperature, precipitation and spatial heterogeneity in soil nutrients as primary controllers of soil efflux. Across all seasons, NH3 dominated reactive N gas emissions with fluxes ranging from 0.9 to 10 ng N m−2 s−1 as compared to NO fluxes of 0.08–1.9 ng N m−2 s−1. Fluxes were higher in April and July than in October; however, a fall precipitation event yielded large increases in both NO and NH3 efflux. To explore the mechanisms driving field observations, we combined NO and NH3 soil flux measurements with laboratory manipulations of temperature, water and nutrient conditions. These experiments showed a large transient NH3 pulse (~70–100 ng N m−2 s−1) following water addition, presumably driven by an increase in soil NH4 + concentrations. This was followed by an increase in NO production, with maximum NO flux rates of 34 ng N m−2 s−1. Our study suggests that immediately following water addition NH3 volatilization proceeds at high rates due to the absence of microbial competition for NH4 +; during this period N gas loss is insensitive to changes in temperature and soil nutrients. Subsequently, NO emission increases and rates of both NO and NH3 emission are sensitive to temperature and nutrient constraints on microbial activity. Addition of labile C reduces gaseous N losses, presumably by increasing microbial immobilization, whereas addition of NO3 − stimulates NO and NH3 efflux.
A unified approach to the analysis of bilinear algorithms

Abstract A unified approach to the analysis of bilinear algorithms is outlined with the class of algorithms for matrix multiplication as the main example. Some comments are given about possible applications to the convolution of vectors and the Direct Sum problem. A new proof that at least seven multiplications are needed in the 2 × 2 case is given as an illustration of the general approach.
Converging difficult SCF cases with conjugate gradient density matrix search

The possibility of converging difficult self constent field (SCF) cases with the conjugate gradient density matrix search (CGDMS) method is investigated. Density functional theory calculations using various functionals and basis sets were performed on CrC, Cr2, UO2(OH)4 and UF4 which we deem representative of molecules which have SCF convergence problems. From calculations on these molecules we found that CGDMS has better SCF convergence properties than diagonalization alone, while it is comparable with diagonalization in combination with an adequately chosen level shift.
Quantified duplex augmentation in healthy subjects and patients with venous disease: San Diego population study.

Objective: This study was undertaken to determine the quantitative augmentation response in several veins examined in a cohort assembled to permit comparisons by sex, age, and ethnicity, under normal conditions and in the presence of obstruction, with and without trophic changes. Method: The common femoral vein, superficial femoral vein, sapheno-femoral junction, popliteal vein, sapheno-popliteal junction, and posterior tibial vein were studied with duplex ultrasonographic scanning. Augmentation response was elicited with use of an automated cuff inflator. Mean level of each response was analyzed according to patient sex, age, and ethnicity, each adjusted for the other two. Normal values were compared with those obtained from legs with venous obstructive disease, with or without signs of trophic changes. Results: Decreased augmentation response was noted only in the sapheno-femoral junction and sapheno-popliteal junction, and was smaller in women. Augmentation response was slightly increased in the oldest age group (>70 years) in the common femoral vein, superficial femoral vein, popliteal vein, and posterior tibial vein. The highest augmentation response was found in Asian subjects, in the common and superficial femoral veins and the sapheno-femoral and sapheno-popliteal junctions; and the smallest augmentation response was found in African American subjects, in these same veins and junctions. Differences in vein diameters may explain these findings, ie, smaller diameters in Asians and larger diameters in African Americans. Most important, compared with normal values, augmentation response was decreased in legs with venous obstructive disease only when trophic changes were present. Conclusion: Like quantification of reflux, quantitative evaluation of the augmentation response may help in diagnosis of venous obstructive disease when trophic changes are present. (J Vasc Surg 2003;37:1054-8.)
Another View of the CLT in Banach Spaces

Let B denote a separable Banach space with norm ‖⋅‖, and let μ be a probability measure on B for which linear functionals have mean zero and finite variance. Then there is a Hilbert space Hμ determined by the covariance of μ such that Hμ⊆B. Furthermore, for all e>0 and x in the B-norm closure of Hμ, there is a unique point, Te(x), with minimum Hμ-norm in the B-norm ball of radius e>0 and center x. If X is a random variable in B with law μ, then in a variety of settings we obtain the central limit theorem (CLT) for Te(X) and certain modifications of such a quantity, even when X itself fails the CLT. The motivation for the use of the mapping Te(⋅) comes from the large deviation rates for the Gaussian measure γ determined by the covariance of X whenever γ exists. However, this is only motivation, and our results apply even when this Gaussian law fails to exist.
Nuclear medicine studies of aging--IX. Resting left ventricular ejection fraction-diastolic area relationship in the "oldest old".

Abstract We retrospectively investigated the relationship between left ventricular ejection fraction (EF) and end diastolic cross sectional area (DCS), by means of gated cardiac blood pool studies, in 62 individuals (68 studies) who were of age 85 y or older. In these “oldest old”, a plot of log ejection fraction as a function of log cross sectional area revealed good correlation (r = 0.66). The graph demonstrated the increase in heart size with a falling ejection fraction. Of the “oldest old”, 38% had EF values at or above 55%. By comparison, in a group of 100 patients of ages 55–75 y, 32% had EF values of or above 55%. In the “oldest old” 13 68 (19%) had “hyperdynamic” EF values over 65%; in the 55–75 y old group, this value was 16%. The log-log plot was divided into four quadrants by two lines (one at a DCS of 26 cm2 and the other at EF of 55%). Possible prognostic significance of each of these four categories will have to be determined by following the patients and sorting out the contributions of such factors as hypertension, coronary artery disease and medications.
Environmental Review: Persistent, Bioaccumulative, and Toxic Chemicals in the US-Mexico Borderlands: A Regional Assessment of the Situation

Persistent, bioaccumulative, and toxic materials are a special group of chemicals and heavy metals that are both synthetic and natural in origin. As pesticides, industrial wastes, and mining by pro...
Microcomputers in social psychophysiological research: An overview

Microcomputer systems have become commonplace in the psychophysiological laboratory during the past 5 years and are currently used in all phases of data acquisition, experimental control, and data analysis. In the past year, however, advances in microprocessor technology and scientific software have greatly extended the capabilities of these desk-top systems. Small laboratories now can afford an integrated laboratory microcomputer system and both the high-fidelity data acquisition hardware and the sophisticated analysis capabilities traditionally found in large minicomputers. We briefly describe the demands that social psychophysiological research can place on computer systems, the system presently employed in our laboratory, and a system being installed to overcome limitations on sampling rate, sampling periods, and waveform analysis.
Municipal vehicle taxation

Cities in eleven states are experimenting with a wheel–tax to help pay the mounting costs of government.
An Efficient Implementation of Batcher's Odd-Even Merge Algorithm and Its Application in Parallel Sorting Schemes

An algorithm is presented to merge two subfiles of size n/2 each, stored in the left and the right halves of a linearly connected processor array, in 3n/2 route steps and log n compare-exchange steps. This algorithm is extended to merge two horizontally adjacent subfiles of size m × n/2 each, stored in an m × n mesh-connected processor array in row-major order, in m + 2n route steps and log mn compare-exchange steps. These algorithms are faster than their counterparts proposed so far.
Epithelial and Mesenchymal Contribution to the Niche: A Safeguard for Intestinal Stem Cell Homeostasis

The intestinal stem cell (ISC) niche is a highly complex microenvironment that supports stem cell maintenance and precisely orchestrates the balance between proliferation and differentiation. Here, multiple signaling molecules emanating from both the underlying mesenchyme and crypt-based epithelial cells cooperate to govern stem cell homeostasis (Figure 1). Understanding the cellular and molecular constituents of the niche is of critical importance to harness stem cells for tissue regeneration and to elucidate disease mechanisms. The conserved Wnt, Notch and epidermal growth factor (EGF) signaling pathways are identified regulators of stem cell behavior, however resolution of the cellular players and the impact of signaling molecules on different progenitor populations residing within the niche remain poorly understood. In this issue of Gastroenterology, a group led by Hans Clevers (Farin et al.)[1] specifically address the niche requirement of Paneth cell (PC)-derived Wnt3 in mediating intestinal homeostasis. Analysis of Wnt3-null epithelia in both in vivo, and in vitro cultures resulted in no apparent effect within the intact small intestine, but lack of growth in the culture system. While PCs have been defined to express Wnt6 and 9b in vivo, PCs did not express adequate levels to rescue the phenotype in vitro; instead, addition of the mesenchymally-expressed Wnt2b ligand supported enteroid growth. These findings highlight the robust compensatory signaling support provided by the underlying mesenchymal niche cells despite loss of an epithelial Wnt source. Figure 1 Comparison of in vivo (left) and in vitro (right) signaling support to the intestinal stem cell. Signaling networks between the Paneth cell and stem cell appear to be broadly conserved. However, disruption on one element of a single pathway highlights ...
Association of the serotonin transporter gene with serum cholesterol levels and heart disease.

Abstract In a study of a group of elderly athletes we observed an unexpected association between serum cholesterol levels and the HTTLPR insertion/deletion polymorphism of the promoter region of the serotonin transporter gene ( HTT, SLC6A4 ). As a follow-up we examined the potential association of this polymorphism with cholesterol and triglyceride levels, or heart disease, in two other groups of subjects. We examined the possible association between cholesterol levels and heart disease and genotypes of the HTTLPR insertion/deletion polymorphism of the promoter region of the HTT gene, in three independent study populations ranging from 42 to 90 years of age. For subjects 55 to 70 years of age in Group 1, cholesterol levels were significantly greater in the LS heterozygotes than either LL or SS homozygotes, indicating a heterosis effect ( P ≤ 0.0001). This was replicated in Group 2 ( P ≤ 0.015). Triglyceride levels were also significantly elevated in the LS subjects ( P ≤ 0.001). In Groups 1 and 3 there was a significant association between LS heterozygosity and heart disease, angina, and heart attacks in subjects 70 years of age or less. All of these associations were absent in subjects >70 years of age. While these studies are preliminary and exploratory, they are consistent with a relationship of the HTT gene in cholesterol levels and a risk for heart disease. Replication of these findings in independent, epidemiologically based studies is required.
An acoustic echo canceler

The authors describe an experimental 1000-tap, single-chip, programmable acoustic echo canceler designed in a 3- mu m, double-metal, p-well, CMOS technology. Hardware minimization is considered from both the system and the architecture perspective. To implement more simply an echo-canceler chip with 1000 taps, floating-point representations for both data and coefficients are used to accommodate the wide dynamic range of the speech signal (6 mantissa bits for the data, 14 mantissa bits for the coefficients, and 3 exponent bits for each). Required memory is reduced from 34 kb to 26 kb. The data paths for adaptation and convolution are designed with emphasis on regularity and modularity. The echo return loss and the convergence performance of a prototype operating at 1000 taps are shown. >
White Collars with Chinese Characteristics: Global Capitalism and the Formation of a Social Identity

China's economic reform and the increasing presence of foreign direct investment has resulted in the creation of a new occupational segment of white collar business professionals employed by foreign-invested multinational corporations. This article explores the emergence of this occupational segment in historical context and then further addresses the social prestige and meaning assigned to white-collar professionals in contemporary China. Through the lens of different aspects of identity—namely gender, citizenship, race, and ethnicity—the author explores the formation of this social identity on local, national, and global scales. Ultimately, the author argues that the process of identity formation in the case of white-collar workers in China involves the intertwining of multiple and contrasting ideologies.
The Preliminary Development of the Scale for Effective Communication in Team Sports (SECTS)

Within sport psychology, a vague concept of effective team communication has been broached. Because of a lack of theoretical basis and skewed measurement, this construct is presently misunderstood and underutilized. A total of 681 athletes participated in a series of studies designed to construct a measurement of effective team communication in sports. Independent exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and subsequent confirmatory factor aalysis (CFA) uncovered a 4-factor model. The 4 emergent factors were defined as Distinctiveness, Acceptance, Positive Conflict, and Negative Conflict. Acceptance, distinctiveness, and positive conflict were consistently positively correlated to all aspects of cohesion, while negative conflict was negatively correlated to task cohesion. Post hoc analyses suggested that male athletes exchanged more distinctiveness and negative conflict than did female athletes. The resultant scale is offered as a theory-based, data-driven measurement of effective team communication in sports.
Computer-based prevention of intimate partner violence in marriage.

Abstract Objective Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a common, costly societal problem. Interventions designed to reduce IPV recidivism have had limited success but primary prevention efforts are likely to be more effective in reducing the occurrence of IPV. The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of a computer-based preventive intervention (ePREP) on IPV in a sample of married, community couples. Method We employed a randomized clinical trial design comparing ePREP to an active placebo control group. Using a community sample of 52 married couples (21% Black, 3% Asian, 65% White, 7% Latino, 4% Mixed/biracial) who had been married, on average, 4.3 years, we examined the impact ePREP on IPV as measured by self and partner reports of the Revised Conflict Tactics Scale. We assessed couples at baseline, six-weeks post-baseline, and one-year post-baseline. We used the Actor Partner Interdependence Model with treatment effects to analyze the obtained dyadic data. Results We found that ePREP reduced physical and psychological aggression among married couples (on average across informants, a 90% reduction in expected counts of physical aggression, and a 0.18 standard deviation reduction in psychological aggression) and that these gains were maintained at a 1-year follow-up assessment. Conclusions Interventions that can be delivered widely and at a low-cost will increase the likelihood of reaching those who will benefit most from receiving them. Implications for implementing flexible interventions and changing our approach to treatment delivery are discussed.
Cardiovascular disease and cognitive function in maintenance hemodialysis patients.

Background Cardiovascular disease (CVD) and cognitive impairment are common in dialysis patients. Given the proposed role of microvascular disease on cognitive function, particularly cognitive domains that incorporate executive functions, we hypothesized that prevalent systemic CVD would be associated with worse cognitive performance in hemodialysis patients. Design Cross-sectional cohort. Setting & Participants 200 maintenance hemodialysis patients without prior stroke from 5 Boston-area hemodialysis units. Predictor CVD, defined as history of coronary disease or peripheral vascular disease. Outcome Performance on a detailed neurocognitive battery. Primary analyses quantified cognitive performance using principal components analysis to reduce cognitive tests to a processing speed/executive function domain and a memory domain. Multivariable linear regression models adjusted for age, sex, education, race, and other clinical and demographic characteristics. Results Mean age of participants was 62 ± 18 (standard deviation) years and 75 (38%) had CVD. Individuals with CVD were older and more likely to be men, have diabetes, and be current or former smokers. In adjusted models, individuals with CVD performed 0.50 standard deviation worse ( P Limitations CVD ascertainment dependent on patient recall and dialysis unit documentation. No brain imaging. Conclusions The presence of CVD is associated with worse cognitive performance on tests of processing speed and executive functioning in hemodialysis patients and identifies a high-risk population for greater difficulty with complex tasks.
A Cross-National Examination of the Relationship between Gender Equality and Official Rape Rates

Researchers often base their studies of the relationship between gender equality and rape on the claims of feminists. But feminists propose both a negative and positive relationship between these variables. This article summarizes theoretical differences between groups of feminists and uses gender equality indicators especially consistent with liberal feminists’ goals to examine the relationship in question with cross-national data. A positive relationship was found, not a negative one as the limited equality goals of liberal feminists lead one to expect. Also, similar to several previous studies, homicide and rape rates are positively associated as suggested by the subculture of violence thesis.
Douglas on values: From indirect roles to multiple goals

In recent papers and a book, Heather Douglas has expanded on the well-known argument from inductive risk, thereby launching an influential contemporary critique of the value-free ideal for science. This paper distills Douglas’s critique into four major claims. The first three claims provide a significant challenge to the value-free ideal for science. However, the fourth claim, which delineates her positive proposal to regulate values in science by distinguishing direct and indirect roles for values, is ambiguous between two interpretations, and both have weaknesses. Fortunately, two elements of Douglas’s work that have previously received much less emphasis (namely, her comments about the goals of scientific activity and the ethics of communicating about values) provide resources for developing a more promising approach for regulating values in science.
A cross-sectional assessment of the prevalence of multiple chronic conditions and medication use in a sample of community-dwelling adults with fibromyalgia in Olmsted County, Minnesota

Objectives The objective of this study was to evaluate the problem of multiple chronic conditions and polypharmacy in patients with fibromyalgia. Design Retrospective medical record review. Setting Olmsted County, Minnesota. Participants 1111 adults with fibromyalgia. Primary and secondary outcome measures Number and type of chronic medical and psychiatric conditions, medication use. Results Medical record review demonstrated that greater than 50% of the sample had seven or more chronic conditions. Chronic joint pain/degenerative arthritis was the most frequent comorbidity (88.7%), followed by depression (75.1%), migraines/chronic headaches (62.4%) and anxiety (56.5%). Approximately, 40% of patients were taking three or more medications for symptoms of fibromyalgia. Sleep aids were the most commonly prescribed medications in our sample (33.3%) followed by selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (28.7%), opioids (22.4%) and serotonin norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (21.0%). Conclusions The results of our study highlight the problem of multiple chronic conditions and high prevalence of polypharmacy in fibromyalgia. Clinicians who care for patients with fibromyalgia should take into consideration the presence of multiple chronic conditions when recommending medications.
Prejudice, tolerance, and attitudes toward ethnic groups☆

This paper presents a conceptual and empirical examination of the term “prejudice.” Beginning with a discussion of the cognitive, affective, and conative dimensions of an inter-ethnic attitude, it is argued that the conceptual distinctions among the three attitudinal components are sufficient to question the utility of the blanket description “prejudiced.” This is followed by an exploratory analysis of data on the affective and conative dimensions of attitude toward blacks from a national public opinion survey. Scales tapping affective feelings and two different types of action orientation toward blacks are successfully isolated. Relationships among the scales are moderate and are influenced by variables tapping regional norms and attitudinal intensity. The paper concludes with a brief discussion of the term “tolerance” as it has developed in political sociology (that is, as a specific attitude structure whereby competing groups maintain a positive action orientation toward one another in spite of openly conflicting values or interests) and suggests the application of this concept to the study of inter-ethnic attitudes. Empirical analysis of the structure of inter-ethnic attitudes, including “tolerant” attitude structures, would facilitate an integration of the theoretical and policy concerns of the ethnic attitudes literature with those of political sociology. The self-evident and pressing social issue posed by negative attitudes toward ethnic groups (and especially toward blacks) in the United States has been the subject of considerable research, and the terms “prejudice” and “tolerance” have occupied an important place in sociology. However, while these terms have been used frequently in empirical studies of inter-ethnic attitudes, the exact empirical referent for each of them often varies across studies. To add further confusion, the term “tolerant” has often been used in a general way in the literature on inter-ethnic attitudes to describe someone who is “not prejudiced” (see, e.g., Allport, 1958, pp. 398-401; Bettelheim and Janowitz, 1965, p. 686; Frenkel-Brunswik
Influence of near-surface stratigraphy on coastal landslides at Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, Lake Michigan, USA

BARNHARDT, W.A.; JAFFE, B.E.; KAYEN, R.E., and COCHRANE, G.R., 2004. Influence of near-surface stratigraphy on coastal landslides at Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, Lake Michigan, USA. Journal of Coastal Research, 20(2), 510‐522. West Palm Beach (Florida), ISSN 0749-0208. Lake-level change and landslides are primary controls on the development of coastal environments along the coast of northeastern Lake Michigan. The late Quaternary geology of Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore was examined with high-resolution seismic reflection profiles, ground-penetrating radar (GPR), and boreholes. Based on sequencestratigraphic principles, this study recognizes ten stratigraphic units and three major unconformities that were formed by late Pleistocene glaciation and postglacial lake-level changes. Locally high sediment supply, and reworking by two regressions and a transgression have produced a complex stratigraphy that is prone to episodic failure. In 1995, a large landslide deposited approximately 1 million m3 of sediment on the lake floor. The highly deformed landslide deposits, up to 18 m thick, extend 3‐4 km offshore and unconformably overlie well-stratified glacial and lacustrine sediment. The landslide-prone bluff is underlain by channel-fill deposits that are oriented nearly perpendicular to the shoreline. The paleochannels are at least 10 m deep and 400 m wide and probably represent stream incision during a lake-level lowstand about 10.3 ka B.P. The channels filled with sediment during the subsequent transgression and lake-level highstand, which climaxed about 4.5 ka B.P. As lake level fell from the highstand, the formation of beach ridges and sand dunes sealed off the channel and isolated a small inland lake (Glen Lake), which lies 5 m above the level of Lake Michigan and may be a source of piped groundwater. Our hypothesis is that the paleochannels act as conduits for pore water flow, and thereby locally reduce soil strength and promote slope failure.
Spatial Distribution of Toxic Release Inventory Sites in Chicago Area: Is There Environmental Inequity?

The purpose of this study is to determine if “environmental inequity” can be associated with the spatial distribution of Toxic Release Inventory (TRI) facilities in the Chicago area. The chapter examines whether neighborhoods with minority concentrations or lower-income residents experience disproportionate exposure to facilities that release toxic emissions into the environment. Demographic information is extracted from 2000 Census data, and facility data are based on the 2004 Environmental Protection Agency’s Toxic Release Inventory. Geographic Information Systems (GIS) is used to create “buffers” of various spatial extent around the facilities. Statistical analysis (including t-tests and regressions) is conducted to examine whether areas within the buffers are significantly more likely to consist of minority and low-income residents and households than areas outside the buffers. Results indicate that at both the census tract and block group levels, Hispanic and non-white classes as well as low-income residents are more likely to be located within the buffers. Therefore, this study corroborates earlier research findings that minority and low-income groups are disproportionately exposed to environmental hazards.
Sasakian and Cosymplectic Manifolds

In this chapter we define the normality of an almost contact structure and the notion of a Sasakian manifold as a normal contact metric manifold. We also introduce another important structure tensor, h, which will be useful in the study of non-Sasakian contact metric manifolds. As an additional topic, cosymplectic manifolds will be discussed in some detail. We also give several examples and additional commentary.
Organizational learning curves: persistence, transfer and turnover

The paper provides an overview of recent developments in the area of organizational learning curves. The paper discusses whether knowledge acquired through learning by doing is cumulative, as the classic learning–curve model implies, or whether organizational learning evidences 'forgetting' or depreciation. The extent to which the productivity gains associated with learning by doing reside in individual workers, or in the structure of the organization, or in its technology is also analyzed. The paper concludes by reviewing evidence about whether learning transfers across organizations.
Introducing secure coding in CS0, CS1, and CS2: conference workshop

The CS 2013 curriculum includes Information Assurance and Security as a pervasive knowledge area. However, introducing security in lower level courses is challenging because of lack of appropriate teaching resources and training. This workshop will provide a well-tested strategy for introducing secure coding concepts in CS0, CS1, and CS2. We will introduce attendees to secure coding through hands-on exercises, and provide self-contained, lab-based modules designed to be injected into CS0-CS2 with minimal impact on the course (www.towson.edu/securityinjections). Participants will be encouraged to bring in their own syllabus and labs to modify to include secure coding concepts. Laptop recommended.
Quantized breather excitations of Fermi-Pasta-Ulam lattices.

We have calculated the lowest energy quantized breather excitations of both the $\ensuremath{\beta}$ and the $\ensuremath{\alpha}$ Fermi-Pasta-Ulam monoatomic lattices and the diatomic $\ensuremath{\beta}$ lattice within the ladder approximation. While the classical breather excitations form continua, the quantized breather excitations form a discrete hierarchy labeled by a quantum number $n$. Although the number of phonons is not conserved, the breather excitations correspond to multiple bound states of phonons. The $n=2$ breather spectra are composed of resonances in the two-phonon continuum and of discrete branches of infinitely long-lived excitations. The nonlinear attributes of these excitations become more pronounced at elevated temperatures. The calculated $n=2$ breather and the resonance of the monoatomic $\ensuremath{\beta}$ lattice hybridize and exchange identity at the zone boundary and are in reasonable agreement with the results of previous calculations using the number-conserving approximation. However, by contrast, the breather spectrum of the $\ensuremath{\alpha}$ monoatomic lattice couples resonantly with the single-phonon spectrum and cannot be calculated within a number-conserving approximation. Furthermore, we show that for sufficiently strong nonlinearity, the $\ensuremath{\alpha}$ lattice breathers can be observed directly through the single-phonon inelastic neutron-scattering spectrum. As the temperature is increased, the single-phonon dispersion relation for the $\ensuremath{\alpha}$ lattice becomes progressively softer as the lattice instability is approached. For the diatomic $\ensuremath{\beta}$ lattice, it is found that there are three distinct branches of $n=2$ breather dispersion relations, which are associated with three distinct two-phonon continua. The two-phonon excitations form three distinct continua: One continuum corresponds to the motion of two independent acoustic phonons, another to the motion of two independent optic phonons, and the last continuum is formed by propagation of two phonons that are one of each character. Each breather dispersion relation is split off the top from of its associated continuum and remains within the forbidden gaps between the continua. The energy splittings from the top of the continua rapidly increase, and the dispersions rapidly decrease with the decreasing energy widths of the associated continua. This finding is in agreement with recent observations of sharp branches of nonlinear vibrational modes in NaI through inelastic neutron-scattering measurements. Furthermore, since the band widths of the various continua successively narrow as the magnitude of their characteristic excitation energies increase, the finding is also in agreement the theoretical prediction that breather excitations in discrete lattices should be localized in the classical limit.
Supreme Court Behavior in Racial Exclusion Cases: 1935–1960

The United States Supreme Court is often guided by rules of law which make the disposition of cases depend upon singular combinations of circumstances. It is a relatively simple procedure to go through the cases in a subject matter area and compile a list of the facts the justices seem to have considered material to their solution of the issue at hand. But the identification of the peculiar combinations of events which push the decisions in one direction or the other is more difficult. The number of possible combinations is almost endless: with as few as twenty specified circumstances there are more than one million possible combinations. And the weight of a particular circumstance may depend on the combination of factors in which it appears. Fred Kort has pointed to the “concrete differentiation of factual elements” which seem decisive in cases involving such procedural civil rights as protection against unreasonable searches and seizures, coerced confessions, and unfair trial procedures.
Identification and analysis of new sequence variants in the human tryptophan hydroxylase (TpH) gene.

Identification and analysis of new sequence variants in the human tryptophan hydroxylase (TpH) gene
Proteomic Stable Isotope Probing Reveals Taxonomically Distinct Patterns in Amino Acid Assimilation by Coastal Marine Bacterioplankton

ABSTRACT Heterotrophic marine bacterioplankton are a critical component of the carbon cycle, processing nearly a quarter of annual primary production, yet defining how substrate utilization preferences and resource partitioning structure microbial communities remains a challenge. In this study, proteomic stable isotope probing (proteomic SIP) was used to characterize population-specific assimilation of dissolved free amino acids (DFAAs), a major source of dissolved organic carbon for bacterial secondary production in aquatic environments. Microcosms of seawater collected from Newport, Oregon, and Monterey Bay, California, were incubated with 1 µM 13C-labeled amino acids for 15 and 32 h. The taxonomic compositions of microcosm metaproteomes were highly similar to those of the sampled natural communities, with Rhodobacteriales, SAR11, and Flavobacteriales representing the dominant taxa. Analysis of 13C incorporation into protein biomass allowed for quantification of the isotopic enrichment of identified proteins and subsequent determination of differential amino acid assimilation patterns between specific bacterioplankton populations. Proteins associated with Rhodobacterales tended to have a significantly high frequency of 13C-enriched peptides, opposite the trend for Flavobacteriales and SAR11 proteins. Rhodobacterales proteins associated with amino acid transport and metabolism had an increased frequency of 13C-enriched spectra at time point 2. Alteromonadales proteins also had a significantly high frequency of 13C-enriched peptides, particularly within ribosomal proteins, demonstrating their rapid growth during incubations. Overall, proteomic SIP facilitated quantitative comparisons of DFAA assimilation by specific taxa, both between sympatric populations and between protein functional groups within discrete populations, allowing an unprecedented examination of population level metabolic responses to resource acquisition in complex microbial communities. IMPORTANCE An estimated 50 gigatons of carbon is annually fixed within marine systems, of which heterotrophic microbial populations process nearly half. These communities vary in composition and activity across spatial and temporal scales, so understanding how these changes affect global processes requires the delineation of functional roles for individual members. In a step toward ascertaining these roles, we applied proteomic stable isotope probing to quantify the assimilation of organic carbon from DFAAs into microbial protein biomass, since the turnover of DFAAs accounts for a substantial fraction of marine microbial carbon metabolism that is directed into biomass production. We conducted experiments at two coastal North Pacific locations and found taxonomically distinct responses. This approach allowed us to compare amino acid assimilation by specific bacterioplankton populations and characterize their allocation of this substrate among cellular functions.
Translation of integrated OCT technology from bench to clinical applications(Conference Presentation)

The abstract is not available © (2016) COPYRIGHT Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers (SPIE). Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Clinical study on the therapy of elder essential hypertension using liuweidihuang pill and captopril

Objective:To evaluate the effect of treating elder essential hypertension using liuweidihuang pill and captopril.Methods:Randomized controlled trial was employed for the study.97 elder patients with essential hypertension diagnosed with a certain criterion were divided randomly into trial group(n=49) and control group(n=48).Patients in trial group were treated with liuweidihuang pill and captopril;patients in control group were treated with captopril alone;they were observed for 8 weeks.Blood pressure and the serum level of BUN and Cr were determined before and after the treatment.Results:The total effective rates in the trial group and the control group were 91.8% and 89.6% respectively;there was no significantly difference between them(P0.05).The decreasing of SBP and DBP in trial group was greater than those in control group(P0.05);the lowering of serum level of BUN and Cr in trial group was greater than those in control group(P0.05).Conclusion:The liuweidihuang pill has good protective function to target organs of the elder patients with primary hypertension;it may reduce or reverse the impairment of the kidney function of hypertension on different extent,and has multiple protection on the kidney of the elder primary hypertension.