cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Levels of analysis in cognitive bases of maternal disciplinary dysfunction.

This study tested alternative hypotheses concerning relations between mothers' disciplinary dysfunction and their descriptive versus inference-level interpretations of child noncompliance. Mothers of aggressive boys (MAGGs; n = 19) and mothers of average boys (MAVGs; n = 17) were presented with hypothetical vignettes of compliance situations (mean ages; mothers = 26.8 years, children = 4.5 years). Each vignette ended with the child being compliant or with each of a variety of noncompliant behaviors (request, statement, complaint, ignore, or oppose). Dependent variables were mothers' judgments of noncompliance severity (a descriptive measure), and attributions of defiant intent to the child (an inferential measure). Findings across analyses consistently pointed to attributions as more discriminating than judgments in differentiating between maternal groups. It was concluded that models of maternal discipline dysfunction should focus on analysis of inferential rather than descriptive cognitive responses to child noncompliance, and that parenting interventions should incorporate attribution-training into treatment protocols.
The Use and Disclosure of Protected Health Information for Research Under the Hippa Privacy Rule: Unrealized Patient Autonomy and Burdensome Government Regulation

This article offers a legal and ethical analysis of the requirements of federal privacy regulations (herein after the “Privacy Rules”) relating to the use and disclosure of individually identifiable health information for research activities. Section II of this article provides a legal summary of the Privacy Rules’ complex research provisions. Sections III and IV of this article analyze the Privacy Rules’ research provisions from a legal and ethical perspective. Specifically, Section III addresses whether the Privacy Rules promote autonomy by analyzing certain of the legal rights attributed to individuals who are the subjects of health information including: (1) the general right of an individual to authorize (or refuse to authorize) a covered entity’s use or disclosure of health information for research activities; (2) the right of an individual to receive a notice of privacy practices, the purpose of which is to provide the individual the adequate notice to the uses and disclosures of health information that may be made by the covered entity, including uses and disclosures for research activities; and (3) the right of and individual to receive and accounting of health information disclosures made by the covered entity.Section IV of this article addresses whether the Privacy Rules’ research provisions which permit, in certain situations, covered entities to use and disclose individually identifiable health information for research activities without patient authorization. Section IV analyzes the regulatory approaches chose by HHS, including its decision to waive the requirement for patient authorization when: (1) an institutional review board or privacy board has approved the waiver of, or an alteration to, the otherwise required authorization; (2) the review of the information by the researcher is preparatory to or in anticipation of, research; (3) the research involves decedents’ information; or (4) the covered entity is only using or disclosing a limited data set of information pursuant to a data use agreement for the research activity.Finally, Section V of this article includes that, although well-intended, the Privacy Rules research provisions establish onerous administrative requirements the burden of which may outweigh any autonomy that could be realized by the research subject.
Geographies of Gender and Health

Geographies of gender and health examine the sociospatial dimensions of gender ideologies, expectations, and embodied practices as they intersect with places and spaces of health and health care. A major emphasis of this work is to examine the unequal spatial distribution of health outcomes, health provision, and caregiving as shaped by gender. For example, normative gender practices commonly designate domestic and familial unpaid care work as “women's work,” an assignment that frequently serves to disadvantage women and may lead to diminished health outcomes. In contrast, men are discouraged from health-seeking behavior, an effect of hegemonic masculinity requiring men to be invulnerable that is also detrimental to health. Keywords: feminism; gender; geography; health; masculinities
Using data assimilation to identify diffuse recharge mechanisms from chemical and physical data in the unsaturated zone

[1] It is difficult to estimate groundwater recharge in semiarid environments, where precipitation and evapotranspiration nearly balance. In such environments, groundwater supplies are sensitive to small changes in the processes that control recharge. Numerical modeling provides the temporal resolution needed to analyze these processes but is highly sensitive to model errors. Natural chloride tracer measurements in the unsaturated zone provide more robust indicators of low recharge rates but yield estimates at coarse time scales that mask most control mechanisms. This study presents a new probabilistic approach for analyzing diffuse recharge in semiarid environments, with an application to study sites in the U.S. southern High Plains. The approach uses data assimilation to combine model predictions and chloride-based recharge estimates. It has the advantage of providing probability distributions rather than point values for uncertain soil and vegetation properties. These can then be used to quantify recharge uncertainty. Estimates of moisture flux time series indicate that percolation (or potential recharge) at the data sites is episodic and exhibits interannual variability. Most percolation occurs during intense rains when crop roots are not fully developed and there is ample antecedent soil moisture. El Nino events can contribute to interannual variability of recharge if they bring rainy winters that provide wet antecedent conditions for spring precipitation. Data assimilation methods that combine modeling and chloride observations provide the high temporal resolution information needed to identify mechanisms controlling diffuse recharge and offer a way to examine the effects of land use change and climatic variability on groundwater resources.
Dell, Inc.'s closed loop supply chain for computer assembly plants

Many authors and researchers cite Dell's supply chain as a model of excellence, yet few look at the entire closed-loop supply chain and the prevalent inventory and logistics techniques that enable this complex process to work. The techniques reviewed include - postponement, modularity, vendor managed inventory, supply chain partnerships, and demand management. The analysis involves examining how Dell's use of an assortment of techniques that support build to order operation affect each other and how these approaches play a role in enabling the Dell Supply Chain as an industry hallmark of excellence. The forward and reverse supply chains are mapped out as a series of process maps and explained within the framework of Dell's world-wide operations. Dell's supply chain excellence suggests the need to focus on supply chain efficiencies as a means of building customer value and a firm's need to judiciously examine its situation and capabilities before implementing any particular set of inventory and logistics approaches similar to the ones used to support Dell's supply chain operation. Some of the missing elements in Dell's reverse supply chain present some limitation to the study. As a result, what is proposed is a close to definitive model based on available data on Dell's closed-loop supply chain. Dell's future threats and opportunities are identified particularly in relation to growing competition and expansion of services. These have implications for managers of other supply chains as it is clear from Dell's success that supply chain excellence does correlate to financial success. The study provides an in depth analysis of a proven closed-loop supply chain that is replicable and taken two decades to get where it is for the Dell Corporation. The analysis makes the drivers behind Dell's operational and market success explicit and shows that adopting a combination of prevalent inventory and logistics approaches for breakthrough improvements in the supply chain requires sustained efforts and careful planning.
Differential solubilization of lipids along with membrane proteins by different classes of detergents

Abstract Membrane proteins are typically extracted by detergent concentrations of 0.5–2.0%, using detergent/protein ratios of 1:1 to 3:1. We have compared the ability of 14 different detergents from seven different structural and ionic classes, at a concentration of 2.0% and a detergent/protein ratio of 2:1, to extract an integral membrane protein (the serotonin 5-HT1A receptor) in active form and have observed profound differences in both lipids and proteins. All extracts were freed from detergents and dialyzed to form vesicles containing 95–100% of the extracted lipids, prior to [ 3 H]8- hydroxy -2-(N,N- di -n- propylamino)tetralin ([3H]8-OH-DPAT) binding. The most efficient detergents in extracting active 5-HT1A receptor protein were the zwitterionic 3-[(3-cholamidopropyl)dimethylammonio]-1-propanesulfonate (CHAPS) and 3-[(cholamidopropyl)dimethylammonio]-2-hydroxy-l-propanesulfonate (CHAPSO), followed by the neutral n-dodecyl-β-D-maltoside. Zwitterionic detergents also produced the highest solubilized lipid/protein ratio (3.0 and 2.5, respectively) and in general the relative amounts of extracted lipids and proteins followed inverse profiles. Thus, hydrophobic detergents such as Tritons (with critical micelle concentrations similar to CHAPS) and Thesit (structurally similar to Lubrol) extracted the most protein, but relatively little lipid (ratios of less than 0.2) and very little active 5-HT receptor. Dramatic differences were also observed in the ratios of individual lipids extracted by the same concentrations of different detergents and resolved by high-performance thin-layer chromatography. For example, galactosylceramide (GalCer) content ranged from 2.7% (CHAPSO) to 13.4% (sodium cholate) of the total lipid extract and cholesterol ranged from 0% (digitonin) to 17.9% (Triton X-100). The detergent-extractability profile for phosphatidylethanolamine (PE) (range 15–40% of total lipid) paralleled that of phosphatidylinositol (PI) (range 4–10%), but was inverse to that for GalCer and cholesterol. Detergent-extractability profiles for phosphatidylcholine (PC) and phospharidylserine (PS) also followed inverse profiles, with zwitterionic detergents giving high PS/PC and high PE/PC ratios (∼2:1), wheras the Tritons and digitonin gave ratios of 1:2. We believe that differential solubilization of lipids, as well as proteins, by detergents is important for the biological activity of the extracted proteins, and lipid extractability should be taken into account when purifying membrane proteins.
A Psychometric Analysis of the "Divide and Conquer" Principle in Multicriteria Decision Making

Abstract The principle of “Divide and Conquer” (DAC) suggests that: (1) complex decision problems should be decomposed into smaller, more manageable parts and (2) these smaller parts should be logically aggregated to derive an overall value for each alternative. Typically, decompositional procedures have been compared to holistic evaluations that require decision makers to simultaneously consider all of the relevant attributes in the evaluation of the objects under consideration. These comparisons between decompositional and holistic judgments have primarily used a variant of Multiattribute Utility Theory (MAUT). We presented a general experimental framework that allows for a more extensive assessment of the DAC principle, as well as the effects of decision complexity on both holistic and decompositional procedures. We illustrate this approach with a study that uses the Simple Multiattribute Rating Technique with Swing Weights (SMARTS; Edwards & Barron, 1994) and the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP; Saaty, 1980). We report data comparing the convergent validity (e.g the agreement between decompositional and holistic strategies) and the temporal stability for decompositional and holistic judgments on a variety of dependent measures. Decision complexity did not significantly affect the correspondence between decompositional and holistic judgments for both SMARTS and AHP judgments. Results from an ordinal measure of temporal stability indicated the DAC principle was violated for the AHP judgments. For a linear measure of temporal stability, trends in the data indicated that the predicted effects of decision complexity on the DAC principle was violated for the SMARTS judgments.
Heavy minerals and the evolution of the modern Nile

Abstract Heavy mineral analysis is a useful tool in tracing the changes in the hydrographic setting of the Nile through time. Analyses by the writer and others are presented to differentiate between a former Nilotic system, a Proto-Nile, and the modern Nile system, and to demonstrate the changes undergone by the modern Nile. The Proto-Nile was almost totally dependent upon discharge from equatorial and sub-equatorial tributaries in East Africa and from local Sudano-Egyptian affluents. The modern Nile system, in contrast, is dominated by contributions from the Blue Nile and the Atbara River, which drain the Ethiopian Plateau. The discharge of these rivers is governed by the monsoonal rains which are responsible for the summer floods in the Lower Nile Basin. It has been generally believed that this riverine system is very recent, perhaps not much older than 20,000 years. The evidence presented in this paper indicates that the Modern Nile system was well established by the later part of the Middle Pleistocene. In its early stage, the modern Nile was characterized by greater contributions from the non-Ethiopian East African and Sudano-Egyptian tributaries than at present.
My Summer with a Robot

Every summer, Intel brings in droves of interns from schools and universities all over the world. This summer, Jimmy the Robot got one of his own. The Web extra at http://youtu.be/YTDVIzu4oa4 is an audio podcast in which author Brian David Johnson expands on his column, speaking with Julie Hubschman about how she spent the summer with Jimmy the Robot, a walking, talking, tweeting science fiction prototype.
Biliary metal stents are superior to plastic stents for preoperative biliary decompression in pancreatic cancer

Background It is unclear whether plastic or metal stents are more suitable for preoperative biliary decompression in pancreatic cancer. The objective of this study was to compare the rate of endoscopic reinterventions in patients with pancreatic cancer undergoing plastic or self-expandable metal stent (SEMS) placements for preoperative biliary decompression.
Temperature dependence of the M2,3 edge in nickel

Abstract Thermotransmission measurements have been made of the M2,3 edge in Ni using synchrotron radiation. The edge shows considerable temperature dependence, apparently that of a gap shift. A fit of one spin-orbit component of the thermotransmission spectrum with the Fano line shape indicates that both Fano parameters, ϵ and q, are temperature dependent. The fit indicates a temperature dependence of at least two microscopic parameters.
Cytochemical characterization of goldfish (Carassius auratus L.) dermis with special reference to the pigment cells

The dermal cells in grey, xanthic, and white goldfish integuments were cytochemically characterized for the following enzymatic activities: tyrosinase, DOPA-oxidase, cytochrome oxidase, monoamine oxidase, peroxidase, non-specific esterase, cholinesterase, NAD-diaphorase, NADP-diaphorase, aryl sulfatase, nucleotide phosphodiesterase, beta-glucuronidase, acid phosphatase, alkaline phosphatase, adenosine triphosphatase, thiamine pyrophosphatase, glucose-6-phosphatase, aldolase, as well as succinate, malate, isocitrate, glutamate, glucose-6-phosphate, 6-phosphogluconate, alpha-glycerophosphate, alcohol, lactate, and beta-hydroxybutyrate dehydrogenases. It was found that the epidermis was a significant barrier to the access of cytochemical reaction substrates. Removal of the epidermal barrier provided dermal cell localizations of enzymatic activities which were reproducible. Further, alterations in reaction times and temperatures from the mammalian methodology provided conditions fe various integumental cells were compared for possible interrelationships. The basic foundations for future work with the dermis of poikilothermic vertebrates on an experimental basis were established. In addition, a previously undescribed non-pigmented dermal cell, the "x"-cell, was found to have enzymatic characteristics similar to both melanophores and lipophores. The "x"-cell may be the common precursor of both types of pigment cells.
The pyrolytic behavior of ethylenetetracarboxylic acid

Abstract The controlled pyrolysis of ethylenetetracarboxyclic acid at 220°C followed by methylation of the pyrolyzate results in the formation of methyl propiolate as the major product along with lesser amounts of methyl fumarate. Evidence is presented which indicates that the methyl fumarate probably arises from some precursor in the pyrolyzate during the methylation reaction. Extended heating of the tetra acid at its melting point produces, in addition to the substances cited above, ethylenetetracarboxylic dianhydride and dicarboxymaleic anhydride. The high-temperature (300–400°C) pyrolysis of the tetraacid gives l0–20% yields of dimethylmaleic anhydride.
Temporal trends of cancer mortality in eastern New England compared to the nation, 1950-1975.

Abstract Cancer mortality trends among the white population in eastern New England are compared to National trends for the years 1950–1975 for 62 age and sex-standardized sites. The 26 years considered in the study are divided into five time periods (1950–1954, 1955–1959, 1960–1964, 1965–1969, 1970–1975) representing rates age-adjusted to the 1960 white population. The findings show that male cancer mortality in eastern New England is increasing at a rate consistently higher than and almost parallel to National male cancer mortality. Female cancer rates in eastern New England are declining, but less rapidly than National female cancer mortality. Female lung cancer in the study region has experienced a dramatic increase from 1950 to 1975; and the greatest increases occurred in areas of the lowest relative urbanization.
Factors associated with early discharge from a multidisciplinary work rehabilitation program for chronic low back pain.

The need to document cost-benefit of comprehensive work rehabilitation services represents a critical requirement for its long-term viability as a treatment option for injured workers. One approach to improving cost-benefit is to identify patients who experience difficulty completing a rigorous goal-oriented treatment approach. This study examined a set of psychological, pain, perceived work environment, and patient expectation measures in order to determine whether such factors were associated with failure to complete rehabilitation. Patients (n = 168) presenting with low back pain who participated in a multidisciplinary work rehabilitation program (physical conditioning, work conditioning, work-related pain and stress management, ergonomie consultation, and vocational counseling) were categorized into 2 groups based upon whether they completed the 4 week, 5 day per week program (n = 84) or were discharged prior to program completion (n = 84). T tests were computed for return to work expectation, pain (average pain intensity, fear of re-injury), psychological measures (somatization, dysthymia), perceived work environment (work pressure, control, supervisor support), and disability (duration of work disability, physical disability, perceived disability) variables found in previous studies to affect successful rehabilitation and return to work. The discharged group was marked by lower return to work expectations, and heightened somatization, pain intensity, and perceived disability. In addition, this group was significantly younger and had been out of work longer. The groups did not differ on gender, marital status, ICD-9 diagnoses or perceived work environment. These findings indicate that patients displaying the pattern of low return to work expectations, heightened perceived disability, pain and somatic focus experience compliance problems in an intensive work rehabilitation program. Efforts should be made to identify these factors prior to program entrance and to provide interventions directed at increasing the likelihood of success.
A high intensity heavy-ion recoil-target system

Abstract The paper describes a target system to be used with heavy-ion beams of high intensities. The principle of gas cooling is explained and the conditions for optimum cooling are evaluated. A theoretical and experimental comparison is made between different cooling gases, window materials, cooling gas temperatures and flows.
Neuropsychological performance among agricultural pesticide applicators

To assess the potential effects on neuropsychiatric performance of chronic occupational exposure to organophosphate insecticides, we performed a prospective longitudinal study of a cohort of apple orchard pesticide applicators and a comparison cohort of beef slaughterhouse workers. The study group consisted of 49 applicators and 40 comparison subjects who completed both an initial evaluation (preseason) prior to the onset of the approximately 6-month pesticide spraying season and a follow-up evaluation (postseason) about 1 month following the end of spraying season. The applicator cohort had a greater number (n = 22, 45%) of individuals who identified primary preference for Spanish-language testing than did the comparison cohort (n = 5, 13%). Stratification by language preference revealed no significant differences in background characteristics between the two cohorts, except for fewer years of education in the Spanish-language preference applicators versus control subgroups (5.0 ± 3.1 vs 7.8 ± 3.7 years, respectively). After controlling for language preference, there were no statistically significant differences between the applicators and control cohorts on neuropsychological subtests of the computerized test battery. Preseason baseline performance on individual tests was a significant predictor of postseason test performance. After controlling for baseline performance, the only statistically significant exposure related across-season changes in neuropsychological performance was for one subtest (Symbol Digit Substitution) and was confined to the Spanish language preference subgroups, with worse adjusted postseason performance among applicators versus controls (P = 0.001). This study found no clear evidence of clinically significant decrements in neuropsychological performance following one 6-month season of pesticide exposure in a cohort of applicators who were felt to have generally low, intermittent, and well-controlled organophosphate exposures.
Some types of relaxation oscillations as models of all-or-none phenomena.

After some general remarks the results of the approximation method of Kryloff and Bogoliuboff are applied to show the existence of a threshold for a simple non-linear differential equation of a special form.
Linking peanut allergenicity to the processes of maturation, curing, and roasting.

The processes of peanut maturation, curing, and roasting are known to have an important role in peanut flavors. One of these processes (i.e., roasting) has been found to have an effect on allergenicity. To determine if the other processes (i.e., maturation and curing) affect allergenicity, mature and immature roasted peanuts and peanuts cured at different temperatures (35-77 degrees C) were, respectively, tested for IgE binding and advanced glycation end adducts (AGEs). Peanuts with and without stress proteins, which are associated with peanut maturation and curing, were also tested. Results showed that mature roasted peanuts exhibited a higher IgE binding and AGEs level than immature roasted peanuts. Curing temperatures between 35 and 60 degrees C gave no difference in the profiles. However, a higher curing temperature (i.e., 77 degrees C) exhibited a profile of higher levels of AGEs and IgE binding. These levels were higher in peanuts with stress proteins than without stress proteins. Roasting increased stress protein level and IgE binding. From these results, the processes of maturation and curing, in conjunction with roasting, may be associated with allergenicity, suggesting that these processes may lead to changes in the allergenic properties of peanuts.
Nutritional status survey of healthy noninstitutionalized elderly: Energy and nutrient intakes from three-day diet records and nutrient supplements

Abstract Utilizing three-day diet records, average daily intakes of energy and nutrients have been assessed in a group of 691 non-institutionalized males and females aged 60 to 98 years living in the Boston area. Energy intakes were substantially lower than current recommendations. Over this age range, absolute energy consumption declined significantly in males only; on a body weight basis, there was no association with age in either sex. In relation to the Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDA), the intake of protein appeared adequate. Among the micronutrients, 20 percent of males and up to 38 percent of females consumed less than two-thirds of the calcium RDA. The percentages of intakes below two-thirds of the RDA's for vitamins were modestly reduced when concurrent use of nutrient supplements was considered. Among the factors associated with reduced dietary quality were lower educational attainment, lower family income, and (among males) the wearing of dentures.
Graft copolymers of poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) and chitosan

Graft copolymers of poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) on a chitosan backbone (PEG-g-chitosan) have been synthesized and their aqueous solution properties were investigated. At pH 6.5 the graft copolymers are 100% soluble, while chitosan phase separates from solution at those conditions. These interesting graft copolymers may be especially suitable as carriers for delivery of anionic drugs, such as proteins, glycosaminoglycans, and DNA plasmids or oligonucleotides.
The combined effect of prostaglandin E2 and interleukin 1 on interleukin 2 production and lymphocyte prolifération

Abstract In this study the combined effect of prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) and interleukin-1 (IL-1) on the proliferation of concanavalin A (Con A) stimulated mouse spleen lymphocytes was studied. IL-1 in concentrations ranging from 0.5 to 5.0 U/ml consistently and significantly enhanced Con A activity. However, to be effective, IL-1 needed to be added at the time of initiation of the culture. If added 24 h later, IL-1 failed to enhance the proliferative response. PGE2 at concentrations ranging from 0.1 to 5.0 ng/ml effectively inhibited or antagonized this enhancing effect of IL-1, with the majority of this IL-1 augmentation abrogated by 5.0 ng/ml PGE2. Unlike IL-1, PGE2 was as effective if added 24 h after initiation of the culture as if added simultaneously with IL-1. PGE2 was also found markedly suppress the enhanced production of IL-2 resulting from the addition of IL-1 to Con A stimulated lymphocytes, however, the amount of IL-2 produced in the cultures containing both IL-1 and PGE2 was always greater than that produced in the cultures which contained only PGE2. This finding indicates that IL-1 could partially reverse or antagonize the suppressive effect of PGE2 on IL-2 production. In addition, PGE2 at concentrations of 1.0 and 5.0 ng/ml was also found to inhibit the proliferation of IL-2 stimulated cultured T lymphocytes, but by only about 15–20%. The addition of IL-1 to these cultured T cells neither altered the response of the culture T cells to IL-2 nor altered the sensitivity of these cells to PGE2. Taken as a whole, these studies indicate that PGE2 suppresses the IL-1 induced enhancement of Con A proliferation by inhibiting both IL-2 production and IL-2 activity, although the latter mechanism appears to play a lesser role when compared to the more marked effects of PGE2 on IL-2 production.
Symphurus civitatium (Pleuronectiformes: Cynoglossidae), a second estuarine-occurring tonguefish off the Southeastern United States and Northern Gulf of Mexico

Two species of tonguefishes,Symphurus plagiusa (Linnaeus 1766) andSymphurus civitatium Ginsburg 1951, occur sympatrically and sometimes syntopically in shallow water habitats in North Carolina and Louisiana estuaries. In North Carolina, approximately 2% of 430 small (<75 mm SL) tonguefishes collected wereS. civitatium, while in Barataria Bay, Louisiana, this species was more abundant and cosmopolitan in distribution than wasS. plagiusa, comprising over 82% of 3,564 tonguefishes collected with a small beam trawl over a 2-yr period. Historical literature has regardedS. plagiusa as the only tonguefish species inhabiting inshore waters in both regions. Presence of a secondSymphurus species in shallow estuaries has been overlooked, most probably due to difficulties in identifying early post-settlement juveniles because both species have similar morphologies and overlapping dorsal-fin and anal-fin ray counts. Juveniles can be readily recognized by differences in number of caudal-fin rays (10 inS. plagiusa versus 12 inS. civitatium), especially when used in combination with pigmentation patterns and posterior extent of the jaws relative to the posterior margin of the lower eye. The most distinctive pigmentation difference between juveniles of these two species (allowing for accurate identifications of over 98% of juveniles) is the absence inS. civitatium (12–61 mm SL) of a series of melanophores overlying pterygiophore regions of the dorsal and anal fins on the blind side. This feature contrasts markedly with that of juvenileS. plagiusa (12–65 mm SL), which are characterized by two interrupted, diagonal series of dark chromatophores converging, but not merging, with posterior tapering of the body. Occurrence of two sympatric species of tonguefishes in estuarine environments in the northcentral Gulf of Mexico and southeastern U.S. potentially compromises results of earlier ecological and distributional studies that assumed presence of only a single tonguefish species in these regions.
Perception of syllable stress in esophageal speech.

Abstract This study is part of a larger investigation designed to assess the ability of esophageal speakers to effect systematic changes in listener perceptions of syllable stress. Ten male functional esophageal speakers and ten normal speakers were instructed to produce 25 repetitions of the disyllable /m a m a / using five different conditions of syllable stress, ranging from strong first syllable stress through strong second syllable stress. Nine normal listeners judged both relative and absolute syllable stress of the disyllables, using a nine-point scale for each syllable. The results indicated that highly reliable judgments can be made when judging relative and absolute syllable stress in disyllables produced by both normal and esophageal speakers. In response to experimenter direction, both normal and esophageal speakers are able to effect systematic changes of direction and degree in listener perceptions of relative stress.
Biogeographic kinetics: estimation of relaxation times for avifaunas of southwest pacific islands.

Abstract When species diversity S on an island is displaced from the equilibrium value by injection or removal of species, S relaxes to equilibrium by an imbalance between immigration and extinction rates. Estimates of exponential relaxation times, tr, for avifaunas of New Guinea satellite islands are calculated from analysis of four “experiments of nature”: recolonization of exploded volcanoes, contraction in island area due to rising sea level, severing of land bridges, and disappearance of landbridge relict species. tr is in the range 3,000-18,000 years for avifaunas of islands of 50-3000 square miles (130-7800 km2), and increases with island area. Immigration coefficients decrease and extinction coefficients increase with increasing S. The results may be relevant to the design of rainforest preserves.
Cocaine-base smoking in rhesus monkeys: reinforcing and physiological effects.

Four rhesus monkeys were trained to smoke cocaine-base under a progressive ratio (PR) schedule, with ten smoking trials available each day. Unit dose was varied from 0.25 to 3 mg/kg, and lidocaine (2 mg/kg) was substituted for cocaine. Number of responses and break-point on the PR schedule increased with dose while the number of smoke deliveries increased only slightly. Maximum daily smoke deliveries ranged from six to nine across monkeys. When lidocaine (2 mg/kg) was substituted for cocaine-base, responding decreased to approximately half of that maintained by cocaine, and when cocaine was reinstated, higher response rates returned. Cardiovascular changes associated with cocaine smoking were monitored with an indwelling radio transmitter. There was an initial decrease in heart rate (30 s) followed by a rapid rise and decline by the end of the 15-min trials. Blood pressure increased rapidly after trial onset and returned to pretrial baseline by 15 min. Over the eight trials completed during a session, heart rate and blood pressure steadily increased over presession baselines during the first four trials, but there was then a decline suggesting acute tolerance development. Observations of the monkeys after each trial revealed dilated pupils and slightly agitated, hyperactive behavior. These findings indicated that smoked cocaine-base was rapidly established as a reinforcer for monkeys, and the physiological effects were similar to those reported in studies of human subjects.
Incidence and level of seminal reactive oxygen species in normal men.

Abstract Objectives. Excessive formation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in human semen has been associated with impaired sperm function and fertility potential. The presence of ROS in semen specimens from normal fertile men emphasizes the importance of defining a normal range of ROS formation. The purpose of this study was to establish a normal range of ROS generation and to investigate the effect of sperm concentration on the ROS level. Methods. ROS was determined in 15 healthy donors and 20 men with suspected infertility. AFter the sperm concentration in normal donors was adjusted to 20 × 10 6 /mL, ROS was measured by chemiluminescence using luminol in a Berthold luminometer. A specimen was regarded as positive (abnormal) when the value was at least 10 × 10 4 counts per minute (cpm). ROS was also evaluated at 4 sperm concentrations (60, 30, 15, and 7.5 × 10 6 /mL) from samples obtained from the patients with suspected infertility. In addition, ROS was measured 7 ROS-positive specimens at a sperm concentration of 15 × 10 5 /mL and 60 × 10 6 /mL. Results. Results showed that ROS formation was negative in all 15 healthy donors (median, 0.9 × 10 4 cpm; interquartile range, 0 to 1.48 × 10 4 cpm). The ROS formation value among all the donors was less than 5.5 × 10 4 cpm. ROS formation was positive in 8 (40%) of the suspected infertile patients. ROS levels were significantly lower at sperm concentrations of 15 × 10 6 /mL or 7.5 × 10 6 /mL compared with 30 × 10 6 /mL or 60 × 10 6 /mL ( P = 0.05). The ROS level increased after centrifugation for 10 minutes at 500 g in all 7 specimens at both 15 and 60 × 10 6 /mL. However, the increase in ROS formation at 60 × 10 6 /mL was significantly greater than that at 15 × 10 6 /mL ( P Conclusions. A range of ROS formation of 0 to 5.5 × 10 4 cpm at a sperm concentration of 20 × 10 6 /mL may be considered as normal for healthy donor semen. The positive relationship between ROS formation and sperm concentration at the time of measurement emphasizes the importance of concentration adjustment before analysis when comparing ROS levels between different specimens.
Is California Different? State-Specific Risk Adjustment Needs under Health Reform

THE CALIFORNIA Journal of Politics & Policy Volume 3, Issue 4 Is California Different? State-Specific Risk Adjustment Needs under Health Reform Brent D. Fulton and William H. Dow* University of California, Berkeley Abstract The Affordable Care Act (ACA) allows state variation in implementing health re- form. Critical to a stable health insurance market under reform is the use of risk adjustment to share risks across insurance plans. The ACA requires states to imple- ment risk adjustment, but a California-specific risk adjustment scheme would re- quire expertise beyond existing abilities of state agencies. California could rely on a default federal risk adjustment scheme, but it is unclear California’s health care market is sufficiently different from the national market to render the federal scheme inadequate. We compare the distribution of risk-adjusted health care ex- penditures in California versus the United States. We find California expenditures highly similar to the United States and conclude that California could rely on a fed- eral risk adjustment scheme that pays special attention to high risks and differential patterns for HMO vs PPO plans. Keywords: health care reform, The Affordable Health Care Act, California health care, risk adjustment Copyright © 2011 The Berkeley Electronic Press. All rights reserved. www.bepress.com/cjpp
Phase-only shaping algorithm for Gaussian-apodized Bessel beams

Gaussian-apodized Bessel beams can be used to create a Bessel-like axial line focus at a distance from the focusing lens. For many applications it is desirable to create an axial intensity profile that is uniform along the Bessel zone. In this article, we show that this can be accomplished through phase-only shaping of the wavefront in the far field where the beam has an annular ring structure with a Gaussian cross section. We use a one-dimensional transform to map the radial input field to the axial Bessel field and then optimized the axial intensity with a Gerchberg-Saxton algorithm. By separating out the quadratic portion of the shaping phase the algorithm converges more rapidly.
How the new generation of consoles have accelerated the need to preserve digital content – part 2

Purpose – This two-part paper aims to expose the challenges and establish the necessity of preserving digital content, with a focus on console video games. Part two identifies the preservation challenges, methods of preserving digital content and the current efforts by preservation groups and organizations. Design/methodology/approach – Through a method of identifying a video game content which has been lost, or at risk of being lost, describing the challenges presented by the format, and addressing the current preservation efforts, this paper serves as a brief retrospective of the issues and a guide to extending the conversation. Findings – While preserving video game content faces many challenges due to copyright issues and risks associated with digital format, some institutions have made progress that other libraries can follow. Originality/value – With special attention to the non-gamer, the conversation on video game preservation continues by focusing on the challenges and current efforts.
Pigment synthesis in maize aleurone from precursors fed to anthocyanin mutants.

Aleurone tissue of c2 Pr, C2 pr, or c2 pr genotypes can utilize either of two flavanones (naringenin, homoeriodictyol) or a flavanonol (dihydroquercetin) to synthesize anthocyanin. The anthocyanins formed have substitution patterns corresponding to those of the precursors, but c2 Pr tissue can hydroxylate the 4′-OH precursor at the 3′ position. The results presented suggest that C2 acts before the flavanone step and that the hydroxylation gene (Pr) can act after C2.
Timing and positioning of occlusion of the spinal neurocele in the chick embryo.

The timing and positioning of occlusion of the spinal neurocele were studied in living and serially sectioned chick embryos at stages 8–14. Occlusion occurs in three phases: preocclusion, incipient occlusion, and definitive occlusion. Preocclusion occurs at stage 8. At this time, the neural groove of the spinal cord has not yet closed to form a neural tube. Incipient occlusion begins as early as stage 9 and lasts until stage 11. The neural groove of the cranial spinal cord closes during these stages and incipient occlusion occurs concomitantly with this closure. Seventy-eight percent of the embryos exhibit incipient occlusion. Incipient occlusion extends along the mid-somitic region of the neuroaxis, occupying about one-half the length of the spinal cord. Injection of the brains of living embryos with dyes often reopens incipient occluded areas. Definitive occlusion occurs at stages 11–14 and is present in 89% of the embryos. Definitive occlusion is restricted to mid-somitic regions, as was incipient occlusion, but it extends approximately two-thirds the length of the spinal cord. Injection of the brains of living embryos with dyes rarely reopens definitive occluded areas, even when injection pressures are maximal. Six morphological types of definitive occlusion can be identified on the basis of the relative proportions and locations of total and partial occlusion. Closure of the cranial neuropore and roof plate of the hindbrian occurs near the end of the incipient occlusion phase, whereas closure of the caudal neuropore occurs well after definitive occlusion is initiated. Physiological occlusion is due to both anatomical occlusion and back pressure, which prevent the flow of liquids into a blind, narrow tube. Further studies are required to document the reopening phases of the spinal neurocele, as well as the forces involved in causing and maintaining occlusion and reopening.
A rickettsia‐like organism associated with diseased white clover

SUMMARY Diseased white clovers (Trifolium repens), with symptoms similar to clover club leaf, were found in England. Electron microscopy of thin sections revealed rickettsia-like organisms, 1–2 μm long by 0–2-0-3 μm diameter, in the phloem cells of these diseased plants. They were not present in healthy clover plants. At 23–30 °C the organisms multiplied rapidly and symptoms became more severe. After treatment with penicillin the organisms degenerated and plants showed remission of symptoms.
FOOD SELECTION BY RHESUS MONKEYS: SIZE CONSTANCY.

Four adult rhesus monkeys were trained to take one disc of banana at a time from a tray containing 25 different discs which varied systematically in size (height and diameter) and distance from S. The order in which the pieces were taken indicated the rank order of preference for size and distance. Initially nearer food was taken first regardless of size, but, over time, selection was determined increasingly by size until all Ss demonstrated considerable but not perfect size constancy.
Differential operators associated with holomorphic mappings

Two differential operators which act on holomorphic mappings to complex projective space are studied. One operator is of second order and characterizes projective linear mappings. The other operator is of third order and may be viewed as a curvature. The two operators together play a role analogous to the Schwarzian derivative. A canonical approximation to a holomorphic mapping is defined, and a relationship between the approximation and the operators is derived. In the one variable case, this reduces to a classical result relating the Schwarzian derivative and the best Mobius approximation to a holomorphic function.
Monte Carlo calculations of dosimetry parameters of the urocor prostaseed 125I source.

This report presents the results of Monte Carlo calculations of the dosimetric parameters of the Urocor ProstaSeed 125 I seed source. This source contains five spherical silver markers, of 0.5 mm diameter, with 125 I deposited on the spheres through ion exchange. The silver spheres are then encapsulated within a 0.8 mm in diameter and 4.5 mm long cylindrical shell of titanium, as is common to this type of sources. Physical dimensions of the source are confirmed by measurement. Four (4) geometric models of the source, based on different assumptions on the locations of the silver spheres within the seed, were used in dose rate calculations. Monte Carlophoton transport simulation was used to calculate the dosimetric parameters of dose rate constant, radial dose function, and anisotropy function using these geometric models of the source. The Monte Carlo calculated dose rate constant of the ProstaSeed source was found equal to 0.925 cGy/U h with approximate uncertainties of 5%. Radial dose function values and anisotropy function values were derived from the relative dose distribution around the source calculated by the Monte Carlo code. The calculated values of these dosimetric parameters agree with previously published thermoluminescence-dosimeter-measured values for this source after consideration of measurement and calculation uncertainties.
Abnormal involuntary movement (AIM) expression following D2 dopamine agonist challenge is determined by the nature of prior dopamine receptor stimulation (priming) in 6-hydroxydopamine lesioned rats.

Abstract Rats with unilateral 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA) lesions show sensitization (priming) of rotational behavior upon repeated treatment with dopamine agonists. To relate these observations to dyskinesias exhibited by Parkinson's Disease patients, we assessed abnormal involuntary movements (AIMs) in 6-OHDA rats, which were primed with three injections of either the following: water, D1/D2 agonist apomorphine (Apo) (0.5 mg/kg), D1 agonist SKF38393 (SKF) (10 mg/kg) or D2 agonist quinpirole (Quin) (1 or 2.5 mg/kg). The rats were challenged one week later with Quin (0.25 mg/kg). Axial, limb, orolingual, locomotor, and grooming AIMs were scored (0–4) every 5 min. Priming with water did not produce AIMs. Priming with Quin (1 mg/kg) produced axial and locomotor AIMs, while priming with Apo, SKF or Quin (2.5 mg/kg) produced axial, locomotor, limb, and grooming AIMs. The disparity in AIM profiles between Quin (1 mg/kg) and (2.5 mg/kg) was not the result of D1 receptor stimulation since there was little striatal Fos expression following the third priming injection with Quin (1 or 2.5 mg/kg) compared to following SKF, which led to robust striatal Fos expression. Challenge with Quin (0.25 mg/kg) essentially reproduced the categories of AIMs exhibited during priming, with no AIMs in water-primed 6-OHDA rats, mild, non-significant, axial and locomotor AIMs in Quin (1 and 2.5 mg/kg)-primed 6-OHDA rats, and axial, limb, locomotor, and grooming AIMs in Apo- and SKF-primed 6-OHDA rats. These data suggest that the types of AIMs expressed following challenge with Quin depend on the dopamine receptor subtype and dose of dopamine agonist used during priming.