cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Accuracy and Variability of Prostate Multiparametric Magnetic Resonance Imaging Interpretation Using the Prostate Imaging Reporting and Data System: A Blinded Comparison of Radiologists.

Abstract Background Multiparametric (mp) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has become an important tool for the detection of clinically significant prostate cancer. However, diagnostic accuracy is affected by variability between radiologists. Objective To determine the accuracy and variability in prostate mpMRI interpretation among radiologists, both individually and in teams, in a blinded fashion. Design, setting, and participants A study cohort (n = 32) was created from our prospective registry of patients who received prostate mpMRI with subsequent biopsy. The cohort was then independently reviewed by four radiologists of varying levels of experience, who assigned a Prostate Imaging Reporting and Data System (PI-RADS) classification, blinded to all clinical information. Consensus interpretation by teams of two radiologists was evaluated after a 12-wk wash-out period. Interpretive accuracy was calculated with various cutoffs for PI-RADS classification and Gleason score. Variability among individual radiologists and teams was calculated using the Fleiss kappa and intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC). Results and limitations Using PI-RADS 3+/Gleason 7+ (p Conclusions At various cutoffs for PI-RADS classification and Gleason score, we find significant differences in individual radiologist accuracy, as well as a poor agreement among individual radiologists. Consensus interpretations—as teams of two radiologists—did not improve accuracy or reduce variability. Patient summary This study investigated radiologist variability and differences in accuracy using multiparametric magnetic resonance imaging for the diagnosis of prostate cancer. Despite attempts to standardize interpretation within the field, we found substantial variability and significant differences in accuracy among individual radiologists.
Hunter-gatherer genomes reveal diverse demographic trajectories following the rise of farming in East Africa

Abstract A major outstanding question in human prehistory is the fate of hunting and gathering populations following the rise of agriculture and pastoralism. Genomic analysis of ancient and contemporary Europeans suggests that autochthonous groups were either absorbed into or replaced by expanding farmer populations. Many of the hunter-gatherer populations persisting today live in Africa, perhaps because agropastoral transitions occurred later on the continent. Here, we present the first genomic data from the Chabu, a relatively isolated and marginalized hunting-and-gathering group from the Southwestern Ethiopian highlands. The Chabu are a distinct genetic population that carry the highest levels of Southwestern Ethiopian ancestry of any extant population studied thus far. This ancestry has been in situ for at least 4,500 years. We show that the Chabu are undergoing a severe population bottleneck which began around 40 generations ago. We also study other Eastern African populations and demonstrate divergent patterns of historical population size change over the past 60 generations between even closely related groups. We argue that these patterns demonstrate that, unlike in Europe, Africans hunter-gatherers responded to agropastoralism with diverse strategies.
Energy efficient middleware for dynamic data driven application systems

Middleware is required to support and interface multi-modal Dynamic Data Driven Application Systems (DDDAS) with back-end and other computing facilities. Middleware is also needed to support distributed simulations and emulations needed in earlier phases of system development. This work describes the Green Runtime Infrastructure (G-RTI), an energy-efficient client server based middleware developed to support distributed DDDAS simulation, emulation and deployment. G-RTI eases and accelerates the development and testing of multi-modal studies, testbeds and DDDAS systems. It serves as a platform for research in energy reduction techniques for middleware services. The services implemented by G-RTI are described and results of benchmarking studies are reported. Its application is demonstrated through a use-case for an end-to-end implementation of a connected vehicle application. G-RTI is open source.
To Dream the Impossible Dream, To Read the Unreadable Script: Cataloging Non-English Books

A preview of a book currently in press with ATLA Press, Tackling the Foreign-Language Backlog: Transcription and Romanization for theAccidental Foreign-Language Cataloger, together with the author's description of how book came to be written.
Detecting Concealed Information in Text and Speech

Motivated by infamous cheating scandals in the media industry, the wine industry, and political campaigns, we address the problem of detecting concealed information in technical settings. In this work, we explore acoustic-prosodic and linguistic indicators of information concealment by collecting a unique corpus of professionals practicing for oral exams while concealing information. We reveal subtle signs of concealing information in speech and text, compare and contrast them with those in deception detection literature, uncovering the link between concealing information and deception. We then present a series of experiments that automatically detect concealed information from text and speech. We compare the use of acoustic-prosodic, linguistic, and individual feature sets, using different machine learning models. Finally, we present a multi-task learning framework with acoustic, linguistic, and individual features, that outperforms human performance by over 15%.
Relativistic Lasers and High Energy Astrophysics

Two of the most enigmatic and interesting high energy astrophysical phenomena of recent years are those of gamma ray bursts (GRB) and extremely high energy cosmic rays (EHECR). Each of these problems provides an opportunity to better understand the Universe through it and yet challenges our understanding of its physical processes. Central to these problems is their extreme high energy (or density). They may imply highly nonlinear physical processes. For example, copious high energy tail Ƴ particles in GRB are of such a problem. Meanwhile, apparent coincidence of some EHECR’s beyond the Greisen cutoff are another. It is possible that underlying in these high energy (density) phenomena is highly nonlinear, collective and compact acceleration mechanism. We present a possible microscopic emission mechanism of a gamma ray burst (GRB). We examine two fundamental dynamical processes of high-density matter that can be responsible for GRB emission in a merge of neutron stars. They are Quark-Gluon Plasma (QGP) formation and photonic acceleration processes due to mode-conversion of an Alfven wave. High gravitational potential and collective pressure on neutrons, when neutron stars merge, can raise the temperature of neutron matter above 200 MeV. This could cause a QGP phase transition coupled with a relativistic expansion that proceeds without losing too much thermal energy into neutrino pairs. Ultra-relativistic gamma rays and electrons are the natural ejecta from the decay of relativistic mesons in a very fast hadronization process from the QGP fluid. In both QGP and electron-photon plasma, the high magnetic fields and Lorentz factors of the injected particles can induce mode-conversion of Alfven wave to an Electromagnetic (EM) wave in a merge of neutron-stars.
Nephron-Sparing Robotic Radiosurgical Therapy for Primary Renal Cell Carcinoma: Single-Institution Experience and Review of the Literature

Abstract Purpose We report our single-institution stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) experience on stage I renal cancer with prospectively collected toxicity and efficacy data. Methods and Materials A total of 21 patients with solitary renal tumors, including 14 surgical candidates who refused surgery (66%), were treated with SBRT. Histologic confirmation was obtained on all patients before treatment; 2 had transitional cell carcinoma and 19 had renal cell carcinoma. The median age was 71 years (range, 58-88). Nearly all patients received 48 Gy in 3 fractions. Results The median follow-up was 78 months (range, 5-107). At 5 years post treatment, the local tumor control rate was 100%. Tumor size decreased by a median value of 5.3% at 1 year post treatment, 15.6% at 2 years post treatment, and 15.4% at 5 years post treatment. Glomerular filtration rate had decreased by a median value of 1.5% at 1 year post treatment, 7.0% at 2 years post treatment, and 14.2% at 5 years post treatment. Three patients experienced grade 1 toxicity; no other treatment-related adverse effects were reported. Conclusions SBRT is a promising noninvasive treatment in the management of primary renal cell carcinoma, with evolving clinical evidence demonstrating encouraging results with respect to local control and toxicity.
Effect of post-deformation annealing on the microstructure and micro-mechanical behavior of Zn–Mg hybrids processed by High-Pressure Torsion

Abstract Heterostructured metals have attracted increasing interest because of their unique capability to overcome the strength-ductility tradeoff typically observed in engineering materials. Here, a new strategy for synthesizing heterostructured Zn–Mg hybrids is proposed via high-pressure torsion (HPT) followed by post-deformation annealing (PDA). Experimental results indicate a transition from a relatively homogenous nanograined structure after HPT, to a heterogeneous microstructure, containing a distribution of Mg2Zn11 and MgZn2 intermetallic nanoprecipitates, upon subsequent PDA. This led to a simultaneous increase in hardness and strain rate sensitivity. The observed three-regime strain hardening behavior was suggested to be due to the activation of multiple strengthening mechanisms, including grain refinement, in-situ precipitation, and back-stress strengthening associated with geometrically necessary dislocations. Thus, the mechanical response of Zn–Mg hybrids may be tailored to obtain the desired response for task-specific applications.
They May Disapprove, but I Still Love You: Attachment Behaviors Moderate the Effect of Social Disapproval on Marital Relationship Quality

The degree of approval for a relationship from one's social network has been shown to predict relationship outcomes. Additional research has shown that attachment can buffer the negative effects of various factors (e.g., depression) on relationships. Using an actor-partner interdependence model in an SEM framework, we research the effects of disapproval from parents and friends for one's relationship on marital relationship quality for self and partner in a sample of 858 married couples. We also examine whether each spouse's attachment behaviors can moderate these effects. Results indicated that one's own attachment behaviors moderate the effects of their own parents' and friends' disapproval on their self-reported relationship quality for both men and women. Partner's attachment behaviors moderate own friend's disapproval on self-reported relationship quality for men and women; additionally, the main effect of partner's friends' and parents' disapproval became nonsignificant with that test. The findings provide evidence that attachment behaviors of both partners play a role in buffering the negative effects of the social network disapproval on relationship outcomes. Clinical implications are discussed.
Race, representation, and assets forfeiture

Under forfeiture laws, law enforcement organizations seize billions of dollars a year from U.S. citizens based on demonstrated or suspected connections between the assets and criminal activity. Int...
Nanoengineering to achieve high efficiency practical lithium-sulfur batteries.

Rapidly increasing markets for electric vehicles (EVs), energy storage for backup support systems and high-power portable electronics demand batteries with higher energy densities and longer cycle lives. Among the various electrochemical energy storage systems, lithium–sulfur (Li–S) batteries have the potential to become the next generation rechargeable batteries because of their high specific energy at low cost. However, the development of practical Li–S batteries for commercial products has been challenged by several obstacles, including unstable cycle life and low sulfur utilization. Only a few studies have considered the importance of low electrolyte and high sulfur loading to improve the overall energy densities of Li–S cells. This article reviews the recent developments of Li–S batteries that can meet the benchmarks of practical parameters and exceed the practical energy density of lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) including areal sulfur loading of at least 4 mg cm−2, electrolyte to sulfur ratio of less than 10 μL mg−1, and high cycling stability of over 300 cycles. This review presents the advancements in each component in Li–S batteries, including the enhancement of the electrochemical properties of sulfur cathodes, lithium anodes, or electrolytes. Also identified are several important strategies of nanoengineering and how they address the practical limitations of Li–S batteries to compete against LIBs. Additionally, perspectives on fundamentals, technology, and materials are provided for the development of Li–S batteries based on nanomaterials and nanoengineering so that they can enter the market of high energy density rechargeable storage systems.
Behavioral Intervention in Tinnitus Management

Tinnitus is the presence of ringing or buzzing in the ears or head. Between 10% and 15% of Americans have some degree of tinnitus. There is no cure for tinnitus, which is a symptom of other problems, not a disease itself. Progressive tinnitus management, an intervention developed over the last 22 years, is described. CBT for tinnitus is a component of the intervention program.
Implementation of a Protocol for Peripheral Intravenous Norepinephrine: Does It Save Central Line Insertion, Is It Safe?

BackgroundCentral venous catheters (CVC) are generally recommended for norepinephrine administration due to risk of tissue ischemia. Early resuscitation, leading to decreased infusion duration, may...
Cognitive-behavioral therapy training for multidisciplinary inpatient psychiatric teams: A novel curriculum using animated simulations.

PROBLEM Nurses assume primary responsibility teaching children self-management skills, yet few of them have formal training in evidence-based treatments such as cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT). METHODS We developed a novel CBT training curriculum specifically tailored for nurses and other child psychiatric inpatient team members. The curriculum was anchored in three components: (1) a structured manual; (2) instructional videos of common clinical scenarios using animated simulations; and (3) interactive role-play exercises. The CBT curriculum was implemented through small group training sessions. We then conducted focus group sessions with the 20 participants to assess change in self-reported knowledge of, and utilization of CBT skills in clinical practice. FINDINGS The curriculum was well received by staff members, who found its content relevant and applicable to their daily inpatient work. Staff reported four main themes: (1) routine clinical care (feelings, challenges, and approaches); (2) CBT utility in practice; (3) CBT training components that facilitated learning of the discrete skills; and (4) professional development needs. CONCLUSIONS We were able to implement the curriculum within the time and staffing constraints of a clinically active inpatient setting. Future refinements of the model will include videotaped interactions between expert clinicians and simulated patients in high acuity situations.
Leptogenesis and CPT violation

Abstract We construct a model in which neutrinos and anti-neutrinos acquire the same mass but slightly different energy dispersion relations. Despite CPT violation, spin-statistics is preserved. We find that leptogenesis can be easily explained within this model, without upsetting the solar, atmospheric and reactor neutrino data. Leptogenesis occurs without lepton-number violation and the non-equilibrium condition. We consider only three active Dirac neutrinos, and no new particles or symmetries are introduced.
A Carbolic Smoke Ball for the Nineties: Class-Based Affirmative Action

. 132. See id. The number in parenthesis represents the percentage of the total number of white and black families within each income category. November 1997] 232 LOYOLA OF LOS ANGELES LAW REVIEW Table 1 shows that 21% of black families have family incomes less than $10,000, compared to 6.8% of white families. Nevertheless, there are more than twice as many white families in this income category. At higher income levels, white families outnumber black families by even higher margins. Based on the income distribution alone, a school could maintain some racial diversity by setting aside spots for students coming from those income levels where whites do not greatly outnumber blacks. For example, among all families earning less than $10,000, whites outnumber blacks by approximately two to one. Thus, a school could conceivably set aside 30% of its admission offers for applicants from that income level, with the assumption that 10% of its class would be comprised of black students from the lowest income level." As the number of blacks gaining admission through the non-set-aside portion increases, the target percentage of poor blacks decreases.1" 2. Test scores by race and income There are a number of hidden assumptions in analyzing test scores by race and income. The major problem with such an approach is that it assumes the academic profiles of all low-income students are comparable. Empirical evidence belies this assumption.' At every income level, whites outscore blacks on standardized tests 133. The 30% set-aside would be divided into 20% for poor whites and 10% for poor blacks. The set-aside would actually be even greater, since the example given in the text does not take into account Asians and Latinos. However, as most of the literature tends to discuss affirmative action issues in white/black terms, I do so as well. See supra note 14 and accompanying text. 134. Mathematically, the formula would work as follows: S = [(W + B) / B] x T where: W = the total number of white families in the income level(s) considered for preferential treatment; B = the total number of black families in the same income level(s); T = the target percentage of black students among the general population; and S = the necessary percentage of spots to be set aside for class-based admissions. For example, where a school seeks 10% black students through a set-aside and the school selects $10,000 to be the class-based admissions limit, using the census statistics yields: T = .10, W = 3,974,000, B = 1,700,000, and S = 33.4%. 135. See Sturm & Guinier, supra note 53, at 989 (showing that the combined SAT score of the lowest-income whites is 869 compared to 675 for blacks in the same income bracket). [Vol. 31:213 CLASS-BASED AFFIRMATIVE ACTION
The Magic Lotus Lantern and Other Tales from the Han Chinese

Reviewed Medium: book Authors: Haiwang Yuan Year: 2006 Pages: 268 Publisher: Libraries Unlimited ISBN: 978-1-59158-294-6 (hard cover). Prices: 35(hard cover).
Rate-matching packet scheduler for real-rate applications

A packet scheduler is an operating system component that controls the allocation of network interface bandwidth to outgoing network flows. By deciding which packet to send next, packet schedulers not only determine how bandwidth is shared among flows, but also play a key role in determining the rate and timing behavior of individual flows. The recent explosion of rate and timing-sensitive flows, particularly in the context of multimedia applications, has focused new interest on packet schedulers. Next generation packet schedulers must not only ensure separation among flows and meet real-time performance constraints, they must also support dynamic fine- grain real-location of bandwidth for flows with variable-bit- rate requirements. Unfortunately, today's packet schedulers either do not support rate and timing sensitive flows, or do so with reservation systems that are relatively coarse-grain and inflexible. This paper makes two contributions. First it shows how bandwidth requirements can be inferred directly from real-rate flows, without requiring explicit specifications from the application. Second, it presents the design, implementation and performance evaluation of a rate-matching packet scheduler that uses these inferred requirements to automatically and dynamically control the bandwidth allocation to flows.
Ontario defies US firm's genetic patent, continues cancer screening.

The Ontario government is challenging the right of a Utah-based genetics company to stop Canadian laboratories from performing predictive genetic testing for 2 breast cancer genes for which the US company holds patents. Lawyers for Myriad Genetics asserted the Salt Lake City firm's patent rights to
Race, Gender and "Difference": Representations of "Third World Women" in International Development

Abstract This paper analyses images of international development through a study of the ways in which development representations produce and circulate “ difference ” with respect to women and the developing world. Through both overt and subtle narratives, representations of women as “different,” “distant” and “other” construct both the object and subject of development. The paper discusses the process by which racialization operates in development through gender as a signifying practice. Based on a doctoral study of communication materials of Women in Development (WID) images produced by the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA), the paper analyses images of women of the developing world in communication materials attached to major campaigns during the Women in Development (WID) period. WID represents an important legacy of today’s prevalent images of women in development. The paper situates this legacy within the colonial roots of development and its representations, which include historical constructions of the "third world woman" that intricately reproduce a range of colonial images and practices. Images of "third world women" have become development’s most eminent symbol, yet many continue to communicate static and predictable views about the developing world.
Evaluation of Compton contamination events in an actively shielded Ge gamma-ray detector

An expression has been developed which gives the flux of unvetoed Compton-contamination events for a particular source measurement using an actively shielded gamma-ray telescope. By use of suitable approximations, this expression reduces to simpler functions which have been evaluated for some recent measurements of the Crab nebula. It has been shown that for the exposures typical of balloon-borne observations, and a reasonably efficient anti-coincidence system (>50%), the non-photopeak component of the detected source energy-loss spectrum can be neglected.
The Bori and I: Reflections of a Mature Anthropologist

On one or two occasions in the field, I have felt in the presence of some sort of power or phenomenon that I could not readily explain—or explain away. In my published papers, especially in my early years, I tended to gloss over these incidents, assuming the appropriate professorial distance from them. As I aged in the profession, I occasionally talked about these events in a half-joking manner, probing my colleagues somewhat indirectly to discern whether they, too, had experienced something beyond the ordinary in the midst of their work. Many, it seems, had. Their stories varied from the truly incomprehensible to the somewhat charming. The former, I admit, I still view with more than a modicum of skepticism. The latter intrigue me, and I, at least, wish them to be true. My own brush with the unusual falls into the category of things I wish to be true.
Identification of a 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid synthase gene linked to the female (F) locus that enhances female sex expression in cucumber

Sex determination in cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.) is controlled largely by three genes: F, m, and a. The F and m loci interact to produce monoecious (M_f_) or gynoecious (M_f_) sex phenotypes. Ethylene and factors that induce ethylene biosynthesis, such as 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylate (ACC) and auxin, also enhance female sex expression. A genomic sequence (CS-ACS1) encoding ACC synthase was amplified from genomic DNA by a polymerase chain reaction using degenerate oligonucleotide primers. Expression of CS-ACS1 is induced by auxin, but not by ACC, in wounded and intact shoot apices. Southern blo hybridization analysis of near-isogenic gynoecious (MMFF) and monoecious (MMff) lines derived from divers genetic backgrounds revealed the existence of an additional ACC synthase (CS-ACS1G) genomic sequence in the gynoecious lines. Sex phenotype analysis of a segregating F2 population detected a 100% correlation between the CS-ACS1G marker and the presence of the F locus. The CS-ACS1G gene is located in linkage group B coincident with the F locus, and in the population tested there was no recombination between the CS-ACS1G gene and the F locus. Collectively, these data suggest that CS-ACS1G is closely linked to the F locus and may play a pivotal role in the determination of sex in cucumber flowers.
Evidence that apatite crystals of rat incisor enamel have hexagonal cross sections

Images of nearly cross sectioned enamel crystals obtained with the transmission electron microscope were examined in detail and correlated with various possible cross-sectional shapes of the crystals. The following images were seen: 1) elongated hexagons with sharp outlines, maximal density, and minimal size (type A profile); 2) elongated hexagons with one pair of long sides of high contrast, two pairs of short sides of low contrast, high density in the center of the image, and low density towards the low contrast sides (type B profile); 3) slanted hexagons with one pair of high contrast sides, two pairs of low contrast sides (one pair of long, one pair of short sides), and the density decreasing from the center towards the low contrast sides (type C profile); this profile was seen more frequently than the type B profile; and 4) octagons with low contrast edges all around, the density decreasing from the center towards the edges (type D profile). Types B, C, and D profiles were larger than type A profiles. Similar crystal images have been described in the literature. When tilting a specimen in increments of 6 degrees, the transformation of type A to type C and type C to type D profiles was observed. Many crystal images did not change their shape greatly when tilting the section through 6 degrees. No rectangular or rhomboidal profiles were seen. It is argued that types A, B, C, and D profiles cannot be generated by apatite crystals with a parallelepiped cross section. They are easily explained, however, on the basis of crystals with hexagonal cross section.
Thyroid depressant activity in bovine fraction VI.

SummarySome very active samples of BFrVI have shown marked ability to depress thyroid function as measured by the conversion ratio. Careful examination of these samples has shown that there is little or no iodine in the serum fraction, so the presence of thyroxine or any other iodine-containing calorigenic substance cannot be used to explain these results. The possibility that either versene or barium ions, both used in preparation of fraction VI, are responsible for this activity has been discounted. The higher sensitivity of the Sprague-Dawley female rat in comparison with the Holtzman male rat in this bio-assay has been demonstrated. Further studies are in progress attempting to elucidate the nature of this thyroid depressant in bovine fraction VI.
Social Scientists: Making a Difference

One of the canons of writing that is often repeated is that if you write, you should write about something you know about. I will apply that belief to my comments today. I will talk about something...
A PARTIAL DIFFERENTIAL EQUATION FOR THE CHARACTERISTIC FUNCTION OF THE RESPONSE OF NON-LINEAR SYSTEMS TO ADDITIVE POISSON WHITE NOISE

Abstract A method has been developed for finding the characteristic function φ(u,t) =Eexp iu′X(t) of the solutionX(t) of a non-linear stochastic differential equation driven by Poisson white noise. Poisson white noise can be viewed as a sequence of independent identically distributed pulses arriving at Poisson times. If the drift is a polynomial ofX(t) and the diffusion is independent of this process, φ(u,t) satisfies a partial differential equation that can be solved numerically. Two approaches are used to establish the partial differential equation of the characteristic function ofX(t). The first approach is based on a generalized version of the Ito differentiation formula for stochastic differential equations with Poisson white noise. The second approach uses elementary arguments to determine the rate of change of φ(u,t) in time. Linear and non-linear systems subjected to Poisson white noise are used to demonstrate and evaluate the proposed method. The solutionX(t) of a linear differential equation with Poisson white noise is a filtered Poisson process and the characteristic function for this type of process is available in closed form. It is shown that the characteristic function of the filtered Poisson processX(t) satisfies the partial differential equation of φ(u,t). Because the characteristic function of the stateX(t) of a non-linear system subjected to Poisson white noise is not known, numerical solutions of the partial differential equation of φ(u,t) are compared with estimates of this characteristic function calculated from independent realization ofX(t) obtained by Monte Carlo simulation. These comparisons show that the proposed method for calculating the characteristic function ofX(t) as the solution of a partial differential equation is accurate.
Circulating tumor cells as prognostic marker in metastatic breast cancer

Testing for circulating tumor cells has emerged as a new and promising tool for stratifying and monitoring patients with metastatic disease. Appropriate risk and biologic stratification in breast cancer is important for the development of more effectively tailored targeted therapies. To optimize patient care, it is important for the clinicians to rely on validated and robust tools able to provide accurate predictive and prognostic information for each patient at any time during treatment. The recent demonstration that the presence of circulating tumor cells predicts the prognosis at any time during the treatment of patients with metastatic breast cancer raises the possibility that this approach will allow for a true ‘biologic staging’ of the disease. Important questions regarding the biological characteristics of cells and the reasons for the reduced capacity of systemic treatments to arrest or eradicate the cancer were raised. A further study suggests that comprehensive analysis of circulating tumor cell...
The Corporate Crimes of Dow Chemical and the Failure to Regulate Environmental Pollution

A case study of Dow Chemical Company using scholarly research, journalistic investigations, and government documents reveals the existence of the criminogenic corporate-state. The Corporate-State manages and regulates itself with limited interference from the Environmental Protection Agency and in the form of Dow Chemicals is responsible for numerous environmental crimes both nationally and globally all of which have been linked to numerous health, labor and economic problems. Future researchers are encouraged to undertake similar case studies to expose the Corporate-State and the criminal harms done to ordinary citizens for the sake of profit.
Airbridged high-speed AlGaAs-GaAs ridge waveguide lasers

The design of a high modulation response multiple-quantum-well ridge waveguide laser in AlGaAs-GaAs, with low parasitics is discussed. The device was fabricated on a semi-insulating substrate with a wide top contact, and airbridges have been used to connect the ridge top contact to the bonding pads on the semi-insulating substrate. The 3-dB frequency response of the laser has been measured to be 21 GHz, which is a record for unstrained quantum-well AlGaAs-GaAs lasers.
Membrane targeting of RecA during genetic transformation

Recombination in prokaryotes and eukaryotes is mediated by the RecA family of proteins. Although the interactions between RecA and DNA are well studied, the cellular location of these interactions is not known. Using genetic transformation of Streptococcus pneumoniae as a model system, there was increased expression of a protein, colligrin, and RecA, products of the rec locus during genetic transfer. These proteins formed a complex and were found associated with the membranes of genetically competent cells. With immunoelectron microscopy and subcellular fractionation, we showed that the induction of competence led to the translocation of RecA and colligrin to the membrane and to the formation of clusters of RecA in a colligrin-dependent step. Based on the behaviour of colligrin and RecA during genetic exchange and the numerous proteins in prokaryotes and eukaryotes with domains similar to colligrin, we suggest that there may exist a family of proteins, which gathers macromolecules at specific sites in biological membranes.
Toward spatial understanding of environmentally-based voluntary groups

Abstract An attempt is made in this paper to complement existing analyses of voluntary groups by outlining some additional explicitly spatial dimensions which, it is argued, can be useful in examining those organizations with a land use or environmental focus. The distinction is drawn between groups which have direct spatial links and those with indirect spatial links; the hierarchical subdivision of space is considered; the role of scale and its relation to perception and desired use of areas is addressed; and the importance of considering the resolution scale of land use and environmental conflicts noted.
Effect of polybasic acids on structure of aluminum hydroxycarbonate gel

The effect of oxalic acid, citric acid, and their sodium salts on the structure of aluminum hydroxycarbonate gel was studied to illustrate the various mechanisms by which polybasic acids interact with aluminum hydroxycarbonate gel. Analysis of changes in the pH-stat titrigram, the carbonate to aluminum ratio, the aluminum content of the supernate following centrifugation, and the adsorption of the organic solute indicates that polybasic acids may: (a) partially neutralize the aluminum hydroxycarbonate gel by a general acid effect, (b) modify the aluminum hydroxycarbonate surface by adsorption of the anionic form of the polybasic acid, (c) extract aluminum by the formation of a soluble complex, and (d) lead to the precipitation of a new crystalline phase.
Sparse Solutions Using Hash Storage

An efficient computer program which permits rapid calculations for solving a large sparse system of linear equations, which arise in most power system network problems, is described here. This procedure will have an application to any system having a similar admittance matrix to the power system, such as a weather prediction or transportation system. The basic powerful tool?direct hash technique? is used to store the nonzero elements of the sparse matrix. The two main features, triangular factorization of the given sparse matrix and use of this factored form to find the direct solution to the system, are used to estimate a post-transient steady state of a power system. Updating the node admittance matrix after a change in the system structure is also performed in factored matrix form. In both factoring the Jacobian and in changing the the system structure, the introduction of additional non-zero terms in a sparse matrix is easily handled without prior knoledge of the new locations.
Management of Palmer Amaranth (Amaranthus palmeri) in Glufosinate-Resistant Soybean (Glycine max) with Sequential Applications of Herbicides

Palmer amaranth (Amaranthus palmeri S. Wats.) is one of the most difficult weeds to control in soybean (Glycine max (L.) Merr.) in North Carolina. Research was conducted during 2010 and 2011 to determine if Palmer amaranth control and soybean yield were affected by soybean plant population and combinations of preemergence (PRE) herbicides followed by a single application of glufosinate postemergence (POST) versus multiple applications of glufosinate POST. Palmer amaranth was controlled more and soybean yield was greater when soybean was established at 483,000 plants in 3 of 4 experiments compared with soybean at 178,000 plants irrespective of herbicide treatments. In separate experiments, application of PRE herbicides followed by POST application of glufosinate or multiple POST applications of glufosinate provided variable Palmer amaranth control, although combinations of PRE and POST herbicides controlled Palmer amaranth the most and provided the greatest soybean yield. In 1 of 3 experiments, sequential applications of glufosinate were more effective than a single application. Yield was higher in 2 of 3 experiments when glufosinate was applied irrespective of timing of application when compared with the nontreated control. In the experiment where glufosinate was applied at various POST timings, multiple applications of the herbicide provided the best control and the greatest yield compared with single applications.
Epidermal Glands in Terminal Abdominal Segments of Female Heliothis virescens (F.) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae)

The terminal abdominal segments of Heliothis virescens (F.) have two areas of glandular tissue which may function in the production of a volatile sex pheromone. The first area, located in the intersegmental membrane between abdominal segments 8 and 9 + 10, has the form of a ventrolateral chevron. The second area, situated in the dorsal valves (papillae annales), is composed of columnar epidermal cells like those in the intersegmental membrane and of trichogenous glands associated with tubular setae.
Distance analysis helps to establish characteristic motifs in intron sequences.

Abstract Computer-assisted sequence analysis was applied to detect the most apparent nonrandom sequence motifs in eukaryotic introns. We describe in detail a method, which we call distance analysis, that we applied to the extensive study of 405 eukaryotic intron sequences. We observed very strong two-base periodicities for almost all tetranucleotides that are tandem repeats of nonhomopolymeric dinucleotides (the exception was GCGC and CGCG). We also observed, by using a fixed-point alignment method, that these periodic sequence motifs belong to large clusters of dinucleotides repeated tandemly as many as 15–35 times, which corresponds to the cluster lengths of 30–70 bases. We did not observe two-base periodicity of tetranucleotides in the collections of either 262 spliced eukaryotic exons or 107 bacterial genes. Instead, these sequences displayed strong three-base periodicity of some other tetranucleotides. These findings suggest that introns and exons display distinct sequence properties that can be used for mapping purposes.
THE REGION: ITS CONCEPTION, DESIGN, AND LIMITATIONS

ABSTRACT The region has long been a central yet elusive concept in geographic thinking. In their simplest expressions, regions are defined in terms of a single significant factor. Beginning with regions defined by two factors, and culminating in the “total” region, in which all possible factors are theoretically taken into consideration, the problems of factor significance, factor weighting, and factoral interaction become highly complex. The quasi-geometric interaction of two or three factors to produce significance or non-significance in a regional limit can be reduced to fairly simple relationships susceptible to visual apprehension. The problem of total definition of a region on any but the most superficial level, however, remains a challenge to geographic philosophy which may, in the final analysis, prove insurmountable.
Historical patterns for the grammatical marking of stance: A cross-register comparison

English has a rich supply of grammatical devices used to express “stance”: epistemic or attitudinal comments on propositional information. The present paper explores historical change in the preferred devices used to mark stance. By examining the entire system of stance devices, the study attempts to investigate the underlying patterns of change. Three major patterns are possible: 1) changes in social norms could result in speakers and writers expressing stance meanings to differing extents in different periods; 2) the grammatical system for the expression of stance could undergo change, showing an overall decline in the use of some grammatical devices, replaced by an increase in the use of other devices; 3) the patterns of use could undergo sharper register diversification over time, with particular stance devices taking on more specialized uses in particular registers. These possibilities are explored through corpus-based analysis of the written and speech-based registers in the ARCHER corpus, tracking the patterns of change across the past three centuries.
Re-examination of the relationship between age and fear of aging.

As is the case with fear of death, fear of aging may be multidimensional (Pollack, 1979). While it is difficult to say which dimension of anxiety about aging was measured, Lester, er al. (1979) found that senior citizens reported significantly less fear of. aging than did college students. Using data gathered from a mail questionnaire to a probability sample of adult Alabamians (1012 or 57.3% of those reached, Ma.. = 48.2 yr., SD = 16.7), personal concern about the consequences of being old measured with a four-item inde? (M = 12.1, SD = 3.6, coefficient alpha = .81) was not correlated with age ( r = .04, d f = 920, p > . I ) . Better to approximate the analysis used by Lester, et al. (1979), the sample was divided into five categories ( . I ) . Further, neither the linear (F = 1.3, d f = 1/918, fi > . I ) nor the nonlinear (F = 1.9, df = 3/918, f l > . I ) effects were statistically significant. The findings of this study cast some doubt on the generalizability of those presented by Lester, et al. (1979). Age does not appear to have a simple relationship with fear of aging when this is conceptualized as personal concern for the consequences of being old.
Fanny Fern: An Independent Woman

Fanny Fern is a name that is unfamiliar to most contemporary readers. In this first modern biography, Warren revives the reputation of a once-popular 19th-century newspaper columnist and novelist. Fern, the pseudonym for Sara Payson Willis Parton, was born in 1811 and grew up in a society with strictly defined gender roles. From her rebellious childhood to her adult years as a newspaper columnist, Fern challenged society's definition of women's place with her life and her words. Fern wrote a weekly newspaper column for 21 years and, using colorful language and satirical style, advocated women's rights and called for social reform. Warren blends Fern's life story with an analysis of the social and literary world of 19th-century America.
Validity of pilot Adult ADHD Self- Report Scale (ASRS) to Rate Adult ADHD symptoms.

Background. The goal of this study was to validate the pilot Adult ADHD Self-Report Scale (pilot ASRS) versus standard clinician ratings on the ADHD Rating Scale (ADHD RS).Method. Sixty adult ADHD patients took the self-administered ADHD RS and then raters administered the standard ADHD RS. Internal consistency of symptom scores was assessed by Cronbach's alpha. Agreement of raters was established by intra-class correlation coefficients (ICCs) between scales.Results. Internal consistency was high for both patient and rater-administered versions (Cronbach's alpha 0.88, 0.89, respectively). The ICC between scales for total scores was also high (0.84); ICCs for subset symptom scores were also high (both 0.83). There was acceptable agreement for individual items (% agreement: 43%–72%) and significant kappa coefficients for all items (p < 0.001).Conclusions. The pilot Adult ADHD Self-Report Scale symptom checklist is a reliable and valid scale for evaluating ADHD for adults and shows a high internal consistenc...
An alternative method for assessing early mortality in contemporary populations

Biological anthropologists are interested in a population's early mortality rates for a variety of reasons. Early mortality (infant or juvenile) is of obvious importance to those interested in demography, but early mortality statistics are useful for life history analysis, paleodemography, and human adaptability studies, among others. In general, the form of mortality statistics is derived from demography, where chronological age is the gold standard for statistical calculation and comparison. However, there are numerous problems associated with the collection, analysis, and interpretation of early mortality statistics based on age, particularly for anthropological research, which is often conducted in small or non-calendrical-age numerate populations. The infant mortality rate (IMR), for example, is notoriously difficult to determine in populations where accurate accounting of age is not routine, and yet it is widely used in demography, public health, medicine, and social science research. Here we offer an alternative to age-based early mortality statistics that makes use of human biologists' interest in, and skill at, assessing human growth and development. Our proposal is to use developmental stages of juveniles instead of relying exclusively on age as the basis for mortality statistics. Death or survival according to a developmental stage (such as crawling or weaning) may provide more accurate data that are also more closely related to the cause of death. Developmental stages have the added advantage of putting infants and children back at the center of the discussion of early mortality by focusing on their activities in relation to their environment. A case study from the Turkana population of Kenya illustrates the use of developmental stages in describing early mortality.
Brain parenchyma apparent diffusion coefficient alterations associated with experimental complex partial status epilepticus

The objective of this study was to evaluate whether water apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) measurements provide more specific information than T2-weighted MRI about the evolution of brain parenchyma lesions secondary to prolonged complex partial seizures. We measured the ADC in the brain of rats exhibiting prolonged complex partial seizures induced by intraperitoneal injection of kainic acid (KA). The animals were imaged with diffusion and T2-weighted MRI at 2 T from 3 h up to 9 days after KA injection. In the piriform cortex and amygdala, the T2-weighted MRI signal intensity appeared to be uniformly increased from 24 to 72 h after KA injection, and returned to normal by 9 days. In the same regions between 24 and 72 h, the ADC first decreased and then increased. The ADC changes were consistent with the known histopathologic alterations. In this complex partial seizure model, the ADC measurement provides more specific information than T2-weighted MRI about the histopathologic evolution of the lesions. This supports the proposal that diffusion MRI may be valuable for the evaluation of the neuropathologic sequelae in patients with multiple or prolonged seizures.