cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Nonfatal Injuries to Firefighters Treated in U.S. Emergency Departments, 2003-2014.

Introduction Several studies of nonfatal firefighter injuries have been conducted but are limited by the inclusion criteria used and coverage. The aim of this study was to enhance current knowledge by providing national estimates of nonfatal injuries to firefighters treated in U.S. emergency departments. Methods Nonfatal injuries from 2003 through 2014 were extracted from the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System occupational supplement (NEISS-Work). NEISS-Work captures nonfatal occupational injuries, illnesses, and exposures treated in a sample of U.S. emergency departments. Nonfatal injury rates were calculated based on NEISS-Work counts (numerator) and counts from the National Fire Protection Association (denominator). Data were analyzed from 2016 through 2017. Results Between 2003 and 2014, an estimated 351,800 firefighters were treated in emergency departments for nonfatal injuries. The overall rate was 260 injuries per 10,000 firefighters. Career firefighters had an annual rate of 699 injuries per 10,000 firefighters; volunteers had a rate of 39 injuries per 10,000 firefighters. Leading injury events were fires and explosions (36%) and overexertion and bodily reactions (20%). A majority (38%) of injuries occurred during firefighting activities, 7% occurred during training, and 7% occurred during patient care. Sprains and strains accounted for the largest proportion of injuries in all three of these activities: 28% firefighting activities, 32% training, and 36% patient care. Conclusions The results demonstrate that nonfatal injuries for firefighters remained high throughout the study period. The predominance of sprains and strains in all firefighting activities suggests the need for additional research and prevention needs in areas of improved fitness, safer body postures and movements, and situational awareness.
Social media addiction and social media reactions: The implications for job performance

We investigate the intersection of social media and the workplace, focusing on job performance impacts of employees' social media addictions and social media reactions through work-family balance and burnout. The research model is grounded in conservation of resources theory, which suggests social media compulsions and emotional reactions to co-worker's social media posts will deplete employees' energetic and constructive resources, making it difficult to achieve work-family balance and increasing the likelihood of job burnout, and will ultimately degrade job performance. A sample of 326 full-time employees revealed a negative relationship between social media addiction and work-family balance and a positive relationship between social media reactions and job burnout. Balance and burnout mediated the relationship between social media and job performance such that social media addiction was negatively related to job performance through work-family balance, and social media reactions were negatively related to performance through burnout and work-family conflict.
Blockchain and the built environment: Potentials and limitations

Abstract Blockchain is a relatively new concept that originated from the first cryptocurrency known as Bitcoin and was soon noted to have a much wider range of applications than just serving as the platform for digital cryptocurrency. A blockchain (BC) is essentially a decentralized ledger that records every transaction made in the network, known as a ‘block’, the body of which comprises encrypted data of the entire transaction history. The implementation of decentralized technology in any industry would require augmented security, enforce accountability, and could potentially accelerate a shift in workflow dynamics from the current hierarchical structure to a decentralized, cooperative chain of command and affect a cultural and societal change by encouraging trust and transparency. This paper presents an evaluation survey of blockchain technology and its applications in the built environment and examines the potential integration with the BIM process. Moreover, the study explores how employing distributed ledger technology (DLT) could be advantageous in the BIM working environment by reinforcing network security, providing more reliable data storage and management of permissions, and ensuring change tracing and data ownership. The study discusses the basic fundamentals of distributed ledgers, their potential future applications and current advances, and their classification based on inherent characteristics of consensus reaching and permission management. Furthermore, the paper evaluates the potential application of BC technologies in enhancing the framework for automating the construction design review process such as smart contract technologies and Hyperledger Fabric, as well as discussing the pros, cons, and possible future research directions.
Spatial Variation of Vector Vortex Beams with Plasmonic Metasurfaces

The spatial variation of vector vortex beams with arbitrary polarization states and orbital angular momentum (OAM) values along the beam propagation is demonstrated by using plasmonic metasurfaces with the initial geometric phase profiles determined from the caustic theory. The vector vortex beam is produced by the superposition of deflected right- and left-handed circularly polarized component vortices with different helical phase charges, which are simultaneously generated off-axially by the single metasurface. Besides, the detailed evolution processes of intensity profile, polarization distribution and OAM value along the beam propagation distance is analyzed. The demonstrated arbitrary space-variant vector vortex beam will pave the way to many promising applications related to spin-to-orbital angular momentum conversion, spin-orbit hybrid entanglement, particle manipulation and transportation, and optical communication.
Quantifying Activity Levels After Sport-Related Concussion Using Actigraph and Mobile (mHealth) Technologies

Context Interest in identifying the effects of physical and mental activity on recovery after sport-related concussion is growing. Clinical studies of concussed athletes' activities require well-va...
How Demanding is "Just Driving?" A Cognitive Workload - Psychophysiological Reference Evaluation

Physiological arousal, measured as heart rate and skin conductance level, was recording during single-task highway driving (just driving), while driving and interacting with several voice-based and visual-manual infotainment user interfaces, while driving and engaging in multiple levels of a cognitive workload reference task (n-back), and while engaging in the same cognitive workload reference task under single-task (non-driving) conditions. Single-task highway driving was found to produce a level of physiological arousal in the same range as that of the relatively highly demanding 2-back task under non-driving conditions. While continuing innovations such as automatic transmission, power steering, as well as climate control, sound proofing and other comfort features, have reduced the overt demands of driving, these findings suggest that the remaining demand on resources during what has been thought of as “just driving” may be higher than many realize. The extent to which various implementations of longitudinal and lateral control driver assistance features being introduced change this dynamic is largely an open question.
A new elastic characterization method for anisotropic bilayer specimens via Bayesian resonant ultrasound spectroscopy.

Abstract A novel nondestructive method for complete elastic characterization of substrate-coating bilayer specimens with distinct anisotropic layers via resonant ultrasound spectroscopy (RUS) and Bayesian inversion is developed here. Bayesian formulations of the RUS inversion problem—of quantifying elastic properties given a measured list of resonance frequencies recorded from a single, typically small, precisely fabricated, macroscopically homogeneous, linear-elastic specimen—are a recent development. Here we report the first Bayesian formulation of the bilayer problem, and through a series of practical examples, demonstrate novel parameter estimation capabilities of our open-source CmdStan-RUS code. Finding specimen geometry and the number of resonance modes used for inversion strongly govern the ability to retrieve individual elastic moduli. The concept of “invertability” is explored for a range of relevant geometries using virtual specimens that resemble experimental bilayers of plasma sprayed ceramic coatings on single crystal metallic substrates. A range of Bayesian posterior evaluation methods are addressed, particularly considering the large computational cost of the bilayer forward model. Laplace approximation methods are thus developed and implemented for bilayer geometry design space modeling and expedient estimates of parameter uncertainties. Ideal specimen design, different noise models, the influence of prior distributions, dual-likelihood fits incorporating measurements of the bare substrate, and how Bayesian RUS methods differ from traditional RUS optimization are discussed.
Structural and System Reliability

Based on material taught at the University of California, Berkeley, this textbook offers a modern, rigorous and comprehensive treatment of the methods of structural and system reliability analysis. It covers the first- and second-order reliability methods for components and systems, simulation methods, time- and space-variant reliability, and Bayesian parameter estimation and reliability updating. It also presents more advanced, state-of-the-art topics such as finite-element reliability methods, stochastic structural dynamics, reliability-based optimal design, and Bayesian networks. A wealth of well-designed examples connect theory with practice, with simple examples demonstrating mathematical concepts and larger examples demonstrating their applications. End-of-chapter homework problems are included throughout. Including all necessary background material from probability theory, and accompanied online by a solutions manual and PowerPoint slides for instructors, this is the ideal text for senior undergraduate and graduate students taking courses on structural and system reliability in departments of civil, environmental and mechanical engineering.
Effects of acetolysis on starch granules

Abstract The ability to concurrently analyze multiple microfossils from the same palaeoecological or archaeological sample would allow for faster and multi-evidenced analyses. Most microfossils require chemical processing to become identifiable under different types of microscopy; acetolysis is commonly employed in palynological study. We present the effects of acetolysis on starch-rich elements of four economic taxa. Acetolysis caused slight shrinkage in the average size of starch granules, at statistically significant levels for three of the four taxa explored. The capacity to conduct starch analysis from acetolyzed samples is discussed for archaeological and palaeoecological study.
Feelings of Masculinity and Accomplishment in Response to Penetrative versus Non-Penetrative Orgasms

Research indicates that men view their women partner's orgasms as reflections of their masculinity and sexual esteem. The purpose of this study was to examine this phenomenon in more detail by exploring whether men's feelings of masculinity and sexual esteem, as well as their feelings of accomplishment, were influenced by the method by which their woman partner experienced orgasm. Specifically, 193 young adult men (primarily between the ages of 18 and 24) read one of three vignettes (a partner orgasming from intercourse, from manual/oral stimulation, or from vibrator use) and then rated their imagined feelings of masculinity, accomplishment, and sexual esteem. Findings indicated that men who imagined their partner orgasmed from intercourse or manual/oral stimulation had higher feelings of masculinity and accomplishment than those who imagined their partner orgasmed from a vibrator. We found a significant interaction between clitoral knowledge and vignette condition in predicting masculinity, with clitoral knowledge only predicting masculinity for men in the manual/oral stimulation condition. The results of this study have important implications for sex education and the prevention of sexual problems, as well as for the future study of positive sexual functioning in women and men.
Evaluating changes in judgmental biases as mechanisms of cognitive-behavioral therapy for social anxiety disorder

Reductions in judgmental biases concerning the cost and probability of negative social events are presumed to be mechanisms of treatment for SAD. Methodological limitations of extant studies, however, leave open the possibility that, instead of causing symptom relief, reductions in judgmental biases are correlates or consequences of it. The present study evaluated changes in judgmental biases as mechanisms explaining the efficacy of CBT for SAD. Participants were 86 individuals who met DSM-IV-TR criteria for a primary diagnosis of SAD, participated in one of two treatment outcome studies of CBT for SAD, and completed measures of judgmental (i.e., cost and probability) biases and social anxiety at pre-, mid-, and posttreatment. Treated participants had significantly greater reductions in judgmental biases than not-treated participants; pre-to-post changes in cost and probability biases statistically mediated treatment outcome; and probability bias at midtreatment was a significant predictor of treatment outcome, even when modeled with a plausible rival mediator, working alliance. Contrary to hypotheses, cost bias at midtreatment was not a significant predictor of treatment outcome. Results suggest that reduction in probability bias is a mechanism by which CBT for SAD exerts its effects.
The robust equation approach to multidimensional stochastic nonlinear filtering

The existence and uniqueness problems for the pathwise Duncan-Mortensen-Zakai equation of nonlinear filtering are studied following the Robust Equation approach. It is shown here that several examples that include the Kalman-Bucy filtering case can be treated by means of a theorem that solves the Cauchy problem for the Robust Equation.
Anxiety and the Amygdala: Pharmacological and Anatomical Analysis of the Fear-Potentiated Startle Paradigm

Publisher Summary This chapter describes the fear-potentiated startle paradigm and the advantages it provides for the pharmacological and neuroanatomical analyses of fear conditioning. It also discusses the pharmacological treatments that block fear-potentiated startle, the neural pathways involved in the startle reflex, and the role of the amygdala in fear-potentiated startle and its possible connections to the startle pathway and critical visual structures that carry information about the conditioned stimulus. The importance of the central nucleus of the amygdala and its efferent projections to several brainstem target areas for fear and anxiety is outlined in the chapter. Drugs can potentially act on afferent or efferent systems of the amygdala or in the amygdala itself; different classes of anxiolytic drugs may block fear or anxiety by acting at different points along the neural pathways involved in fear. While some drugs act by blocking the transmission of a conditioned stimulus to the amygdala, others might block transmission along its efferent pathways.
Natriuretic Peptides and Biomarkers in the Diagnosis of Heart Failure

Heart failure is common and difficult to diagnosis by history and physical exam alone. Natriuretic peptides (NPs) are synthesized and released in the setting of volume overload and ventricular wall stretch. They have an important physiologic role and are elevated in the setting of heart failure. B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) and N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) are useful in both diagnosis and prognosis of heart failure. NPs should not be used in isolation and there are caveats to their interpretation. In the future, new biomarkers may be used in conjunction with NPs to aid in the treatment, prognosis, and diagnosis of heart failure. This chapter discusses the physiology of NPs, the role of BNP and NT-proBNP in the diagnosis of heart failure, the caveats to NP interpretation, and the emerging biomarkers in heart failure.
Computational evolution of a model polymer that folds to a specified target conformation.

A method is described for folding polymers to specific target conformations. The approach uses a fast but approximate dynamics algorithm, coupled with a genetic algorithm that is used to evolve the large number of free parameters needed. The dynamics algorithm uses a state transition matrix approach. At each time step, the distances between pairs of atoms are adjusted by shifting them from Dij to Dij + Sij where Sij is an element of the state transition matrix S. Atom pairs that are attractive have Sij 0. The atomic movement is carried out by gradient minimizing the molecular mechanics energy of the molecule subject to harmonic distance constraints. The method is applied to a simple test case, a 19 atom 2-D polymer. The paper also show that the S matrices can correctly fold a limited variety of initial conformations that differ from the one used during the evolution phase.
Intraspecific and interspecific variation of female genitalia in two species of watersnake

The morphological differences in female genitalia within and between species are little studied and poorly understood, yet understanding patterns of variation in female genitalia can provide insights into mechanisms of genital evolution. The present study aimed to explore the patterns of intraspecific and interspecific variation in female genitalia in two sister taxa of watersnake (Nerodia sipedon and Nerodia fasciata) that have similar genital shape. We used a geometric morphometric (GM) approach to study variation in shape of the vagina between and within two sister species. We examined genital shape in female watersnakes ranging from small, sexually immature females to large reproductive females that had recently given birth. We found that shape variation of genitalia is strongly correlated with body size, where larger but not smaller females have a bifurcation in the vagina. However, we also found significant shape variation in the structure of the vagina between the two species, where N. fasciata has narrower genitalia with more prominent bifurcation, whereas N.sipedon has wider genitalia with less marked bifurcation. Using GM allowed us to detect significant differences in genital shape that were not apparent upon visual examination alone, suggesting that shape variation in female genitalia may be greater than previously assumed. Additional study of morphological differences in male reproductive organs for these species would help to determine whether there has been genital co-evolution, and potentially mechanical reproductive isolation, in these two closely-related and occasionally sympatric species. © 2013 The Linnean Society of London.
Front-end processing for joint maximum likelihood channel and sequence estimation

The problem of performing joint maximum-likelihood estimation of a digital sequence and an unknown dispersive channel impulse response is considered starting from a continuous-time model. Previous investigations of this problem have not treated the front-end (FE) processing in detail. It is shown that a fractionally-spaced whitened matched filter, matched to the known data pulse, provides a set of sufficient statistics when a tapped-delay-line channel model is assumed. A signal model at the output of this FE processor, as well as representative sub-optimal FE processors, is described. Recursive computation of the approximate likelihood functional is presented and a general receiver structure, which may be interpreted as a generalization of the previously introduced technique of per-survivor processing, is suggested. Simulations conducted in the tracking mode illustrate that FE processing techniques suggested in the existing literature may significantly degrade performance.
A Viewpoint on Discretization Schemes for Applied Aerodynamic Algorithms for Complex Configurations

In the 90’s, nonlinear CFD methods must begin to routinely simulate viscous unsteady flow of complete aircraft configurations. While the best approach for such simulations has yet to be determined, it is argued that the discretization requirements for unsteady viscous flow simulation of complex configurations will best be satisfied using either composite overset structured grids or a composite of prismatic and unstructured meshes — or a hybrid of these two.
Intelligent Behaviour Modelling and Control for Mobile Manipulators

In the last several years, mobile manipulators have been increasingly utilized and developed from a theoretical viewpoint as well as for practical applications in space, underwater, construction and service environments. The work presented in this chapter deals with the problem of intelligent behaviour modelling and control of a mobile manipulator for the purpose of simultaneously following desired end-effector and platform trajectories. Our mobile manipulator comprised a manipulator arm mounted on a motorized mobile base wheelchair. The need for accurate modelling of the mobile manipulator is crucial in designing and controlling the motion of the robot to achieve the target precision and manipulability requirements. In this chapter, we propose a new method for measuring the manipulability index used for serial manipulators. Furthermore, we provide some simulations that are implemented on different serial manipulators, such as the Puma 560 manipulator, a six degrees of freedom (DOF) manipulator and the Mitsubishi Movemaster manipulator. We then extend the manipulability concept commonly used for serial manipulators to general mobile manipulator systems.
Beyond the nasoseptal flap: Outcomes and pearls with secondary flaps in endoscopic endonasal skull base reconstruction

Objectives/Hypothesis Endoscopic endonasal skull base surgery defects require effective reconstruction. Although the nasoseptal flap (NSF) has become our institution's workhorse for large skull base defects with cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) leaks, situations where it is unavailable require secondary flaps. Clinical outcomes, pearls and pitfalls, and an algorithm will be presented for these secondary flaps. Study Design Clinical case series. Methods Medical records of all endoscopic endonasal skull base surgeries at a tertiary care academic medical center were reviewed for skull base defect type, reconstruction method, CSF leak rate, and flap necrosis rate. Results Of 330 flaps for reconstructing endoscopic endonasal skull base defects, secondary flaps were used in 34 cases (10%). These included 16 endoscopic-assisted pericranial flaps, seven tunneled temporoparietal fascia flaps, three inferior turbinate flaps, two middle turbinate flaps, two anterior lateral nasal wall flaps, two palatal flaps, one occipital flap, and one facial artery buccinator flap. There were 19 anterior cranial fossa defects, 10 clival defects, three sellar defects, and one frontal and one lateral orbit/middle fossa defect. Twenty-five of the 34 cases (73.5%) had either prior or postoperative radiation therapy. The most common pathology was sinonasal cancer, with 16 cases (47.1%). The postoperative CSF leak rate was 3.6% due to one middle turbinate flap necrosis. Conclusions Secondary flaps for skull base reconstruction can be harvested with minimally invasive techniques and demonstrate excellent success rates (97%) that are comparable to that of the NSF (>95%). Multiple flaps for complex skull base defects should be in the armamentarium of comprehensive skull base surgery centers. Level of Evidence 4. Laryngoscope, 124:846–852, 2014
Integral point-matching method for two-dimensional Laplace field problems with periodic boundaries

An integral point-matching technique is applied to two-dimensional Laplacian fields between periodic boundaries. This formulation leads to an algorithm that reduces the size of the matrix, economizing on computer workspace and inversion time. Several example problems solved on an APL terminal system are included.
Urea and Urea Nitrate Decomposition Pathways: A Quantum Chemistry Study

Electronic structure calculations have been performed to investigate the initial steps in the gas-phase decomposition of urea and urea nitrate. The most favorable decomposition pathway for an isolated urea molecule leads to HNCO and NH3. Gaseous urea nitrate formed by the association of urea and HNO3 has two isomeric forms, both of which are acid−base complexes stabilized by the hydrogen-bonding interactions involving the acidic proton of HNO3 and either the O or N atoms of urea, with binding energies (D0°, calculated at the G2M level with BSSE correction) of 13.7 and 8.3 kcal/mol, respectively, and with estimated standard enthalpies of formation (ΔfH298°) of −102.3 and −97.1 kcal/mol, respectively. Both isomers can undergo relatively facile double proton transfer within cyclic hydrogen-bonded structures. In both cases, HNO3 plays a catalytic role for the (1,3) H-shifts in urea by acting as a donor of the first and an acceptor of the second protons transferred in a relay fashion. The double proton transfe...
Interparental Aggression and Adolescent Adjustment: The Role of Emotional Insecurity and Adrenocortical Activity

Adolescents exposed to interparental aggression are at increased risk for developing adjustment problems. The present study explored intervening variables in these pathways in a community sample that included 266 adolescents between 12 and 16 years old (M = 13.82; 52.5% boys, 47.5% girls). A moderated mediation model examined the moderating role of adrenocortical reactivity on the meditational capacity of their emotional insecurity in this context. Information from multiple reporters and adolescents' adrenocortical response to conflict were obtained during laboratory sessions attended by mothers, fathers and their adolescent child. A direct relationship was found between marital aggression and adolescents' internalizing behavior problems. Adolescents' emotional insecurity mediated the relationship between marital aggression and adolescents' depression and anxiety. Adrenocortical reactivity moderated the pathway between emotional insecurity and adolescent adjustment. The implications for further understanding the psychological and physiological effects of adolescents' exposure to interparental aggression and violence are discussed.
EFFECTS OF ALFENTANIL ON CEREBRAL VASCULAR REACTIVITY IN DOGS

The effects of high dose alfentanil on the cerebral vascular responses to alterations in mean arterial pressure (MAP), arterial oxygen tension (PaO2) and arterial carbon dioxide tension (PaCO2) were studied in 17 dogs, using the cerebral venous outflow technique. In six animals anaesthetized with sodium pentobarbitone 30 mg kg−1 i.v., bolus injection of alfentanil 0.32 mg kg−l i.v. decreased MAP without a change in cerebral blood flow (CBF). In another group of animals(n = 5) anaesthetized with pentobarbitone 30mg kg−1 i.v. the CBF responses to changes in MAP. PaO2, and PaCO2 were studied. In a third group of animals (n = 6) anaesthetized with alfentanil 0.32 mg kg−1 i.v. plus pentobarbitone 1–2 mg kg−1 i.v. and an infusion of alfentanil 0.32 mg kg−1h−1 the CBF responses to alterations in MAP, PaO2, and PaCO2 were studied and compared with the barbiturate-anaesthetized animals. The CBF responses to hypercapnia and hypoxia in the alfentanil-anaesthetized animals were not different from those observed in animals anaesthetized with barbiturate only. The lower and upper limits of cerebral autoregulation in alfentanil-anaesthetized animals were not different from those observed in animals anaesthetized with barbiturate only. The data suggest that alfentanil, in doses sufficient to cause profound analgesia and anaesthesia, does not alter cerebral reactivity to changes in PaO2, PaCO2 and MAP.
Multicenter evaluation of the Roche NT-proBNP assay and comparison to the Biosite Triage BNP assay.

Abstract Background : Brain natriuretic peptides (BNPs) are useful in the assessment of heart failure, left ventricular dysfunction, and acute coronary syndromes. Methods : We performed a multicenter evaluation of the automated Roche NT-proBNP assay and compared its performance to the Biosite Triage BNP assay. Results : The N-terminal (1–76) pro brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) method is precise (CV≤6.1%), has a wide dynamic measuring range (30–35,000 ng/l), is free from common interferences, and does not cross-react with BNP. EDTA or heparinized plasma samples collected in glass or plastic tubes can be used, and samples are stable at room temperature or 4 °C for up to 3 days. In contrast, the Biosite BNP assay has >2-fold higher CV, and plasma samples are more labile when stored at room temperature and 4 °C. Comparison studies showed a reasonable correlation between NT-proBNP and BNP assays, with a substantially higher slope bias of 6–20 for the NT-proBNP assay. Conclusions : The automated Roche NT-proBNP assay has good analytical performance and better precision than the Biosite BNP assay. Unlike BNP, NT-proBNP is stable in EDTA plasma for 3 days at room temperature or longer at 4 °C. The Roche NT-proBNP is fully automated and will accommodate the testing of large numbers of clinical samples for assessing cardiac dysfunction.
Sickle cell trait is not independently associated with susceptibility to end-stage renal disease in African Americans.

Conflicting reports exist as to whether sickle cell trait is a risk factor for the progression of nephropathy. In order to determine whether African Americans with sickle cell trait are at increased risk for kidney disease, we assessed the genetic association between sickle cell trait and end-stage renal disease (ESRD). Hemoglobin S, non-muscle myosin heavy chain 9 ( MYH9 ), and apolipoprotein L1 ( APOL1 ) risk variants were genotyped in 3258 unrelated African Americans: 1085 with non-diabetic ESRD, 996 with type 2 diabetes-associated ESRD, and 1177 controls. Since APOL1 is strongly associated with ESRD in African Americans, interactions between APOL1 and MYH9 risk variants and hemoglobin S were assessed using case-only and case-control centered two-way logistic regression interaction analyses. The sickle cell trait genotype frequencies were 8.7% in non-diabetic ESRD, 7.1% in type 2 diabetes-ESRD, and 7.2% in controls. There was no age-, gender-, and admixture-adjusted significance for sickle cell trait association with non-diabetic ESRD (odds ratio 1.16); type 2 diabetes-ESRD (odds ratio 1.01); or all-cause ESRD (combined non-diabetic and type 2 diabetic-ESRD patients compared to the controls; odds ratio 1.05) in dominant models. In addition, no evidence of APOL1 or MYH9 interactions with sickle cell trait was detected. Hence, sickle cell trait is not associated with diabetic or non-diabetic ESRD in a large sample of African Americans.
1980s: A Change in Focus of Reading Comprehension Research: A Review of Reading/Learning Disabilities Research Based on an Interactive Model of Reading

This article contains a review of reading comprehension research since 1980, based on an interactive model of reading, with a focus on reading disabilities / learning disabilities. The interactive ...
An in vitro model for clonal anergy in continuously growing antigen-specific B-cell lines☆

Two continuously growing nonmalignant B-cell lines specific for the hapten DNP have been used to study tolerance in developing B cells. These cell lines have previously been shown to consist of small cells without sIgM but with cytoplasmic mu chains, and mature sIgM- and sIgD-bearing cells. When the sIgM-negative cells are placed in culture, mature DNP-specific B cells begin to appear. The studies reported here have shown that when these cell lines were propagated in the presence of either 200 micrograms/ml or 1 mg/ml of the tolerogen DNP-MGG there was no inhibition of cell line growth as measured by thymidine incorporation, and no inhibition of receptor expression by maturing B cells. The cell line lymphocytes propagated in the presence of 200 micrograms/ml DNP-MGG for 7, 30, 45, or 60 days became tolerant and the tolerance persisted for at least 6 days after removal of DNP-MGG. However, tolerance was lost between 6 and 10 days after removal of DNP-MGG. Propagation of the cell lines for 30 days in either DNP-KLH or DNP-Ficoll produced the same results. Limiting dilution cultures of cell line lymphocytes made tolerant by growing them for 30 days in the presence of DNP-MGG demonstrated that there was a marked decrease in precursor frequency compared to controls. However, cell line lymphocytes made tolerant by a 48-hr incubation with DNP-MGG did not have a significant decrease in precursor frequency. These data suggest that tolerance induced by growing these cell lines in the presence of DNP-MGG is a valid in vitro model of tolerance in developing antigen-specific B cells. Tolerance induced in this model is consistent with the clonal anergy hypothesis, but requires the continued presence of DNP-MGG to maintain unresponsiveness. This suggests that clonal anergy can occur in B cells but may not be the sole mechanism of self tolerance for those antigens which are sequestered from the immune system.
A colorimetric sensor based on anodized aluminum oxide (AAO) substrate for the detection of nitroaromatics

Abstract Simple and low cost colorimetric sensors for explosives detection were explored and developed. Anodized aluminum oxide (AAO) with large surface area through its porous structure and light background color was utilized as the substrate for colorimetric sensors. Fabricated thin AAO films with thickness less than ∼500 nm allowed us to observe interference colors which were used as the background color for colorimetric detection. AAO thin films with various thickness and pore-to-pore distance were prepared through anodizing aluminum foils at different voltages and times in dilute sulfuric acid. Various interference colors were observed on these samples due to their difference in structures. Accordingly, suitable anodization conditions that produce AAO samples with desired light background colors for optical applications were obtained. Thin film interference model was applied to analyze the UV–vis reflectance spectra and to estimate the thickness of the AAO membranes. We found that the thickness of produced AAO films increased linearly with anodization time in sulfuric acid. In addition, the growth rate was higher for AAO anodized using higher voltages. The thin film interference formulism was further validated with a well established layer by layer deposition technique. Coating poly(styrene sulfonate) sodium salt (PSS) and poly(allylamine hydrochloride) (PAH) layer by layer on AAO thin film consistently shifted its surface color toward red due to the increase in thickness. The red shift of UV–vis reflectance was correlated quantitatively to the number of layers been assembled. This sensitive red shift due to molecular attachment (increase in thickness) on AAO substrate was applied toward nitroaromatics detection. Aminopropyltrimethoxysilane (APTS) which can be attached onto AAO nanowells covalently through silanization and attract TNT molecules was coated and applied for TNT detection. UV–vis spectra of AAO with APTS shifted to the longer wavelength side due to TNT attachment. This red shift implied AAO thickness increased and positive detection of TNT molecules. It was also observed that both APTS and polyethyleneimine (PEI) were electron rich polymers which formed Meisenheimer complexes with TNT in solution and changed its color abruptly. This strong color change due to chemical reaction was applied as another approach for direct TNT detection. Commercial AAO films with long pores (60 μm) and white background color were coated with APTS or PEI and then exposed to TNT in solution. These membranes turned to pink rapidly and eventually became visibly orange after a few hours with a strong absorption around 500 nm that was consistent with the formation of Meisenheimer complexes. The visible color change can be observed by unaided eyes and is suitable for nitroaromatics detection at higher concentration while interference color red shift in AAO thin film is designed for nitroaromatics detection at monolayer (nm) level.
Present status of low-LET radiation in the management of cancers: a challenge to high-LET radiation.

Abstract Irradiation of the early lesions of the upper respiratory and digestive tracts and those of the uterine cervix produces outstanding control rates, either by external irradiation alone or combined with interstitial or intracavitary gamma ray therapy. Microscopic disease and subclinical disease (which is not necessarily microscopic) requires much less doses for control than gross masses, being of the order of 5000 red in 5 weeks. The elective irradiation of clinically uninvolved lymphatic areas can then he used very freely, and has been shown to be very effective In preventing the appearance of metastases in the regional lymphatics in the squamous cell carcinomas of the head and neck, and the adenocarcinomas of the breast. The cause of failure of low-LET irradiation is that gross masses require high doses which cannot he delivered without exceeding the tolerance of the supporting structures. The cause of failure of the surgical excision is the diffuse microscopic disease around the gross mass. This leads to a combination of the two disciplines, one making up for the deficiency of the other. The combined treatment increases control rates in advanced primary lesions of the head and neck, has shown to prevent the appearance of recurrences in the radically dissected neck, and yields a very high freedom from disease in the local regional areas in carcinoma of the breast, and the adenocarcinoma of the rectosigmoid. Concerning the soft tissue sarcomas, removal of all gross cancer followed by postoperative irradiation yields high local control rates with preservation of a functional limb. Low-LET external irradiation and interstitial and intracavitary y-ray therapy alone or combined with surgery, often conservative surgery, is and will stay a major tool in the management of cancers.
Synthesis and characterization of bismuth magnesium phosphate and arsenate : BiMg2PO6 and BiMg2AsO6

Abstract Two new compounds, BiMg2PO6 and BiMg2AsO6, have been synthesized and structurally characterized by single crystal and powder X-ray diffraction. Both compounds crystallize in the orthorhombic space group Cmcm (No. 63) with four formula units per unit cell. They are isostructural with bismuth magnesium vanadate, BiMg2VO6. The cell parameters for BiMg2PO6 are a = 7.801(2), b = 11.888(3), c = 5.273(2) A, V = 489.0(2) A3 and for BiMg2AsO6 are a = 7.9142(5), b = 12.1637(8), c = 5.3898(4) A, V = 518.9(2) A3. The formula for this series of compounds may be written as (BiO2)MgAO4 to emphasize the (BiO2)1- chains and the (AO4)3- tetrahedral groups isolated from one another. Between these chains and tetrahedral groups sit Mg2+ cations in an unusual fivefold coordination to oxygen. No emission bands were observed from BiMg2PO6 and BiMg2AsO6 under excitation with UV or visible radiation. The IR spectra of these compounds are compared to that of BiMg2VO6.
Building Capacity for Participatory Evaluation Within Community Initiatives

Abstract Participatory evaluation is the process by which those doing the work contribute to understanding and improving it. In the context of community initiatives, this often involves co-production of knowledgelocal people and outside evaluators sharing responsibility for gathering data and interpreting its meaning. We outline a six-component framework for participatory evaluation: (a) Naming and framing the problem/goal to be addressed, (b) Developing a logic model (or theory of practice) for how to achieve success, (c) Identifying evaluation questions and appropriate methods, (d) Documenting the intervention and its effects, (e) Making sense of the data, and (f) Using the information to celebrate and make adjustments. Incorporating examples from different community initiatives, we examine how to support and build capacity for participatory evaluation. To help guide the collaborative work of participatory evaluation among community members and outside evaluators, we outline orienting questions (e.g., w...
The endocrinologic evaluation of a 45,X true hermaphrodite

A 13-year-old 45,X girl presented with spontaneous menses and the acute onset of progressive hirsutism: Complete endocrinologic evaluation of hirsutism was unremarkable. An exploratory laparotomy revealed a gonad containing ovarian and testicular tissue. Chromosome analysis from four different tissues confirmed the karyotype to be 45,X. She was H-Y antigen positive.
Teacher- and school-level predictors of teacher efficacy and burnout: Identifying potential areas for support

Although several studies relate low teacher efficacy and high burnout to the quality of instruction and students' academic achievement, there has been limited research examining factors that predict teacher efficacy and burnout. The current study employed a longitudinal, multilevel modeling approach to examine the influence of teacher- and school-level factors on the development of both teacher efficacy and burnout. Data were collected 3 times across 2 academic years from 600 teachers at 31 elementary schools. The results indicated that both teacher efficacy and burnout increased over time. Teacher preparedness and perceptions of teacher affiliation and leadership were significantly associated with both the intercept and growth of teacher efficacy and burnout; however, school-level factors were generally unrelated to both outcomes. Implications for screenings and teacher-targeted interventions are discussed.
Characterization of microstructural anisotropy in orthotropic materials using a second rank tensor

A second rank symmetric tensor which describes the degree of orientation in orthotropic materials is presented and shown to reflect accurately patterns of experimental data. The use of this tensor to describe microstructural anisotropy is compared to currently accepted methods and is found to be more useful and accurate in experimental studies. A method for determining the anisotropy tensor in a material is given, based on measurements on any three mutually perpendicular planes, and the fundamental restriction of this method to orthotropic materials is discussed. Experimentally determined anisotropy tensors in five specimens of cancellous bone from five different human bones are given.
Hypertonic urea: Its effects on cortical and subcortical evoked potentials in cat

Abstract The effects of urea and concomitant cerebral dehydration on potentials evoked in the cerebral cortex, midbrain reticular formation, and cerebellar cortex by somatic stimulation were studied in the cat. Urea (1.5 g/kg i.v.) typically augmented the negative and late positive phases of triphasic positive-negative-positive evoked cerebral cortical responses recorded monopolarly. This change began about 15 min after urea administration. It paralleled the onset of cerebral shrinkage and was maximal after about 1 h. These evoked potential changes persisted for 5 to 7 h in most cases, but sometimes returned to control levels after about 2 h. Resumption of the original cortical volume was not essential for return to baseline amplitudes.
Measuring biomass and carbon in delaware using an airborne profiling LIDAR

A portable, inexpensive profiling light detection and ranging (LIDAR) system was used to inventory forests in Delaware, a small state (5205 km2) on the mid-Atlantic seaboard of the USA. Ground and airborne sampling procedures are described, and large-area inventory results are reported and compared to independent estimates. Systematic airborne LIDAR profiling measurements were used (1) to estimate forest merchantable volume, biomass and above-ground carbon statewide; and (2) to estimate impervious surface and open water area. Over 1300 km of laser profiling data acquired along parallel flight lines 4 km apart were analysed. Four explicitly linear models were considered to predict merchantable volume and total above-ground dry biomass. Merchantable volume estimates were within 21% of US Forest Service estimates at the county level and within 1% statewide. Total above-ground dry biomass estimates were within 22% of USFS estimates at the county level and within 16% statewide. LIDAR estimates of percentage im...
Prey selection by a stonefly: the influence of hunger and prey size

The influences of hunger and prey size on prey selection by the stonefly Hesperoperla pacifica (Perlidae) were explored in the laboratory by observing behavioral responses toward ten prey taxa and three nonprey taxa. Patterns of behavior were consistent with most assumptions and predictions of optimal foraging theory predicting sizebased prey selection by pursuing predators. Handling time appeared to increase as an exponential function of prey mass, and prey profitability (mg/s) was highest for small and intermediate-sized prey. Fasted stoneflies consumed a wide range of prey sizes, whereas well-fed stoneflies concentrated their attacks on intermediate-sized prey. Responses of H. pacifica to nonprey taxa, however, suggest that prey recognition and selection are not based on size alone.
Being and acting rational [agent design]

Rationality alone is insufficient to specify agent design. Using economic theory, we can program agents to behave in ways that maximize their utility while responding to environmental changes. However, economic models for agents, although general in principle, are typically limited in practice because the value functions that are tractable essentially reduce an agent to acting selfishly. Building a stable social system from a collection of agents motivated by self-serving interests is difficult. Finally, understanding rationality and knowledge requires interdisciplinary results from artificial intelligence, distributed computing, economics and game theory, linguistics, philosophy, and psychology. A complete theory involves semantic models for knowledge, belief, action, uncertainty; bounded rationality and resource-bounded reasoning; commonsense epistemic reasoning; reasoning about mental states; belief revision; and interactions in multiagent systems.
Effects of Viscosity and Temperature on the Kinetics of the Electron-Transfer Reaction between the Triplet State of Zinc Cytochrome c and Cupriplastocyanin†

This is a study of the effects of viscosity (in the range of 0.8−790 cP), of temperature (in the range of 260.7−307.7 K), and of ionic strength (in the range of 2.5−20.0 mM) on the kinetics of photoinduced electron-transfer reaction 3Zncyt/pc(II) → Zncyt+/pc(I) within the electrostatic complex of zinc cytochrome c and cupriplastocyanin at pH 7.0. The unimolecular rate constant is kF. The apparent activation parameters ΔH⧧, ΔS⧧, and ΔG⧧ for this reaction were obtained in experiments with aqueous glycerol solutions having a constant composition. The interpolation of kF values obtained at the constant composition into the dependence of kF on temperature at constant viscosity gave the proper activation parameters, which agree with those obtained in experiments with solutions having a constant viscosity. This agreement validates the latter method, which is more efficient than the former, for determining activation parameters of processes that are modulated by viscosity. The smooth change in kF is governed by t...