cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Individual Differences in the Stress and Workload of Sustained Attention

The effects of individual differences in dispositional pessimism and optimism, and choice of coping strategy, on performance, stress, and workload in vigilance tasks were investigated. Prior research indicated that pessimistic observers performed more poorly and experienced higher levels of stress than optimists. in addition, coping strategies employed by observers have been linked to the stress and workload associated with a variety of tasks. To date, no one has examined the relations among these variables in regard to vigilance within one study. Pessimism and optimism were found to be unrelated to performance, but predictive of both pre- and post-task stress and choice of coping strategy. There was also evidence that the influence of personality on post-task stress and choice of coping strategy may be mediated by pre-task state. Personality and coping strategies also influenced perceived workload.
RISK AND THE CAPITAL STRUCTURE OF THE FIRM

s of Doctoral Dissertations 121 Seventy-seven large manufacturing firms are ranked according to non-capital risk and according to three measures of leverage. Risk is estimated by the coefficient of variation of rate of return on total capital over the period 1947-56. Leverage in 1956 is measured first by the ratio of senior to junior capital at book value, then by the ratio of senior to junior capital at market value, and finally by the ratio of fixed charges to earning power. Each measure of leverage is found to vary directly with risk, contrary to what one would expect under the traditional hypothesis, but in no case is the association significant. Leverage and risk are simultaneously associated with size, with rate of return, and with growth. In no case does holding a third factor constant have an important effect on the relationship between risk and leverage. The latter associations, however, do yield one interesting relationship. The leverage ratio is found to decrease significantly with the rate of return on total capital. It appears that low-profit firms rely more heavily upon debt financing, either because they are less able to finance from earnings or because they have a greater incentive to employ levering as a means of raising the rate of return to
Laparotomy Versus No Laparotomy in the Management of Early-Stage, Favorable-Prognosis Hodgkin's Disease: A Decision Analysis

PURPOSE: To perform a decision analysis that compared the life expectancy and quality-adjusted life expectancy of early-stage, favorable-prognosis Hodgkin's disease (HD) managed with and without staging laparotomy, incorporating data on treatment outcomes of HD in the modern era. METHODS: We constructed a decision-analytic model to compare laparotomy versus no laparotomy staging for a hypothetical cohort of 25-year-old patients with clinical stages I and II, favorable-prognosis HD. Markov models were used to simulate the lifetime clinical course of patients, whose prognosis depended on the true pathologic stage and initial treatment. The baseline probability estimates used in the model were derived from results of published studies. Quality-of-life adjustments for procedures and treatments, as well as the various long-term health states, were incorporated. RESULTS: The life expectancy was 36.67 years for the laparotomy strategy and 35.92 years for no laparotomy, yielding a net expected benefit of 0.75 yea...
A Computational Model of Social Signalin

The author has proposed that unconscious voice, face, hand, and body gestures form a motion texture that convey social signals, and that these signals are an important determinant of human behavior by Pentland, A. (2004). In this paper, the author described the theoretical and computational framework that the author have developed for measuring social signaling, and survey the results obtained using this computational model for the perception of social displays
An Empirical Comparison of a Low-Deductible Health Plan With an HSA-Qualified Plan

The desire to control health care expenses has led to the increasing adoption of consumer-driven health plans. One such choice is between traditional low-deductible and health savings account (HSA)—qualified high deductible health plans. In this analysis the authors forecast medical expenses over a 40-year period to compare financial outcomes associated with each plan. Using realistic plan parameters and assumptions, the authors find that the HSA-qualified plan outperformed the traditional plan in 21 of 24 simulations. The framework provided in this article will assist employee benefits professionals in structuring appropriate plans and will assist employees in making appropriate health plan choices.
Suppressing GPR Clutter from Randomly Rough Ground Surfaces to Enhance Nonmetallic Mine Detection

This study attempts to quantify the ground penetrating radar rough ground surface clutter by numerical modeling of wave scattering, and establish a strategy to suppress the clutter for given test signals. The goal is to improve the GPR detection statistics for small, buried, low-contrast nonmetallic antipersonnel mines. Using a model of an experimentally measured impulse GPR signal, we simulate the ground surface and buried low-contrast mine target scattered responses. We employ a 2D finite difference time domain (FDTD) method to analyze the pulse shape, delay, and amplitude characteristics of the scattered waves—with and without buried nonmetallic mine targets—as a function of roughness parameters. Five hundred Monte Carlo simulations of various test cases of specified ground root mean square height and correlation length were run to generate statistics for the clutter and target signal variations. In addition, the effectiveness of identifying and removing the ground surface clutter signal for detecting subsurface targets is presented. Results indicate that even with moderate roughness, statistics can be generated to enhance the detection of small, shallow, low-contrast targets.
Resilience: Research evidence and conceptual considerations for posttraumatic stress disorder.

The growing recognition and occurrence of traumatic exposure in the general population has given increased salience to the need to understand the concept of resilience. More than just the "flip side" of a risk factor, the notion of resilience encompasses psychological and biological characteristics, intrinsic to an individual, that might be modifiable and that confer protection against the development of psychopathology in the face of stress. In this review, we provide some perspective on the concept of "resilience" by examining early use of the term in research on "children at risk" and discuss the relationship between risk and resilience factors. We then review psychological and biological factors that may confer resilience to the development of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) following trauma, examine how resilience has been assessed and measured, and discuss issues to be addressed in furthering our understanding of this critical concept going forward.
Pair Correlation Function Realizability: Lattice Model Implications †

Despite their long history in experiment, simulation, and analytical theory, pair correlation functions that describe local order in many-body systems still retain a legacy of mathematical mysteries. One such open question concerns “realizability” of a given candidate pair correlation function, namely whether it actually represents the pair correlation for some spatial distribution of particles at number densityρ >0. Several necessary conditions that must be satisfied by the candidate are known, including nonnegativity of the function and its associated structure factor, as well as constraints on implied local density fluctuations. However, general conditions sufficient to ensure realizability are not known. To clarify this situation, we have examined realizability for a simple one-dimensional lattice model, with single-site occupancy, and nearest-neighbor exclusion. By virtue of exhaustive enumeration for systems of 15 or fewer sites subject to periodic boundary conditions, several conclusions have been ...
Intranuclear cisternae resembling structures of the Golgi complex.

The presence of cytoplasmic structures, apparently inside the nuclei of neoplastic cells, has been observed repeatedly in the electron microscope (1). These structures, designated "nuclear pseudoinclusions" (1), are the result of cross-sections of cytoplasmic invaginations of the nuclear membrane. Their extranuclear origin is evident, since these structures are surrounded by a well defined, double, nuclear membrane. A situation different from these "nuclear pseudo-inclusions" is reported here.
Effects of a Nd—Fe—B magnetic filler on the crystallization of poly(phenylene sulfide)

The crystallization of poly(phenylene sulfide) (PPS) in a polymer–magnetic Nd—Fe—B powder suspension was studied. Isothermal crystallization behavior was analyzed by way of differential scanning calorimetry, and the kinetics were described via the Avrami equation. The Avrami parameters and the crystallization times were strongly affected by both the particle size and the presence of a coupling agent coated on the filler particles. The small Nd—Fe—B particles exhibited long induction and half-times, whereas the large particles tended to have short crystallization times. Particles ranging from 38 to 150 μ appeared to have similar crystallization times and to have no significant change in the value of Avrami index with melt crystallization temperature. As a result of these analyses, the dynamic mechanical properties were determined to correlate the fundamental polymer crystallization characteristics and the physical properties of the PPS binder. The enhancement of the wetting of the filler to the binder was promoted through the coupling agent, as confirmed by dynamic mechanical testing performed on the samples. The storage modulus typically decreased because of the presence of the uncoated small particles. Conversely, the loss modulus was enhanced because of the presence of the coated small particles in the PPS binder. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 83: 1091–1102, 2002
The collagen receptor discoidin domain receptor 2 stabilizes SNAIL1 to facilitate breast cancer metastasis

Increased stromal collagen deposition in human breast tumours correlates with metastases. We show that activation of the collagen I receptor DDR2 (discoidin domain receptor 2) regulates SNAIL1 stability by stimulating ERK2 activity, in a Src-dependent manner. Activated ERK2 directly phosphorylates SNAIL1, leading to SNAIL1 nuclear accumulation, reduced ubiquitylation and increased protein half-life. DDR2-mediated stabilization of SNAIL1 promotes breast cancer cell invasion and migration in vitro, and metastasis in vivo. DDR2 expression was observed in most human invasive ductal breast carcinomas studied, and was associated with nuclear SNAIL1 and absence of E-cadherin expression. We propose that DDR2 maintains SNAIL1 level and activity in tumour cells that have undergone epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), thereby facilitating continued tumour cell invasion through collagen-I-rich extracellular matrices by sustaining the EMT phenotype. As such, DDR2 could be an RTK (receptor tyrosine kinase) target for the treatment of breast cancer metastasis.
Synthesis, Stability and Mesomorphic Behavior of a Liquid Crystal containing a CF2 Unit Adjacent to a Thiophene Ring

Abstract The synthesis of a novel fluorinated liquid crystal 7 containing a thiophene ring in the aromatic core is discussed. Adjacent to the thiophene ring is a 1,1-difluoropentyl unit, which was introduced via DAST fluorination of an intermediate thienylketone. The difluoromethylene unit was incorporated with the aim of improving the stability of the electron-rich thiophene-containing core and increasing the dielectric biaxiality when compared to the non-fluorinated parent molecule. The material synthesized displays both the SA and the SF phases.
A Framework for Customizable Generation of Hypertext Presentations

In this paper, we present a framework, PRESENTOR, for the development and customization of hypertext presentation generators. PRESENTOR offers intuitive and powerful declarative languages specifying the presentation at different levels: macro-planning, micro-planning, realization, and formatting. PRESSENTOR is implemented and is portable cross-platform and cross-domain. It has been used with success in several application domains including weather forecasting, object modeling, system description and requirements summarization.
Direct-Writing of High-Aspect-Ratio Trenches in Silicon

Deep trenches have been etched in crystalline silicon with polarization-controlled, variable-curvature walls. Scan speeds of up to 10mm/s have been demonstrated. A model of the etching process has been developed which is based on a local, melt-enhanced etch rate. Comparisons of model predictions and experimental data are presented.
Nurses on a mission: a professional service learning experience with the inner-city homeless.

Abstract Nursing students can play a vital role in addressing the health care needs of the homeless. Through professional service learning experiences in community-based settings, students learn how to partner with key community leaders and agencies to meet the needs of underserved populations and provide culturally competent care to diverse populations. This article describes the development of a professional service learning experience with the homeless in which a community-academic partnership was created to meet community needs. In an era of declining health care resources, such innovative partnerships serve to reduce health disparities and improve access to care while preparing students for community-based practice with at-risk and vulnerable populations.
Predictability of adaptive evolution under the successive fixation assumption

Several recent experimental studies assessed the likelihood of all possible evolutionary paths between ancestral and evolved sequences. All of these studies measured the fitness of the intermediate genotypes and assumed that the advantageous genotypes fix in the population before acquiring the next adaptive mutation along the path. Unfortunately, the successive fixation assumption used by these studies is typically invalid, given that natural selection often maintain alleles at intermediate frequency by a variety of mechanisms such as frequency-dependent selection, local adaptation, clonal interference, and fitness overdominance. Here we simulate adaptive walks using Fisher's geometric model in diploid populations where previous work has shown that adaptation commonly generates balanced polymorphisms through overdominant mutations. We use these simulations to show that the use of the successive fixation assumption in this simple model is largely justified if the goal is to separate viable and inviable paths from each other. However, the estimates of the relative likelihoods of the viable paths become unreliable. We also show that the presence of balanced states along the true path significantly affects the number and likelihood distribution of viable paths when compared to walks without balanced states. These simple simulations highlight the importance of considering the effect of polymorphisms during adaptation especially given the prevalence of functional polymorphisms in natural populations.
Endoplasmic reticulum‐mediated signalling in cellular microdomains

The endoplasmic reticulum (ER) is a prime mediator of cellular signalling due to its functions as an internal cellular store for calcium, as well as a site for synthesis of proteins and lipids. Its peripheral network of sheets and tubules facilitates calcium and lipid signalling, especially in areas of the cell that are more distant to the main cytoplasmic network. Specific membrane proteins shape the peripheral ER architecture and influence the network stability to project into restricted spaces. The signalling microdomains are anatomically separate from the cytoplasm as a whole and exhibit localized protein, ion channel and cytoskeletal element expression. Signalling can also occur between the ER and other organelles, such as the Golgi or mitochondria. Lipids made in the ER membrane can be sent to the Golgi via specialized transfer proteins and specific phospholipid synthases are enriched at ER-mitochondria junctions to more efficiently expedite phospholipid transfer. As a hub for protein and lipid synthesis, a store for intracellular calcium [Ca2+ ]i and a mediator of cellular stress, the ER is an important cellular organelle. Its ability to organize into tubules and project into restricted spaces allows for discrete and temporal signalling, which is important for cellular physiology and organism homoeostasis.
Changes in form and position of the retinal elements of normal and transplanted eyes of Amblystoma larvæ occasioned by light and darkness

In order to investigate the changes occasioned by light and darkness in the retinal elements of a Urodele a series of experiments on large (37 to 45 mm.) larval and on recently metamorphosed individuals of Amblystoma was carried out. It was found that the pigment of these eyes undergoes a decided forward movement when the animals are transferred from darkness to light. In darkness most of the pigment is massed near the base of the epithelial cells, and only comparatively few needles extend into the protoplasmic processes between the visual cells. In light a decidedly greater amount of pigment moves toward the external limiting membrane so that the basal layer is thinner. Measurements of the distance from the external limiting membrane to the nearest pigment needle (or from the choroid edge of the epithelial cells to the farthest pigment needle) are practically the same in light and dark eyes, so that this kind of measurement gives no indication of the extent of movement of the pigment.The cones in the lig...
Henry Hughes, First American Sociologist

called "collective representations") peculiar to the field. We are impressed by the fact that many European writers, by contra'st, have been more inclined toward the development of well-rounded philosophies, comparatively complete in themselves. Examples of this are Tarde's Laws of Imitation, Gumplowicz' theory of Der Rassenkampf, Kropotkin's doctrine of Mutual Aid, Spann's Universalismus, and Oppenheimer's and Hobhouse's respective conceptions of the state and society. Space limitations prevent going further. The foregoing paragraphs have attempted to indicate some of the more striking points of comparison between the sociologies of the two continents. We differ in various ways in subject matter, in methods of discovery and presentation, in relation to schools and public life. Among us are divergent approaches and divergent emphases. But beneath all differences is a unity which binds us together into an increasing consciousness of interests that refuses to be restricted by limitations found in the national differences that on many fronts have so long produced political partisanship and international conflict. Sociology today cannot be successfully classified under nationalistic designations.
Factors Affecting Northern Fowl Mite Populations on Chickens: Effect of Age of Pullet at Time of Infestation and Effect of Caponizing Roosters

Pullets were infested with northern fowl mites (NFM), Ornithonyssus sylviarum (Canestrini and Fanzago), at 12, 16, 20, 24, and 28 weeks of age to determine the best age for infesting hens to obtain uniform heavy NFM populations and to determine if NFM infestations affected initial egg production. Populations of NFM were significantly heavier, developed faster, and declined faster when pullets were infested at 24 or 28 weeks of age than when infested at younger ages. The time of mean initial egg laying was not affected by infestation with NFM at any of the different ages. Cockerels caponized at 4 weeks of age carried significantly fewer NFM than did control males. Feather development appeared to play a significant role in the population levels of NFM on both the hens infested at the earlier ages and in the capons.
IDC Use Case Model Survey Version 1.1.

This document contains the brief descriptions for the actors and use cases contained in the IDC Use Case Model. REVISIONS Version Date Author/Team Revision Description Authorized by V1.0 12/2014 SNL IDC Reengineering Project Team Initial delivery M. Harris V1.1 2/2015 SNL IDC Reengineering Project Team Iteration I2 Review Comments M. Harris
FUNDAMENTALS FOR STEGANOGRPHY USING LEAST SIGNIFICANT BIT ALGORITHM

This paper development of multimedia and internet allows for wide distribution of digital media data. It becomes easier to edit, modify and duplicate digital information. It is a big security and privacy issue, it become necessary to find appropriate protection because of the significance, accuracy and sensitivity of the information. Steganography considers one of the techniques which used to protect the important information. The main goals for this paper to recognize the researchers for the main fundamentals of steganography. In this paper provides a general overview of steganography ,types, characterization of steganography techniques. The Least Significant Bit(LSB) is one of the main techniques in spatial domain image steganography. A new technique of LSB steganography has been proposed which is an improvised version of one bit LSB technique. This paper reviews the LSB algorithm used for image steganography to the security potential of steganography for business and personal use.
Increase in Local Protein Concentration by Field-Inversion Gel Electrophoresis

Proteins that migrate through cross-linked polyacrylamide gels (PAGs) under the influence of a constant electric field experience negative factors, such as diffusion and nonspecific trapping in the gel matrix. These negative factors reduce protein concentrations within a defined gel volume with increasing migration distance and, therefore, decrease protein recovery efficiency. Here, we describe the enhancement of protein separation efficiency for up to twofold in conventional one-dimensional PAG electrophoresis (1D PAGE), two-dimensional (2D) PAGE, and native PAGE by implementing pulses of inverted electric field during gel electrophoresis.
Side-effects and immunogenicity of Haemophilus influenzae type B polysaccharide vaccine in a multiethnic pediatric population.

Side-effects and immunogenicity of the Haemophilus influenzae type B polysaccharide vaccine (Hbpv) were reported following introduction in a multi-ethnic border population of 2- to 6-year-old U.S. military dependents. Eighty percent of 659 vaccinees were reported by parents to have no reactions within 48 hours following vaccination; 20% were reported to have local and/or systemic reactions. Each reaction was reported with one-fifth or less the frequency previously reported following DPT vaccination. Serologic data are presented on 114 of the vaccinees. The frequency of pre-vaccination levels reportedly associated with immunity ranged from a lower than expected 54% of 2-year-olds to an expected 86% of 5-year-olds. Post-vaccination levels reportedly associated with immunity ranged from a lower than expected 80% of 2-year-olds to an expected 93% of 5-year-olds. Of the 114 vaccines with serologic data, those with side-effects had serologic changes comparable to those without side-effects. There was no difference in side-effects or immunologic response across ethnic groups. Therefore, side-effects, immunologic responses, and ethnic group appear to be independent variables.
Localization of a cruciform cutting endonuclease to yeast mitochondria

We have found a cruciform cutting endonuclease in the yeast, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, which localizes to the mitochondria. This activity apparently is associated with the mitochondrial inner membrane since the activity is not released into solution by osmolysis, in contrast to the matrix enzyme, isocitrate dehydrogenase. The cruciform cutting activity appears to be encoded by CCE1. This gene has been shown to encode one of the major cruciform cutting endonucleases present in a yeast cell. In ccel strains, which lack CCE1 endonuclease activity, the mitochondrial cruciform cutting endonucleolytic activity is also absent. Since CCE1 is allelic to MGT1, a gene required for the highly biased transmission of petite mitochondrial DNA in crosses between ϱ+ and hypersuppressive ϱ− cells, it seems likely that the CCE1 endonuclease functions within mitochondria.
Watching a memory form-VSD imaging reveals a novel memory mechanism.

ABSTRACTStudies of the mechanisms underlying memory formation have largely focused on the synapse. However, recent evidence suggests that additional, non-synaptic, mechanisms also play important roles in this process. We recently described a novel memory mechanism whereby a particular class of neurons was recruited into the Tritonia escape swim network with sensitization, a non-associative form of learning. Neurons that in the naive state were loosely-affiliated with the network were rapidly recruited in, transitioning from variably bursting (VB) to reliably bursting (RB). Even after the memory had faded some new neurons remained, and some original members had left, leaving the network in an altered state. Further, we identified a candidate cellular mechanism underlying these network changes. Our study supports the view that brain networks may have surprisingly fluid functional structures and adds to the growing body of evidence that non-synaptic mechanisms often operate synergistically with changes at th...
Hydrous albite magmas at lower crustal pressure: new results on liquidus H2O content, solubility, and H2O activity in the system NaAlSi3O8–H2O–NaCl at 1.0 GPa

The system albite–H2O serves as an important model for the generation of granitic magmas, yet relatively few experimental investigations have focused on phase relations at high pressure. This study reports new experimental results, at 1.0 GPa and 690–1050 °C, on the temperature and liquid composition at vapor-saturated melting, the H2O content of undersaturated silicate liquids in equilibrium with albite, the solubility of albite in H2O–NaCl fluids immediately below the solidus, and the activity of H2O in hydrous NaAlSi3O8 liquids along the liquidus. Albite melts and dissolves congruently at all temperatures and salinities. In the NaCl-absent system, the temperature of vapor-saturated melting of low albite, confirmed by X-ray diffraction, is 695 ± 5 °C and the liquid composition is 18.14 ± 1.35 wt% H2O. The temperature dependence of the fluid-undersaturated liquidus curve in the system NaAlSi3O8–H2O varies with H2O wt% ( $$w_{{{\text{H}}_{2} {\text{O}}}}$$ ) according to $$T = - 2.0331 \times 10^{ - 3} w_{{{\text{H}}_{2} {\text{O}}}}^{3} + 1.6497w_{{{\text{H}}_{2} {\text{O}}}}^{2} {-} 58.963w_{{{\text{H}}_{2} {\text{O}}}} + 1235.5\,^{ \circ } {\text{C}}$$ indicating positive curvature in temperature-composition coordinates and a dry melting temperature of ~1235 °C. At 690 °C, immediately below the solidus, albite solubility decreases drastically with NaCl content of the fluid phase, from 8.8 ± 0.6 wt% in the NaCl-free fluid to ˂2 % at NaCl concentration of only 10 mol%. Experiments determining the activity of H2O ( $$a_{{{\text{H}}_{2} {\text{O}}}}$$ ) in liquids at vapor-saturated melting exploited low Cl solubility in liquids and low albite solubility in the presence of H2O–NaCl fluids. The maximum Cl content of quenched glasses, only 0.95 wt%, and very low albite solubility together make possible H2O activity measurement in melts equilibrated with NaCl–H2O solutions. When combined with activity data for H2O–NaCl fluids, experimentally determined $$a_{{{\text{H}}_{2} {\text{O}}}}$$ along the liquidus is described by $$T = - {469.16a_{{H_{2} O}}^{L}}^{{\frac{1}{2}}} {-} 93.382a_{{H_{2} O}}^{L} + 1235.5\;^\circ C.$$ At 1 GPa, H2O activities in hydrous albitic melts in H2O–NaCl fluids agree with those in the presence of H2O–CO2 fluids, provided appropriate fluid mixing data are used. Our results constrain an asymmetric regular solution model for the mixing of Na1/8Al1/8Si3/8O and H2O, yielding Margules parameters of W Ab = 25.56 ± 0.54 and $$W_{{{\text{H}}_{2} {\text{O}}}} = \, 10.50\; \pm \;0.74{\text{ kJ}}/{\text{mol}}$$ . The results imply critical mixing of liquid and vapor at ~1100 °C. Using existing speciation models, our results imply that H2O dissolved in hydrous albitic liquids is almost entirely in the form of molecular H2O (OH− concentration is negligible) at temperatures near vapor-saturated melting. The results provide a more complete experimental foundation for modeling the system NaAlSi3O8–H2O at high pressure.
Influence of Plasmid Type on the Replication of Rhodococcus equi in Host Macrophages.

ABSTRACT The soil-dwelling, saprophytic actinomycete Rhodococcus equi is a multihost, facultative intracellular pathogen of macrophages. When inhaled by susceptible foals, it causes severe bronchopneumonia. It is also a pathogen of pigs, which may develop submaxillary lymphadenitis upon exposure. R. equi isolates obtained from foals and pigs possess conjugative plasmids housing a pathogenicity island (PAI) containing a novel family of genes of unknown function called the virulence-associated protein or vap family. The PAI regions of the equine and swine plasmids differ in vap gene composition, with equine isolates possessing six vap genes, including the major virulence determinant vapA, while the PAIs of swine isolates house vapB and five other unique vap genes. Possession of the pVAPA-type virulence plasmid by equine isolates bestows the capacity for intramacrophage replication essential for disease development in vivo. Swine isolates of R. equi are largely unstudied. Here, we show that R. equi isolates from pigs, carrying pVAPB-type plasmids, are able to replicate in a plasmid-dependent manner in macrophages obtained from a variety of species (murine, swine, and equine) and anatomical locations. Similarly, equine isolates carrying pVAPA-type plasmids are capable of replication in swine macrophages. Plasmid swapping between equine and swine strains through conjugation did not alter the intracellular replication capacity of the parental strain, indicating that coevolution of the plasmid and chromosome is not crucial for this attribute. These results demonstrate that while distinct plasmid types exist among R. equi isolates obtained from equine and swine sources, this tropism is not determined by host species-specific intramacrophage replication capabilities. IMPORTANCE This work greatly advances our understanding of the opportunistic pathogen Rhodococcus equi, a disease agent of animals and immunocompromised people. Clinical isolates from diseased foals carry a conjugative virulence plasmid, pVAPA1037, that expresses Vap proteins, including VapA, essential for intramacrophage replication and virulence in vivo. The understudied R. equi isolates from pigs carry a related but different plasmid, pVAPB, expressing distinct Vap proteins, including VapB. In this work, we document for the first time that R. equi isolates carrying pVAPB-type plasmids are capable of intramacrophage replication. Moreover, we show that R. equi isolates carrying either plasmid type can replicate in both equine and swine macrophages, indicating that host species tropism is not due to species-specific intramacrophage replication capabilities defined by plasmid type. Furthermore, plasmid swapping between equine and swine strains did not alter intracellular replication capacity, indicating that coevolution of the plasmid and chromosome is not essential for intracellular growth.
Hemoglobin–oxygen affinity in high-altitude vertebrates: is there evidence for an adaptive trend?

In air-breathing vertebrates at high altitude, fine-tuned adjustments in hemoglobin (Hb)-O2 affinity provide an energetically efficient means of mitigating the effects of arterial hypoxemia. However, it is not always clear whether an increased or decreased Hb-O2 affinity should be expected to improve tissue O2 delivery under different degrees of hypoxia, due to the inherent trade-off between arterial O2 loading and peripheral O2 unloading. Theoretical results indicate that the optimal Hb-O2 affinity varies as a non-linear function of environmental O2 availability, and the threshold elevation at which an increased Hb-O2 affinity becomes advantageous depends on the magnitude of diffusion limitation (the extent to which O2 equilibration at the blood-gas interface is limited by the kinetics of O2 exchange). This body of theory provides a framework for interpreting the possible adaptive significance of evolved changes in Hb-O2 affinity in vertebrates that have colonized high-altitude environments. To evaluate the evidence for an empirical generalization and to test theoretical predictions, I synthesized comparative data in a phylogenetic framework to assess the strength of the relationship between Hb-O2 affinity and native elevation in mammals and birds. Evidence for a general trend in mammals is equivocal, but there is a remarkably strong positive relationship between Hb-O2 affinity and native elevation in birds. Evolved changes in Hb function in high-altitude birds provide one of the most compelling examples of convergent biochemical adaptation in vertebrates.
Image noise and dose performance across a clinical population: Patient size adaptation as a metric of CT performance

Purpose Modern CT systems adjust X-ray flux accommodating for patient size to achieve certain image noise values. The effectiveness of this adaptation is an important aspect of CT performance and should ideally be characterized in the context of real patient cases. The objective of this study was to characterize CT performance with a new metric that includes image noise and radiation dose across a clinical patient population. Materials and methods The study included 1526 examinations performed by three CT scanners (one GE Healthcare Discovery CT750HD, one GE Healthcare Lightspeed VCT, and one Siemens SOMATOM definition Flash) used for two routine clinical protocols (abdominopelvic with contrast and chest without contrast). An institutional monitoring system recorded all the data involved in the study. The dose-patient size and noise-patient size dependencies were linearized by considering a first-order approximation of analytical models that describe the relationship between ionization dose and patient size, as well as image noise and patient size. A 3D-fit was performed for each protocol and each scanner with a planar function, and the root mean square error (RMSE) values were estimated as a metric of CT adaptability across the patient population. Results The data show different scanner dependencies in terms of adaptability: the RMSE values for the three scanners are between 0.0385 HU1/2 and 0.0215 HU1/2 . Conclusion A theoretical relationship between image noise, CTDIvol , and patient size was determined based on real patient data. This relationship may be interpreted as a new metric related to the scanners' adaptability concerning image quality and radiation dose across a patient population. This method could be implemented to investigate the adaptability related to other image quality indexes and radiation dose in a clinical population.
Time and Relationship: Paternal and Maternal Tensions in Teacher Narratives

Grumet’s (1988) citing of the patriarchal project to “claim the child and teach him or her to master the language, the rules, the game and the names of the fathers” (p. 21) is highly reflective of today’s standards-based classrooms. In fact, the outer nodes of a classroom activity system (tools, rules, division of labor) (Engestrom 1999; Engestrom and Miettinen 1999) closely reflect Grumet’s patriarchal project. Meanwhile, Grumet (1988) cites the maternal project as “relinquish(ing) the child so that both mother and child can become more independent of one another” (p. 21), echoing teachers’ desires for students to become empowered in the classroom and to have choice and agency in their learning, creating a more fluid timeline of learning. This chapter privileges the voices of eight Kindergarten through second grade teachers, challenging this oversimplified binary. Through these teachers’ narratives a complex interrelationship is presented, strongly representing this pull between forces of the patriarchal and maternal projects.
The interrelationship of the anterior hypophysis and the ovaries: 2. Further Advances (June, 1929–June, 1931)

Abstract In a previous contribution (Fluhmann59), a review of the literature concerning the most outstanding recent advances in our knowledge of the physiology and pathology of the anterior hypophysis in its relation to the female genital organs, was given. Although only two years have elapsed the subject has engaged the attention of such an army of investigators and has resulted in the publication of such a large number of reports, as to warrant a second review covering the main achievements of this short period. As progress is made in unravelling the mysteries of the so-called “sex hormones,” one is astounded at the complexity of problems which have arisen in this connection, and in order to simplify this review it has seemed particularly desirable to indicate the trend of modern research on this subject rather than to attempt the presentation of a detailed list of all the contributions that have been made. For these reasons a number of references have been omitted, and the subject is considered under various subheadings, namely, (1) terminology, (2) the ovary-stimulating factors of the anterior hypophysis, (3) ovary-stimulating substances from extrahypophyseal sources, (4) the stimulation or inhibition of the anterior hypophysis by ovarian hormones, (5) the Aschheim-Zondek pregnancy test, (6) anterior pituitary hormone tests in nonpregnant conditions, and (7) the use of ovary-stimulating substances for therapeutic purposes. Although such work lies beyond the scope of this cursory review, attention must be directed to important contributions which have recently been made regarding the anterior hypophysis-thyroid interrelationship (Smith, Loeb, Wiesner, Crew, and others), as well as the notable advances in our knowledge of the second ovarian, or corpus luteum, hormone (Corner, W. Allen, Clauberg, Kraus, and others). These studies are inevitably closely allied with the subjects of this review.
Differential Effect of Left vs. Right White Matter Hyperintensity Burden on Functional Decline: The Northern Manhattan Study.

Background: Asymmetry of brain dysfunction may disrupt brain network efficiency. We hypothesized that greater left-right white matter hyperintensity volume (WMHV) asymmetry was associated with functional trajectories. Methods: In the Northern Manhattan Study, participants underwent brain MRI with axial T1, T2, and fluid attenuated inversion recovery sequences, with baseline interview and examination. Volumetric WMHV distribution across 14 brain regions was determined separately by combining bimodal image intensity distribution and atlas based methods. Participants had annual functional assessments with the Barthel index (BI, range 0-100) over a mean of 7.3 years. Generalized estimating equations models estimated associations of regional WMHV and regional left-right asymmetry with baseline BI and change over time, adjusted for baseline medical risk factors, sociodemographics, and cognition, and stroke and myocardial infarction during follow-up. Results: Among 1195 participants, greater WMHV asymmetry in the parietal lobes (-8.46 BI points per unit greater WMHV on the right compared to left, 95% CI -3.07, -13.86) and temporal lobes (-2.48 BI points, 95% CI -1.04, -3.93) was associated with lower overall function. Greater WMHV asymmetry in the parietal lobes (-1.09 additional BI points per year per unit greater WMHV on the left compared to right, 95% CI -1.89, -0.28) was independently associated with accelerated functional decline. Conclusions: In this large population-based study with long-term repeated measures of function, greater regional WMHV asymmetry was associated with lower function and functional decline. In addition to global WMHV, WHMV asymmetry may be an important predictor of long-term functional status.
A Review of Instruments that Measure LGBTQ Affirmation and Discrimination Constructs in Adults

In this article, the authors review measures of adult lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer (LGBTQ) affirmation and discrimination constructs in five categories: counselor competency, attitude...
The Semiotics of Space and Time in Interaction Design

Since the 1960s artists have been experimenting with the multiple dimensions of electronic art. Their art can inform other disciplines, including interaction design. Digital art has led to new semantic structures that can be applied to human-computer interface design. This paper presents an analysis of the semiotics of the digital image and interaction design, and the new semantic structures that are defined by digital art research and praxis, kinesthetic design, cognitive mapping, and cross-modal perception. The paper also proposes the development of new software tools for designing and visualizing the information architecture, navigation, and cognitive and sensory relationships in a virtual information space. These tools can facilitate the exploration of the unique semantic dimensions that define these interactive environments.
Effect of Pavement Surface Conditions on Sustainable Transport

This chapter deals with the effect of pavement surface conditions on transport costs, including Vehicle Operating Costs (VOC) and damage to transported goods. The chapter starts with a brief introduction on the need for economic analysis of pavement projects in the context of sustainable pavement management strategies. Then, various user costs are presented, focusing on those cost components that are specifically affected by pavement surface conditions. These include fuel consumption, repair and maintenance, and tire wear (vehicle operating costs), and damage to transported goods/packaging costs (non-vehicle operating costs). The discussion differentiates between empirical and mechanistic models putting a vision for future mechanistic-based models. Finally, a section on trends in emerging vehicle and tire technology and how they affect future costs is presented. The discussion does not include details on the effect of pavement conditions on changes in travel time, safety-related or other implications of pavement conditions.
Punitive Damage Class Actions and the Baseline of Tort

This article will appear as part of a symposium on issues sparked by the landmark multibillion-dollar punitive damage award against the tobacco industry in Engle v. R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co. The article addresses recent calls for settlements of mandatory class actions as a way to resolve liability for punitive damages in whole categories of mass tort litigation. Focusing upon the nature of punitive damages within the institutional regime of the tort system, the article contends that such settlements are not, and should not be, legally viable. In support, the article derives from first principles a conception of the justification for, and parameters of, the mandatory "limited fund" class action under Rule 23(b)(1)(B). The article goes on to argue that the recent opt-out class settlement in the fen-phen litigation offers a legally superior way to build upon the insight that resolution of punitive damage liability may serve as a catalyst for defense concessions as to compensation. The reasons for the apparent lack of pursuit of such a settlement structure in the tobacco litigation are complex but appear to stem, in substantial part, from rivalries between would-be counsel for a mandatory punitive damage class and their more trial-oriented competitors within the plaintiffs' bar.
Participation and Change: Using Large Group Intervention Methods to Inform Reflective Practice in a Community of Public Organizations

Public leaders face increasing pressure to build effective organizational communities. However, the purposive-rational foundation of knowledge in existing theory fails to inform the reflective practice necessary for this level of change. This article contrasts the prevailing viewpoint with the notion of changing organizations, an approach rooted in critical theory in which large group intervention methods are employed to foster participation and emancipatory change across organizational communities. The article features a case study involving a local government grant-making agency to show how participants engaged in reflective practice as a way of patterning community-wide change.
Biophysical model-based parameters to classify tumor recurrence from radiation-induced necrosis for brain metastases.

PURPOSE Stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) is used for local control treatment of patients with intracranial metastases. As a result of SRS, some patients develop radiation-induced necrosis. Radiographically, radiation-induced necrosis can appear similar to tumor recurrence in magnetic resonance (MR) T1 -weighted contrast-enhanced imaging, T2 -weighted MR imaging, and Fluid-Attenuated Inversion Recovery (FLAIR) MR imaging. Radiographic ambiguities often necessitate invasive brain biopsies to determine lesion etiology or cause delayed subsequent therapy initiation. We use a biomechanically coupled tumor growth model to estimate patient-specific model parameters and model-derived measures to noninvasively classify etiology of enhancing lesions in this patient population. METHODS In this initial, preliminary retrospective study, we evaluated five patients with tumor recurrence and five with radiation-induced necrosis. Longitudinal patient-specific MR imaging data were used in conjunction with the model to parameterize tumor cell proliferation rate and tumor cell diffusion coefficient, and Dice correlation coefficients were used to quantify degree of correlation between model-estimated mechanical stress fields and edema visualized from MR imaging. RESULTS Results found four statistically relevant parameters which can differentiate tumor recurrence and radiation-induced necrosis. CONCLUSIONS This preliminary investigation suggests potential of this framework to noninvasively determine the etiology of enhancing lesions in patients who previously underwent SRS for intracranial metastases.