cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Retrieving Reusable Software Components Using Enhanced Representation of Domain Knowledge

This paper describes an ontology-based approach for identifying and retrieving relevant software components in large reuse libraries. Since it is usually difficult to precisely identify exact matches without considering domain knowledge, we exploit the use of domain-specific ontologies to enrich a knowledge base initially populated with multi-faceted ontological descriptions of API components. In addition to pure semantic-based search, this enriched knowledge base supports signature-based search, keyword search, and blended search. However, our experiments show evidence that only semantic search that is backed by reasoning services enables intelligent matchmaking and yields improved precision. Based on a usability case study, we further argue that semantic search is indeed usable and practical.
Patient-Reported Outcome Measures: Development and Psychometric Evaluation

This chapter has been created to provide an accessible introduction to the development and psychometric evaluation of patient-reported outcome (PRO) measures specifically designed to assess key endpoints in clinical trials, with the ultimate goal of supporting approval and/or labeling claims for pharmaceutical products. While many of our recommendations are broadly applicable to the development of PRO measures for use in clinical trials in any country and in other types of patient-based research (such as observational studies), this chapter will primarily focus on assembling and documenting the types of evidence needed to facilitate reviews of key study endpoints by the United States (US) Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
Challenges and Opportunities: Cyber-Physical Security in the Smart Grid

In this chapter, we develop a vision to address challenges in securing the smart grid. Despite recent innovations, grid security remains a critical issue. The infrastructure is highly vulnerable due to its large scale, connectivity, and heterogeneity. Moreover, attacks on cyber-physical systems and the grid have been realized, most notably the attack on the Ukraine power system in 2015. While techniques in cyber security are useful, their implementation is not sufficient to secure the smart grid. Consequently, we advocate for research in cyber-physical system security, an interdisciplinary field which combines tools from both cyber security and system theory. Within this field, we argue that engineers need to develop a framework of accountability comprised of three main research thrusts: (1) the detection of attacks, (2) the attribution of attacks to particular malicious components and devices on the grid, and (3) the resilient design of systems and algorithms to ensure acceptable performance in the presence of malicious behavior. To close, we discuss the need for a unifying language and set of tools to address these problems, as we consider additional research in compositional security.
Effect of Atmospheric Absorption Bands on the Optimal Design of Multijunction Solar Cells

The optimization of subcell bandgaps for seriesconnected multijunction solar cells is complicated by atmospheric absorption bands in terrestrial spectra, and this complexity increases with the number of subcells. We systematically characterize the resulting design space, and introduce a taxonomy for MJ cells based upon the position of subcell bandgaps with respect to atmospheric absorption bands. Once this is done, the full set of local efficiency optima can be quickly identified and described for arbitrarily large numbers of junctions, and deviations from current-matched designs can be more easily characterized and understood.
Oculomotor behavior of radiologists reading digital breast tomosynthesis (DBT)

Digital breast tomosynthesis (DBT) is beginning to be used more frequently alongside full-field digital mammography (DM) in routine breast cancer screening. However, little is known about radiologists’ search strategies reading DBT. This study aims to measure radiologists’ eye movements prior to testing search strategies intended to make DBT faster and/or more accurate. Twelve observers (board certified breast radiologists or current women’s imaging fellows) were instructed to search for lesions as they would report during normal clinical conditions. Observers were shown a single view of a single breast for each case and informed that this was an enriched study (10 positive cases out 20). Eye tracking used a SMI RED250mobile Eye Tracker sampling at 250Hz. Tracking error was below 0.5 deg. There was an increase in the detection rate/accuracy and decrease in false positives with DBT compared to DM. There was a longer search time in DBT compared to DM, with a shorter saccade length shown in DM. Different observers where shown to have differing search patterns however it was not possible to show any observer to have a true driller or scanner technique. Results generally replicated previous studies however; more work would be needed to obtain conclusions as to optimal search strategies.
Participant Characteristics in Research on Interventions for Young Children with Challenging Behavior: A Systematic Review.

Intervention studies to reduce challenging behavior in young children below the age of 6 were reviewed for participant characteristics, including gender, race/ethnicity, disability, socioeconomic s...
Dystroglycanopathy Gene Therapy: Unlocking the Potential of Genetic Engineering

Muscular dystrophy-dystroglycanopathies (MDDGs) are neuromuscular disorders associated with aberrant O-glycosylation of α-dystroglycan—an extracellular peripheral membrane glycoprotein central to the dystrophin-glycoprotein complex. The majority of these disorders are caused by loss-of-function mutations in a multitude of genes that disrupt the posttranslational modification of α-dystroglycan, affecting its ability to function as a receptor for extracellular matrix proteins containing laminin globular domains. As a result, clinical manifestations of MDDGs are highly variable, exhibiting a wide spectrum of clinical phenotypes including mild to severe defects in the development of the muscles, brain, and/or eyes. Over the last couple of decades, significant progress has been made in the elucidation of O-mannosyl glycan structures on α-dystroglycan and characterization of the underlying mechanisms of MDDGs, which has prompted concerted efforts toward the development and evaluation of potential clinical treatment options. Current genetic engineering efforts designed to treat MDDGs employ adeno-associated virus (AAV)-mediated delivery of expression vectors for gene replacement/supplementation and antisense oligonucleotide (AON) splice-modulation therapy to suppress exon trapping. Future therapeutic strategies are focused on the optimization of these current technologies and exploration of newer technologies such as genome editing. In this chapter, we address the disruption of functional α-dystroglycan as it relates to various clinical manifestations and highlight the potential genetic engineering strategies for treating MDDGs with an emphasis on preclinical data. We also discuss the problems that must be solved before effective treatment options are readily available.
Exploring Devolved Decision Authority in Performance Management Regimes: The Relevance of Perceived and Actual Decision Authority as Elements of Performance Management Success

AbstractAccording to performance management doctrine, successful performance management requires devolved decision authority—that is, meaningful decision authority must be placed in the hands of ma...
Explanatory Cognitive Diagnostic Models

Student- and school-level information from large-scale educational data have been shown to explain trends in test taker performance and to inform factors that can enhance the learning environment. This study presents methods to specify and model predictive relationships of latent and observed explanatory variables within a cognitive diagnostic model, referred to as the Explanatory Cognitive Diagnostic Model (ECDM) framework. Explanatory factors can be incorporated simultaneously as observed covariates or latent variables (estimated using item response theory) that can explain patterns of attribute mastery. This chapter is divided into two studies that demonstrate real-world application using large-scale international testing data and simulation studies, which examine parameter recovery and classification for varying sample sizes and number of attributes. Simultaneous estimation of multiple observed and latent (using dichotomous and polytomous items as indicators for the latent construct) predictors show consistency in attribute classification and parameter recovery. Extensions of the ECDM framework are discussed.
Integrated care workforce development: university-community collaboration

Behavioral health workforce shortages to provide quality care services for children, adolescents, and transitional age youth are well established. This paper highlights the workforce shortage and t...
Trade and immigration in early Ḥafṣid Tunis: evidence from Genoa

In the 1220s, the Ḥafṣids inherited the administration of Tunis, which was to become one of the most important port cities of the Western Mediterranean. Managing economic and political relations wi...
Effect of Water on Molecular and Transport Phenomena Behaviors of [Bmim][Ac]/Water/CO2, Using Molecular Dynamics Strategy.

Mixing ionic liquids (ILs) with water proposes an effective way of designing IL solutions with engineered properties that have applications in various processes/industries. Understanding molecular ...
Etiology of Retinal and Cerebellar Pathology in Western Pacific Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis and Parkinsonism-Dementia Complex.

Purpose To reexamine the etiology of a unique retinal pathology (linear and vermiform sub-retinal tubular structures) described among subjects with and without neurodegenerative disease in former high-incidence foci of Western Pacific amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and parkinsonism-dementia complex (ALS/PDC) in Guam (USA) and the Kii peninsula of Honshu island (Japan). Methods Analysis of published and unpublished reports of 1) ALS/PDC and the retinal and cerebellar pathology associated therewith and 2) exogenous neurotoxic factors associated with ALS/PDC and the developing retina and cerebellum. Results ALS/PDC retinal and cerebellar pathology matches persistent retinal and cerebellar dysplasia found in laboratory animals given single in utero or postnatal systemic treatment with cycasin, the principal neurotoxic component in the seed of cycad plants traditionally used for food (Guam) or oral medicine (Kii-Japan), both of which have been linked to the human neurodegenerative disease. Conclusion ALS/PDC-associated retinal and cerebellar dysplasia could arise from in utero exposure to methylazoxymethanol, the genotoxic metabolite of cycasin that results from maternal ingestion of this azoxyglucoside. These results support the environmental toxic etiology of retinal and brain pathology in ALS/PDC.
Recovering Brain Structural Connectivity from Functional Connectivity via Multi-GCN Based Generative Adversarial Network

Understanding brain structure-function relationship, e.g., the relations between brain structural connectivity (SC) and functional connectivity (FC), is critical for revealing organizational principles of human brain. However, brain’s many-to-one function-structure mode, i.e., diverse functional patterns may be associated with the same SC, and the complex direct/indirect interactions in both structural and functional connectivity make it challenge to infer a reliable relationship between SC and FC. Benefiting from the advances in deep neural networks, many deep learning based approaches are developed to model the complex and non-linear relations that can be overlooked by traditional shallow methods. In this work, we proposed a multi-GCN based generative adversarial network (MGCN-GAN) to infer individual SC based on corresponding FC. The generator of MGCN-GAN is composed by multiple multi-layer graph convolution networks (GCNs) which have the capability to model complex indirect connections in brain connectivity. The discriminator of MGCN-GAN is a single multi-layer GCN which aims to distinguish predicted SC from real SC. To overcome the inherent unstable behavior of GAN, we designed a new structure-preserving (SP) loss function to guide the generator to learn the intrinsic SC patterns more effectively. We tested our model on Human Connectome Project (HCP) dataset and the proposed MGCN-GAN model can generate reliable individual SC based on FC. This result implies that there may exist a common regulation between specific brain structural and functional architectures across different individuals.
Synthesis, optical properties and in vitro cell viability of novel spiropyrans and their photostationary states

Abstract A novel class of spiropyran (SP) was synthesized using a multistep process that involves three key intermediates: (a) diazonium-tetrafluoroborate, (b) hydrazine and (c) indolium iodide. Single crystal X-ray spectroscopy was used to confirm the structure of one of the analogues. The SP analogues were confirmed as being able to isomerize and attain a photostationary state (PSS) upon irradiation with ultraviolet light (UV, 365 nm) in an aqueous environment. UV–visible absorption spectra were recorded to confirm the isomerization properties. The ability of the synthesized compounds to induce growth inhibition of HeLa cervical cancer cells was assessed via the MTT assay after incubation with either the SP or their PSS. The IC50 values of two PSS (PSS-2, 4), were observed to be around 14 ± 4 fold lower (26 ± 3 μM) than their corresponding SPs. The most cytotoxic compounds SP-7 and PSS-7 showed the lowest IC50 values (12 μM). An in vitro tubulin polymerization assay showed that SP-7 and PSS-7 exhibited the greatest difference in tubulin inhibition relative to unirradiated SP-1 and SP-4.
A comparative in vitro study of thienamycin.

Thein vitro activity of thienamycin was compared to that of other antibiotics against a large panel of bacteria obtained in blood cultures from cancer patients. This compound was the most active against gram-positive cocci and also proved to be extremely active against the gram-negative bacteria. It was also very active against multi-resistant gram-negative bacilli. Because of its broad spectrum of activity includingPseudomonas spp., thienamycin deserves clinical testing in the future.
Association between procurement biopsy findings and deceased donor kidney outcomes: a paired kidney analysis.

Unfavourable procurement biopsy findings are the most common reason for deceased donor kidney discard in the United States. We sought to assess the association between biopsy findings and post-transplant outcomes when donor characteristics are accounted for. We used registry data to identify 1566 deceased donors of 3132 transplanted kidneys (2015-2020) with discordant right/left procurement biopsy classification and performed time-to-event analyses to determine the association between optimal histology and hazard of death-censored graft failure or death. We then repeated all analyses using a local cohort of 147 donors of kidney pairs with detailed procurement histology data available (2006-2016). Among transplanted kidney pairs in the national cohort, there were no significant differences in incidence of delayed graft function or primary nonfunction. Time to death-censored graft failure was not significantly different between recipients of optimal versus suboptimal kidneys. Results were similar in analyses using the local cohort. Regarding recipient survival, analysis of the national, but not local, cohort showed optimal kidneys were associated with a lower hazard of death (adjusted HR 0.68, 95% CI 0.52-0.90, P = 0.006). In conclusion, in a large national cohort of deceased donor kidney pairs with discordant right/left procurement biopsy findings, we found no association between histology and death-censored graft survival.
Pharmacotherapy interventions for adolescent co-occurring substance use and mental health disorders: a systematic review.

BACKGROUND Co-occurring mental health and substance use (SU) disorders among adolescents are common, with two-thirds of adolescents who seek SU treatment also requiring support for mental health. Primary care physicians play a key role in the pharmacological treatment of mental health disorders among adolescents, however, little is known about the impact of these treatments on SU outcomes. OBJECTIVES This systematic review summarizes the evidence regarding commonly used pharmacotherapy interventions for mental health and their impact on adolescent SU. METHODS Literature searches were conducted across five databases as part of a larger systematic review of adolescent SU interventions. Studies were screened for eligibility by two researchers, and study data were extracted regarding study design, patient and treatment characteristics and results. Risk of bias analyses and qualitative syntheses were completed to evaluate the strength of the evidence and the impact of pharmacotherapy on SU outcomes. RESULTS Ten randomized controlled trials exploring seven pharmacotherapies met criteria for inclusion. All studies had low to moderate risk of bias. Four studies evaluated pharmacotherapy for co-occurring depression and SU, three evaluated attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and SU, and three evaluated bipolar disorder and SU. Five of the 10 studies also included a behavioural intervention. We found no evidence that pharmacotherapy for co-occurring mental health diagnoses impacted SU. CONCLUSION Family medicine clinicians prescribing pharmacotherapy for mental health should be aware that additional interventions will likely be needed to address co-occurring SU.
STUDY ON THE ELECTRO–REFINING SILICON IN MOLTEN SALT CaCl2–NaCl–CaO

Use Cu-31Si alloy (31mol% Si) prepared by inductive melting metallurgical grade silicon as anode and molybdenum as cathode and reference electrode, the cathodic behavior of molten salt 81CaCl2-8.0 NaCl-8.5CaO-2.5Si (Mole fraction, %) at 1173 K was studied by means of cyclic voltammetry and chronopotentiometry, and the reduction steps of silicon from the molten salt were discussed. The electro-refining of silicon was performed in the two electrode system under the volt- age of −0.2 V. SEM, EDS and inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry (ICPAES) technologies were used to analyze and characterize the morphology and composition of the deposited silicon. Polycrystalline silicon was obtained after the electro-refining. Main impurity in the metallur- gical grade silicon are greatly decreased. Especially boron and phosphorous which are very harmful to solar cell grade silicon were greatly removed. The contents of boron and phosphorous are decreased from 42×10 −6 and 25×10 −6 to 4.5×10 −6 and 8.2×10 −6 , respectively. The current efficiency of the electro-refining process is 84.4%.
Data Shrinking Based Feature Ranking for Protein Classification

High throughput data domains such as proteomics and expression mining frequently challenge data mining algorithms with unprecedented dimensionality and size. High dimensionality has detrimental effects on the performance of data mining algorithms. Many dimensionality reduction techniques, including feature ranking and selection, have been used to diminish the curse of dimensionality. Protein classification and feature ranking are both classical problem domains, which have been explored extensively in the past. We propose a data mining based algorithm to address the problem of ranking and selecting feature descriptors for the physiochemical properties of a protein, which are generally used for discriminative method protein classification. We present a novel data shrinking-based method of ranking and feature descriptor selection for physiochemical properties. The proposed methodology is employed to demonstrate the discriminative power of top ranked features for protein structural classification. Our experimental study shows that our top ranked feature descriptors produce competitive and superior classification results.
Debt covenant violation and the value relevance of accounting information

This study documents that investors exercise their liquidation option on firms facing less severe financial distress than bankruptcy filings or negative earnings. Our sample is 124 firms which survive their first time violation of debt covenants. We find that the valuation shift from earnings to book value of equity in the violation manifestation period is reversed in the post-violation recovery period. This suggests that the valuation distortion in the pre-violation period is temporary rather than permanent.
Modeling human-climate interaction

If policymakers and the public are to be adequately informed about the climate change threat, climate modeling needs to include components far outside its conventional boundaries. An integration of climate chemistry and meteorology, oceanography, and terrestrial biology has been achieved over the past few decades. More recently the scope of these studies has been expanded to include the human systems that influence the planet, the social and ecological consequences of potential change, and the political processes that lead to attempts at mitigation and adaptation. For example, key issues-like the relative seriousness of climate change risk, the choice of long-term goals for policy, and the analysis of today's decisions when uncertainty may be reduced tomorrow-cannot be correctly understood without joint application of the natural science of the climate system and social and behavioral science aspects of human response. Though integration efforts have made significant contributions to understanding of the climate issue, daunting intellectual and institutional barriers stand in the way of needed progress. Deciding appropriate policies will be a continuing task over the long term, however, so efforts to extend the boundaries of climate modeling and assessment merit long-term attention as well. Components of the effort include development of a variety of approaches to analysis, the maintenance of a clear a division between close-in decision support and science/policy research, and the development of funding institutions that can sustain integrated research over the long haul.
Molecular diagnosis of phytoplasmas

Phytoplasmas are wall-less prokaryotes associated with diseases in numerous plant species worldwide. In nature they are transmitted by phloem-sucking insects. Yellowing, decline, witches’ broom, leaf curl, floral virescence and phyllody are the most conspicuous symptoms associated with phytoplasmas, although infections are sometimes asymptomatic. Since phytoplasmas cannot be cultured in vitro, molecular techniques are needed for their diagnosis and characterization. The titer of phytoplasma cells in the phloem of infected plants may vary according to the season and the plant species, and it is often very low in woody hosts. Different DNA extraction procedures have therefore been tried out to obtain phytoplasma DNA at a concentration and purity high enough for effective diagnosis. DNA/DNA hybridization methods were reported in the nineties to be appropriate for the detection of phytoplasmas, but at present PCR is considered the most suitable. Universal and group-specific primers have been designed on the rRNA operon of the phytoplasma genome and on plasmid sequences. RFLP analysis of the obtained amplicons has classified these pathogens into major 16Sr RNA groups. Group-specific primers have also been designed on other genomic sequences. PCR is a very sensitive technique, but due to the low titre of phytoplasmas a further increase in sensitivity may be required for accurate diagnosis. This is routinely obtained with a second round of PCR (nested PCR). The drawback of nested PCR is that there is a greater chance of obtaining false positives due to contamination. Many authors have therefore developed protocols based on hybridization (PCR/dot blot) or serological approaches (PCR/ELISA) to increase the sensitivity and specificity of the direct PCR, reducing the risks due to nested PCR. Real time PCR protocols may also improve the sensitivity and specificity of the direct PCR assay.
Iodomethyl Methyl Ether

[13057-19-7] C2H5IO (MW 171.97) InChI = 1S/C2H5IO/c1-4-2-3/h2H2,1H3 InChIKey = UUSXSNJAQDJKCG-UHFFFAOYSA-N (reactive methoxymethylating agent for phosphorus,1 carbon,2 oxygen,3 and nitrogen4 nucleophiles; iodomethylating agent for aromatic systems5) Alternate Name: iodomethoxymethane. Physical Data: bp 122 °C (dec), 39 °C/20 mmHg; d 2.030 g mL−1. Solubility: sol common organic solvents. Form Supplied in: liquid, commercially available (stabilized with copper). Preparative Methods: displacement of chloride from Chloromethyl Methyl Ether by iodide ion, followed by distillation of the product (eq 1);2a,2b,5b reaction of Formaldehyde or trioxane with methanol and Hydrogen Iodide (eq 2);6 reaction of methylal (Dimethoxymethane) with Iodotrimethylsilane (eq 3).1a This last route has the advantage of not using or producing highly carcinogenic materials such as chloromethyl methyl ether or Bis(chloromethyl) Ether. (1) (2) (3) Handling, Storage, and Precautions: corrosive and a lachrymator; a strong alkylating agent and as such is likely to be harmful if swallowed or absorbed through the skin. It should be handled accordingly. Use in a fume hood.
Host plant preferences of Uresiphita reversalis (Guenée) (Lep., Crambidae)

: Uresiphita reversalis Guenee (Lep., Crambidae) is a North American species whose native hosts include legumes (Fabaceae) in the genera, Lupinus L. (Genisteae, Lupininae), Baptisia Vent. (Thermopsidae) and Sophora L. (Sophoreae). Several species from the Genisteae, subtribe Genistinae, have been introduced to the United States and U. reversalis has expanded its host range to include these species. Members of all of these tribes bear quinolizidine alkaloids (QA). Ovipositional and larval preferences of U. reversalis for both introduced and native species were examined. Adults and larvae prefer Genista L. and thus preference is proposed to be indirectly or directly associated with the presence of QA with higher toxicity in this genus than in other host genera. Larvae of U. reversalis are known to sequester QA, which are deterrent and toxic to their natural enemies.
The historical bases of the Rayleigh and Ritz methods

Abstract Rayleigh's classical book Theory of Sound was first published in 1877. In it are many examples of calculating fundamental natural frequencies of free vibration of continuum systems (strings, bars, beams, membranes, plates) by assuming the mode shape, and setting the maximum values of potential and kinetic energy in a cycle of motion equal to each other. This procedure is well known as “Rayleigh's Method.” In 1908, Ritz laid out his famous method for determining frequencies and mode shapes, choosing multiple admissible displacement functions, and minimizing a functional involving both potential and kinetic energies. He then demonstrated it in detail in 1909 for the completely free square plate. In 1911, Rayleigh wrote a paper congratulating Ritz on his work, but stating that he himself had used Ritz's method in many places in his book and in another publication. Subsequently, hundreds of research articles and many books have appeared which use the method, some calling it the “Ritz method” and others the “Rayleigh–Ritz method.” The present article examines the method in detail, as Ritz presented it, and as Rayleigh claimed to have used it. It concludes that, although Rayleigh did solve a few problems which involved minimization of a frequency, these solutions were not by the straightforward, direct method presented by Ritz and used subsequently by others. Therefore, Rayleigh's name should not be attached to the method.
The historical abuse of literature: Tennyson's Maud: A monodrama and the Crimean War

(1981). The historical abuse of literature: Tennyson's Maud: A monodrama and the Crimean War. English Studies: Vol. 62, No. 1, pp. 34-45.
Topochemical Modification of Layered Perovskites

Topochemical reaction strategies based on two-step intercalation methods are studied. Reactions involving reductive followed by oxidative intercalation are quite effective in making new compounds; the synthesis and characterization of (A2Cl)LaNb2O7 (A = Rb, Cs) are presented. An alternative synthetic route, oxidative followed by reductive intercalation, is also discussed.
Evidence that life history characteristics of wild birds influence infection and exposure to influenza A viruses.

We report on life history characteristics, temporal, and age-related effects influencing the frequency of occurrence of avian influenza (AI) viruses in four species of migratory geese breeding on the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta, Alaska. Emperor geese (Chen canagica), cackling geese (Branta hutchinsii), greater white-fronted geese (Anser albifrons), and black brant (Branta bernicla), were all tested for active infection of AI viruses upon arrival in early May, during nesting in June, and while molting in July and August, 2006–2010 (n = 14,323). Additionally, prior exposure to AI viruses was assessed via prevalence of antibodies from sera samples collected during late summer in 2009 and 2010. Results suggest that geese are uncommonly infected by low pathogenic AI viruses while in Alaska. The percent of birds actively shedding AI viruses varied annually, and was highest in 2006 and 2010 (1–3%) and lowest in 2007, 2008, and 2009 ( 95% for emperor geese, a species that spends part of its life cycle in Asia and is endemic to Alaska and the Bering Sea region, compared to 40–60% for the other three species, whose entire life cycles are within the western hemisphere. Birds <45 days of age showed little past exposure to AI viruses, although antibodies were detected in samples from 5-week old birds in 2009. Seroprevalence of known age black brant revealed that no birds <4 years old had seroconverted, compared to 49% of birds ≥4 years of age.
“The Great Palace of American Civilization”: Allen Eaton’s Arts and Crafts of the Homelands, 1919-1932

Allen Eaton’s Arts and Crafts of the Homelands exhibition premiered in Buffalo, New York in 1919, where it drew record crowds to the Albright Gallery. Iterations of the display soon opened in Albany, Rochester, and then in several other cities across the United States. Arts and Crafts of the Homelands showcased European craftwork of local immigrant groups to celebrate a model of early twentieth-century American pluralism. This article examines the aims of exhibit organizers, immigrant presenters, and native-born visitors to these exhibitions. The structure of the displays—which highlighted domestic tableaux of old-world objects—obfuscated the contemporary contributions of immigrant groups to American cultural and economic forums. I argue, however, that local groups took advantage of the exhibit’s performance spaces to assert their active presence in American public life.
Evaluation of a ricin vaccine candidate (RVEc) for human toxicity using an in vitro vascular leak assay.

To protect against ricin intoxication, a genetically derived ricin A chain vaccine candidate (RVEc) was developed lacking the toxic N-glycosidase activity (Olson et al., 2004). The vaccine protects animals against an aerosolized ricin holotoxin (RT) challenge (Carra et al., 2007). In the current study, the RVEc vaccine was evaluated for its interaction and effect on human endothelial cells. RVEc was tested in an in vitro cellular-based bioassay, consisting of primary human endothelial cells cultured on collagen-coated inserts, to which concentrations of the vaccine candidate (0.6, 2, 2.5 or 9 μM) were added. RVEc showed no signs of adverse activity on the cells (e.g., cytotoxicty activity) as measured by changes in trans-endothelial electrical resistance (TEER). In contrast, ricin toxin (RT) cytotoxicity was observed at all concentrations tested. Under light microscopy, no cytotoxicity was visible at 24 h with 0.6 or 9 μM of RVEc. However, cytotoxicity was observed for RT and to a lesser degree for RTA. Flow cytometric analysis showed binding of RT, slight binding of RTA, and no binding of the RVEc vaccine to endothelial cells. The presence of RTB as a contaminant contributing to the cytotoxicity in the RTA preparation was ruled out by a RTB-specific ELISA. In addition, RTA at 9 μM produced a cytotoxic activity that could not be explained exclusively by the presence of azide in the RTA buffer. In the current study, the model demonstrated no discernable adverse events of the RVEc vaccine on human endothelial cells, when compared to the toxicity caused by holotoxin or native RTA preparations.
Reverse Monte Carlo structural model for a zirconium-based metallic glass incorporating fluctuation microscopy medium-range order data

We used reverse Monte Carlo (RMC) modeling to simulate the atomic structure of a Zr-based bulk metallic glass (BMG), incorporating short-range structural data from the electron diffraction total reduced density function G(r) and medium-range structural data from fluctuation electron microscopy (FEM). Including the FEM data created within the model loosely ordered planar atomic arrangements covering regions ∼1 nm in diameter without degrading the agreement with G(r). RMC refinement against only G(r) produced no agreement with FEM. Improved simulations are needed to create fully realistic BMG structures, but these results show that including FEM in RMC further constrains the structure compared with G(r) data alone and that the FEM signal in real materials is likely to arise from pseudo-planar arrangements of atoms.
Executive function deficits in acute stroke.

Abstract Zinn S, Bosworth HB, Hoenig HM, Swartzwelder HS. Executive function deficits in acute stroke. Objectives To establish the frequency of executive dysfunction during acute hospitalization for stroke and to examine the relationship of that dysfunction to stroke severity and premorbid characteristics. Design Inception cohort study. Setting Inpatient wards at a Veterans Affairs hospital. Participants Consecutive sample of inpatients with radiologically or neurologically confirmed stroke. Final sample included 47 patients screened for aphasia and capable of neuropsychologic testing. Two nonstroke inpatient control samples (n=10 each) with either transient ischemic attack (TIA) or multiple stroke risk factors were administered the same research procedure and tests. Interventions Not applicable. Main Outcome Measures Composite cognitive impairment ratio (CIR), calculated from 8 scores indicative of executive function on 6 neuropsychologic tests by dividing number of tests completed into the number of scores falling below cutoff point, defined as 1.5 standard deviations below normative population mean. Results Stroke patients had a mean CIR of .61, compared with .48 for TIAs and .44 for stroke-risk-only. Analysis of variance revealed that CIRs of stroke-risk-only patients but not TIAs were lower than those of the stroke patients (P=.02). Impairment frequencies were at least 50% for stroke patients on most test scores. The Symbol Digit Modalities Test (75% impairment) and a design fluency measure distinguished stroke from nonstroke patients. CIR was not related to stroke severity in the stroke patient sample, but was related to estimated premorbid intelligence. Conclusions Executive function deficits are common in stroke patients. The data suggest that limitations in information processing due to these deficits may require environmental and procedural accommodations to increase rehabilitation benefit.
Forage Bermudagrass Cultivar Responses to Inoculations with Exserohilum rostratum and Bipolaris spicifera and Relationships to Field Persistence

In the southeastern USA, bermudagrass [Cynodon dactylon (L.) Pers.] is a principal species to which animal wastes are applied for nutrient removal. Diseases caused by Exserohilum, Bipolaris, and Curvularia spp. may limit its effectiveness for this purpose. This study evaluated responses of seven forage bermudagrass cultivars (Alicia, Brazos, Coastal, Common, Russell, Tifton 44, and Tifton 85) to two pathogens, E. rostratum (Drechs.) Leonard & Suggs and B. spicifera (Bain) Subram., and persistence of cultivars with natural infection in the field. All cultivars were susceptible to both pathogens with foliar inoculations, but differed in degrees of susceptibility. Alicia was highly susceptible to both pathogens. Coastal was least susceptible to B. spicifera, but no cultivar was consistently least susceptible to E. rostratum. Persistence of cultivars for up to 1 yr in the field differed and appeared related to both sod density and susceptibility to pathogens. Dense sods appeared to enable cultivars to generate more top growth and compensate for disease losses. Common, Coastal, and Tifton44bermudagrassesweremostpersistentinthefield;Tifton85and Alicia were least persistent. Results indicate that resistance to dematiaceous hyphomycetous pathogens, along with a strong sod-forming ability, is desirable in forage bermudagrass cultivars to sustain their persistence and productivity on animal waste application sites.
Stress Hormones, Proinflammatory and Antiinflammatory Cytokines, and Autoimmunity

Recent evidence indicates that glucocorticoids and catecholamines, the major stress hormones, inhibit the production of proinflammatory cytokines, such as interleukin (IL)-12, tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha, and interferon (IFN)-gamma, whereas they stimulate the production of antiinflammatory cytokines, such as IL-10, IL-4, and transforming growth factor (TGF)-beta. Thus, systemically, an excessive immune response, through activation of the stress system, stimulates an important negative feedback mechanism, which protects the organism from an "overshoot" of proinflammatory cytokines and other products of activated macrophages with tissue-damaging potential. Conversely, in certain local responses and under certain conditions, stress hormones actually may boost regional immune responses, through induction of TNF-alpha, IL-1, and IL-8, and by inhibiting TGF-beta production. Therefore, conditions that are associated with significant changes in stress system activity, such as acute or chronic stress, cessation of chronic stress, severe exercise, and pregnancy and the postpartum period, through modulation of the systemic or local pro/antiinflammatory cytokine balance, may suppress or potentiate autoimmune diseases activity and/or progression.
Characterization and monitoring reaction of polyurethane dendritic wedges and dendrimers using matrix‐assisted laser desorption/ionization time‐of‐flight mass spectrometry

The purity of polyurethane dendritic wedges from first generation through fourth generation was verified by employing matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOFMS). First and third generation polyurethane porphyrin dendrimers, and tri-core dendrimers obtained by attachment of the corresponding dendritic wedges to a porphyrin and to 1,3,5-benzenetricarboxylic acid, were also mass analyzed by MALDI measurements. The spectra were acquired in both reflectron and linear mode. Due to the ease and speed of the analysis, MALDI-TOF also proved to be a powerful tool in monitoring the progress of the reaction which can provide significant informative results that can be useful in designing and optimizing the synthesis. Copyright © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Ribosomal RNA of the primitive eukaryote Giardia lamblia: large subunit domain I and potential processing signals.

Abstract The cytoplasmic ribosomal RNA (rRNA) from the intestinal protozoan, Giardia lamblia, is unusually short; the large subunit (LS) and small subunit RNA and the 5.8S RNA are only 70–80% of the length found in typical protozoa, and are even smaller than most of their prokaryotic counterparts. Flanking regulatory DNA and processed rRNA sequences are similarly compact in size. To shed light on the origins and implications of this ‘minimal’ rRNA, the nucleotide sequence encoding the 5.8S RNA and domain I of LS RNA was determined. Secondary structure analysis revealed that an evolutionarily variable internal hairpin is partially ‘deleted’ in G. lamblia 5.8S RNA; the 3′-terminal pairing with LS RNA is conserved. Previously characterized eukaryotic ‘expansion’ regions are extensively shortened within the LS RNA; in one case, a hairpin is precisely ‘deleted’. The short sequences flanking the mature 5.8S RNA that are removed by RNA processing (ITS 1 and ITS2) are C-rich; our analysis suggests that the sequence GCGCCCC, in a hairpin configuration, may function as the processing signal.
The public rhetoric of Mikhail Gorbachev and the promise of peace

This essay examines some of the rhetorical choices of General Secretary Mikhail Gorbachev which dramatize Soviet calls for nuclear weapons de‐escalation. Two Burkean dramas are identified. In the first, nuclear weapons must be disarmed so that the world may survive, and in the second, nuclear technology is presented as a roadblock to socialism. Another version of the second drama envisions imminent Soviet economic collapse due to the expense of the arms race. The essay concludes by speculating that Gorbachev's peace efforts are sincere, because they are motivated by twin crises of a failing economy and a threatened world community.
Role Development in the Managed Care Era: A Case of Hospital-Based Nursing

Managed care poses numerous opportunities and challenges for today's health care organizations and their employees. This article investigates the ways that hospital nurses develop and make sense of their professional roles and organizational environments in a changing and often uncertain managed care setting. The case study approach used in this research combined qualitative methodologies to gain a rich, detailed, and contextual understanding of nurses' work roles and organizational experiences. After an analysis of interviews with 24 nurses and observations of nurses' communicative activities on one inpatient unit, the complexity of sensemaking and role development in a managed care environment is considered. Conclusions are then drawn regarding the theoretical and pragmatic implications of nurses' communicative processes, as they attempted to develop and understand their roles in a changing organizational context.
Extubating Mrs. K: psychological aspects of surrogate decision making.

Mrs. K is a thirty-one-year-old Russian-speaking mother of two, who was brought in by ambulance after attempting suicide by jumping in front of train. Probable depression x months. Stressor: lost custody battle over older child. Current status: deep coma, ventilator-dependent, and prognosis grim. Next of kin is estranged husband; he demands participation in medical decision making. Legal proxy is patient's boyfriend; forcibly removed from the intensive care unit (ICU) for agitated behavior and alcohol intoxication.
Clustering by means of a Boltzmann machine with partial constraint satisfaction

The clustering problem refers to the partitioning of target sightings into sets. Two sightings are in the same set if and only if they are generated by sensor detections of the same target and are in the same great circle arc (GARC) trajectory of that target. A Boltzmann machine is developed whose sparse architecture provides for only partial constraint satisfaction of the associated cost function. This together with a special graphics interface serve as an aid in determining GARCs. Our approach differs from others in that the neural net is built to operate in conjunction with a non-neural tracker. This further restricts the architectural complexity of the network and facilitates future experimentation regarding decomposition of the neural net across several Von Neumann processors. Also, the Boltzmann machine architecture eases the effort of finding optimal or near optimal solutions. Results are presented. The demonstrated feasibility of neural GARC determination encourages investigation into the extension of its role in the track formation process utilizing an environment that includes supercomputers, neurocomputers, or optical hardware. The network architecture is capable of identifying a host of geometric forms other than GARCs and can thus be used in several domains including space, land, and ocean.
Factorial Ecology in Space and Time: An Alternative Method

An experiment conducted by Taylor and Parkes (1975) to investigate the factorial ecology of a city within a time—space framework is reexamined by means of an alternative method. The original experiment used common-factor analysis (a two-mode procedure) in a three-mode problem. Using the published data of this experiment, the new method, Individual Differences Scaling (INDSCAL), identifies two major dimensions and defines their importance for each of the time periods being considered. INDSCAL has a greater potential as such a method, since it is capable of analyzing problems of up to seven-mode in nature.
Sepsis as a modulator of adaptation to low and high carbohydrate and low and high fat intakes.

Sepsis as a modulator of adaptation to low and high carbohydrate and low and high fat intakes
Polyethylene wear after total elbow arthroplasty.

Background: Articular wear is considered to be a possible long-term complication of the use of stemmed, coupled elbow replacements with the capacity to correct deformity and restore function. There have been no reports on this topic, to our knowledge.Methods: A review of the results of 919 replaceme
Tube bundle flows with the large Eddy simulation technique in curvilinear coordinates

Abstract Large Eddy simulation (LES) of a three-dimensional tube bundle at Reynolds number of 21,700, based on the inlet velocity and the tube diameter was performed. The numerical predictions were compared with available data. The calculations are consistent with the experimental data. The `flapping' effect in the tube wake was captured. This investigation indicates that the large Eddy simulation technique can be utilized as a tool in predicting the unsteady behavior of flow in some industrial applications.
The minor transitions in hierarchical evolution and the question of a directional bias

The history of life shows a clear trend in hierarchical organization, revealed by the successive emergence of organisms with ever greater numbers of levels of nestedness and greater development, or ‘individuation’, of the highest level. Various arguments have been offered which suggest that the trend is the result of a directional bias, or tendency, meaning that hierarchical increases are more probable than decreases among lineages, perhaps because hierarchical increases are favoured, on average, by natural selection. Further, what little evidence exists seems to point to a bias: some major increases are known – including the origin of the eukaryotic cell from prokaryotic cells and of animals, fungi and land plants from solitary eukaryotic cells – but no major decreases (except in parasitic and commensal organisms), at least at the cellular and multicellular levels. The fact of a trend, combined with the arguments and evidence, might make a bias seem beyond doubt, but here I argue that its existence is an open empirical question. Further, I show how testing is possible.
Isolation of acutely transforming subgroup J avian leukosis viruses that induce erythroblastosis and myelocytomatosis.

Avian leukosis virus of subgroup J (ALV-J), isolated in the late 1980s, predominantly causes myelocytic myeloid leukosis in meat-type chickens. In the past few years, we have observed the occurrence of lesions indicative of erythroblastosis in ALV-J-infected flocks and, in this paper, we report the isolation of ALV-J strains from such flocks. Three of these isolates were acutely transforming viruses, as shown by their ability to transform bone marrow cell cultures. The bone marrow cultures transformed by these virus isolates were very similar to the myeloid cells transformed by the ALV-J strain 966. However, the infection of meat-type chickens with these isolates either as embryos or as 1-day-old chicks resulted in the induction of erythroblastosis as well as myelocytomatosis. Other histopathological changes observed in the inoculated birds included neoplastic lesions such as cholangioma and testicular cell tumour, and non-neoplastic lesions such as lymphomyeloid hyperplasia. This report demonstrates that...