cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Primary enteric drainage of the pancreas allograft revisited

Abstract Background: Historically, primary enteric drainage (ED) of exocrine secretions in pancreas allografts was associated with a poor outcome, mostly as a result of infectious complications. On the other hand, bladder drainage (BD), which is presently used in the majority of institutions, is associated with substantial urologic morbidity. The aim of this study is to reassess the role of primary ED by reviewing our experience with ED versus BD in simultaneous pancreas-kidney transplantations. Study Design: The records of all pancreas-kidney transplantations performed between October 1990 and September 1996 were reviewed (n = 42). Enteric drainage was used in the last 16 (38%) and BD in the first 26 (62%). The BD and ED groups were comparable with respect to donor and recipient characteristics. Results: Length of stay for the transplantation (mean ± standard deviation) was significantly shorter with ED than with BD (12.9 ± 5.6 versus 20.4 ± 9.6 days, p=0.007). The total number of readmissions (1.7 ± 1.5 versus 1.2 ± 1.2 days, p=0.2) and the length of hospital stay in the first 6 months after discharge (13.7 ± 16.2 versus 10 ± 11.3 days, p=0.4) were similar between BD and ED. Complications requiring admission were distributed as follows in BD and ED recipients: recurrent/persistent urinary complications (46% versus 6%, p=0.01), dehydration (27% versus 6%, p=0.05), symptomatic graft pancreatitis (8% versus 6%, p=0.9), gastrointestinal disturbance (27% versus 12%, p=0.1), and wound infection (12% versus 19%, p=0.5). The duration of the operative procedure was shorter in ED than in BD (4.3 ± 0.9 versus 5.4 ± 0.8 hours, p=0.01). Reoperation during the initial transplantation stay was necessary in 23% of the patients having BD, compared with none having ED (p = 0.04). Similarly, fewer ED patients underwent reoperations compared with BD patients in the first 6 months after discharge (38% versus 69%, p=0.04). Hospital charges for ED were lower than for BD for the initial admission ($73,458 ± 17,103 versus $107,193 ± 32,965, p=0.001). Actuarial patient (96% versus 94%, p=0.6), kidney (85% versus 87%, p=0.9), and technically successful pancreas (90% versus 85%, p=0.6) survival rates at 1 year were similar for BD and ED. Conclusions: Our results indicate that, compared with BD, ED is associated with less morbidity and shorter hospitalization without compromising outcome. Primary ED is a viable alternative to BD in simultaneous pancreas-kidney transplantation. More clinical experience with careful cost-effectiveness analysis is needed to better assess the implications of primary ED.
Responding to the Disparities Between Disability Research and Aging Research

Despite the concentration of impairment and disability in older populations, disability studies and gerontology have emerged as distinct fields, with clear disparities in professional cultures, ins...
Elastic scattering of relativistic electrons by screened atomic nuclei

Abstract The effect of screening by atomic electrons on the scattering of relativistic electrons by heavy atoms has been computed numerically using different screening models. Exponential and Hartree potentials were used to simulate the screening. The asymmetry factor S(θ) and the differential scattering cross section d σ(θ) dΩ were computed at 15 degree intervals from 15° to 165°. We report here the results for (a) 121 keV electrons scattered by gold, Z = 79, using two exponential potentials of different range, (b) 79 keV (v/c = 0.5) electrons scattered by mercury, Z = 80, using exponential and Hartree fields, (c) 46 keV ( v c = 0.4 ) electrons scattered by mercury as in (b). The asymmetry factor S(θ) and d σ d Ω(θ) were computed using a partial wave expansion in which the phase shifts were obtained both by numerical integration of a suitably transformed Dirac radial equation and also computed in WKB approximation. The results are compared with corresponding calculations for the Coulomb field. In general the differences are no more than a few percent, but below 30° the screened field cross-sections are as much as 50% smaller.
Scaled Entity Search: A method for media historiography and response to critiques of big humanities data research

Search has been unfairly maligned within digital humanities big data research. While many digital tools lack a wide audience due to the uncertainty of researchers regarding their operation and/or skepticism towards their utility, search offers functions already familiar and potentially transparent to a range of users. To adapt search to the scale of Big Data, we offer Scaled Entity Search (SES). Designed as an interpretive method to accompany an under-construction application that allows users to search hundreds or thousands of entities across a corpus simultaneously, SES balances critical reflection on the entities, corpus, and digital with an appreciation of how all of these factors interact to shape both our results and our future questions. Using examples from film and broadcasting history, we demonstrate the process and value of SES as performed over a corpus of 1.3 million pages of media industry documents.
Multiferroic Behavior Associated with an Order−Disorder Hydrogen Bonding Transition in Metal−Organic Frameworks (MOFs) with the Perovskite ABX3 Architecture

Multiferroic behavior in perovskite-related metal−organic frameworks of general formula [(CH3)2NH2]M(HCOO)3, where M = Mn, Fe, Co, and Ni, is reported. All four compounds exhibit paraelectric−antiferroelectric phase transition behavior in the temperature range 160−185 K (Mn: 185 K, Fe: 160 K; Co: 165 K; Ni: 180 K); this is associated with an order−disorder transition involving the hydrogen bonded dimethylammonium cations. On further cooling, the compounds become canted weak ferromagnets below 40 K. This research opens up a new class of multiferroics in which the electrical ordering is achieved by means of hydrogen bonding.
Novel voltage clamp to record small, fast currents from ion channels expressed in Xenopus oocytes.

The present report describes a novel technique for voltage-clamping amphibian oocytes in which part of the membrane is isolated by a vaseline gap and the cytoplasmic fluid is exchanged by cutting or permeabilizing the remaining membrane. The main features of this open-oocyte, vaseline-gap voltage clamp are: (a) low current noise (1 nA at 3 kHz), (b) control of the ionic composition of both the internal and external media, (c) fast time resolution (20–100 microseconds time constant of decay of the capacity transient) and (d) stable recordings for several hours. These features allow reliable measurements of tail or gating currents and the new method is especially suitable when either of these currents must be measured to test the effects of mutations introduced into the cDNAs of cloned ion channels.
The critical temperatures of isomeric pentanols and heptanols

Abstract The critical temperatures of seven isomeric alcohols have been measured using the modified sealed tube method of Mogollon. The ampoule used in the Mogollon method was modified to allow easier handling and reproducible results to be obtained. The addition of an Apple IIe microcomputer to the apparatus made possible the recording of the temperature history of the fluid and the monitoring of successive meniscus disappearances and appearances with time. The critical temperatures were obtained by averaging the temperatures of meniscus disappearance and reappearance. The fill densities of the ampoules were approximately equal to the critical densities.
Reflecting at 30.4 and Antireflecting at 58.4 nm

Multilayer mirrors for 30.4nm can image the earth's magnetosphere using light from the sun's corona scattered off He+. Neutral He atoms scatter at 58.4nm. We will discuss the latest work in minimizing 58.4 reflection.
Metal-ion interactions and the structural organization of Sepia eumelanin.

Summary The structural organization of melanin granules isolated from ink sacs of Sepia officinalis was examined as a function of metal ion content by scanning electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy. Exposing Sepia melanin granules to ethelenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) solution or to metal salt solutions changed the metal content in the melanin, but did not alter granular morphology. Thus ionic forces between the organic components and metal ions in melanin are not required to sustain the natural morphology once the granule is assembled. However, when aqueous suspensions of Sepia melanin granules of varying metal content are ultra-sonicated, EDTA-washed and Fe-saturated melanin samples lose material to the solution more readily than the corresponding Ca(II) and Mg(II)-loaded samples. The solubilized components are found to be 5,6-dihydroxyindole-2-carboxylic acid (DHICA)-rich constituents. Associated with different metal ions, Na(I), Ca(II) and Mg(II) or Fe(III), these DHICA-rich entities form distinct two-dimensional aggregation structures when dried on the flat surface of mica. The data suggest multiply-charged ions play an important role in assisting or templating the assembly of the metal-free organic components to form the three-dimensional substructure distributed along the protein scaffold within the granule.
Studies on the nucleotide arrangement in deoxyribonucleic acids IX. Selective degradation of pyrimidine deoxyribonucleotides

Abstract The study of the sequence of purine nucleotides in deoxyribonucleic acids requires the availability of suitable preparations of apyrimidinic acid, i.e., of polydeoxyribophosphate chains retaining the purines of the parent DNA in unchanged sequence and proportions. For an understanding of the degradation of DNA a detailed knowledge and a complete balance of the hydrazinolysis of pyrimidine deoxyribomononucleotides were required. The course and the rate of the degradation by hydrazine of thymidylic and deoxycytidylic acids were studied under a variety of conditions. These nucleotides, when treated with anhydrous hydrazine, give rise to stoichiometric amounts of (a) urea; (b) the hydrazone of 2-deoxyribophosphate; and (c) a heterocyclic compound. The latter is 4-methyl-5-pyrazolone in the case of thymidylic acid, and 3(5)-amino-pyrazole in the case of deoxycytidylic acid. The hydrazone of the sugar phosphate is cleaved quantitatively with benzaldehyde to yield 2-deoxyribophosphate and benzalazine. The various breakdown products were identified by comparison with authentic preparations. The first-order reaction of the degradation with anhydrous hydrazine is completed at 60° within 1.5 h for deoxycytidylic acid and within 4 h for thymidylic acid. At 40°, the time required for completion is about 4 times as long. Other orienting experiments demonstrated that purine deoxyribonucleotides withstand the treatment with hydrazine; that aqueous hydrazine solutions at various pH values effect a slower and irregular degradation; and that the replacement of hydrazine by monosubstituted hydrazine derivatives, such as phenyl- or methylhydrazine does not yield the desired results.
Playing at Crusoe: Domestic Imperatives and Models of Motherhood in Robinson Crusoe-Inspired Toys and Novels for Girls

Carol Ryrie Brink’s Baby Island (1998/1937) draws directly from Daniel Defoe’s Robinson Crusoe (2007/1719) but revises the prototypical castaway novel by depicting two young girls who not only ensure their own survival but also mother four babies while cast away. Preceded by Crusoe-themed toys such as tea sets and paper dolls that allow girls to “play at” Crusoe and prepare for future motherhood, Baby Island extends Defoe’s narrative to demonstrate the compatibility of adventurous qualities with domestic roles. By framing an analysis of Brink’s novel with a historical examination of the early twentieth-century glorification of motherhood, the article shows how qualities typically associated with masculinity, such as pluck and resourcefulness, ultimately lend themselves well to a new model of robust maternity. Late nineteenth- through early-twentieth-century Crusoe-inspired toys and novels for girls appropriate and revise Defoe’s prototypical castaway to construct Crusoe as a figure that is capable of inspiring maternal ideals in girls.
Biochemical studies on sub-fractions of rat liver mitochondria

Abstract Highly purified mitochondria from rat liver were separated into six sub-fractions by differential centrifugation. The sub-fractions represent a spectrum from “heavy” to “very light” mitochondria. Enzymes representative of mitochondrial compartments were assayed to see whether functional differences occurred among the various mitochondrial sub-fractions. Respiratory control and NADH oxidase activity, both of which are indicators of mitochondrial structural integrity, were also measured. An enzyme marker for endoplasmic reticulum (glucose-6-phosphatase, G-6-Pase) was also assayed. Specific activities for monoamine oxidase (outer membrane marker), cytochrome oxidase (inner membrane marker) and malate-cytochrome c reductase did not vary within experimental error in all sub-fractions; similarly, for respiratory control and NADH oxidase activity. Malate dehydrogenase, a component of malate-cytochrome c reductase is located within the matrix surrounded by the inner membrane. Specific activity of adenylate kinase (located between the outer and inner membrane) decreased markedly from the “heavy” mitochondria to the “very light” fractions. Specific activity for G-6-Pase, very low in the “heavy” fractions, increased markedly in the “light” to “very light” fractions. Isopycnic density centrifugation on a linear sucrose density gradient of each of the fractions indicated that the correlation coefficient for the sucrose concentrations at which cytochrome oxidase and G-6-Pase activities peaked was 0.995. Thus the “light” to “very light” mitochondria may represent mitochondria whose outer membrane is still contiguous with the endoplasmic reticulum. Microsomes containing the endoplasmic reticulum peaked on the gradient at a significantly lower sucrose concentration than any of the mitochondrial sub-fractions. A buoyant effect of endoplasmic reticulum still attached to any of the mitochondrial sub-fractions would be expected to lower the density of attached mitochondria and thus give rise to “light” and “very light” mitochondria.
Perceived slant of binocularly viewed large-scale surfaces: A common model from explicit and implicit measures

It is known that the perceived slants of large distal surfaces, such as hills, are exaggerated and that the exaggeration increases with distance. In a series of two experiments, we parametrically investigated the effect of viewing distance and slant on perceived slant using a high-fidelity virtual environment. An explicit numerical estimation method and an implicit aspect ratio approach were separately used to assess the perceived optical slant of simulated large-scale surfaces with different slants and viewing distances while gaze direction was fixed. The results showed that perceived optical slant increased logarithmically with viewing distance and the increase was proportionally greater for shallow slants. At each viewing distance, perceived optical slant could be approximately fit by linear functions of actual slant that were parallel across distances. These linear functions demonstrated a fairly constant gain of about 1.5 and an intercept that increased logarithmically with distance. A comprehensive three-parameter model based on the present data provides a good fit to a number of previous empirical observations measured in real environments.
Association between milk protein gene variants and protein composition traits in dairy cattle

Abstract The objective of this study was to identify DNA markers in the 4 casein genes ( CSN1S1 , CSN1S2 , CSN2 , and CSN3 ) and the 2 major whey protein genes ( LALBA and LGB ) that show associations with milk protein profile measured by reverse-phase HPLC. Fifty-three single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) were genotyped for cows in a unique resource population consisting of purebred Holstein and (Holstein × Jersey) × Holstein crossbred animals. Seven traits were analyzed, including concentrations of α S -casein (CN), β-CN, κ-CN, α-lactalbumin, β-lactoglobulin, and 2 additional secondary traits, the total concentration of the above 5 milk proteins and the α S -CN to β-CN ratio. A substantial fraction of phenotypic variation could be explained by the additive genetic component for the 7 milk protein composition traits studied. Moreover, several SNP were significantly associated with all examined traits at an experiment-wise error rate of 0.05, except for α-lactalbumin. Importantly, the significant SNP explained a large proportion of the phenotypic variation of milk protein composition. Our findings could be used for selecting animals that produce milk with desired composition or desired processing and manufacturing properties.
Separation and analysis of promoter sites in bacteriophage lambda DNA by specific endonucleases.

Abstract Specific endonucleases from Hemophilus influenzae, H. parainfluenzae and H. aegyptius were used to separate fragments bearing only one of the various promoters in phage λ DNA. Fragments containing these promoters were characterized by comparative analysis on polyacrylamide gels of the digestion products from λ and a variety of deletion or deletion-substitution derivatives. A single endonuclease from H. influenzae, Hin-II, is shown to cleave the early leftward and rightward promoters, pL and pR, at the sites of cleavage of the operators, OL and OR, because the corresponding cleavage sites are specifically protected by the DNA-dependent RNA polymerase. With altered pL (mutations sex1 and sex3), the cleavage in the corresponding promoter is abolished. With X13, a mutation that presumably inactivates pR, the cleavage in OR still occurs.
Chapter 8. Industry Rules: From Deregulation to Self-Regulation

A major point of contention between Japan and its trading partners has long been the issue of market access and competition. For decades, foreign companies have complained about an "uneven" playing field and limited access to Japan's large, affluent market due to industrial policy, implemented by the Ministry of Economy, Trade, and Industry (METI) and other ministries to uphold vast regulations and protect domestic producers. Foreign governments, in particular that of the United States, backed their domestic corporate interests by initiating a series of trade negotiations intended to increase market access, beginning with agriculture and then progressing to manufacturing, transportation, telecommunication, and the service and financial industries. 1 The Japanese government responded to these pressures with a process of seemingly never-ending "regulatory reforms." This chapter argues that the result of this extended process is a prime example of permeable insulation.
Social Network: JAZ Protein Interactions Expand Our Knowledge of Jasmonate Signaling

Members of the family of JAZMONATE ZIM-DOMAIN (JAZ) proteins are key regulators of the jasmonate (JA) hormonal response. The twelve-member family is characterized by three conserved domains, an N-terminal (NT) domain, a TIFY-containing ZIM domain, and a C-terminal Jas domain. JAZ proteins regulate JA-responsive gene transcription by inhibiting DNA-binding transcription factors in the absence of JA. JAZ proteins interact in a hormone-dependent manner with COI1, the recognition component of the E3 ubiquitin ligase, SCF(COI1), resulting in the ubiquitination and subsequent degradation of JAZs via the 26S proteasome pathway. Since their discovery in 2007, JAZ proteins have been implicated in protein-protein interactions with multiple transcription factors. These studies have shed light on the mechanism by which JAZs repress transcription, are targeted for degradation, modulate the JA signaling response, and participate in crosstalk with other hormone signaling pathways. In this review, we will take a close look at the recent discoveries made possible by the characterization JAZ protein-protein interactions.
Pharmacokinetics of intraperitoneal doxorubicin in combination with systemic cyclophosphamide and cis-platinum in the treatment of stage III ovarian cancer.

Abstract The pharmacokinetics of intraperitoneal doxorubicin in three previously untreated patients with ovarian cancer are described. All patients were maximally cytoreduced (largest residual tumor ⩽2 cm). The average total body clearance (TBC) was 16.3 ml/kg/min (range 10.6–20.4 ml/kg/min) and the mean volume of distribution (V D ) was 42.4 liter/kg (range 27.6–46.9 liter/kg). Half-life of elimination (T12β) was 2.6 hr. In spite of a therapeutic advantage of 60 when administered intraperitoneally, prohibitive local toxicity limited the use of doxorubicin via the intraperitoneal route in patients with ovarian cancer.
Finding My Way to Electronic Health Records

The recent oil spill off the Gulf Coast may prove to be one of the great environmental challenges of our lifetime. It is yet another devastating blow to the Gulf region, a place I call home. My heart goes out to the people there who are concerned about how this latest disaster will affect their livelihood and their health. Though the full effects of the spill remain to be seen, already the health needs of Gulf Coast inhabitants are increasing during this time of crisis. Physicians in the area will need to adapt and find innovative ways to efficiently deliver . . .
General Formulation of Characteristic Time for Persistent Chemicals in a Multimedia Environment

A simple yet representative method for determining the characteristic time a persistent organic pollutant remains in a multimedia environment is presented. The characteristic time is an important attribute for assessing long-term health and ecological impacts of a chemical. Calculating the characteristic time requires information on decay rates in multiple environmental media as well as the proportion of mass in each environmental medium. The authors explore the premise that using a steady-state distribution of the mass in the environment provides a means to calculate a representative estimate of the characteristic time while maintaining a simple formulation. Calculating the steady-state mass distribution incorporates the effect of advective transport and nonequilibrium effects resulting from the source terms. Using several chemicals, they calculate and compare the characteristic time in a representative multimedia environment for dynamic, steady-state, and equilibrium multimedia models, and also for a single medium model. They demonstrate that formulating the characteristic time based on the steady-state mass distribution in the environment closely approximates the dynamic characteristic time for a range of chemicals and thus can be used in decisions regarding chemical use in the environment.
Differences in Conversational Skills as a Function of Attachment Style: A Follow-up Study

A recent set of studies demonstrated that people evaluate their own and their partner's social skills differently as a function of attachment style. The present study extends this work by examining attachment-style differences in four conversational skills—expressiveness, composure, other-orientation, and interaction management—as rated by observers. To test for attachment-style differences, romantic couples were videotaped as they discussed relational problems or conflict issues. Based on a pretest, one of the romantic partners was targeted as representative of the secure, dismissive, fearful avoidant, or preoccupied attachment style. Two dimensions related to attachment—anxiety and avoidance—were also investigated in regard to their relations with conversational skills. Results suggest that the behavioral profiles largely reflect attachment theoretical assumptions for secures, dismissives, and fearful avoidants, and to a lesser extent, preoccupieds.
Association of platelet counts on presentation and clinical outcomes in ST-elevation myocardial infarction (from the TIMI Trials).

Platelet activation and aggregation play pivotal roles in the thrombotic process of acute coronary syndromes. However, data regarding platelet count and its association with clinical outcomes in the setting of ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) are limited. We hypothesized that higher platelet counts on presentation would be associated with poorer clinical outcomes. Data from 10,793 patients with STEMI in the Thrombolysis In Myocardial Infarction (TIMI) trials database were analyzed. Mean platelet count on presentation was 254.8 x 10(3)/microl. Higher platelet counts were associated with higher rates of adverse clinical outcomes at 30 days. In a multivariable analysis that adjusted for confounders of platelet counts (age, gender, weight, diabetes, and smoking), higher platelet counts remained associated with an increased risk of the combined end point of death, reinfarction, and congestive heart failure. With a reference group of platelet counts 400 x 10(3)/microl. Further, a greater decrease in follow-up platelet counts (compared with baseline values) was independently associated with an increased risk of reinfarction at 30 days (odds ratio 1.44 for every decrease of 100 x 10(3)/microl unit of platelets, 95% confidence interval 1.13 to 1.82, p = 0.03). In conclusion, in STEMI, a higher platelet count on presentation was independently associated with adverse clinical outcomes, whereas a greater subsequent platelet count decrease was associated with an increased risk of reinfarction.
Surface Patch Reconstruction From “One-Dimensional” Tactile Data

This paper studies the reconstruction of unknown curved surfaces through finger tracking. A patch can be generated from tactile data points along three concurrent surface curves under the Darboux frame estimated at the curve intersection point. Surface fitting while minimizing the total (absolute) Gaussian curvature effectively prevents unnecessary folds otherwise expected to result from the use of such "1-D" data. The implementation involves a two-axis joystick sensor, a three-fingered 4-DOF BarrettHand, and a 4-DOF Adept SCARA robot. Experiments have demonstrated good accuracy of reconstruction.
Anomalous penetrant transport in glassy polymers V. Cyclohexane transport in polystyrene

Transport of liquid cyclohexane through well characterized, initially glassy, crosslinked polystyrene slabs was investigated. The samples were produced by bulk polymerization of styrene and divinyl benzene using benzoyl peroxide as an initiator at 90°C for 48 h; they had initial crosslinking ratios, X, between 0.005 and 0.025 mol DVB/mol styrene, initial thickness of 0.25 mm to 1.80 mm, and the aspect ratio was maintained above 10 to achieve one-dimensional transport. The results of cyclohexane uptake as a function of time were used to elucidate the effects of degree of crosslinking and sample geometry on the mechanisms of penetrant transport. These results were interpreted in terms of relaxational and diffusional mechanisms.
Self-restraint, self-examination: a historical perspective on restraints and ethics in psychiatry.

the often poorly paid and poorly educated attendants Hill relied on might pose greater dangers in modifying patients’ behavior than did the restraints themselves. Caught between the need to control certain behaviors, the realities of growing asylum populations and inadequately prepared staff, and the contradictions between the use of restraint and the reigning philosophy of moral insanity, leaders of treatment of the insane were often resigned to seeing restraint as a neces
“Number One in Europe”: The Startling Emergence of the Deutsche Mark, 1968–1969

The dollars—and pounds, and francs—came pouring in. Speculators and small savers across Western Europe raced to exchange their currencies for the Deutsche Mark. “Hot money” flowed into Germany at astounding rates. The reserves of West Germany's central bank, the Bundesbank, shot up by DM 9.4 billion ($2.15 billion) in the first three weeks of November 1968—with DM 7.3 billion arriving in just three days of trading. Airports in Germany barred exchanges of more than one hundred francs at a time; train stations in Zurich stopped accepting French notes altogether.
Stand-by current in PD-SOI pseudo-nMOS circuits

In this paper, we compare the stand-by leakage power of controlled-load pseudo-nMOS circuits to that of conventional CMOS and MTCMOS in a 0.13/spl mu/m dual V/sub T/partially-depleted SOI tehnology.
Challenges and opportunities in nano-scale VLSI design

Moore's law continues to drive the scaling of CMOS technology (Moore, 1965), The feature size of the transistor now has been shrunk well into nano-scale region (Bohr, 2002). A large single VLSI chip can contain over one billion transistors. The ever-increasing level of integration has enabled higher performance and richer feature sets on a single chip. This has led to the explosive growth of microelectronics industry over last decades. But as the geometry of the transistor is getting smaller and the number of transistors on a single chip grows exponentially, the power management for a state-of-the-art VLSI design has become increasingly important. To maintain the performance trend of the VLSI system as the technology scaling continues, many advanced design techniques, especially in power management, have to be employed in order to achieve a balanced design to meet platform and end-user needs.
Is that a bot running the social media feed? Testing the differences in perceptions of communication quality for a human agent and a bot agent on Twitter

Due to the growth and popularity of Twitter, automated programs that can tweet are increasingly developed and employed. In line with the Computers Are Social Actors (CASA) paradigm (Reeves & Nass, 1996), findings suggest that Twitterbots are perceived as credible, attractive, competent in communication, and interactional. Additionally, there were no differences in the perceptions of source credibility, communication competence, or interactional intentions between the bot and human Twitter agents. However, the source of the human Twitter agent was rated higher in attraction (social and task) than was the Twitterbot. Results are discussed in light of CASA. Implications for organizations that might employ Twitterbots are also addressed.
Comparison of BCH and convolutional codes in a direct sequence spread spectrum multiple access packet radio network

The authors compute an upper bound on the packet error probability induced in a direct-sequence spread-spectrum multiple access packet radio network when convolutional or BCH codes are used for the encoding of the packets. More specifically, an upper bound on the bit error probability is first developed. Then, this upper bound is used to compute upper bounds on the packet error probability for BCH codes. For convolutional codes, a simulator package has been built that makes it possible to compute upper bounds on the packet error probability by utilizing, as in the case of BCH codes, only the upper bound on the bit error probability. The simulator permits the user to enter such parameters as the constraint length, bit error probability, and decode depth of the utilized Viterbi decoder. At the end of its run the simulator produces the number and the specific positions of the bits that remained uncorrected by the Viterbi decoder from which the packet error probability can be determined. >
An Outbreak of Chronic Pneumonia and Polyarthritis Syndrome Caused by Mycoplasma Bovis in Feedlot Bison (Bison Bison)

Mycoplasma bovis was identified by a specific lesion, conventional bacterial culture, immunohistochemistry, and polymerase chain reaction in 2 feedlot bison found dead with severe, chronic, caseonecrotic pneumonia; polyarthritis; and laryngitis. On microscopic examination, pulmonary lesions were characterized by prominent, well-defined areas of caseous necrosis and bronchiectasis. Immunohistochemical analysis of lung exhibited staining in bronchiolar epithelium and in random areas of caseous necrosis. On gross examination, the laryngeal lesion observed in 1 animal was typical of changes seen in cases of calf diphtheria. Nasal swabs taken from 6 clinically ill bison from the same feedlot revealed 1 animal shedding M. bovis by the nasal route. No other pathogens were recovered from the pulmonary or laryngeal lesions; however, Mannheimia haemolytica was cultured from the nasal swabs of 2 clinically ill bison, although not from the animal found to be shedding M. bovis. Several other affected bison had swollen joints and exhibited lameness and a reluctance to move. Changes observed in dead and clinically ill bison from this feedlot are similar to what has been described in the literature as chronic pneumonia and polyarthritis syndrome in feedlot cattle caused by M. bovis. Based on the severity of the lesions, and the number of dead and affected animals, bison in a feedlot setting appear to exhibit sensitivity to infection with M. bovis.
Indoor Air Pollution: A Public Health Perspective

In developed and developing countries, indoor air pollutionis gaining increasing prominence as a public health problem. Time-activity studies and exposure surveys have shown the dominant contributions of indoor environments to population exposures for many pollutants. Mounting epidemiological evidence documents adverse health effects of indoor pollutants and risk assessments indicate that indoor carcinogens may contribute substantially to the population's burden of lung and other cancers. Unacceptable indoor air quality has also been identified as a common cause of symptoms. This paper addresses the public health problem posed by indoor air pollution, offering a schema for categorizing adverse health effects of indoor air pollution, and considers the complexiry of estimating the full scope of the problem
The Distribution of Gains from Technological Advance When Input Quality Varies

Empirical evidence about new corn production technology in Illinois supports the hypothesis that yield- and output-enhancing effects vary depending on whether technology is input (here, land) quality-dependent or independent. In turn, these differences affect the distribution of economic surplus from technology adoption across geographic regions with varying land quality. A competitive, market-clearing model for a traded commodity is used to estimate the gains in economic surplus from technological advance.
Near-field microscopy of photonic devices

Near-field scanning optical microscopy has been used to measure internal optical modes in photonic devices. By combining the standing mode period, transverse mode shape and decay constants, the values of all spatial components of the wavevector are determined.
Habitat use and recruitment: a comparison of long-term recruitment patterns among fish species in a shallow eutrophic lake, Oneida Lake, NY, U.S.A.

We analyzed inter-annual patterns in first-year abundance of 11 fish species in Oneida Lake, New York, USA, using trawl data collected from 1961 to 1997. We found two major recruitment patterns among the 11 species. One group (yellow perch, walleye, logperch and tessellated darter) decreased in abundance after the mid-1980s. These species are spring or early summer spawners with benthic juveniles. In the second group, most species increased during the early to mid 1980s (smallmouth bass, trout-perch, white bass, gizzard shad and freshwater drum), while two recruited episodically (white perch and pumpkinseed). These species spawned later than the first group and juvenile habitat use was variable. We investigated three specific mechanisms which could explain these patterns (1) competition with young-of-year (YOY) yellow perch, the dominant fish species in the lake, (2) buffering of predation by walleye by YOY yellow perch, and (3) correlation with water temperature and productivity (indexed through total phosphorus levels, TP). Buffering from predation by walleye was likely important for the species in the first group, as indicated by positive correlations between inter-annual abundance patterns of the four species. Even though species in the second group tended to increase as YOY yellow perch declined, we found little support for the competition hypothesis. Growth and abundance of these species were not significantly correlated with abundance of YOY yellow perch. Temperature was positively correlated with growth of 10 of the 11 species. Decreasing TP levels and associated changes in the lake could be causing a shift in the fish community, but the mechanism is not decreased food production. Pelagic zooplankton abundance, a direct link from nutrients to YOY fish production, has not declined since 1975.
Criteria for the design and characterization of large-area arrays for transskull ultrasound surgery and therapy

The concept of a noninvasive ultrasound transducer array for therapeutic and surgical procedures in the brain introduces a number of unique design and measurement considerations. The primary problem is to produce an array that can correct for the distortion of a focused beam caused by the skull bone and at the same time avoid significant skull heating during high power sonications. The number of array elements must be sufficient to correct for ultrasound diffraction and scattering, permit steering of the beam whether mechanically or electronically, and possess the ability to deliver therapeutic power levels. The surface area of the array must be large enough to minimize levels of skull heating to the point where it is safe for the patient as well as insignificant to cause severe changes in the acoustic properties of the bone. Further, the frequency must be optimized to allow for the maximum gain between the skull surface and the transducer. Each of these problems is addressed, resulting in a hemisphere-shaped transducer array design (r=150 mm) optimized in frequency (f=0.67 MHz) and element number (N=64). A second array (f=0.81 MHz, N=500 MHz) is designed to both restore the focus through the skull as well as electronically shift the beam.
A comparison of recall and summary protocols as measures of second language reading comprehension

The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of test method on the reading performance of two levels of early-stage L2 readers of French. L2 reading research examining test methods has focus...
Multiple pathways to knowledge generation: qualitative and quantitative research approaches in sport and exercise psychology

Quantitative and qualitative research approaches incorporate different research methodologies but also are structured, evaluated and justified using different philosophical bases. Thus, they may truly involve different ‘ways to know’. The purpose of this article is to present one quantitative scholar’s perceptions as to how the work produced by both sets of researchers can be used to enhance the teaching, advising and research process within sport and exercise psychology settings. Specifically, this article details how (a) the results of qualitative research studies can add to, as well as, challenge the knowledge produced by quantitative researchers; (b) the results of qualitative research studies can be used by quantitative researchers to design and refine their future research work and (c) a richer ‘line’ of research may be produced by those who use both research approaches.
Third World Theological Priorities

How does one properly account for the rise of theological ferment in the Third World, when so much of the theological activity in that region is so closely related to what happens (or fails to happen) in the First World? To what extent can the decisions of the Second Vatican Council, or the programs of the World Council of Churches, or the initiatives of the Mission Boards in North America, be given credit for the emergence of Third World theologies? Or how do we explain the paradox that in spite of two decades in the growth and development of local theologies in the Third World, much of the way in which Third World churches conduct their business and their worship still fails to reflect such developments? Who sets the priorities for theology in the Third World? What is the procedure for its validation and official acceptance? When does the local church know that it is safe to shift from the received tradition to the new tradition? All these are questions of farreaching significance, for they bear on the very heart of authentic Christianity as it is proclaimed and practised in the Third World. Third World Christians must determine for themselves when and how they will theologize in their own language, in which they were born (Acts 2.8). Third World theologians have stepped out in front and have taken some initiatives for themselves, and among themselves.
Data structure repair using goal-directed reasoning

Data structure repair is a promising technique for enabling programs to execute successfully in the presence of otherwise fatal data structure corruption errors. Previous research in this field relied on the developer to write a specification to explicitly translate model repairs into concrete data structure repairs, raising the possibility of 1) incorrect translations causing the supposedly repaired concrete data structures to be inconsistent, and 2) repaired models with no corresponding concrete data structure representation. We present a new repair algorithm that uses goal-directed reasoning to automatically translate model repairs into concrete data structure repairs. This new repair algorithm eliminates the possibility of incorrect translations and repaired models with no corresponding representation as concrete data structures.
Learning Variable Dependencies

In this chapter, our objective is to heuristically discover a simplified form of functional dependencies between variables called weak dependencies. Once discovered, these relations are used to rank the variables. Our method shows that these relations can be detected with some acceptable overhead during constraint propagation. More precisely, each time a variable y gets instantiated as a result of the instantiation of x, a weak dependency (x,y) is recorded. As a consequence, the weight of x is raised, and the variable becomes more likely to be selected by the variable ordering heuristic. Experiments on a large set of problems show that on the average search trees are reduced by a factor 3 while runtime is decreased by 31 % when compared against dom-wdeg, one of the best dynamic variable ordering heuristics.
Real-Time Analysis of Shear-Dependent Thrombus Formation and Its Blockade by Inhibitors of von Willebrand Factor Binding to Platelets

Two likely mechanisms for the initiation of arterial platelet thrombus formation under conditions of elevated fluid shear stresses are: (1) excessive adhesion and aggregation of platelets from rapidly flowing blood onto the exposed sub-endothelium of injured, atherosclerotic arteries; or (2) direct, fluid shear stress-induced aggregation of platelets in constricted arteries with intact endothelial cells. Mechanism (1) was simulated using a parallel plate flow chamber, fibrillar collagen type I-coated slides, and mepacrine-labeled (fluorescent) platelets in whole blood anticoagulated with citrate, hirudin, unfractionated porcine heparin, or low molecular weight heparin flowing for 1 to 2 minutes at wall shear rates of 100 to 3,000 seconds-1 (4 to 120 dynes/cm2). The precise sequence of interactions among von Willebrand factor (vWF), glycoprotein (GP)Ib, and GPIIb-IIIa during platelet adhesion and subsequent aggregation were resolved by direct real-time observation using a computerized epifluorescence video microscopy system. Adhesion at high shear rates was the result of the adsorption of large vWF multimers onto collagen and the binding of platelet GPIb to the insolubilized vWF. Aggregation occurred subsequently and required the binding of ligands, including vWF via its RGD binding domain, to GPIIb-IIIa. Mechanism (2) was modeled by producing shear stresses of 90 to 180 dynes/cm2 in a rotational cone and plate viscometer, which aggregates platelets from platelet-rich-plasma (PRP) anti-coagulated with citrate, hirudin, or either type of heparin in reactions that require large vWF multimers, Ca2+, adenosine diphosphate, and both GPIb and GPIIb-IIIa. Both vWF-mediated shear-aggregation in PRP and platelet-collagen adhesion in flowing whole blood (anticoagulated with citrate and hirudin) are inhibited by two potentially useful anti-arterial thrombotic agents: polymeric aurin tricarboxylic acid (ATA; 28.5 to 114 micrograms/mL), which binds to vWF and inhibits its attachment of GPIb, and a recombinant vWF fragment (rvWF445-733; 30 to 200 micrograms/mL) that binds to platelet GPIb (in the absence of any modulator) and blocks attachment of vWF multimers. Unfractionated heparin, but not low molecular weight heparin, apparently binds to rvWF445-733 and counteracts the inhibitory effects of the vWF fragment in vitro on shear-aggregation and platelet-collagen adhesion.
Social Constructivism in Science and Technology Studies

Berger and Luckmann’s concept of “social construction” has been widely adopted in many fields of the humanities and social sciences in the half-century since they wrote The Social Construction of Reality. One field in which constructivism was especially provocative was in Science and Technology Studies (STS), where it was expanded beyond the social domain to encompass the practices and contents of contemporary natural science. This essay discusses the relationship between social construction in STS and Berger and Luckmann’s original conception of it, and identifies problems that arose from indiscriminate uses of constructivism.
NIR polarimetry as a probe of the large-scale structure of the galactic magnetic field

H-band (1.6 μm) starlight polarimetry was used to test predictions of the large-scale symmetry of the Galactic magnetic field and to measure the Galactic magnetic pitch angle. Polarimetry was obtained with the Mimir instrument on the 1.8m Perkins Telescope outside of Flagstaff, AZ USA along a line of constant Galactic longitude for a range of Galactic latitudes. Comparison with all-sky predictions of starlight polarimetry allows significant rejection of disk anti-symmetric Galactic magnetic field geometries and favored disk symmetric geometries. The Galactic magnetic field pitch angle was also constrained to be p=–6±2° towards this direction.
Abstract 1223: Fibronectin induced lung cancer cell proliferation is dependent on induction of ILK through integrin B1-mediated activation of p38 MAPK and PI3-K

Fibronectin is a multi-functional matrix glycoprotein protein that has been linked to tumor progression. We previously demonstrated that cellular fibronectin (cFN) increased non-small cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC) cell growth through signals mediated by the integrin α5β1. Here, we explore the role of integrin-linked kinase (ILK), an integrin β1 subunit cytoplasmic domain interactor in cFN induced cell growth. We found that cFN increases ILK expression and kinase activity, promotes protein-protein interactions between ILK and integrin β1. Silencing of ILK attenuated the effect of cFN on cell proliferation. Knockdown of the integrin β1 subunit, but not the integrin α5, blocked the effect of cFN on ILK expression. In addition, the inhibitor of p38MAPK, SB239063, and the inhibitor of PI3-K, wortmannin, abrogated the effect of cFN on ILK expression, whereas the inhibitor of ERK, PD98059, had no effect. Taken together, our results demonstrate that fibronectin induces the expression of ILK through integrin β1-mediated signals that include p38 MAPK and PI3-K. This in turn, promotes lung carcinoma cell proliferation. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 101st Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2010 Apr 17-21; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2010;70(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 1223.